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COWCATCHER MAGAZINE
NT&P Up Close: Detailing the Right of Way
Railroad right of ways are rarely squeaky clean and devoid of brush, trees and bushes. Using some branches from real trees and commercial scenery products, trackside across from Charley’s Concrete Co. on the Northwest Tarrant & Pacific is naturally cluttered.
Adding trackside realism without concealing trains
In CRU Call of the March/April 2019 issue, Cowcatcher Publisher Tim Blackwell tells of one of his favorite railfan spots along the Union Pacific Choctaw Division in Argyle, TX.
The main line runs parallel with US Highway 377 and is seemingly on a stage for a short stretch with a clean-cut right of way, which seems a bit out of place for such a nondescript part of North Texas.
Whether or not the right of way is by design is uncertain.
But it’s an appealing spot, free of growth and underbrush, to see trains run.
Most model trains running through urban areas follow a similar path. Ballast on roadbeds gives way to trimmed grass or dirt. Truth is, most rights of way are not tidy at all. They are cluttered with weeds, grass, dead foliage, bushes and trees so much they conceal trains. The railroads maintain only what they must to keep track clear.
It would be taxing to fully replicate the overgrowth along most model railroad right of ways. And doing so would obscure the very trains that modelers want to showcase.
But with a little moderation, adding overgrowth adds a hint of realism that just can’t be denied.
Using commercial scenery products and actual tree branches, the right of way along the Northwest Tarrant & Pacific, the Cowcatcher’s HO-scale project layout, hints of that clutter but isn’t overdone.
Small trees, brush, dirt and grass were applied in just a short time using straw grass and foliage products, some trimmings from a post oak tree and white glue. Straw grass was cut with scissors and planted in a drop of white glue, spread apart and dusted with ground foam. Tiny tree branches collected from outside were affixed after drilling a hole and filling it with a dab of white glue.
Within minutes, the bare right of way sprouted with a little clutter but not enough to conceal the action on the tracks.
Read CRU Call with Tim Blackwell in each issue of the Cowcatcher.
Spring is when large-scale model railroaders with their green thumbs plant and prune colorful foliage grown nearly to scale. In some areas, maintaining outdoor layouts is quite challenging because of changing weather. Nancy Norris, an author who builds garden railroads professionally, says some plant varieties have become more difficult to grow in certain Hardiness Zones. In some cases it means garden railroaders having to put more emphasis on growing native plants rather than relying on varieties more susceptible to extreme conditions. She recommends new gardeners consult with their local nurseries for the best choices for an outdoor layout. Norris also has a few recommendations of her own.
Tariffs Cause Concern
Sweeping tariffs imposed on goods imported into the United States are stirring model railroad manufacturers. As a result, model railroading and other hobbies will cost more. In February the U.S. applied a 10 percent tariff on goods imported from China, and the tax has since escalated. Suppliers – including Athearn, InterMountain Railway Co., Broadway Limited, Rapido Trains and ScaleTrains – have been putting dealers and customers on notice that prices will increase tariffs are implemented.
Managing Freight Cars
The first rule of railroading is “expect movement on any track at any time in any direction.” This may seem like an overabundance of caution, but railroading is a dangerous sport. Always expect a train when you’re around the tracks. The second rule of railroading is that there is an exception to every rule. The North American freight car fleet in 2023 consisted of 2.03 million rail cars, according to Railinc’s Umler Equipment Index. Rail car fleet management — how empty cars get dispatched to move to their next loading point — is an ever-moving process and often requires fleet car managers to be nimble.
Plus
A vintage Lionel store display is always a crowd pleaser, Atlas' N-scale True-Track is the right solution for a new test track on the Whitehurst & Pine Ridge Railroad, The Green Diamond was Illinois Central's gem on the St. Louis-to-Chicago route and more!
