Opening the Railroad Modeler Box, Part 6: N-scale Micro Layout in a Tree

From the article, N Scale Puts on a Show, Railroad Modeler, August 1975.
The caption reads:
"A fanciful N display was this 'city in a tree' built by Barry's Hobbies of Garden Grove, California. It just might be the thing to get N scale out of the garage and into the living room."

I've been falling down on my review of the entire print run of Railroad Modeler, but hopefully I'm getting back in the groove. My excuse is I was trying to get Gemini to produce an index for the 1975 issues, as I did for 1974, but I ran into so many problems I gave up, and my interest in the entire project soured. Apparently I need to take a lesson or two in so-called 'prompt engineering'. 

Anyway, I'm again reading my way through 1975. In the Aug '75 issue, in a report on an N scale show put on by the Belmont Shore Railroad Club of Signal Hill, California, I stumbled across this photo of an N-scale railroad set in a tree. The only words about it are those in the caption, so I don't know if it's technically a micro layout, or anything else about it, but it looks quite close. However, if migrating layout fun to the living room was a goal, it certainly seems sized to fit MCM-7 :-)

The Lengthy Lineage of Little Layouts, Part 4: A '75 vintage micro in N-6.5

An N-scale, 16" x 23" layout using Z-gauge track; Railroad Modeler, Jan '75

I was pleasantly surprised to see this charming micro-layout as I began my read through the 1975 issues of Railroad Modeler. There it was, only 32 pages into January '75, looking like a lost time traveller from 2026.

The layout is a tour de force of micro-layout construction by Jim Finnell, the owner of Durango Press. 

The base was made from corrugated and artist cardboards. The track and turnouts were scratchbuilt from code 40 rail and HOn3 wood ties. 

The "transistorized" power supply and controls were built into the base, so the entire layout formed a single unit. I was pleased to see a thick-base design (which I estimate to be about 5.5") that I am partial to even though it was probably used simply to accommodate the controller housing.

The scenery was made from plaster and rubber molds, trees were scratchbuilt, and the ground cover was a combination of natural and store-bought materials.

Even the locomotive was a custom job: a very decent looking wood and card superstructure built on a Marklin Z-scale chassis.

An exceptional 2-page spanning beauty shot of the layout

Besides the model railroad, the way it was shown to readers illustrates how Railroad Modeler pushed the boundaries of layout presentation in magazines in that era. Today this sort of page design and use of colour isn't unusual, but back then is was. And with such a small layout as the subject, the team did an exceptional job of showing it off.

The staff referred to the layout in the text as a "mini-layout", but with an area of 2.6 sq. ft., it was definitely an advanced ancestor of today's micro-layouts. 

The Lengthy Lineage of Little Layouts, Part 3: Noitcart Traction, a Micro before Micros

'Track Plan' of the Noitcart Traction 'layout'

As I worked on the lunar loco I thumbed through all the pages of the April '78 issue of Model Railroader in which it appeared. Near the back I stumbled across a 2-page article called Noitcart Traction by Eric Bronsky, the legendary traction modeller. 

Noitcart Traction is closer to a typical humorous April article than Cerny & Hayden's both in style and content, even though it's about an actual 'layout' that actually runs. I draw your attention to it because one might think of it as a micro-layout before there were micro-layouts.

It's simply a long strip of O-gauge track for running Mr. Bronsky's fine-standards O-scale traction car. It's noted that the layout "...rests upon three separate planks of 1/2"-thick plywood wide enough to accommodate the single track and line poles." and "The three roadbed sections butt together like sectional track. All six line poles, the wire and all, are stuck into a block of Styrofoam for storage." 

No dimensions are given for this portable 'layout', just a drawing that says it's drawn to 1" = 1'-0", so I got out my ruler and made some measurements. What I find is that when it's assembled it's about 108-3/4" long by 3-3/4" wide. That gives an area of about 2.8 sq. ft., well within the micro-layout range.

Mr. Bronsky clarifies that the 'layout ' isn't just a test track: "What little scenery I had room for is best described as "changing roadbed", but it is sufficient to keep NT slightly above the test track category." It's true, the car runs through street track and varying natural ground cover.

A minimal traction 'layout' indeed, and a micro-layout ancestor.

A plot plan for the Community Garden micro-layout

First draft of a plot plan drawn full size.

While I was exorcising dust and fighting winter blahs I spent some time putting together a first cut at a plot plan for the community garden micro-layout. I say plot plan and not track plan since the track's route isn't that complicated; however, given the small layout size, managing to incorporate the various scenic elements I have in mind could be a little tricky. I don't want to overwhelm the little scene with too much detail, yet I need to capture the essence of what I want to communicate. Shown in the lead photo is my first cut at an overall plan.

