Your Layout Vignettes

HEY ZEKE,

"You'll leave the Pennsylvania Station 'bout a quarter to four,

Read a magazine and then you're in Baltimore,

Dinner in the Diner, nothin' could be finer,

Than to have your ham & eggs in Carolina..."

"When you hear the whistle blowin' eight to the bar,

Then you know that Tennessee is not very far,

Shovel all the coal in, gotta keep it rollin,

Whoo Whoo Chattanooga, there you are!"

Remember that great Swing tune from the 1940's?

RIP TRACK

Sorry Rip, but that was about 30 years before my time. Sounds like a great tune, though.

Zeke, I remember that tune and I wasn't even born until 1956. 

BTW, I think that is a great photo.  I can almost hear them playing Chattanooga Choo Choo as I watch your train leave the station!!

Well, I guess I have to look this song up and have a listen.  Thank you for your kind comments!

Zeke,

You really do need to hear it!  It's a classic whether a person likes trains or not!  I think you will see why your photo gives the mood Rip Track and I are referring to.

Thanks,

HEY ZEKE,

When you bring up the web page that has "Chattanooga Choo Choo", be sure to select the Glenn Miller big band version, with the Modernaires doing the vocal! 

Thirty years before your time?  Well I'm proud to say that it was during my time!  That tune was packing the dance halls from coast to coast!  

RIP TRACK

Your question prompted me to check: I found what I saved in back on a very high shelf.  My original Tacky Trailer Park   . . .  

A typical "pallet" for the subdivision: upper left: the second house I had in Pittsburgh, 30 years ago, upper right: my oldest boys current house, lower right, my youngest boys' current house, left lower: the house my grandfather had, where I spent summers when growing up.

Left to right: house where I lived when I was 6 mo old in Roswell I (don't remember it but had photos), center: the first house I owned - Houston, 1973, right, first house I remember, age 3, San Angelo, TX.

I also saved this, my downtown subdivision.  The N guage layout had an entire power system but this is all I saved. 

This is all I saved from the N gauge layout.

You have good reason to, David - it's fabulous!

FrankM

Here's another vignette (foreground, top photo, overview) I just finished this past week...

FrankM.

Lee,

They are all great!  I should have known you would have a substation and whole power network!  It looks great too!  Thank you!

HEY MOONSON, 

My favorite Vignette is your first one, because it has a couple of Hoppers in the background!

RIP TRACK

Ohyeah, hoppers, you say, well then , how 'bout this li'l moment? ?

(A corny pun, I know.) Nyuk nyuk.

Puns are great!  So is this scene!  What hustle and bustle.  Steam, trolley, classic cars, people on the move!

The Christmas scene is taken off my layout after the holidays and replaced w/base & scene appropriate to the season. It is a one piece little scene. My scale race track I tried to get a "scened feel" by photographic repetitive background and small hobby shop doll house fencing and hay bales just for suggestive realism. Not much room for scenery & a bit of too much activity to fix cars flying off to have delicate scenes,... not good.Simple worked

HEY MOONSON,

Yeah...that's more like it!  A railroading vignette!

I hope that consist makes it through that coupler-busting curve...

(The red '49 Buick takes me back, and I'm sure that's the Pennsy logo on the nose of that engine...)

RIP TRACK

Interesting perspective you have there, Rip.

That loop is the innermost of three mainlines that traverse the entire layout. That particular curve has 0-72 track but does make that PRR Turbine swing out a good bit. Thus, usually, I run freight on that track (called #3) but do, at times, operate passenger trains and hope for the best. So long as they all keep moving, even when company is present, I am happy with it all, and have crafted the scenery's "vignettes" to accommodate the occasional overhang.

FrankM.

Note the Pennsylvania Keystone livery...

Being from the Pittsburgh area as a youth, I have always been partial to the PRR...

...and others that rolled through towns like McKeesport and Duquesne...

Thanks, Mark. I always find it interesting what your eye picks up on, and is expressed with a judicious use of words, too!

FrankM.

What scale do you race Richard? Nice track. 

1/32 scale cars, a lot of "Fly"(actual manufacturer) cars and such, some scalectrix and other European ones. Into the extreme detailed cars not the big ol slot no style cars. I had a locked case w/cars after my 13 yr old and friends destroyed/crashed hundreds of dollars worth in a hour. After that every kid in the neighborhood had to buy his own car

Good rule, Richard!

You wanna race?  Bring your own wheels!

Rip Track

Richard, that is an awesome track! Has anyone ever tried incorporating a slot car track into layout scenery? Almost like a replica speedway on a train layout? 

A big and very sincere Thank You for the "Likes" you O-Gaugers, listed here, have sent me regarding several of the scenes I have posted lately:

Spence; Paul Lally; Lee Willis; Rex Desilets; Leavingtracks; Trainroomguy; Chugman; TRK; Walt Rapp;Al Galli; 69nickeycamaro; Mark Boyce (a replies/comments): Rixster; SuzuKovich; The Big CrabCake; Leikec; Greg J; TrainsRMe; Tom Densel;Mayor Magoo; Greg J. Turinett; Alibatwomble; Drodder; Marker; PutnamDivision; Mike McCutchen; GEF; C Chancey; C. Sam; JoeyA; Rainhead53; Scalerail; Number90; PRR2818; FoxChaseRR; Corsair29; Michigan&OhioValleyLines; L.I.Train; Chessie1971; MillCity; Marxman; T8afao,

...and some of you, several times. Thanks!

FrankM.

(This sure is a nice place to visit.)

Just for grins I'll post this Greenville, (anywhere) passenger depot with Elvis's pink Cadillac in the parking lot.

Frank,

It is a pleasure to view your work!  Thank you for sharing it with us!

Yes...I am with my friend Mark...Frank, your scenes are absolutely beautiful.  Makes me want to be 1/4 scale so that I could walk around on you layout!

Alan

I give a BIG 2nd to Mark and Alan's comments!  Frank, your modeling skills, well, you should start a business

For those that don't know, Frank does have his modeling business.  I thought I better be clear here

- walt

I just have to ask.  I know hsi car is there, but has Elvis left the building?

Looks like the King has been found at his secret coffee shop inside where they serve peanut butter and banana sandwiches!!!!

So realistic, Eliot!  I'm sweating just watching your 1/48th scale guys work!

 Some of the yard crew giving No 5344 a look over before she heads out

Flawless, Eliot, every scene, from the first photo in this array to the last, an excellent supplement to your handsome article in OGR. This last vignette has the feel of the movie, "Fried Green Tomatoes," including that muscular guy waiting at-table. Cool. Very cool.

May we see more?

FrankM.

Many thanks, everyone.

I have lots of artists and experts to thank for helping us to do what Ginny and I have created. Frank, you are a Da Vinci of scene design. The truth is I have learned much from the forumites and each of these scenes is an amalgamation of the work of amazing artists. Thanks a bunch.

Madison coaches lined up outside "Milwaukee Road Paul" Station.

Got this from Mr. Paul on the FSOT forum for next to nothing. I love the weathering he added. I added the wood deck out front and lights. Figures are very old American Flyer.

I have nothing as spectacular as the above vignettes. But this guy seems to think his a switchmen.

E.J. Snowden Building. That' a keeper.

He looks like a Brakeman I once knew.

Rip Track