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Rearranging the scenery items

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  • Member since
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Rearranging the scenery items
Posted by BigDaddy on Monday, October 21, 2019 5:46 PM

RR Mel's post on vehicle lighting caught my eye:

RR_Mel
All 100 of my vehicles are removable so that I can move them around for a different look.

I moved stuff around when I was a kid, but in my "middle years" the scene was 'fixed'  Now I am still in the construction and pre moving phase, so nothing is near complete.   I can see arranging people and vehicles for a Weekend Photo post, but it never occured to me to just change the scene.

Who else rearranges the stuff on their layout just for a different look?

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by RR_Mel on Monday, October 21, 2019 6:14 PM

I do more than vehicles Henry.  I mount my figures to straight pins and drop them in .02” holes.  I also move some of the residential houses around too.  I mount my WS trees in the bases that come with them.  I hide the round WS bases with flocking.  Power poles are also removable for not only looks but for preventing old clumsy Mel from screwing them up working around them.
 
I use standard connectors on like items to make it as easy as possible.
 
I use magnets to secure the movable structures.
 
 
 
Multiple magnets in the scenery makes it easy to switch the houses.
 
 
Standard connectors work very good for moving vehicles.
 
 
I have about 120 Mel vehicle sockets on my layout and swap them very often.
 
 
When there isn’t a vehicle in a connector it’s very hard to see them.
 
 
 
 
All of the figures with the exception of the swimmers in the pool are mounted on straight pins.
 
 
The streetlight is also removable.
 
 I have as much playing on my layout as running trains.
 
Mel
 
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
 
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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, October 21, 2019 6:17 PM

I'm in the process of rearranging things on my layout before I even get to scenery.  That tells me I will rearrange scenery when I have it.  I'm sure, for me that'll be a common practice.

 

TF

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Posted by UNCLEBUTCH on Monday, October 21, 2019 6:21 PM

  All the time; not only people and vehicles,but buildings,trees. and details.

 If I get the itch to build a new/different building,I'll find a place for it.If a few other need to be relocated,  so be it.

For me, thats a big part of the fun

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Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, October 21, 2019 6:28 PM

UNCLEBUTCH

For me, thats a big part of the fun

 

 

Yep..... I would have to agree with that one.  When one's layout is done or near done, one always needs something extra to do to keep busy and have some more fun.

A brand new perspective of things is probably always waiting for you just around the corner on your layout.

 

TF

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Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, October 21, 2019 7:44 PM

RR_Mel
 I have as much playing on my layout as running trains.  

Nice work Mel. !  That would be me looking over the fence! Smile, Wink & Grin.

It's amazing the work we do to make things look "alive", when the only thing that moves, is the trains!

Mike.

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Posted by PC101 on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 12:36 AM

Some times I move items/people around so much I lose track of where they were/are.  

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Posted by doctorwayne on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 2:01 AM

While it's easy enough to move the LPBs and vehicles around to new locales, I also leave a lot of other details "loose", so that pile of junk out behind the engine shops might grow over time, then disappear to be re-started anew.  Likewise for the items on loading docks or in open freight cars.

Occasionally, I might change the scenery a bit...perhaps some new groundcover over one with which I wasn't satisfied, or perhaps a re-do to freshen-up the colours, or install a couple of additional trees.

Some towns on the layout, even though not "finished", will change little, as the structures fit into both their location and their role in operations...they're where they fit the best.

Other towns may change over time.  Elfrida is a good example.  Here's the original layout of the town...

Originally, the grain elevator was here...

...but it didn't look right, so I added a scratchbuilt farm supply store and moved it to a new location...

...and, as you can see in the photo below, its original lot was then occupied by the green-roofed structure in the background, along with the partially-visible yellow building with the blue sign...

Beyond that, shown below, was the long structure with the black roof and a small garage.

When I got this structure....

...the green-roofed building and the yellow one beside it went to the partial upper level (no specific site yet chosen), and the long structure moved down the siding into their place...

While Elfrida is still not "finished", it requires only some details on a few small structures, plus some streets and sidewalks.

South Cayuga is even less-finished, despite the area between the mainline and the aisle being pretty-much done almost as soon as the town was there...