The Minitrains Schöma loco and a flat car for gardening supplies and people I started building

Last year when I got the idea for a community garden micro I decided early on what sort of loco I wanted and bought one: a Minitrains Schöma.

I have a plan for it. I'm going to remove the exhaust stack and any other markers of it being diesel powered and restyle it to suggest it has been overhauled to be powered completely by an electric motor and onboard batteries, like electric cars and trucks. That spur in the track takes the loco to its charging station. I'll repaint the body white (I bought a green one because green ones were on sale :-) ), and likely add markings to suggest it's owned and operated by Hydro Ottawa.

I feel another iteration of the plot plan coming on :-) Stay tuned.

Dusty Trees

Over the weekend a friend got in touch and asked if I was going to the Ontario Narrow Gauge Show in May, and if so, would I consider bringing the Loonar Module? It's around a 500 km and 5 hour or so drive from here, so it's a long trip, but that aside, the Loonar Module is looking pretty dusty these days, especially the central tall pines and lake. I decided to take it down to the workshop to try and clean it up and revive it over the next few days to see if it can be made presentable. As well, I'm not sure how it will stand up to a long trip. 

Ok, first things first, dust removal and 'sprucing' up, logistics later. Well, while I'm at work, I'll leave you with the Dusty you're likely thinking about, Dusty Springfield.

A base for the Community Gardens Micro-Layout*

The base for the Community Gardens micro-layout* on the coffee table.

It's very inspiring to have the workshop cleaned up and reorganized. Seeing all the open workspace I finally decided to create the base for a micro-layout* I've had in mind for a year or so.

Before getting into the construction details I need to backup a bit.

A portion of the walking path through the community gardens is on the left

Not far from my house is the city's largest community garden located in a hydro field right of way, situated between two major roads. In it are four hundred or so garden plots the city rents out to residents where people grow all sorts of vegetables and flowers over the summer. 

There's a road-to-road, 1 km long walking path through the gardens that's part of the city's larger multi-use pathway network that I use for my daily walks, so I enjoy the gardens just about everyday, in every season.

A portion of the road that runs parallel to the walking path.

There's also a gravel road that runs parallel to the walking path so gardeners can drive their cars closer to their plots.

Now, me being me, I see that road and I start to wonder what it would be like if it were replaced by some sort of little narrow gauge trolley line. Its purpose being to carry gardening supplies, and maybe gardeners too, from the parking lots and bus stops at either end of the area closer to specific plots. 

Walking path entrance at one end of the community gardens.

For awhile I've being thinking about building a very small micro-layout* inspired by the community garden that would feature that imaginary narrow gauge trolley line through the plots. 

All of the micro-layouts* I've built so far have been at the large end of what can be considered micro; that is, they've all had an area of 4 sq. ft.. In a way they aren't truly micro, and I've wanted to try my hand at building one where there is no question about its micro-ness. 

I've also wanted to build a little micro-layout* that incorporated stylistic touches of mid-20th century furniture, and had a vibe that suggests it could have been purchased long ago at Radio Shack in the '70s, or maybe earlier from Clairtone. I also wanted the layout to incorporate lights and sound, which none of my micros so far have had. Overall, it would be a decorative item featuring a moving trolley or train, lights for nighttime scenes, and some ambient sounds recorded at the gardens playing on an endless loop. 

A scene from last year where I experimented with building A4 sized loop layouts on stacks of styrofoam.

Last year I did some experiments with a Community Gardens micro in mind where I used a commercial rail bender and stacked styrofoam to build some A4 sized bases for small loop layouts utilizing N-gauge track. I learned how to use the rail bender and was quite happy with it, but the stacked styrofoam bases, although functionally ok, demonstrated that I wasn't going to get the look I was after using them as bases. 

So, the idea of building a truly micro-layout* inspired by the community garden has been on hold for awhile. However, a trip to Michaels back in December got me thinking again about this layout.

Wooden storage box from Michaels.
The footprint measures 12-1/2" x 12-1/2"

I stumbled across these wooden storage boxes and thought if I cut the scalloped edge off, along with the handle cutouts, and flipped it upside down there would be my layout base.

The bottom of the box, which will be the base of the layout.

The price was not too expensive at $22, so if I bungled cutting it, no big loss. I don't know what kind of wood it's made out of, but it's nothing fancy, and a bit rough. The corner joints aren't super, but they are strong and fairly clean.  Although, that being said, with a little sanding and some stain it should look quite presentable in a family room setting, and provide me with the style I'm after.

