Sunday Scenic Showcase July 28,2024

Really great, Alan!

Peter

I don’t often post on this thread because I don’t consider myself to be a modeler.

I’m reminded of an expression that a friend of mine said about himself. This friend, who had a beautiful large layout, trains and structures, told me, when I complimented him about his layout and modeling skills, that: “ I’m not a modeler, I’m a plopper.”

I feel the same way about myself: I’m also a plopper, meaning I usually buy something, and simply plop it on my layout. LOL.

Most of you folks that post on this thread are not poppers, but rather modelers, because you have the skills and ability to create beautiful scenery and structures, and I admire you for being able to do that.

However, for those of you who are poppers like me and my friend, being a plopper can be a lot of fun, be creative, and for those of you poppers who can afford it, may become good paying customers who hire modelers to build things for your layouts.

For instance, if I could afford it, I would hire a modeler to make a much better facade for my popsicle stick Yankee stadium than the one I built for my layout, which appears in the photos below:

Even though my above creation is not very good, I’m glad I made it mainly because I had fun making it.
Who knows, maybe someday I’ll put in the time and energy to make a better model, or pay someone to do so, or maybe I’ll find a better model of the Yankee Stadium facade in the 1950s or early 1960s at a train show and plop it on my layout. LOL again.

I’m very happy with my most recent plop: this Lionel model of a house that is now my Field of Dreams farm house on my layout:

Although not identical to the farm house in the movie, it has a porch and coloring similar to the house in the movie. I was thrilled when I recently found it at a LHS.

Arnold

Arnold, I am a plopper for now because I can't stand looking at an empty layout AND I need to make sure the trains clear the buildings, but once the layout is running smoothly and all feeder wires are in place I plan on building a few more kits to replace some of the very used ones that I plopped down. Maybe some kitbashing as well especially for the very back. I also plan on weathering all of the MTH stores etc and giving them my personal touch. Of course, there is a lot of landscaping to be done and a population to move into the two towns, but I really look forward to the day that I can start that. I will post a pic later today of the bridge that I have been working on and am pretty excited about.

Mikki

Arnold/Mikki,,

You are putting up scenery photos and that is what this thread is about. We all see our creations in different ways. I appreciate all train layouts weather they are scale, tinplate or whatever somebody comes up with. Please post here as much as you can.

Thanks guys

Thanks Peter

@Alan Graziano posted:

Arnold/Mikki,,

You are putting up scenery photos and that is what this thread is about. We all see our creations in different ways. I appreciate all train layouts weather they are scale, tinplate or whatever somebody comes up with. Please post here as much as you can.

Thanks guys

Thanks Peter

Thank you Alan. I always look forward to this thread every week. Many of those who post on it have outstanding modeling skills. Arnold

Got a nice box of detail items on the Bay and started adding more industrial clutter to Fish Pier.

Larger view of Atlantic Avenue with Fish Pier in the center.  Future warehouse blocked in on the right side.

Close up of Fish Pier with a reefer waiting for the Union Freight RR to pick it up.

I caught something pretty cool recently: the evening sun was coming through the small basement window and shining on the far wall; and I was struck by the wonderful natural light - an anomaly for us basement-layout people. In this sultry summer weather, a woman was getting some air on the fire escape while a hobo was trying to do the same, albeit flirting with danger atop a steel girder above the tracks. The woman subsequently moved to the roof to see if the breeze was stronger up there; it wasn't, but the photographer managed to snap a photo before she went inside Disclaimer: after discovering the neat lighting, which evidently only happens a few times a year due to the Earth's position around the sun, I quickly placed the figures and grabbed my camera Building is a Korber kit and bridge is stainless steel built years ago by Jim Ballman. Figures by Artista.

Arnold, like you, I consider myself a plopper.  The majority of my structures are built-up, ceramic, basic kits or operating accessories.  At times I will detail or alter the function of a built up structure, add details combine structures and/or accessories into a scene or facility, I've even scratch built a few items, when I do I post them here.  My skills and talents pall when compared with others that post regularly and my results rarely live up to my vision but the feedback here is always positive and often makes me feel better about my project than I did when I completed it.  Keep your scenes coming.

By the way, nice job everybody!  Alan I wish I had room for an train service facility, I always thought that train wash was fantastic.

I had two extra modules to decorate since a few of the gang are on vacation and could not participate in the show……this certainly fits “ plopping “……

Have a great week, folks!

Peter

All the above posts are terrific IMO.

Paul, I agree with you that the beauty of natural light can enhance a scene. Below is a photo of my postwar Lionel New Haven EP5 on my layout that glows bathed in natural light:

Coach Joe, I also agree with what you say and appreciate your comments. Arnold

What do you do when you need a classic PRR stone arch bridge, but your budget AND layout are not large enough for the iconic Lionel Rockville Bridge? On top of that the line is going around a 060 curve! Model one of course! Not Rockville and not totally true to the prototype but I think that I captured the feel. The river is not finished yet so placement in the third photo on layout is just for the

photo-op.

