While the small details are what separates a great model scene from the merely good, they have a definite place in the priority scheme. If the trains derail or run like a rodeo bull, having two old men playing chess on an upturned barrel will not improve the enjoyment of the owner.
My plan, still years away from fruition, is to get the trackwork perfect and the rolling stock reliable, then fill in scenic spaces with broad strokes. Later I will go into an area, adding detailed structures to replace the card stock/ foam board ‘place fillers’ and roughing in streets, vegetation and so forth. Adding clothes on a line, magazines in the racks of the on-platform newsstand, small signage and people will happen eventually - but not until I’m satisfied that the trains can be run on schedule.
One of the most effective ‘see the small details’ schemes I’ve encountered was in place on a large permanent display railroad. When you paid your admission fee, the operator handed over a list of about 60 (IIRC) little things to look for - ranging from birds on a wire to thermite welding a rail.
Something I intend to pursue is putting buttons on the fascia labeled, “Push me.” Then visitors can look for firehouse doors opening, a baggage elevator in motion or somebody flying out of the (clearly audible) donnybrook at Paddy’s Pub. (On a more practical plane, I also plan to put a welder and a blacksmith at work in the shops at the big coal mine.)
Little things like that can keep things interesting for a lo-oo-ong time
Great scenery is a matter of layering and the fine detail is the final layer of scenery. It is a layer that can wait for a later time after the big picture has taken shape. Until that final layer is added, very good results can still be achieved while at the same time, focusing on operating reliablility. This final touch is the reason we often say a model railroad is never really finished.
I usually like adding small details because they make a particular scene look more interesting and it gives the buildings more of the personal touches that suggest real people live and work there. Like for example in my railroad shop the foreman has a fancy roll top desk despite the grime and filth of the shop floor. Maybe he’s a bit of an egomaniac or maybe he’s a masochist. Either way it looks more interesting.
Chuck has hit the nail on the head. I approach my layout the exact same way. Solid trackwork and reliable operation are the most important keys to an enjoyable layout. Derailments, stalling locomotives, so-so switch machines, and bad wiring will quickly turn off you and your audience. You can’t disguise a badly operating layout with a bunch of artsy fratsy details.
Once the track and trains are rock solid, then you can start the scenery. I like to get the whole layout roughed in as quickly as possible, then go back and attack the details in 2’ increments.
I’ve been detailing as I go, which is why my layout is half pink foam and half finished scenery. I think I like the change of pace from trackwork to rough scenery to details.
Am I obsessed with detail? Well, you be the judge. I posted the picture of Farmers Plaza, just glued to the piece of masonite liftoff that it will sit on. It’s over on Weekend Photo Fun. (I won’t re-post the photo. Go browse the thread. Lots of super work this week.) I really, really wanted hexagonal cobblestones for this, but no one makes a mold for that. So, I went in search of artificial beehive material, and bought a sheet of it. I used that to make my own mold with modelling clay and latex, and from that I cast Hydrocal sheets of cobblestones.
I personally don’t consider that obsession. Instead, I just think of it as taking the time to do it right, and having absolutely no deadlines. That way, no matter how much effort I need, it’s still relaxing.
I’m in the process of adding the ‘fine details’ now, because my trackwork seems to be quite reliable, and I’m not embarrassed to run my trains for friends. But I agree–when the trackwork, the electrical work, the tuned-up locos and cars are at the point where you really want them, then let’s go to work on those little things that make really make your miniature empire come to ‘life’.
Right now, I’m in the process of raiding my two LHS not for locos or cars or track, but those small details. Instead of Sinohara or used brass, right now my favorite brands are things like Prieser and Woodland Scenics. I’ve got a town to populate with people (and pets), a forest to populate with various kinds of California Critters (though I can’t find any cougars or beaver, yet), some details like lumberjacks and Forest Service personnel, and since I’m modeling the 'forties, some gold miners (yes, we still had the mines going full blast). And yes–junk. I’m having a pretty darned good time and I’ve been able to put in some mini-dioramas that–if you look for them–are just there waiting for you to spot them and go, “Oh–COOL!”
Yah, I like small details. Heck, I might even put some birds on the roof of my engine-house, a-la-John Allen. I draw the line at the bird-droppings, though!
I think fine detail is more important on smaller railroads because the viewers eyes will be directed to a small area and that is when the fine detail will really be appreciated. On a larger layout, the viewers eyes will tend to wander to take in the whole layout and the are less likely to appreciate or even notice the fine detail. That’s not to say the large layouts aren’t enhanced by the fine detail but I do believe it becomes less important. I also don’t think the whole layout needs the super-detailed treatment. A few well detailed scenes will stand out in the viewers mind.