Immediately after finishing the cuts.

I can't say if I cut the box the correct way, but it worked. I measured 8" down from the bottom of the box and marked a line on all four sides. Then I carefully cut a groove about half way through each side by clamping a steel bar against the line, using the bar as a fence to guide my back saw. Once the groove was cut all the way around I then methodically deepened the grooves, rotating the box and cutting a little more on each wall until the scalloped edge came free. A video would be more explanatory, but I just wanted to concentrate on making the cuts.

Old #78 from the Pennsylvania Saw Corporation came to my rescue. 

The only problem I encountered happened early on. I used my Stanley back saw and thought it had a little wobble in it as I made the first cuts. The backbone didn't seem to be holding the blade completely rigid and by the time I realized that I had mangled a corner a little. After some thought I took the back saw I had inherited from my father from the wall and decided I'd use it. It wasn't in the best condition, but strangely enough the blade seemed sharper than on my relatively new saw and it was far more rigid. So, I went ahead and used it and made all the remaining cuts just fine. I repaired the corner I bungled with the other saw with some wood filler and now it looks alright.

'Warranted Superior', they're not kidding.

My father's back saw has stamped on it that it was made by the Pennsylvania Saw Corporation and is product #78. The thing must be at least 70 years old as it seemed to be in our old house forever. My Stanley saw is around 25 and seems to be worse off than the old thing.  

Comparing the new layout base to the experiment from last year.

I decided to keep going and cut a foam insert for the top. This will be the actual base for the layout; the box provides the support 'cabinetry' and internal space for the power supply, sound unit and speakers, and lighting power and controls. 

I cut a piece of 1" thick pink foam to fit snuggly inside the edge made by the side walls. Right now it's just friction fit; I'll glue it in later.

I find the foam's pink colour annoying so I went ahead and painted it with some acrylics. Scenic materials will eventually cover it up, but in the meantime it can't irritate me :-)

I think I'll keep the scalloped scrap piece around for awhile. It might come in handy for something.

So, there's the base. As I mentioned somewhere earlier on the blog, my projects are scattered all over the place so far this year, and nothing has gelled in my mind to devote all my efforts to, so the mishmash of post subjects continues. All I can say is I find all these dives into different projects interesting, which I think is the true goal of an avocation.

Stay tuned!

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Digressions

*I don't particularly like the term 'micro-layout', but I recognize it's an established term, so it isn't going to change anytime soon. But, if I could magically change it, I'd change it to something like 'dynamic diorama'. At the layout sizes we're talking about here, near 0 to 4 sq. ft., there isn't much difference between them and many dioramas I've seen at plastic model shows. Often the only difference is the micro-layout has a moving element (ie, dynamic element; ie, a train). In my reading and viewing I've seen micros at a wide range of scales, with many of the larger scale ones making use of modelling materials and kits from other modelling genres. I think there would be 'interesting synergies' as they say in business-speak that would arise if micros were thrown in the mix as dioramas, and vice versa.

Two Feet in Colorado

In my last post I started talking about little layouts, and I said I wasn't going to talk about what's going on today in the field, but I was so charmed by the little modular dioramas in Voie Libre's 'Two Feet in Colorado' challenge I thought I should link to their video. It's auto-dubbed in English, although it's somewhat robotic. Try to overlook that and focus on the little dioramas as they're excellent.

P.S.: For the eagle-eyed I think I see an E. L. Moore designed plastic kit on one of the dioramas.

Layout planning tool for layout 585 3 aka Taronna

The advanced layout planning tool has been created!

Now that the Mount Lowe layout is done I've been starting to think more seriously about the Taronna layout. About the only constant that has washed through my mind on this has been that I'd like it to fit on top of the family room coffee table. That little table has been the support for all the small layouts I've built recently - well, other than Mount Lowe - that I've thought of naming an new layout genre after it, MCM-7 :-)

The basic, unlayouted coffee table.

The Taronna layout will likely take up the coffee table's entire surface, and maybe even overhang a little. Since the area of the coffee table is a little under 7 sq. ft., it won't classify as a micro, but that doesn't concern me as the goal is to have a layout representation that reflects my Taronna memories, not to have an 'official' micro version of them.

Advanced tracing process for creating the advanced layout planning tool.

It's going to be a very tricky layout to design. So far I haven't even come close to capturing the look and feel I'm after by just doing drawings in my sketchbooks. Instead I'm going to try 3D design with actual track and buildings and what-not to see if I can make any progress.

Test fitting the wilderness retreat mockup layout for size.

