02-06-2014, 10:28 AM
But to get back to the question I was raising about the photos: it seems to me that a study of Kamerad47 and bdw9535's photos here would be very helpful. Both of them appear to be inspired by the real world that they see around them. Kamerad47's work is especially remarkable, because he's doing it on a suspended 4 x 8 in a garage (a typical small size in the US), but the sense of real-world purpose in every scene means you don't focus on the household materials on the shelves in the background! This is what's lacking from almost every UK layout I see, no matter how small or big, and no matter how well the scenery is done. Same with Bruce/bdw9535, he is using logical equipment and portraying it doing logical things. The trains have symbols or job numbers, which make the photos easier to relate to and to understand what's happening.
in contrast, you have a new-looking UP 8-40CW on the junkyard siding in a couple of photos. Why is it there? Is it being scrapped? Why are the squeaky-clean SP units on the CFNR, when they should be much dirtier if they're there at all? What are any of these locos actually doing? Where is a train, and what is it doing? For instance, the current traffic through Napa Jct, which one of your stations is named for, is primarily traffic for the Northwestern Pacific, and that is mainly poultry feed in covered hoppers, with a little lumber in centerbeams. I think a knowledgeable reader would find it reassuring to see that sort of traffic represented at Napa Jct. If you don't want to go that far, name the station something fictitious and explain you aren't really modeling CFNR very seriously, but of course that takes us back to many other UK layouts, it's New England or Florida, but not so much except the trees (and you swap those out before the next show). Or do a google search for youtube videos of CFNR in Woodland, also named on your layout, and look at the traffic and the equipment. Otherwise, just say it's the California Pacific and it's sorta-kinda, so you won't raise unreasonable expectations!
On the other hand, if you wanted to be flexible as to era, traffic through Napa Jct during the SP era would also be from the NWP, but it would be 100-car trains of lumber headed by 6 SD9s. Again, not what you're doing and not recognizable by knowledgeable people.
Again, I'm saying this only because you've invited less then enthusiastic comments and would not say this unless asked.
in contrast, you have a new-looking UP 8-40CW on the junkyard siding in a couple of photos. Why is it there? Is it being scrapped? Why are the squeaky-clean SP units on the CFNR, when they should be much dirtier if they're there at all? What are any of these locos actually doing? Where is a train, and what is it doing? For instance, the current traffic through Napa Jct, which one of your stations is named for, is primarily traffic for the Northwestern Pacific, and that is mainly poultry feed in covered hoppers, with a little lumber in centerbeams. I think a knowledgeable reader would find it reassuring to see that sort of traffic represented at Napa Jct. If you don't want to go that far, name the station something fictitious and explain you aren't really modeling CFNR very seriously, but of course that takes us back to many other UK layouts, it's New England or Florida, but not so much except the trees (and you swap those out before the next show). Or do a google search for youtube videos of CFNR in Woodland, also named on your layout, and look at the traffic and the equipment. Otherwise, just say it's the California Pacific and it's sorta-kinda, so you won't raise unreasonable expectations!
On the other hand, if you wanted to be flexible as to era, traffic through Napa Jct during the SP era would also be from the NWP, but it would be 100-car trains of lumber headed by 6 SD9s. Again, not what you're doing and not recognizable by knowledgeable people.
Again, I'm saying this only because you've invited less then enthusiastic comments and would not say this unless asked.