The model railroad hobby had become not as interesting for me several years ago. No layout plan, scale, or track gauge kept my focus very long, so I put most of my trains away for another day. My time reading blog posts by other modelers even diminished. My hobby interests went off to other things such as hand tool woodworking.
Earlier this year though, I stumbled across a YouTube channel, Boomer Diorama. I found “Boomers” artistic approach to modeling more in tune with what I wanted to do if serious about returned to model railroading. In past years, Mike Cougill’s blog posts fascinated me from his unique approach, so I went back and read some of his posts this past April (2023) starting with his “Thinking of Design or Designing your Thinking” series of posts. I also followed several links in Mike’s posts. One of which took me to Chris Mears “The Broken view/ the overlap” post and one that took me to a fascinating YouTube video “Totternhoe Railway Oo9”.
By the time I had caught up to Mike Cougill’s series on Design Your Thinking, I had already started pondering a shelf layout. I had even built two C modules, a very heavy one and a much lighter module based on my original design. “Totternhoe” changed all that! After perhaps the sixth time watching the video, the thought came to my mind that this is the modular design I need for my varied interests.
The Path less travelled
Unlike most model railroaders, my interest in trains can not be modeled in a single large model railroad. The range of interesting narrow gauge railroads alone would fill a massive train depot! My model train interest is building things, why I like hand tool woodworking. Create a drawing of something I wish to build, build it, and repeat. The stage is the workbench.
The light bulb that “Totternhoe” turned on was that I could build small scenes that could fit onto a permanent blank stage. The “C” modules that were a past subject on this blog appealed to me as the perfect design to be the blank stage. My model railroad “layouts” could be put on the stage and allow me to operate whatever I wished to build. Perhaps just a scene to run a train through or an industry to switch. If I liked the little scene, maybe build a connecting scene or switching module. The time used to build one large model railroad can be used to also create several small modules around a building, bridge, or whatever I wish to create. The three photographs below all represent a model I wish to build. There is more….but one has to start somewhere!
Barn at the New Park and Fawn Grove Railroad’s former Wiley Station. Photograph by Herbert Mathews 2023South side of old Store along Freeland Rd, Baltimore County, Maryland USA. Photograph by Herbert Mathews Orson Run Trestle on the former Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad right of way. Photograph by Herbert Mathews 2011
Writers Note: Trevor Marshall published a superb post on his Model Railway Show blog on June 29,2023. I encourage everyone to go read his post. You canread his blog post https://themodelrailwaydotshow.wordpress.com/2023/06/29/better-than-4×8/. I had started working on my post after Trevor and I talked about a recent presentation he did at the Queen City express NMRA meeting. Our email discussion got me thinking about the future of the hobby beyond my basement and that thought process and decision is the focus of my post.
In the March 1941 issue of Model Railroader, Al Kalmbach wrote a superb editorial about “Don’t Build too Much Railroad”. An excellent editorial considering the year and the fact most trackplans presented in his magazine were of the loop design. I like the opening line, “Don’t bite off more than you can chew”. It is hard to believe the editorials message rings true today in June 2023 some 82 years later. I wish the editors of today’s Model Railroader would republish Al Kalmach’s editorial. Thirty-two square feet and a Dream is what the model railroad press feeds to new modelers. Well, I’ll be honest, they call it a 4×8 sheet of plywood. My thought is 32 sq ft and not in the shape of a piece of plywood! Please hear me out on this one as I will most likely need the help of many experienced modelers. My goal is to build something for the hopeful current day modeler not the one from 1930s-1970s, the “hay-day” of the 4×8. Well even today the press would like to continue the 4×8 so I’m not sure if it’s hay-day is even past.
Page 1 March 1941 Model Railroader Magazine. Photograph by Herbert Mathews
Model trains just didn’t run as well then as now so it’s understandable why a continuous run loop was preferable. The model stopped for a station and moved on again. Most modelers of that era seemed to start out with the 4×8 or 6×10 layout as well. Times however have changed and the approach we as model railroad hobbyists need to tell new modelers is that just like the model railroad motors of yesterday have remarkably improved, so has track plans for as well. Or have they? Perhaps they, like the motors of today need to change with the times.
