Model Railroad Blog

Why We Build Model Railroads

Why do we build model railroads?  Psychologically, what is at play that compels us to create something that, if viewed at face value, could be mistakenly taken for a detailed toy?

Like many people, both in and out of the hobby, I’ve made the mistake of trivializing model railroading.  Over the past several years I’ve become keenly aware of how deeply important the hobby (or any hobby) is to others.  It has nothing to do with toy trains.  It has to do with basic human needs and who we are.  Addressing those needs makes for a more vibrant, fulfilling life.  In short, the reason model railroad is so important is exactly the same reason that  creating a painting, composing a musical score, or restoring an automobile is.   In our case model railroading addresses three primary needs.

  • Creative Expression:  The need to artistically create is a basic human need that almost becomes a compulsion for many of us.  It’s an inner drive.  To not address it, detracts from the quality of life.
  • Satisfaction of assembly.  There is a certain level of satisfaction derived from taking several base components and combining them into something that is greater than the sum of the parts.  It is satisfying to take lumber, a can of stain, and create a bookshelf.  There is satisfaction in taking a collection of people and forging them into an athletic team or company.
  • Creating a copy of a portion of the world we enjoy looking at.  This gene doesn’t exist in everybody.  It does in us and our hobby brothers in other modeling fields.   If we have fond memories of a location, structure, or way of life, there is satisfaction in having a 3d version of it in our basement.  It’s the same need that is satisfied by photographs or movies of a pleasing subject.  Closely related would be creating a copy of a human practice we find interesting.  In this case I’m talking about the fascinating chess game of railroad operations.

There are similar paths that can be taken, which is precisely why you see such an overlap in hobbies and interests.  Have you ever noticed how many model railroaders are also musicians, artists/painters, and automotive enthusiasts?

It’s not the model railroad hobby itself that is key, but what it does that matters.   I can accept, and often agree, that miniature trains, in and of themselves, are not important (just as throwing a white ball at a person with a bat, on the surface, is not important).  The key point is this, it is a vehicle that fulfills critical, deeply ingrained,  human needs.    Needs that are important.  Needs that are not trivial.    To not recognize and address this fact of life, to dismiss how we are wired, would be a serious mistake indeed.

 

Are Dramatic Scenes Necessary?

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A big part of model railroading is creating images that we enjoy looking at.  Although totally lacking in drama, this shot of the Sanchelima Dairy is one of my favorites of the layout.

 A visitor to my website brought up an interesting point yesterday.  It’s an issue that I’ve been subconsciously aware of.  Given its importance, I can’t believe I haven’t given it more thought.   This fellow dropped me a note stating that if I’d followed through on an earlier track plan idea I would have been able to develop a very stunning scene featuring the Miami River.  Better yet, the scene would be right by the door making it the first thing a visitor would see.  I do remember making the design decision not to use that version of the track plan but it took me awhile to figure out why not having that scene didn’t bother me.

This issue arose a few months ago when enough of the Downtown Spur layout had taken shape that I could get a sense for how it would look.  I clearly remember, thinking, “this really isn’t very impressive”.  I didn’t mean it in a negative way.  Perhaps a more accurate way of summing up my thought was, “this really isn’t very dramatic.”  I also remember not caring and casting aside this important issue without any more thought.

A month later when some experience modelers came over for a layout visit I tossed out an innocuous comment to see how they’d react.  I think I said something like, “The layout isn’t that visually impressive is it?”  They looked at me as if to wonder why I’d ask such an irrelevant question,  shrugged their shoulders, and continued to examine the layout.

Here’s the central question:

Should a model railroad contain at least one dramatic scene?  In other words, is an eye catching visual a necessary design criteria for a successful model railroad?

It’s really a thought provoking issue.  After thinking on it for a day, I’m a little surprised how I feel about it.  I certainly enjoy looking at a well executed dramatic scene on a model railroad, particularly if it’s not contrived.   Having said that, I really don’t care if a model railroad has such a visual centerpiece or not.    It took me awhile to figure out why.

When we look at a model railroad we want to see pleasing images.   Where I was getting hung up was the association between dramatic images and pleasing images.  You can have one without the other.   For example, we enjoy looking at a well composed dramatic photo of the Grand Canyon.  However,   we would equally enjoy a shot of a quiet pond.   Drama is just one arrow in our quiver.    I’m totally satisfied with the Downtown Spur because, to my eye, I enjoy looking at it.  It does what I wanted it to do. It transports me to a place a find interesting.