While I had things pulled out for making the layout template I tried having a look at the mockup for the wilderness retreat layout I made last year when I was learning how to use my new rail-bender. That layout is a micro, but I'm not happy with its design either.

Dissatisfaction with layout ideas I've been kicking around awhile seems to be a theme for me as I start the new year. I have a lot of things on the go and will write about a few here, so for some time the blog will be a hodgepodge of notes until something gels. You've been warned :-)

Devil's Hill Diorama Cube

I'm very impressed with this diorama cube. You may recall I recently wrote about using tall bases for dioramas and this one is a great example even though it was driven by a need to transport the diorama safely on a train.

Done

Friday afternoon, while I was in the workshop installing the final trolley wire support arm, I had a feeling come over me that the layout was now done. Done in the sense that all the things I wanted to appear on the layout were now in place, the trolley ran, and the layout could be shown to civilians in the right setting. 

The old saying that a layout is never really done I can see applying here even though I've declared the layout done. There'll still be primping, tuning the details here and there, and maybe even adding some minor ones. And there's the stand that needs finishing, but it's the stand.

So, it's done.

Genesis of a Micro-Layout

This layout has been a long time in the making. I first had the idea of building something inspired by the Mt. Lowe railway back in 2014 after a stay in Pasadena. However, I had no idea how to proceed.

In the spring of 2015 we visited the Los Angeles area again and I was able to hike a portion of the Mt. Lowe trail in the San Gabriel mountains which runs along the old roadbed of the Mt. Lowe railway. Bad weather and scheduling constraints prevented me from hiking the entire route.

Throughout 2015 and 2016 I toyed with the idea of building a Mt. Lowe inspired layout in N-scale. Strangely enough as a test piece for the layout I built a model of the railway's observatory. Nothing else came of that layout idea.

It wasn't until January 2020, just before the pandemic, that I was able to return to Mt. Lowe and resume hiking the trail. Again, I was only able to hike part as ice and snow made the trail a bit too risky for me. Near the end of that trip I caught what we now know as covid-19, but at the time no one knew exactly what it was. I had a miserable flight home and from news reports we watched I expected to be quarantined when we landed in Montreal. That didn't happen, but I was so sick I stayed home for about three weeks.

In the fall of 2023 after reading a few interesting pieces by Bill Schopp on trefoil shaped layouts in some old Railroad Model Craftsman magazines a light went on in my head and I finally had an idea on how to build a layout that captured what I wanted to express, and wouldn't take years and years to construct. By this time I had also dabbled with micro-layouts for a few years. My experiences with the Loonar Module and the Centennial Experimental Farm had opened my eyes to other forms and approaches that could allow me to express things I previously found inexpressible.

Instead of starting with an observatory I wised up and started the layout by building a trolley inspired by Thaddeus Lowe's personal trolley. The scale was S and the gauge 9 mm. It took a lot of thinking before I settled on that scale and gauge. Things like how I could build a viable trolley from commercial drive units, support tight curves on the layout, deal with steep grades, availability of figures and scenic accessories, provide adequate clearances, and so forth factored into the decision. By starting with the trolley this gave me a vehicle to test grades and curves to see how steep they could be on the layout, and assess what sort of clearances and dimensions I'd need. This was very important, so much so that I'm thinking of writing a future post on general trefoil layout design principles and the necessity of testing designs with rolling stock.

In June 2024 I finally made a serious start on the layout. By the end of June the track was installed and the trolley could run along it. And, you may not believe it, but the area of the layout's footprint is 4 square feet, the upper limit on micro-layout size. 

Building up the terrain was a long process. The big new technique I learned on this project was casting rock molds from latex and later using them to create the layout's rocky terrain. The mountains' basic form though was built up from styrofoam sheets. By August 2024 the final shapes were starting to emerge; by September the shapes were defined enough to begin solidifying the mountain structure and do final shaping with spray foam.

October 2024 was more-or-less dedicated to surfacing the mountain with Cel-U-Clay, making use of the latex rock molds. Creating the mountain surfaces was a big job and continued well into December. I kept working on the mountains into January of this year, but by this point I was wrestling with painting the mountains as shaping them was wrapping up.

You know, for a guy who considers himself a structures guy, I didn't start building structures until February. I started with the station at Poppyfield Flats because it seemed the simplest to me, and then went on to build the lookout at Inspiration Point, and then what I considered the most difficult structure, the Circular Bridge. The last structure, the Observatory, was almost an after thought to help sort out a design problem, unlike the observatory on the ill-conceived N-scale layout which was the first thing I built. 

Amongst all the structure building there was a considerable amount of tree 'manufacturing'. 

Later, much, much later, I built a simple passenger car for the trolley to pull. 

