What season do you model?

[HLT 0109]

To do a season to a section you'd need scenic breaks between them or it won't work

 

I don't think a road bridge would be enough, a tunnel and a subtle change in scenery over the top might do it.

Whilst I think a scenic break may help, I don't think it necessary if the change is gradual. Obviously this is impossible on a very small layout and would be difficult on a large one if the aim is to display the extremes of each season. However, if the changes are subtle, I think it is possible to persuade the onlooker that all seasons are represented. It is also quite fun to see the little people well wrapped up in one part of the layout and stripped off on the beach elsewhere. One needn't display all seasons - just a change from winter to spring would add interest. It is prototypical too in the UK to experience all four seasons in one journey!

[298]

I've chosen to model late summer, due to the large red apples on the trees being a signature for the area and the harvest meant freight traffic was at a high. I could have chosen late May 1980 and sifted a fine layer of grey tile grout on the layout to replicate what Mt. St.Helens did, but cleaning it up would be a nightmare...

[Chris Nevard]

Everything I do tends to be late summer, probably because I don't generally like bright greens on model railways, prefering the lighter warm tones of a sun-scorched landscape, and of course trees in full leaf are a doddle.

 

However I would like to do late winter, but the prospect of leafless trees scares me because they'll be hard work to make look REALLY convincing. There's probably scope to do what PMP demonstrated in the popular press a little while ago and create a hybrid of coated twisted wire and sea moss.

 

Bushes could be grey sea moss and brambles maybe coloured horse hair. Dead weeds - tufts of unbleached dull brown carpet underlay and maybe even some treated moss from the garden.

 

Grass could simply be bleached old fashioned carpet underlay, the flattened look here and there maybe suggesting thawed snow. A few patches of short green static grass applied with a Grasmaster could suggest that spring is just around the corner.

[Michael Delamar]

I hate making trees, its one of my least favourite thing to do, one reason because I just cant do it, and the other I think they are very hard to make look right

 

doesnt cause a problem as my layouts or layout ideas are pretty much always urban industrial.

 

but I like summer as the season for things like embankments and backscenes.

[darren01]

HI All

I did spring for my layout ,mind you Devon never looks any other colour than green ( I think it's got to do with all the rain we have down here) even in winter it stays green.

[14Steve14]

To do a season to a section you'd need scenic breaks between them or it won't work

 

I don't think a road bridge would be enough, a tunnel and a subtle change in scenery over the top might do it.

 

No scenic breaks were planned. As already posted, the different months and seasons would just blend in. It was decided that this was too much of a modelling challenge so was dropped. Its still in my mind, and you never know it might happen one day.

[Gwiwer]

My own layout is large enough that I can represent some variation in season along its length. While most skies are blue the cloud cover varies and there are some ominous patches of heavy grey in a couple of areas. The beach scenes are generally modelled as high summer with foliage to suit though the opposite side and particularly around the pub scene are more akin to a spring scene. I have suitable static grass to also represent a harvest scene in due course though where to do so is as yet unanswered.

 

For those who feel winter is not for them take a look at Mike Cawdrey's work. I have seldom seen modelling (and stock weathering) anywhere approaching "New England in Winter" for quality, realism and the feel of bitter cold.