I thought I’d try something a bit different for a change and ran some modern stock on the layout.
Being the lazy so-and-so that I am, I didn’t bother changing the vehicles or advertising hoardings, instead choosing to use angles that minimised the incongruity.
as usual I took some photos and a video clip.
and the video clip (with some new effects)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHx4tZ0TQME
Enjoy - you won’t see it too often.
Jon
Careful, careful there some of us get offended at those big boxy box cars and those long burning tank cars. We don’t want “Sweet Home” going up in smoke. At least you didn’t go too far with those stacks of shipping crates on a chasis EMD or GE super power.
Well off to watch the video, but you take care now!
Will
P.S. Almost forgot!! NO CABEESE!!! I knew there was another reason I do not care for “Modern”.
The urban landscape hasn’t changed much, has it? I think it’s a tribute to both urban architects and model builders that their structures and city planning have withstood the test of time, and people haven’t seen a need to throw out the old buildings just because they’re old.
The Railbox is just as much a part of Sweet Home as the old stock cars. Just set the dial on the Wayback Machine, Sherman, and you can be there whenever you want to be. Well done.
You haven’t been to Chicago in the past 30 years, have you? The face of the city is changing - fast. The lakefront, while greener and shinier, is almost indistinguishable from what I remember growing up in the 1970s. Entire BLOCKS of two flats are being knocked over regularly in favor of modern condos.
I’m afraid that if Jon were to really “go modern” with Sweethome, he’d have to replace all of the buildings with glass and concrete “things”, rip out all but one mainline track, and only run Metra commuter runs. And they’d mostly be running UNDER the buildings!
But at least Jon’s really only “modernizing” to the early 1980s at best. Thankfully, the city still had much of it’s industrial heart left, even if it was on a pacemaker.
NOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo!!!
Jon[:D]
I run trains right under my buildings:
This was an “illustration” shot, and these buildings are actually in a new spot in their permanent home. One of the “hidden” advantages of subways is that I actually have a 2-level layout, but the levels are only separated by 3 inches so it’s a quick, short incline from one to the other.
Since I grew up in Chicago on the nw side, I don’t think I’d attemp to model the area I lived in until I revisited the area and noted the changes. Yes, there is and are a lot of the old buildings and factories left in my old neighborhood, both industrial and residential, and when I was a kid , the Milwaukee Road dominated the area for freight, and C&NW had the commuter lines.(now Chicago Metra) Times change ,and the face of the city changes even faster! From what I see from the photo’s posted, looks like a pretty good rep of the urban environ. And don’t worry about those big “hi-cube” box cars and tankers. Anywhere you go in the Chicago area, you’ll always see a good mix of different cars.
Nice photos and video! The sound in the video is AWSOME! Nice ditch lights on the SD38 too.
Tyler
Springfield Central Railroad
Route of Pittsfield Pass