dominic c Hi I wasn't able to upload this pic but I wanted to show you that a 1:72 airplane sits well with 1:87 men
Hi I wasn't able to upload this pic but I wanted to show you that a 1:72 airplane sits well with 1:87 men
One or a handful of airplanes in a sensible scale can work well on a layout, whether you want to model a small corner of a small airport by the railroad, or have a plane in the air above the layout or something like that.
Or for that matter - if you want to make a weird monument to commemorate "the crash in the agriculture in the 1980s", like this one in Norway, Illinois: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2093
"Hundreds" of airliners in assorted smaller scales (probably mostly 1:250 and 1:600, given the makes specified by the OP) - now that is an entirely different kettle of fish.
Smile, Stein
Just a side note to add. Was down in HSV this weekend and took my son with me. Just for fun we drove by the intermodel terminal. He's seen stack trains by the zillion go through our town, but this was the first time he was the terminal. He was duly impressed by the big overhead cranes, but the coolest thing to him was the 60 year old RS-1. Now there's a modern kid who knows what a real diesel looks like.
I have seen posts suggesting hanging an airplane on a string from the ceiling, or mounting it on a plastic pedestal, but I found something more to my liking: I found a (lightweight) plastic model of a passenger airliner, just a little smaller than scale. I added some LED's for lighting with a small battery inside, and a concealed tiny switch. I then inserted a metal pin into the wing-tip and stuck the pin into the sky backdrop. I mounted it at a slight downward angle to suggest it was landing at the airport just off the layout, that only I could see. I added a few directional signs on the highway to direct passengers to the airport to finish the illusion. I think it was a "high point" of the layout. (Pun intended)
Stein,
Your post is a really good one. Especially because as it shows a good prototype for both kind of a real train operations in an airport. By the way, your example shows a common feature of commuter trains going to airport: final stations often are underground ones, and lines to them go through tunnels or cuts. Your example also shows that 600 yards of space between fuel terminal and planes, and even greater distance between fuel and passenger terminal.
80ktsClamp, superbe,
If, as you say, most major US airports have fuel tanks above ground, then they shall be modeled this way. It looks that there is a difference between European and US approach to certain safety issue here. I looked over Dulles International Airport in Google Earth, those above ground tanks are do there; still, they are 300 meters (330 yards) from runway, which would have to be compressed on layout. As of having fuel tanks and planes closely, I really cannot imagine myself prototypical operations doing this. So I would still not model any plane sitting nearby fuel tank, because that defies my sense of realism.
If you want the justification of why railways, roads and tanks around airports go below ground level, and why there is such a big distance kept between tanks and planes please look into description of subject at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runway_safety_area and into case of TAM Airlines Flight 3054, which crashed in 2007 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
To summarize, if I were to model an airport with commuter rail and fuel, then I would split it (with backdrops?) into three views - separate stations for commuter and fuel trains, and a line between them. The line can be in a cut below level of runway, and planes in smaller scales sitting on the runway can make a forced perspective, adding to impression of a vast open space of an airport.
Any better ideas?
I just bounced through seattle the other day, and an FYI for all you Google earth lovers... there is a HUGE intermodal operation located right near Boeing field (BFI) just south of downtown Seattle.
There are parrallel or maybe even shared UP and BNSF lines too.... even more interesting.
Hold my beer... ya'll watch this!
When I was in the Air Force at McGuire AFB there were many warehouses that were served by rail on base.The USAF even had a GE 44 tonner there.
Aviation is merely a passing fancy . . . . . a toy for the idle rich. Let us hope that it passes from the scene quickly and we can then return to a more practical mode of transportation!
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
Passing fancy?? 108 years old is no passing fancy!!
Thats it! No prob about the info! Thanks for the pics!!
AntonioMartin Passing fancy?? 108 years old is no passing fancy!!
I'm sorry! I forgot to take my tongue out of my cheek before I hit the "Post" button!
Don't know is anyone is still reading this line of conversation or not, but I have one excellent nomination for airport/rail line proximity. CSX (ex-L&N/ex-NC&StL-ex Western and Atlantic) Chattanooga to Atlanta mainline runs right across the street from Chattanooga Metropolitan (Lovell Field) Airport. The railroad got there around 1850 but the Lovell Field has been an active commercial airport since the 1930's, so any era modeled would be appropriate.
As a kid in the early 50's our parents would take us to the airport parking/observation area on Sunday afternoons to watch Eastern, Delta, and Capitol airlines do their arrivals and departures. I loved it but always kept an eye out behind us because one never knew when a train would roar by. The best of both worlds!
