The good news - My scenery is getting to look more real. My colors are a little wild and my shapes are a bit too smooth. I'm blending it together and it's starting to work.
The important news - Our layout will be on tour in three weeks and we shut scenery down for track maintenance and cleaning. I will continue rock molds and am learning trees. My trees are a little flat and look like they were smashed, but at least I got the color right -green.
I am being very particular on details and end up doing a scene over seveal times. My scene started out looking like an alien landscape. Now it's starting to resemble a rocky area.
Still no layout plan but Denny has been working two full time jobs so has barely had time to breathe. I commend him for all his hard work and dedication.
Until next time appreciate your family even when they change. We all go thru changes and wouldn't it be boring if we all stayed the same.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Invisible Layout Plans
Thanks to a gentleman at our local train club, I found out what color "rock color" is. It isn't any color. It is a variety of colors.
We attended our local NMRA meeting that was held at our local club. All of the model railroad club members shared their knowledge and time to explain how they put their amazing layout together.
We are holding our first open house at our home layout in four weeks. In such a short time I have to decide whether to keep the scenery I designed or try to change it. We are working on scenery another two weeks then working strictly on making sure the layout is operationable.
My next step is to make sure all the benchwork gaps are filled. Then whatever remaining time I have devote to adding more scenery.
One thing that makes this a challenge for me is Denny's layout plan. It is in his head. I've looked and I cannot see it. I am a visual person that has to see it in front of me or it doesn't exist.
I've made the most perfect rock bed over an area that was supposed to be a road. The groundcover section was spectacular until I found out it was for a row of level buildings.
How do you get a layout plan out of your husband's head?
Until next time don't compare yourself to others. We are all on different paths with different plans. Go your own way and enjoy the adventures along the way.
We attended our local NMRA meeting that was held at our local club. All of the model railroad club members shared their knowledge and time to explain how they put their amazing layout together.
We are holding our first open house at our home layout in four weeks. In such a short time I have to decide whether to keep the scenery I designed or try to change it. We are working on scenery another two weeks then working strictly on making sure the layout is operationable.
My next step is to make sure all the benchwork gaps are filled. Then whatever remaining time I have devote to adding more scenery.
One thing that makes this a challenge for me is Denny's layout plan. It is in his head. I've looked and I cannot see it. I am a visual person that has to see it in front of me or it doesn't exist.
I've made the most perfect rock bed over an area that was supposed to be a road. The groundcover section was spectacular until I found out it was for a row of level buildings.
How do you get a layout plan out of your husband's head?
Until next time don't compare yourself to others. We are all on different paths with different plans. Go your own way and enjoy the adventures along the way.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
I'm No Scenery Expert!
I found out that men and women go about things differently even when it comes to model railroading.
My idea was all of get together and talk about what we were going to do. Then someone (the experienced model railraoder) would show the novice (me) how to do scenery. I prepared myself for this and was very excited to finally learn how to do scenery the right way.
This was Denny's idea of teaching me scenery: Go do it. That's it? What happened to that warm, fuzzy feeling of us all working together? Here's me and the cold, already hardening plaster. Many containers of plaster later and learning (by scrubbing) not to let the plaster set, I can make a descent rock!
I had many weeks of pouring beautiful rock molds only to have them crack when I tried to remove them. I had enough rock slides that my son made me a "danger, rock slide" sign! I finally ununderstand what Denny's lesson was.
We can talk about it all day, but until you are covered in plaster and placing those freshly cast rocks , that's when you learn. He let me use my creativity, make mistakes and learn from them. Keep at whatever you are doing and break thru that learning curve. It is worth being patient and persistent.
Next comes getting the right color for the rocks. What color is "rock color" anyway?
Until next time appreciate the opportunities you have every day.
Georgeann
My idea was all of get together and talk about what we were going to do. Then someone (the experienced model railraoder) would show the novice (me) how to do scenery. I prepared myself for this and was very excited to finally learn how to do scenery the right way.
This was Denny's idea of teaching me scenery: Go do it. That's it? What happened to that warm, fuzzy feeling of us all working together? Here's me and the cold, already hardening plaster. Many containers of plaster later and learning (by scrubbing) not to let the plaster set, I can make a descent rock!
I had many weeks of pouring beautiful rock molds only to have them crack when I tried to remove them. I had enough rock slides that my son made me a "danger, rock slide" sign! I finally ununderstand what Denny's lesson was.
We can talk about it all day, but until you are covered in plaster and placing those freshly cast rocks , that's when you learn. He let me use my creativity, make mistakes and learn from them. Keep at whatever you are doing and break thru that learning curve. It is worth being patient and persistent.
Next comes getting the right color for the rocks. What color is "rock color" anyway?
Until next time appreciate the opportunities you have every day.
Georgeann
March 18, 2010 Introduction
I started out not knowing anything about trains other than they ran fast, and if you didn't get off the tracks, they ran you over. We had a cottage when I was growing up that was near the train tracks, and in order to go swimming in the lake, you had to walk down the tracks. My only other experience with trains was my dad's Lionel trains he set up at Christmas time.
Then I met Denny. He was in high school and he loved trains. A group of us would go hang out at the tracks and watch trains. Denny and his friends knew a lot about how trains worked. Then we lost touch for a couple of years.
When we got together years later, I was going thru a rough time in my life. Then we got married and had a baby. We got custody of his children. Life moved in pretty quick and took over. During all of this he still worked on his personal train collection. He also started his current layout in our basement.
We talked for several years about working together on his train business. We took the plunge in September and launched our website in November. I design and run the website. I started helping Denny with organizing, washing and packaging. Recently I started learning scenery. And this is where this blog begins.
Then I met Denny. He was in high school and he loved trains. A group of us would go hang out at the tracks and watch trains. Denny and his friends knew a lot about how trains worked. Then we lost touch for a couple of years.
When we got together years later, I was going thru a rough time in my life. Then we got married and had a baby. We got custody of his children. Life moved in pretty quick and took over. During all of this he still worked on his personal train collection. He also started his current layout in our basement.
We talked for several years about working together on his train business. We took the plunge in September and launched our website in November. I design and run the website. I started helping Denny with organizing, washing and packaging. Recently I started learning scenery. And this is where this blog begins.
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