Pinto Potential (and Problems)

Pinto is one 'end' of the Ocali Creek Railway.  Fictionally, it is the place where the OCRy interchanges with the Big Tujunga Lumber Company.  Functionally, it provides switching opportunities and off-layout traffic.  Trains will be shoved up the hill to Pinto from Watson, the next town down the line where trains will typically be turned for their return trip to staging, and Pinto will be worked by a once or twice daily turn.

However, this post isn't about the operational characteristics, but rather the potential projects to be done at Pinto, and the scenic problems the physical location presents.  This image illustrates the point:

The first problem is lighting.  The hallway light in the top right of the image is a different 'color' than the rest of the layout room lighting.  This makes for challenging photography.  I have a solution - I recently purchased more bulbs that match the color intensity of the layout lighting, and I'll change out the hallway lights...eventually.


The second problem is depth.  The layout here is 24" deep - plenty for many, but challenging to try and squeeze in all the scenery and structures I want to include.  But therein is the potential for some creative construction and forced perspective.  As you can see I have been playing with photo cut-outs (from old NS train calendars - Thanks, Paw Paw!) for the backdrop.

In place are two structures kitbashed from one source kit.  Bonus points if you can tell me the kit!  Here's a closeup of the passenger depot:

 

Can you see the color difference?  Look at the orange-ish cast on the far right wall vs the brighter, blue-er color on the rest of the scene.  Hopefully the new lights will help.

There is great potential for detail in this scene.  I had 'poured' some Durham's water putty, planning to carve some brick detail into the platform, but changed my mind when I found some great Herringbone laser-cut material, and have since changed my mind again and plan to make the platform a timber frame with tamped cinders inside.  Beyond just this scene, I have several structures to build, scenery to place, a backdrop to create, and loads of detail to add.  Hours of fun!

Finally, I leave you with a link to a set of videos I have watched several times; a clinic given by Earl Smallshaw about using forced perspective to create a town in a small space.  Earl Smallshaw's wit and wisdom shone through his modeling on his Middletown and Mystic Mines Railway.   Thanks to Model Railroad Hobbyist for putting this clinic online.  Perhaps there's some potential to use these techniques at Pinto?

Next month I hope to not only write a blog post, but there's a special project in the works...pictures...that move!