I think a lot of the people who subscribe to the channel share your philosophy about the hobby. I have been working on a scratch build project for weeks now but finding it immensely enjoyable. My next project will be to build trees the Boomer way for my non-existent layout. So not in a hurry to do anything but enjoy scratch building and looking forward to the day when I can run some trains.
That is awesome! I had a hard time letting the Diner go. I wanted the last 5% to last forever. ;-) In the end I am glad she is done and ready for the scene when it fleshes out.
Buy, buy, buy... The more we have the more we want. Pure consumerism. But when we take the time and effort to create, to generate, to build - THAT is where the satisfaction is found. Satisfaction that lasts.
I like what you said about “staring”. I do that fairly often, it helps me to reset and get focused on whatever it is that needs to be done. I thought I was the only one who did that! 😄
There he is, the man, the legend! Love your views on how we become such consumer driven and forget the more important things that this hobby gives us.A friend once told me, we model what we see.Taking a time out recharges the soul and mind and gives us fresh perspective. Your layout is an inspiration to all,and your view on all things gives insight to keep going and enjoy our excellent hobby. Thanks Boomer, you make me stop and think about why we are in this hobby to begin with. Looking forward to seeing your layout progress in the future. By the way, those trees are incredibly awesome! Cheers!
The IV bottle comment made me spit beer!!! So true about buying stuff. 25 years ago I was the president of a model rr club. At any time you could hear people there talking about what they built, what they painted, what they weathered and what they were building next. I stop by there once in a while and now you hear what I bought, what I’m buying next, who is coming out with what and what I have on order. Nothing is weathered or built. Most of my cars are scratchbuilt or resin kits. My locos are redetailed brass and my soul goes into every building and vehicle. Not too many of us left. Your videos are so inspiring. Thank you.
Lol . . . I laughed as well when I spit that out. I never rehearsed the monologue. I just spoke off the cuff. Thanks for sharing and I hear you as well. ;-)👍
After seeing that big sweeping curve, I completely re-thought my self layout track plan. Those shots make me realize that it’s worth sacrificing industries and switching opportunities to get a more prototypical look and feel.
You are one of the few people who mention this point, which is surprising to me. For the most part I enjoy and view my layout in a static state. I rarely run trains because I am so busy building the layout. It is more important that the layout looks and feels prototypical than it actually is. When I planned the River Road shelf layout the number one primary goal was to first establish a broad protypical curve. Then I designed the rest of the layout into the curve. Therefore, when I do run trains it looks, feels and operates authentically. You need a corner shelf layout to pull it off but it looks awesome, regardless of how you dress the scene. Broad curves also mean you can run any locomotive or passenger cars on them and they won't look cheesy.😁
Am sure that Dusty approves! For me, since I love to build as well I name my buildings after my kids and grand kiddos, I number engines after their birthdays, etc.
@@boomerdiorama My layout needed to be movable so none of the buildings are cemented down! I found it liberating that I can model 1920s to mid-70s by changing out the buildings, vehicles and train equipment. Nothing has to stay the same: steam one session, diesel the next!
Consumerism/marketing and the quest for instant gratification has led us to where we are…😕 I have learned to “putter” around my layout to embellish the story and I’m loving it! Thanks for the update, Boomer.
I can't agree more with your view about the hobby, Boomer. I'd particulary felt represented about your "IV bag" moment: I can stay hours and hours working in the bench and don't feel that time has passed. I know that this is a never ending story and it feels great that way...always doing something else and not rushing looking for a pointless end.....keep doing these videos, I'm sure you're and will inspiring others to embrace the hobby.
DON'T RUSH IT is my motto now. 6 years into my layout, I still have empty spots that need something. I get inspired, I start to work on an area - but if it doesn't click - I stop. I don't force it. I wait for the day when the layout tells me what it needs. I may wait one day, or one year. This is not a race. My most recent scratchbuilt industry was done this way. Zen and the Art of Model Railroading LOL - take care - Bill. PS Dig the Reggae music.
I stumbled across your channel when you were in the middle of making the diner. I always liked that Hopper painting and how it provoked my imagination as to who those people were, what were their stories, etc. Your work was masterful and instructive! Your comment about consumerism and the pursuit of new things rang true. I have had too many engines in boxes waiting their turn in the sun overthe last few decades. The reality is that I don't need them and I have been purposefully selling them off. Perhaps my age has made me more reality based as to what I can accomplish, what I want to accomplish, and what I need in order to do that. I certainly do not want to leave shelves full of boxes behind when I die that my kids have to figure out what they are worth and how to get rid of them.
I feel the same way as you do about my book collection. Most are non-fiction reference books and worth quite a bit now-a-days. I have a modest collection of trains as well. If I approach them (paint/weather, etc.) the way I do River Road I really don't need more. I also have plenty of plastic kits of other subjects, to build for fun, when I need a break from the railroad as well. I still really enjoy going to the "brick & mortar" hobby store though, even if I only but one bottle of paint. ;-)
On behalf of your 16.8K subscribers I want to thank you for being here - we are very interested in what you have to say in trying to get us over the hump of modelling paralysis - yes you are right we buy, buy, buy, and hope one day to start doing what we are - modellers. You may not know it but in my opinion, you have become the king of modelling motivation man! And the direction is most definitely to build small scenes/dioramas that tell a story and eventually fit together as a shelf layout that may take 10 years to build but it is a model that we can be proud of to call a train layout. . . . looking forward to seeing how you progress from here.
Thank you for sharing that. I am always glad to hear when people are inspired and encouraged to build their railway miniature world. It's an awesome hobby that brings together a very large and diversified community. I will be live here tonight on the Podcast if you can find the time:www.youtube.com/@SecondSectionPodcast/streams 😁
@@heabow Awesome! It was a riot and the three hours blew by I was having so much fun. Thanks for supporting those guys, their Podcast is growing in popularity!😁
A big part of the American culture is the "bigger is better" mindset along with instant gratification. Our homes, TV's, you name it have to be bigger. Unfortunately this carries over into the hobby, hence a lot manufactured items on the layout. As Thomas Kimosky commented "Model railroading is an art form" and it truly is. It's my opinion that most modelers don't see it as such, purchasing whatever they see and plopping it on the layout with no rhyme or reason. The modeler is in a hurry to get trains running and the layout "finished". Next they get bored with their layout and drift away from the hobby. It takes time and effort to compose a scene to tell the story you wish to convey. When it's done successfully, a layout comes alive and is a joy to operate. I think your doing a great job of conveying the message it's the journey and learning that's important and however long it takes you it's OK. Looking forward to the journey with you in 2023.
The layout does indeed come alive when you learn to model it. I am still learning a great deal about modeling with this layout and the experience is thrilling, especially when I walk into it the next morning with my coffee and see the changes. The hobby is awesome this way. Furthermore, when the family sees it, they love the experience as well. Kids go crazy over it. I still feel like a kid working on it. I may be 60 but I don't feel like it. ;-)
I love the idea of telling a story. That is one of the things that endeared me to John Allen's work, his railroad characters, quirky sense of humor and rich history of the Gorre & Daphetid is still inspiring to this day.
John Allen was the ultimate "Cinematographer" of model railroading. His Gorre & Daphetid was off the charts. Your layout has the same potential if you embrace it wholeheartedly . . . Write a story and flesh out each chapter with each scene. Infuse it with emotion and forget about prototype dogma and legalism. Be free! Cheers
Model railroading is an art form and you need to enjoy the creative process. You miss a lot of the fun if you rush through things just the have a "finished" layout. I don't think the mental planning aspect gets a lot of attention in the hobby, but it should. Some of the best model railroads have a story that makes it believable and prototypical even if it is freelanced. I look forward to following your progress in 2023.-Tom
Thank you Thomas. It's a beautiful thing when you can write a story with your railroad. It can be 250 pages or 1000 pages - with sequels as well . . . ;-) Cheers. Nice hearing from you. ~ Boomer.
I write in a journal of the incidents, life of the families, growth of the area of the "Dutchman's Creek Logging" railroad. It's currently 1940 in the PNW... This encourages me, as I write, to get back to building the picture ( the railroad) during those times I need a boost to continue "painting". Happy New Year Boomer.
I did a diorama of a barn find Porsche. But instead of just a Porsche in a barn.. there was a police presence and a forensic team at a tree with a hole opened up with a skeleton in the hole. All the cops were looking in the barn at the Porsche while the lead detective had hands up like wtf guys.. I thought it was a way more interesting way to tell some story instead of just a barn and a car. Was one of my best dioramas. So yes.. tell a story and not just any story. 😊 great work Boomer!
You showed the picture of Dusty and for some reason that reminded me of a guy that used cat whiskers for radio antenna on vehicles for his ho model railroad. Said his cat was short on whiskers and he had to wait till more grew back before putting more antennas on his model vehicles. He showed the models and the cat whisker antennas looked good. He'd paint them black and could get several out of each whisker. I laughed like hell when he said his cat was low on whiskers and he was waiting till more grew in before finishing the last round of cars. He was modeling open 2 and 3 level car haulers and filling them with vehicles so he was modeling a large amount of different cars and needed lots of antennas. Poor ol' cat!