Georgia Observer
Most diescast A/C are a mininum 1/500 scale. At least with any realistic detail. Herpa for one. I collect aviation memorabilia and diecast A/C in 1/400 and 1/200 mostly. I do have 1/500. And I do have a 1/100 UPS B767 but it is huge. I have purchased some 1/87 plastic kits and models on line. Some military stuff. I plan on modeling a factory, mostly for restoration of A/C. The Walther's Dayton Machine Works looks like a good one with some overhead crane stuff. Have some wings laying around and parts. This way I can get my A/C in the layout without tying up real estate for an airfiled. And stay in scale. The airport where I work I guy use to have a shop with a rail line behind it. He would get all kinds of neat stuff to restore. Mostly WWII A/C out of the water. T28's. Once he had a Focke Wolfe...maybe a 190. All riddled up with bullet holes. Most came in on flatbed trucks. Someone here mention SDF. I was just down there, KSDF for Airbus A300 class and spent some time at the CSX Osborne Hump Yard next to the airport. The Ringling Bros. Circus train was there. Got some pics. No tracks on the airport there. Just tracks to the Ford Plant. . Anyhow, good luck. Sounds fun mixing planes with trains. I also have some neat A/C freight cars.
AntonioMartin I was wondering if anyone here has die cast model airline planes on their layouts?
I was wondering if anyone here has die cast model airline planes on their layouts?
Nope. I have a no fly zone on and around my layout.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I'm thinking I don't want a five- to seven-foot-long scale commercial jet airplane anywhere near my indoor g-scale (1:24 supposedly) layout. I remember early on thinking an airplane would be cool, but even as a beginner with high hopes I realized it would have to be high in the sky and the biggest example of forced perspective of all time!!
The St. Francis Consolidated Railroad of the Colorado Rockies
Denver, Colorado
Antonio:
I love aircraft on layouts, I think it adds a new demension. Since I also enjoy military things, being a Colonel and all, I put an airfield on my layout, in fact I continue to re-work the military base.
I wrote a post on this forum 7-29-08 at 8:59 A.M. and it has pictures of many of my airplanes, die-cast to plastic models. Some are 1:70-1:77 and others are 1:83 but I think they work well. I am not sure how to tell you how to go back to by post but it has pictures with descriptions. Hope it helps, I am going to try and attach. I use to use Photo Bucket to post pictures, but where I work now we are very limited as to the web sights we can use, so my pictures just stay there until one day I can be and post them. I have taken newones, the layout changes every six months, new project now with expansion.
Robert Sylvester
WTRR
Yesterday I posted scenes, from the WTRR (West Tennessee Railroad), which crews were preparing a portion of the layout for a new maintenance area for the military airfield. I have been working on this project again, I'd like to share it with all of you.
It's early morning and the crews are up. The basic support is blue foam, covered with sifted dirt from parking lots.
After the crew moves the dirts, a rain of alcohol and diluted white glue will fall.
Trains are able to deliver supplies as the ballast work has been completed. My ballast is sandbox sand mixed with tempra powered paints to make a grey color.
some last minute preparation as the planes move in.
Airfield without flash above and the same with flash below
Road crews are almost done, signs are being posted
As a final shot, I thought I'd stand on the runway as planes get ready to depart. I can tell you the engine noise is loud.
The foam board was left bare and painted concrete. I am re-doing the marker stripes at the end of the runway.
Thanks for letting me share.
Robert Sylvester, WTRR
Okay.The Lockheed Martin Modeler's Club in Fort Worth has a big room size layout in Fort Worth that features a DC3 on a wire that circles around a part of the layout.
The Ark-La-Tex Sectional Modelers Society has a sectional layout that they bring to a number of train shows each year that features a plane crash in the mountains with a rescue chopper circling overhead.
Now you didn't say what era your'e modeling,but if your'e modeling the modern era from the late 70's onward,here are few ideas for using helicopters:Law Enforcement;Local TV Stations and Life Flight Rescue Choppers.
Also,Kentucky Shortline Magnate RJ Corman has his own personal chopper he uses to fly out to oversee clean up train wrecks.
Why not stage a massive car wreck on your layout and have a Life Flight Chopper in parking lot or pretend your'e RJ Corman and set your chopper down at a train wreck on your layout??
Go buy some cheapie Model Power or Bachmann or find some junkers at a train show and line em'alongside your layout.
I beleive that Model Power makes a Bell Jet Ranger as part of their Mini Planes line,so buy one and repaint it into a fictional KRAP TV news chopper;Police Chopper or Rescue Chopper.
Hope that helps.
Hmnn today I received a catalog by The Airplane Shop and it seems many plane model companies are adjusting their airliners to suit some train scales, though I dont know if HO, considering a jet plane in 1-87 would take so much of one's room!
The catalog is worth a look, since many plane toy brands are adjusting their prducts so they can fit in a train layout, and viceversa. You may even find a non aviation item that you need to buy for your train layout!
thanks for the photos!!
AntonioMartin Hmnn today I received a catalog by The Airplane Shop and it seems many plane model companies are adjusting their airliners to suit some train scales, though I dont know if HO, considering a jet plane in 1-87 would take so much of one's room!
check out www.diecastairplane.com they have HO scale model planes. Like you said, they would be pretty big, you would need a sizable layout to fit more than a couple.