It did have, as shown above, an LCL warehouse and the small business beyond, plus the water tower in the distance...along with a feed mill and a couple of grain elevators...

I found this structure, partially-built, at my local hobbyshop...

...and thought that it could be modified into a decent replacement for the existing LCL warehouse...

While it's still not finished, the original freight house, along with the grain elevators, went to the partial upper level.  While the grain elevators will eventually get a new home there, the LCL building is in its new locale...

The doors and windows are removed so that I can re-paint the brick, but this is a better location for this structure.

Other towns on the main level of the layout are either "finished", or very close to being so, while the upper level's towns  are, for the most part, not even started.

Wayne

 

 

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Posted by Harrison on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 8:02 AM

I mostly move vehicles, as you may know I love staging crashes. People are to hard to move, the ones that are "part" of the layout (and not just sitting there) are glued down.

IMG_0019

Harrison

Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.

Modeling the D&H in 1978.

Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"

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Posted by doctorwayne on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 10:51 AM

Harrison
...People are to hard to move, the ones that are "part" of the layout (and not just sitting there) are glued down.

Woodland Scenics' Accent Glue is a good choice for positioning the LPBs.  Simply use the brush-in-cap to apply a dab of it to the feet (or bum, if it's a seated figure), then let it sit for a few minutes until the glue becomes clear.

You can then place the figure wherever it needs to be for a specific scene.  Once you've taken the photos, the figures can be lifted easily, and re-used in another locale. 

Eventually, usually after several such moves, or a long time in one place, the glue becomes less reliable.  The fix is to use your finger to rub off the old glue, and then make a fresh application.

This poor sap has been trying to unlock his car for ages, apparently never noticing that the car has been changed several times...

...while this train's crew was here just long enough to clear the track, then went on their way...

Wayne

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 10:59 AM

Mel,

I love all your lighting and scenry effects and I can't wait to get to that aspect of layout building again.

It is one of the reasons why my scenery will be deeper than just a shelf.....more like 3-4 feet most everywhere.

Wayne, beautiful work as always.

Sheldon

    

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Posted by RR_Mel on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 11:46 AM

ATLANTIC CENTRAL

Mel,

I love all your lighting and scenry effects and I can't wait to get to that aspect of layout building again.

It is one of the reasons why my scenery will be deeper than just a shelf.....more tlike 3-4 feet most everywhere.

Wayne, beautiful work as always.

Sheldon

 

Thanks Sheldon,

 

I pretty much make everything removable.
 
 
 
He just plugs in.
 
 
 
 
 
Mel
 
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
 

 

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Posted by CGW121 on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 11:46 AM

I dont move vehicles much. My 5 year old grandson does every time he is over. He is very careful for a 5 year old and as they l long as they are not in the way (like on the tracks) I leave them alone. However he took the tires off my athearn tractors, which you can do on a lego tractor.

                                      Mike

 

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 3:54 PM

One thing I have learned on my 30 by 30 photo diorama, is that I simply MUST have poseable scenery and scenic elements on the final layout.

.

I have always glued these down in the past, but composing photographic scenes has become an enjoyable passion of mine. I cannot imagine having fully rigid scenery now.

.

Part of this might be the wargamer in me. I have played hundreds of battles on fields with poseable terrain elements. Having variety from operating session to operating session seems more enjoyable now.

.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

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Posted by doctorwayne on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 4:28 PM

Thanks for your kind words, Sheldon. 

I hope that you'll start a thread where you can post some progress pictures when you start building your new layout.  It can be a bit of a nuisance doing a step-by-step how-to, but even monthly updates would be nice to see.

Wayne

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Posted by BigDaddy on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 6:08 PM

doctorwayne
I hope that you'll start a thread where you can post some progress pictures when you start building your new layout.

I second the motion Sheldon

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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Posted by ROBERT PETRICK on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 7:42 PM

BigDaddy
doctorwayne
I hope that you'll start a thread where you can post some progress pictures when you start building your new layout.

I second the motion Sheldon

A motion has been proposed and seconded. All in favor say "Aye".

Aye!