Yes, The Story. About three years ago I decided to get back into model railroading after a 20 year break. As I'm in my mid-70s and my energy is limited I decided to make a very small layout built on a 1x6 foot shelf board. Before I laid any track I had a RR company history (dieselized remnant of and electric interurban) and ideas on what its purpose was. I wanted it to be the basis for trying new (to me) techniques and materials, but always guided by the background story. It has been a lot of fun, and I take photos of it to assess the results and share them with an on-line group. Boomer, all your videos are a great help to me in moving forward and enjoying this hobby. Cheers from Wisconsin!
@@boomerdiorama Thanks, Boomer. If you are on a certain website that has to do with faces and books, you can see pictures of my stuff under my name as used here. I also belong to a private group with "shelf layouts" in its name.
Boomer, your commentary alone is invigorating. If you weren't into model railroading, something tells me that you would have been a successful author, artist, poet, etc.. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. CHEERS!
@@boomerdiorama Interestingly, Film directors are a special breed of people. They possess the inner ability to tell a story before it is even written. That is why the "Masters" of storytelling (film directors) are able to separate themselves from everybody else. i.e. Martin Scorcese, Steven Spielberg etc..
Glad you were able to unplug for the holidays. It's good for the soul (of course, so is model railroading!) and helps you refocus and revisit concepts and ideas for the layout. You have been such a great influence on my modeling - both from an artistic and method standpoint. Thank you! I'm a college professor who actively does research, writes, and publishes but the hobby is a safe place for me to escape and enjoy leisure. Unfortunately, most people these days have lost the art of leisure that encompasses music, reading, hobbies and crafts, art, and simply going outdoors to enjoy the beauty of nature. I think people would be a lot happier if they just escaped once in a while. Looking forward to the next part of your journey in 2023. Peace!
Hey Mark. I appreciate you taking the time to write that. We all need a little encouragement - yes even me - from time-to-time. God Bless you and happy modeling with your leisure time. The rewards are endless. Cheers ~ Boomer.
As a teen, I used to stare at the "diorama tips" pamphlet that would come inside the Monogram model box back in 70's. I could only dream to be that good, but It told a story of the airplane you were about to build. . Now, 40 years later I'm getting back into model railroading, and trying my hand at rail diorama's too. Thanks for the tips Boomer!
Those "Sheperd Paine" (Monogram) sheets are what initially inspired me to build a diorama, as a teenager - and I never stopped. Sheperd Paine was not even the best "technical" modeler, or master figure painter, compared to some today, but it was the story telling that made him the master. I still learn stuff from reading his books - most notably the first chapters. Every model railroader that wants to increase their knowledge and skill about scene composition should read his books.
@@boomerdiorama wow, thanks Boomer!, didn't know that was the name behind the work. Looked him up, someone made a website with all those sheets, seeing those brought back many fond memories! My God, hadn't see that polka dotted B24 Liberator for years until now, ha! Boomer, YOU are the Monogram "diarama tips" of the TH-cam era.
Exactly!! "I mean don't get me wrong" - I love good food but the actually distraction and exercise is cumbersome to me when it interrupts my modeling flow . . . lol.
Since subscribing and watching you build has made me go back and do some scenes over again, with a whole new attitude modelling. Like you I also take breaks from my layout and weathering to get my mojo back. Thanks to your River Road, I'm modelling with a whole new attitude. Ralph
Awesome. I take a few days here-and-there as well. But for the most part I am always modeling something whether it be tangible or in my imagination. ;-)
Thanks Boomer, it is great to learn and progress independent of time. Stories have made me look and work so differently on the lay-out. Now working on a story from cow to milkfactory. Have a great 2023, also to all the followers. J.
The immersion part is reinforced when we write our own experiences into each scene whether it be fiction or truth. I couldn't imagine building a layout or diorama any other way.
Shelf Queen and Tree Benders, have I learnt some new things this morning. All true of course "Little boxes, all made out of ticky tacky and they all look just the same" = pre-painted, pre-assembled buildings. Off course I am really only here for the music.
The metaphors in that song really summarize the ups and downs I go through with this layout. Some days I fell frozen and uninspired, and other days, on fire with passion. ;-)
Excellent Steven King reference 👍It's all about 'delayed gratification' my friend. Or, as my buddy occasionally mutters: "gotta get that squirt of dopamine." My 1st bike's Sears-catalog clipping was on the kitchen fridge for almost 6 months before Santa's delivery (1st 10 miles were in 'jammies; couldn't get me offa it). Took 10 years to get my muscle car looking how it was pictured in my mind's eye (couldn't take my eyes off it; still can't). Now with this train obsession: 1 new locomotive, all other equipment/buildings bought used and refurbished by me (or in the rebuild queue) waiting on getting the space to build my empire 😁 The magic is having the dream; the payoff is having it eventually realized. Nothing better than that!
I can still remember my "muscle car" days. My favorite was my 1968 "California" special Mustang with a four speed and two four-barrel carbs with 9-inch rear-end. You know the rest of the story I am sure . . . ;-)
I think I enjoy running trains more than building scenery, but it’s a lot closer to even than it used to be since I’ve started trying to emulate real buildings. I always keep in mind one thing you said some time ago: a model doesn’t necessarily need to be to scale to look right ( or something to that effect). We shrink a lot of things on out layouts so if all of a sudden you plop an exact scale model of a building down, it doesn’t look right in the scene. I always enjoy your thoughts on model building. Stay safe!
Hi. I've been away from my railroad since before the holidays. Next week I'm back at it. My plan is to lay enough track to start enjoying trains while at the same time getting things done. I'm changing my game plan to doing each section to completion before moving on to the next. I was trying to finish everything and found that it was just to overwhelming. I feel better knowing that I can enjoy what I'm doing and don't have to stick to a schedule. Much more relaxed. Thank you for helping me understand that.
Welcome back! As you mentioned, I like to work on one small section at a time and I don't care how long it takes. I sort of know the full story but I am not going to write the last chapter until I get there. Even then, I will go back and add more details as I keep revising the story as it unfolds. Keep having fun!
The process of creation is taken out of the equation. Whatever is being sold to us is labelled under 'easy', 'simple', RTR etc. It's about having it all, now. But it is the very process of creation I enjoy. A model builder of lesser means may be in a disadvantage. On the other hand there's no impulse buying. Instead you become inventive, pay more attention to detail, you spend more time on research... You're in the process and not a race. You choose to model subjects and objects you feel an emotional attachement to. This connection will ensure you follow through. That is also why most successful dioramas have a story that reflects our feelings of our past, even if it's just a bricked up window on a building. The past is safe, because it does not change. We perhaps didn't have the responsibilities we now have. This is why nostalgia sells so well. It's comforting. This is my experience. I'll comment on open-end stories some other time. It is an important subject, that open-end bit… Oh, and what a fantastically cool bender you had Boomer. A+++!
You put that well Rafael. Thanks for sharing. And please do share about the "open-ended" concept. Open ended for me means I do not want the story to end. As long as there id one square foot I can write another chapter infused by my history around the railroad. ;-)
00:40 - the seldom seen Boomer Moose! You can't see the other antler from this angle. Much as I enjoy running trains in my little kingdom, I enjoy scenery work just as much, and taking my time to let thoughts develop. It's never truely finished. Hands up - I am also guilty of having too many locos, but I have a self enforced price limit, so no dcc all singing all dancing stuff! Cheers
Any layout is cool when you think about it because each build reflects the individuals style of expression and how they experience the model railroad. The key is to start small and practice the hobby. ;-)
Haha! Close the door and live off an IV drip! 😂 Get a small one for the coffee injection in the morning! Good one Boomer! Looking forward to the story.
Hey Boomer, loved this video. I'm so looking forward to how the next phase works out. I love the way that you maintain your enthusiasm by not pressurising yourself, letting go to some extent and then reastablishing yourself with your layout. It's always the story. It's pure Zen! Cheers and happy new year!
Always need some negative space in a layout. It truly makes a layout come to life. I've learned so much from you even though I've only watched a few dozen videos. Your simple explanations and tutorials make me want to hand-lay track on my first MRR. 😉
Reading through the comments I realise all had been said. So nothing else for me to say then 'yes I agree' I am also a slow builder and shy away from the quick and easy you-tube video. From you I learned to first think and look for a long time and plan in sections that can bee picked up from the layout and worked up on on the workbench. That way I can take my time, check the overal look of the composition regularly and slowly add stuff. Treating every detail as a model on its own. How ever the downside is, other then with you, that nothing is realy finished yet...
You just described the thought process involved when composing a scene. I do exactly the same thing. The more I dream and think about it (study photos, rail fan, etc.) the more it starts to come together.
I too prefer longer blocks of time. It is one of my struggles. An hour block means I spend most of the time collecting tools and materials and cleaning things up. Also, my creative process must include some decision making time. It takes me time to envision what I want to build. With scenery, for example, I have to envision the next step before I am comfortable jumping in. Art doesn't flow on demand, it requires inspiration and vision. It makes me a slower creator than some, but I am usually happy with the result and, like you said Boomer, what's the hurry, eh?
