Well, I guess its my turn.......... Ha, I actually have an operating layout so I'm telling it like it is, not wishful thinking or projecting...... Anyway, on my 1950s era layout you won't see.........
- locos/cars/autos built beyond 1960
- prisons, jails or police stations
- vagrants, slums, or poverty
- burning or damaged structures
- out of place/reason industries (i.e. West Virginia type coal mine on the Texas plains)
- solar systems, dinosaurs, static models of "The General", or other nonsense type additions.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
NYBW-JohnBachmann has made the decision to phase out the Spectrum brand and market everything under the standard line and that makes it impossible to distingusih the quality merchandise from the junk. I simply won't purchase anything from Bachmann that isn't Spectrum which means I won't be buying anything new from them.
I think you may be looking in the wrong direction..DCC on board seems to be their "Spectrum" of late. My Bachmann DCC/Sound Alco S-4 is a very good engine.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
NYBW-John ATLANTIC CENTRAL dti406 A Botchmann Car or Locomotive! Rick Jesionowski Well Rick, I don't know what era or roads you model, or what type of equipment interests you, but prejudging Bachmann today based on some product from 25 years ago might be somewhat short sighted. And, just for the record, I would be posting this same response if you were bashing Athearn, or BLI, or most any brand. Judging all the products from a company based on their past failings would pretty much rule out the whole industry...... I have 35 Spectrum steam locomotives that all run great. I only have a few Bachmann diesels, as most of their line does not fit my era or detail requirements. But my GE 44 Tonners and 70 Tonners run just fine. And the word is the new diesels run very nice, even if they are a little light in the detail department. Understand this about Bachmann - first of all, their parent makes half the stuff you think is so good from those other companies.......and Bachmann offers products to every level and price point in the hobby, so not every product in their line will be a match for every modelers needs or standards. But their quality today is very good. You know what you will never see on my layout? Despite their high quality? - Kato or Atlas diesels - because they make so few in my 1st generation era, they are expensive and hard to get (I hate preordering), and they are not that much better, if any better, than my fleet of 60 Proto2000 diesels of various types. Most of my fleet of Protos were bought for less that $40 each.........no sound or DCC here. Sheldon I would agree with your assessment of the Spectrum line which are a couple notches above their standard line but I would agree with the poster about their standard line. Unfortunately Bachmann has made the decision to phase out the Spectrum brand and market everything under the standard line and that makes it impossible to distingusih the quality merchandise from the junk. I simply won't purchase anything from Bachmann that isn't Spectrum which means I won't be buying anything new from them.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL dti406 A Botchmann Car or Locomotive! Rick Jesionowski Well Rick, I don't know what era or roads you model, or what type of equipment interests you, but prejudging Bachmann today based on some product from 25 years ago might be somewhat short sighted. And, just for the record, I would be posting this same response if you were bashing Athearn, or BLI, or most any brand. Judging all the products from a company based on their past failings would pretty much rule out the whole industry...... I have 35 Spectrum steam locomotives that all run great. I only have a few Bachmann diesels, as most of their line does not fit my era or detail requirements. But my GE 44 Tonners and 70 Tonners run just fine. And the word is the new diesels run very nice, even if they are a little light in the detail department. Understand this about Bachmann - first of all, their parent makes half the stuff you think is so good from those other companies.......and Bachmann offers products to every level and price point in the hobby, so not every product in their line will be a match for every modelers needs or standards. But their quality today is very good. You know what you will never see on my layout? Despite their high quality? - Kato or Atlas diesels - because they make so few in my 1st generation era, they are expensive and hard to get (I hate preordering), and they are not that much better, if any better, than my fleet of 60 Proto2000 diesels of various types. Most of my fleet of Protos were bought for less that $40 each.........no sound or DCC here. Sheldon
dti406 A Botchmann Car or Locomotive! Rick Jesionowski
A Botchmann Car or Locomotive!
Rick Jesionowski
Well Rick, I don't know what era or roads you model, or what type of equipment interests you, but prejudging Bachmann today based on some product from 25 years ago might be somewhat short sighted.
And, just for the record, I would be posting this same response if you were bashing Athearn, or BLI, or most any brand.
Judging all the products from a company based on their past failings would pretty much rule out the whole industry......
I have 35 Spectrum steam locomotives that all run great. I only have a few Bachmann diesels, as most of their line does not fit my era or detail requirements.
But my GE 44 Tonners and 70 Tonners run just fine.