Interspersed amongst all these significant projects was a lot of detail work. There was construction and installation of trolley wire support poles and arms, trolley wire installation, tree installation, layering on of ground cover and bushes, and lots of odds-and-ends work that is too persnickety to write about.

Again, much later during construction, in August, I changed my mind on how the layout should be powered and controlled. At first I merely provided a power jack for an external controller to plug into, but came to think the controller's power cord would inhibit play. I then scratchbuilt a battery-powered controller into the side of the layout so it would have stand-alone power and control. On a future project maybe utilizing some sort of wireless handheld controller would be better.

Now, all this may make it sound like I had a master plan right from the get-go and simply followed it to the end without any hiccups. I did have plans at the beginning. I wouldn't start a project like this without them, but once I got started there were lots of detours, changes of mind, conundrums that left me stumped for awhile, times when I just stared at the layout and thought about its design, mistakes, fumbles, and realizations about things I'd do different next time. Many of them are documented in the posts that can be found stamped with the Mt. Lowe tag. Some I'll take to the grave :-)

What's Next

Taking photographs to capture what's in my mind's eye is on the horizon and could last for a few months. Then there's the lead up to Christmas. I want the layout to be looking and behaving its best so I can show it off during the holiday season.

The Future

?

Experiments

Three A4 test layouts (from r to l): hand bent 9mm gauge loop; HO gauge loop; 9mm gauge loop using rail bender.
Yes, that's E. L. Moore's Yard Blacksmith Shop on the middle one.

You may have noticed that posts are way down this year. As well as working on the Mt. Lowe layout I've been doing some experimenting, but haven't been posting about it. Ok, well, the Moon Mail Madness diorama was an experiment I eventually posted about, as well as some thoughts I had later on the subject of dioramas and little layouts, but not so much on other layout related stuff.

Sometime in late winter or early spring this year I got interested in building a little loop layout on an A4 sized area, which is rather common in European model railway 'circles'. I wanted to give it a try. In the previous photo, and the following one, you can see my first attempt (it's the layout on the right): a 9mm gauge loop, curved by hand, and Transfer Taped to a thin stack of foam sheets cut to A4 size. I also ballasted the track.

I was also experimenting with layout heights.

Locos run alright around the loop, but the loop itself seemed like I used the outline of a lumpy potato as the guide to bending the track. I assure you I didn't! I first drew a track plan in my Leuchtturm1917 notebook (it's A4 size), pinned a piece of track down, and tried running a loco over the loop to see what would happen. It worked just fine! 

Using a Leuchtturm1917, 215 x 315mm, notebook as a track planning & testing tool!

But, I didn't like the shape I obtained by just hand bending the track. I figured if I was going to be serious about developing layouts with sinuous track plans I needed to buy a track bending tool, so I bought one of these Rail Rollers.

The YouTube channel Narrow Gauge Shop has a number of videos showing how to use a rail bending tool, and I watched just about all of them. The video above is one particular example that I found quite helpful, but I recommend browsing the channel as it's full of informative and interesting stuff.

Lumpy potato no more! An A4 loop of 9mm gauge track bent with a rail bending tool.

Even after my first attempt at track bending with the tool, it produced some quite decent results. As you can see in the photo above, not bad radius conformance, and there appears to be no residual stress in the rails that has to be fought against during installation as there was when I hand bent the track - that's what makes it lumpy.

And here it is!

I was also doing some experimentation with base thickness as I talked about in an earlier post. For this second attempt at an A4 loop I made quite a tall base from foam scraps. At the time I was inspired by the mid-century styling of the Clairtone stereo products and I started to wonder about building a little A4 layout whose base resembled some sort of wood grained piece of audio equipment from the 70s: a pair of wood gain ends with black wood sides, retro-styled control knobs and toggles, and so on. 

Definitely not pretty in pink.

It could still happen. For now though, I simply painted the sides black because the pink hurts my eyes!

The E. L. Moore inspired layout experiment in bending 16.5mm gauge track.
This is the middle layout in the opening photo.

After those tests with N-gauge track I tried my hand at bending some HO-gauge track to fit on an A4 area. I had in mind an E. L. Moore themed display making use of his Yard Blacksmith Shop. It would be some sort of Flyer and Coach repair area with a loop of track for testing rolling stock. That 'wooden' circle is a stand-in for a small turntable which allows repaired rolling stock to return to the mainline. On a 'real' layout I'd have a functional turntable - I think I could somehow squeeze one in. 

A first attempt at a more sinuous track plan for a wilderness retreat layout.

