Originally posted by tzor
Very Nice.
I\'ve been a fan of model railroading since I was a kid, which is actually before D&D even existed (i.e. the early 70\'s). I know a little about the mentality of the model railroader.
It\'s really a matter of scale.
The oldest minis (the 25 mm common in the 80\'s) were close to the ) were close to the O scale of 1:60 - (1\" = 5\'). They more accurately reflect a smaller scale which was no longer used by the 80\'s. Even then O scale is typically used by Lionel fans and they tend to play loose with the scale.
The problem is that good train layouts require a lot of virtual space, often a good number of square miles to fit in your game room. (When did you ever need a battlemap to stretch into scale miles?)
Thus to model railroaders the biggest thing that gets them excited is actually terrain. Terrain forms the backdrops for most of their photography, and most magazines will devote very large sections to the art of terrain.
Sure you can make a mini base from green stuff, but you need wood, plaster and wire mesh to make a mountain scene for a 6\' stretch of railroad track, plus get all the proper basing materials, add all the trees, the occasional bridge and road crossing (along with the road) and don\'t forget to include electrical connections and places where you can remove parts of the diorama in order to fix the occasional train that fell of the tracks.
Railroad Model Craftsman magazine and
Model Railroader magazine are two examples where the art of the railroad mini as well as railroad scenery is covered in exceptional detail.
