What schism exists between Large Scalers and other Model Railroaders...

[tangerine-jack]

Hey Ian, do you mean "amateur" philosophers or "immature" philosophers?[(-D][(-D][(-D]
Small minds talk about small things, large minds get great things done.....

[oX)]

[grandpopswalt]

Cappy,

Our friend OLD DAD, who no longer visits our forum, Has done just exactly what you're talking about. He shapes his mountains out of a wire screen (hardware cloth) armature. He then covers it with several layers of mortor. He then applies the last mortor layer and "sculps" the rock detail into the still wet mortor. And last, he colors the mountains with a cement dye. The results are realistic and beautiful. You may recall that he's in MN where the temperture swings from a summer high in the 100's to winter lows down to -30. Despite the climate, his cement "mountains" have survived many years.

Walt

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by grandpopswalt

Cappy,

Our friend OLD DAD, who no longer visits our forum, Has done just exactly what you're talking about. He shapes his mountains out of a wire screen (hardware cloth) armature. He then covers it with several layers of mortor. He then applies the last mortor layer and "sculps" the rock detail into the still wet mortor. And last, he colors the mountains with a cement dye. The results are realistic and beautiful. You may recall that he's in MN where the temperture swings from a summer high in the 100's to winter lows down to -30. Despite the climate, his cement "mountains" have survived many years.

Walt

That sounds very interesting, I may try some of that. Now that you mention it, I miss OLDDAD.

Capt Carrales

[Anonymous]

CAPT.
I went back through the forums , in DECEMBER of 04 looks like he last posted, ben

[Anonymous]

Walt, do you and Old Dad still converse? I hope he's doing well.[:)]

[bman36]

Matt,
Larry and I still converse from time to time. He and the family did a Disney trip before Christmas. All is well there. I too miss seeing him on the forum. Maybe I can coax him into coming back. Later eh...Brian.

[Anonymous]

Bman, His signatures always made me smile! He'd go from Old Dad to Grumpy Old Dad[:)]

[Anonymous]

Ah hi gang.

Very interesting thread. I came across it searching for some forums to poke around, to find out more about Outdoor Model Railroading. I had until 3 weeks ago a burgeoning N Scale layout. My layout was progressing, but I had finally gotten tired of family in house, me in garage, and just decided to give up on the whole thing. eBay’d off most stuff already. Rest will follow soon. Not an easy decision. I’m hooked into the N Scale world pretty tight. Even moderate forums on a couple of N Scale sites.

Daughter (11) has her own HO layout that receives scant attention for similar reasons as my N Scale layout. She’s resisting the eBay route to some extent.

Well she was resisting, now she’s all for it.

What happened? Wife, son, daughter and I visited The Living Desert this weekend. Wow, what an eye opener. All I knew about garden railroads was what runs around the ceiling of the dentist and barbershop here in down. Oh it actually to different offices. My barber does not pull teeth also.

Back to the story. Daughter agrees, sell off the rest of the N and all of the HO stuff and build one outdoors. Even my son says, “Dad, you build one of those and I’ll even help.” Quite a statement by a kid who, when not on a pitching mound can be found non-stop in front of the xBox.

Going to be interesting hanging around here.

[Anonymous]

SKMoss,

Welcome!!! I think you will have a good time here. This is one of the best places for Large Scale Trains and information en re all thing G and F scale. Read the old posts, make some friends and bring your triumphs and failures to us and we will be more than glad to help you!

From whence do you hail? I'm banging a keyboard in South Texas!

Capt Carrales

[Anonymous]

Capt,

I currently hail from Temecula, CA. Sorta between San Diego and L.A. Western edge of the desert. I know some about So Texas. Grew up in a prarie dog town called Abilene.

Be happy to bring my failures. Figure I'll have more than enough to go around. As far as triumphs? Bah, I don't need no stinking triumphs, triumphs are for wimps. Give me a good ole MGB. (Ok lame attempt a Brit Sport car humor, sorry)

Will have a half billion questions before I make a commitment to acutally building. It looks like yet one more expensive hobby. Prolly the first one will be post under the heading of "How to keep a golden retriever that thinks every thing is her toy and any place daddy dug is prolly hiding a bone, off my railroad."

Anyway, Capt, thanks for the welcome.