Robert

LINK to SNSR Blog


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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 8:05 PM

ROBERT PETRICK

 

 
BigDaddy
doctorwayne
I hope that you'll start a thread where you can post some progress pictures when you start building your new layout.

I second the motion Sheldon

 

 

A motion has been proposed and seconded. All in favor say "Aye".

Aye!

Robert

 

Well thank you to all for the interest and confidence. Yes, I will be happy to share, and hopefully improve my photo skills.......

This past year since the move has been busier than expected with both family and business matters, and some aspects of our transition from the big house to here have not gone as smooth or as fast as hoped.

But it is all working out fine, and I am slowly getting the track plan completed.

When it is done, I will have it scanned and be able to post it here.

But it is being drawn the old fashioned way, pencil on mylar, on a 24x36 sheet, actually two of them, so I will not bother with printing or scanning until it is nearly complete.

One note that relates to this topic. I tried years ago to build a "modern style" shelf layout, that only deals with the railroad right of way. I found that my interests in scenery and in providing "context" for the trains was not satisfied. 

So yes, I need to build streets and structures beyond the "railroad" and go back to my roots with deeper more diverse scenery.

Sheldon 

    

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Posted by mbinsewi on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 8:11 PM

"AYE"  Can't wait !  

Mike.

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Wednesday, October 23, 2019 10:44 AM

I attach my figures with tacky glue, so they come up easily but otherwise stay in place.  Rearrangement is uncommon and requires new glue.

I do not illuminate my vehicles, so they are all just placed where they are.  I have a dual-era layout, though, so sometimes I remove and replace most of them with either older or newer models.

I build my structure lights into the buildings, not the bases, so I can move them easily, but ground scenery goes up to the structures so that's really not very practical.  One of these days I will have a few era-appropriate buildings that will require some special bases for replacement.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by Eilif on Tuesday, October 29, 2019 3:24 PM

Some really inspiring ideas on this thread. I plan to fix nearly everything except for trains and vehicles in place.  However, I promised to leave my son a road along the edge where he can place whatever vehicles he wants. 

Maybe I should leave a few concrete pads where he can place and re-place buildings too.  I already know I have some buildings in the collection that won't be used.  Why not let him have some fun with them...

Visit the Chicago Valley Railroad for Chicago Trainspotting and Budget Model Railroading. 

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Posted by RR_Mel on Tuesday, October 29, 2019 5:26 PM

MisterBeasley

I attach my figures with tacky glue, so they come up easily but otherwise stay in place.  Rearrangement is uncommon and requires new glue.

I do not illuminate my vehicles, so they are all just placed where they are.  I have a dual-era layout, though, so sometimes I remove and replace most of them with either older or newer models.

I build my structure lights into the buildings, not the bases, so I can move them easily, but ground scenery goes up to the structures so that's really not very practical.  One of these days I will have a few era-appropriate buildings that will require some special bases for replacement.

 

Actually it isn’t too hard to swap structures, residential housing in my case.  I only have four commercial buildings on my layout, two restaurants a mine and a mill.
 
I don’t compress my structures into a city or town, my layout is rural.  The base scenery around each house is flat and covered with grass, flowers and dirt flocking.  The shrubbery next to each house is attaches to the house. 
 
 
The houses can be interchanged somewhat without looking out of place, driveways do make a slight difference on some. 
 
Most of the houses on my layout are scratch built and I recently went with the Arduino UNO Random Lighting Controllers and overhauled all of the houses leaving a pigtail out the bottom of each house that plugs into a cable back to it’s Arduino.  Each house has 15 to 20 bulbs all wired to micro connector pigtails.  I use a two row 16 pin connector on the houses with 15 bulbs and a three row 24 pin connector on the house with 20 bulbs.  All the cabling back to the Arduinos is 24 conductor ribbon cable.
 
I have power drops from power poles going to each house and each house requires a mating pair of wires, that is the only PITA with moving the houses around.  I don’t move them very often but I find it a plus to have the ability to change things now and then.
 
Vehicles and trees can be moved with ease when ever I feel like moving them.
 
I’m not promoting the ability to move things it’s just a fun thing I like to do.
 
 
Mel
 
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
 

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