super detail to the Zth degree is it worth it

[buzz]

hi all
Today I received a Busch HO small animal set I only wanted the birds.
But find in the set butterfly's, mice/rats and fish and other small and tiny things in the pack as well.
I now wonder is it worth going down to that level of tiny detail to use the smaller creatures IE smaller than a rabbit.
There would be a level of satisfaction knowing they where there but they are probably near on imposable to see.
regards john

[mabloodhound]

John,
It's all in what YOU want it to be.   But you would be surprised at the people that can spot that little something extra you added.   
A butterfly: I bet I can point to a dozen modelers that would see that AND point it out.
So it's up to you, it's your layout.

[NarrowMinded]

Hi,  Your conscious mind may not notice the tiny details but your subconscious does and helps fool your conscious mind, thus making things look more realistic. sort of like adding hand rub marks on handrails for your prized weathered loco, you might not focus on that one often overlooked detail but it helps the overall appearance.

Just my two cents
NM

P.S. of coarse there are people that get carried away with detail to the point of clutter.

[pdlethbridge]

What, no earthworms?

[ebtnut]

The amount of detail that is acceptable is really a very individual choice, and there is nothing "wrong" with any approach.  Modelers who pride themselves on building museum-quality models will make every effort to apply any detail that appears on the prototype.  However, there does come a point where they have to consider some compromises.  These include having a big electric motor and gearbox inside the firebox and boiler, and what kind of minimum radius curve they will accept. 

The other end of the specutrum are those who are content with "stand-off" models - not highly detailed, but sufficient to look just fine operating on the layout from 3 - 5 feet.  I would venture to say that most of us are somewhere in the middle.  The recent availability of Spectrum-quality models from Bachmann and similar quality from other suppliers has actually raised the bar for those of us who started out with Mantua, Penn Line, Roundhouse, and the like. 

And there is the matter of how you wish to spend your hobby time.  Most of us only have a finite amount of hobby time, so you make your choices depending on what you enjoy most. 

[jward]

as a practical consideration, i consider the survivability of the detail. as such, i think it is reasonable to superdetail stationary objects like buildings and scenes, especially ones that are in areas where you won't be reaching when running the railroad. rolling stock and locomotives, on the other hand, i think should only have the detail parts that will survive normal everyday use.

i remember when lifelike came out with a new locomotive a number of years ago. it was more expensive than previous offerings, and much more highly detailed. the reviewer in model railroader mentioned breaking off detail parts just removing this locomotive from the box, and i remember thinking what is the point of paying extra for details that won't survive such a normal part of this hobby. everything gets removed from the box......

switchstands are another item where i prefer durablility to detail. fortunalely, nj international makes switchstands that are both durable and beautiful at the same time. this is what we need more of, durable detail parts, not frigile plastic ones that break if you look at them the wrong way.....

[rich1998]

the big problem with details is the smaller the scale the more fragile small parts like grab irons are. the chains and hangers on the spectrum 4-4-0 are subject to damage coming out of the box and maybe happened when put in the box. it happened to me. i just cut all the chains and hangers off.
lex

[jward]

most detail parts put on at the factory are plastic and break easily. if you superdetail them yourself, most parts are metal and hold up much better.

case in point, how many times have you broken plastic handrails? ever break the wire ones on an older athearn? i already know the answer to both questions.

[jonathan]

For the last two weeks, my family has been down hard with the flu, and follow on respiratory issues. 

While laid up, I had the opportunity to nurture my love/hate relationship with the #80 drill bit.  These lift rings came in plastic.  The metal ones were, of course, "temporarily out of stock".  Talk about a bridge too far in detailing...



Regards,

Jonathan