Penny, pets and kids must go wild when they see that!
A small "carpet central":
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
mersenne6 One subset of the toy train layout that has not been mentioned is the classic carpet central. As a memeber in good standing of the Broadloom Conspiracy I've built numerous carpet centrals over the years. I was going to post some of the pictures but I see that the CTT forum has, once again, changed the methods for adding a picture to a post and I haven't a clue as to what to do. For me this endless shifting of posting methods is the single biggest weak point of the forum. I realize Kalmbach wants the pictures located offline but I wish they would do something about their software to permit ease of posting pictures from an offline source. They used to have a system that allowed you to do a copy from your offline source and a simple paste into the post. That was replaced with some kind of software that blocked every attempt I made to post. That, in turn was followed by a setup that required you to find the complete http address of the picture, copy/paste that into a popup box and then get the picture in the thread. Most recently, they went back to a simple copy/paste and now they have changed things yet again and nothing I can try will get the picture into the thread. ...Anyway - sorry about the rant - someday when they change things yet again maybe I can post one of my pictures of one of my carpet centrals.
One subset of the toy train layout that has not been mentioned is the classic carpet central. As a memeber in good standing of the Broadloom Conspiracy I've built numerous carpet centrals over the years.
I was going to post some of the pictures but I see that the CTT forum has, once again, changed the methods for adding a picture to a post and I haven't a clue as to what to do.
For me this endless shifting of posting methods is the single biggest weak point of the forum. I realize Kalmbach wants the pictures located offline but I wish they would do something about their software to permit ease of posting pictures from an offline source.
They used to have a system that allowed you to do a copy from your offline source and a simple paste into the post. That was replaced with some kind of software that blocked every attempt I made to post. That, in turn was followed by a setup that required you to find the complete http address of the picture, copy/paste that into a popup box and then get the picture in the thread. Most recently, they went back to a simple copy/paste and now they have changed things yet again and nothing I can try will get the picture into the thread.
...Anyway - sorry about the rant - someday when they change things yet again maybe I can post one of my pictures of one of my carpet centrals.
I think this forum would have a lot more activity on it if it were easier to post things. I know I've never posted one picture on this and I have many I would share.
mersenne,
You have my vote, you want to make this issue into a reform campaign.
Yes, even though it came and went very quickly. I've got a 2018 myself, great little puller, mine'll do 13 modern production cars plus a caboose (Lionel, MTH, Atlas) with no trouble at all.
I don't run it all the time, it's the replacement for the 2018 I had as a boy that I gave to my then 12 year old nephew at Christmas 2008. Even though I had newer and fancier engines I still missed it, believe it or not.
The new engines do things the old ones don't, but for sound effects you still can't beat that E-unit buzz!
Did you notice one of the locos was a 2018?
I just watched your video Becky, it's hysterical! Well done!
Although I'm a little disappointed some of those Daleks didn't get a well-deserved flattening by Mighty 2035.
Wayne
traindaddy1 Firelock76...OGR forum: "mean streak" ? Thought I was the only one that had that impression.
Firelock76...OGR forum: "mean streak" ? Thought I was the only one that had that impression.
Traindaddy, you ain't the only one. I've looked in there (the OGR) forum and just don't want to get involved. Other CTT "Forumites" seem to have gotten the same impression. I can't give you specific examples of various posters here but a lot have come away from the OGR forum with a bad taste in their mouths.
I kind of get the impression the folks over there consider it a closed club and only a select few are invited in. Some of the statements made there go far beyond good-natured ribbing between friends. And I think a lot of those boys take this stuff WAY too seriously. Thank goodness it's not the same here.
It's too bad, I've been an OGR reader for a good ten-plus years and find the magazine very well-done and enjoyable. I don't subscribe myself, I get it at my LHS.
Penny, you had me feeling demented for awhile. Dalek, what was a Dalek? Then, Dr Who! I thought i was a goner.
gondolas are a great ride for funny creatures.
There will be more on the layout soon. But here's an appetizer. Introducing "Skippy" the reluctant Dalek! :
Palallin, perhaps the distance between the toy train enthusiast and the realistic modeler is shrinking. The pull toward realism in scenery and train cars may be difficult to resist. Realistic modeling is more “serious” than toy trains. The artistic skills required for realistic scenery are very professional. The engineering skills required for perfect realism in track layout and operations are impressive. And the large amounts of money required are extremely “serious.”
CTT posted a nice video a couple of months back. The scenery was excellent and the track layout looked sophisticated to me. But I was happy to see a steam loco and a diesel pass each other. They looked like different time periods. I hope so, anyway. Overall, it was more of a realistic model than a toy.
Hi-Rail most certainly can mean more realistinc trains. Many 3 rail trains today are scale in size and detail if not lettering. For many folks, Hi-Rail means realistic scenery and scale trains running on 3-rail track (usually sharp curves) and using the oversized couplers.
