Wet Idea

[Anonymous]

I am still in the design phase of my layout. I realize that this is probably asking for trouble, but here goes. Has anybody had any experience putting real water (yes good old H2O) into a stream or lake? Possibly using an old fountain pump to move it along the stream bed. What are your thoughts.

I know that water and electricity don't usually mix well [:I], but if the stream bed were properly (and heavily) sealed with a good caulk would it be possible to make this work. This was a suggestion from a friend, and I told them I didn't think it would be a good idea, but I would ask the great folks in this forum.[:D][:D]

Thanks
Steve

[Anonymous]

I am still in the design phase of my layout. I realize that this is probably asking for trouble, but here goes. Has anybody had any experience putting real water (yes good old H2O) into a stream or lake? Possibly using an old fountain pump to move it along the stream bed. What are your thoughts.

I know that water and electricity don't usually mix well [:I], but if the stream bed were properly (and heavily) sealed with a good caulk would it be possible to make this work. This was a suggestion from a friend, and I told them I didn't think it would be a good idea, but I would ask the great folks in this forum.[:D][:D]

Thanks
Steve

[Anonymous]

The problem with real water is that it doesn't have the flow characteristics that you would expect to see in a scaled down version. In other words, to make water flow correct to HO scale, you would need to have scaled down water. A drop of water can be as big as an HO person. This is why you don't see a lot of articles on it.

[Anonymous]

The problem with real water is that it doesn't have the flow characteristics that you would expect to see in a scaled down version. In other words, to make water flow correct to HO scale, you would need to have scaled down water. A drop of water can be as big as an HO person. This is why you don't see a lot of articles on it.

[Anonymous]

You also have problems with evaporation, mold growth, and coloring. Real water that is only an inch deep is transparent. It wouldn't look that way in real live in a pond (you most likely wouldn't be able to see the bottom of an 8' deep near a railroad in real live, what with silt, dirt, pollution, etc).

Rob

[Anonymous]

You also have problems with evaporation, mold growth, and coloring. Real water that is only an inch deep is transparent. It wouldn't look that way in real live in a pond (you most likely wouldn't be able to see the bottom of an 8' deep near a railroad in real live, what with silt, dirt, pollution, etc).

Rob

[Anonymous]

It occurs to me, thought, that few years back there was an article in MR about a guy who DID use some real water.

He used some detergent to lower the surface tension (IIRC), and floated a THIN layer of water across a sheet of plexiglass to get a moving-water effect without having alot of depth or sloshing.

Rob

[Anonymous]

It occurs to me, thought, that few years back there was an article in MR about a guy who DID use some real water.

He used some detergent to lower the surface tension (IIRC), and floated a THIN layer of water across a sheet of plexiglass to get a moving-water effect without having alot of depth or sloshing.

Rob

[Sperandeo]

Hi Steve,

I think Rob is referring to my old buddy Lee Vande Visse, who used real water on his On3 layout. He wrote about it in "Live water and real plants on the Crown Mountain Division," in the August 1991 MODEL RAILROADER, page 102. Lee addressed most of the problems that Keith and Rob have mentioned, and felt that he'd solved them to his satisfaction. He found that visitors were more impressed by the running water than by other things that took a lot more work, like the trains!

By the way, thanks to Steve, Keith, and Rob for signing their names.

So long,

Andy

[Sperandeo]

Hi Steve,

I think Rob is referring to my old buddy Lee Vande Visse, who used real water on his On3 layout. He wrote about it in "Live water and real plants on the Crown Mountain Division," in the August 1991 MODEL RAILROADER, page 102. Lee addressed most of the problems that Keith and Rob have mentioned, and felt that he'd solved them to his satisfaction. He found that visitors were more impressed by the running water than by other things that took a lot more work, like the trains!

By the way, thanks to Steve, Keith, and Rob for signing their names.

So long,

Andy

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all your input, I will be thinking about this part of the layout for quite a while before I seriously put it into place. Keeping the water in the designated areas could prove to be a bigger undertaking than I want to get into.

Thanks again[:)]
Steve

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all your input, I will be thinking about this part of the layout for quite a while before I seriously put it into place. Keeping the water in the designated areas could prove to be a bigger undertaking than I want to get into.