And the word is the new diesels run very nice, even if they are a little light in the detail department.
Understand this about Bachmann - first of all, their parent makes half the stuff you think is so good from those other companies.......and Bachmann offers products to every level and price point in the hobby, so not every product in their line will be a match for every modelers needs or standards. But their quality today is very good.
You know what you will never see on my layout? Despite their high quality? - Kato or Atlas diesels - because they make so few in my 1st generation era, they are expensive and hard to get (I hate preordering), and they are not that much better, if any better, than my fleet of 60 Proto2000 diesels of various types.
Most of my fleet of Protos were bought for less that $40 each.........no sound or DCC here.
Sheldon
I would agree with your assessment of the Spectrum line which are a couple notches above their standard line but I would agree with the poster about their standard line. Unfortunately Bachmann has made the decision to phase out the Spectrum brand and market everything under the standard line and that makes it impossible to distingusih the quality merchandise from the junk. I simply won't purchase anything from Bachmann that isn't Spectrum which means I won't be buying anything new from them.
Respectfully, what you are failing to realize is the that nearly the intire regular line has been retooled in the last 5-10 years, and that new newer items in the regular line, like the NKP/C&O Berkshire, were introduced with drivelines equal to the Spectrum line, with just slightly less detail.
And that items like the 2-8-0 are still exactly the same, even though they are no longer in a "Spectrum" box.
1. No plastic structures. All my structures will be scratchbuilt using wood from local trees, metal, glass, stone from local quarries and beaches, glue, and paint.
2. No cork or plastic roadbeds. All my roadbeds will be constructed from processed local stone, processed local sand, and glue.
3. No plastic vegetation. All trees, grasses, etc. will be made from suitable local vegetation which will be processed to remove unwanted items (eg. bugs, bacteria) then dyed or painted.
4. No graffiti anywhere.
5. No straight tracks.
chutton01I have several adult nude female figure from a Presier set, and thru the magic of thick craft paint now sport shorts and t-shirts, while a number of the ladies are wearing "cut-off" shorts and bikini tops.
I also like the Preiser nude figures as a starting point.
The Citadel Liquid Green Stuff brushes on a little more thick, but dries very smooth. The Gunze "Mr. Surfacer 500" has a little more toothy texture.
I have also sculpted dresses onto nude females using PSI Kneadatite, which works very well.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
chutton014: Prototype roadnames - Wait - not even for interchanged rolling stock? That seems odd and a bit off. 7: A night scene - Do you have mini-lights installed, or did you mean the nightclub scene? 19: Forced perspective & 20: Photo realistic backdrops
7: A night scene - Do you have mini-lights installed, or did you mean the nightclub scene?
19: Forced perspective & 20: Photo realistic backdrops
I have lots of foreign road equipment that gets interchanged, just none painted for prototype roadnames. The real world is forbidden on the STRATTON AND GILLETTE world of nonsense. I painted and decalled every single piece of equipment except for five. Those five are NMRA Heritage models of the Gorre and Daphetid, Delta Lines, and Sunset Navigation Railway, and I also have two of the Fox Valley B&O Wagon Top Boxcar models for the Midland Road. If I can someday get Tony Koester to part with a set of black decals for the 1950's Midland Road, I have an Overland Brass B&O Wagon Top covered hopper ready for them!
Someday I hope to score a big collection of Rail Graphics decals someone had made for a real cool roadname, and that will become the main railroad the SGRR will interchange with.
I can photograph a night scene, no problem. What I meant is that I will not build a scene that only looks good as a night scene. I should have clarified that better. A miniature scene modeled specifically as night scene will require light-source highlighting and a different color pallet so they photograph better. These can be very dramatic, but they clash with the rest of the layout.
I have never been able to make forced perspective look right to my eye. I give up.
Photo reallistic backdrops looks great, but I prefer the backdrop to be more simple. This allows the layout to be the star. Again, this is just for my eye and not a suggestion to anyone else.
BigDaddy14: Plastic wheels on freight cars 15: Metal wheels on cabooses I don't get it. Please explain.
15: Metal wheels on cabooses
I don't get it. Please explain.
I prefer to use only Kadee freight car trucks with metal wheels. I have used them exclusively since I switched to HO scale, and they have given perfect performance. Kadee has earned my loyalty with a wonderful product. So, no plastic wheels on freight cars.
