It is incredible!! The pics and text are A+. A must read for anyone wanting to model the southwest!
It all boils bown to three words…keep it simple!
Truly an inspiration to start planning my layout before I get into the new house. Heck, almost feels like I met the man.
Great job Pelle, and thank you for sharing all of your hard work and experiments through out the years!
Jim
Where did you order it from? I want to get this!
I also model the southwest region. Well I have pinpointed it to Palm Springs California and surrounding cities. i also model modern day Union Pacific too. I guess I should look out for his book at the major book store that I cannot remember the name of?
Just click on "shop, or ‘our store’ " on this site (MR), and click on “Mountain to Desert” …( the description is wrong…different book) , but once you add to cart, it’s all yours. This book rock’s!!
Jim
And this book is?
Racer X,
I checked it out on the MR site.
Question: Is this book simply a reprint of the articles that have appeared in MR the past couple years? (Just curious, since I have all those articles already - those were keepers!).
In all honesty, even if it is just a reprint, I will likely buy it anyways to support Pelle because his work is unbelievably realistic. He’s the cream of the crop in my opinion.
Here is the link to Pelle’s book.
[link]http://kalmbachcatalog.stores.yahoo.net/12416.html[/link]
This book is not a reprint of previous articles although some of the information may be similar. In this book Pelle ventures into mountain scenery and more details into “how I did that”. I recommend everyone who wants to make a layout purchase this book, at only $20 it’s a incredible bargain. Of course much of his famous desert scenery is included but this book is about how everyone can model if you take the time and follow the simple rule of simplicity and your own creativity. Thanks Pelle for your contribution to the “world” of model railroading.
Cool - glad to hear it’s not a reprint of the articles from MR.
I just placed my order. I can’t wait to get it!
His 2 layouts that have been in MR are beautiful. They’re uncluttered - not tons of track, etc., and everything looks completely real.
That’s cool that he’s got some mountain scenery now too. I’m guessing that’s the portion of his layout that was unscenicked in his last layout feature story in MR.
thanks for the review , i was looking forward to this book , now it’s on the ‘must buy’ list
I just went ahead and paid the $26 total for the book. I was actually looking at Amazon website to see if they had it there but they didnt so I had to order it thru Kalmbach. Well I will be looking ofrward to receiving this book in a week or so. I hope it is good!
Can’t wait for the book to arrive…
Meanwhile, did I take this picture while physically standing on Pelle’s layout? You be the judge!
The book arrived today, and I have to say, it is extremely impressive. This guy is a serious artist. Having been through Mojave one or two handfulls of times in my life on the way to the rockies, etc. from Southern California, I am totally amazed at how realistic his layout portrays the area.
I also like how the man makes no apologies for liking what he likes about the hobby - he’s clearly not into operation, but doesn’t apologize for it (maybe this explains why he has one of the most realistic-looking layouts ever!) This is a true railfan’s layout - with an entire section with only a strip of track running through it without a single turnout (which is how most of the track in real life appears to me when I’m travelling by car and glancing over at the train tracks).
I’m blown away by how fast he built this layout. This one began in the fall of 2003! In that time he built the layout and had many articles published in MR, and now this book!
I do have one MAJOR complaint. In his text in which he describes railfanning along his layout, he describes walking along the tracks and mentions you can hear the trains coming from a long way away.
I’m surprised MR published that little comment. You CANNOT always hear the trains coming along the tracks, and must use extreme caution at all times. Don’t ask me how I know.
Aside from that, the book is awesome, and Pelle’s abilities are unbelievable, seriously. (The guy is quite modest - no Pelle, we can’t all “easily” paint a backdrop like that! Wow!).
Two Thumbs up from this California Native (MR must be playing a trick on us - this guy cannot possibly be from another country!)