It probably wouldn't fit but I'd love to see the facade for an old arena. I just did a quick Google search and noticed that the Queens Park Arena had an amazing look to it. And New West has been known for its hockey and lacrosse forever! Love your scratch-building!
Have a look down by the tracks (New West Water Front) where the old Army & Navy Store Façade is. Notice the mix of architecture there as well. earth.google.com/web/search/Annacis+Island,+Delta,+BC/@49.20297471,-122.90434815,146.71314218a,16.44824848d,35y,-47.99216866h,52.68988051t,0.00000083r/data=CoQBGloSVAolMHg1NDg1ZDhjMGVmZmUzODY5OjB4NGMyNThiMjcwNDNiMmI0ZhkvoYLDC5ZIQCETY_Q3fLxewCoZQW5uYWNpcyBJc2xhbmQsIERlbHRhLCBCQxgBIAEiJgokCdZtEtDEskhAETL0rzTIiUhAGSnXw4zwl17AIR046mE7117A This is the area I am drawing inspiration from. There is a parkade there as well which mirrors the effect of the overpass I freelanced into the scene as a transition to another compressed district.😁
"It's a bit of a monologue" LOL... - all your video's are😀. That's why they are great to watch. But you are right on this consumerism. I once was at a meeting from a Dutch model railroad magazine to brainstorm about new idea's, they only want content that involves buying one way or the other. There is a lot more ways to enjoy the hobby that don't make it in the magazines. It's just buying stuff, reviewing new products that have ads on the next page. In the Dutch magazines there is hardly anything about operations or modelling philosophy - where I would place your channel. But even in the shops: they all have a Marklin shop-in-shop and tons of RTR's on the shelf. But if you need materials to build your own engines and cars, they can't supply the wheels and other essentials. I haven't found a shop in the Netherlands that sells stuff for building your own track work. I am modelling to an East African Railway theme. No one sells H0m Class 59 Garratts so I am building them myself. From scratch because the have a unique wheel configuration. None of the magazines ever looks a lot further than German, American and British railways. Because that is what can be bought. Sure, there is also a lot of Swiss, Dutch, Italian and Belgium stuff, because that is where customers live. That's why I am happy with the internet. Here I find the information, advice and stuff I need to build what I want and not what Marklin or Lionel have in mind for me.
You raise great points about the present RTR culture. This is also one of the reasons why I don't usually accept sponsors. Why should I push a product I don't fundamentally believe in just to dupe my subscribers? The ones I do promote, for the benefit of the user, are what I believe in using, so I share it. On the track and supply note: I will often strip a piece of commercial flex track just for the unpainted rail to scratch build a turnout if I can't find the stock rail. I do this all the time. Furthermore, this is why I buy most of my scenery supplies from Art stores. Hobby shop scenery has become RTR as well. I should also mention this; Most of my ground work is all natural minerals I find, clean, and sift myself from river banks and gravel pits, etc. - especially for ballast and rip-rap. Thanks for taking the time to write and share your thoughts as well. Cheers ~ Boomer.
Patience is a funny thing. I find the best way to overcome the lack of it it to plan, and re-plan as one writes the story. I think alot of people see the big forest and miss the single trees. Naming a layout helps as well. Every tree has a story if that makes sense. I like to drill down to the Micro, rather than the Macro.
Consumerism to be sure Boomer but also the ability to get anything one wants near instantly with little effort has taken away the sense of accomplishment we used to all strive for. Agree completely that by immersing ourselves in artistic, creative endeavours we combat the marketing types who constantly try to convince us that more or newer is better. Creation is our greatest form of individual expression. Looking forward to the next chapters in your tale! Cheers. -grant
I have been working on my layout for over a year now, you are so much further along than I am. I am addicted to trying to model the best trees possible though! Glad to see another video so quickly and looking forward too what is ahead!
Modeling trees is a good healthy addiction. Keep at it, take a break, go walk through a forest, take some pics, and come back and build a tree. They will keep improving. If you master trees you won't need to meet Yoda . . . lol. ;-)
Boomer, I like the idea of working on the layout in blocks of four hours. I just don’t have that kind of time. I also like taking whatever amount of time to get it done, even years. I have spent years just reading and researching. When I was young I was afraid of doing things “wrong”, so I was frozen and never did anything. At some point you just have to do it.
I've been planning and researching this layout for over thirty years. All the previous ones were apprenticeships rendering this one non - disposable. 😁
@@boomerdiorama life is a life long research project. I use all my memories from the past to help me create my layout. Thirty years! I am glad your finally getting into the real project, lol.
How to develop a story that you will enjoy and not grow tired of would be a great topic for a podcast. Hashtag not sponsored (wink) I think some people don't know how to develop a story that they can stick with. This could be a reason people continue to buy things, hoping it will inspire them to write their story. This is why I like your videos they go beyond the "how to" of doing something and address things that many of us most likely face.
That is a great idea. I already put out the invitation if you check the latest " Second Section Podcast" - "State Of Model Railroading." In the comments I wrote: "Let's hook up again in the New Year," so the ball is in their court. ;-)
God I wish I could get this much done in a year! I've been working on my damn basement for over a year and only just this week started to slowly lay track and I'm so bad at it. I can't wait to get to the fun part where I'm digging into scenery. I wish I could just buy my way to not having to lay track or wire up anything. I keep wanting to buy things to get that rush, but there's nothing I need to buy, only work that needs doing. When it actually comes to consumerism and ready to run, I'd actually gladly pay a good amount to have someone do the trackwork and wiring for me or at least help. i don't find it fun at all. But I LOVE doing scenery, details, buildings. I just invested in my own laser cutter too, going to be able to scratch build EVERYHING on the layout. Every curb, every brick wall, every bridge, window, handrail, you name it. But... still have to get past the stupid track and wiring stage :(
I don't consider commissions and contract work to be consumerism in the same way. You learn a lot about scenery when you tackle track laying as well because it runs through the scene and engineering issues need to be worked out. Just take your time and enjoy the experience. Fail forward when problems arise. We all have them, and learn to overcome them. We have things we need to grunt through. It makes the rewards more rewarding. Cheers.
Excellent commentary. As one who has written and published in the past, I definitely agree with the "story" philosophy. Each scene should tend toward a poem, for me, and the entire layout has a narrative quality. I've been going through my vast boxes of HO scale items I've amassed over the years thru false starts, consumerism or simple inheritance, and have had to be ruthless about them. If they don't fit the story of The Mondovi Branch, they get sold, donated, or in the case of my brass steam locos, stored away for a future story. I've resisted buying the newest and flashiest stuff. Buying a more expensive pen does not help one write a better poem. Only the practice and putting in the work does that. Thanks again for your generosity with your thoughts and skills...
The word "diorama" originated in 1823 as a type of picture-viewing device, from the French in 1822. The word literally means "through that which is seen", from the Greek di- "through" + orama "that which is seen, a sight".
Yes indeed. There are also many generalized" terms but you are correct in it's origins. Furthermore, it was the camera that eventually pushed it out of vogue among many other reasons as well. Then, in the seventies it was revived as a miniature form by the likes of Sheperd Paine and Ray Anderson to convey historical stories in miniature.
Thanks for the inspiration. Summer down here in New Zealand had been very wet and grey. Perfect time for modelling. I've taken your inspiration and finished a few models and started a few. Nothing better than meandering though the day, some good music, coffee, rain falling on the roof and steadily working through some projects. Cheers mate. Happy New year
As you were talking about projects failing for lack of a story made me think of my club's major layout. It is a minimum 7 year project, but we are actually moving along slightly ahead of schedule, although we are not worried that much about the schedule. Part of the reason for the good progress has been the fact that we have determined mini scenes (some are a little large to be called a diorama) and have built a story around these scenes. It encourages those of us building the scenery to make the scene a believable view of the story, but the story comes first. The stories have come from a number of members, who then tell the rest of us, long before we have even laid the roadbed. The stories grow as we discuss it, until there appears to be a consensus of how it should look, and then we build the scene. We are even discussing some of the scenes that will not be built for a couple of years, and that story will slowly grow as we get closer to the actual build. We are finding that all of us are really enjoying the build - lots of work, but it is real fun turning that story into a real scene. I recently put together a video on the last three years of our build, and in that video, I mentioned at least one of the stories so that viewers could see what was in our collective mind for a scene. But until you, Boomer, spoke about creating the story, I had not realised that this is what we were doing. Now I can see that we have approached the build in the right way - and feel that continuing along these lines will ensure that we will complete the layout.
I can remember working on an HO Scale club layout in the eighties. It was upstairs in the CN Station in Vancouver B.C. It was awesome. It was standard guage with a narrow guage short line. I worked mostly on the narrow guage short line. I think it's long gone now though. I always new one day I would build my own short line one day though. River Road is that layout. It has been in the plan for thirty years. All the previous layouts were practice pieces for this one. Thanks for sharing your story and the one you are building. Cheers.
