Winter or Summer, what should I make my layout

secret ballot??

I said Summer

What's wrong with doing both? You could do a area of each and blend it together by doing a spring or fall scene in between the winter & summer scenes. Remember,  it's YOUR layout & you can do whatever you want to on it. That's what great about this hobby,  no 2 layouts look exactly the same so go be creative,  that's what makes a layout stand out from others by thinking outside the box. I vote for both!

You are correct in that most people do a spring/summer layout.  And most winter layouts are Christmas themed.  To do a all winter (non-holiday) layout would be more unique.  I say go for it.  I would love to see pictures of it when its done.  Your engines and rolling stock will certainly stand out on the layout as they will provide color as they run through the barren, snow covered scenery.  It may also be a challenge to buy trees with no leaves on them.  Evergreen trees should be easy to come by.  Sounds like a lot of fun.

I agree why not both and you could have a hint of Christmas, would not have to be overdone.

Ray

Guys

 

I like the idea of doing a mixed summer/winter layout on larger, more toy layouts, I am making a 3 rail scale with operations in mind.  

 

My layout will be fairly small also and I just do not think it will look right doing a mixed layout so that is why it will be either summer or winter.  

Understood, if I needed to choose one or the other I think it would be summer, lots of color possibilities.

Ray

Summer would be the easiest to source the scenery items. Someone mentioned the color aspect. Summer is more pleasing to the eye than winter.

 

I do winter, but more abstract than realistic. It allows me to get around the ugliness of winter and the detail required.

What silly question...LMAO I'm a tinplate kinda guy. The only answer possible is.. NEITHER!  Think about it for a while . Now plan something for around the tree. See, now was that so hard?

Good morning

 

Seem's like winter would be harder to build and maintain. All your trains need snow on them, all the roads and automobiles would be dirty. Winter looks it's best with fresh snow. 

 

clem

I use this line a lot, why not both? (from the end of the movie Trading Places). I was able to accomplish this because I used separation.

 

 

I'm planning to incorporate all seasons into my layout.  Spring/Summer at one end, gradually changing to Fall at the other and on upper levels...with some Winter mixed in on the higher level mountains.  I like them all and do not wish to limit myself to one season.  Take a look at some of the TW Trainworx layout photos where this has been achieved even on smaller layouts.

 

Rick

Rixster posted:  I'm planning to incorporate all seasons into my layout.

 

The only thing missing would be... Frankie Valli.  

My layout is also small, but it's winter on one end, a bit of fall in the middle and green summer trees at the other end.

 

For years, I'd had an idea to build a layout showing a WW2 army RR operating unit, half the layout would be at their stateside post, the other half would take place in the winter of 1944, in Germany, with snow everywhere.

I'll never build it, but I still think it was a neat idea...

Any pics?

I like winter layouts.  I have built several of them in the past, in other scales.  They do pose some modeling challenges, but overcoming those challenges is half the fun.  Creating permanent and durable "snow" is quite easy (I used Dave Frary's method) and in O gauge I even made "removable" snow coverings for buildings and accessories that I didn't want to be permanently affected by a snow covering (such as on roofs).

 

My favorite season--both in the real world and modeled world--is fall, but winter comes in a close second.  You rarely see spring modeled on layouts, and summer is, by far, the most common.

 

As some here have noted, you often see winter depicted on Christmas-theme layouts or sections of layout, but to model a truly effective and realistic winter-theme layout is quite something else.  Forum member SIRT has done some excellent winter modeling, which he has displayed here in the past, as well as in the magazine.

 

 

Why not spring - that way you could do green shoots etc bursting through light snow!!

 

MIKE

Your decision, irregardless of what anyone thinks!

If you can't decide, start by making a list of what you like about both seasons. These shouldn't be influenced by what you can't find locally! Anything can be found on the internet or on Ebay if you look hard enough.

 

Relax, most of the joy is in the planning stages, anyway (at least it was for me).

 

Good luck, remember you are designing what you'd like, in the end you have to live with it!

 

The GOOD news- this is the most fun part--go adventure and explore! Seek inspiration from the things all around you or from times long past. It's all about your ideal world!

 

Mike Maurice

 

 

Winter or Summer, what should I make my layout?

My Answer • Summer

 

Quote 

 

"One of the biggest features of my layout is my great lakes car ferry and they were the best ice breakers on the great lakes for their time.  They were used to keep the shipping channels open later into the season.  There is many famous photos of the car ferries out on the lake with many feet of ice surrounding them."