You can build masterfully created dramatic scenes into your model railroad and have something that you really enjoy looking at.  That is the more common approach in our hobby.    I realize now that such an approach is not a requirement for visual or emotional appeal.   You can have something just as satisfying visually without it being dramatic.

Alclad II Metallic Paint

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It’s amazing how long we can put off learning to use a new material or method only to find out how easy it is and how much better the results are.  This was my case with learning to use the Alclad II line of metallic paints.  For those not familiar with it, the Alclad 2 line is a specialty brand of metallic lacquer paint known for a metallic finish that is incredibly realistic.  I finally overcame my inertia and gave it a try.  I love it and can’t believe I put it off for so long.  Although Alclad requires different methods and has a different feel, it is very easy to use.  A step by step tutorial can be found HERE.  The tutorial is excellent but let me emphasize a few points:

  • Alclad lays down a very thin layer.  Any speck of dust or scratch will show through.  You need a very clean, blemish free surface.
  • A good starting color is “chrome” (pn ALC 107) which can be picked up through Horizon Hobbies.
  • Keep the airbrush pressure low, around 18psi
  • Use a very fine airbrush needle and crank it down to almost nothing
  • Keep the brush an inch to an inch and a half from the subject surface or else the paint will dry mid-air and have sort of a frosty look to it.

That’s about it.  Start by giving your model a black primer coat of Krylon Fusion Gloss black. Let it dry over night and lay down the Alclad.

 

Family Friendly Layouts

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Simple steps can make the layout much more palatable to the rest of the family and make them more receptive to having it in the house. A clean Pullman green fascia, absence of clutter and junk, nice shelves, and not having tools scattered about are inexpensive ways to make the model railroad more family friendly.

Awhile back I got a call from an old buddy of mine inviting me over to see his layout. I hadn’t seen ‘Buddy’ in years and jumped at the chance to catch up on things and see his model railroad. After setting up a time for the visit he switched to what was probably the real reason for his call, to subtly vent the frustration he felt with his unreasonable wife. Unreasonable Wife had banished his layout building activities to the garage. Buddy was pretty put out about this. After all, he contributed half of the household income and all he wanted to do after a hard day at work was indulge in the simple pleasure of working on his layout. I have to confess, he sucked me in and had me ready to offer a shoulder to cry on.

Stepping into Buddy’s house I was struck by how nicely done the interior was. In addition to being neat as a pin somebody had hand sewn the draperies and valences and put a lot of effort into making it a nice place to live. I quickly guessed this wasn’t Buddy’s doing. He was oblivious to the nice environment that somebody else had created around him. After exchanging pleasantries Buddy escorted me through the kitchen. Pausing for drama, he had me stop at the door so he could stand to the side, open it and roll his creation out in front of me. With great fanfare, he swung the door open. As they say in the valley, “Oh……my…….God!” Had there been a gas explosion in the garage?

Buddy is a good modeler but I couldn’t even concentrate on the layout. It sat on battered plywood that looked like it had been pulled out of a construction dumpster. Wires dangled beneath like a multi-colored rat’s nest. Tools lay scattered all over the garage, covering more square footage than the layout itself. Then there was the, how do I put this delicately, the endless piles of crap. There were boxes and boxes of battered Tyco rolling stock, brass rail, wire, junk, junk and more junk. I quickly realized that not only was his spouse entirely reasonable, she was a saint for having enough restraint not to call the building inspector on her husband.

Let’s hold up our end of things folks. Nobody wants something like that in the house. Every family dynamic is different but there are some very simple steps that can be taken to, if nothing else, increase the likelihood that you can get the family on board with having the layout in the house. Here are some focus points for creating a family friendly layout:

Fascia: The fascia or facing of the layout provides a frame and goes miles towards creating a clean look. You don’t have to be a master millwright or spend a lot of money to put something clean together. If the layout has some elevation I suggest ¼” MDF (basically a high quality Masonite) cut to the profile of the scenery. If the layout has a relatively flat surface then floor molding will work. At a very early stage in construction get the fascia mounted. Attach it to the layout face with panelboard nails as opposed to screws. The fascia color is important. I agree with the general consensus that earth tone greens such as Pullman green or olive look best. Avoid primary colors (Red, Blue, Yellow). Avoid tans. Avoid pine stains or any wood stains for that matter. Avoid black. If you are stuck I use a Behr Paint mix called ‘Wild Rice”.

