Description

by Jeff Peck

Thea, WV, which began it's life as Christian's Creek, was built in response to the Super's call for more Plain Ole' Four Footers and is my first effort at an NTRAK module. It is named for my daughter Thea, who was my railfanning partner until Barbie and pop music diverted her interests elsewhere.

After more than 20 years as an HO scaler, I began to see the invasion of NVNTRAK at the local shows and with the advances in N scale products, my 187 days were over. I joined NVNTRAK in June 1996, just in time for that "little train party" in August of '96. After seeing the New River Subdivision all set up at Alexandria and later seeing Brian Brendel's basement empire, the hook was set firmly (after a re-adjustment of my jaw).

Construction went along following the guidelines of the NTRAK Manual.  The only thing I did differently was to substitute 1/4" Luan plywood bonded to a layer of foam for the base to reduce weight. Something I will do on future modules is substitute the electrical conduit/2x4 block system for folding legs, again to save on weight and make setup and takedown easier. The track work is Atlas flex over cork, all secured with white glue. The wiring was done according to NTRAK guidelines.  Next came what has become one of my favorite parts of the hobby - scenery. I stacked, glued and shaped the landforms using extruded styrofoam, latex contact cement and some high-tech tools - a hacksaw blade and a Stanley Surform. After covering this with plaster cloth and earth-colored latex paint, the upper layers of scenery were done using Woodland Scenics, Scenic Express and other products. The idea here is to use different textures and colors to avoid looking too sterile and uniform. The structures on the module are 2 Life-Like plastic buildings that will do well until time and talent allow suitable replacements.

My overall goal with this module was to build something simple (which is a great idea for your first module - there's plenty of time to get wild later as your skills evolve) and capture the look of a "back in the hills" crossing that we've all seen in our railfan travels. What I really hope is that it shows is a modeler with limited time and ability, using the great products and advice from some of the hobby's best modelers, can build a decent module the first time out. So, if you're one of those sitting on the fence, ask some questions, take a deep breath and jump in - you'll be glad you did!