Here is a first, at least for me. I have been model railroading for about 10 years. My wife appreciates my hobby, but doesn’t find it particularly “useful”…until now. My brother-in-law (age 32, confirmed bachelor, hunting, fishing and outdoor enthusiast ad-nausium) is getting married. For his rehearsal dinner his fiance gave him open reign. He chose a hunting/fishing theme, color scheme–camoflage. My wife asked me to create n-scale hunting scenes as certerpieces for all of the tables (obviously at least one will have some track running across the corner). I never thought I would have the opportunity to use my model railroading skills to create wedding decor, but then you never know. Let me know what you think of my new venture and tell us about any unusual modeling applications you have been involved with over the years.
Here are some pics of the finished product. be sure to see all 3 pages and all 5 scenes.
You know it would be really cool to build a helical around the cake so the train would kind of climb the cake. And then maybe a long descent back down to the table level. Just a thought.
I’ll try to get some pics of them and get them up for everyone to see when I get them finished. I’ve just finishe the scenery bases and am working on scenery texture and trees right now. I even scratch built a small bridge for a gravel road to cross a creek. I’m having a ball and my wife has never been so excided/willing to let me spend every evening in the basement workshop. I can’t use the actual cenertpeices in my new layout because they each have a 4"hole in the center for a candle/lamp, but you can bet I plan to rob every structure, figure, tree, rock face, etc. from them for the new layout. I’ll keep you posted.
Ron
Do a freight car where the names of the b/g become the roadname of hte car. Rept marks the big day of the wedding
All the invitatiions/place cards look like railway passes.
Any table decorations come with little wheels to look like freight cars.
A circle of track for each table to play with pass things around.
Maybe you can also find a group of live steamers & rent their park for a day? Then you can have his& her trains to take all the guests from the parking lot to the site of the affair? For music, you get a Boxcar Willie tape. Especially for the part where he tells about the boy & girl trains. I’ll stop here & let you guess the rest of the story. Have fun at your event!
Just an update. I have the basic forms carved from 2" foam, rock castings in place, and ground cover on 2 of the 5. The scenes are as follows: 1. Spring turkey hunting (I had to heat and reform n scale turkeys out of geese and paint them–not easy), 2. Spring fishing in a lake, 3. Early fall bow hunting for Whitetail deer, and 4. Late fall rifle hunting for deer. # 4 has a creek running across it, of of course # 1 has an abandoned railroad track across the corner. # 5 has yet to be determined. I’ll get some pics up as soon as possible.
Ron
How about a Birthday! This isn’t quite as unique but it sure was fun. My wife combined my birthday with a club meeting! I belong to “The El Paso & Southwestern N-Scale Model Railroad Society” and we normally have our meetings on Tuesday nights in a church basement. My wife Jacquie set up the club meeting at our house and with the help of a few of the guys set out treats & soft drinks. Eventually nine guys wound up crammed into the spare room with my Alpine & Terlingua R.R… I was in such a good mood I even let Jim run a DIESEL (ugh!) On my all steam short line! Thanks to my wife and all the guys I had a GREAT Birthday!
Just about right for the base of a modern steel trestle bridge. You could work these in with careful scenicking, along a gigantic multiple-span… Don’t have a giant steel span? Well, gee whiz, must be time to expand, after all, what else are you gonna do with so many finely-crafted scenes, which you were “forced” to build?
I’ve been thinking about this. I plan to make use of all of the components at least (figures, animals, trees, bridge, etc.) I may be able to work one or two into my new layout (now in early benchwork construction stages). The one with the track across the corner I intend to fill in the hole in the center, scenic that portion, and display it on a bookshelf in my office. Rest assured that little of what I am using will go to waste after the wedding.
Ron
Use a stock car as a Jail Car. followed by a set of Troop Sleepers / Kitchen as guard cars. Hopper cars loaded with “diamonds” or other precious stones. Get wooden whistles for each table. Get Boxcar Willie tape/cd for music. Be sure it includes his story about boy & girl steamers. They both go into the tunnel and come out huffing and puffing with boxcars! LOL have fun!
Just a quick update. The wedding is 3 weeks away. Textures and turf are finished. One scene has a short stretch of barbed-wire fence with a hunter falling off of it and a small shed, large round bale of hay and a few cattle eating. Trees are finished and in place on two scenes are are well in progress for the others. Pics are on the way, I promise. I can’t remember having so much fun, and am very excited to know that 50-60 people will get to check our my modeling work at this rehearsal dinner.
Ron
Well, the wedding was last weekend and the centerpieces were complete on schedule. They were the talk of the weekend by all who attended the rehearsal dinner. The idea may sound tacky, but they actually looked quite nice on the tables and I received many nice comments from those in attendance who appreciated the detail and the humor included in places.
Pics are now available at the site below. Be sure to view all 3 pages (15 pics in all) to see muptiple views of all 5 scenes, including a couple of shots of two of them on the tables at the dinner. This was quite unusual and quite fun for me. I hope to get another chance like it someday. Here is the link:
Let me know what you think, but please bear in mind I took these pics myslef and I am no professional photographer and have no fancey photo equipment. Just a simple 35mm and a scanner. I look forward to your feedback.
Thanx,
Ron
Nice pix, and nice work! Thanks for the update. It is great to be able to put such a personal touch on a special event, both for you and your brother-in-law.
Here is a first, at least for me. I have been model railroading for about 10 years. My wife appreciates my hobby, but doesn’t find it particularly “useful”…until now. My brother-in-law (age 32, confirmed bachelor, hunting, fishing and outdoor enthusiast ad-nausium) is getting married. For his rehearsal dinner his fiance gave him open reign. He chose a hunting/fishing theme, color scheme–camoflage. My wife asked me to create n-scale hunting scenes as certerpieces for all of the tables (obviously at least one will have some track running across the corner). I never thought I would have the opportunity to use my model railroading skills to create wedding decor, but then you never know. Let me know what you think of my new venture and tell us about any unusual modeling applications you have been involved with over the years.
Here are some pics of the finished product. be sure to see all 3 pages and all 5 scenes.