Absolutely stunning model railroad work of art

[Ace-Garageguy]

Back in the Spring of 1962, I was quite literally awestruck by the color photos of a layout built by noted nature-artist Francis Lee Jacques. I was so deeply affected, it stuck with me all these years, and I recently found an old copy of the magazine I saw it in; it's just as powerful today as it was 56 years ago.

Here's a link to his work   http://thesciencenotebookblog.blogspot.com/2015/10/lets-talk-about-dioramas.html   but the photos of his layout (preserved and moved after his death) just don't do it justice. He used colored lighting to vary the mood and temperature of his scenes, and the effect is beyond imagining. If you really appreciate seeing the true art of model trains, seek out the May 1962 issue of Model Railroader.

Again, the photos below do NOT do his layout justice. You have to see the magazine article to get the full impact.

      

                                                         

 

[cobraman]

You need a pretty large dedicated space to have these railroad layout I have been seeing here. I wish I had a basement but they are kind of rare here in at least west side of Phoenix. When we bought our house out here we did see some new ones with a basement option but that option was 90 grand alone. Yikes !

[High octane]

90 G's is a lot of moolah for space to dedicate for a model railroad, and that's before the first rail is ever laid.

[Oldcarfan27]

The railroad might be impressive, but the distracting ceiling sure isn't. 

You'd think they would have painted it up to minimize it and focus the eye on the craft.

Edited October 9, 2018 by Oldcarfan27

[Ace-Garageguy]

10 hours ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

The railroad might be impressive, but the distracting ceiling sure isn't. 

You'd think they would have painted it up to minimize it and focus the eye on the craft.

This is the layout after it was disassembled, moved, and reconstructed following Jacques' death. The folks who did it should be congratulated for saving it, but they aren't the artists that he was...few people are...and the photog who took those shots obviously has little feel for the subject.

Again, to get the full impact of this guy's work, the May '62 Model Railroader is the only source I know of that shows it as it was.

Edited October 9, 2018 by Ace-Garageguy

[Oldcarfan27]

Agreed, but I've seen displays where they paint the ceiling dark and direct lighting on the layout. It doesn't take an artist to do that.

I do enjoy the talent and effort it takes to make a convincing train layout, though.