pets and trains.

[perry1060]

No pets allowed other then a few lizards and scorpions that visit from time to time. I once had a spider that took up residence in a stalactite cavern on a previous layout. We fed his web with bugs and then watched him come down for the feast. He soon moved out once he realized he was not living in the real world. Cats are more dangerous and scary then most will ever know...unless they build layouts.

[Anonymous]

My daughter's cat has cerebral palsy (for real, he walks like he's drunk), anyway he ate or stole all my little peoples in the garden, then proceeded to dig up all the mulch and scatter it for his latrine -- a short plastic fence around the layout slowed him down for awhile--at least till he broke it trying to squeeze his fat butt through. (He's fixed, so he's part house, part cat, but definitely NOT a housecat)

THEN one day the idiot dog got loose and chased said cat through the little village. It looked like the aftermath of a hurricane. I STILL haven't gotten all the buildings fixed.

At least I won't have to worry about all that anymore.... My dear wife has filed for that nasty "d" word, so all I can now afford is a 2nd floor apt that doesn't allow pets -- and I've never heard of a fish destroying a train layout.(yet)

[phillyreading]

ElMik,

I live in hurricane ally in south Florida and can tell you that hurricanes are very destructive maybe more destructive than you mention about your layout with the cat and dog damage.

With hurrican Andrew(August 1992, a catagory 5 hurricane) most of the trees were stripped of thier leaves and broken off at about 12 feet high, a lot of houses were totally destroyed(beyond rebuilding financially), cars were thrown into the front windows of houses or landed on one another in the parking lot. Damage to mobile homes looked like somebody put a large firecracker inside an aluminum soda can and lit it, other damage to mobile homes included tree branches impaling them thru the sides. Needless to say Homestead Florida looked like the aftermath of an atomic bomb going off, what was not stripped by wind was damaged by rain weeks later. Looked like a squadron of flying chainsaws came thru followed by an army of giants kicking houses and cars all about.  CSX railroad even had a frieght car(gondola) or two overturned outside of Homestead.

My layout got soaked from the rains after the hurricane but I saved the trains, also lost some track but the transformers stayed dry.

Much success on your new layout, and keep the pets out!

Just for your info I went threw a divorce just over three years ago, and now am happily remarried to a wonderful woman.

Lee Fritz

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your comments, Lee. The houses were all cheapie Piko "Wild West" things with the false fronts gabled to look more like eastern company town cottages. After the idiot dog & cat were done they were all split level (you know, partly split and mostly level).

The dog was also dragging her chain & stake through everything. I found a LOT of the pieces and about half the toy cars in the pond...I think I'll stand by my description.

Due to available space, the new layout will have to be built on a diningroom tabletop (yuck!). I'm currently looking for houseplants that will survive on indirect light so I can at least pretend somewhat that I still have a garden RR. (Anybody have any they want rid of?)

[Anonymous]

My wife has five...Yes five...cats and they just love my HO scale layout.

The layout is in the spare room so I can usually keep the door closed and the cats out but every once in a while I'll notice something missing. For instance, last week there was a kidnapping...A poor unsuspecting roadworker was taken....I found him three days later on top of the refridgerator....

Let's have a moment of silence....HaHa.

Matt Kessenich
Webmaster Little Choo Choo Shop
Visit www.littlechoochooshop.com.

[RR Redneck]

Well I mourn your loss. lol

[cnw1995]

 One of our three cats has recently taken a liking to the foam rubber I use for walls. Yesterday morning, I found them all pulled up and neatly gathered in a corner of the layout. This is the nth time she's done it - and finally I'm going to start looking for a substitute.

[RR Redneck]

See after the second or third time I would have started looking for a decent replacement.

[Anonymous]

See after the second or third time I would have started looking for a decent replacement.

For the foam or the cat?

[MikeSanta]

We have a cat and a 42 inch iguana. The cat mostly pussyfoots around the layout: she'll sleep on it some but the minute I run something she splits. The lizard, however, is a different story. She's not afraid of the trains which is surprising because you figure that since boa constrictors are their mortal enemies a train would not be a welcome sight. She can knock stuff over but so far has not done any permament damage. After all, they're family, too.

[palallin]

A cat has begun hanging around our place, but it isn't allowed inside.  In addition to the fact that I don't like cats, my son and I are seriously allergic to cat hair.  The cat hasn't figured out that I keep it around only that it might do a little mousing, but apparently God didn't provide this one with that skill. 

When the Christmas layout goes down on the floor, our dogs might get to see it, but neither seems remotely interested (though my wife's spastic Terrier did the Godzilla routine once across the board--fortunately, Standard Gauge stations are pretty heavy and solid!).

I used to have a cockatiel that would take a short ride on an O gauge gondola, but she's gone now.  The current two don't get out as much (more kids, less time).

[RR Redneck]

We have a chihuahua puppy that likes to ride in the gondolas of my Lionel and Ariso-Craft trains. It is a gem to see.