The Art in the Details

Modeling for Realism

One of the things that makes model railroad scenery a thriving art form is that it can show viewers things differently. As modelers, we pay attention to everyday life’s small details and oddities and try replicating those in our scenery. But we often forget or skip what is not predominantly visible.

This scene is three, maybe four, bridges. Honestly, I didn’t even look at the top; I instantly wanted to know what was happening below! Hundreds, possibly thousands, have visited this layout at the Texas Northern Model Railroad Club, and I would bet that very few have (if any) seen this view.

Ron Wilhelm built the bridges, and Dan Goins did the river scene; both members of the TNMRC are the creators of this spectacular section of the layout, and even though they knew that very few would see or appreciate their hard work, they knew they needed to tell the “full” story above and below the bridges. Storytelling is a massive part of model railroading, and the story can not be told without the details.

Here are a few more examples of scene detail in a scene that tell a story.