Legs: If your layout is supported by legs (as opposed to shelf brackets) paint the legs semi-glass black. This will hide them and downplay any defects.

Wiring: There is a tool called a ‘cable tacker’ available at most hardware stores that makes quick work of tucking your wiring neatly under the layout. A cable tacker is basically a staple gun that dispenses cupped shaped staples that don’t pinch the wire.

Bench work width: In addition to design reasons for doing so, narrower bench work also looks much better in a finished room. Once you approach a bench work width of 24 inches, you are getting pretty wide. I suggest a target width in the range of 16 inches to 22 inches.

Beneath the layout: I’ve seen a number of modelers hang black drapes down from the fascia to screen off any mess beneath as well as to hide the legs. This does look nice. In my opinion though, the drapes get cumbersome, collect dust, and nice ones aren’t cheap. My preference is to just avoid piling junk down there in the first place. If you need storage, install some NICE shelves or cabinets. Nice doesn’t need to be expensive. Rusting milk crates, battered plastic milk crates, and old pallets don’t constitute nice shelving.

Junk: Get rid of all the junk in the layout room. Set a goal of seven days to get it out of there. Give it to a teenager, a club, or a veteran’s home. If you don’t have somebody to give it to, THROW IT OUT! I can hear Buddy now, ” I’m going to sell it.” No you’re not. “I might need it ‘someday’.” Doubtful. “It’s worth a lot of money.” Probably not any more. Strategically accumulating Pennsy F units for a future layout is planning ahead. Putting locomotives in a nice display case is collecting. Purchasing a bunch of unrelated, disconnected items with no coherent purpose is hoarding and binge spending.

Tidiness: At the end of the day, pick up your tools and leave the room in presentable, livable condition.

I can’t promise this will get your layout back in the house but it will increase the odds!

The Rule of Three Tries

There has been a good thread on the Model Railroader Forum about the use of the Alclad 2 metalizer paints.  For those that aren’t familiar with them, Alclad paints lay down a surface  that is amazingly close to true metallic.  Like everybody else, I suffer from inertia when it comes to teaching myself new skills.  I finally broke down and ordered some Alclad for some signal boxes I want to try it out on.

When learning a new technique I subscribe to the rule of three tries.  In other words, it generally takes three tries to get the hang of something.  For example, say you’re trying to learn to build your own turnouts.  The first attempt will teach you all of the things NOT to do, point out the problem areas and will ultimately be consigned to the trash (and it should be trashed.  Don’t put it on the layout).  The second attempt will be rough but marginally good enough to add to the layout.  By the third attempt you will generally be off and running.  These practice tries can be run in short succession and for some things done quickly enough that you have the skill down in an afternoon.  The key point is to have the mindset that the first attempt may not be great, accept it for the valuable information you get from it and not get down.  Stick with it.  Understand that it is a process and the sooner you get attempts one and two behind you, the sooner you’ll master something.  I think there are two myths surrounding the work of good modeling results.  First, is that somehow the modeler was touched by the hands of god and learned the technique on the first try.  No, the guy just practiced.  The second myth is that you need to devote an eternity of practice to acquiring a skill.  I disagree with that as well.  You do need to practice but you’ll be amazed how far you advance if you work at something over just a few weekends.

Sometimes a modeler will reluctantly show me his layout, head hung low in discouragement.  The resulting model pretty rough on all fronts.  It’s not what he sees in the magazines and he’s ready to quit.  What he doesn’t know is that,  if he builds another layout it won’t be slightly better, it will be significantly better.   He’ll circle the layout showing me all of the flaws and mistakes.  That’s my point exactly.  The importance of the fact that he made the early attempt, made the mistakes, AND recognizes them can’t be emphasized enough.  It’s crucial at that point to not give up.  It’s also absolutely critical to be aware of the areas that need improvement so they can be worked on.   Without having tried something, it’s hard to approach another modeler and say how do you do ‘X’.  No matter advice you get, the value will be watered down.  However, if you say, “I tried X, I had problems a,b, and c.  How do I fix them.” Now you have the perspective to know what to ask.

Often modelers don’t try to advance their skills toolbox because they look at a nice model and think they could never do that.  Well they could probably get pretty close if they made a few attempts and understood there is no shame (and tremendous value) in rough practice trial runs.  They  may also believe that so many months or years of effort are required to master the technique that it just isn’t worth it.  Finally, they may just suffer from inertia….like putting off how to use Alclad metalizers…..for years………….