Crossed the finish line! - 12 -01 -2010.
It's here. Yippeeee!
After months of hard work and more hours at the computer than I ever thought possible, I have a finished book in my hands.
In the interests of full disclosure, it'll be published under the name of OST
Publications Inc., a new company that Joe and I founded to do books and other kinds
of information products for the O Scale market.
Detailing Track is 128 pages and divided into ten chapters. Each chapter has full
color photos and there will also be some vintage black and white photos. I ran the
step-by-step construction photos as large as possible so the details can be seen
clearly. There is also a resource section for suppliers of O Scale and P48 track
components.
This book came about because I've never found a modeling book that treats track
as a serious subject worthy of in-depth study. Much of what has been on the
market has covered the same ground as always without really adding anything new to
the conversation. I wanted to see more and go to the next level of track modeling.
Since I couldn't find the type of material I wanted, I started gathering information and
photos, started asking questions and began the project after finishing my first book,
bit of history for both and breaks each down to their individual elements. It covers the
methods used for handlaying, ballasting and weathering track on my layout. Joe
Giannovario (the publisher of O Scale Trains Magazine ) contributed a chapter on
upgrading the details for an Atlas O No. 5 turnout, demonstrating that commercial
track can be made into a better model too.
An excerpt of this chapter is featured in OST (#52). There are also chapters on
modeling an interlocking plant and lineside detailing. I want to add that just because
the bulk of the examples from the book will be in 1/4" scale, that doesn't mean the
techniques are limited to that scale. Modelers of all persuasions should be able to find
something useful in it.
I've always enjoyed modeling track, especially branchline or
maintenance
deferred track. Weathered cross ties, lightweight rail and
weed-covered
right-o-ways has been a staple of my modeling for decades. I tried to
bring the skills I learned working as an artist to my modeling, especially
where track was concerned. These include learning to see past
preconceived notions of what prototype track looks like. It takes desire
and effort to see a subject as it really is, and this is a skill one can learn
with practice. My eyes are drawn to texture and color, both as an artist and
a modeler, hence the love affair with older track. I love to see lots of
detail; that's why I switched to P48 several years ago. HO Scale just didn't
allow me to include the amount and types of detailing I wanted to model; it
was just too small to appreciate.
Working in P48 I can include such detailing, and I can actually see it
without a magnifying glass. P48 allows for the most accurate
representation of flangeways and point spacing at turnouts and crossings and other
areas that are typically out-of-scale in traditional O Scale and in the smaller scales.
It's been surprising to see how many modelers are interested in track, but it's also surprising how little is really known about prototype track among the general hobby. I learned many things and had some preconceived notions of my own blown away in the process of writing this book. When the book is ready, details will be posted here, on the OST site and on the P48 Yahoo site.
Best regards,
Mike