And now for something completely different.....

I figured it was probably something like that.

Really cool idea (and well executed), I bet several people here and pondering something similar after seeing what you did.

If anyone decides to try one I would suggest reading "How to Build Dioramas" by the late Shepard Paine. I consider it to be the the best book on the subject.

Amazing work! What do you use to power it?

I used a laptop transformer to power the lights. There is also an amplifier and speakers built in that I plug an iPod nano into and it subtly plays 1940s Big Band tunes in the background.

Nice touch!

 I have the telegrams sent to my Grandmother at each train stop, as my Grandfather and her brother returned east, after coming home from war via the west coast.

  Gramps finagled his way into a few rides on big name trains by "out of the way trips", necessitated by being "accidently separated" from the rest of the guys, with a little unofficially approved FUBAR travel decisions.

This was the original main grouping of figures. I decided that they looked a bit stiff and contrived and did not really tell the story very well. I thought the mother and son showed more "anticipation"and better conveyed the idea of waiting for the return of a loved one.

New sculpts:

Passengers:

Late to the parade but how about , Da Dun Dada Dun Da Dun da dun, oh waity that would be Monty Python, I di gres. sorry a flash back perhaps.  Cheers Jim  (duck and cover)

I think you made the right choice for another reason too. Timing.

 To me, the time line established by the old character positioning says the soldier is freshly arrived, and stepped right off the train at that very spot on the platform.

  It doesn't look like he has been there for more than two minutes, but his train in is gone already?

  The path of real movement from place to place was missing for them, other than him stepping right off a train which seemingly hasn't yet arrived.

 Only the boy seems stiff to me. Like he is "planted" or walking, while holding a ball away from himself.

  I might try to shift his weight back, to show "pulling" or "stand him still"; or bend the elbows, and lower the arms to show him pulling harder at the clothes, as he takes a step closer.

   The soldier at the bench reminds very much of my Grandfathers story.

  And the whole "green thing" reminds my that he "out grew" his old uniform, and had to settle for the "wrong" material for a full dress VFW memorial function one year in the 70's. I think it was even more dark, and shiny than that???.

 Anyhow, after thirty years at the USS steel mill, he had a bigger chest and arms than he did as a 101st Screaming Eagle. He thought that was hilarious , but hated the new uniform. 

 The anticipation, and motion together as a single focus, is what makes this a killer shot.

The two images, train, and Mom/son could work together on a stark white background without any detail around them.