What happen to your Layout when you're Gone: Part II

[Anonymous]

I don't have my layout set up right now at our new house, since there is no space. But at our old house, the cat liked to sleep on it under the basement window in the sun. That meant broken telephone poles, and 'cat-hair-scenery'. Also, a couple of times I would come downstairs to find the "little people" 'helping' me work on my model railroad, or in other words, breaking something. The one time after I shut everything down after use, I failed to turn off my power-pack, which powered the switches on my layout. For some reason one of the switches had power in it and burn all the plastic surrounding it, as well as the motor. Fortunately I came back down (for some reason) and turned it off before it started a fire.

[dave9999]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AggroJones

Crikey Dave! Is that your snake? My alcoholic father is utterly terrified of snakes. He freaks out when he even sees harmless ones on TV! [:0][:0][:0]

Yeah, That's Montgomery Python. Monty for short. He's actually very gentle and friendly, although he can give people a fright. Dave

[AggroJones]

Crikey Dave! Is that your snake? My alcoholic father is utterly terrified of snakes. He freaks out when he even sees harmless ones on TV! [:0][:0][:0]

[vsmith]

What happens when I leave my layout?

The Dust Fairies come out and sprinkle the entire layout while the Cobweb Sprites weave little dangling treads of web everywhere, next the Clutter Gnomes arrive and dang it if they dont pull out every single tool, scraps , materials, and anything else thet can get their hands on and leave it everywhere on my layout. I know this because they leave tiny footprints in the dust.

[dave9999]

This is what happens to your layout when your gone....

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dave9999

Oh my god! They killed Kenny! You bast%$ds! Dave

I only could wi***hat I had as many lives as that little ..................Well anyways I'm still here yet.

[dave9999]

QUOTE: Originally posted by norboy



BTW, was the suspense really there?[;)]

John,
Like a Hitchcock movie. [8D] Dave

[Anonymous]

Dave, True, so true.[}:)]

Gotta have some fun now and then. Bet I won't see another like it on this board.[:)][:)][8D][}:)][}:)][;)]

BTW, was the suspense really there?[;)]

[dave9999]

John,
You like to keep us in suspense. Great story, only was it worth it? I mean, you may never have to do laundry again, BUT you will never hear the end of it. I think I would rather do a load every now and again. Just wait until your shopping with your wife. I bet the LBD comes back to haunt you.$$$$ Dave

[Anonymous]

Guess I better end my story eh?

When I turned and looked, I saw what was to become one of my worst nightmares, and a blessing in disguise. Durring my night of revelrie and train fun, I had decided to help out the little lady and do some laundry. I had just finished washing a load of clothes, (hers), and of course none of it could be put in the dryer.

I have a very nice belt driven exhaust fan installed in a window next to the layout and close to that is a pole for hanging hangers on. While I was completeing the task of hanging the laundry I neglected to notice that I had hung my wifes favorite LBD as she calls it, Little Black Dress as I call it, on the pole next to the exhaust fan.

Apparently, when I left the layout that night, I turned on the fan (gawdauful howl I heard as it started, belt slip I guess), walked up the stairs, (wind blowing and dress moving in wind causing shadows I saw), as I lay in my easy chair fan finally devours dress (train wreck I heard), wife in basement the next morning shrieking at sight of LBD chewed to shreds by fan.

Needless to say I will not hear the end of the LBD problem for a while, but on the bright side, I have been informed that my assistance doing laundry is no longer required, darn[;)]

[Anonymous]

Hey AG Jones, sounds like you have a might of a mite problem there.[:D]

I was just looking for a good imaginative story, nothing more.[;)]

Take care of them little 8legged suckers![:)][:)]

[AggroJones]

"The subject of this topic is what happens to your layout when you are gone. Gone, as in "leave the room", not gone as in " leave this world". Dave"


Well, I didn't know that.

When I leave the room and turn out the light, tiny spiders gather in my trees and foliage to lay eggs on my layout. Also lint and dust from the air settle on it. I have to vaccum the layout every 1 1/2 or so. And I pick the spider eggs off with tweezers. [;)]

[Anonymous]

Dave, What a story! LOL I thought I was back in the '60's and Outer Limits was on the tube. I see some very funny and sad posts on this topic. Amazing, how wide the spectrum is.