Maybe that’s part of my occasional what I call burn out. I am not sure of “MY” story. I have ideas I piecemeal together but not solid to cover the theme of the layout. My “IV” drip would need to only last 90 minutes with one pit stop included. Thank you for getting back to posting. Happy New Year and may 2023 be what you want it to be
It sure is! I have no thoughts about that any time soon. The story line is way to engaging. In reality I could stroke this layout for a decade easy. I have to go back to section one again anyway some time down the road. Tons of stuff I left out that are in the plan.
@@boomerdiorama yeah, unlike a great book that one is reading that we know will end in a few pages, with the layout you can just add a new "chapter" to the story at almost any time. You write one hell of a layout, Mr. Boomer.
A very famous model railroader once said, "Every picture tells a story, don't it?" I find myself buying a lot of stuff, but I always ask myself where it fits in the picture. If it doesn't fit, I try not to buy it. This usually results in things that do fit.
I like that you mentioned that because I do the same thing now as well. I don't need any more trains. One day soon I'll get onto painting and building some undec's, etc.
I try to stay way from the buy buy buy thing. I model the 1940's and early 1950's C&EI railroad, so not really new things coming out for me to buy. I do though have a thing for Athearn USRA 2-8-2 which I like to buy ones that don't work. I have paid as low as 32.00. Learning how to repair them is a cost saving way of having a model railroad.
That's great. Frankly, I can't justify paying what they want for new Athearn locomotive (sound or not). If I see a used loco for 100.00 - like an Atlas which I can kit bash, etc, then maybe. Besides I already have a half a dozen undec's needing to get built. Furthermore, I have one Atlas switcher (I kit bashed) and it gets all the work on my railroad. The rest are parked on the shelf.
Why would anyone like to finish their layout at all? I mean: it's nice when you finish a section, it looks nice, but really finishing? Man, that would be bad! The process of building is better than owning the finished thing if you ask me... And then still: there's allways something to do! You can allways add a scene, place some figures, build a nice detail, build your own horse and carriage, haha, I don't know, anything you like! Rebuild a tree, things like that!
I agree, and this is why it is nice to have a size you can manage without feeling overwhelmed. The primary impetus behind River Road is the rigorous planning I went through. I followed the SIG rules as well and things settled in and worked out. www.ldsig.org/
I think a lot of it is driven by the operations side of the hobby. Their goal is to operate, and the building is merely something that they have to get through to get to operations. The hobby has come to be dominated by operators and the joy of building is lost. We need balance in the hobby, but the cutting-edge modelers these last few years (yep Tony Koester, looking at you) have pushed operations at the expense of the process.
Thank you for raising a relevant point. In many cases, the operational dogma can intimidate people with all the elitist chin music associated with it. They can say what they want, but a shelf layout is in every way about "last mile" ops and also authentically defines what it means to actually "model" a railroad. You have to redefine the term "model railroad" when it becomes exclusively about operations. I could care less about the term, and yet I get to operate authentically whenever I decide to. Cheers.
My comment is simple, any great layout has to flow from beginning to end. Your thought processes on how to fill an empty space should be well thought out to how it flows from the previous section. On my layout I like to create signature scenes, even being a kit batch, it took me better part of 2 years from start to finish. My finished N scale bridge is over 5 Ft long, but visitors love it. Is that what we all strive to build into our layout? I have a question have you ever thought of adding a removable diorama scene to your layout? Thanks
@@boomerdiorama Is that hill in front of the waterfall? What I meant to say a diorama with one is a farm scene and another interchangeable say junk yard.
If you fiqure out how to liquify peanut butter and jelly for an IV bottle,please post the recipe,then I can never leave the layout.Wait will need an IV of coffee also.
It's easy. Just spread it on and add water to hearts content. I did not do a specific blog on "Pumice" gel application because I cover these products and their use in the chronology of the build. I have a production schedule in (Vlog Format). You will have to watch following and subsequent episodes as I feature these products throughout the build. Cheers.
She already staked her ground ( the parking lot I am now working on). Now I have to renegotiate. Imagine trying to build a layout with two bossy women in the picture . . . lol.
Boomer, quick question--On the topic of glue: I recently bought an Athearn Genesis F-Unit and in the box were a few small pieces that broke off. Which type and name brand of glue do I need to buy?
If the unit is painted I would use "Medium" CA (Super Glue) and apply the glue with a toothpick and then attach the part carefully. Try and scrape away any paint, if you can, where the adhesion point occurs. If not, just glue it on as is. I break parts off my models all the time and usually use CA unless it is raw plastic-to-plastic I will use solvent, then touch up with paint.
Hi Boomer ,thought I recognized that Behind its my ex mother in-law smiling . Wait a minute no sorry its just a moose funny how art imitates life and we never dared to call her Bullwinkle either. Just sayin LOL, have great week mate.
Building a layout does require one to wade through Ice & Fire at times. There are days where I feel frozen and uninspired, and days where I feel on fire and full of passion. ;-)
The first thing you need to do is stretch a canvas - in this case, some small bench work and start building something. Then write the story compelled by personal experience. Express it in the way you feel about it. ;-)
Nice to meet you here "LA" ...TH-cam makes for our individually interests and passions the world as an great possibility fantastic smaller😘 Greetings to all of you and the outstanding guy behind this channel "BOOMER"
I think a lot of the people who subscribe to the channel share your philosophy about the hobby. I have been working on a scratch build project for weeks now but finding it immensely enjoyable. My next project will be to build trees the Boomer way for my non-existent layout. So not in a hurry to do anything but enjoy scratch building and looking forward to the day when I can run some trains.
That is awesome! I had a hard time letting the Diner go. I wanted the last 5% to last forever. ;-) In the end I am glad she is done and ready for the scene when it fleshes out.
@@boomerdiorama cheers Boomer
@@PeterTillman3 😁
"Tree bender" -- What a great way to describe it! I really enjoy your monologues!
Thank you very much!
Looking forward to upcoming videos, as mentioned before, you are a true artisan!
Thank you kindly!
Buy, buy, buy... The more we have the more we want. Pure consumerism.
But when we take the time and effort to create, to generate, to build - THAT is where the satisfaction is found. Satisfaction that lasts.
I always admired the line in "Saving Private Ryan" uttered by the Captain - "You earned it" - and then he died . ;-)
I like what you said about “staring”. I do that fairly often, it helps me to reset and get focused on whatever it is that needs to be done.
I thought I was the only one who did that! 😄
I also use note pads all the time to write down my observations and needful things. ;-)
There he is, the man, the legend! Love your views on how we become such consumer driven and forget the more important things that this hobby gives us.A friend once told me, we model what we see.Taking a time out recharges the soul and mind and gives us fresh perspective. Your layout is an inspiration to all,and your view on all things gives insight to keep going and enjoy our excellent hobby. Thanks Boomer, you make me stop and think about why we are in this hobby to begin with. Looking forward to seeing your layout progress in the future. By the way, those trees are incredibly awesome! Cheers!
Thank you. The hobby is awesome indeed! Cheers!
The IV bottle comment made me spit beer!!! So true about buying stuff. 25 years ago I was the president of a model rr club. At any time you could hear people there talking about what they built, what they painted, what they weathered and what they were building next. I stop by there once in a while and now you hear what I bought, what I’m buying next, who is coming out with what and what I have on order. Nothing is weathered or built. Most of my cars are scratchbuilt or resin kits. My locos are redetailed brass and my soul goes into every building and vehicle. Not too many of us left. Your videos are so inspiring. Thank you.
Lol . . . I laughed as well when I spit that out. I never rehearsed the monologue. I just spoke off the cuff. Thanks for sharing and I hear you as well. ;-)👍
I'm so glad to find your channel. It raise me up to another level. Can't thank too much for it. Regards from Germany - Rainer
You are welcome Rainer! Cheers ~ Boomer.😁
After seeing that big sweeping curve, I completely re-thought my self layout track plan. Those shots make me realize that it’s worth sacrificing industries and switching opportunities to get a more prototypical look and feel.
You are one of the few people who mention this point, which is surprising to me. For the most part I enjoy and view my layout in a static state. I rarely run trains because I am so busy building the layout. It is more important that the layout looks and feels prototypical than it actually is.
When I planned the River Road shelf layout the number one primary goal was to first establish a broad protypical curve. Then I designed the rest of the layout into the curve. Therefore, when I do run trains it looks, feels and operates authentically.
You need a corner shelf layout to pull it off but it looks awesome, regardless of how you dress the scene. Broad curves also mean you can run any locomotive or passenger cars on them and they won't look cheesy.😁
Your comments are so correct. I’ve been consumed by the story of my 4x8 N Scale Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad for decades. Keep dreaming….
Thanks for sharing! Glad to hear you still have the passion. Cheers.
It truly feels like a new "semester" is starting! Take it away, Prof! Can't wait for the next lab.
Lol . . . it does as you say. Well then, let's have fun and continue writing the story. ;-)
Cheers and here's looking forward to the coming months and more excellent videos. Thanks.
Much appreciated John!
Am sure that Dusty approves!
For me, since I love to build as well I name my buildings after my kids and grand kiddos, I number engines after their birthdays, etc.
Love that! Naming subjects like that is a great idea. It helps to cultivate the story.
