I did a quick sketch of how I envision the scene at Brooke to look. I am shooting for a rural crossroads that grew into a small hamlet as the railroad arrived.
The blacksmith will be based on an O scale kit I purchased. The first kit I plan to use in the layout, but I'll probably scratch build the structure.
Gerry suggested a separate siding to the brick warehouse across from the tavern. The images of Culpepper and Warrenton show sidings like that. But I think that would imply a bigger town that I planned. I think with would also crowd the scene. It would add a bit of operational interest as it provides another siding for operators to switch. We'll have to see how this develops.
The fence and army camps will help tie the scene together. Upon observing the fences on my layout, Gerry commented that in O scale, a fence is a significant scenic element. I always liked adding fences to my N scale layouts, so they are important in all scales, but in O scale they are important scale models in their own right.The small stand of trees will help block the view across the "blob."
More soldiers will be marching in this scene. The 5th New York, a zouave unit, was stationed in this area. They have distinctive red and blue uniforms. I plan to add a good number of them to the scene.
The redoubt be either painted on the backdrop, or modeled in N or 15mm scale.
Will your station here have a signboard? If not, calling the pub the Brooke Tavern would help operators locate themselves on the layout.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought...
I am not sure about names on the station. I have not seen any examples where the USMRR labeled stations by name, though that was common practice for railroads in general. I plan to laser engrave some plaques for each location on the RR. That should help my operators remain oriented. If I can find prototype examples of station signs, then I will add them.
ReplyDeleteBrooke Tavern has been its unofficial name while construction is underway, but I think I prefer a different name once it is final.