Don't laugh too hard...It's my first attempt!
- Thread starter Nazgul
- Start date
Steve, a while back there was discussion of how to protect trains from falling to the floor from the bridge in your last picture. After seeing a pic of your layout from a bit of distance to see how that whole corner is in relation to the room, I think I have a solution for you. I would take a piece of 1/4 inch steel or aluminum rod 3 feet long and bend it to match the curve of the bridge. Take 2 1x2 boards, and drill 1/4 inch holes in one end of each, and epoxy the each end of the rod into an end of each board. Use the boards to mount the rod to the benchwork so it sticks out far enough for any rolling stock that falls to go between the rod and the benchwork. Finally stretch an old bed sheet or part of a bed sheet between the bench support and the rod, and just stitch a loop in the sheet like draperys. If a train comes off, it lands in the bed sheet like the catch net of a trapeze artist.
Steve...just looking at the recent pictures you've posted. That flat/bare area next to the river just inside the outer curve/bridge. What about a flowering meadow with a herd of Elk wandering through? Silflor makes a neat meadow material complete with flowers. (No, they're not giving me a kickback for advertising...)
Galen
Galen
Steve....Great picture of that train traversing your gorgeous bridge. But, there's something missing.....A CABOOSE...!!!
My ballast cometh loose, the water tank's run dry...:cry:
My ballast cometh loose, the water tank's run dry...:cry:
Steve:
You know I couldn't resist. I hope "snookums" doesn't have it out for me now. . . .
But, all kidding aside, I like what Galen suggested; a herd of elk or some other mountain dwelling animal would be great looking there.
Keep up the great work!
You know I couldn't resist. I hope "snookums" doesn't have it out for me now. . . .
But, all kidding aside, I like what Galen suggested; a herd of elk or some other mountain dwelling animal would be great looking there.
Keep up the great work!
Uh, oh...is snookums out on the prowl again? Either that, or Burt will come glare at you!
A riff on the wildlife theme...perhaps it can become a basic field or clearing in the woods in which various wildlife appear and disappear regularly. One month it's elk, the next a family of bears, the next bigfoot, etc.
OR, an old disused mine shaft and partially burned-out/rusted hoist house...maybe being explored by a group of hikers, about to be surprised by a bear?
AND I second what steamhead said about a caboose. Every time I've seen one of those neutered freight trains rolling through those beautiful rocky hills I just can't help but feel diminished somehow by the absence of a beautiful NP caboose trailing that freight. It just ain't right. (And neither is a FRED!!)
Galen
A riff on the wildlife theme...perhaps it can become a basic field or clearing in the woods in which various wildlife appear and disappear regularly. One month it's elk, the next a family of bears, the next bigfoot, etc.
OR, an old disused mine shaft and partially burned-out/rusted hoist house...maybe being explored by a group of hikers, about to be surprised by a bear?
AND I second what steamhead said about a caboose. Every time I've seen one of those neutered freight trains rolling through those beautiful rocky hills I just can't help but feel diminished somehow by the absence of a beautiful NP caboose trailing that freight. It just ain't right. (And neither is a FRED!!)
Galen
O man, that looks FANTASTIC, AWSOME, COOL, SWEET, STUNNING, and AMAZING!!!!!!!!!
Nice job Steve, I need to do something like that, maybe you could do it for me?sign1 sign1
Truly OUTSTOUNDING JOB STEVE, KEEP IT UP, I LOVE IT:thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
Nice job Steve, I need to do something like that, maybe you could do it for me?sign1 sign1
Truly OUTSTOUNDING JOB STEVE, KEEP IT UP, I LOVE IT:thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
Kurt, Chris, Josh...thank you very much!:thumb:
Russ...that sounds like a very good idea:thumb: ....I'll try and work it out
Galen...I do like those ideas:thumb: ...I've been thinkin' of a few in the same vein but haven't really sat down and got serious with them...guess I need to.
