How fussy are you?

[Jetrock]

I tend to like a lot of detail in my models--to me, I'd rather have a realistically weathered model that isn't totally accurate than a dead-on blueprint model with a flat, uninteresting paintjob. Lots of little widgets that make a model (building or rolling stock, etc.) interesting have a visual appeal I enjoy--they give the piece character and make it come alive.

I don't want my kits to look like everyone else's. If I can find ways to make my mdels unique that is prototypical, I try to follow it, since I enjoy the combination of realism and character. But I at least try to put on multiple layers of grime and a few personal touches.

[BRAKIE]

Speaking as a former rivet counter I have found for me modeling close enough/good enough is far better then worrying about every little detail or the lack there of..I do want my locomotives to have that C&O look and correct numbers and paint scheme.I have a C&O GP9 number 6128 the real C&O did not have this number as it has been reportedly sold off in the 50s for some reason..I just liked the number 6128 and used it..I also have found that under normal operating conditions one does not pay that much attention to the minute details on locomotives and cars..So one day I ask myself does it really matter? I could not find the correct answer to that question for myself until I had a light heart attack at the age of 50 then I realize all is folly and nothing is worth worrying over including life worries so,in that regard I found the correct answer to my question.Enjoy life to the fullest and don't sweat the details as life is to short..

[Hawks05]

when i saw this i thought it was about food. if it was that i'm really fussy. i won't eat any seafood.

anyways...

for me i don't think i'll really care about all the little details. i just want something that gives me a stress reliever and looks good to me. i don't care what others say because this will be my first layout so i'm bound to make mistakes and i know stuff won't look perfect to some people. as long as i think it looks good thats all that matters. i'd like to put snow plows on my locomotives but i don't want to because i know that would take a lot of time and patience, something i don't have a lot of.

until i get going and finally start knowing what i'm doing and how things are supposed to look i'll be happy with something that runs and looks the least bit real.

[Anonymous]

I really enjoy detailing my scenery and buildings. I try to include references to my family, town, and things I hold dear. I also like the uncommon and controversial.

My industries includes a Campbell Soup plant ( formerly Geo. Roberts Printing Co.) with a Soup Can water tower on the roof. Another factory is named after the company my brother manages in Missouri and there's the Gator Ceiling Fan Co. (with "The Best Fan is a Gator Fan" billboard on the roof).

Modeling Florida necessitates a "Swamp" complete with cattails, lily pads, cypress trees, a discarded tire and "Albert" the Gator crawling out of the water and an orange grove to supply the local Tropicana company.

Dogwood PNC (Politically Not Correct) Park in town includes a Confederate War Memorial and an interracial couple. Across the street on the hillside are 3 wooden crosses. I've also included a "dead skunk in the middle of the road stinking to high heaven". And of course what would a rural Florida highway be without the FHP hiding behind a billboard.

[Anonymous]

I am no where near a rivet counter... I prefer to have everything consistent. I enjoy very much to hide small moments from "Life" in the scene for example a Moonshine Still in a wooded hill above the police station. Or a small gathering of railroad tophats around a derailed wrecker. That sort of thing.

[Anonymous]

Scot:

I fall on the detail end of the scale. With locomotives I superdetail to an individual example where possible. Same with rollingstock. I scratchbuild nearly all my structures to my own designs, based on historical examples if possible. My chosen period is 1900-1915 so the research is both a challenge and an additional reward.

I tend to add details such as: birds nesting in the tiles of the roof, fiber optic lit lamps in the station masters office, papers on the desk, doors and windows ajar, litter and puddles on the ground, cracks in the cement, wheel marks in the gravel, individually laidup and glazed windows to mention several.

You know you are detail oriented when you have an automotive inspection mirror in your tool kit ;)

Randy

[Anonymous]

When I look at a scene on my railroad, I want it to look as convincing as if I were looking at a real scene from a hill, say a quarter mile of so away. At this distance the hairs-caught-in-the-paint disappear, but the overall impression is important. Colors should be subdued; in real life everything fades to bluish-grey in the distance, especially here in the humid South. You shouldn't see any big cracks between your building foundations and the surrounding earth. Interior lighting in your buildings should not be too bright. I like to use 12 v grain of wheat bulbs running at 8 volts. Not only are the bulbs not too bright at this lower voltage, but they will last forever.

[Anonymous]

How far do you go with realism? The question is not for rivet counters, but for us simple mortals who want our models to look good.
I'm no rivet counter, but I can go quite far when detailing my layout. I usually check the scenes from the POV of an HO scale person... this sometimes leads me to remove hair (?) from the scenery and add calendars to the interiors of structures... what about you folks?