@@boomerdiorama My layout needed to be movable so none of the buildings are cemented down! I found it liberating that I can model 1920s to mid-70s by changing out the buildings, vehicles and train equipment. Nothing has to stay the same: steam one session, diesel the next!
@@Tom-xe9iq I don't glue any buildings down either. This method also compels me to model the edge of things neatly as well to make it fit the scene.😁
Consumerism/marketing and the quest for instant gratification has led us to where we are…😕
I have learned to “putter” around my layout to embellish the story and I’m loving it! Thanks for the update, Boomer.
Well said!
I have been a fan for Edvard hopper for years and see your model is fantastic 👌
Awesome, thank you!
I can't agree more with your view about the hobby, Boomer. I'd particulary felt represented about your "IV bag" moment: I can stay hours and hours working in the bench and don't feel that time has passed. I know that this is a never ending story and it feels great that way...always doing something else and not rushing looking for a pointless end.....keep doing these videos, I'm sure you're and will inspiring others to embrace the hobby.
Thank you. The hobby has been eminently engaging ever since I was a kid and still is. ;-)
DON'T RUSH IT is my motto now. 6 years into my layout, I still have empty spots that need something. I get inspired, I start to work on an area - but if it doesn't click - I stop. I don't force it. I wait for the day when the layout tells me what it needs. I may wait one day, or one year. This is not a race. My most recent scratchbuilt industry was done this way. Zen and the Art of Model Railroading LOL - take care - Bill. PS Dig the Reggae music.
It's R&B Bill . . . lol. I hear you on the layout. I go with the flow when the flow is going. ;-)
I stumbled across your channel when you were in the middle of making the diner. I always liked that Hopper painting and how it provoked my imagination as to who those people were, what were their stories, etc. Your work was masterful and instructive!
Your comment about consumerism and the pursuit of new things rang true. I have had too many engines in boxes waiting their turn in the sun overthe last few decades. The reality is that I don't need them and I have been purposefully selling them off. Perhaps my age has made me more reality based as to what I can accomplish, what I want to accomplish, and what I need in order to do that. I certainly do not want to leave shelves full of boxes behind when I die that my kids have to figure out what they are worth and how to get rid of them.
I feel the same way as you do about my book collection. Most are non-fiction reference books and worth quite a bit now-a-days. I have a modest collection of trains as well. If I approach them (paint/weather, etc.) the way I do River Road I really don't need more.
I also have plenty of plastic kits of other subjects, to build for fun, when I need a break from the railroad as well. I still really enjoy going to the "brick & mortar" hobby store though, even if I only but one bottle of paint. ;-)
On behalf of your 16.8K subscribers I want to thank you for being here - we are very interested in what you have to say in trying to get us over the hump of modelling paralysis - yes you are right we buy, buy, buy, and hope one day to start doing what we are - modellers.
You may not know it but in my opinion, you have become the king of modelling motivation man!
And the direction is most definitely to build small scenes/dioramas that tell a story and eventually fit together as a shelf layout that may take 10 years to build but it is a model that we can be proud of to call a train layout.
. . . looking forward to seeing how you progress from here.
Thank you for sharing that. I am always glad to hear when people are inspired and encouraged to build their railway miniature world. It's an awesome hobby that brings together a very large and diversified community. I will be live here tonight on the Podcast if you can find the time:www.youtube.com/@SecondSectionPodcast/streams 😁
@@boomerdiorama I watched the PodCast this morning all 3.5 hours of it and left a comment saying "EXCELLENT" thank you again.
@@heabow Awesome! It was a riot and the three hours blew by I was having so much fun. Thanks for supporting those guys, their Podcast is growing in popularity!😁
I got to notice a little more today, some things I haven't seen before but I'm sure they were there. Beautiful
Thank you for taking the time to comment. Cheers.😁
@@boomerdiorama I'm learning so much from you.
A big part of the American culture is the "bigger is better" mindset along with instant gratification. Our homes, TV's, you name it have to be bigger. Unfortunately this carries over into the hobby, hence a lot manufactured items on the layout.
As Thomas Kimosky commented "Model railroading is an art form" and it truly is. It's my opinion that most modelers don't see it as such, purchasing whatever they see and plopping it on the layout with no rhyme or reason. The modeler is in a hurry to get trains running and the layout "finished". Next they get bored with their layout and drift away from the hobby.
It takes time and effort to compose a scene to tell the story you wish to convey. When it's done successfully, a layout comes alive and is a joy to operate. I think your doing a great job of conveying the message it's the journey and learning that's important and however long it takes you it's OK.
Looking forward to the journey with you in 2023.
The layout does indeed come alive when you learn to model it. I am still learning a great deal about modeling with this layout and the experience is thrilling, especially when I walk into it the next morning with my coffee and see the changes. The hobby is awesome this way. Furthermore, when the family sees it, they love the experience as well. Kids go crazy over it. I still feel like a kid working on it. I may be 60 but I don't feel like it. ;-)
@@boomerdiorama I'm 67 and I still feel like a kid when I model. Here's to being kids!👍
I love the idea of telling a story. That is one of the things that endeared me to John Allen's work, his railroad characters, quirky sense of humor and rich history of the Gorre & Daphetid is still inspiring to this day.
John Allen was the ultimate "Cinematographer" of model railroading. His Gorre & Daphetid was off the charts. Your layout has the same potential if you embrace it wholeheartedly . . . Write a story and flesh out each chapter with each scene. Infuse it with emotion and forget about prototype dogma and legalism. Be free! Cheers
Taking a break feeds the soul. Glad you're back!
Yes! Thank you!
Model railroading is an art form and you need to enjoy the creative process. You miss a lot of the fun if you rush through things just the have a "finished" layout. I don't think the mental planning aspect gets a lot of attention in the hobby, but it should. Some of the best model railroads have a story that makes it believable and prototypical even if it is freelanced. I look forward to following your progress in 2023.-Tom
Thank you Thomas. It's a beautiful thing when you can write a story with your railroad. It can be 250 pages or 1000 pages - with sequels as well . . . ;-) Cheers. Nice hearing from you. ~ Boomer.
I write in a journal of the incidents, life of the families, growth of the area of the "Dutchman's Creek Logging" railroad. It's currently 1940 in the PNW...
This encourages me, as I write, to get back to building the picture ( the railroad) during those times I need a boost to continue "painting".
Happy New Year Boomer.
@@craiglowrey9550 Yes indeed! Thanks for taking the time to share.😁
The music was GREAT!!!
Some of the TH-cam Studio music is cool for sure. Than you and Cheers!
I did a diorama of a barn find Porsche. But instead of just a Porsche in a barn.. there was a police presence and a forensic team at a tree with a hole opened up with a skeleton in the hole. All the cops were looking in the barn at the Porsche while the lead detective had hands up like wtf guys.. I thought it was a way more interesting way to tell some story instead of just a barn and a car. Was one of my best dioramas. So yes.. tell a story and not just any story. 😊 great work Boomer!
That sounds awesome. Dioramas are made for story telling.
You showed the picture of Dusty and for some reason that reminded me of a guy that used cat whiskers for radio antenna on vehicles for his ho model railroad. Said his cat was short on whiskers and he had to wait till more grew back before putting more antennas on his model vehicles. He showed the models and the cat whisker antennas looked good. He'd paint them black and could get several out of each whisker. I laughed like hell when he said his cat was low on whiskers and he was waiting till more grew in before finishing the last round of cars. He was modeling open 2 and 3 level car haulers and filling them with vehicles so he was modeling a large amount of different cars and needed lots of antennas. Poor ol' cat!
Lol . . . I have heard about that before with scale models. Dusty would take my head off if I tried that. Cheers.
Looking great as always Boomer. The slip is a 10 ⛴️🚃🚃🚂🇨🇦🙋
Thanks 👍
Yes, The Story. About three years ago I decided to get back into model railroading after a 20 year break. As I'm in my mid-70s and my energy is limited I decided to make a very small layout built on a 1x6 foot shelf board. Before I laid any track I had a RR company history (dieselized remnant of and electric interurban) and ideas on what its purpose was. I wanted it to be the basis for trying new (to me) techniques and materials, but always guided by the background story. It has been a lot of fun, and I take photos of it to assess the results and share them with an on-line group. Boomer, all your videos are a great help to me in moving forward and enjoying this hobby. Cheers from Wisconsin!
Thanks for sharing Andrew. Your layout and story sound great.
@@boomerdiorama Thanks, Boomer. If you are on a certain website that has to do with faces and books, you can see pictures of my stuff under my name as used here. I also belong to a private group with "shelf layouts" in its name.
@@andrewpalm2103 🤩
I love it when Dusty makes a cameo. Great train of thought Vlog.
Dusty often lets me know when she wants an appearance. ;-)
Boomer, your commentary alone is invigorating. If you weren't into model railroading, something tells me that you would have been a successful author, artist, poet, etc.. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. CHEERS!
I wanted to be a Director when I worked in film. But then, everybody does . . . lol. Cheers.
@@boomerdiorama Interestingly, Film directors are a special breed of people. They possess the inner ability to tell a story before it is even written. That is why the "Masters" of storytelling (film directors) are able to separate themselves from everybody else. i.e. Martin Scorcese, Steven Spielberg etc..
