Description
By Chester Freedenthal
This was my first module.
I wanted a module that I could display at set-ups, but also be
able to use at home to run a train.
Using a modified layout from the original NTRAK book I created
Peaceful Valley. The name
is the German literal translation of my last name. It's also a
tongue-in-cheek joke, since I have lots of sound that accompanies the
module. Peaceful, as it
is affectionately known, has an independent loop off the blue line
that goes through a mountain in the back of the module. I
had to add 6 inches to the back to accommodate the loop, so this is a
30-inch deep module. The
loop is isolated from the blue line at the switches, so it can be used
as a set-up track or for operations.
Peaceful transcends date and time; it portrays a small village
and farm sitting in the shadow of a small mountain.
I struggled to build the module as my carpentry skills are
non-existent, but with the help of some club members and some long
hours on my part the module took about a year to complete from
construction through scenery. The legs are detachable (a mistake) and the wood heavy, which
makes it sturdy, but really awkward to carry.
It has lots and lots of scenery and "things" (like
all of my modules) so it shows very well.
It also includes sound, some lighting effects and loads and
loads of details.
The loop starts off the Blue line at a small rural passenger
platform, goes into a tunnel at the left side and emerges at the right
rear near a farm and then continues around back to the station.
I took advantage of all available space along the front edge.
In the four inches in front of the Red Line from left to right I have
a track maintenance shed; a stone control tower that spans the Red and
Yellow Lines; a small industrial building; a passenger station; a
freight terminal with loading dock and a parking lot. The right side
ends with a church complete with wedding in the front and a newly
departed buried in the backyard cemetery.
There's a limo for the wedding and a hearse for the cemetery
(hmm… maybe that should be vice, versa!). A rural road connects all
these.
The mountain along the back has a small country cottage along
side a mine opening from which the seven dwarfs emerge to meet Snow
White (hey, it's my module!). There
a few animals here and there and a few folks climbing the mountain.
Two waterfalls (that are in dire need of sprucing up) fall to
ponds at the bottom. The
village starts at the left and contains a number of retail stores, a
gas station, junkyard and a hotel.
Across the street is a home under construction and a nursery
with green houses. The right half of the module is a large farm with
many out buildings and lots of animals and farm folks.
The pasture sports a small pond with a man fishing, a woman
sunbathing and an alligator ready to munch on a cow taking a drink.
There is a road that parallels the Blue Line and has a grove of
trees hiding a State Policeman and a farm stand.
A QSI SoundBloxx Farm Sounds module accentuates the farm and
the village has a similar Country Night module.
A few streetlights decorate the village.
There is over 50 different "mini-scenes" on the
module and I often hand out a sheet of paper listing them so people
can try and find them. Peaceful
has not been in a show for a while and needs some cleaning up.
