Erie Railroad Mahoning division HCD

[PRRATSF]

A Truly Inspiring Layout 

[Dave V]

One thing that is absent on Chris' wonderful layout are people figures. But more often than not seeing N scale figures on a layout destroys the realism (since they look like plastic people). I have a feeling that if he populated it with people, it wouldn't look as realistic I like it just the way it is.

Not if he put a week-old floater in the river by the pumphouse.   

[sirenwerks]

One thing that is absent on Chris' wonderful layout are people figures. But more often than not seeing N scale figures on a layout destroys the realism (since they look like plastic people). I have a feeling that if he populated it with people, it wouldn't look as realistic I like it just the way it is.

One of the problem with the figures in N is the way they are painted.  Model figures are so often mis-proportioned even in HO (those horrible pumpkin-headed, Gumby-bodied Campbell figures), and N scale figures with skin color over-painted on their clothes, truly horrible painted toupees, and no eyebrows are a major detractor from the effort.  And then, placing figures that remain stationary in perpetuity and still look realistic takes great skill (not to mention repainting the little buggers).  That is not saying Mr. Schmuck does not possess that skill.  Just saying the whole trite mini scene of hobos around a campfire or drunks swinging from the lamp post in front of the bar gets way over done.  The action lacks action, it makes the viewer stop and pause and, nyet, nothing happens.  Figures need to be added in a way where they add life but are so casual the viewer just keeps going.   Some scenes lend themselves to stillness, like a fisherman in a boat awaiting his catch on a still pond, but a fly fisherman in the water with his waders begs not to be static; similarly, canoers resting on the shore are more realistic than canoers paddling down a river.  Just my two cents.

[Chris333]

Oh do go on guyz 

Hey I have some figures! They are just in the background so far.
Will probably put laundry up on a rope here.


After I added these guys I decided to cut the door open behind them.






These guys will go in the coal yard.


And I've got a ton of autos to paint up 


Each figure is sprayed with ink/alcohol wash and Dullcoted. The cars take almost as long as a building to paint up and weather.  Sometimes I don't think my weathering even shows up in photos and every once in a while I go back and add more. Mostly just drybrushing to highlight stuff. Dirt around the base and stuff like that.

Plus I'm at that "pick up a stray piece (grain) of loose ballast" mode. I know once the figures go in the whole layout will become delicate so I want to do that last. Glad I never glued in my line poles. I pop them out when ever working in an area. Then there is dust. I imagine every time I dust I'll be knocking stuff loose.

[Chris333]

As for George Sellios. If I was modeling an earlier time I'd go for that look.

This is the Erie station about a mile from me in 1918:
http://nileshistoricalsociety.org/Stryz/trnwb/tr14b.htm
Besides all the people, look at all the clutter on the ground.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/el/dwg/4-5582-2s3.gif

Same spot now:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.1809323,-80.7574091,3a,60y,286.84h,90.43t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sgNQgzEaoOWo8GzBdkHbLow!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
Concrete is the station platform.

[peteski]

Dec. 21st 2016

I don't see any people here Chris. You hid them well!   
EDIT: Um wait, now that I know where they are I can almost spot the guys in front of that opened shipping door.  But the gas station and the street below are people-free. 

As far as Sellios goes, he is also an excellent artist - it's just that his art is a bit more whimsical, where you seem to be going for more serious realism. IMO, even seeing the photos you posted of that earlier era, and even after Sellios de-cluttered his layout, while it's much, much better - it still seems a bit like a caricature than a realistic depiction of the times. However, it is still a beautiful work of art.  Living within less than 20 miles from his shop I have visited the layout several times and it is gorgeous.

I took some photos few years ago http://s1068.photobucket.com/user/peteski7/library/FSM?sort=3&page=1

[OldEastRR]

One thing that is absent on Chris' wonderful layout are people figures. But more often than not seeing N scale figures on a layout destroys the realism (since they look like plastic people). I have a feeling that if he populated it with people, it wouldn't look as realistic I like it just the way it is.

What are you talking about? Any TRUE N SCALER BELIEVER can see people all over his layout....if you can't, well .... 

[conrail98]

Proof positive that the less you compress, the bigger the layout looks, and having tracks, roads and buildings running parallel and perpendicular to the front edge has

Actually, if you look at Chris's original plan, much of his track is just a tick diagonal. He even mentioned earlier in the thread that the urban area has a 1.5" offset. I only know this because I've been re-reading it the past few days thinking of doing a HCD layout myself before trying to tackle the large room Mansfield layout,

Phil

[pdx1955]

What are you talking about? Any TRUE N SCALER BELIEVER can see people all over his layout....if you can't, well .... 

In reality, just having a few people here and there (the same goes with detailing in general) can fool the eye and make the assumptions that they are everywhere. It's assumed that there are drivers in the vehicles, workers in the buildings, etc. You don't need much to add the needed character and "life" into a layout.

[Chris333]

A quick pic.


I bought the 2 pack of these. Took one and stripped the box paint. Sprayed it silver. Painted the tires charcoal. And gave it a good spray of alcohol/ink. I just think it tones everything down a bit and doesn't jump out like bright paint does.

I've read articles where people mix black or dark tan with every color they use as a way to tone them down.

[Ian MacMillan]

Very impressed with how this is progressing! Great job Chris.

[OldEastRR]

Those CM trucks have a unfortunate design where the box sits on a platform instead of just on the frame. Never understood why they built them like that -- since all the boxes are painted separately then assembled with the other parts  they could have made a slot and tab where the box fits neatly onto the frame. It bothered me so much I wound up removing all my platforms. I had an article in MR way back about how-to.
On some I chopped off the big square fuel tanks and replaced them with smaller round ones to represent an earlier model of that cab.

[Chris333]

Those CM trucks have a unfortunate design where the box sits on a platform instead of just on the frame. Never understood why they built them like that -- since all the boxes are painted separately then assembled with the other parts  they could have made a slot and tab where the box fits neatly onto the frame. It bothered me so much I wound up removing all my platforms. I had an article in MR way back about how-to.
On some I chopped off the big square fuel tanks and replaced them with smaller round ones to represent an earlier model of that cab.

Do you know the issue of MR?  I'll look it up.

[OldEastRR]

Model Railroader February 2012  p. 64

Ah, back in the days when I wrote articles ...

[Chris333]

Thanks I will look it up.  I think CMW was going for this on their model:
https://www.showcaseminiatures.net/n_scale/n_scale_vehicles/81.html
But it does look a little modern.

I wish there was a company like Oxford Diecast doing US based vehicles for the 1940's. Their stuff is great and the prices are good as well.