[Anonymous]

I have to come clean on this issue,of what happens on your layout when you are not home. This is one of the biggest cover ups ever, and the main players in this cover-up work for the very company that over sees this forum. First what was the real reason Associate Editor Jeff Wilson left MR ?? Rick Johnson was moved up the ladder along with Andy S.
Simple it happened during a run of mill layout shot oneday in the middle of a nice Spring day, Jeff Wilson caught on flim a real live Grey, thats a space alien to those of you who do keep with UFOs. Just by change Jeff caught one of these little guys? running one of my F units,turns out they had a huge base (will to them it was huge)under the frame work of my layout. They used the trains to move their there food. Yes their food it turns out they live on ground form,and plaster.
All the time the US CIA,FBI, Etc. knew they these aliens where living under layouts all over the world. When the CIA found out about the picture Jeff had taken and then by mistake, all others at MR let get out on the cover of the July 1999 issue,heads started to roll.
Now its time for all involed in this cover-up to come clean, Art Bell would love to have all of you from Kalmbach on his radio show Coast to Coast AM. Come on Rick Johnson and Andy Sperandeo, let all model railroads know what really going on, on their layouts when they are not homeeee!!(now I again will go back into hiding) swdave

[dave9999]

QUOTE: Originally posted by lyctus

OK, here's a serious reply to one interpretation of this thread. The local Model Rail club offers a service to (usually) the widow of a modeller who has been called to the Great Roundhouse in that they will collect all the model rail gear and organise a club auction. Proceeds are forwarded to the widow. For members, I think there is either a small or maybe no charge, For non-members, a nominal charge (10% of proceeds).
This ensures that in general, the best return is acheived for your stuff. For Sale notices in the local paper bring all sorts of problems, not least of which is shady characters with "rip-off" in mind, house breakers doing a bit of pre-project surveying and how does the family really know what your stuff is worth ?
Hint: Use a spread sheet to record the models you own,date purchased, and (be honest on this one now) the price paid. Print it and keep it in a place the family can find it. This will at least give them some idea of what they should ask/expect for your stuff.
You can then nominate a hobby shop that deals in 2nd hand and your people will be able to negotiate a fair price.
Alternatively, just arrange to ship the stuff to me. I will respect it and I will name one strip on my wall display in your honour for every $US5,000 estimated value received.

Geof,
The subject of this topic is what happens to your layout when you are gone. Gone, as in "leave the room", not gone as in " leave this world". Dave

[Anonymous]

Seeing as I don't really have a layout yet I shouldn't really even be posting but I have had one strange incident.

I have a small oval of track that I run my trains on. One night I left my Spectrum 4-8-2 on the tracks and went to bed. The next moring I woke up and it was facing the other direction! Creepy![:0][:0][:)][:p]

[lyctus]

OK, here's a serious reply to one interpretation of this thread. The local Model Rail club offers a service to (usually) the widow of a modeller who has been called to the Great Roundhouse in that they will collect all the model rail gear and organise a club auction. Proceeds are forwarded to the widow. For members, I think there is either a small or maybe no charge, For non-members, a nominal charge (10% of proceeds).
This ensures that in general, the best return is acheived for your stuff. For Sale notices in the local paper bring all sorts of problems, not least of which is shady characters with "rip-off" in mind, house breakers doing a bit of pre-project surveying and how does the family really know what your stuff is worth ?
Hint: Use a spread sheet to record the models you own,date purchased, and (be honest on this one now) the price paid. Print it and keep it in a place the family can find it. This will at least give them some idea of what they should ask/expect for your stuff.
You can then nominate a hobby shop that deals in 2nd hand and your people will be able to negotiate a fair price.
Alternatively, just arrange to ship the stuff to me. I will respect it and I will name one strip on my wall display in your honour for every $US5,000 estimated value received.

