Welcome to the N Scale Dystopia (NSD) – a fictional railroad set in modern times, in no particular location. The NSD is inspired by the bleak, post-apocalyptic images taken from zombie movies, cyberpunk culture, and photos of the Chernobyl disaster. Likewise, the railroad draws inspiration from Jimmy Cauty’s Aftermath Dislocation Principle (ADP) exhibition – a model village at 1:87 scale where only the police and media crews remain in an otherwise deserted, wrecked and dislocated land.

My goal is to model a self-contained, urban ecosystem centred around – but not reliant on – a small railroad short line. I want to focus on building rather than planning. An urban setting allows me to build a lot of structures and experiment with different techniques and looks without the burden of trying to capture a specific prototype.

Track plan

The track plan is based on the Carbondale Central – a project railroad by Malcolm Furlow introduced in the late 80s. The Carbondale Central was designed to be a simple railroad that “disguised itself as something more than a beginner’s project.” Much like George Sellios’  Franklin and South Manchester railroad, the Carbondale central was a city first, trains second design. Trains weren’t the focus of the railroad, but they were an equal player to all other parts.

I suspect railroad operations will centre around scavenger-like industries: scrap collection and essential supplies. There is a small water feature that can represent a connection point to the rest of the world.

I’m open to this project, transforming itself over time. The proposal, as I’ve written it here today, can change, and I encourage it to change if my interests shift, or new ideas invent themselves. Thanks for visiting.