I’ve been working on finishing the Twin Whistle kit mom & pop store which I have named  Maggard’s.  I will be adding some interior photos of a vintage general store and illuminating the interior this week.

Began spray painting the parts and pieces for the Lionel Davis house with the add-on in progress. Will begin assembly this week.  All of this work is fun for me and I really enjoy seeing the end result on the layout.

Our newest additions

I’ve posted this before, but even though I’ve spent much more money and time on other scenery and structures in my layout, this is my favorite thing, inspired by my favorite Facebook post:

LOL, Arnold

PS: the O scale subway station and rats, which might have cost me about $10 if I bought them at a train show or LHS, cost me nothing because they were given to me by a local model train friend when I saw several of the subway stations on his layout and told him he could create the Facebook scene showing a rat carrying a slice of pizza down a subway station staircase in NYC.

When I told him that, I asked him if he had any O scale rats, and then he gave me 2 of them.

I still wonder: when I do something like this, is it modeling?  I think it’s a form of plopping, maybe weird, funny plopping. What do you think?

I do like to entertain people.

Arnold

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

LOL,

LOL!  Love it. I'm definitely adding this little scenic project to the list. Hopefully O scale rats aren't too hard to find

Peter, how much on-site decorating is required when you set up the modules, are all structures placed at that time?

Mikki, great job on the stone arch bridge.

Seth I love how that Twin Whistle kit turned out.

Ben that's a great terminal.  Kudos to all involved with construction and placement on the layout.  What did it replace?

Arnold the pizza rats always make me laugh.  You always seem to have fun with your layout.  I've got the same subway station but I didn't cover the Rheingold ad.

@coach joe posted:

Ben that's a great terminal.  Kudos to all involved with construction and placement on the layout.  What did it replace?

Joe

There was a dock scene in that spot with a Sunkist building and a dock building that had a siding in it   I actually used the dock building pieces to incorporate into the large Terminal  The Sunkist building was moved doen by the Ballantine brewery    The front station was originally on Marty Fitzhenrys layout just painted it green and changed the signs   The small building was purchased from Jerryrails  and repainted   

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

I’ve posted this before, but even though I’ve spent much more money and time on other scenery and structures in my layout, this is my favorite thing, inspired by my favorite Facebook post:

I do like to entertain people.

Arnold

The world famous Pizza Rats! Love it Arnold.

Bob

IMHO, we are ploppers; I do believe this term will be added to our nomenclature. More importantly, we are planners and visionaries in order to be ploppers.

Jay

Mikki, if you haven't described construction of the awesome arched bridge elsewhere, please consider sharing technical details; I would love to build a higher version.

@coach joe posted:

Peter, how much on-site decorating is required when you set up the modules, are all structures placed at that time?

Yes……..I’ll take a picture of the tomorrow.

Normally, I have18’ of module space. I picked another 8 feet due to vacations. 15 years ago, I bought 8 boxed Lionel buildings at York for a pittance. I keep them boxed as the basis for my “instant city”……..and added a few other things.

Peter

@coach joe posted:

Peter, how much on-site decorating is required when you set up the modules, are all structures placed on the table at that time?

Here they are…..first, my regular 4 modules….three 4 footers and a six footer……

Now the extra eight feet (two 4 footers)  that I took over for the show and used my “instant city” buildings….

The buildings of the “instant city”

That gives you an idea…….….if I had to do it all over, I would build permanent scenery and put the modules on roll on/roll off “bakery carts”……but having done this for about 15 years and at age 71, I doubt I’ll change.

Peter

At 71 you're still 'a young fella' Peter!    Just wait a few more years...

@c.sam posted:

At 71 you're still 'a young fella' Peter!    Just wait a few more years...

I think model railroading is a very good activity for old timers like us. It provides most of us some exercise if we are building our railroads, doing our model railroad yoga crawling under the tables, contorting our bodies doing that, and keeps us mentally active solving incessant puzzles fixing our trains, finding the electrical short, fixing the track so the train stops derailing, etc.

This may be a good way to promote the greatest hobby in the world: it’s a great activity for old timers. Arnold

Peter, I see "Instant City" structures are still in original Lionel boxes.  How do those boxes hold up to continual opening and closing over time? And what do you use to transport your scratch builds like Max Foods?

Nice Peter, I’m waiting for your response to Coach Joe. That’s some great scratch built stuff. After a few years off I just joined another Modular group so I have to get back into doing just what you’re doing.

@coach joe posted:

Peter, I see "Instant City" structures are still in original Lionel boxes.  How do those boxes hold up to continual opening and closing over time? And what do you use to transport your scratch builds like Max Foods?

The Lionel buildings MAY come out once a year, so pretty well.....sometimes they go two years between use......the double Panera shopping bags are their permanent home and make for easy transport.

I have four large plastic containers with secure lids for the smaller buildings, people and cars...... "re-gluing" is a fact of life.

For MAX FOODS and the factory that goes over the right-of-way, I have made custom boxes out of smaller ones with lots of 3M clear packing tape.

Peter