Paxton Road: You’ve been framed…
When I built the cement silo for Paxton Road my initial intention was to place it at the rear of the layout. I felt it's role was a supporting act, not one for the front of house...
Its creation was driven by the memory of that 'Bucolic Silo' article way back in the first Model Railway Journal (what do you mean you don't have that book, go out and find them all!), a mix of nostalgia as well as a way to connect with both my childhood and adult self, to connect with modelling through a life time and through others via their inspiration. Once placed on the layout it became apparent that a view THROUGH the opening at the foot of the structure held real potential from a photographic view point - this means for framing and engaging with the models, it has proven itself again and again. Posed within it's outline is my latest Farish 08, the mundane grey reflecting perfectly the 'austere' and sad decline of wagon load freight across the UK. As if to fade into its own surroundings, the 08 once the un-seen across the whole network dwindled quickly and today survives in small numbers thanks to the usefulness of the design, not the wishes of Ed Burkhardt.
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Speaking of framing and engaging with models and n scale and such, have you happened to read Model Railroad Planning 2023? There's a really interesting article on a CNJ shelf layout by architect Jonathan Jones. He's used a hierarchy of elements in which only the railway and the structures that directly interact with it are detailed, and the other scenery is more abstract (rendered white going by the photos). He's also used a black satin backdrop. Additionally, there's a really detailed discussion on how he selectively compressed the prototype. The only thing is it's clearly a work in progress, and it can be a bit hard to tell what's deliberately abstracted and what's just not finished yet from the photos. But definitely worth the price of the magazine.
ReplyDeleteTim
Sounds worth me tracking down a copy! Thanks Tim.
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