Feeback on new article on my site... Trees!

[AlkemScaleModels]

I know Ed does and Lance Mindheim did, but is there anyone else modeling winter?

My new O Scale layout is modeling winter. In the past I built several winter 1T modules. Here are some photos.  I have always liked the color palette of winter scenes on a bright sunny day

[Nato]

  I just returned on Thursday from California and had no computer access for almost a week, read ED's article this morning. Wonderful work. Yes I'am sure we can argue all we want about viewing distances "The 3 Foot Rule"etc. ,but I say it's what ever floats your boat. Some scenes lend them selves to close inspection (foreground) others not so critical ,nicely detailed trees up close really matterin my book ,but I can sometimes live with scaled down sizes even though I know in real life some tree species tower over everything. Nate Goodman (Nato).

[Ed Kapuscinski]

ooh, hey Bernie, what are those trees in that shot with the CSX -9?

[AlkemScaleModels]

ooh, hey Bernie, what are those trees in that shot with the CSX -9?

For the foreground trees, I built them using branches from Caspia and Witches broom (the kind you find around Halloween at Crafts Stores). The armatures are wire or bits of twigs if I can find good ones. I use CAA to add the branches to the trucks.

In larger scales I am using carved balsa as trunks. I am still using Caspia for branches as well as Gypsophylia (Babys Breath) see photo below. It takes time to make a tree. but I don't need as many as they take up a lot of room.

[justTRAINcRaZy]

Really good winter scene !! The addition of some evergreens really helps with the contrast of the bare trees.

RE: East Coast being stipped of trees, I remember going to Ducktown TN where copper was mined, the trees were cut down and the ore laid on top and the trees set on fire to smelt the copper. The result was the formation of sulphuric acid raining down and sterilizing the ground. A hundred years later and practically nothing grows.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6b/Ducktown_train.jpg/800px-Ducktown_train.jpg

[AlkemScaleModels]

Really good winter scene !! The addition of some evergreens really helps with the contrast of the bare trees.

RE: East Coast being stipped of trees, I remember going to Ducktown TN where copper was mined, the trees were cut down and the ore laid on top and the trees set on fire to smelt the copper. The result was the formation of sulphuric acid raining down and sterilizing the ground. A hundred years later and practically nothing grows.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6b/Ducktown_train.jpg/800px-Ducktown_train.jpg

I think I recognize that shot from the FSA website. It sure doesn't look like Tenn though.  Amazing. Do you have a picture of what it looks like now?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I gotta say, I really love where this thread has gone.