Pumpkins!

Hi I'm a model railroader from Hungary, and I'm collecting BNSF. I have enough space for a layout but I thought I would never finish it, and I would always change the plans along the way. So I came up with the idea to create modules. These are good, because I can simply pack them, I can model a new scenery every module, I can keep them clean (in a homemade cupboard :tb-rolleyes and if I don't have money I can stop anytime, I don't have to collect money for years just to buy the tracks. Anyway, here are a few sentences about the plan of my first module, please don't be shy to tell me your opinions!

The module's (100cm x 40cm, one track in the middle) main topic would be a pumpkin patch. On one side of the rails from left to right, would be a few cows; near it a pumpkin patch with a farmhouse and a weary storage building; and near it, in the right would be a very low traffic, old road which would cross the rails without signals (I'd place a crossbuck there of course with other traffic signs). On the other side of the track there would be one or two small patches of grain. These would not end on the side of the module, since a 18-20cm wide patch is very unreal, it's just too small.

Well, this is my plan, and as I said before, every suggestion is welcome, I'm interested in everything. Since I've never been to the USA it's more than possible that I don't know about dozens of things concerning this scenery... Thank You very much for your answers! :thumbs_up:

 

Hi levi,
Even without having been to the USA it's possible to use pictures to model from. One thing to realize is that America is a pretty big continent with many climate areas and elevations.

It sounds like the area you want to model is the mid-western states in Central North America. What kind of trains do you plan to run?

 

Hello traingeekboy,

I think I shouldn't choose a state to model since that would land in difficulties. I've seen many pictures about farmhouses, pumpkin fields and else, but if I'd say I'd like to model CA for example, I will have more difficulties because of the lesser amount of pics. So I'm more interested in things like:
Are there any standards about fences around cows? I'd like to make one from wood, but I'm not sure if that's all right.
Min. how many metres away should be a house from the tracks? As I saw on Google maps, houses can be VERY close, but I'm still not sure.
So I'm interested in things like these, that I can't know for sure by watching hundreds of pics.

I'm also looking for a farmhouse which I'd like to build from styrene, but I didn't choose that yet. If I find one which is easy to build, and I think it's usual, I'll post it here as well to know what do You think.

I'd like to run mixed freight, hoppers and intermodal trains mostly.

Thank You for reading!

 

If this can help, some links to browse on the subject.
Farms & Barns pictures:
http://www.sessions-station.com/Farms%20&%20Barns/index6.html
Drawings of country buildings (farms, grain storage, dairy etc) :
Free MWPS Building Plans Information Page
Farming in the 20s....
Wessels Living History Farm Farming in the 1920s

Just my 2 cents.
Enjoy
Enzo Fortuna

 

Thank You very much!!! Great sites, especially the one with the plans.

 

Hi Levi, and welcome! I look forward to see how your module evolves.

As far as modeling the "correct" American farm scene, there is not any. America is populated with immigrants from many different countries and cultures, including tens of thousands from Hungary, who settled in almost every geographical area of the country. So you would be correct with just about any scene you wish to model. Take fencing for instance, barbed wire is normally used with cattle and horses in large open areas, although hedgerow, split-rail wood, stone wall, open-mesh metal, wooden board are also used for fencing, depending on what might be available naturally in any part of the country, or what that farmer or rancher liked to work with.

One way you could decide is to look at many online photos of farming scenes throughout America, decide what you like, and model it. You won't be wrong, because it's what you like, and it's your model......:tb-biggrin:

 

Well, to be honest, I'm very happy with your answer. Surely, I can't model a scene 1:160, but if I could catch a bit of the feeling or the spirit of it, I would be very happy. I will try to upload photos about the module (in it's different stages) here in this topic, if You'd like. Thank You again!

 

The common fences in Wisconsin are; cows you may have a small area around the barn can be wire, wood or cement walls. Out in the fields it usually three strands of barbed wire, 2 meters high with post spacing of 4 meters apart. All wood fences are usually for horses and are 2 1/2 to 3 meters high. If there are pigs or chicks there use a mesh fence.

The pumpkin patches are usually were the Welsh settled so it's much like there homeland. They usually have the concrete walls and floor for the barn yard. Like a building without a roof.

 

I was confused (or was I?) by the word "pumpkins" in a post referring to BNSF modeling. When Santa Fe and Burnlington Northern merged back in the early 1990s, there was a locomotive paint scene designed which attempted to bring together the images of the two merging railroads. Some elements of the shape of the Santa Fe warbonnet were included, but in the colors of either the Great Northern or the Northern Pacific (I'm not sure which), which were orange and a moderately dark green.
Some joker decided the paint scheme should be nicknamed "The Great Pumpkin." Ever since, the term Pumpkin has been used to refer to BNSF diesels in that scheme.
I would never have guessed that the pumpkins in your title referred to real pumpkins, the kiind used to make pumpkin pie and carve jack-o-lanterns for Halloween.

Now then....SECOND assumption. Since you refer to BNSF, I assume you are thinking about modeling either the present day or the recent past, since BNSF did not exist before early 1990s. Am I correct, or did you mention BNSF because that is a CURRENT name of a major US railroad? The difference is that if you are specifically modeling BNSF, you are modeling present day or close to it. Most scenes along the present BNSF would be relatively modern unless you have found an usually "backwoods", "lost in time" location.

By the way, I model the historic Santa Fe in the middle 1950s on the Texas coast, and I am a high school history teacher and part-time adjunct history professor. I will look and see what I have in the way of pictures...

 

I was looking for fences and barns and cows along the BNSF. I found this photo in my railimages gallery. It was taken on the Santa Fe (befor merger into BNSF) near Crabb, Texas in 1981 to document a signal and telephone box installation, and "just plain common stuff along the track."