All my cabooses are brass models. I had 19" radius hidden curves on the previous "spare bedroom SGRR layout", and had intermittent short circuit issues. I finally traced the problems to the cabooses. The metal wheels would contact steps or other details on tight radius cruves, and create a short circuit through the caboose brass body. I switched them all out to plastic wheels and the problem was solved. So, no metal wheels on caboose models.
Sorry there was nothing more dramatic or groundbreaking in the answer.
SeeYou1904: Prototype roadnames
7: A night scene
19: Forced perspective20: Photo realistic backdrops
MisterBeasleyIf there is an inadequately clothed young lady in a window, there is a window shade or curtain. It's up to her to close it.
Rule 1: This is my railroad.
Rule 2: I make the rules.
Rule 3: Illuminating discussion of prototype history, equipment and operating practices is always welcome, but in the event of visitor-perceived anacronisms, detail descrepancies or operating errors, consult RULE 1!
Sidenote,
I display 1/64 vehicles on the club layout, usually on the Orange Grove corner and the Route 66 corner.
I have Hotwheels, Matchbox, Johnny Lightning, and a few Greenlight cars.
The cars are selected by me personally. I may sometimes upload photos in the diner to show them off.
SeeYou19014: Plastic wheels on freight cars 15: Metal wheels on cabooses
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
No flying saucers, aliens or dinosaurs.
No Matchbox or Hot Wheels cars. No race cars of any size.
If there is an inadequately clothed young lady in a window, there is a window shade or curtain. It's up to her to close it.
No "dummy" street lights, traffic lights or railroad signals. They all work.
No glowing structures.
No buildings on fire.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Things that will never exist on the STRATTON & GILLETTE:
1: Code 100 Rail
2: Automobiles built after 1954
3: Real water in the lakes and streams
4: Prototype roadnames
5: Off center cupola cabooses
6: Locomotives pulling more than 10 cars around the layout
8: Little pink houses, none for you, none for me
9: Brass rail
10: An airplane
11: Anything harder than PG
12: Curve Radiuses sharper than 24 inches
13: Manual switches
14: Plastic wheels on freight cars
16: A wreck scene
17: Scale couplers
18: Sound from the trains
19: Forced perspective
20: Photo reallistic backdrops
ATLANTIC CENTRAL any prototype built after 1954 (well nothing real obvious anyway) Would a 58 Chevy Bel Air be too obvious? Cheers, a wondering Bear.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL any prototype built after 1954 (well nothing real obvious anyway)
I cheated a little. My freelanced railroad is set in 1956, but due to a lack of variety in 1950s vehicles, I've put a few CMW 1959 Fords on the layout. The fins still say 1950s even if they post date my setting by a few years. Also I have some Jade Green NYC boxcars and one set of the cigar-band diesels. I figure if I can create a completely fictional place, why can't I fudge a little on the details. It's not as if I'm having Shoeless Joe Jackson batting right handed.
Most of the above apply with equal validity to my !:80 scale HOj layout, with exceptions and additions:
From the original post:
#7 Wye in a tunnel. When the schematic of the Netherworld is straightened out the connection between the Up main and the Down main in Nonomura proves to be one leg of a wye that actually closes at the other end of the room, in Minamijima. It is traversed by every locomotive hauled train that reenters the visible world at the same place from which it left. Trains from Nonomura staging actually back through that connection before proceeding Down to Tomikawa.
#8 Spurs in tunnel. Nonomura staging is all spurs - arriving trains back into storage.
#9 I don't have a turntable in a tunnel, locomotives turn on the wye.
#12 Footprints. My 1:80 scale people are walking on dirt, or trying to get a three wheel minitruck out of a mudhole.
#16 Brass rail. I make judicious use of this asset, not for track where locomotives roll, but as strategically placed scenery. Some of my guard rails are brass, but the running rails are all nickel-silver.
#23 Manual points a long haul from the front of the layout. ALL of my finger-throw points are controlled at the fascia (no mitts in the scenery) and connected to the actual points by cable under tension.
Additions specific to my choice of prototype:
Standard gauge rolling stock. Whether US prototype or Shinkansen, it wouldn't have been found in the Upper Kiso Valley in September, 1964. Extend that to include Japanese prototypes that first appeared at a later date.
Godzilla.
