A Change of Scenery

Arnold, agreed that scenery tweaking is a good thing. I like the small station because it fits your Pike better visually and it fits your back-story (Putnam Division as a prototype) better. I find the deeper/better-developed the back-story is the more satisfying the Pike and Operation is. I made a similar type of hard decision in ceasing the operation of my Lionel Rio Grande Royal Gorge passenger train (complete with F3 motive power) in favor of a Dinner Train pulled by the Pike's SW1500. This because the change fits the back-story better and thus operation is more satisfying.

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

I find that even a little change of scenery can go a long way to invigorate one's interest in a layout.

Little by little, I'm changing things to make my layout have more features in common with The Put (Putnam Division of the NY Central), which is very exciting for me.

The first thing has been posted before. In the Bronx along the Harlem River, I added the Polo Grounds on the Manhattan side:

Arnold,

Short of a full-sized, scale-detailed model of the Polo Grounds, nothing I have seen compares with how you have captured the aura of the place. The lighting at field level is a perfect balance - not too bright, not too dark. The clubhouse and its sign, players, pennants atop the roof, and lighting stanchions are a great caricature. The other photos are also reminiscent of the Putnam Division. In your case, the decision to redo your layout scenery has certainly been a good one.

MELGAR

Hi Arnold, It's always enjoyable to read your latest new ideas for topics. This one intrigues me, too, to get involved and be supportive of your creative efforts on the forum.

I have made so many changes to the layout, through the years, that I hardly know where to begin responding to your thread. So, I organized a whole bunch of photos and have decided to share this small area, at this time.

Was and is:

What was...this small rural church site...

...is, now, this more pedestrian, small utilitarian business of home fuels..

Why did I make the change? Simply for the fun of it. And the creative mini-adventure of it .

FrankM, Moon Township, USA

Arnold - your scenery changes look fantastic!  A couple years ago I downsized my station from a MTH country passenger station to an Atlas O country station which I got off e bay for a nice price.   The Atlas has a smaller footprint and lends more realism to the scene.  Woodland Scenic makes a small rural station which is even smaller, looks great, and of course has a hefty price tag too.... which is why I don't have it on my layout  

Your polo and baseball fields look terrific!  The way you have the lights shine on the turf looks super! To me the turf looks like the real thing.  

I think changing scenery on our layouts from time to time is a good thing.  Doing so prevents the layout from becoming stale.  Plus it's fun to dream and put those dreams into action eventually bringing the dream to reality.  Good times!   

Arnold, the new additions to the Polo Grounds look good.  I especially like the Chesterfield sign.  The Eddie Grant monument has always been cool.

Jerry

Arnold, Another great topic!  Your changes to reflect your memories of the NYC area are great.

Frank, As always, yours just get better and better.

I have some photographs to dig out after I'm home from Church.

Here is a better shot of my re-positioned siding with new 031 curved track leading up close to the barn, together with the expanded corn stalks, and farm house that smokes:

Arnold

I believe a model railroader can't go wrong by adding trees. For instance, this shot is of a small space just to the right and behind the washing machine, and to the left of and behind the Polo Grounds. It cries out for some trees, which I recently "planted" there. LOL

IMO, a good rule of thumb is: if in doubt, plant trees. Arnold

Arnold, Very nice farm scene.  I agree trees can really make a scene look different.

I went through a period of a few years with no room for a layout except a spare room one daughter vcated when she got married.  I made a temporary setup, which I changed seasonally on the same table.  It is all down now and put away as I gained room in the family room for a layout.

December 2014

May 2015

November 2015

December 2015

September 2016

December 2016

Mark, I see you made substantial changes, all of which looked great.

Patrick, I completely agree with as all of your commrntsabout howscenery changes keep the creative juices flowing.

Frank, your layout has such iteresting things, one can see it over a hundred times and still see something new, even if you never changed it. Also, it was your Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda thread in this Forum that inspired me to make my layout more like The Put, which has brought me great pleasure during the past 3 or 4 weeks. Thank you.

Arnold 

Arnold, Yes the layout didn’t exactly meet the concept you mentioned in your initial post, but I though I would show these anyway!

Arnold, I always enjoy your posts. I like the changes you made and why you made them. Well done.

Andy

Mark many years ago I wanted to see if the old childhood trains still worked but didn't have enough tinplate track and the clips for what Super-O track was left were all gone.  After a trip to Trainland I picked up the same Wabash Cannonball set.  Low and behold the old 2-4-4 smoking steamer still worked but the PRR EP5 was and still is a goner.  We had the same brakeman car but the telltales were gone and it appeared as some of the mechanism was broken.  A trip to Nassau Hobby trying to get it repaired yielded a replacement car. Once again trains would run under the Christmas tree.  A more involved return to the hobby would not follow for some years.  Your pictures brought back memories