I'll bet I studied that photo for at least five minutes trying to figure out if it was real, or not. One can usually tell by the coupler, but the lighting is just right where I couldn't tell. Wonderfull modeling, and photography, Mike! :thumbs_up:
I have a question, Mike ... what inspired you to model winter season? Is you entire pike in this setting, or do you have other seasons in different places? I think the winter scenes without conifers makes it possible to project a more realisitc setting because most conifers are 'bottle-brush' types and easily detected. Your leafless, winter trees and natural lighting does wonders!
Hi Ironhorseman Yes the whole layout is winter. I chose winter for lots of reasons. It's easy to get nostalgic about snow when you don't have to live with it! Our climate here can be unbearbly hot. When I started the layout I had a British 00 scale layout that was set in summer, so I thought it would be a challenge to make bare trees for a change - and it was :tb-biggrin: While looking through New England prototype photos I found that to me it was always the wintry ones that had the most atmosphere and nostalgia especially when looking at fallen flags. Personally I have nothing against Guilford, but I have no experience of the railroads they absorbed, and I know there are many folk who resent Guilford. It must have been hard for railfans to lose the MEC, BM and D&H. Guilford ran some very colourful lashups in those early days, with their grey mixed in with the other three they took over. I do the same. When I researched and learned about the history of Guilford, my chosen railroad, the bleakness of winter seemed the most appropriate way to model the last days of the other three. Mike
I remember being told ( back in the late 80'sinto the 90's) You will never be able to do a branch line like aprototype with messed up track because it will never work. I amglad you are proving this theory wrong.Thats truly amazing! I am sure your scle hoggers have a scale pucker factor running over that! I know I would. One of my favorite Rock branch lines was the Keota line in Iowa where they had Mini train experiments towards the end. It was a 5 mph line for its total length by then.This is railroading I grew up with. Its good to see I can try to recreate this as well. BTW I will be happy to ship you some snow this winter if you would send me a few Sheilas in return
Mike, I believe I have found the prototype for your next unbelievably rotten trackwork project, http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=673_1315167217 . Personally, I don't think that even with your marvelous talent you could make this work. :tb-tongue:
Yikes! They're going at quite a clip for that stretch of track!eek: This makes Mike's line almost look like a main line! laugh:
What is equally surprising is that the conductor rides while seated on what appears to be a bar stool.....:tb-wacky:
Wow, I don't know why I didn't notice this topic until today. I've always admired your recreation of this line. Seeing how it came together is fascinating and humbling (as compared to my modeling skills). Outstanding work Mike!
DO they require their engineers to be unmarried with fully-paid-up life insurance? That track looks like crap- were it real, I wouldn't even walk down that line, much less run a train over it. I've never seen such messed-up track in my life- what a disgrace to railroading. Which is to say.........I LIKE it!! Hey, when ya model the prototype, sometimes you gotta model warts & all. Not all track is arrow-straight & evenly-ballasted in the real world- in some places, it's weedgrown, wobbly, muddy (mud as ballast......hmmmmmm). Nicely done!!:thumbs_up:
Mike, an exceptionally good atmosphere to this layout. Do you have an overall view or track plan for the rest of the layout? Cheers! Nick
Speaking of crappy track.......I have a book on the Chicago Great Western that has a picture of a little-used branchline in Iowa.All I can say is YIKES.............they sent locals down that mess? Guilford didn't have a monopoly on bad track.
Thanks again for all the nice comments. Nick. I akways seems to have so much clutter on the layout that I never get any overall shots, but I'll see what I can do - it's a good excuse for a cleanup! Mike P.S. This is the most recent shot I have of just the mudpit area a view from the bridge... and I'll try to get some more overall views. Must send the mini video down there again too.
My son just told me about this layout. I could not be more amazed or awed! That is the best worst model trackage I have seen! Truly inspirational! Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
