The Western Maryland in Free-moN Modules

[PiperguyUMD]

JFRTM   This spot is gonna keep the rail fans happy!

[PiperguyUMD]

A little progress each day! Painted the fascia, ballast, some more static grass, and trees. So many trees!









Also found a good railfanning perch with the modules setup in the configuration. I’ll have to play with this angle, could have some pretty cool results!

[Frank Amato]

Love the muted fall colors @PiperguyUMD - really nice work !

  Frank

[PiperguyUMD]

Thanks @ amato1969. I’m trying to capture that golden look. Maybe one day I’ll have lighting to create that late October low sun glow!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

So this is gonna sound a little weird given the source, but I think it needs a little green.

Take a look at these examples in December.

https://deadseasonmodeling.net/2023/07/06/northern-central-railroad-winter-reference-photos/

I know limiting the palette might be a conscious aesthetic choice, but if it's not, a little goes a long way.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Oh, also, this is ****ing beautiful.

[PiperguyUMD]

So this is gonna sound a little weird given the source, but I think it needs a little green.

Take a look at these examples in December.

https://deadseasonmodeling.net/2023/07/06/northern-central-railroad-winter-reference-photos/

I know limiting the palette might be a conscious aesthetic choice, but if it's not, a little goes a long way.

I was trying this time lol! There are twice as many green trees as there are of the other colors. I'm using that late summer/burnt green color. Maybe that has something to do with it. There are a few GREEN trees on Jack's Mountain, but they seem to stick out to me. Like - maybe if you use that green while modeling spring and summer it looks fine, but if you mix it in with fall or winter it looks fake.



I do think some of the faded effect is the crappy florescent lighting in my garage. Things look way different in natural light.



That said November in SC doesn't help my case 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

The lighting absolutely makes sense.

And the thing I've noticed isn't in trees, but grass, and bushes and stuff.

I know this sounds critical, but like I've said, what you're doing is truly awesome, and I thoroughly enjoy watching you take it even further.

[dem34]

And to pick nits.
I will take the sword upon my head of Erm Ashkully.

Its also going to depend a lot on where. Mid Atlantic you do get a fair bit more green in the winter. While pushing further North you get more of stick colored dominance occasionally broken by Pines.
Atleast my experience where somedays in Winter I'd bounce from Atlantic City, to around the Delaware Water gap within hours of eachother sometimes for work.

[packers#1]

The other tough thing is how fall changes from month to month. For example, I’m shooting for late October/early November here in Upstate SC, so my trees should be mostly yellow and green, with some oranges and reds starting to show up, but they should be in the minority for that time. Whereas later November you’d be seeing more orange and red with some bare trees and dark green, or early October is still mostly green with a smattering of yellow.

[PiperguyUMD]

Ok - trying to add more green ground cover. Used light green static grass around the bunk house and added some patches of burnt green ground foam. The field will be held in by a barbed wire fence. I was hoping that the grass I used there would be a bit more gold/brown, the color is way to washed out in person and in real life. Gonna have to explore some different options.



This photo is from the wrong time of year, the the grass was basically the same color poking through the snow last winter.

[dem34]

[PiperguyUMD]

Oh that’s a good idea! I’m going to have to play with that for a bit!

[dem34]

I would suggest practicing on something unimportant first, but airbrushed scenery really opens the door for getting amazing variety without having to keep around the whole rainbow of static grasses and foliage.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I would suggest practicing on something unimportant first, but airbrushed scenery really opens the door for getting amazing variety without having to keep around the whole rainbow of static grasses and foliage.

DeadSeasonModeling.net would love an article on this.