Nice to know you were here. If you were in Cam Ranh, you should remember Phan Rang the place where railroad and traffic come very close to each other. I am planning to make a layout of this area too.
I was in Viet Nam from '70 to '71 and never saw a train although when I had to drive a truck from Tay Ninh down to Bien Hua Army base for supplies. I had to drive across what appeared to be narrow gauge abandoned tracks, weed choked, heavily rusted not protected by signs. Never a thought about a train being there. One trip, eight months into my tour, a few seconds after I drove across the tracks, a locomotive pushing several flatcars ahead of the train crossed behind me. That was the last time I went across without looking. A couple of weeks later I had to go down to the Port of Saigon and I saw a freight yard being built by the river for unloading ships. Also narrow gauge. I had thought all the RR infrastructure had been destroyed by the VC. That was the only time I saw the train. Yes the People were nice. One night my outfits dog strayed into the perimeter wire and was shot. A week later I was driving through a nearby Village when a woman handed me up a puppy to replace the dog we lost.
after the war, the RR put back to work with old locomotives, passenger cars. You will see what I am trying to depict its situation now via the condition of this Binh Trieu Station (not far from Saigon). A lot of things need to be done, don't know if I have enough skills to do it.
Sounds encouraging! biggest challenges ahead of me are figures and means of transportation Vietnamese styles. Looks like a lot of scratchbuilding!
Are you modelling the metre gauge, the standard gauge or both? I ask because I was looking at the Railways in Vietnam website and wondering what you might be using for motive power.
Very nice pictures. The road is kind of neat, what with the shoulders trying to take it over, and the effects on the track looks very realistic. I'd also say you may be the first person I've seen modelling banana trees!
Thanks! Some tropical trees are not available for sale so I need to make it myself. When time allows, I will post some how to do it these stuffs.
