Ztrains: Z Scale Guest: Reynard Wellman

They Have Brass Down In Texas, Z Scale Brass
The Micron Art company of Austin, Texas has been producing brass kits for the model railroading market since 1997. They have recently released a pair of Pratt truss bridge kits in Z scale and here at Ztrains we were so impressed with their overall design and finished quality... we wanted to know a little more about Micron Art. Reynard Wellman is the driving force behind Micron Art and we recently had the chance to speak with him.


	Reynard Wellman, Micron Art

Ztrains: You recently released 2 new designs, a pair of Pratt truss bridges, how did you decide on producing these two bridges?
Reynard Wellman: I actually wanted these bridges for myself. In addition to producing a variety of Z scale kits in brass, I also run Z scale at home. Since I wanted this type of bridge for myself I felt that once folks realized that these bridges go together fairly quickly and are a lasting focal point on any layout, they will want them too. It creates immediate scenic "wow" when you see them in place.

Ztrains: Tell us a bit about your background.
Reynard Wellman: I grew up in North Texas but when I was 13 we moved to even more North Colorado. My core education came from the art schools I attended; Taos Institute of Creative Orientation in Taos, N.M. for color science and for bronze casting at the College of Marin in Kent, Ca. At one time I worked on the BART lines (Bay Area Rapid Transit) in San Francisco measuring and designing electrical installation equipment for the train control and communications system.

I got to see a lot of this railway before it was opened to the public. There are stations on the ground level, "at grade"; elevated stations, "at aerial"; and of course below ground, "subway". Every depot was designed by different architects, so the variety of tiles, colors, materials and themes was very exciting. A well planned rail line can enrich the aesthetic experience for the citizens using it!



	Micron Art Pratt Truss Bridge. Click to enlarge.

I've also worked for food in aviation (Seattle), mining (Western Colorado), optics (Berkeley) and finally in electronic chip testing here in Austin. In the mining episode of my work experience I did some design work in the Montrose, Colorado rail yards where the zinc ore was loaded into the DRGW (Denver & Rio Grande Western) hoppers for shipment to smelters in other states. But the most fun I had with trains at that time was in riding the little narrow gauge mine shuttle they called "the Man-Tram" which jostled and bumped us all deep into the mountain to the mines' numerous "lifts" (elevators). The helmets we wore came in handy in preventing our heads from being driven against the roof of the Man-Tram cars on this wicked ride!

Ztrains: The Pratt truss bridges are the first bridges Micron Art has produced... are you planning other bridge types in the future?
Reynard Wellman: Yes, because again, I want some smaller bridge types leading up to the big ones on my own layouts. As to when, well that does depend on the market.



	Micron Art Office. Click to enlarge.

Ztrains: How did you find your way into model railroading?
Reynard Wellman: When I was 12 I begged my parents for an HO train for Christmas. Dad got me a die cast light Mikado that I had to put together myself. Dad, always the mechanic / inventor, showed me how to quarter the wheels. Also all the crazy boxcars, tankers, gondolas and caboose were die cast metal kits! I spent the first month of my HO adventure, filing off flashing, installing tiny screws, wiring the motor pickups, decaling the cars, etc. The Mikado ran fine, except that it balked on tight radius track... still a potential problem with large driver steamers today. Anyway a bigger track loop solved that problem instantly! And needless to say I got used building train kits, even scratch built my very first freight depot out of balsa wood.

Ztrains: Why did you choose brass for your medium?
Reynard Wellman: It is strong and good looking, long lasting too. Photo etching brass is my way of transferring some of my best ideas into forms, thus I also have something that will withstand some abuse. Brass has heft (weight) and that speaks for itself. People value brass art, they can feel it!

Ztrains: It's interesting that you just used the word "art" in this model railroad context. Ztrains published an article last year, Z scale as art that looked at this very idea of Z scale model railroad pieces as art works. What's your view of this topic.
Reynard Wellman: I think the definition of the word "art" has changed. Jewelry can be stamped out trinkets or it can be the work of a master. American artist Alexander Calder used to just bend up some wire while waiting for a bus and created beautiful little mobiles. He'd give them away to friends. The same applies to some of our model railroad hobby items. I've seen auctions of "Pacific Fast Mail" brass trains with the starting prices at $50,000 to $100,000. But it is not just the prices asked for an object, it is the value of its desirability, execution and story behind it.

Ztrains: What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of brass?
Reynard Wellman: Well, I've already touted it's advantages. The disadvantage might be cost, especially if you are casting brass, which requires masters sculpted to perfection, plaster moulds, lost wax, kilns, melt furnaces, crucibles, grinding, machining, polishing, soldering, priming, painting, etc., you get the idea. It's amazing that a company like AZL's (American Z Line) brass locos even see the light of day given what's involved in successfully producing them!

Ztrains: With all the experience Micron Art has in brass etching, have you considered producing Z scale rolling stock kits?
Reynard Wellman: No. MTL, Marklin, PennZee, Aspen, Full Throttle, FR, Zthek, etc. are doing a great job on this already.



	Micron Art Screenshot. Click to enlarge.

Ztrains: How does your earlier described background influence your designs?
Reynard Wellman: When I was a little kid there were still big old steam engines blocking the road crossings around town. I also rode a lot of trolley cars downtown to see movies back in those days. How can you not remember and be influenced by that kind of power and charm? But that speaks more about my motive than my design background. To be candid, I've always thought like an architect, touring civic works, commercial buildings, homes and bridges. Creating Z scale structures from our recent past in railroading has started to open up some new ideas for me.

Ztrains: Where do you see Micron Art in, say... 5 years?
Reynard Wellman: We're going to be in it for the long haul. In the ensuing years I plan to go more "post modern" in my offerings. This will give me an opportunity to express some of those architectural ideas I have concerning future depots, bridges and public spaces. Creating designs that use today's new materials and CAD systems to make exciting and enjoyable spaces for our little Z scale figures to wander about in.

Thanks to Jürg Rüedi for use of his photograph of the Micron Art bridge. This bridge was part of a custom diorama Jürg commissioned Ztrains to design and build.

May 4, 2008

TimeCast, Historic Miniatures

TimeCast of Shrewsbury, England produces a series of dedicated Z scale, as well as many 6mm, historically accurate European and North American structures that are reasonably priced... and very good.

The thumbnail photo above is actually one of their 6mm scenes with a Marklin box car in the photo for reference. Looks good from here!.

From the Napoleonic era to the fields of Gettysburg to WWII era Germany... TimeCast covers quite a lot of ground.

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