There is a children's story called The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton. She also wrote, among other things, another story you might be more familiar with - Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel.
I mention the Little House as it illustrates a possible progression on my layout. In this story there is a cute little house in the country surrounded by rolling hills. Over time the area around the house gets developed more and more until finally the little house finds itself in the middle of a big city.
My current layout is a small town setting circa 1950’s. As I acquire more model buildings to fill in the small town I suspect that my layout is going to start exhibiting what I am calling the Little House Progression.
I am curious for those with rural setting layouts, do you find over time they get a little more urban?
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel was one of my favorite stories my Grandmother read to me when I was a toddler Amongst those were my other favorites, The Little Engine That Could of coarse and Tuggy the Tugboat Perhaps that one was Scuffy the Tugboat
Haven't got to the buildings on my layout yet but good luck with your progression ABC
TF
Actually what you call a Little House progression is prototypical - we have all seen houses in big cities that look so out of place, and the likely explanation is that the out-of-place house was there first, and the more urban aspects came later.
You see some of this in small cities and towns too -- at one time the railroad station was the center of town, but over time as things like coal tipples, water tanks and -- more importantly -- stock yards began to be built trackside, the residential parts of town started to drift away and often the retail business district did so too. A classic example of this is Kirkland IL on the old Milwaukee Road east west line. The residential part is nowhere near where the once extensive stockyards and railroad junction were located.
A lingering effect of all this is that small city or town post office buildings that were deliberately built to be near the railroad depot might still be there even if depot and tracks are gone - sort of isolated. I have seen that in some towns that are no longer rail served.
I was unaware of this Little House book and am surprised that the local librarian didn't recommend it to me given how often I checked Mike Mulligan out of the library so I could look at the pictures. There was a derelict old shovel in the field near my house as a boy and my friends and I would play a Mike Mulligan game on it. We all knew the book.
Which reminds me of two other books I loved equally well -- The Boxcar Children about the poor kids who lived in a boxcar and the Trolley Car Family, a family so poor they had no house, acquired an old trolley car that was run to the end of the line and that become their home.
This is OT but those could be scenes on a freelanced layout: the Little House surrounded by bigger structures, a trolley car home on old roadbed (and don't forget that cemeteries were often built at the end of the trolley car tracks as well), and a boxcar in the woods used as a home.
A train trip down memory lane!
Dave Nelson
I can't believe no one has mentioned Choo-Choo by Virginia Lee Burton:
As far as rural going urban, yes. I have too many buildings.
Gary
My layout is set in the 1980s in southern VA, but I have a farm with barn. That scene pays homage to the rural setting you still find in that part of VA. Keeping things rural probably requires being disciplined in not putting everything on the layout.
On my layout, which I've built in sections which I would basically finish before starting another, I always start with the railroad-related stuff first, and that is usually the larger buildings. Smaller structures come later, as they can usually be built around the railroad stations, depot's and rail-served industries.
My most recent sections were designed with footprint templates and cardstock mockups of planned buildings, even kits. I like to know what my sight lines will be so I can best place the structures. I have learned that unplanned growth doesn't work on my layout.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
AblebakercharlieI am curious for those with rural setting layouts, do you find over time they get a little more urban?
I remember the book The Little House. I'm not sure if it was read on Captain Kangaroo or one of the other shows I used to watch.
I live in a small town that has spread out, but in most cases, you can see a house that stands out -- it's old, usually two stories, and sits in the middle of a new neighborhood. Usually it was the old farmhouse, and it was in too good of condition to tear down.
Here's an actual Little House. I remember reading this about the woman who refused to sell to the mall developers, so they built around it. The woman who lived there grew to be friends with the foreman of the mall construction company, and when she died, she left the house to him. It's a great, true story.
York1 John
Ablebakercharlie My current layout is a small town setting circa 1950’s. As I acquire more model buildings to fill in the small town I suspect that my layout is going to start exhibiting what I am calling the Little House Progression. I am curious for those with rural setting layouts, do you find over time they get a little more urban?
This absolutely happened to me. My layout also is set in the mid 1950s. It has a shortline that branches off the mainline. It goes upgrade to a town near the summit and then downgrade to the town at the terminus. Originally I planned the town near the summit to be little more than a whiste stop with a few buildings along a single street. Things started to change when Woodland Scenics came out with a Built-N-Ready fire station that I had to have. The only town where I could put it was the yet to be built town at the summit and the fire station is just too big for such a little whistle stop town that I had envisioned so I started adding structures and each one I added made it seem like I should have two more. The structures now fill most of a 4x6 peninsula and required a lot more time than I had planned. I think if I had it to do over again, I wouldn't have bought that fire station and just gone with what I originally envisioned. Four of my five towns ended up being bigger than what I planned but I really got carried away with this one. .
dknelson Which reminds me of two other books I loved equally well -- The Boxcar Children about the poor kids who lived in a boxcar and the Trolley Car Family, a family so poor they had no house, acquired an old trolley car that was run to the end of the line and that become their home.
I remember the Boxcar Children from school when I was very young. It might have been kindergarten. Our teacher would read passages from it every day for several weeks. I just remember bits and pieces of it.
One of my favorite stories as a kid. You can watch the Disney cartoon on YouTube. Theres a ton of little late 1800's cottages here in Chicago with hovering condos on either side. I'm happy to see this thread because I'm intentionally putting small buildings between larger ones for visual interest Ultimately an organic development of a layout is best. City growth can be chaotic, accidental and surprising
York1Here's an actual Little House.
I love the balloons in the style of UP!
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Thanks everyone for your thoughtful replies!
In light of the recent weather in the Northeast I will mention another story Mrs. Burton wrote was Katy and the Big Snow - Another favorite of mine!
I too also read the Boxcar Children as a child - loved that series!
I have to admit one reason why I wrote this post was out of a bit of jealosy of the folks here on the forum who posted pictures of their layouts that included tall buildings and cityscapes. I love how those layouts go vertical and give the eye so much more to look at and wish sometimes they were on mine!
I agree, as in the real world, a layout can be an organic thing that grows and becomes more developed and comlex over time. I have to look no further than my hometown - it looks quite a bit different than it did over 50 years ago.
The idea of juxtaposing taller buildings with 50's era rural buildings is quite compelling - I suspect I will go in that direction as it will make the layout more interesting at least to me.
Another confession - I really would love to have one of those Miller Engineering flashing billboards on top of one of my structures but I first need a suitable host.
And finally, happy to read I brought back pleasant memories of one's childhood.
I miss the days I could sit in the corner without a care in the world and read about Mike Mulligan and his Mary Anne!
charles