As for the X-rated, the window shutters of the gentlemens' club private rooms remain discreetiy closed...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Diesels
Rule number one: On my layout you will never see tools, paint brushes, pens, drinks, or any other man made object that is not part of the model. Anything else is ok as long as it’s a part of the model. On my layout you will never see an empty building’s interior unless it is meant to be a vacant building. All buildings have detailed interiors or they have window treatments which you can not see through. These structures have detailed scenes on the outside instead. On my layout you will never see dinosaurs or UFOs but you will see a giant insect on the set of a science fiction movie being filmed, a dragon at the Renaissance Faire, and rumor is that Bigfoot was sighted in the mountains along with one or two abominable snowmen. I’m with others who have no crime. I used to have cops and robbers having shoot outs, and gang bangers rioting but I cleaned up my cities. The highway patrol no longer even pulls people over for traffic tickets. However the vehicle code is strictly enforced on the rules below.
You will never see a vehicle in a traffic lane without a driver. A rearview mirror is also required. On my layout you will see HO scale Hot Wheels. They might not be for everyone but they work for my car show scene. These are not your old, Redline, S scale, toy cars from your childhood. They are proper HO scale hot rods. Never say never: I am planning on building two other additional layouts. One is going to be a Virginia and Truckee, wild west layout, which I just started collecting items for. On this layout there will be train robbers and shootouts. Maybe even some guy hung from a tree. The other layout’s location is on Mars (based on the movie, the Ghosts of Mars, also Total Recall) so there is a possibility there might be a UFO…TBD
Well, cobwebs suck but in NW Arkansas on a farm way out in the country that's just a daily fight.
Otherwise there will be NO:
NYC or UP
lunar landing sites
circus trains or tents
anything more recent than 1955
multiple track scenes stacked to gain mileage ala G&D
working signals
Roger Huber
Deer Creek Locomotive Works
Well, you might find one or two of them, since it is one of my most favorite old cars.......
Actually I got rid of the Hot Wheels vehicles as I could afford more scale vehicles. Still have the Matchbox and Hess mini trucks in the background though.
Joe Staten Island West
ATLANTIC CENTRALany prototype built after 1954 (well nothing real obvious anyway)
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
You won´t see just about anything you´ll find on your layout on my layout!
My layout is based on themes of the famous Glacier Express narrow gauge train in Switzerland - tha´ts why!
You won´t find spider webs as well - the layout is in our Office/guest/laundry room and my wife is not at all fond of these creepy crawlies!
Now there's a topic which will cause many of us to politely disagree!
I'm with Sheldon on the locos with smoke, but I have to politely disagree with him when it comes to sound.
Spider webs will be hard to avoid given that my layout will be in a garage that is already quite well populated with the crawly little beasts. I don't believe that insecticide bombs are available in Canada, but 20 seconds with a regular insect killer spray will do the same thing. I think I can still hold my breath for 20 seconds. I also plan on running a car with a tunnel clearance gauge to remove as many of the webs as possible.
Any material that will attract mice. No papier mache, no real twigs for tree trunks....
No Hot Wheels automobiles!!
No cops and robbers, in fact no cops period. I'm not anti cop, but I prefer to not see them.
No bottle brush trees (unless they are really convincing).
No hobos.
No couples engaged in, uh, umm, you know... 'two spoons in a drawer' or variations thereof.
No nudes in a window. Nudists would be OK although I don't know where I would put them, but peeping Tom scenes are out! I don't like people who disrespect others' privacy.
No peeing dogs.
No CN noodle script. My era is too early for it anyhow, but I just don't care for the logo. Same with CP's Pac Man crap!
There are likely more things that will not see the light of day on my layout but I can't think of them right now.
Entertaining thread!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Things you will never see (or hear) on my layout:
crime
graf.....
passenger cars with gaps between the diaphragms
semi scale wheels or couplers
any prototype built after 1954 (well nothing real obvious anyway)
locos with onboard sound
locos with smoke
the old train manspider webs on the mainline
My layout sits dormant all summer, and I have a lot of hidden mainline track. You should see what the loco looks like, when I run the first train, in the fall. The front handrails are draped with cob webs.
Mike.
My You Tube
cowman WW II tank can be a static display in a memorial park. I have a 105 mm howitzer, if I ever get the layout going to put a park on. Have fun, Richard
WW II tank can be a static display in a memorial park. I have a 105 mm howitzer, if I ever get the layout going to put a park on.
Have fun,
Richard
I model 1954, both M4 Shermans and 105 howitzers were still active duty........
What the saying? Its your layout and you can put or not put whatever you want on your layout.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983