A modeling odyssey

Two-thousand one. Ring a bell? Wasn’t that the year that men (and women) were supposed to be taking regular shuttles to orbiting space stations, have bases and digging up mysterious artifacts on the moon, taking long voyages to the moons of Jupiter, and matching wits with computers named HAL. Maybe that was someone's fanciful idea of what should be possible by now. (Or maybe I just saw that in a movie once.)

Not so many years ago, model railroaders had limited choices when it came to models and other items for the hobby. Today, countless numbers of locomotives, freight cars, scenery products, and electronics are part of model railroading.

Locomotives that are being produced today, for all scales, are the best they have ever been. Steam locomotives now feature hidden drives, scale piping, accurate valve gear, and even glowing fireboxes. These locomotives are not only detailed, but in some instances detailed for specific railroads. Diesel locomotives now include individual grab irons, see through grills, MU hoses, and much more. These models can operate with as little as 1-1/2 volts — and come already painted and assembled!

Although not every freight car will be produced for every scale, stop to think for a moment how many freight cars are now available. Not just the common 40' boxcar variety, but those less common are being produced at seemingly regular intervals as well. The cars being offered at your local dealer often feature intricate brake system detail, individual grab irons and ladders, not to mention some of the best painting and printing to ever grace a layout. Even some of these models can be purchased fully assembled.

Remember chicken wire and plaster dipped newspaper? Although that method is still appropriate in some instances, we have many new alternatives. Now you can use a variety of products including foam, plaster cloth, and even bubble wrap to construct land forms. Trees, shrubs, grass, and many other scenery items have taken on an almost custom made appearance, with many of them available at a very reasonable price.

How can we forget the advances that have been made in controlling our layouts by way of digital technology. Home computers can now operate an entire layout. Trains can run totally independent of each other, switches can now be operated electronically, and signals automatically thanks to the implementation of modern electronics.

We humans by nature have the strongest aspirations for ourselves, with some hoping for us to advance quicker than we do. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but for right now — this is as good as it gets.

Our hobby has made great advances in the last few decades, the vast majority of them for the better. Although there is always room for improvement, those wishing to have everything better will never be satisfied. Although flying cars, TV wristwatches, regular flights to the stars, and the perfect railroad model may come to pass some day, we must never take for granted what we have today.

—Michael J. Pratt Michael J. Pratt Managing Editor