I’m back from a long weekend in Alberta, where I had a wonderful visit with members of the Calgary Model Railway Society. I was a guest speaker at the group’s AGM, and I think the presentation went well.
I was most impressed by the society itself, which is an umbrella organization for various local groups. The members are enthusiastic, talented, and keen to promote the hobby through their annual train show (Supertrain – one of the best shows in North America).
They were also very welcoming of a guy from Toronto by way of Saskatoon, who yammered on about an obscure southern Ontario electric line and his attempts to model it in a niche scale. I had some great discussions after the presentation, and during some layout tours in the evenings…
My presentation was framed through the lens of layout design, and during my talk I mentioned the idea that less is more. I encouraged layout builders to think twice about adding track, because a layout that includes only essential track is often the most challenging and engaging to operate. I had a discussion about this afterwards so I’ll expand on the thought here (and those who know this can skip ahead).
As with everything in our hobby, your mileage may vary: If you want to pack your layout space with track, go ahead. That said, real railways don’t build more than they need. Track is costly to build and maintain. This is especially true of switches, which include moving parts. This is why, all other things being equal, a railway will prefer to serve two customers by building one common spur instead of two dedicated ones. For modellers, a single spur with multiple industries on it is more challenging to switch – and therefore, more fun.
I was asked about additional sources for ideas related to minimalist model railway design. I think professional layout builder Lance Mindheim has done a fantastic job of advocating for this approach. His website is packed with good information and includes links to several books he’s written. I particularly like his trio of self-published books, How to design a small switching layout, How to build a switching layout, and How to operate a modern-era switching layout. While Lance’s interests tends to modern-era railroading, there are lessons here for everyone.
During a layout visit, one of my hosts mentioned a comment I’d made years ago about how, as modellers, we often focus on getting the railway elements right while downplaying the other aspects of layout design. I cited trees as an example of this. Many modellers will agonize over the details on a model locomotive, then fill their layout with toy-like trees of no particular species.
But here’s the thing: While many can appreciate fine model-building, very few visitors can actually tell whether a layout owner has properly detailed a locomotive. One would have to model the same prototype, in the same era, to even have a hope of making that assessment. By contrast, everybody – everybody – knows what a tree looks like. Making a convincing tree can do more for sharing the story one is trying to convey through a layout than anything we model that’s related to the railway itself.
I’m not advocating that modellers invest all their time, money, and energy in building perfect trees. We are railway modellers, not miniature arborists. But giving some thought to how we represent the elements in a scene that everyone can assess goes a long way towards creating a convincing layout.
Those looking for specific ideas about modelling trees can take advantage of a couple of excellent sources.
There are several tree-spotters guides. My go-to for Canada and the USA is The Trees of North America by Alan Mitchell, illustrated by David More. Several publishers have offered this title (including, at one time, Hundman Publications – which produced Mainline Modeler magazine) – and while I’m not sure if anyone does currently, there are several copies available via ABEbooks. The drawings are particularly useful – more useful than photographs for our purposes, as they do a better job of illustrating the shape of specific tree species. It’s even possible to scan the drawings and resize them to one’s chosen modelling scale, then use them as patterns for bending wire armatures.
To turn those illustrations into models, I recommend a three volume set of scenery books by UK modeller Gordon Gravett: Modelling Trees Part One (Broadleaf), Modelling Trees Part Two (Conifer) and Modelling Grassland and Landscape Detailing. At this writing, these are all available from Wild Swan Books in the UK.
Thank you, again, to the layout owners who opened their doors for me on Saturday and Sunday evening. My visits to their model railways inspired me and I am keen to work on my own layouts. Thanks also to the CMRS board of directors for inviting me to speak.
And a special thank you to CMRS president Peter Bouma, who was so generous with his time.
Finally, I’d like to thank the members of the Calgary Model Railway Society. Keep up the great work! And if you have any questions or comments related to my presentation, here’s how to reach me.
The Model Railway Show 