[lyctus]

y'know those neat coffee table layouts under glass, the kind that lets you spend quality time with the real boss while actually just carrying on the main obsession (I wonder if she's wise to this ???) , well I'm developing a line of caskets which enable the fallen model railroader to have his/her favourite loco/cars/senic details mounted on an oval of track in the lid and by a series of mirrors enjoy an eternity of un-interrupted rail action. Persons wishing to reserve such a casket should sent me a $US1,000 holding deposit and I will do the rest. Fantastic Eh ?

[dragenrider]

One evening I neglected to turn off my power pack which was barely cracked open. The next day my wife commented on smelling something burning. Later, I found one of my favorite switchers in a pile of plastic goo from where the motor had stalled and burned. [:O] The shell had melted down around the motor and run down into the chasis. I was only able to salvage my low speed gearing in the trucks. [V]

I'm lucky we didn't have a fire. I can see all my fellow firefighters having a field day with that! [:D]

[Anonymous]

Dave, I really enjoyed all of the responses to that poll[:D][:D][;)]

It's kinda like a good chili or stew, the longer it simmers the better it tastes.[:D][:D][;)][8D]

[dave9999]

QUOTE: Originally posted by norboy

Dave, Maybe and YES, YES I have.[:D][:D]

You're too quick for me [:D] Dave

[Anonymous]

Dave, Maybe and YES, YES I have.[:D][:D]

[dave9999]

John,
Are ya just gonna leave us hangin' ? Dave

BTW, You still haven't answered THE question: http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=1&TOPIC_ID=10769

[Anonymous]

Well, I suppose I should give an example as well.

Last night I had a wee bit much to drink. I felt very calm, almost like the world was spinning in greased grooves. I just finished running my new Shay through the nothtwest woods and thought I saw something. I paid no mind to it. Boy I sould have.

When I powered down and turned off the lights I thought I saw something move in the shadows of the basement. I chalked it up to the beer I had enjoyed while running.

As I climbed the stairs to the first floor I heard one of the most gawdaful howls. I stopped and turned to see something again move in the shadows cast from the neon Eat At Joes sign. I dismissed this aberation again and continued up the stairs.

As I was sitting in my easy chair I could hear the faint noises of what seemed like a train wreck in the distance. In my beer induced euphoria I paid it no mind and continued to watch Bad Boys on the tube. I fell fast asleep and have no recollection of what happened after that.

I was awakened early in the morning by a shrill shreik comming from the basement , I jumped up out of the easy chair and bounded down the stairs to find my lovely Wife standing in the corner shaking like an aspen tree and pointing towards my layout. I turned and looked and saw......

[Anonymous]

I used to have an N scale layout (I'm now modeling HO Scale), but my two cats destroyed this layout, they pulled off the track, chewed the scenery, and turned the layout into a horrible mess.

[jaloose2000]

I recently installed two cab control on my layout, so if I kick tomorrow, at least my two daughters won't fight over who gets to run an engine! [;)]

[joecool1212]

When I leave the room there is always somone left behind, usually my son Tom on the computer. When I turn out the lights the other kids gather around and see whose train has a brighter light or whose can pull the most cars, But when I think nobody is in there the youngest Anthony, (almost 4) trys to find out why some cars go on there own and why some are in the back or in the middle. Well when I come back in the room nobody knows anything, but the cars arent in the order I left them or on the same track I left them. Hum, I guess I shouldent leave the Atlas or Kato locos out when im not in the room. JOE

[Anonymous]

SuperChief, You got it[bow]. Far as I can see, you're the only one. I like the tale

Was I that vauge with the question?

Darn Boys, get that imagination in gear and tell us some stories bout how your layotu comes to life when no one is home[:D]

[Anonymous]

Someone I knew who had a large G-scale layout in the garden was always having problems with wildlife in tunnels - worst was a dead rabbit that their cat dragged in there! Their solution? a Playmobile loco known as "Big Bertha" - a hefty black tender loco that was sent in to bulldoze blockages!

I don't think my HO people can get up to much - there's only two of them on the layout at the moment - it's meant to resemble one of those half-abandoned urban rail yards, though in this case being slowly tidied up by a rail museum. Having said that, I'm sure I heard grumbling from there last time I left an intermodal set blocking the switches!