[Anonymous]

Hi SKMoss
[#welcome] to the mad house
My dog and late dog don't worry about the trains anymore at first they ran away
then they checked them out.
Now happy to just sit by me and watch the trains or in a shady spot and watch trains.
The surviving dog makes the occasional perway inspection but is carefull not to break anything
regards John

[vsmith]

SKMoss

Welcome from another SoCal LS modeler, I'm indoors though, not enough room outside[}:)]

GENTLEMEN, THE RULES.....

Rule 1, for us in the Hot zone, never ever use plastic wheels outdoors in summertime, they melt!

Rule 2, Have fun!

Rule 3, Rule 1 and Rule 2 are the ONLY rules, everything else is whatever you want it to be! Make your layout as small or as big as you want, as detailed or spartan as you want, thats the beauty of outdoor railroading, it whatever YOU want it to be[;)][:D]

[Capt Bob Johnson]

SK, I raised my layout 28 inches by using retaining wall and filling (expensive proposition), but my labs don't get up there and leave land mines on the track! Also don't get blowing debris, leaves, corn husks, or snapping turtles and other reptiles other than frogs! Also tends to keep smallest grandchildren at observing distance til they learn what they can & can't touch!

Height makes it much easier for a senile citizen to work on it! Didn't have to dig for pond, just didn't fill that area!

The main thing is to enjoy. If you can get mama involved you can maybe get her to take over the planting/weeding, which would leave you more time for running trains! My wife is quite happy to work out there as long as I have something going around the track.

[Anonymous]

My apologies for hijacking the thread. But I sure appreciate the thoughts on dogs.

I'm lookin' forward to getting started. Already picked out my loco. :)

Now to get the honey truly behind the idea.

[fievel]

I'm an N scaler who appreciates ALL scales. There are some elitists out there who
think that their scale is the only way to enjoy . I've met quite a few,in every scale
from Z to G. Even some" real world " railroaders put us down. They disparage us
by calling us "wannabes" and "foamers",etc.
But many more people who model trains ,whether indoors or outside, are civil and
accepting of the differences between scales. I'd love to have an outdoor RR, but
right now I don't have the time.[:)]

[Anonymous]

Fievel, I am one that enjoys all the scales at the shows, even Lionel O even though I never aquired the blind third rail eye.

[fievel]

That third rail brings back pleasant chilhood memories for me, so I overlook it.
[sigh] Sure do miss my Lionel set from the sixties. A lot of fun![:)]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by fievel

That third rail brings back pleasant chilhood memories for me, so I overlook it.
[sigh] Sure do miss my Lionel set from the sixties. A lot of fun![:)]

I don't really find the "third rail" aestetically pleaseing for outdoor trains. I like the look of two railed track better for outside. Indoors, the "third rail" is a great nostalgia. Like holidy fun and big Lionel parties to show off to friends.

Capt Carrales

[Anonymous]

Third rail has never been legal in htis country for safety reasons, nor have i done anything to do with it in Garden Railroads so i don't knw much about it.

I thought it was interesting what Vic had to say about about plastic wheels melting in the sun, mine don't and i think this is generally regarded as a hotter zone than anywhere in mainland USA. Somewhere between Florida and Hawaii. 26 degrees from the equator or 1560 nautical miles not much is it.

Truly I have never had a plastic wheel that even looked like melting. Is this because I opnly run LGB? another advantage huh, for the extra money it costs.


Rgds ian

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by iandor

Third rail has never been legal in htis country for safety reasons, nor have i done anything to do with it in Garden Railroads so i don't knw much about it.

I thought it was interesting what Vic had to say about about plastic wheels melting in the sun, mine don't and i think this is generally regarded as a hotter zone than anywhere in mainland USA. Somewhere between Florida and Hawaii. 26 degrees from the equator or 1560 nautical miles not much is it.

Truly I have never had a plastic wheel that even looked like melting. Is this because I opnly run LGB? another advantage huh, for the extra money it costs.


Rgds ian

Try leaving a set of plastic Bachmann wheels on a exposed siding next time its a sunny hot hot day. [:0][}:)][;)][:I][:o)]

[Anonymous]

Vic, do you really think Ian has anything with the Bachmann name on it? Well maybe on his shooting range[:D]