Model railroading is a multifaceted hobby. With so many scales, and gauges, eras, and kinds of railroads, it is sometimes hard to choose what to do. My favorite aspects of the hobby are building detailed interiors in engine houses, blacksmith shops, mines and mills, and sawmills. I have built plenty of them over the years and may share some in a future Ramblings. But I must be in the mood to do a detailed interior.
My other interest is in adding little vignettes to my layout. Little scenes where people are doing all sorts of things. My On3 Tuolumne Forks layout abounds with these scenes and often visitors pay little attention to the trains and are absorbed in what my little people are up to. So, I thought I would share a few of these scenes with you in this issue and begin with my most recent one.
When I was in Houston, I picked up a bag of O scale figures. Included were several convicts in striped suits. I dug a hole and put them to work digging a ditch for a pipeline. Then visitors began coming down the stairs commenting about the convicts digging a grave. So, when I saw that Miniprints sold O scale skeletons, I bought a pair and now my convicts are really digging a grave, or are they uncovering a former victim?Here a group of railfans wait for a train. I just gathered all the photographers I had and arranged them in a line. They may have to wait a long time on Tuolumne Forks for a train to come by.I don’t want to offend anyone, but I felt the world’s oldest profession needed to be represented on my layout. Many years ago, I ordered a set of “Cribs” from Classic Miniatures and assembled them for my red-light district. I found all the little people and interior detail I needed in England, and installed them in the cribs. Propriety stops me from photographing what is going on in these little buildings.I have two resort hotels on my layout and wanted to have facilities for their guests. Here is the fire circle at the Tahoe Inn. I remember these fire circles as a kid at summer camp.I found a bag of sheep at a local train show and just could not resist this scene. Note the Gypsie wagon in the background.Here in another relaxing activity at the Tahoe Inn. Note the saddles on the fence.When I was a kid in Modesto, California, migrants from the Dust Bowl would come into town. I have a class photo of my fourth grade class with two boys in bib overalls with nothing underneath, and they were barefoot on photo day. Common in rural California in the late 1930s. So, I decided to add this overloaded Model T with a broken wheel. Sort of a Grapes of Wrath scene.A good friend of mine mentioned he felt this scene was in extremely bad taste, but it must have made some news with that photographer.
May/June 2022
