Model railroading is such a great hobby. You have to be able to build models, do wiring, make scenery, etc., etc. My brother was a model airplane builder. About 6 or 7 years ago he started dabbling in railroading. Now he has a 24' X 24' layout and has turned into a great modeler. Most of us have a niche--maybe several--that we really get excited about.The area that my modeling has evolved into is finding and building small structures, vehicles, etc., in the area that I live in that can be replicated on the layout. Most are simple projects. Some have been changed just a little to make them more aesthetically pleasing or more correct for the era of my layout. Attached are a few photos of recent projects. The stone and corrugated metal water tower is sitting in a field just east of Old Glory, TX. I discovered it on a bicycle ride. The truck is an oilfield, mining or construction service truck. The model began life as a soft drink delivery truck. It will be modified in the near future to better represent a truck of that nature (welding unit and compressor instead of the tank for refueling). The small free standing tank is modeled after a tank at a defunct agricultural industry in Rochester, TX--the next town north of us. My wife has a small pecan business. This year we picked up--by hand--1350 pounds of pecans on our property and she sold over 1200 pounds. She also has more than 30 one pound bags of shelled pecans in the freezer from this winter's crop. So we put a representation of a pecan orchard on the layout and named it J bar M (her initials are JM) Pecans. Keep your eyes peeled as you drive around the area you live in. You never know when you will see something that needs to be on your layout! Paul Moore
So you can find inspiration on bike rides. Why not, it allows for a little time to stop and investigate. Do you carry a camera along? (That seems like just plain common sense now that I mention it.)
Yes, but just the cell phone. For the photos needed to remember ideas, the phone camera is adequate. Sometimes there will be a landform or geological item of interest that might be good to include in the scenery, so the camera is good for remembering that, as well.
I am always on the look out for interesting items while on the bike ....railroad, structural, or geologic The “ghost town" of Nona, MO. The Katy once served this vest-pocket elevator. It might have filled 4-6 boxcars with grain. Boonville, MO It’s been a while since one could buy a Coke for $00.05 Unique ceramic tile elevator. Pearsons, MO Out and about with two of my brothers. Palmetto, MO MKT Hartsburg depot...has since been moved and restored MKT vertical lift span over the Missouri at Boonville. Was invited into the cabin back during the summer of 1972 Bolivar Fault zone....from oldest to youngest. Northview Shale/Silstone, Pierson Fm, Burlington Fm St Peter Sandstone in a Jeff City- Cotter Dolomite sinkhole Nicely restored mercantile/Post Office at Cat Springs, TX A gorgeous Gulf Station at Fayetteville, TX
When we lived in Colorado Springs there was a 70 mile long bicycle / running trail called the Santa Fe Trail. It paralleled the joint line and was, at some point in time, the old Santa Fe line, with the existing line being the Rio Grande / C&S line. Just north of town and south of the Air Force Academy there is an old gate out in the middle of a field. Just a gate--no fence. There's even a padlock on the chain on the right side of the gate!! For years I have wanted to put this on a layout. Don't ask me why--maybe it reminded me of the toll gate in Blazing Saddles. Anyway, it is finally on the layout. It took 20 years, but last night and today I made it. Since Tom Holley grew up in cattle country, he and I talked about the gate at length. He guessed the other posts were wood and the rest of the fence was lost in a wildfire. That's a better idea than any I've had. Attached are photos of the prototype and the model. According to the file info, the prototype photo was taken in August of 2002. Paul Moore
Another little bit of West Texas local color that definitely applies to the QA&P...except for the fact that these were installed after the QA&P was shut down. Quanah Parker Trail arrows. Quanah Parker is obviously the name sake for the origination point of the QA&P. He was a Comanche war leader of the Kwahadi band of Comanche, who later decided to become an American citizen and great civic leader. Quanah Parker has become somewhat of a folk legend in West Central Texas and Southwest Oklahoma. He became friends with several powerful people, including President Teddy Roosevelt. Quanah said some of his favorite moments were the times he rode in the cab of the QA&P steam locomotives. In about 2010 the Quanah Parker Trail was founded. It covers the area of West Central Texas and the Panhandle where the Comanches were prevalent. There are roadside monuments with little history lessons. Along with the monuments are 24' long metal arrows that were made and installed by a Texan named Charles Smith. Charles is no longer with us. You can see these arrows in 52 counties in West Texas. So there is now a Quanah Parker Arrow on our layout. The scene may have some other items added to it. A couple of prototype photos are also added. There are arrows in Quanah, Paducah and Roaring Springs--all being stops on the QA&P. Paul Moore
Interesting bit if history, there. Nice! Also, very distinctive little piece of locale scenery item for those that know about the Quanah Trail!
Thats some cool stuff there Paul. Quanah Parker was a legendary war chief for the Comanche. My eldest Brother Michael "Mike" and his wife Kim, were headed to Paducah for another funeral for another family member just a couple days ago. I had sent him the info you sent me about the arrows. I got a call from him while he was going thru Wellington TX, he had seen one and was exited to call me about it. Very nice compliment to Quanah Parker. Mike has a great deal of info, on the history of that area, as he cowboy'ed on a few really big ranches west and south of Paducah. I might need a couple on this outfit of mine.