Not the most exciting title, I know, but I'm working on it.
The most recent Walthers Flyer included this year's National Model Railroad Build Off contest details. As usual, there's a freelance diorama category. In this category the modeler builds a large diorama that can feature any subject, in any scale, as long as it isn't part of an existing layout and fits the 2'x4' size limit.
I have no intention of entering this year and yet, the idea still appeals to me. When I entered in 2022 and 2023 I really enjoyed the four months of focused work that resulted in a finished scene, from soup to nuts. It puts pay to the tired trope that a layout is never finished! When I entered in 2022 I knew we'd be moving soon and the layout work would be put on hold indefinitely. Before then I had been building real momentum working on the layout which I have yet to recapture since. It is time to get that back and make significant layout progress again.
So here's the plan.
I'm going to complete approximately 8 contiguous square feet of my layout instead of creating a diorama for the NMRBO. From June 1st to the October 1st deadline I'm going to build all the scenery, structures, trackwork and details in that area. This is the same time period entrants in the contest will be following. Here's the area outlined in red with salient features added:
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| The red zone includes structures, sidewalks, street track and an orange grove |
If you've been following the blog recently you may notice that the Ensminger Building is already (nearly) complete - this would disqualify me from the Walthers contest were I using it on a standalone diorama. Note also that the area isn't a rectangle. This delineation makes the most sense for the content of the space while loosely keeping to the 8 square foot area.
I'm going to start with the street and sidewalks, including the streetcar track since it is part and parcel of the roadway. The sidewalks need to go in before the structures, though I can work on the buildings at any time and probably will. In previous challenges I've kept two or three work stations full, shifting from one to the other as necessary.
Here's the caveat: if I don't complete the area fully, that's fine. I'd rather err on the side of quality and produce a result I'm pleased with than rush something just for the sake of an arbitrary timeline. However, I accept that "letting the perfect stand in the way of the good" doesn't help and is a trap I've fallen into before. An imperfect model completed will always bring more satisfaction than a perfect model delayed indefinitely. That's a significant aspect of this challenge I take to heart.
If you can think up a better name for what I'm doing than "Summer Challenge 2026" please comment below. Also, if you've got 8 square feet of layout that needs completing and would like to join in, let me know. I'll be sharing my progress here on the blog and on Instagram. Before that, however, I've got to complete a couple overdue projects and clear off the workbench. Thanks for reading.