By this time I was feeling confident in using the rail bending tool and decided to try something a little more adventurous with 9 mm gauge track. In the back of my mind I have a layout idea for a wilderness retreat with a narrow gauge line that connects a house with a wood lot and a dock, with the basic track plan being something of a bent dog bone. 

Although I'm happy with the overall shape, the centre section needs to be a bit longer for what I have in mind. If I go forward and turn this experiment into a layout I'll explain why in a future post.

Experimenting with Taronna designs using salvaged Alta Vista TC modules

All this experimenting got me thinking again about the Exploratorium and a post from 2022 on how the principles it promoted for exhibit design could easily be applied to layout design. In their exhibit design pamphlet that I reviewed in that post I took their list of 10 exhibit design principles and substituted 'layout' wherever 'exhibit' appeared to see if the resulting modified list made sense. It did. Looking at it again though it seems to make more sense to substitute 'micro-layout' for 'exhibit', 'fellow modellers' for 'staff', and 'viewers' for 'visitors'. Here's what the new list, a list of micro-layout design principles based on Exploratorium exhibit design principles, looks like:

1. Basic research - just plain tinkering around with something for the fun of it - is an essential part of the micro-layout development process.

2. Micro-layouts are designed and developed by people who are interested in the phenomenon to be displayed.

3. To some extent, all micro-layouts are collaborative: many people make suggestions and contribute ideas.

4. The first stage of micro-layout design is the construction of a full-scale working prototype.

5. Micro-layout builders are responsive to comments from viewers and fellow modellers, testing layouts at many stages in their development and allowing reactions to shape the layout.

6. Micro-layout builders pay attention to aesthetic nuances, noticing what is fun to do, what is beautiful, what is intriguing.

7. Generally, micro-layout builders try not to restrict a viewer’s choice.

8. Ideally, viewers should be able to see the inner workings of a layout and make discoveries about how the layout works.

9. Most micro-layouts are set up on table tops, so that viewers can gather and use the micro-layout together.

10. Micro-layouts are often constructed of inexpensive materials, scrap, and found objects (or junk).

The fit is pretty good. These ideas don't seem too bad for micro-layout planning.

Another salvaged Alta Vista TC module awaiting experimentation.

Planning, design, experimentation, are all bouncing around in my mind these days. My 'ultimate' Toronto streetcar layout hasn't escaped their clutches :-) I've been mulling over how to proceed with that layout, the so-called 'Taronna' layout, for quite awhile.

I have in mind a small coffee table sized layout featuring Toronto landmarks that have significance to me, streetcars, a below grade subway station, and a bowling alley! It would be a huge project. I came to my senses recently when I realized it could take 3 or 4 years to build - maybe more knowing me. I want to build something much more doable on say a 2 year time horizon, but still try to incorporate the things most important to me. 

So, in the spirit of tinkering and experimentation I've pulled out the modules I salvaged from the misguided Alta Vista TC layout and have begun playing with them to see what I might come up with design wise for Taronna. I want to see if moving models around on the modules triggers any ideas. I've drawn little sketches of a possible layout, but I'm thinking maybe the full-size 'sketch' approach I took with the Moon Mail Madness diorama is the better way to design it: basically, applying Principle #1 of the Exploratorium guidelines.

3rd and last salvaged Alta Vista TC module waiting in the wings for design duty.

Well, that's the report from 30Squares Labs. I'll let you know if anything catches fire, but until then we'll crank up the time machine and go back to when the King of Spain was living in Taronna, er, Toronto:

Design notes on bases for dioramas and micro-layouts

Base for Moon Mail Madness diorama after Cell-U-Clay had hardened.

I thought I’d spend a little time writing down my thoughts on how bases for dioramas and micro-layouts should be designed; well, maybe I should back off a bit and say these notes are about how I like to design bases. I think about this topic from time-to-time and it popped into my mind again after participating in the recent scale model show held here so I figured maybe this was a good time to put some notes together. I don’t claim any originality or universality here. No doubt many modellers have gone down this road too and touched on many of the same ideas. I can’t say that these notes apply to all situations; your mileage may vary :-)

I used the models to sketch on a big sheet of paper how each would be positioned on the base.

Ok, let’s move on to the first topic. These notes aren’t in any particular order, just what pops into my head as I write.

The arrangement went through several iterations; this one is close to the final

Inspiration: MacRae, Smith, Bennett, Adams, + ...

To me a diorama isn’t just a few objects or figures set on a base to show off a model in a more favourable light as implied by the show’s flyer, which noted that for their purposes we’re looking at a diorama when the following condition is met: “As soon as ANY [JDL: All caps theirs] objects are added to the bases other than the model, it will be classed as a “diorama””. To me a diorama, in the context of scale model work, isn’t simply a collection of objects, but is a model display that tells a story. The story is the primary feature and the models support the telling. A few objects or figures on a base accompanying a model isn’t a diorama, it’s simply a way of displaying a model to best advantage.