Looking forward to what lies ahead .
Already into it now. I'm out of the gate like Secretariat. ;-)
Trabalho de altíssimo nível..👏👏👏👏👏👏
Thank you! Cheers ~ Boomer.
Glad you were able to unplug for the holidays. It's good for the soul (of course, so is model railroading!) and helps you refocus and revisit concepts and ideas for the layout. You have been such a great influence on my modeling - both from an artistic and method standpoint. Thank you! I'm a college professor who actively does research, writes, and publishes but the hobby is a safe place for me to escape and enjoy leisure. Unfortunately, most people these days have lost the art of leisure that encompasses music, reading, hobbies and crafts, art, and simply going outdoors to enjoy the beauty of nature. I think people would be a lot happier if they just escaped once in a while. Looking forward to the next part of your journey in 2023. Peace!
Hey Mark. I appreciate you taking the time to write that. We all need a little encouragement - yes even me - from time-to-time. God Bless you and happy modeling with your leisure time. The rewards are endless. Cheers ~ Boomer.
"The Art of Leisure" I like that.
@@MyFingerLakesRailwayLayout 😁
As a teen, I used to stare at the "diorama tips" pamphlet that would come inside the Monogram model box back in 70's. I could only dream to be that good, but It told a story of the airplane you were about to build. . Now, 40 years later I'm getting back into model railroading, and trying my hand at rail diorama's too. Thanks for the tips Boomer!
Those "Sheperd Paine" (Monogram) sheets are what initially inspired me to build a diorama, as a teenager - and I never stopped. Sheperd Paine was not even the best "technical" modeler, or master figure painter, compared to some today, but it was the story telling that made him the master. I still learn stuff from reading his books - most notably the first chapters. Every model railroader that wants to increase their knowledge and skill about scene composition should read his books.
@@boomerdiorama wow, thanks Boomer!, didn't know that was the name behind the work. Looked him up, someone made a website with all those sheets, seeing those brought back many fond memories! My God, hadn't see that polka dotted B24 Liberator for years until now, ha! Boomer, YOU are the Monogram "diarama tips" of the TH-cam era.
@@NarbonneGauchoBoingo Thank you for the kind compliments. Anything I can do to help make the hobby more fun! Cheers' ~ Boomer. 😁
I’ve said that same thing about eating daily wish I could just IV my food. Save so much time 😂 🚂🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥looking great can’t wait for another year
Exactly!! "I mean don't get me wrong" - I love good food but the actually distraction and exercise is cumbersome to me when it interrupts my modeling flow . . . lol.
Since subscribing and watching you build has made me go back and do some scenes over again, with a whole new attitude modelling. Like you I also take breaks from my layout and weathering to get my mojo back. Thanks to your River Road, I'm modelling with a whole new attitude.
Ralph
Awesome. I take a few days here-and-there as well. But for the most part I am always modeling something whether it be tangible or in my imagination. ;-)
Thanks Boomer, it is great to learn and progress independent of time. Stories have made me look and work so differently on the lay-out. Now working on a story from cow to milkfactory. Have a great 2023, also to all the followers. J.
The immersion part is reinforced when we write our own experiences into each scene whether it be fiction or truth. I couldn't imagine building a layout or diorama any other way.
super soothing and great ethic cheers
Cheers!
Shelf Queen and Tree Benders, have I learnt some new things this morning. All true of course "Little boxes, all made out of ticky tacky and they all look just the same" = pre-painted, pre-assembled buildings. Off course I am really only here for the music.
The metaphors in that song really summarize the ups and downs I go through with this layout. Some days I fell frozen and uninspired, and other days, on fire with passion. ;-)
Happy New Year Boomer. Looking forward to see this year again many fantastic movies from you. Cheers Ronald
Happy new year!
Excellent Steven King reference 👍It's all about 'delayed gratification' my friend. Or, as my buddy occasionally mutters: "gotta get that squirt of dopamine." My 1st bike's Sears-catalog clipping was on the kitchen fridge for almost 6 months before Santa's delivery (1st 10 miles were in 'jammies; couldn't get me offa it). Took 10 years to get my muscle car looking how it was pictured in my mind's eye (couldn't take my eyes off it; still can't). Now with this train obsession: 1 new locomotive, all other equipment/buildings bought used and refurbished by me (or in the rebuild queue) waiting on getting the space to build my empire 😁 The magic is having the dream; the payoff is having it eventually realized. Nothing better than that!
I can still remember my "muscle car" days. My favorite was my 1968 "California" special Mustang with a four speed and two four-barrel carbs with 9-inch rear-end. You know the rest of the story I am sure . . . ;-)
HEY! Happy New Year! Hope Santa was good to you. Now onto 2023.....👍👍
Same to you!
Hello, I like your work very much, I am Thai, following your work.
Welcome! I hope you enjoy the channel as well Cheers ~ Boomer.😁
I think I enjoy running trains more than building scenery, but it’s a lot closer to even than it used to be since I’ve started trying to emulate real buildings. I always keep in mind one thing you said some time ago: a model doesn’t necessarily need to be to scale to look right ( or something to that effect). We shrink a lot of things on out layouts so if all of a sudden you plop an exact scale model of a building down, it doesn’t look right in the scene. I always enjoy your thoughts on model building. Stay safe!
😁Thanks for sharing Tom. I enjoy running trains as much as anyone, just not on plywood or areas void of scenery. Cheers.
Hi. I've been away from my railroad since before the holidays. Next week I'm back at it. My plan is to lay enough track to start enjoying trains while at the same time getting things done. I'm changing my game plan to doing each section to completion before moving on to the next. I was trying to finish everything and found that it was just to overwhelming. I feel better knowing that I can enjoy what I'm doing and don't have to stick to a schedule. Much more relaxed. Thank you for helping me understand that.
Welcome back! As you mentioned, I like to work on one small section at a time and I don't care how long it takes. I sort of know the full story but I am not going to write the last chapter until I get there. Even then, I will go back and add more details as I keep revising the story as it unfolds. Keep having fun!
The process of creation is taken out of the equation. Whatever is being sold to us is labelled under 'easy', 'simple', RTR etc. It's about having it all, now. But it is the very process of creation I enjoy.
A model builder of lesser means may be in a disadvantage. On the other hand there's no impulse buying. Instead you become inventive, pay more attention to detail, you spend more time on research... You're in the process and not a race. You choose to model subjects and objects you feel an emotional attachement to. This connection will ensure you follow through.
That is also why most successful dioramas have a story that reflects our feelings of our past, even if it's just a bricked up window on a building. The past is safe, because it does not change. We perhaps didn't have the responsibilities we now have. This is why nostalgia sells so well. It's comforting.
This is my experience. I'll comment on open-end stories some other time. It is an important subject, that open-end bit…
Oh, and what a fantastically cool bender you had Boomer. A+++!
You put that well Rafael. Thanks for sharing. And please do share about the "open-ended" concept. Open ended for me means I do not want the story to end. As long as there id one square foot I can write another chapter infused by my history around the railroad. ;-)
00:40 - the seldom seen Boomer Moose! You can't see the other antler from this angle.
Much as I enjoy running trains in my little kingdom, I enjoy scenery work just as much, and taking my time to let thoughts develop. It's never truely finished. Hands up - I am also guilty of having too many locos, but I have a self enforced price limit, so no dcc all singing all dancing stuff! Cheers
I often ask myself. If someone shrunk you down to 1/87 scale - could you live on your layout? ;-)
@@boomerdiorama As long as the diner's open! ;-)
Boomer definitely one of my favorite modelers. Mad Skills. I’m doing his method on model Pine trees and they are coming out Incredible !!
They take thought and work, but man, oh man, . . . when the lot comes out they rock the railroad for sure! Cheers and thanks for sharing.
Your layout is cool. I'll have the opportunity to learn more from you.
Any layout is cool when you think about it because each build reflects the individuals style of expression and how they experience the model railroad. The key is to start small and practice the hobby. ;-)
Nicely done and well said
Thank you kindly
Haha! Close the door and live off an IV drip! 😂
Get a small one for the coffee injection in the morning!
Good one Boomer! Looking forward to the story.
😁
Hey Boomer, loved this video. I'm so looking forward to how the next phase works out. I love the way that you maintain your enthusiasm by not pressurising yourself, letting go to some extent and then reastablishing yourself with your layout.
It's always the story.
It's pure Zen! Cheers and happy new year!
Awesome, thank you!
Always need some negative space in a layout. It truly makes a layout come to life. I've learned so much from you even though I've only watched a few dozen videos. Your simple explanations and tutorials make me want to hand-lay track on my first MRR. 😉
Go for it! Thanks for sharing as well. Cheers ~ Boomer.
Reading through the comments I realise all had been said. So nothing else for me to say then 'yes I agree' I am also a slow builder and shy away from the quick and easy you-tube video. From you I learned to first think and look for a long time and plan in sections that can bee picked up from the layout and worked up on on the workbench. That way I can take my time, check the overal look of the composition regularly and slowly add stuff. Treating every detail as a model on its own. How ever the downside is, other then with you, that nothing is realy finished yet...
