Dec 16 2008
How To - Garden Railroads and Real Snow!
How To - Garden Railroads and Real Snow!
One of the distinct pleasures of having a garden railroad - outdoors is real snow. I have friends that hope and pray for the right conditions to operate their trains in the snow and to capture this magical moment on film and video.
Snow may “just happen” but a fun run in the snow with your Large Scale trains doesn’t. It takes real preparation to run your railroad in these conditions. If you get ready and have all your equipment standing by you can respond on a moments notice and adjust to rapidly changing conditions. The reward can be stunning photos, videos, and train run that you will enjoy and share for years to come.
First, get your garden railroad ready. Sweep off any leaves and pick up out-of-scale twigs. Clean the tracks and check all electrical and switching components BEFORE snow is in the area. Do several test runs with your trains. Use the ones that you are planning to include in the snow run.
Some modelers have snow plow trains, or rotary snow trains like the prototype railroads. Clean them up. Tune them up. Lubricate as needed, then test run. These test runs can be the key difference between disappointment and triumph. Don’t skip test runs.
Set the trains in key locations and practice taking photos and videos. Know your layout, camera equipment and trains. Do it at several hours of the day so you are fully aware of the position of shadows as the day goes on. Practice using light meters. Lay out some clean white sheets to simulate snow for lighting purposes. Check your camera manual for snow settings, low light, and back light settings. There is nothing more frustrating than fumbling with the camera when the big moment arrives.
Gather, coil, and place in a ready position your gear. If you need extension cords and lamps, to supplement natural light, pull them out, test them, and set them indoors but near the layout. Have shovels and brooms at the ready. Have some weights ready to provide extra traction. Get light stands, tripods together as well. If you are taking shots low to the ground, which is to be expected, have some blankets ready to lay on as you take the shots. This is a lot of gear. You may want to load it on to a wagon so it all rolls out in one trip.
Load up on batteries, film, videos tapes or discs, and memory cards. Open packaging and practice switching these items in and out of your camera.
Test shoot. Pretend the snow has arrived. Conduct a test shoot. Which shots, angles, and equipment are most important, in what order? Practice focusing laying on the ground with full winter gear (coat, sweaters, hat, etc.) and have a train slowly moving by. Is it in focus? Sharp? Well lit? Do you scream WOW when you see the pictures? Do you need to pose certain equipment to get your shot? Do you need a few scale artificial trees or some purchased greenery in some spots to hide out of scale items? Do you have model railroaders and passengers dressed properly for snow? Are your scale model buildings lit? Do your engines and passenger cars light up and look good? You may have to do timelapse or long exposures to get headlights, building lights, etc. just right. Do you need help from someone else controlling the train or taking pictures? Who’s going to do what? How many seconds does the train take to get from a known location to the shot location? Are you ready yet?
The weather service predicts a powdery dry dusting of snow with almost no winds. The big moment has arrived. You need a strategy.
Plug in the coffee or hot chocolate maker. They will help as you try to stay out a little longer to get “just one more shot”.
Will you be taking shots of buidings and equipment as the snow builds up? Will you wait for it to accumulate slightly and then clear the track with your snow train?
A dusting is perfect for showing the transition between cold wintery scene and a new fallen snow. The effect on equipment, buildings, track, and landscaping can be dramatic. Night shots take long exposures, but can be very dramatic.
If you have the courage, you can wait for a few inches of snow and then clear it off the track with a rotary snow engine. Some of the most dramatic scale model railroad video I have seen in my life is a rotary snow engine on a garden railroad clearing the track by shooting snow several feet into the air. When it was shown to a group of modelers it sent chills through everyone who saw it. This extremely rare moment was the result of the kind of preparation and practice I’ve outlined above. It is shown every year (rain or snow) to the complete awe of all who see it. Photographers and modelers beg year after year for the opportunity to visit this garden railroad whenever snow is predicted in hopes of recapturing that magical time on the railroad for themselves.
The rotary engine was followed by a plow train. The flangers cleared the track and right of way. A special sweeper car swept the remaining snow from the tracks and tops of ties. Everything in the photos was in scale and the effect was magical.
Still photos and video shots followed. Some snow was shoveled back on the track for some posed shots. The rotary shot snow into the air and cleared the tracks. Even though the modeler is not into photography the pictures were suitable for calendars and magazines.
After the first few runs it is likely that the track will either get wet or icy. You run the railroad. You should call an end to a great day. Take all your equipment indoors. Dry, clean, lube, and prepare. Get ready for the next snow.
Have fun!
Trainguy