On most of the South Texas roads I travel where there is RR line alongside, there is no fencing between public road and railroad tracks. There is nearly always fencing between railroad line and farm or ranch property with livestock. Where farmland is primarily cultivated in cotton or grain (crops I see most often), sometimes is fenced along tracks, but often not.



In this photo, note high grass immediately adjacent to track. Grass is mowed on both sides of highway right-of-way. Farmland in left side of picture is not fenced, generally cleared. Right half of picture shows wooden fence.

I noted your comment, "I can model a new scenery every module... I don't have to collect money for years just to buy the tracks." Do I understand you are building scenery modules without track? Just plain "track" is not so expen$$$ive." (I don't know if dollar $ign$ mesan the same thing in Hungarian). What are expen$sive are turnouts-- track switches. Having a straight run of straight track across your module would allow it to be used as an "out in the country" part of a future layout without modification, and you can use it now to pose rolling stock for photos. Just a thought.

Reefers posed on a 20cm x 60cm urban diorama...


Old west train posed on a 30cm x 40cm prairie diorama for an 1870 transcontinental railroad display in my school class.

 

Thank You very much for your answers, Kenneth! Well, where should I begin? I know many people call BNSF engines pumpkins, I'm sorry for the convincing name of the thread.

Though I can't afford a big collection since I still study at the University, I'm not completely dumb.:tb-biggrin: I know when did ATSF and BN merge and I'm not modeling BNSF because I heard something from someone. I chose to model it after thinking for about a year, because I liked the way their engines and cars look. That was enough for me and I didn't regret my choice since then and I think I won't regret it later.

Track: I think You misunderstood me. I place track on my modules of course. :tb-wink: I've been reading model railroader forums for about 2 years now, so I know what's a turnout and I will definitely want to add a few later, on modules which need them. This one doesn't need them.
With the dearness of tracks I meant If I had wanted a real layout, that would have cost me all my money. But with this method I could buy scenery and else. In case of a layout, I would not be able to spend on these as well, just on tracks. I hope You understand now what I meant before.

Thank You for the pic and for your comments on it! I hope my answer is satisfying. Please feel free to write here more of your thoughts if You have time and You are interested!

 

Thank You for your comment, Shortround! I must say though 2 or 3 metres high fences are quite strange for me. I've seen many pics about cattle and I've never seen any fences that high... Would You be so kind to send a pic about those?

 

Here is a kind of fence frequently seen in Texas, especially in farm and ranch country... Wood fence posts with barbed wire strung between them. This fence was along the ROW of the Austin & Northwestern near Burnet TX 1993

These are often seen on cattle pastures. However, when cattle are concentrated into pens, stout 4x4" or larger posts (I guess that's 10x10cm in metric) with solid wood slats frequently used.

NOT frequently seen in Texas....a stone fence.

This is a century plus old site, some 10 miles south of Fredericksburg in an area settled by German immigrants. The house is built of logs, a "dogtrot" style with an open breezeway through the middle of the house, between two enclosed rooms.

Also not frequently seen in Texas, a stone barn.


You wrote about including a scene with an old road at a simple grade crossing. Here is another low traffic road, but it ducks through a "one at a time" stone arch grade separation under the Santa Fe, about 6 mile s south of Sommerville, TX. 1981 photo.

 

Thank You for your answer again! I think I will go with the wooden fence because I'd like to create a scene, where a cattle finds a weak spot on the fence and reaches with it's head for a pumpkin. That would be funny I think...

 

Finally found the "classic" old farmhouse picture I was seeking for you.

Old and weathered, but not falling down. I bought this snapshot from someone who was cleaning unwanted pictures he had taken, probably in Texas. Possibly late 19th century but more likely early 20th century. However, picture probably taken 1970s or 80s. Because of the fence. Original fence with wood posts and wire...reinforced with mass-produced steel fenceposts between the main wooden posts. This is the kind of detail that shows passage of time. Different things built/added at different times.

Another farmhouse...a little higher class.

Early 20th century? Note the slightly Victorian (?) touch of the short gable over the right end of the porch, perhaps it visually sets off a set of steps behind the bushes. Maybe it just "points" to a back or side entrance.
Note the bay window at the left side of 1st floor, the corner step. This is a slightly more interesting house than first glance....
I can't tell for sure about the siding. It appears there may be asbestos or slate shingles? Probably not original. Siding like this was added to older houses in the late 1940s and 1950s.
Note the big "air conditioner" on the front window. Really oversize for an AC. Probably a "swamp cooler"...a kind of evaporative cooler that uses water, works only in very dry climates. Just about obsoleted by modern AC. Or maybe I just never see any in muggy south Texas...

A tiny image from an old snapshot. This house is almost identical to a Gloor craftsman N scale kit I have...

 

Go to http://atsfrr.com and join.. You'll find more information than you could ever possibly use in many lifetimes.
Mark

 

Thank You very much, both of You! Tomorrow I'll have more time for a better answer!

 

Well I began to build a barn yesterday, but I already have a few problems. I don't know if I should post those here, or open a new topic for them? This topic would be kinda cool if it could work like a blog or the like...

Anyway I write my problems here, and if it's not right, then I'll make up something. So, what should be the surface of the barn? Printed picture won't be realistic I think, and I don't really have any other ideas. I tried to cut matches but they didn't become even of course...

I also don't know, what should I use to create windows. I saw window sets on ebay but those are almost as expensive as a whole building...

Thanks for your help!!!

 

A few pics about the barn. It still waits to get painted and else. Tell me your opinions!