 

• • • I have seen photos of your car ferry, Well done. When I was a kid I can remember taken car ferries to the UP before they built the Mackinac Bridge. We had to wait in long lines. The venders used to come up to the car windows to sell snacks. We always got Pinconning Cheese.

  Click to enlarge.

Looks like these don't get locked. Or the expiration time needs resetting?

 

I think a winter scene layout would look great. I'm not talking deep snow that covers everything. Just a hint of snow like a dusting. You still want to see the track ballast and ground cover. The two hardest things will be trees and as you mentioned. People dressed warmly. The armatures would have to have numerous branch detail such as Supertrees. Foliage on model trees hide a lot of what's not there. Pine trees are probably not a problem. Oak trees if they are in your area will keep their brown leaves well into winter. On a small layout you probably not going for a forrest of trees. A few well placed ones should be convincing enough.

 I used to pickup the Allen Keller videos if they were of modeling interest. Paul Dolko's layout was Boston & Maine winter based layout. No snow but you could tell by his choice of ground cover and trees what season it was in NE. It just had that gloomy realistic look to it.

 Somewhere in my RR books they show a Boston & Albany winter scene. What was cool was that they used ice melters on the switch points. I'm not sure but I think they used Kerosene. Looked like something that you could model with a flickering LED buried in the ballast.

i always wanted to do all 4 seasons.  there would be 4 tables and each separated by a bridge.  Christmas, Easter, Summer, and Halloween.  that way you could have all the cool crap for each holiday.  have a train running on each of the seasons and then have a train or 2 (non denominational) that go thru the entire layout.  i was working on my fall portion when i gave up.  i have a lot of quit in me. 

How about a late winter early spring where some high area's could have snow and the rest just waking up to the new year of sunshine warmth coming on. 

Brians suggestion is good 2 Seasons (winter and summer). Like you I have size limitations so my preference is winter. Where I have lived in Germany ( Sultzbach-Rosenberg, Bavaria and Herrenberg on the edge of the Black Forest generally there was snow on the ground from Nov through late spring. There is at least for me a certain amount of peacefulness. So I am not limited to Dec-Jan time frame.

 

Doug

 

 

My idea of a pleasant day is a high of 20 and low of zero with overcast sky. My train layout emulates the late November-early December time frame. The acoustical ceiling panels in my basement are painted varying shades of gray and my ground cover is mostly dirt - virtually no greenery, and the few trees are bare of any leaves.

 

The small areas that have standing water have it simulated as frozen with cracks and varying shades of off white/gray similar to what you would expect to see in real life.

 

I have been working on the layout for 11 years and never tire of this look. Winter doesn't have to have snow on the ground.

Pretty much 50-50 so far.  It might just come down to your gut feeling.

-Greg

Few "O" scale figures can be found wearing winter coats, and top-up or hardtop 1:43 cars usually cost more. Of course, you could always do winter in Florida.

Much more input now that we are ankle deep in it.

Did you make that decision JD? 

This is an old thread from last August, I just stumbled into it, and noticed that it didn't lock or finish. Thought Id point it out, but.....

 

 

 

You might want to check this out for some ideas. It's been featured in the model railroad magazines over the years.

 

Edgerton PAL Lionel Layout

 

My layout is a winter scene and although there a few Christmas things here and there it looks like winter.

As a kid I always enjoyed winter and so far as an adult I don't mind it to much.

 

Attached are some photos of the downtown, farm house and a cabin in the woods.

I to have the walls around my layout painted a very lite gray to simulate the winter skies we have here in PA.

Last night we got a few inches of snow and it has hung on the trees and is just beautiful.

My wife and I early this morning got in the car and drove around and took pictures so we have some good photos to go by when we start the winter time backdrop.

 

Got some great Norfolk Southern train shots also !!!!!

 

I did a temporary layout mostly for photos, and I timed it in the fall, but with an

early snowfall on the heights.  With beautiful foliage in the fall on the U.P., around

the great lakes, and possible early snow there, it kind of gives you two for the price

of one.

Wow! Very nice Mark.

Ray

Thanks Rayin"S"

Always trying to make my scenery more realistic all the time.

 

Thanks again for the compliment.

Mark,

Yes, your photos look like Pennsylvania winter.  Very convincing job.  I have modeled summer and fall, and have thought of doing winter.  Maybe some day I will just do a scene in winter.  Yes the snow has been beautiful.   You get about the same weather we do.  If it's not too windy I don't do too bad tolerating winter.  It gives more time for trains!

 

Good job on the NS shots also!