Click for larger picture | Webster defines "whimsey" as an odd or fanciful idea. We are able to recognize whimsey in many aspects of our lives - the sight of something unexpected can surprise, delight, and entertain us. |
For several years I was editor in chief for AW NUTS Magazine, (Always Whimsical, Not Usually To Scale), which allowed me the distinct pleasure of showcasing the most amazing whimsical creations of model railroaders across the world. What we will attempt to do here is to continue that endeavor for the subscribers of Large Scale On-Line. In the coming months we will present a series of articles about whimsical rolling stock, structures, scenes and other ways you can add whimsey to your layout.
What does whimsey have to do with model railroading? Some would say, "Nothing! This is a serious hobby!" Others of us might say that the words "serious" and "hobby" don't even belong in the same sentence. I contend that the truth lies somewhere between these two extremes. In the first place, the very hobby itself is whimsical. We are building simulated railroads that, at best, can only approximate the real thing. Is it not odd or fanciful to run small-scale trains in a private back yard whose acreage doesn't even come close to that of the prototype? And don't we often mix eras, scales, gauges and even geographic locations to suit our whims?
As the former editor of a model railroad magazine I have had the opportunity to visit many outdoor and indoor model railroads, displays and museums across the U.S. and Europe and I can state with authority that whimsey is very prevalent in this hobby. On several occasions I have visited "serious" layouts whose creators have made painstaking efforts to model a specific prototype line - the rolling stock, buildings and trackside details are extremely accurate representations - then I notice at the throttle of the lead locomotive is none other than a Daffy Duck figure in an engineer's cap. Virtually every railroad I've seen has at least some whimsical elements.
Even the manufacturers of large-scale railroad equipment have jumped on the whinsey bandwagon. Cases in point - Aristo-Craft's "Egg-Liner," an impossibly tiny, double-ended diesel engine, and LGB's propeller-driven "Fortuna" and "Mars" Flyers, just to name a few.
A few years ago at train shows and conventions there was no such thing as a whimsical category in the modeling contests - now virtually all contests have at least one whimsical category. Often the whimsical models win "Best In Show." Whimsey has arrived!
How and where we choose to express whimsey is a very personal thing but it is those creative, visual surprises that breathe life into our scenes and bring smiles to the faces of our visitors.
Whimsey can be very subtle or simply outrageous. Bruce Bates, for many years a cartoonist published in Garden Railways Magazine, offered us a whole world of miniature railroad scenes as we might see in our gardens, some just slightly removed from the prototype and others quite fanciful and very whimsical. His classic "Two-Spot" 0-2-0 locomotive was a whimsical masterpiece, and Bruce's Tea House, built from an old copper tea kettle with doors, windows and scale brick fascia, is a prime example of the very best of whimsey.
Another icon of the hobby, Samuel Addison-Muncy, has taken the notion of whimsey to the very edge. Memorable Muncy models include a Victorian coach, fashioned from a plastic egg with lots of golden filigree and decorative windows mounted on a spoked European wheelset. One of my personal favorites is his very short, two-axle gondola loaded to the sky with a mountain of scrap metal and spare parts. And who could forget his famous "Emily" rail car, stacked inside and above with an unbelievable array of cargo, with everything one might possibly need for an extended vacation, including the kitchen sink.
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The vast majority of us got involved in the hobby of model railroading for our own pleasure and relaxation and as an avenue for our self expression. Even if you're a "serious" modeler, there's no reason why you can't include some comical elements in your pike. And if you're a "serious" whimsicist, as I am, there's no reason why your entire railroad shouldn't be entertaining, comical... perhaps even silly in places.
If you have whimsical models or scenes in your railway, or even just a clever idea or sketch, please submit them so we can share your whimsey with others. Shoot some photos (digital or film) and be sure to get in CLOSE so we can see the details. Please include some information about your creation. Don't worry if you aren't a gifted writer - we'll be happy to use your info to prepare the article. Please don't send the actual models or photos that you don't want to part with - without prior arrangement we can't return submissions.
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