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The Back Story

        The fishing Village of Amalfitano is a fictional 1/24 to the foot scale model railroad located in the Amalfi coast set in 1931.  The layout is not just a model railroad where I can run trains, but it is a little world that allows me to travel back in time and recreate the lives of fictional characters through short little stories. 

 

The Layout

        I have half built many layouts but never finished a single one.  Invariably I have stopped working on them after I lost interest or ran into technical problems (mostly track work problems).  Part of the problem is my ambitions never matched my space or my desires for a project that will keep my attention for the long term.  And speaking about "attention" my attention span quickly changes from one project to another, never surviving more than a few months.  I think I have hit on a project that has the chance of hitting many of the things I am looking for: 1) modeling something that is not common; 2) had a lot of opportunity to make detailed scale models; 3) Provided an opportunity to tell stories about people;

        

        First, an industrial narrow gauge railroad is certainly unique, while most people model large class 1 railroads or 3 foot gauge railroads in too small of a space, an industrial railroad is even more narrower than the more common 3 foot gauge or less than the Main two foot gauges.  Industrial switchers were even smaller and usually very short in overall trackage length, often running in-between factory buildings or complexes.  So I could model in 1/2" scale an entire prototype with all of its inventory of equipment if I wanted.  The limited trackage of the prototypes could easily accommodated in my space and provide plenty of operating interest.  The limited size and trackage lends itself to handlaying  trackage (I know how but not keen on doing much of it). 

       

        My favorite thing in the hobby is building structures and scenery.  1/24th scale allows me to make detailed models with common materials like foam core and plastic.  While larger, it is more forgiving because I am not making super miniature models.  No, I am making large impressive sized buildings and people.  Yes people, I make my own miniature people because I would rather come up with a pose, a man or woman or child and make the figure in my own way instead of being forced to make concessions to whatever models are actually available.  They might not be perfect but rather they are stylized figures custom made for the scene I am working on.  They are doing exactly what I want them to do.  I also think the homegrown nature of the figures go well with the rest of the hand made world I am building.

        

        Lastly, Amalfitano allows me to create a world with stories.  Too many model railroads have figures frozen in some pose but they do not have stories of the joys and hardships they face living in their little worlds.  I hope through these pages to create a world populated with fictional people with their own unique personalities.  Ultimately, a model of a world miniature with personality we all strive to travel to.