Thing I’ve never seen in a model train layout…


"I have a flying saucer hovering in the trees....."

I went to an open house a few years back, I believe it was in S.E. Pa A U.F.O. had landed and there were little green men running around.
 
I cant remember where I seen it posted but it might have been here. Someone posted a video from Youtube of a european layout with an automated guy riding a bicycle down the street. I beleive it was part of the Faller car system but it was amazingly convincing.
 
How about some working forests? you see clear cuts...and regular forests. But how about a stand of 20 year old trees, next to a stand of 40 year old trees...in a straight line, and then a clear cut. Just like working forests in real life.
Patch work forests...
 
North Coast Railroad said:
How about some working forests? you see clear cuts...and regular forests. But how about a stand of 20 year old trees, next to a stand of 40 year old trees...in a straight line, and then a clear cut. Just like working forests in real life.
Patch work forests...
Click to expand...

I saw that on several layouts at the Eugene National NMRA convention in 1987. There were a lot of people modeling PNW logging ops.
 
zoegraf said:
I've never seen a beaver dam.
Click to expand...

ianacole said:
I'm working on one!
Click to expand...

Hah, funny, I was planning one out for my creek also. Though not quite as elaborate as Ian's pond set-up.

Something I can't say I've seen on a layout is one of those large town mascot statues you see all over North America. Which thanks to Rico I am now planning to build also. lol

How about a War Memorial, anybody see any of these in on a layout?
 
Outback said:
How about a War Memorial, anybody see any of these in on a layout?
Click to expand...

Not to be a smart a$$ but now you've seen one of those too. Actually two. Old Bachmann piece. Jeffery has shown the same one on his layout. The second one is a 1/72 scale figure painted and mounted on wood blocks.
 
RW&C said:
Isn't there a guy on here doing a slot car/HO scale layout?
Click to expand...

That's me. More in this thread if you're interested: http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20027

flaja said:
Can you get a sky-ride gondola like you’d see taking people from one mountain to another?
Click to expand...

Yep - There's a few of 'em in the Walthers catalog. Faller do various animated scenes as well - Vehicles follow buried guide wire(s).

Shark Nose said:
I had them as a boy. Very fun.
Click to expand...

They are fun!

It seems to me that grade crossings in any brand of car track are hard to find.
Click to expand...

Nah! As noted in my thread, a working grade crossing is going to be (one of?) the centerpieces of my layout - I had it all working (gates & LEDS automatically activate/deactivate *and* kill power to that part of the slot car track....) on what turned into my "test" layout. The car track piece was from, IIRC, Tyco. [Although, I'm thinking about hand-laying the RR track thru the car track this time round.]

The gates are from NJ International - Although they now do a modern version that incorporates the gantry as well [Walthers 933-2304 is just the gantry which I figure I'll add to what I've got, but 525-1192 looks really nice - pic attached].

The slot cars are slightly overscale (~1/72nd), but mixed with static (1/87th) cars I think the brain will adjust OK.

I've never seen one in action, but there are 4-5 different "arc-welders" available (typically random firing blue & white LEDS) - I've got to get one of those going in a workshop at some point.....

A recommendation - Pick up a copy of the Walthers catalog - There's so much stuff in there your dreams can run wild! Ballparks? check. Baseball players? No problem. etc etc - Chances are someone makes "it" (whatever it may be!) already.

Cheers,
Ian
 
Lester Perry said:
Just E Bay ....
Click to expand...

That's the guys!

However, I believe they're all code 100, and I'm using code 83 - I "kludged" the spacers on the test layout, but reckon I'll use code 83 flex track rails when I redo it - It should be pretty simple to route the slot thru the car track, but haven't tried yet.....

Cheers,
Ian
 
fast_ian said:
I've never seen one in action, but there are 4-5 different "arc-welders" available (typically random firing blue & white LEDS) - I've got to get one of those going in a workshop at some point.....

Cheers,
Ian
Click to expand...

Here is a welder circuit I did using Woodland Scenics welder set.

th_Welder10-084.png


th_Welder10-087.png
 
MGWSY said:
Here is a welder circuit I did using Woodland Scenics welder set.
Click to expand...

*Very* nice! Thanks for the post.

I was wondering if Faller still made those Sky ride and chair lift systems.
Click to expand...

The ones in the catalog now are from Brawa - There's about half a dozen different setups! One of 'em (no pic) has a rotating cabin! [Search "Titlis" at Walthers. The one below is 186-6280.]

Another "wild idea" is all the amusement park /fairground stuff - Working ferris wheels! A working (double decker) go-kart track! Rollercoasters! You name it, it's in there! :)

Cheers,
Ian
 
Ian,

I have worked with slot cars in Aurora Model Motoring (originally) and Tyco (later, but after train set was apart; cars were easier on carpets!). I have always wanted to integrate Tyco US1 Trucking with trains, with interacting and intermixed live loads for both together (my car/train dream- a closed loop system!).

The one thing I am really intrigued with is the construction of a two or three parallel rail grade crossing- that would be something to think about! Have you considered more than one rail line on your grade crossing?

BTW, what slot car brand(s) are you working with?

Oh, and yes, commercial slot car grade crossings are all, to my knowledge, code 100. I think all the ones out there are old stock; I don't know if slot car manufacturer has made any for quite some years.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Shark Nose said:
I have worked with slot cars in Aurora Model Motoring (originally) and Tyco (later, but after train set was apart; cars were easier on carpets!). I have always wanted to integrate Tyco US1 Trucking with trains, with interacting and intermixed live loads for both together (my car/train dream- a closed loop system!).
Click to expand...

I was thinking we're about to hijack the thread - But I like the idea - Very much on topic! A nice intermodal yard with trucks coming and going via the slot car track..... I'd never thought about it, but there's no reason a slot car track has to be a "loop"..... You'd need to reverse polarity to get 'em to back-up, but it could be done.....[Although, you can get 360degrees in less than a foot.....]

The one thing I am really intrigued with is the construction of a two or three parallel rail grade crossing- that would be something to think about! Have you considered more than one rail line on your grade crossing?
Click to expand...

Nah! [Don't have the space.] Walthers do have a double lane set up though.

BTW, what slot car brand(s) are you working with?
Click to expand...

Too damn many!....

Track is Aurora AFX. [Apart from the grade xing, which IIRC was Tyco]

I've got some "Johnny Lightning Thunderjets" without magnets that are hard to drive. I've got the "standard" Aurora AFX cars with magnets which are great fun (and *fast*) Also a couple of BSRT G3's that are *insanely* fast - Actually, borderline boring as they're more or less flat out no matter what track layout I put 'em on!.... [Although, I've now got an adjustable power supply, so could up the current! ;)]

Oh, and yes, commercial slot car grade crossings are all, to my knowledge, code 100. I think all the ones out there are old stock; I don't know if slot car manufacturer has made any for quite some years.
Click to expand...

I actually got mine at the LHS - Dunno how long it had been there..... I think Aurora may have done some "recently". The joiners were wrong, but that's easily fixed.

Cheers,
Ian
 
fast_ian said:
II actually got mine at the LHS - Dunno how long it had been there..... I think Aurora may have done some "recently". The joiners were wrong, but that's easily fixed.
Click to expand...

Ah, just for the record, Aurora been dead since the seventies. A lot of there model kits have reappeared over the years but the slot car items I've never heard of coming back.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.



Back
Top