Northern weather

[MurphOnMillerAve]

...

Murph,...
Remember, we're creating an illusion, not miniaturizing reality.
Dennis

An illusion of what, then?

I thought I answered that in my post. What Andre said.

From my perspective, Andre answered my inquiry, "...you can create a feeling." But perhaps that means we are creating an allusion, a reference to the real world, if not, as you put it, "...not miniaturizing reality".

This is all wonderful food-for-thought and certainly so in the right venue for it - among model railroaders.
Murph

P.S. I am so glad to see that wonderful scene, again, Dennis. I esp. liked, also, the view you presented on a previous occasion of the view into that neighborhood looking up toward the row-houses from slightly under and on the other side of that girder-bridge. One of my favorite scenes of all time. I even recall you had graffiti on the cement retaining-wall, saying, "Denny loves Sandy." (Edited)

[AG]

This conversation could be endless because we are talking based how we perceive what we are looking.
Our sensor are different and this is why our perception is different too. Obviously we have an established framework, that guide us to establish some canons and identify almost the same reality.
Andre.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Wow! All of a stunning sudden, the buildings and people absolutely explode into the main focus.

I'm not saying it's better, but I for damn sure like it better, because now it's all about Murph's handiwork, and not the 'props', and now you get to enjoy them without distraction..

It's a huge difference, way more than just the removal of some cars.
...

Your thoughts, here, Pete, taken into consideration with Dennis's thoughts here inspired a further suggestion in my mind. Perhaps, a hobbyist has to ask, "What is the purpose of my layout? What is this layout intended to do? Display modeling skills? Reference reality? Let me play?"

For my part, the layout grew. It started out as, strictly, myself alone in the basement re-connecting with my father's trains. Then, I quickly became aware there was no way I was going to crawl around on the cement floor to connect some track and run his trains. So, I asked the LHS how to build the "platforms" and built them as far as I could carve out space from the utilitarian uses for the basement. I grew in my modeling efforts, by pouring over our hobby's train magazines (also discovered in that LHS) such as Model Railroader, CTT, and OGR, and several others, and the layout eventually became part of our socializing with some of our friends and relatives.

However, during one such socializing event at our home, a guest - our local pastor, no less - said he had heard from my wife that I "had some trains" and would like to see them. I led him downstairs and noticed the whole party was on its way behind him! That was a distinct surprise - an epiphany, for me. I had no idea anybody else had any interest in old Lionel trains. I could see I had been wrong.

So, by the next time they were invited to the house, I had already begun to craft a world that might be interesting for them to see, besides just the trains running their loops.

These three photos show parts of that initial layout, obviously a long time ago - in feeling and imagination. I had much to learn.
Murph

[MurphOnMillerAve]

This conversation could be endless because we are talking and base how we perceive what we are looking.
Our sensor are different and this is why our perception is different too. Obviously we have an established framework, that guide us to establish some canons and identify almost the same reality.
Andre.

And I sure enjoy learning from masters like yourself and Dennis, and so many others who have shared their layouts on forums. What good is knowledge if it is not shared.

Artists and musicians and writers want to communicate with others. Crafts-people want to, also, as do the creators of layouts for model trains. Each in our own way, in our own voices.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Perhaps, a hobbyist has to ask, "What is the purpose of my layout? What is this layout intended to do? Display modeling skills? Reference reality? Let me play?"

When guys want to know how to design their layout, etc., I tend to turn that back on them asking what their objectives are within the boundary conditions (if any), e.g., budget, space, modeling interests, and things of that ilk.

If you don't know where you're going, you'll probably get there..........

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Perhaps, a hobbyist has to ask, "What is the purpose of my layout? What is this layout intended to do? Display modeling skills? Reference reality? Let me play?"

When guys want to know how to design their layout, etc., I tend to turn that back on them asking what their objectives are within the boundary conditions (if any), e.g., budget, space, modeling interests, and things of that ilk.

If you don't know where you're going, you'll probably get there..........

Brilliant, from my viewpoint. I sure had no idea where I was headed or going in this hobby and with my layout, but I paid close attention along the way, Rufus. And here I am, thinking about one car, no cars, or several cars at curbside and on streets, and having a very,very gratifying conversation with friends of the same interest.
Murph

[AG]

Obviously we have an established framework, that guide us to establish some canons and identify almost the same reality.

and musicians and writers want to communicate with others. Crafts-people want to, also, as do the creators of layouts for model trains. Each in our own way, in our own voices.

Here is the point. I can't put a godzilla in the middle of 2 rails layout and expect people applaud me. Because the canons say to use some parameters for this specific standard.
Now to do not mix here layout intention and photography composition, I am going to say that I am talking about picture composition. A crowd picture make you lose the focus and will be hard to recognize the feeling you want to pass to the viewer. So, if godzila is there obviously the feeling will be nothing more fun and unreal even if I have a expensive and super scale engine.
I hope I express myself correctly.
Andre.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Here is the point. I can't put a godzilla in the middle of 2 rails layout and expect people applaud me.

Really? I have a giant snake lurking in the woods at the one corner



and a small dino climbing the coaling tower....or I did..........might add a clown on main street of Lemasters if I can ever find a suitable figure,

Because the canons say to use some parameters for this specific standard.

The canons? Now I just have to prescribe a serious dose of the movie "Dogma"....

It must be Friday........ January 29 is . . . . National Cornchip Day! Pass the salsa,

[webenda]

And here I am, thinking about one car, no cars, or several cars at curbside and on streets,

I can't help thinking, "A layout 'refinement'."

Thank you Murph, for posting those very early photos. They give me appreciation of how far you have come in refining the layout toward more realistic scenes. And now you are thinking of taking it to a new level. As Roger keeps saying, help from MTJ forumites is the best of any model train forum.

[AG]

Dogma?
Nah, just a simple up to you parameters.
AG.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

And here I am, thinking about one car, no cars, or several cars at curbside and on streets,

I can't help thinking, "A layout 'refinement'."
..

That's pretty darn clever, right there, Doc Wayne. I was hoping you would weigh-in eventually among this reply of mine to Tramp's thought-provoking and creative suggestion to me.

And Thank you for the Thank you! And regarding the changes my layout and I have gone through, here are two shots of the same approx. real estate. The top one refined into the bottom one.
Murph
(P.S. How 'bout that for graphic!)

[DennisB]

Here you go,Murph.



Also, I'm using Illusion in the sense where something looks like something it is not.

[webenda]

Hey, thank you for the repeat Dennis.

Now that we have been discussing scenery tips, I notice how you dimmed down the chrome bumper on the bus with a little road grime and exhaust soot. This discussion is opening my eyes to some of the subtle details that make a scene look natural.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Hey, thank you for the repeat Dennis.

Now that we have been discussing scenery tips, I notice how you dimmed down the chrome bumper on the bus with a little road grime and exhaust soot. This discussion is opening my eyes to some of the subtle details that make a scene look natural.

Yes, thanks to Dennis for re-sharing that wonderful vignette with us, and thanks to you, Doc Wayne, for pointing out something I missed - the "dimmed down" bumper and bus rear.

Also, you hit on something with, "...subtle details that make a scene look natural." Natural. That is a key.

[Tramp]

I think a model railroad might be like writing a story—every word either adds or subtracts. And those decisions—which words to keep, which words to remove—are based on the intent of the story.

Murph, thank you for being the victim of this HUGELY interesting experiment. Cheers to you!

Dennis, this might be an amazing subject for a model railroad article. I think nothing else would so quickly improve many people's model pikes than an understanding of this kind of editing.