...and yes i also make trees just for the fun of it...🌲🌳
You just described the thought process involved when composing a scene. I do exactly the same thing. The more I dream and think about it (study photos, rail fan, etc.) the more it starts to come together.
I absolutely agree with you brother!! Great video to start the year!
Happy new year!
I too prefer longer blocks of time. It is one of my struggles. An hour block means I spend most of the time collecting tools and materials and cleaning things up. Also, my creative process must include some decision making time. It takes me time to envision what I want to build. With scenery, for example, I have to envision the next step before I am comfortable jumping in. Art doesn't flow on demand, it requires inspiration and vision. It makes me a slower creator than some, but I am usually happy with the result and, like you said Boomer, what's the hurry, eh?
"Art doesn't flow on demand, it requires inspiration and vision." You summed up the zone Ron. ;-)
It probably wouldn't fit but I'd love to see the facade for an old arena. I just did a quick Google search and noticed that the Queens Park Arena had an amazing look to it. And New West has been known for its hockey and lacrosse forever! Love your scratch-building!
Have a look down by the tracks (New West Water Front) where the old Army & Navy Store Façade is. Notice the mix of architecture there as well.
earth.google.com/web/search/Annacis+Island,+Delta,+BC/@49.20297471,-122.90434815,146.71314218a,16.44824848d,35y,-47.99216866h,52.68988051t,0.00000083r/data=CoQBGloSVAolMHg1NDg1ZDhjMGVmZmUzODY5OjB4NGMyNThiMjcwNDNiMmI0ZhkvoYLDC5ZIQCETY_Q3fLxewCoZQW5uYWNpcyBJc2xhbmQsIERlbHRhLCBCQxgBIAEiJgokCdZtEtDEskhAETL0rzTIiUhAGSnXw4zwl17AIR046mE7117A
This is the area I am drawing inspiration from. There is a parkade there as well which mirrors the effect of the overpass I freelanced into the scene as a transition to another compressed district.😁
@@boomerdiorama the thing i like most about urban areas is the transition between places and neighborhoods!
@@Poxsonus Oh yeah! You know it!😁
@@boomerdiorama That is going to look incredible! I look forward to watching its evolution.
So good.
Thank you . . . so much fun!
"It's a bit of a monologue" LOL... - all your video's are😀. That's why they are great to watch. But you are right on this consumerism. I once was at a meeting from a Dutch model railroad magazine to brainstorm about new idea's, they only want content that involves buying one way or the other. There is a lot more ways to enjoy the hobby that don't make it in the magazines. It's just buying stuff, reviewing new products that have ads on the next page. In the Dutch magazines there is hardly anything about operations or modelling philosophy - where I would place your channel. But even in the shops: they all have a Marklin shop-in-shop and tons of RTR's on the shelf. But if you need materials to build your own engines and cars, they can't supply the wheels and other essentials. I haven't found a shop in the Netherlands that sells stuff for building your own track work.
I am modelling to an East African Railway theme. No one sells H0m Class 59 Garratts so I am building them myself. From scratch because the have a unique wheel configuration. None of the magazines ever looks a lot further than German, American and British railways. Because that is what can be bought. Sure, there is also a lot of Swiss, Dutch, Italian and Belgium stuff, because that is where customers live.
That's why I am happy with the internet. Here I find the information, advice and stuff I need to build what I want and not what Marklin or Lionel have in mind for me.
You raise great points about the present RTR culture. This is also one of the reasons why I don't usually accept sponsors. Why should I push a product I don't fundamentally believe in just to dupe my subscribers? The ones I do promote, for the benefit of the user, are what I believe in using, so I share it.
On the track and supply note: I will often strip a piece of commercial flex track just for the unpainted rail to scratch build a turnout if I can't find the stock rail. I do this all the time. Furthermore, this is why I buy most of my scenery supplies from Art stores. Hobby shop scenery has become RTR as well. I should also mention this; Most of my ground work is all natural minerals I find, clean, and sift myself from river banks and gravel pits, etc. - especially for ballast and rip-rap. Thanks for taking the time to write and share your thoughts as well. Cheers ~ Boomer.
I'm afraid lack of patience is a generational cancer, but this site can be an antidote.
Patience is a funny thing. I find the best way to overcome the lack of it it to plan, and re-plan as one writes the story. I think alot of people see the big forest and miss the single trees. Naming a layout helps as well. Every tree has a story if that makes sense. I like to drill down to the Micro, rather than the Macro.
@@boomerdiorama ... and all that results in a truly stunning display!
Consumerism to be sure Boomer but also the ability to get anything one wants near instantly with little effort has taken away the sense of accomplishment we used to all strive for. Agree completely that by immersing ourselves in artistic, creative endeavours we combat the marketing types who constantly try to convince us that more or newer is better. Creation is our greatest form of individual expression. Looking forward to the next chapters in your tale! Cheers. -grant
One day soon they will 3D print whole layouts and they will read about us from old coffee table books Grant . . . lol.
Ha! IV drip... No food...alcohol...ok both... Here's to 2023!!🍻🍻
Thank you. Cheers
I have been working on my layout for over a year now, you are so much further along than I am. I am addicted to trying to model the best trees possible though! Glad to see another video so quickly and looking forward too what is ahead!
Modeling trees is a good healthy addiction. Keep at it, take a break, go walk through a forest, take some pics, and come back and build a tree. They will keep improving. If you master trees you won't need to meet Yoda . . . lol. ;-)
Boomer, I like the idea of working on the layout in blocks of four hours. I just don’t have that kind of time. I also like taking whatever amount of time to get it done, even years. I have spent years just reading and researching. When I was young I was afraid of doing things “wrong”, so I was frozen and never did anything. At some point you just have to do it.
I've been planning and researching this layout for over thirty years. All the previous ones were apprenticeships rendering this one non - disposable. 😁
@@boomerdiorama life is a life long research project. I use all my memories from the past to help me create my layout. Thirty years! I am glad your finally getting into the real project, lol.
How to develop a story that you will enjoy and not grow tired of would be a great topic for a podcast. Hashtag not sponsored (wink) I think some people don't know how to develop a story that they can stick with. This could be a reason people continue to buy things, hoping it will inspire them to write their story.
This is why I like your videos they go beyond the "how to" of doing something and address things that many of us most likely face.
That is a great idea. I already put out the invitation if you check the latest " Second Section Podcast" - "State Of Model Railroading." In the comments I wrote: "Let's hook up again in the New Year," so the ball is in their court. ;-)
God I wish I could get this much done in a year! I've been working on my damn basement for over a year and only just this week started to slowly lay track and I'm so bad at it. I can't wait to get to the fun part where I'm digging into scenery. I wish I could just buy my way to not having to lay track or wire up anything. I keep wanting to buy things to get that rush, but there's nothing I need to buy, only work that needs doing.
When it actually comes to consumerism and ready to run, I'd actually gladly pay a good amount to have someone do the trackwork and wiring for me or at least help. i don't find it fun at all. But I LOVE doing scenery, details, buildings.
I just invested in my own laser cutter too, going to be able to scratch build EVERYHING on the layout. Every curb, every brick wall, every bridge, window, handrail, you name it. But... still have to get past the stupid track and wiring stage :(
I don't consider commissions and contract work to be consumerism in the same way. You learn a lot about scenery when you tackle track laying as well because it runs through the scene and engineering issues need to be worked out. Just take your time and enjoy the experience. Fail forward when problems arise. We all have them, and learn to overcome them. We have things we need to grunt through. It makes the rewards more rewarding. Cheers.
Excellent commentary. As one who has written and published in the past, I definitely agree with the "story" philosophy. Each scene should tend toward a poem, for me, and the entire layout has a narrative quality. I've been going through my vast boxes of HO scale items I've amassed over the years thru false starts, consumerism or simple inheritance, and have had to be ruthless about them. If they don't fit the story of The Mondovi Branch, they get sold, donated, or in the case of my brass steam locos, stored away for a future story. I've resisted buying the newest and flashiest stuff. Buying a more expensive pen does not help one write a better poem. Only the practice and putting in the work does that. Thanks again for your generosity with your thoughts and skills...
Thank you. "Buying a more expensive pen does not help one write a better poem." You really nailed it there. ;-)
I wonder if the moose knows he's at a bear crossing.. I wonder if he cares.. Thanks for another great video, Boomer!
Yes indeed! The Moose. He finds his way around the layout. ;-)
Michelangelo
of modeling PERIOD. Boomer GOAT
Hey Charles! Nice to hear from you. Happy New Year as well! Cheers ~ Boomer.
Happy New Year Young Man, looking forward to you modelling your layout and beyond.I will start one day......
Thanks, you too!
The word "diorama" originated in 1823 as a type of picture-viewing device, from the French in 1822. The word literally means "through that which is seen", from the Greek di- "through" + orama "that which is seen, a sight".
Yes indeed. There are also many generalized" terms but you are correct in it's origins. Furthermore, it was the camera that eventually pushed it out of vogue among many other reasons as well. Then, in the seventies it was revived as a miniature form by the likes of Sheperd Paine and Ray Anderson to convey historical stories in miniature.
