Why George Chose 1935 for the Franklin & South Manchester
George SelliosDescription
One of the first questions modelers must ask themselves when beginning to design a model railroad layout is, in what time period should I set this scene? There are a number of considerations that go into selecting the right era for your layout, especially in regard to nailing historical accuracy.
To help you figure out which time period is appropriate for your next layout, host Allen Keller visited the workshop of master modeler George Sellios to gain some insight on how and why George chose to set his remarkably detailed layout of Franklin & South Manchester Railroad in the year 1935.
In this segment, you’ll discover what made George hone in on the tough times of Great Depression-riddled Boston, when steam engines banged away at the tracks and railroads were still the favored means of travel for all classes of people. You’ll also learn about a special request George received from a very interested party for the eventual preservation of this spectacularly accurate and detailed layout. If you’re stuck trying to decide where and when to place your railroad, take a tip from the master!
Why did you decide to model the 1935 period, instead of the more popular steam to diesel transition. Before the layout was started, I was originally going to model the forties and fifties so I could run diesel and steam, but I started to do research on railroads of the past. And first thing, I fell in love with steam power. It was just so exciting to see those big black monsters like that. They were just great. And I also love the era. I loved the cars, the nostalgic advertising. Mm-hmm. And in 1935 railroads was still the way to travel, probably the best way to travel. And most of the industries were serviced by rail. And a lot of the old buildings were still around and a lot of the old, you know, equipment, so that I think that's why I chose 35. And it's exciting for me, too. A lot of the old bridges and buildings were still there. And, I'm able to capture them now on this layout. Yeah. And like I said, they are all long gone and most of them are long gone, but I've created a part of history here. And I might want to say this, that the Smithsonian Institute in Washington has shown a little bit of an interest in, you know, having the layout there. They asked me if I would put it in my will, but I told them not to rush things. Well, that's quite an honor. Yes. I don't think they will because it's really gotten too big. This one was the original city size, but now it's up to 42 by 23 feet.
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