Well...I thought I was pretty much done with the viaduct (running trains must have dulled my senses) when I realized I never made the barrel platforms or added the guard timbers to the ties or guard rails for that matter!ops: ops: I did all that tonight but now I'm going to have to paint the whole bridge track to blend it all in and hide the discoloration:cry:How much easier that would have been BEFORE I attached it to the girders!:cry:
I'll live........I guess
Here's some pics:
Gus, Galen...I know you guys were worried about my trains not havin' a caboose....well I think I solved that problem:
Well...that takes care of that!sign1
Russ...that sounds like a very good idea:thumb: ....I'll try and work it out
Galen...I do like those ideas:thumb: ...I've been thinkin' of a few in the same vein but haven't really sat down and got serious with them...guess I need to.
Well...I thought I was pretty much done with the viaduct (running trains must have dulled my senses) when I realized I never made the barrel platforms or added the guard timbers to the ties or guard rails for that matter!
ops: ops: I did all that tonight but now I'm going to have to paint the whole bridge track to blend it all in and hide the discoloration:cry:How much easier that would have been BEFORE I attached it to the girders!:cry:I'll live........I guess
Here's some pics:
Gus, Galen...I know you guys were worried about my trains not havin' a caboose....well I think I solved that problem:
Well...that takes care of that!sign1
...just a reminder...You'll have to weather your rails a medium brown BEFORE you ballast, why now do that not that it's all layed down?
I may be too late with this suggestion, but your water barrels gave me another idea for a train guard to keep them from falling. Put the barrells on the out side of the curve. Once the barrells are in place, you have to have a walkway for the crew to get to the barrels if they need to put out a fire. With the walkway, you need safety rails to keep your lpb's from falling into the canyon. If it is a "big bucks" operation, you could even put some light standards or telegraph poles going up about 3 or 4 inches from the walkways about every 3-4 inches or so. Make the guardrails, poles, and walkway strong enough to support the engine and trains in cas of a derailment, and you don't need an out of scale catch device.
bridge really looks nice now. I'm not sure if I really ever noticed that road next to the river there, that could make for some great scenes, like everyone has been suggesting. Maybe the mineshaft like was mentioned, but with an old abandoned coal truck next to it, and have some hikers exploring with the bear...
Steve,
Love the End of Train Device! I think you should contact Walthers and see if they will sell them!!! You might be able to make enough to support your railroad habit.
sign1
Love the End of Train Device! I think you should contact Walthers and see if they will sell them!!! You might be able to make enough to support your railroad habit.
sign1
Ya' know, all kidding aside, everytime I read the original title of this thread I have to smile. There is definately nothing to laugh at. For the first time around you've done some pretty sweet work there. Truely an artist at work. Keep up the good work. I know this is one thread that will keep me interested right up until I start work on my own layout.
I like Russ' idea of the barrel placement and walkway on the outside curve of the bridge. I would second the motion for that idea as a "train catcher".
I like Russ' idea of the barrel placement and walkway on the outside curve of the bridge. I would second the motion for that idea as a "train catcher".
Steve,
Back a few pages ago, there was a picture of a UT4 Throttle (you know, when you couldn't tell left from right, LOL). I was wondering how long is the cable and is it flat or curly? I have 4 sound equipped locos, and guess what? The Zephyr doesn't support any F keys above 8. So, I'm thinking about the UT4.
Care to give a review?
Back a few pages ago, there was a picture of a UT4 Throttle (you know, when you couldn't tell left from right, LOL). I was wondering how long is the cable and is it flat or curly? I have 4 sound equipped locos, and guess what? The Zephyr doesn't support any F keys above 8. So, I'm thinking about the UT4.
Care to give a review?
Oh, yeah. Because I'm too lazy to search back through all 700+ posts in this thread, is that bridge flex track (if there is such a thing), and did it come with the kit? Did it have the center guard rails or did you add them in yourself?
Its actually a 2 minute job per cable to make them. You just need the ends and 6 wire telephone wire and a crimper. I made all of mine.91rioja said:
