A closer look at the EVRR's Rocky Ridge
I've been having some fun the last few days trying some scenery making on the left half of the EVRR, but I thought I'd get serious and check what I was doing a little more closely against a reference photo. Under the ridge, over on the left, you can see two stone tunnel portals. One is over the inlet to the stream that feeds the lake. The other is a little harder to figure out what it's for. I'm thinking it's for the roadway that parallels the lake's far shore. My guess is that both those portals are made by scribing a stone pattern into some balsa with a hot knife.
The other item I need to add is that rock wall that runs parallel to the track on the upper level and also runs behind the Rocky Ridge depot. Now I need to run and start carving some more foam. And maybe some balsa :-)
I'd hate to box in Rocky Ridge depot with no outlet. Seems like that, er-- rocky ridge.... could be further behind the depot and give it an access road or something. Again, if that roadway that leads to the tunnel on the left could be brought up and over the tracks.... I'm not sure that's possible. Or is it? On my version, I kept the lake within the loop (with only the right side outlet) and brought that road across the tracks. It then branched off to the lakeside house (in one direction) and to the log blacksmith cabin (on the front left side)... but I made changes as I went. The night photo of the EVRR had a lit up passenger car traveling across the inner back loop-- and it inspired me to squeeze in another log cabin in between the tracks back there. I guess the fun comes from working out all these details and getting them to look natural.
ReplyDeleteYes, walling off the Rocky Ridge depot didn't sit right with me either. Also, that rock wall will limit photo possibilities, and maybe it was one reason why all the photos I've seen don't include images into Elizabethton. I'll have to think about your comments for awhile before continuing with landforming and maybe start by trying to make some tunnel portals.
DeleteYou can say, "Well, ELM built his models with a 60s mindset. Here's how the REAL EVRR looked." Or you can just build it exactly as he did and stop trying to rethink everything. I think both ways are valid.
ReplyDeleteIf I didn’t neurotically try to rethink everything and discuss the finer points, how would I have any fun? :-)
DeleteBut more seriously. This layout is a translation. A translation in scale, and a translation in time in that I’m using late 20th century and early 21st century materials, methods and products. The layout will never be an exact copy and much will be lost in the translation. Not to mention that I don’t have a complete photographic record of the original and some areas will need to be guessed at.
Although I’d like to try and retain the EVRR’s main features and landmarks. There’s an certain spirit to it that I can’t quite articulate that I want to try my best to retain. ELM’s likes and idiosyncrasies are embodied in his original layout to some degree: mountains, cabins, late 19th and early 20th century rural life come to mind.
And this project is also a little taboo. I get the sense that building a model of a model, which is what this thing is, is a little frowned upon. But, in the end it’s a hobby, and to be a little pompous about it, in a way it’s sort of a model of ELM’s thoughts and interests made physical along with it being a representation of a ‘50s style layout – just to belabour a point. As I’ve been wandering through old ‘50s and ‘60s RMCs looking for a possible source of the EVRR, I’ve come across a number of small layouts that would be quite interesting to build and I wish I had the time to build them.
You’re right, I agree that either approach is ok, and likely I’ll waffle back-and-forth between the two as this project goes on.
Ok, this rarified typing is making me a little lightheaded and I need to go lay down. :-)
I'm completely with you on making it a modern translation. I believe you can take a lot of liberties and still kept the flavor.
ReplyDeleteIt'll be interesting to see how this develops and what I retain in this model.
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