I thought the music was fitting, classy like the layout. My family says that I'm a musical w**** (lady of the evening). That's why I can justify the XM renewal every year. I can enjoy classical, jazz., blues, bluegrass, Sinatra, clasic rock... whatever mood I'm in. And no commercials.
Good ole train sounds and no piano.
Very good video.
I would love to have the room/rooms for a layout like that.
Wadda ya mean I'm old ? Just because I remember gasoline at 9 cents a gallon and those big coal burning steamers.
considering all comments in this line of thought, would this layout be more to most people's liking?
http://www.youtube.com/user/ohiosouthern#p/f/21/0A2h3jZhxiA
Personally, I think Vic Smith is a great, great modeller...no "better" or "worse" than Allen or Sellios or any of the others mentioned here, but is it possible Smith's style is more realistic and less stylistic? and therefore more pleasing?
p.s.....I more or less accidentally found this video tape on the youtube website of the nice red-headed kid in Ohio who does the really good weathering videos
The St. Francis Consolidated Railroad of the Colorado Rockies
Denver, Colorado
OK, I finally took the time to watch the video - what was wrong with the music? Seemed era approperate to me. And I like Bluegrass as well.
Just like all the photos, too drab, too weathered, too depressing, too "busy". I've seen a lot of photos of a lot of crusty old steam locos, but more times than not I could read the name on the side.
But now for the real critique - all that work, all that detail - BUT:
The double track mainline trackage is flat in the dirt? no roadbed? Paralel tracks 2.5" or 3" apart and not consistantly spaced? Real railroads don't waste valuable real estate like that. EDIT - I just received March MR and a closer inspection does show some "roadbed" effect - so I'll retract my "flat in the dirt" comment. It ws hard to see on that video.
The passenger cars had scale 2' gaps between the diaphragms? I suppose so they would make it around what appear to be 30" radius curves? Diaphragms that don't touch would be better left off in my opinion.
The video just confirmed what I had previously observed - not my cup of tea.
Sheldon
I agree with you again Sheldon, I admire Sellios for his abilities but have no desire to have my layout look like a scene from "Cannery Row". I want my layout's scenery to be an expression of how "I" would like to see the world be it real or not.
I grew up in Wisconsin, Fond du Lac to be specific and my uncle lived in a little town outside of Ripon, (Ripon Good Cookies??), anyhow this was in the 1950's before we moved here in 1955 so we still made many trips back there and not once did I ever see the condition of general disrepair that George has depicted on his layout. Doesn't mean I'm right and he's wrong it just means I have never seen anything that looks like that so to me it looks more like what I would expect Calcutta to look like than somewhere in the USA.
Again, no "sour grapes" and nothing taken away from his modeling abilities as they are certainly above average, but just not my "cup of tea". I like Tony Koester's scenery on his old layout and others as Sheldon has mentioned and if I wanted to "copy" anyone's it would probably be one of those but again I want my layout and my scenery to reflect my "vision" of what I see in my mind's eye.
Mark
Perhaps the music WAS coming from the layout. Specifically from Joe's Jazz club (visible a few times but most notably at time 3:36). Jazz era, jazz music?
Then again, probably not.
Volume controls are a wonderful thing.
The mind is like a parachute. It works better when it's open. www.stremy.net
Graffen I have seen many times that the layouts that are works of arts, and as stated above; unmistakenly built by this or that person, often get´s a lot of FLAK because of not being totally prototypical. But how much compromises don´t we have on our layouts? And what is wrong with artistic expression? Isn´t it just a case of "sour grapes"? I think that many people would die to have a layout like Sellios, Allen. Furlow , Stewart or Kirk. But they just don´t express it.....
I have seen many times that the layouts that are works of arts, and as stated above; unmistakenly built by this or that person, often get´s a lot of FLAK because of not being totally prototypical.
But how much compromises don´t we have on our layouts? And what is wrong with artistic expression?
Isn´t it just a case of "sour grapes"? I think that many people would die to have a layout like Sellios, Allen. Furlow , Stewart or Kirk. But they just don´t express it.....
