Model railroading is both a craft and an art. My favorite model railroader on YouTube is Jason Jensen, who is #1 as both a craftsman and an artist. Many of his videos are lengthy, but they’re worth it, as he shows you every detail and explains exactly what he’s doing. He also makes and sells kits that let us reproduce what he shows us or make our own modifications.

If you’re one of those who are under the misapprehension that building a model railroad layout is a quick endeavor that can be completed in a handful of weekends, Jason will disabuse you of that idea. The layout he is currently working on, for instance, is a ten-year project! Here is an image of a small piece of it:

The styrofoam near the top is your only clue to the fact that it’s merely 60% done. Of course a still photo can’t possible do justice to the entire layout; if you scaled it down so much that it encompassed all the details, they would be too small for the human eye (which is presumably what you’re equipped with). So, please take 29 minutes to watch one of Jason’s videos.

Alternatively, you might, of course, want a shorter video — so try this seven-minute update showing what Jason has done to depict fall season, including 30 hand-made trees. Again you can tell that this is a work in progress:

Categories: Model Railroading