From time-to-time eye level views were assessed as the arrangement was iterated.

I’m much inspired by the dioramas of Bruce MacRae, especially his Wine Tasters diorama, as well as the scenes constructed by Michael Paul Smith, Amy Bennett, and Kim Adams. 

Now the work of Smith and Bennett aren’t dioramas in the sense that scale modellers use. Smith created what could be considered temporary scenes for purposes of photographing them, and the temporary scenes Bennett builds are for creating paintings from. However, the key here is they both use models to create scenes that tell stories. 

The objects Kim Adams makes are closer to that of classic model making diorama-ists, but the content of his work is very different. His stories are often ones of exploration into alternative possibilities of our physical world, not just highly detailed reflections of it.

But, the connecting thread running through the work of all four artists is that the centre of interest in their dioramas isn’t one or two particularly well detailed models, but stories. 

Scraps of foam sheet to be used to make the base.

In the model railroading world, E. L. Moore is my main influence. Not everything he built centred on a story, but a lot did. Over the last few years I've been impressed by the layouts shown in the French magazine Voie Libre. Ok, yes, this has an air of shameless self-promotion since a few photos of the Loonar Module appeared there in 2023 in a micro-layout feature, but in my defence I submitted photos there for a couple of reasons. I was impressed by the small layouts they'd written about over the previous 3 or 4 years, and I had never seen a layout set in a Canadian scene by an actual Canadian in their pages! I wanted to fix that injustice :-) The rest is history :-)

I quite enjoy all the layouts Voie Libre has featured, but I especially like the work of Bernard Junk and Detlev Horn, notably their layout called The Island.

Continental Modeller is also a good place to see innovative layouts. And, yes, yes, more shameless self-promotion, the Centennial Experimental Farm layout appeared in its pages this year. 

All I'm saying is that there's a lot of interesting work going on in the wide world of model railroad layouts

Tracing template was cut out after finalizing the arrangement.

Shape: Base Shape Helps Story

The footprints of many dioramas and small layouts are simple geometric shapes: squares, rectangles, circles, and ovals. This is quite understandable as these are readily obtainable in the form of pieces of wood, picture frames, display plaques, and so on. I’ve come to think though that the footprint should help tell the diorama’s story.

Sometimes foam sheets were glued together to make suitably sized pieces

I didn’t really understand this when I built the Loonar Module. I used 2’ x 2’ by 1” thick insulating foam sheets for the base because they were easy to buy at the local home renovation store. But, I wound up building a round island on a square lake! It turned out ok, but if there’s a next time the base’s footprint will reflect the story since water isn’t square :-)

Later, when I was building the Centennial Experimental Farm layout I could have just gone ahead with a rectangular footprint for the base, but I thought it more appropriate for the base to be rectangular at the Carling road end since the road was all straight edges, and rounded at the streetcar return loop at the farm end. There it matched the graceful loop of the track, and didn’t present dead corners to be filled in as it would if this end was also square. So, curved lines at the natural end, and straight edges at the urban end.

A layer ready for cutting out with a hand saw and knife.

The Mt. Lowe layout is where I’ve really started to apply the ’base shape helps story’ principle. Mt. Lowe had several scenes that I wanted to capture, but they had to be somewhat separated from each other. The trefoil seemed to help realize that desire with its three prominent lobes, each providing a separate scenic area. Thinking about the trefoil’s scenic potential a bit more I realized its footprint actually allows for 7 scenes: the 3 lobes, the 3 concavities connecting the lobes, and the aerial view, which in this case is a mountain top observatory.

Lots of scraps and foam dust after cutting out the pieces.

With the Moon Mail Madness diorama I took the principle further. As you can see in this post’s photos I designed the base’s shape as I used the models to sketch out the story; both developed at the same time. And what is the story? It’s a slice of life in the lunar postal service: two lunar postal workers meet at a crossroads and one takes a photo of the other as he begins to remove letters from a mailbox :-) I thought the base’s footprint should match the shape of the road intersection to emphasize the crossing. Also, why make the base square or rectangular and have to deal with dead space that needs filling? The only external limit on the footprint was the show’s specified requirement that all dioramas had to fit in a 2’ x 2’ area, not be a 2’ x 2’ area, which was no problem fulfilling.  

White glue holds the stack together. A rasp and sanding blocks used to form the final shape.

