WOW! ... Did you see that?

[Southwest Chief]

trainsBuddy

I don't know what's your guys problem is - I liked the music :)

At least it wasn't that awful bluegrass/country/hobo music that seems to accompany almost every train video.

[trainsBuddy]

I don't know what's your guys problem is - I liked the music :)

[superbe]

St Francis Consolidated RR

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Would have been a lot better with a better music selection or none at all.

Bob

I'll second that motion -- who picked the racket, George Sellios or someone on the MR staff.  A silent movie would have been better.

 

        This new deluxe gadget I have called a computer has volume control with a zero setting!

         And since somebody decided the dingy cocktail-lounge music was more important or easier to produce than the sound of George's locomotives and rails, you're not missing anything.

         What a layout!

         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?

Well St Francis you got me on this one. RE the sound I couldn't see the forrest for the trees. How could I not thought of the volume control ! !

If I had to pick one or the other I'd go with Rod Stewart but really wouldn't want either one. If it isn't built by me I don't want it.

Happy railroading

Bob

 

 

[tstage]

I sat down and read through this month's MR article entitled "Adding operation to the Franklin & South Manchester" about George Sellios's famous F&SM layout.  I was delighted to read and hear that George had decided a couple of years ago to make his layout more "operationally-friendly".

From the article, it stated that there was a number of sections of hidden track that made operator's nervous because the trains were "hidden from view" for inordinate periods of time; "exceed[ing] the operator's comfort level", as it were.

I thought it interesting to note that George realized his own "limitations" as a modeler (as his strengths are noted for "structures and scenery") and incorporated his friend's Richard Josselyn and Tony Koester to "analyze" and to "define and implement the operating scheme".   Nice having friends of that caliber to help get a project of this magnitude off the drawing board and into reality.  George was no slacker though as he, himself, tore out old sections of trackage and scenery and installed new sections to help bring these changes into fruition.

This is also the first time that I've seen video of George's layout and it is pretty amazing to look at.  George is undeniably a very talented modeler and designer of craftsman kits.

As much as I could learn from seeing and studying scenes depicted on George's F&SM layout, I still would have to say that I would choose not to model to the magnitude of detailing that he does.  While times were indeed difficult during the Great Depression of the late 20's and 30s, I just can't get past the "plausibly factor" that every square inch of a city was/has to be/needs to be filthy, grimy, rusty, and disheveled looking.

I think Richard Josselyn's own words from the MR article best describe George's style of modeling on pg. 35:

"Its gritty weathered realism and heretofore-unseen level of tar paper-to-trash-can detailing might have threatened sensory overload, but it certainly pulled visitors right into his vision of Depression-era New England." [Underscore mine]

The author goes on to say at the bottom of pg. 36 that George's completed layout was "highly regarded as a stylistic masterpiece". [Underscore mine]

I personally think that that's a pretty fair assessment of the F&SM.  But - then again - that's just my own "vision" of what I enjoy seeing and prefer to see on a layout.

Anyhow, despite my own preferences in modeling that may be different from another person's tastes and "vision", I can always learn something from someone else.  And I would dare say that George could probably teach me quite a bit about how to improve my own modeling skills.

Thanks for the article, MR!

Tom

[St Francis Consolidated RR]

superbe:

 

Would have been a lot better with a better music selection or none at all.

Bob

I'll second that motion -- who picked the racket, George Sellios or someone on the MR staff.  A silent movie would have been better.

 

        This new deluxe gadget I have called a computer has volume control with a zero setting!

         And since somebody decided the dingy cocktail-lounge music was more important or easier to produce than the sound of George's locomotives and rails, you're not missing anything.

         What a layout!

         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?

 

 

[cacole]

superbe

 

Would have been a lot better with a better music selection or none at all.

Bob

I'll second that motion -- who picked the racket, George Sellios or someone on the MR staff.  A silent movie would have been better.

[superbe]

 

Would have been a lot better with a better music selection or none at all.

I found the music very distracting. It was like hearing the Boston Pops Orchestra while watching a boxing match.

Just my 2ct.s worth.

Happy Railroading

Bob

 

 

 

[slammin]

sundayniagara

Where's the video?

I think you have to be a subscriber to see many of the videos. And it IS fantastic!

[sundayniagara]

Where's the video?

[fiatfan]

This should make it easier:

http://mrr.trains.com/Videos/Layout%20Visits/2011/01/George%20Sellios%20layout.aspx

 

Tom

[dbduck]

If it was on the right hand side..those are rotating ads ..so you will have to get there at the right rotation to see the link...so far I have not

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

The home page of MR Forum has a link to a video of George Sellios' layout.

Amazing. Just amazing!

I have seen numerous photos of his layout. This is the first video I have seen of it.

Truly remarkable!