Thanks for the inspiration. Summer down here in New Zealand had been very wet and grey. Perfect time for modelling. I've taken your inspiration and finished a few models and started a few. Nothing better than meandering though the day, some good music, coffee, rain falling on the roof and steadily working through some projects. Cheers mate. Happy New year
Fantastic!
Sounds like things here in the naki lots of rain and lots of modelling
@@tonyfarmer6361 been one of the wetest summers here in Auckland. Great for modelling
@@tonyfarmer6361 Yes indeed. Lot's of rain and big trees here.😁
Finally decided to show your face around these here parts I see.
Lol . . . just wanted to prove I am not that old yet . . . ;-)
Came for the trains and the modelling. Stayed for the philosophy.
Philosophy is a fact of life in whatever we do. Cheers. ;-)
As you were talking about projects failing for lack of a story made me think of my club's major layout. It is a minimum 7 year project, but we are actually moving along slightly ahead of schedule, although we are not worried that much about the schedule. Part of the reason for the good progress has been the fact that we have determined mini scenes (some are a little large to be called a diorama) and have built a story around these scenes. It encourages those of us building the scenery to make the scene a believable view of the story, but the story comes first. The stories have come from a number of members, who then tell the rest of us, long before we have even laid the roadbed. The stories grow as we discuss it, until there appears to be a consensus of how it should look, and then we build the scene. We are even discussing some of the scenes that will not be built for a couple of years, and that story will slowly grow as we get closer to the actual build.
We are finding that all of us are really enjoying the build - lots of work, but it is real fun turning that story into a real scene.
I recently put together a video on the last three years of our build, and in that video, I mentioned at least one of the stories so that viewers could see what was in our collective mind for a scene. But until you, Boomer, spoke about creating the story, I had not realised that this is what we were doing. Now I can see that we have approached the build in the right way - and feel that continuing along these lines will ensure that we will complete the layout.
I can remember working on an HO Scale club layout in the eighties. It was upstairs in the CN Station in Vancouver B.C. It was awesome. It was standard guage with a narrow guage short line. I worked mostly on the narrow guage short line. I think it's long gone now though. I always new one day I would build my own short line one day though. River Road is that layout. It has been in the plan for thirty years. All the previous layouts were practice pieces for this one. Thanks for sharing your story and the one you are building. Cheers.
Maybe that’s part of my occasional what I call burn out. I am not sure of “MY” story. I have ideas I piecemeal together but not solid to cover the theme of the layout.
My “IV” drip would need to only last 90 minutes with one pit stop included.
Thank you for getting back to posting. Happy New Year and may 2023 be what you want it to be
Belated Happy New Year Mr Boomer 😁
Happy new year!
I totally agree with you Boomer. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for watching and make sure you have fun! Cheers.
finishing the layout... scary thought.
It sure is! I have no thoughts about that any time soon. The story line is way to engaging. In reality I could stroke this layout for a decade easy. I have to go back to section one again anyway some time down the road. Tons of stuff I left out that are in the plan.
@@boomerdiorama yeah, unlike a great book that one is reading that we know will end in a few pages, with the layout you can just add a new "chapter" to the story at almost any time. You write one hell of a layout, Mr. Boomer.
A very famous model railroader once said, "Every picture tells a story, don't it?" I find myself buying a lot of stuff, but I always ask myself where it fits in the picture. If it doesn't fit, I try not to buy it. This usually results in things that do fit.
I like that you mentioned that because I do the same thing now as well. I don't need any more trains. One day soon I'll get onto painting and building some undec's, etc.
I try to stay way from the buy buy buy thing. I model the 1940's and early 1950's C&EI railroad, so not really new things coming out for me to buy. I do though have a thing for Athearn USRA 2-8-2 which I like to buy ones that don't work. I have paid as low as 32.00. Learning how to repair them is a cost saving way of having a model railroad.
That's great. Frankly, I can't justify paying what they want for new Athearn locomotive (sound or not). If I see a used loco for 100.00 - like an Atlas which I can kit bash, etc, then maybe. Besides I already have a half a dozen undec's needing to get built. Furthermore, I have one Atlas switcher (I kit bashed) and it gets all the work on my railroad. The rest are parked on the shelf.
Why would anyone like to finish their layout at all? I mean: it's nice when you finish a section, it looks nice, but really finishing? Man, that would be bad! The process of building is better than owning the finished thing if you ask me... And then still: there's allways something to do! You can allways add a scene, place some figures, build a nice detail, build your own horse and carriage, haha, I don't know, anything you like! Rebuild a tree, things like that!
I agree, and this is why it is nice to have a size you can manage without feeling overwhelmed. The primary impetus behind River Road is the rigorous planning I went through. I followed the SIG rules as well and things settled in and worked out. www.ldsig.org/
@@boomerdiorama thanks, great link, I'll have a look into that!
I think a lot of it is driven by the operations side of the hobby. Their goal is to operate, and the building is merely something that they have to get through to get to operations. The hobby has come to be dominated by operators and the joy of building is lost. We need balance in the hobby, but the cutting-edge modelers these last few years (yep Tony Koester, looking at you) have pushed operations at the expense of the process.
Thank you for raising a relevant point. In many cases, the operational dogma can intimidate people with all the elitist chin music associated with it. They can say what they want, but a shelf layout is in every way about "last mile" ops and also authentically defines what it means to actually "model" a railroad. You have to redefine the term "model railroad" when it becomes exclusively about operations. I could care less about the term, and yet I get to operate authentically whenever I decide to. Cheers.
My comment is simple, any great layout has to flow from beginning to end. Your thought processes on how to fill an empty space should be well thought out to how it flows from the previous section. On my layout I like to create signature scenes, even being a kit batch, it took me better part of 2 years from start to finish. My finished N scale bridge is over 5 Ft long, but visitors love it.
Is that what we all strive to build into our layout? I have a question have you ever thought of adding a removable diorama scene to your layout? Thanks
I already have a removeable Diorama scene in the layout. It was built months ago and featured many times already. It's the old growth Island.😁
@@boomerdiorama Is that hill in front of the waterfall? What I meant to say a diorama with one is a farm scene and another interchangeable say junk yard.
If you fiqure out how to liquify peanut butter and jelly for an IV bottle,please post the recipe,then I can never leave the layout.Wait will need an IV of coffee also.
Coffee and Oatmeal cookies would do it for me . . . lol.
Can you link or give the episode for the original vlog for using the pummice gel? cheers, Bob in the UK
It's easy. Just spread it on and add water to hearts content. I did not do a specific blog on "Pumice" gel application because I cover these products and their use in the chronology of the build. I have a production schedule in (Vlog Format). You will have to watch following and subsequent episodes as I feature these products throughout the build. Cheers.
Are you planning a spot on the layout for Dusty? Just a thought.
She already staked her ground ( the parking lot I am now working on). Now I have to renegotiate. Imagine trying to build a layout with two bossy women in the picture . . . lol.
@@boomerdiorama Ha! I see that I have an edge on you. No women in sight. Cheers
Dusty!!
She's been laying low lately. Bummed out I guess . . . lol.
Tree bender..
Lol...
😁
*Note to self*
"Add I.V. kit to modeling kit"
Cheers.
Hey Dusty.
She loves it. She was up there yesterday and tried to climb under the over pass . . . lol. One of the reasons why I build every thing tough. ;-)
@@boomerdiorama She is a really great buddy.
Boomer, quick question--On the topic of glue: I recently bought an Athearn Genesis F-Unit and in the box were a few small pieces that broke off. Which type and name brand of glue do I need to buy?
If the unit is painted I would use "Medium" CA (Super Glue) and apply the glue with a toothpick and then attach the part carefully. Try and scrape away any paint, if you can, where the adhesion point occurs. If not, just glue it on as is. I break parts off my models all the time and usually use CA unless it is raw plastic-to-plastic I will use solvent, then touch up with paint.
@@boomerdiorama, thank you for your help!
Hi Boomer ,thought I recognized that Behind its my ex mother in-law smiling .
Wait a minute no sorry its just a moose funny how art imitates life and we never dared to call her Bullwinkle either.
Just sayin LOL, have great week mate.
Lol . . . the Moose really gets around these days. Cheers!
Boomer talking or Ice & Fire with trains🤔? Ok both are fine with me.
Building a layout does require one to wade through Ice & Fire at times. There are days where I feel frozen and uninspired, and days where I feel on fire and full of passion. ;-)
I.V. yes then you become 1 big Drip, ha ha ha ha........ Get Bluetooth micro phone...............,..
If I get a wireless I will loose it in three days. I know it. At least the leash keeps it from disappearing. ;-)
I'd like to hear more about the story approach
The first thing you need to do is stretch a canvas - in this case, some small bench work and start building something. Then write the story compelled by personal experience. Express it in the way you feel about it. ;-)
"👍"
Nice to meet you here "LA" ...TH-cam makes for our individually interests and passions the world as an great possibility fantastic smaller😘 Greetings to all of you and the outstanding guy behind this channel "BOOMER"
Cheers and thank you!