| Georgetown Loop and San Diego Model Railroad Museum |
| Host Chris Chianelli visits a San Diego museum layout that features beautiful backdrops. |
From "Workin' On the Railroad"
episode DWRR-209L |
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When it comes to embellishing your model railroad layout, don't forget about the backdrops. Workin' on the Railroad visits Colorado's Georgetown Loop and peruses a unique model railroad museum that features beautiful backdrops. Which one of the following backdrops is simulated and which one is real?
If you want to add depth and dimension to your model train layout, the first thing to consider is how to utilize artistic backdrops, and the best part is that you don't have to be a true artist to create them.Host Chris Chianelli's visit to the San Diego Model Railroad Museum is perfect proof of how dramatic backdrops can enhance any layout. In fact, one group of modelers at the museum have mastered the art of creating the illusion of great distances with the use of backdrops.
Here's a sample of some of their work:
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The San Diego Model Train Museum has approximately 10 scale miles of track.
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The Goat Canyon Trestle (in model form here) is the highest wooden trestle in the country.
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The San Diego Model Train Museum features an N scale layout that's 30' wide by 90' in length. The track represents an imaginary line that goes from San Diego eastward. There are four huge layouts at the museum, but the N scale showcases dramatic, beautiful backdrops.San Diego Society of N Scale, as they call themselves, has put a lot of time (countless hours), work and love into the backgrounds of the museum's N scale layout. What's the Secret to a Well Planned Backdrop - First and foremost you need creativity and imagination.
- The scenic backdrop should complement, not compete with, the other elements of any layout.
- When all the elements of a layout work together, that's when you have it going on.
The San Diego museum layout has trains rolling through the desert, a brewing storm and snowcap mountains, which means variety is also important when it comes to planning your layout's backdrops. Don't forget that no matter how important the backdrop is, however, the scenery, buildings and structures should have equal billing. The piece-de-resistance of the San Diego Society of N Scale is their amazing simulation of the Goat Canyon Trestle, which is actually located east of San Diego. The San Diego layout is run by computer during the week, and it runs up to eight trains in either direction at one time. This state-of-the-art technology is surrounded by scratch-built structures and realistic scenery. By the way, the image on the left above the ad is the real backdrop!
RESOURCES :
Magazines and Books on Railroading
Kalmbach Publishing Co.
Website: www.modelrailroaderbooks.com
Model Railroader magazine
Website: www.kalmbach.com
National Model Railroad Association
Website: www.mnra.org
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