AntonioMartin I was wondering if anyone here has die cast model airline planes on their layouts? I do. In fact as a kid my interest in transportation WAS all airplanes. Instead of railfanning (which in Puerto Rico you could not do) I was "plane spotting' lol. Now I want to fit my hundreds of die cast planes into my town that I am making lol...and these planes do deserve to be in it, I mean Ive had some that have served my imagination honorably for almost 30 years! Specially Schabak and Matchbox ones, but also Dyna Flites. Love to see your comments! Antonio
I do. In fact as a kid my interest in transportation WAS all airplanes. Instead of railfanning (which in Puerto Rico you could not do) I was "plane spotting' lol.
Now I want to fit my hundreds of die cast planes into my town that I am making lol...and these planes do deserve to be in it, I mean Ive had some that have served my imagination honorably for almost 30 years! Specially Schabak and Matchbox ones, but also Dyna Flites.
Love to see your comments!
Antonio
I would rather not have a stationary jet liner hanging over my layout as IMHO it would kill any realism.Besides if there isn't a airport nearby these silver birds would pass silently overhead at 10,000 feet.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Walthers made a pretty decent DC-3 in HO a few years ago.
And it wasn't just a C-47 either. It came as a kit in their Cornerstone series, and it had a choice of 2 different right side fuselage halves. One with a cargo door..C-47, and one with just a man door... a true DC-3.
They also supplied the addition for the tailcone for a true DC-3 as well.. I picked one up for CP, of course.
It was a great kit, pretty accurate and dead on scale, and was available with several different airline colors
However, if you're a true rivet counter, to make a true DC-3 you'd have to modify the engine cowls. The kit came with the later Pratt and Whitney style, which was much more common on C-47s. Most true DC-3's used Wright engines with a slightly different cowls.
I think it's long out of production, but some LHs's, flea markets and evil-bay might stilllist them from time to time..
Van Hobbies H1b, K1a, T1c, D10g, F1a, F2a, G5a. Division Point: H24-66 Hammerhead, Alco covered wagons A-B-B-A, C-Liner A-B-B-A, EMD FP7A A-B-B.
H1b modified to replicate modern day 2816. All with Tsunamis.
As per this: http://www.british-ho.freeserve.co.uk/showcase/aircraft/walthers_dc3c47_1.htm I also know they had it in Delta Airlines colors...and Delta's my favorite airline by far.
That sounds great. How big do you plan for your layout to be? You're going to need A LOT of space if you are going to have planes, hangers, and runways to scale. N scale would make it a little more manageable though. The idea of having planes in your layout reminds me of the Miniatur Wunderland in Germany. They just added (are adding) an airport section to their already huge layout. Perhaps you can get some ideas from that. You should be able to find a video of it on youtube.
Edward Davis
Contributor @ Model Train Hobbyist Blog
edavis That sounds great. How big do you plan for your layout to be? You're going to need A LOT of space if you are going to have planes, hangers, and runways to scale. N scale would make it a little more manageable though. The idea of having planes in your layout reminds me of the Miniatur Wunderland in Germany. They just added (are adding) an airport section to their already huge layout. Perhaps you can get some ideas from that. You should be able to find a video of it on youtube.
Right, but you don' need the whole darned harbor to do ship intermodal loading. Backdrops, and edge-of -layout scenes are a great place for airports. The runway? The service hangars? I would model them, but they'd be right wher you're standing now.
-Morgan
well I really dont know. I have a backroom there, but not all space is mine. I guess it will grow as we go with it. Many companies have already sent free ad stuff and I have a few buildings bought so we will see about that.
Hey Guys.
I built this little Cub on floats to a Z scale from styrene. I felt that as a pilot I should have something on the layout that indicates a previous hobby interest. If you close one eye and squint you don't notice that there is not enough room for take off and the "HO" trains are a little too large, but what the heck. By golly it's my layout and I make the rules.
Enjoy the hobby.
Lee
[View:http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/themes/trc/utility/:550:0]
yankee flyer Hey Guys. I built this little Cub on floats to a Z scale from styrene. I felt that as a pilot I should have something on the layout that indicates a previous hobby interest. If you close one eye and squint you don't notice that there is not enough room for take off and the "HO" trains are a little too large, but what the heck. By golly it's my layout and I make the rules. Enjoy the hobby. Lee
Hello Yankee Flyer....I am a real, live, honest-to-goodness artist and a pretty sharp cookie if I do say so myself, and I didn't see anything "wrong" with your scale or set-up...in fact, I think it looks GREAT!
Well, since Ive had plenty of people donate stuff in different scales, scales wont really matter, but basically nothing larger than 1/400, smaller than 1/600 in airplane scale talk, HO more or less.
I saw that town, it's awesome! I wish I had something like that!!
Thanks for the word!