One thing I’ve noticed about Model Railroaders, at least insofar as I’ve seen represented on their layouts, is that they seem-- for the most part-- to be both optimists and revisionists, modeling reality in all its grit, all its glory, all its splendour, but none of its crime. Which, at least to me, is interesting considering the areas in which trains are typically situated, and even give rise to the cultural notion of being on the “wrong side of the tracks”. Indeed historically, in many towns, the railroad divides the haves from the wanna-haves, and the gainfully-employed from those with more nocturnal aspirations.
In the real world, many seedy and sinister deeds are committed in the moonlight to the sound of a mournful whistle blowing and the distant rumble of steel upon steel. Gambling, prostitution, racketeering are but only a few of the delightful activities undertaken by the neighborhood denizens ensconced therein. And yet, when crime is even addressed by the modeler at all, invariably it is of a more whimsical nature, more mischievious and less malicious.
Which seems odd to me actually, when in stopping to think about it. When you look at TV and movies in our popular culture, they are filled with the stories and trappings of crime. And yet on our layouts, we modelers tend to adopt a kinder, gentler view of the world. Sure, I suppose part of it is that we model the world we imagine, or would perhaps like to live in, but considering Model Railroaders trend toward modeling everything with a realistic eye-- where are the HO scale Al Capones? The worki
In my rural to semi rural environment not much in the way of crime as such happens…if anything it is usually the drunk driver or the racing ones that get pulled into the nick…
I model the modern the 80’s - now. I like having a good mix of cars, engines, etc…And why not some crime.
On my old layout I had several scenes of crime, why? Its a everyday life (news, newspaper, etc). I don’t focus on the crime on my layouts, but it does give it a “realistic” feel. I’m currently working on a new layout which it might have a few scenes also. Plus it keeps the police at work!!
I would like to leave this topic up so that we can try to have a good run at it without it falling on the wrong side of the forum policy. John has already modified his preamble once at my request.
I ask the reader to please keep in mind that the topics of hobos and graffiti are strictly proscribed at our forums. The history is lengthy and not very pretty in terms of gentility and keeping things cooler than lava. So,
IF YOU CARE TO POST YOUR THOUGHTS, AND WOULD LIKE THEM TO BE VISIBLE, STAY AWAY FROM THOSE TWO TOPICS.
Thanks, in advance, for your good stewardship, John…you have your work cut out for you this weekend.
Why the good citizens of Hopewell Junction would never stand for such a thing!!! You never saw any real crime in Mayberry did ya? Well, we tend to keep our crime “out of sight and out of mind” when possible… But since it is Prohibition in 1925 somebody has to provide the, ah, medicinal ingredients for the the local population…
There is a still up in the hills surrounding the area run by old Uncle Albert. His sisters produce a “recipe” known to cure most anything when taken in proper (think large) amounts…
Of course sometimes old Uncle Albert takes a bit of the main ingredieny himself (has to check the quality you know) and sees things off in the woods…
I don’t have any crime scenes on my layout or any that I’ve built in the past.
Truth is I never thought about it.
I model a world without problems, no dirt, trash, grime, etc. So if (and it’s a big IF) I model any crime, it will most likely be whimsical in nature. Frankly, I get all the realism I want on the news shows.
My guess is most people don’t include crime scenes because, except on TV, we don’t see much of it day to day.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
My MRR is my escape from the real world. I see and deal with dysfunctional people out in the real world daily, so just like i can’t stand watching sitcoms on TV about dysfunctional people I don’t want it on my layout. That being said, I get a chuckle when I see a tongue in cheek crime scene on a layout at a train show. I have nothing against someone else doing it on their layout, it is just not for me.
My timewarp is 1957. With a bit of a wince and my eyes slightly closed.
Blownout Cylinder what a classic drag racing picture. Im with ironrooster a world without problems, no dirt, trash, grime. On another forum there have been pictures posted of sexy women on layouts. It’s OK, I don’t want to do it for fear people will think I’m some kind of nut. Each Christmas I ride the Coast Starlight from Van Nuys CA. to Portland OR. You sit up high and look into peoples backyards. It’s interesting. You see some layout pictures, on the cover of magazines is a good example, where the whole overall scene is grey. It’s too gray, too drab.
I’m pretty ‘crime-free’ on the Yuba River Sub. It’s set during and right after WWII, so it’s a little late to depict the Prohibition Era when any decent basement in the rural Sierra Nevada had it’s little home-made ‘root-beer’ factory, and the illegal hooch was stored in the basement of the local Catholic Church (yes, it happened in Nevada County. My grandma made ‘root beer’ and my dad had an old Ford with a false gas-tank to transport the stuff).