If you have access to any Model Railroader magazines from the 1930-1950s it is obvious that the writers of construction articles are addressing readers who have access to tools and wood to build the 4×8 or 6×10 beginners model railroad. Not every modeler today has the tools, or experience to build such a beast as the 4×8. A great introduction to the hobby, build this even if you have no tools or understanding how to do so. Welcome to the hobby!
We are now some 80 or so years removed from those beginnings days. Things have dramatically changed in the world of model trains, electronics, building materials, scenery materials, and on and on. What hasn’t changed, the beginners introduction to the hobby, the dreaded 4×8 plywood central. Not every new modeler has room for this dinosaur, let alone a way to get the sheet of plywood from the local big box store to their house or apartment. Isn’t time for us to put the 4×8 where it belongs, in the past history of the hobby.
I would venture to guess many new modelers don’t even have the same set of tools for working wood that those modelers back in the 1930s-50s time period owned. I have the luxury of a tablesaw that I use for one thing nowadays. Cutting plywood for model trains. Yep, that’s why it still sits in the basement and gets in the way. Woodworking, specifically hand tool woodworking is another hobby of mine. I wish to rid myself of my tablesaw as most of my cutting of dimensional wood is with a handsaw or a bandsaw. In the realm of woodworking tools i would say I’m an outlier as I have too many.
The modelers in the 1930s to probably as late as the 1970s had a house with a basement or a garage to build their empire ( L girder or some other design that did not travel well.). Today’s beginning modeler Just might have an apartment or perhaps a small spare bedroom on a house. They may also move more due to jobs or other reasons. A permanent basement empire is out of reach or just not practical for today’s beginning modeler, so why sell them on the 4×8 plywood starter that takes up room and well moves rather poorly if at all?
One of my “C” modules. Even this can be a complicated build for someone with limited woodworking experience and tools.
It is time for a change, and seeIn as no one is really jumping at this opportunity, I thought I would give it a shot. I want to take an honest look at how to make our hobby attractive to people who think I have no room for a 4×8 piece of plywood. Or how do we get the diorama builder to try our hobby? Or the military modeler. How do we keep the hobby going in this Age?
Sure you say, you haven’t built anything yourself. Perfect, good time to start. I’m calling it 32 square feet. I have the room for much more but I think 32 square feet is a lot of space for the modern modeler. I thought I would look at not only look at the space for trains, but space to build kits, paint, store everything etc.. I am going to model in the modern age. Time to move past the 4×8 to even say you don’t need a basement full of trains to enjoy the hobby. Al Kalmbach in his editorial from 1941 would certainly agree.
My permanent model building area…well one of them!What a mess, but I can leave it just like this and walk away. What if it was the kitchen table, doubtful!An area I have started to use for “Lofting” plans and building my new style of modules. Under construction is a small piece of “Sedgwick Maine”. More about it in future posts.Another work area, really just an area to collect stuff. It needs to all find a place to live as my son needs the counter for developing film.The prototype for my new modules. This one is 20 inches by 48 inches. I need to do some changes on future ones. I plan on using this module for “Wiley Station”
The modern modeler may need to move several times in their modeling years so everything should be mobile. You know, some modelers may not even have a dedicated spot to just leave everything out until the next time they work on their project. I would like to take a look at these challenges as well. Isn’t it time we help new modelers enjoy the hobby on their terms of space and time devoted to the hobby?
I have not finished building my hobby area in my basement, so this will be a good start of having to be somewhat flexible and move items around as that large project progresses. My hobby area is for several hobbies I like. Woodworking, board games, and model trains. I already decided to give some room away to my son for a darkroom. As long as I have wall space I’ll be fine!
If you made it this far, thank you for reading the post! If you have any thought comments suggestions, please leave a comment. I’m open to anything, but we really need to change the entry level for future modelers.
32 Square Feet and a Dream. By Herbert Mathews, June 2023.
Model Railroad Imagineerings 