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Building the Modular Layout. Everyone has to start somewhere.
Building the Modular Layout. Everyone has to start somewhere.
Part 1 Design, Background and Lights
Like I said, I have never built a layout. But, here is the story...
One Saturday night after writing my fifth email to parents: "Good evening, (Insert Student Name) has not been turning in any work on Google Classroom for classwork or homework. I am very concerned that since no work is being completed, it will adversely affect their class grade. I have reached out to you and your student several times by email and phone calls. Please contact me so we can work out a schedule to complete the outstanding work. Please see my only class link attached." Then Sunday night at 2A.M., I received an email from one student's cousins saying that the student who had gotten one of those emails was in a different country! On Monday, I went in to work, set up the online lesson for the day, got my Zoom link ready, and prepared my lesson on Roman Engineering. One of my students on Zoom mentioned that the Roman Aqueducts look like the railroad viaduct on Harry Potter. Finally, one student asked me when I was building my railroad. Luckily, they don't know about this website.
I told them, "When I'm not poor and don 't have an on-call job." But they just kept pestering. However, we continued with the lesson. Then, went home at the end of the day.
My students were constantly asking me when... My wife was constantly asking me when... My parents asked why I was going to IKEA, and the pet rabbit stared vacantly, demanding a second dinner. I had had enough!
A family friend had mentioned that they were going to IKEA and were looking for a few things for the new house. After work, I logged on to the computer and went to IKEA's website. I found a few things they could use that were on their list and threw them into the shopping cart. It was late, and I put the laptop away. I turned YouTube on the TV for a short time to relax and a short series about micro layouts started playing. At some point, I must have turned off the TV and gone to sleep, as the Mrs. and I don't remember turning it off. What I do remember is dreaming all night.
When I was working on my psychology degree for my undergrad, I remember the professor, who looked like Prof. Trelawney in Harry Potter, and only quoted Freud, saying that all dreams lead to the inner soul. She then asked all the students what their dreams were usually like. Some of the students' revelations really had me worrying who I was in class with. Many were just about food. When she came to me, I told her I rarely remember my dreams. I rarely have nightmares. I usually think through work problems in my sleep and find solutions. She motioned to the class, then stared at me and said "I must let my inhibitions out, stop hiding who I truly am, and free my subconscious to stare into the abyss." She was trying to tell me that I'm not me, and convince me in something else. Psychology or... Politics? Really... She made me feel very uncomfortable, so without letting that emotion be seen, I calmly quoted Nietzsche "And if thou gaze long into the abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee." She then blinked and said something about a cigar and want of human connection tying feebly to quote Freud. I then said "sometimes a cigar is just a cigar," quoting Freud, and she left me alone. Wandering off to analyzing another student's "hidden desires" who just wanted a cheeseburger (They were on a diet) in their dream.
For some reason, I remembered this in my dream and which then launched into sleep designing the layout. The human mind is a amazing clearinghouse for information and kaleidoscope of thoughts to human soul. It would be a small modular layout. The 2 modules would be designed inside 2 IKEA shelf units that I had seen online. This would make a portable, modular, switching layout! Over the next few days on the computer, I designed the layout below.
We purchased 2 IKEA Trofast Frame Light White Stained Pine
They were assembled without the 2 inside dividers. A pine back board was cut at Home Depot. I took my measurements, and explained the project to Phil, who was great. Then, I explained that I only have hand tools at home. He was very helpful and double checked my measurements; then, cut the boards to size.
Putting these together was easy and fun. The Mrs. was very excited (albeit a bit nervous) as she had never put anything together this big before. The building maintenance staff, who are always interested in what I'm building for my class, wanted to know what new Death Star contraption was in the making and let me borrow a power drill for screwing on the backboards.
First, we had to have a coal mine. Second, we had to have a team track for mixed freight, and a Standard Oil wagon. Third, it had to be rural. I wanted to focus on period correct scenes. The mine will have local militia to guard from strike agitators and Molly McGuires. The station will have a small reunion for the Grand Army of the Republic. Mules hauling coal carts, the men at the mine covered in coal dust, and men cutting blocks at the small icehouse. We also wanted a small farmhouse with the laundry being hung out to dry.
We also want to focus on scenery. America used to be an agrarian society so we had to have farm crops, and the trees have to be perfect. Basically, If the module is a stage, then the trains are the actors. This means the stage can dictate and convey a mood to the audience.
Saturday 9 o'clock morning facing an open field (North facing) on a beautiful March day.
Scenery is important! Just look as the two summer pictures from the same area. The types of clouds, color of the clouds and sky, and plants/trees are different and they are from the same field. The Big Question.....
What type of mood do you want for the layout?
Color can control mood. Bright and happy, or dark and foreboding?
Look at the two photos taken in the same spot.
Saturday at 9:10 in the morning facing the wooded stream (South East facing) It will thunderstorm in five minuets.
My one and only attempt at painting a backdrop was an abysmal failure. This sorry attempt would not be useful. Because the layout is so small, everyone will notice all the problems. Small problems will seem bigger and be harder to hide. I was trying to figure out what to do. Then, while looking at YouTube, I found the channel called Trackside Scenery. Joey Ricard presented the answer!!!! I immediately contacted him. He was great! I sent him the rough sketch, which really did not have a ton of information, and we talked about the project a little. He then emailed back the Computer Aided Design Custom Background Proof. We loved it. He has many great backgrounds. We chose the Fall Mountain Series. For colors, fall foliage cannot be matched as the layout is set somewhere in the northeast. Another great point is the coal cars and locomotives will be black, the passenger cars and boxcars will be shades of brown, this way the colors will pop around the trains. Also, the background clouds on these prints almost seem to react to the lights installed in the top. We also got the self adhesive background and it was very easy to install. This background made all the difference! Disclaimer: I am just an overjoyed customer, I received no form of reimbursement for mentioning this great product.
MY attempt to paint the backdrop. I then realized I can't paint backdrops. I'll never do it again.
Rough Sketch says it all. But Joey really helped with the concept for the layout!
Joey at Trackside Scenery can do custom background work and it is great! Here is ours. You should check out his website and his display layout the Spruce Creek Timber and Coal.
From Amazon, we ordered LED Govee lights (RGBIC and Wireless) and these are great. I can control custom programmed colors, which allows all different colors of the "sky."
This lighting allows the change in weather without a change of background, and the fact that it can be controlled by your phone really helps make it handy for when the layout goes on "the road."
Yes, that's right, the Pocomtuc Creek Railroad Blackwood's Crossing will hopefully be displayed at some train shows. I have never done this or gone to one before, but when thinking about it, I realized that ease of use (least amount of plugs) is probably the best idea.
This way, we only need 3 plugs for the modules. One for the lights, one for the NCE Powercab, and one for my iPhone.
The colors of the background really jump out and there are no random shadows, like I have seen on other photo backdrops.
Unfortunately, the blue light distorts the photo, but in person it looks great.
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