Vision and Layouts on Ron’s Five Model Railroads

Model builder Ron Kuykendall has a different approach to the hobby than others. He has five highly detailed layouts. Ron has found the time to build so many layouts and structures by honing his skills. The key is the more you build the more you can build.

Every kind of modeling relates to each other and helps to improve overall building skills. Modelers are lucky to finish one layout, but Ron has managed to model five. He considers himself a fast modeler and he is also very motivated to see the finished product. Seeing the railroad is the exciting part for him. He sees the idea or finished product in his head and completes it. More often than not he merely looks at the pictures of the instructions – reading the instructions takes time and is unnecessary.

Ron also does not subscribe to the idea that a railroad should be in the same material throughout, whether it be plastic, wood, or styrene. He doesn’t model a specific era but he always stops at 1950. This is because it culminates the previous three decades as it is the capstone of the 19040’s. Ron tries to breath a spirit into a scene so viewers can imagine they are really there. The scenes include small details such as boardwalks and junky machinery to complete the effect.

Ron enjoys tearing down and starting over on layouts. He reproduced his original SP layout in a room format. Reproducing is a relief for him, he gets to start anew. This means all the electric, trackwork, and features are all the same quality. Ron goes on to discuss some of his layouts. For more videos to help with layout planning, or model railroad tips and techniques visit the Model Railroad Academy website.