Presence: A Subtle Call to Look

Over the years I’ve come to like thick bases for dioramas and small layouts. 

A lot of dioramas and small layouts I’ve seen present the viewer with a decent top side model and scene set on a thin, platter-like base. Sort of like a meal that has been put on a dinner plate. Some might say, well it’s the modelling that’s of interest and not what it’s sitting on, much like it’s the meal that’s important and not the plate below.

An anti-slip mat was cut and glued to the bottom of the base.

To me though a diorama or layout is a complete, integrated object; a type of three-dimensional sculpture. A diorama doesn’t consist of a good part (the model work) that is to be enjoyed and an irrelevant support part (the base) that is to be ignored. The base’s footprint helps to tell the story, and its height helps to command you to look at that story by establishing the diorama or layout’s physical presence amongst all other objects that vie for a viewer’s attention.

This is another idea that at first I didn’t fully appreciate. The Loonar Module’s base is 3 foam sheets thick because I wanted it to be quite rigid and strong. Mission accomplished. However, looking at the result over weeks and months I felt the thick base gave the layout a solid look that I quite liked. It seemed like the island actually was rooted in something, not just sitting on something.

Anti-slip mat trimmed to fit the bottom of the base.

On the Centennial Experimental Farm I deliberately made the base height about the same as what I thought the tallest tree would be. It seemed odd to me to have big, tall trees (completely to scale regarding height and canopy volume) sticking out of a base no thicker than a pizza box. It didn’t seem balanced. It didn’t seem substantial.

However, like the Loonar Module’s base, I painted it black because I didn’t want the base to draw attention to itself. Its job was simply to say “here’s a story” and bring it to a viewer’s attention, not be the story. The base is to be the strong silent type component in this object we call a diorama: it provides structural support, it’s footprint provides narrative support, it’s height makes a call for attention and visually balances the models, but it tries to do all this in a subtle manner, not calling unnecessary attention to itself. 

The mailbox rise is glued to the base. Note commercial vac-formed crater to the right.

Moon Mail Madness violates the subtly principle a little with the inclusion of the postcard. I thought it would help the overall story, and it tries to be subtle while doing so. Sometimes on layouts that are structured like framed paintings instead of sculptural objects you’ll see a lot of labels, stickers, photos, warnings, awards, and other ephemera attached to the surround. That’s all too loud and distracting for me. The layout needs to speak for itself. Likewise, dioramas need to speak for themselves. They shouldn’t need any supporting documentation or ephemera hanging around trying to divert attention.

Crater glued on. White glue spread on foam prior to applying Cell-U-Clay.

Materials: Sheet Foam

I use foam sheets for my bases because they are lightweight, strong when laminated, easy to cut and shape, and low cost. I learned a hard lesson when I built the portable Lost Ocean Line layout from wood. It became too heavy to be very portable by me alone. Other materials can certainly be used. Foam sheets aren’t some magic one-size-fits-all solution, but I’d say put the wood back in the rack if it isn’t completely necessary. If you’re using wood for decorative reasons, that’s a different story.

Spare Moonscope wheel was used to roll in tracks.

On the Loonar Module I sided the base with sheet styrene to give it a smooth finish. I’ve subsequently learned that isn’t completely necessary. Smoothing the foam sides and then painting them with an artist’s quality acrylic will produce a decent finished surface. Although foam sides may seem a bit rough and soft after shaping and smoothing, the acrylic paint acts as a binder to solidify the surface as well as provide colour. Think of the paint job as applying a surface binder that just so happens to have a colour, which is black in my case. 

After 2 weeks of curing, cheap acrylic paints were used to colour the surface

Eye Level: An unresolved problem

I’ve always thought that the conventional way scale models (plastic models, train layouts, doll houses, every category really) are shown and displayed is odd. I think the best way to view them is at eye level because, usually, that’s how we encounter their real life counterparts. Yet, models are usually displayed so that the most common viewing angle is from above. I understand the practical reasons for this, but it doesn’t do justice to the models and the work of their makers. By setting out models on tables of conventional height only small children get the best views :-) 

Maybe conventional tables augmented with some sort of leg extensions would do the trick for model shows. Combined with showing dioramas or layouts with thick bases, this might almost solve the eye level viewing problem. Or maybe not. If you’re a long time reader here I’ve tried some experiments to fix this issue over the years, but haven’t been satisfied yet with the results. 

Ready for adding the models.

These aren't likely my final thoughts on the subject. They simply capture a few aspects of my current thinking. 

Oh, and before I run off for coffee, Sheperd Paine's book How to build Dioramas is always good to consult. Maybe I'll dive in again while coffee's brewing.

Awaiting the show.