Graffen,
Well again, no thank you. At the tender age of 16, I was awarded the privilege of being one of the youngest members of the Severna Park Model Railroad Club in Severna Park, MD. Their layout has been featured many times in Model Railroader and is well known for its very realistic scenery created mostly by Dr. Logan Holtgrew. Logan and other experianced modelers welcomed me because they could see I was mature and serious about the hobby (they generally did not admit teen members without a parent). I worked with Logan on a number of scenic projects on that layout and learned a great deal from him.
I have built a number of layouts since, and am quite happy with my skills. And, while I have moved on from the Severna Park club both geographicly and socially, as of my last visit a few years ago, most of my work on the layout was still intact some 35 years later.
So do a search, pull out some old MR's, and tell me if I am jealous of Sellios, Allen, Furlow, Stewart or Kirk?
I respect them and their skills, except maybe Furlow - I have no use for three dimensional cartoons, but I surely don't envy them and have no interest in "duplicating" any of their styles. Tony Koester, Bill Darnby, Eric Brooman (even thought I don't model the west) - these are guys who build believable, realistic scenery.
I hate taking pictures, but now I think when the new layout gets to the scenery stage I will have to.
PS - I forgot one important name - our own "Dr Wayne", based on the photos he has posted on this forum, gets my vote as being equal to or better than Sellios as far as my eye is concerned.
I don't know.
I just prefer to have mine look the way the northern plains/prairies looked in the late 1970's to late 1980's. And during that period most prairie towns were not blasted with abandonment and severely weathered. Sure, SOME were but NOT ALL.
Even up north of here..in southern Bruce county there are a few abandoned farms...but not entire strings of them...
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
GraffenI have seen many times that the layouts that are works of arts, and as stated above; unmistakenly built by this or that person, often get´s a lot of FLAK because of not being totally prototypical.
How would you define "FLAK" in this case? Can I admire someone's talents but still not desire to create something exactly like they would do it?
Thomas Kinkade is well-known for his use of light in his paintings. He's a very good and very talented painter, admired by droves of people. I hadn't thought about it before but Kinkade and Sellios are very similar to one another because their "style" is their fingerprint and their calling card.
I can spot a Kinkade almost immediately. The light emanating through the windows in the house or the sunlight reflecting off the leaves of trees screams "Kinkade". I think others could probably do the same with a Sellios-constructed kit. While the talents of both are undeniable, I have NO desire to own a Kinkade painting; nor would I want to model a structure exactly like Sellios.
I totally agree. We all have to compromise somewhat on our layout because we are confined to a certain finite space as our palette. And sometimes these compromises are exhibited through "artistic expression". I do think, however, that there's a difference between selective compression (a "forced" choice) and the degree of weathering (a "stylized" choice) one chooses.
Some folks are more stylized in their approach to layout designing and building (Allen, Furlow, Sellios); while others are more "real world" (Darnaby, Mindheim, Cliff Powers, Soeberg). I can enjoy and learn from them all. However, I gravitate toward and prefer the approach of the latter group over the former. And, even with the latter group, I don't like or would emulate everything they do.
No sour grapes for me, Graffen. I honestly would NOT want a layout like...[fill in the blank]...because the layout would no longer be...an expression of me and what I want to accomplish on my layout.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:
My Railroad
My Youtube:
Graff´s channel
I have an observation to share, just my opinion, which ties into the world of music......they asked Pavorotti, the Italian opera singer, what was the key to his greatness and success (you can disagree about his greatness but not his success!!), and he said, "When you hear my voice, you know it's ME."
I think that's the big deal about John Allen's layout and Sellios' layout. The quality is there of course, but the key is that when you see a picture of their layouts you KNOW instantly whose layout it is at a glance. No mistaking their layouts for anybody else's.
The instant recognition is only partly about all the publicity; mostly it is about Style. You may like 'em or you may not, but you got to admit those guys got their own unique Style!
You don´t have to go back to the great depression to find decay in the urban environment.
Look at this and see:
LINK
trainsBuddyIt's a Depression era layout, so heavy weathering is very appropriate. I'd venture to guess that during Great Depression reailroad companies payed a little bit less attention to the cleanness of their equipment.
Sorry, TB, but I have to disagree with you. A "little bit less attention" to cleanliness during hard times I would call appropriate. Making essentially everything run down looking, dirty, and/or disorderly is not; nor is it realistic.