I do, however, have on ‘illegal’ operation on the layout, just outside of Sierra City on State Route 49, a ‘restaurant’ called “MA’S PLACE” which caters to loggers, miners, and occasionally the Mayor’s son. Occasionally the two police officers in town will close the place down (but never on a weekend) just for ‘show’, to satisfy the Ladie’s Guild of the local Episcopal Church.
But other than that, there’s very little ‘nefarious’ activity going on.
Generally speaking, I hear enough about the “real world” when I’m not in my train room, so I don’t make space on my layout for activities that I find revolting. (How’s that Crandell?[8D])
However, I’m not above a little hijinx that might attract the attention of the local constabulary…
Well, John…my guess would be that it’s because it’s just too depressing to dwell upon. “Drive by” shootings occur all the time but who would want to model that? Or a bank robbery with a bunch of dead, bloody bodies laying around, no thank you.
The more whimsical (?) crimes such as speeding or something like that I can see because it’s a slice of everday life and most of us have gotten a speeding ticket at one time or the other, even a “fender bender” is fair game. The guy fishing with the game warden talking to him is always funny but not shooting the game warden but that happens unfortunately.
On my last layout I had a couple of “Mustang Ranches”, a still in the woods and a nude lady in the hotel window. Most everybody who looked at my layout enjoyed it and the comments I received on these particular items was always “interesting” to say the least.
But as the saying goes, “it was MY railroad” and portraying scenes from the nightly news never entered my mind, it’s just too depressing.
What you describe does not seen unusual to me at all. Like Lee, I see more crime than I want on TV. I saw more saddness than I wanted in my work. In my train room, I get to make life more like I want it than any where else. Thus all my crime is mischeviese, not malicious as you wrote. I like that language. I hav the town drunk, and “inocent” buelesque house and a few hotrodders. I have an ilegal diamond mine and some people who seem to live by the tracks and whose line of work is unknown. I am a hopeless romantic, though my layout is what I would hope for. I suspect many of us take a similar road.
I think part of the problem is that modeling scenes that don’t look like routine activities tends to strain believability. The shopkeeper forever sweeping his front step, looks ordinary, and remains plausible even after 400 operating sessions. A policeman chasing a masked bandit, probably not.
Moreover, we design our layouts to display our trains, and to provide a setting for railroad operations. The people and structures are part of the setting, and for the most part, go unnoticed. And in the scales typically used for model railroading, it’s difficult to see the people and what they’re up to.
Fire and accident scenes have similar problems, but the implausibility is relieved by the interest generated by the emergency equipment, and the skill needed to depict the damage to the building/vehicle.
Then there is the matter of good taste and propriety. Would it be appropriate to depict someone being murdered or raped? And consider the audience. Your operating buddies may get a laugh seeing the topless hooker in your skid row scene, but what would be the reaction of your wife finding out about that detail by hearing your nine-year-old as he points out that scene out to a classmate?
Then there is the matter of good taste and propriety. Would it be appropriate to depict someone being murdered or raped? And consider the audience. Your operating buddies may get a laugh seeing the topless hooker in your skid row scene, but what would be the reaction of your wife finding out about that detail by hearing your nine-year-old as he points out that scene out to a classmate?
Well, like many others have said, I don’t really have any interst in bringing attention to bad behavior.
Several of my friends have a single “red light district” house on their layouts, one even has a working girl in the bushes with a client, but that’s about it among my friends and I. And of course a speed trap or two.
With my social and political views if I modeled crime it would look like this: The bank robbers would be laying dead on the sidewalk just gunned down by law inforcement! Or how about a hanging in front of the Court House! Get the picture, we don’t tolerate crime in our town.
So rather than model that, we simple model things based on the idea that such policies are an effective deterrent.
And yes, I do think model railroading can be about representing a believable version of what you would like the world to be like.
I don’t think for most of us crime is something we often SEE. Other than on TV and in movies, it’s hidden away, happens in fleeting moments and it’s really only the aftermath we see. Therefore, we wouldn’t expect to see it on our layouts. Really witnessing a crime being commited is a rarity for most of us (Thank God!)
Some years ago, Model Railroader had a layout plan based on an SP switching line along the former Pacific Electric south of . The plan included an interlocking tower named , which I assume PE aficionados might recognize. But art aficionados associate the name (plural) with multistory folk-art constructions, also in the neighborhood of LA area. I rode the light rail around LA on a trip in 1993, stopped to see the famous and found an ambulance, police investigator and TV news crews on the scene. I commented on and in MR. They do not pay for letters and comments but they did pay me for the landmark/ crime scene photo.
