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Setting the Scene |
Buildings can say as much about what you're modeling as the trains
by Marty McGuirk
While the individual elements of a layout—the trains, scenery, operating scheme, and even the room setting—are important, perhaps nothing tells viewers more about your railroad than the buildings. Non-modelers often pick up the clues given by structures, even though they know nothing about the railroad elements.
There are several ways to get buildings for your layout, but first you need to determine just which types of buildings you'll need to help set the scene.
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Selecting the right buildings
Selecting the right buildings requires some planning. You need to consider the era, geographic location, and relative prosperity of the area modeled.
Buildings can change in appearance over a period of time. Additions, renovations, and improvements (some of questionable aesthetic value) can alter the appearance of any structure. Some of these changes, such as a new coat of paint, adding or removing signs, or window awnings, are fairly minor. Others can be quite significant. New siding, windows, and doors can completely alter the look of any building.
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Even in a town scene buildings should have some space between them. Ray and Renee Grosser have nailed the appearance of a typical small town on their HO Soo Line "Nostalgia Trip." Note the variety of the additions and building materials visible on this one street.
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This scene on John Gray's HO Union Pacific layout is ten feet deep, but only three structures (not counting the snow fences) are visible. Giving buildings breathing room is not only more realistic, it requires less effort!
Lou Sassi
| | Architecture and materials give clues to region your model railroad depicts
The region modeled also has a significant impact on the style of architecture. Buildings in New England look quite different from those in the coastal Carolinas, just as structures in New Mexico look different from those found in the Dakotas.
Although McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Kmart and other chains have eliminated much of the regionality from American architecture, you can still find regional differences which are important to capture in model form. Ironically, with few exceptions there aren't any kits for the standard architecture used by these chains, making it difficult for modern-era modelers.
In the Eastern and Northern areas of the country wood is readily available, making it the preferred choice for construction. In the desert Southwest, where wood is much less commonly used, you'll find a higher percentage of stone, clay (adobe), or concrete.
Roof pitch and overhang can also change significantly from one region of the country to another. Buildings in the snowbelt have steeper roof pitches as a rule to help shed the snow, while buildings in warmer regions tend to have a shallower pitch to the roof. Roofing material also varies greatly depending on the area and the value of the building. Since roofs are such a visible part of our model railroad structures, it's important to pay attention to them.
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Buildings can make even the smallest layout seem much larger. Gary Frost has modelled this busy street scene based on a prototype scene in downtown Syracuse, NY. Note the amount of interesting detail a viewer can enjoy on this small (30" x 6'0") HO sectional layout.
Lou Sassi
| | For years we really didn't have a good selection of American buildings. Victorian railroad stations and haunted houses were far more common than mills, factories, and standard "plain Jane" depots. Happily that situation seems to be changing and we're now getting a good selection of typical stores and industries to choose from. Using buildings to help set the scene is getting easier with each passing year.
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The above articles is the property of and is
the copyright of Kalmbach
Publishing Co. |
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