The Great Depression may have been a difficult financial time for the US (as well as the rest of the world), but people - even RRs - didn't neglect all facets of their life. People still used brooms to sweep floors with and hung clean clothes out to dry on the line. Even the 25% of the population who were out of work at that time, some would still try and make the most of what they did own or rent - even for their own sanity.
I just don't buy the idea that, because you are modeling the Great Depression, all buildings, cars, streets, trains, businesses, establishments, etc. have to be soiled and/or falling apart. If that's how one wants to "stylize" a period of time by modeling it, that's one's prerogative. To call that approach "appropriate" or realistic for that time period? No, I can't agree with that at all.
The F&SM is indeed an amazing layout. It is, however, a stylized layout and George Sellios' "interpretation" of the Great Depression; not necessarily what it was in reality.
P.S. As a musician myself - like Tom - I enjoyed the background music chosen. Jazz was THE music in the hey day of steam, although it was undeniably Big Band rather than Urban Jazz. I could come up with a lot worse choices for music than what was included on the soundtrack.
....and so?
Try finding nailholes here....
BTW...I did not say there was not ANY photos...just that there was not the massive amount of weathering ...
Oh look, a picture of something that wasn´t there
(No copyright!)
There are a number of photographic sites with stuff from that period...even the local public libraries around have special collection rooms filled with it ....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/2179045622/in/set-72157603671370361/lightbox/
Check these out...I did not see that many images of that type as displayed in so many layouts....
TWO QUESTIONS:
1. If you can't be yourself, whom would you rather be? George Sellios or Rod Stewart?
2. If you had to replace your own layout with someone else's, which of their layouts would you rather have?
Neither thank you, both are very nice but do not reflect my interests or modeling style one bit. Tom (tstage) hit the nail on the head with his reply to this.
trainsBuddy It's a Depression era layout, so heavy weathering is very appropriate. I'd venture to guess that during Great Depression reailroad companies payed a little bit less attention to the cleanness of their equipment.
It's a Depression era layout, so heavy weathering is very appropriate. I'd venture to guess that during Great Depression reailroad companies payed a little bit less attention to the cleanness of their equipment.
The stock market crashed in 1929 and magicly in a year or two everything man made fell apart?
I think not, and the photographic evidence from that era says clearly not everything went to ruin.
Some people doesn´t have optic line to the Web, and that makes a HD video useless to most people. You can´t demand high quality in a medium like this.....
The picture quality at this end was pretty bad. I'll not blame my computer nor my connection, as I've seen some very nice and "clean" model railroad videos. Also, I just went to the BLMA site blog and looked at the La Mesa club video. It looked very clean.
Too much compression? Not enough server??
Ed
I'm glad everybody had fun with the thread. The music did not bother me at all, but I suppose those who do not care for themusic can turn off speakers.
I used the wrod "see", and I sould see one of the most highly detailed layouts anywhere. Every square inch seems just right, and this is a large alyout.
It is very inspiring in my opinion.
Amazing layout!
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
George Sellios F&SM layout is NCE DCC but evidently with no engine sounds. Glad I know where the volume control is located.
Other than the music being a very bad choice the RR is terrific and would be a lot better if the majority of the weathering was not so heavily done.
An urban model railroad setting accompanied by Urban Jazz piano music--what's not to like? I'm a professional musician and the soundtrack worked just fine for me.
With that aside, the layout is an absolute mind-blower!!
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
They must think we're like toddlers with the music. You put little ones in front of a tv and mix in the happy music and they're glued.
Springfield PA
Gee Fellas,
I'm really shocked and dismayed to hear that every one doesn't like Blue Grass, it's so American and down to earth. It breaks my heart that it isn't enjoyed by all.
I'll be depressed the rest of the day and it's my wife's (39th) birthday or so she tells everyone. I know different, she's only 19 cause I'm a couple of years older.
Here's two songs that you will enjoy. Be sure to listen to the lyrics, turn up the volume and let er rip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCw_cZqPjtM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n9prNixjbg&feature=related
I'll leave it to others to select appropriate music for the G S video. Music for a coal drag vs a K4 pulling passenger cars etc would require quite different background music so what's best for the video is beyound me.
Have a good weekend and
Happy Railroading
Bob
Don't Ever Give Up
Or something by Boxcar Willy.