Maple Valley Manufacturing is a large facility just outside of town. Three Tower Bridge stands between the small town of Maple Valley and the factory. Close-up views of the inside of the factory provide detailed scenes on the HO scale model railroad.

To create the illusion of depth and detail in the facade, I built small boxes from foam board and lined them with photos of factory interiors. I glued the boxes to the interior of window sections of the structure. I installed lights in the scene boxes to make the interiors visible. The factory structure is just three inches deep.

I enjoy looking at small sections of scenery that are hidden from the broad view. I like creating detail behind every building and stand-alone earth form. It reminds me of looking at all the hidden areas of a Christmas tree. Through the holiday season, I take time to look at parts of the tree that cannot be seen from the middle of the room.

Choosing to see with new eyes is a helpful practice. What can I see that others might not notice? How do others view this scene? Perspective is everything because we all interpret what we see through the lens of our own experience. I turn my phone upside down to take photos from ground level. It helps me see details through the eyes of those who live in Maple Valley.

Hernden’s Garage hasn’t received a lot of attention. Gilbert Hernden is just one of those guys who does what he does and helps people without demanding a lot of attention like most of the other good folks in Maple Valley. His garage has been busy through the holiday season and will be for a long time to come.

The view behind Maple Valley Bank is a prime example of detail that doesn’t demand a lot of attention. Adjacent to the curve through Maple Valley, there is a field with a few trees. It’s just a neat spot I decided to highlight. The guy standing next to the gray shed is Merv Klingerhorn. He’s about to climb the signal tower to change a couple light bulbs, which will save trains from missing important signals. The two sheds with white doors are near Maple Valley River.

Someone said, “Good model railroading is in the details.” I don’t know who said it, but I’m sure someone did. If they didn’t someone should have.

HO scale model railroading provides a terrific opportunity for convincing detail. Many folks prefer O or N scale, but my favorite has always been HO. For me, it’s the perfect scale for a nice sized layout without requiring an entire basement. I’ve seen some beautiful N scale layouts, but I prefer the larger HO scale.

I just happened to catch two Santa Fe diesels in the same photo. Both are headed into Maple Valley from Newtown. The 979 will be arriving shortly, with easy access to Maple Valley Supply Company which daily receives items for businesses in Maple Valley. The 8517 is on a longer run around Maple Valley.

From the roof of Maple Valley Supply, two cattle cars are caught in the same photo.

The small section of picket fence is at the end of Main Street in Maple Valley. It’s another one of those details that folks forget to look at. Maple Valley folks are good at reminding themselves to notice things. Especially things that others are trying their best to hide.

Someone caught a nice view of the 979 as it left Maple Valley this afternoon.