REVERSE RUNNING: The Awful Truth Stepping outside the box with a contrary view were sitting on the layout, and ran them down the helix. Keeping interest high on a large layout project often means running trains as soon as you can. To get some locos on the layout for such trains, I just took some Kato SD40s and SD45s, put Kadee couplers on them, and put them in service. I didn’t take the time to install handrails or to add any extra details like horns, snowplows, cut levers, or air hoses.
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— by Joe Fugate
W
hile lurking on a model railroading web forum shortly after I released my first Siskiyou Line DVD back in 2004, I ran across this comment: “Why, some of his locos don’t even have hand rails!” I found this comment mildly amusing, because it was clear to me this modeler’s main experience in the hobby was likely reading hobby publications and little layout building experience. In the last few decades, model railroad publishers have shied away from showing unfinished modeling. Page 128 • May 2012 MRH
Instead, the focus almost exclusively has become highly detailed model scenes and super-detailed models of locos, rolling stock, and structures. If you’ve ever attended some hobby events and visited layouts, you quickly discover unfinished modeling is the norm. When you do encounter a completely finished-looking layout, it’s a rare, memorable event! In fact, the Railroad Prototype Modeler’s movement has yielded many events every year where unfinished models get proudly displayed. To that I say: hooray! That’s a trend I heartily support. The “no handrails” remark came from some footage of my helix that connects the Siskiyou Line’s upper and lower decks. For that shot, I just grabbed a couple Kato SD45s that
Reverse Running Commentary
If you think the Kato example I showed on video was sacrilege, then my Proto 2000 SD9s were even worse. Keith Thompson, who has been on the Model Railroader editorial staff in years past, came to visit a Siskiyou Line op session a few years ago. I had found a real deal on Proto 2000 SD9s from M. B. Klein, but the dozen or so locos were all numbered 3900. I didn’t let that deter me, though. I put the proper cab numbers on little yellow stickies and put every one of the SD9s in service, bearing their proper cab number on the yellow sticky attached to their cab! After that op session, Keith Thompson sent me the prototype SD9 photo you see here on this page, with the caption, “Well what do you know, there’s a prototype for everything!”
Keith was obviously having way too much fun with Photoshop! (At least the Katos in my video had cab numbers ...) This is what you do when you understand your hobby priorities and do what’s needed to keep a large layout project moving forward. I was not ashamed to show on video this “work in progress” nature of my large layout project. It’s the real world. The fact that some modelers feel it’s somehow “forbidden” or “poor practice” to openly present unfinished modeling shows the disservice hobby publishers have done by trying to be too slick in their presentation. It’s not the real world, and it creates unrealistic expectations. This ultra-slick presentation philosophy may even discourage some hobbyists enough they’ve left the hobby. Focusing on only the highly finished scenes, on just the superdetailed locos, rolling stock, and structures may sell magazines, but if it ultimately discourages the “mere mortals” from doing the hobby, then it’s hurting more than it helps. Welcome to the hobby’s dirty little secret: the “awful truth” of unfinished modeling!
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