Holland Southwest Building 4

[Brakie]

I just think it's a shame to model beautifully detailed locomotives and rolling stock and set them against a background of generic box buildings with no character. Then again, the trains of today are as generic as the buildings.

Then shame on me. :oops: I hate it when that happens.

I suppose that depends on era..

I can't see sitting out a 72' centerbean at the lumber company Atlas makes... hock:

I can't see a 57' reefer sitting at a small produce company.. hock:

So,the industries should be geared to the era we model.

[doctorwayne]

I just think it's a shame to model beautifully detailed locomotives and rolling stock and set them against a background of generic box buildings with no character. Then again, the trains of today are as generic as the buildings.

Then shame on me. :oops: I hate it when that happens.

A lot of this depends on one's individual interests. Some folks like to model that which they see, or what they remember from an earlier time in their own life. Others prefer times longer past - the '50s are popular with many because diesels and steam can be modelled on the same layout, and many of our older Members have fond memories of that time. Others choose times even further back, usually necessitating some research (and in some cases, that becomes the prime interest, ahead of a layout. None, of course, is the only correct path to take, nor is any one of them wrong, although, once we choose the one "right" for us, all the others become somewhat "less right". That may mean that we still are interested in them somewhat, or it may mean that we're totally bored with them. What someone else thinks of another's choice, though, should be immaterial to both the chooser and to the person with the dissenting opinion. Different strokes and all that.
For me, well-done modelling can make even the most mundane subject interesting.

Wayne

[Ralph]

For me, well-done modelling can make even the most mundane subject interesting.

That's it right there. A lot of rail fans will look at those plain box buildings and remark enthusiastically, "That looks just like the real thing!" People who respond to images of contemporary railroading will be as pleased by such structures as steam era fans might be to a station with gingerbread trim.

Ralph

[Gary S]

DocWayne, Ralph, great points. The buildings around where I work are highly interesting to me, even though some may find them to be less than interesting. I very much like modern shortlines like the LAJ and the Modesto and Empire, yet I wanted to model the Houston area, so I created a shortline to serve the industrial parks near where I work. The layout is like an LAJ in Houston. And the box buildings are terrific, as Kurt and Reinhard have shown us, not to mention Lance Mindheim. Reserching the prototypes is quite easy and enjoyable... drive to the area and start snapping photos!

Still, I'm glad there is such a variety in modeling choices. When I see an old-timey logging railroad, or whatever else, I can appreciate the modeler's choice of subject and the skill required to build it, even though I would not choose that type of a layout for myself.

[Brakie]

For me, well-done modelling can make even the most mundane subject interesting.

That's it right there. A lot of rail fans will look at those plain box buildings and remark enthusiastically, "That looks just like the real thing!" People who respond to images of contemporary railroading will be as pleased by such structures as steam era fans might be to a station with gingerbread trim.

Ralph

Absolutely! Railfans are use to seeing the here and now and (say) a CSX GP38-2 pulling 2 boxcars from a box building will look natural to their knowing eyes whereas a CSX GP38-2 pulling a centerbeam from a small lumber company like Atlas makes and that to their eyes wouldn't be natual..Now replace that small lumber company with (say) a larger 76 Lumber box building with lumber sheds and it will look natural.

[Russ Bellinis]

Actually I know of a lumber company in the City of Industry that receives 2-3 center beams and a couple of boxcars each week. It could be modeled with the lumber yard Atlas makes, if you used 3 or 4 of them!