Tommy,
Minions! I love it. Bought or made from scratch?
i am inspired to put some of my gnomes back on the layout.
that car in your picture is cool.
Getting back to the request for photos of layouts.
I guess my layout is S gauge "Hi Rail plus wimsy" the scenery is crafted to look like what an HO layout looked like in Model Railroader in the 1950's and following the lead of John Allen (of Gorre and Daphetid fame) I couldn't resist a few touches of Wimsy, like adding Minions and flying saucers, as well as towns and industries named after characters in The Great Gatsby, The Maltese Falcon or family members and/or pets.
Little Tommy
A good gag for a Thai railroad? How about a little character in the area with a striking resemblance to Alec Guiness' Colonel Nicholson?
And a certain bridge...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwIYbvfiij0
One thing, DON'T blow up the 2035!
Firelock76Great video you posted Becky! It was neat seeing your 2035 out for a romp on the mainline.
I'm working on a new one. But on the Thai layout it's hard to come up with good gags. There's only one good road and it's hard to reach all the way (4 feet) to move vehicles around. I have one good gag in mind if I can pull it off. But so far all I have is a nice collection of derailment footage!
Firelock76 Great video you posted Becky! It was neat seeing your 2035 out for a romp on the mainline.
Great video you posted Becky! It was neat seeing your 2035 out for a romp on the mainline.
The only quibble I have with the video is that in the scene where Tom Baker gets hit by the locomotive, he should have come back as Peter Davidson.
I have figured out what is wrong with my brain! On the left side nothing works right, and on the right side there is nothing left!
Gotta get one of those blockbusters. Still looking...
Tarheel, i cant wait to see your layout.
Penny, these layouts are brilliant and very helpful. Now i get it. Here is what you taught me.
Vivid colors.
When we say scenery, we do not mean buildings. Buildings are important in setting the context and atmosphere. Layouts often are flat. Buildings can be switched in and out to completely transform a layout. Like from Toyland to Thailand. Genius.
Prewar style layout: Toylike, vivid, unrealistic colors, often on the bare floor, carpet or a simple table with minimal scenery (usually just paint with a bit of sawdust thrown on for texture.)
Postwar Lionel display layout: See http://ctt.trains.com/videos/layout-visits/2012/12/lionel-factory-layouts
This layout still has the basic paint and sawdust landscaping, but the mountains and trains are more realistic than their 1900-1942 predecessors. These layouts were produced at the Lionel factory in large quantities for the retailers who purchased them. So of course the scenery had to be kept simple. But as you can see in the photo below:
That didn't mean that all of their display layouts were simple! This is still a very popular way of building Lionel layouts. The winter version of my bedroom layout keeps things simple and traditional:
https://youtu.be/mKnah0pIz9U
One of Lionel's best, was the D63:
A D63 in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnDjL4_iEC4
I took the basic concept (city on one end, mountain on the other, divided by a viewbreak) and built my summer layout in that vein:
So, with a simple change of scenery my "toylandtown" becomes hi-rail. The buildings are made of cardstock. The station is based on the royal waiting room at Hua Hin Thailand:
As a sometime On30 modeler, I can say one of the reasons that it has few adherents on the "scale" side is that it is really a compromise. Historically very few American railroads were ever built in 2 1/2 ft guage (On30). The majority of the narrow guage railroads built in the USA were 3 ft (On36 in model nomenclature). Railroads like the Colorado & Southern; the Denver, Rio Grande & Western; and the other storied lines of the Old West were all 3 ft guage. On30 was created specifically by manufacturers to allow them to use existing HO track and HO mechanisms to mass produce cheaper equipment. Equipment which is actually 6 inches narrower than the prototype. That's why On30 gets disrespected among "true" O-scale narrow guage adherents who use only 36" track and trains.
Hope I'm not putting my neck on the chopping block, but I plan to add some ON30 to my layout at some point... and I sure won't be over at Ogre to ask any questions!!!
Ogre! Thats funny.
Don't pay attention to those people on the OGR forum, some of those guys have a mean streak, God alone knows why.
It's why "Penny Trains," myself, and a lot of other CTT "Forumites" don't bother with them. "P-T" even calls the magazine and website "Ogre."
I do find the magazine enjoyable and interesting.
Based on Bob‘s hint, i went over to OGR and did a search for on30. Right off a thread popped up in which a newbie asked a question about on30. A long time participant responded by telling him he did not belong in an o gauge forum. The editor jumped in to say that was wrong, on30 was very welcome. Too late, damage was done.
lets face it. When your name is O gauge, O scale on HO track is a little bit of a stretch.
Nuthin' wrong with On30. Don't ask for specific examples, but I know there's been layouts pictured in CTT where some O-gauger layouts have been made a bit more colorful and interesting by the addition of an On30 line or two.
Hey, there's been O gauge layouts pictured where someone's added an N-gauge line, usually as an amusement part ride.
Since Bob's brought them up, I can tell you the editor of OGR is a passionate On30 adherant.
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