Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Walt Disney and Model Railroading

A little change from my normal layout progress posts today. Instead I want to focus on inspiration and the ability to dream it, design it, and create it.

This past week my family vacationed to Walt Disney World which is an awesome place filled with creative ingenuity created by Disney's Imagineers. While there I always feel re-inspired to focus on my model railroad and its a shot of inspiration that all of us modelers need.

The Disney parks and rides all start as dreams which are put on paper. How many of us can relate to sketching trackplans or ideas on napkins, I know I have plenty of times. These sketches then become models just like our layouts which go on to full size construction. What sets us modelers apart from the dreamers is the ability to then take this concept a create it through our model railroads just as the Imagineers do. As Walt Disney would say:
“If you can dream it, you can do it.”

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

“Whatever you do, do it well.”

Beyond the creative inspiration part, Walt had a backyard railroad at his house in California called the Carolwood and Pacific. Below I have provided a few photos of his model railroad on display at the Walt Disney: One Man's Dream exhibit at Disney's Hollywood Studios. 




You can find plenty more on Walt and the Carolwood & Pacific via the web.

If you visit Disney's Wilderness Lodge in Florida there is also a Carolwood & Pacific room that has two of the railcars from the layout on display.

Recently I hit a road block designing an area that will host a sugar beet plant. Staying true to dreaming and designing I now have a solid plan for the scene (fall 2014 posts).

So the conclusion for all of you reading this post is enjoy the dream, design, construction, and operation of your model railroad. If you hit a roadblock rethink it and work around it. After all it's about enjoyment of the hobby and having fun. Sometimes the hardest critic of our layouts happens to be well....ourselves.


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