Thanks again[:)]
Steve

[Anonymous]

You also need to watch the scenery around the wet area. Most common materials used today in modeling are water soluble including plywood. Also, detergent bubbles as a rule. You need a nonionic surfacant. Try automatic dishwasher detergent. If you have kids you'll also need to address them drinking the water. If you use tap water you'll most likely have mineral deposit problems. There's a reason most don't use water inside. It makes keeping a clean fishtank or swimming pool look easy. Leave real water to G scalers in their traingarden.

[Anonymous]

You also need to watch the scenery around the wet area. Most common materials used today in modeling are water soluble including plywood. Also, detergent bubbles as a rule. You need a nonionic surfacant. Try automatic dishwasher detergent. If you have kids you'll also need to address them drinking the water. If you use tap water you'll most likely have mineral deposit problems. There's a reason most don't use water inside. It makes keeping a clean fishtank or swimming pool look easy. Leave real water to G scalers in their traingarden.

[Anonymous]

Also, if using real water, put a magnet it, this helps with the iron content of the water. "Ponders" use magnetics in their water to help it stay "manageable." Evaporation is going to be your big problem, with scale lines eventually showing because you didn't add more "on time." If you're beginning to think that water is to much of a pain to use - you're probably right.

[Anonymous]

Also, if using real water, put a magnet it, this helps with the iron content of the water. "Ponders" use magnetics in their water to help it stay "manageable." Evaporation is going to be your big problem, with scale lines eventually showing because you didn't add more "on time." If you're beginning to think that water is to much of a pain to use - you're probably right.

[Anonymous]

I think wet ideas should be left to garden railing!

[Anonymous]

I think wet ideas should be left to garden railing!

[Anonymous]

Add a draincock so you can remove the water after an operating session. Replace with fresh water for each session. Run the water in a thin layer over modelled water to give the rippling effect of movement, use surface protrusions (boulders, dead tree trunks) to create turbulence effect.

[Anonymous]

Add a draincock so you can remove the water after an operating session. Replace with fresh water for each session. Run the water in a thin layer over modelled water to give the rippling effect of movement, use surface protrusions (boulders, dead tree trunks) to create turbulence effect.

[Wdlgln005]

I'd run over to a Hobby Lobby or Michael's craft store. See if they still have any kits to make little water gardens, that were all the rage in home decorating a few years ago. Might be neat to put in a little waterfall near a pond on the layout. No fishing in the pond!

[Wdlgln005]

I'd run over to a Hobby Lobby or Michael's craft store. See if they still have any kits to make little water gardens, that were all the rage in home decorating a few years ago. Might be neat to put in a little waterfall near a pond on the layout. No fishing in the pond!

[Anonymous]

I remember my Grandfather used real water in his S scale layout. He had a dam in which logs were floated in to a sawmill. The water was kept in a small covered barrel below the layout. He had an old submersibile washing machine pump in it to pump the water to a stream which filled a lake when he wanted to display the layout. He used old newspaper tin to mold the bottom and then tarred the lake to make the bottom look more gradual and waterproof (I'm sure there are easier ways to do this now). To remove the water he opened gates on the dam to drain the lake. The water flowed in a short stream to a 1/2" copper pipe which was used to drain the water back into the barrel. The setup worked great. He did have a dehumidifier nearby to cover any moisture problems but for the amount of time the lake was filled it probably wasn't necessary.

Ron Glatt

[Anonymous]

I remember my Grandfather used real water in his S scale layout. He had a dam in which logs were floated in to a sawmill. The water was kept in a small covered barrel below the layout. He had an old submersibile washing machine pump in it to pump the water to a stream which filled a lake when he wanted to display the layout. He used old newspaper tin to mold the bottom and then tarred the lake to make the bottom look more gradual and waterproof (I'm sure there are easier ways to do this now). To remove the water he opened gates on the dam to drain the lake. The water flowed in a short stream to a 1/2" copper pipe which was used to drain the water back into the barrel. The setup worked great. He did have a dehumidifier nearby to cover any moisture problems but for the amount of time the lake was filled it probably wasn't necessary.

Ron Glatt