Erie Railroad Mahoning division HCD

[Sokramiketes]

And I would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for you meddling kids!

I can't even find a cornfield on Google Earth or Bing maps. Photos must have been taken before it was growing.

Look, a corn travesty!



Honestly the farmer probably would have driven parallel to the tracks for the outside run after filling in the middle.  But it's a lot of work to curve the Bluford corn!


Isn't model railroading annoying? 

[Chris333]

Well it is hard to even see the rows as tall as my layout is, but I did step the ends.

And I darkened the green on the backdrop.
Old

New

Tried this corn row insert, but its a NO go.

[davefoxx]

Tried this corn row insert, but its a NO go.

Yeah, but you're on to something here, if you can get the color of that corn in the background to better match the foreground corn.

DFF

[eja]

Well it is hard to even see the rows as tall as my layout is, but I did step the ends.

And I darkened the green on the backdrop.
Old

New

Tried this corn row insert, but its a NO go.

Looking good......  what do you plan to do to hide the green soil at the end of the rows

[Chris333]

Looking good......  what do you plan to do to hide the green soil at the end of the rows

Oh the whole thing will get "dirted" in. I glued the corn strips to a sheet of styrene. Once I glue that down I'll work the whole area.

[mu26aeh]

Well it is hard to even see the rows as tall as my layout is, but I did step the ends.

And I darkened the green on the backdrop.
Old

New

Tried this corn row insert, but its a NO go.

Maybe that back field was planted earlier then your front field ? 

[OldEastRR]

You could turn the Bluford rows to match the angles of the backdrop rows. Like a road that doesn't cross the layout edge at an 90 degree angle, it'd make the scene look bigger.

[sizemore]

Not gonna lie, the photoshopped corn looks like good ol' late season corn. Paint the tassels on the Blueford stuff to match!.

The S.

[Sokramiketes]

I think Chris has done a great job working to the strengths of the product.  The color and placement is good. 

I initially wanted to paint the "tassles" too, but backed off of that idea once I tried a small segment.  You can do it, and I showed it in the article, but the molding of the top of the stalk isn't a wiry/whispy tassel.  It's bulky.  So it better mimics mid-season corn and you can faintly add some color change to the top without calling too much attention to the shape.

If you want to do tassels, something needs to be added to the tips.  I'd like to play with some amber/fall static grass sometime.  Just hit the tips with some tacky glue or mod podge, then add a bit of static grass.  That might look cool for the late season, mature corn!

[nuno81291]

The no go is the best yet IMO... if you can get the colors to cooperate a little better I think that is a winner.

[Dave V]

Would it make sense to have the cornfield end at the backdrop and have some other crop on the backdrop like wheat?  That way you're not trying (unsuccessfully) to match colors.

[Chris333]

This is the corn row insert photo I found:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/16502322@N03/4806634131
I reversed it and tried to turn it greener. If someone else can make it work I'll use it.

[davefoxx]

This is the corn row insert photo I found:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/16502322@N03/4806634131
I reversed it and tried to turn it greener. If someone else can make it work I'll use it.

Anybody else notice the slight change in color of the rows of corn about every sixth row in this picture?  You see this in mowed grass, but I never noticed it with corn.

DFF

[glakedylan]

hey Chris

i am wondering what the dimensions are

(1). the plastic corn in the triangular space
(2). the length of the backdrop from left edge to the tree
(3). the height of backdrop from top of plastic corn to the top of the corn rows in the image

thanks!

Gary

[C855B]

Anybody else notice the slight change in color of the rows of corn about every sixth row in this picture?  You see this in mowed grass, but I never noticed it with corn.

It's a subtle difference in the genetics, and is intentional. The science of farming corn is very intense, with a huge matrix of conditions that you try to match to characteristics of the engineered variety of the seed stock. These characteristics are called "traits". The 50% mix shown in the picture could easily be the farmer working for an average yield between traits that are close but not quite exact to the conditions. F'rinstance, hedging his bets by planting one variety a little more drought-tolerant than the other but with less yield.

Another possibility (though usually not 50%) is there is a large selection of seed stocks with specific traits that make them pest-resistant. However, USDA regulations require the planting of "refuge" varieties that the insects can seek out within your own field, instead of feasting on your neighbors' crops that might not have the resistance trait. Refuge requirements range from 10-20% of the planting.

  ...farmer mike