welcome!
a desert setting?
you coosed one of the most difficult.
desert has so few items, each has to be perfect.
Welcome indeed from over the other side of the pond, although, in mitigation, we spend a deal of time in Ontario and Oregon.
I’m also an old fa- sorry, veteran, but Army, rather than Marines, although, in my defence, I did have a green beret. I lasted thirty-three years before I got found out and asked to retire to give some other poor sucker a chance.
Unlike most of the gentlemen here, my railroad is limited by the size of my backyard - no sprawling acres with hundreds if not thousands of feet of gleaming rails reaching the far horizon, just a space about 30 feet square, containing two raised circles of 45mm track on which I run every scale there is that fits without falling off - sometimes at the same time, live-steam and sparky - even batttery.
Have a look at my channel on Youtube to see what us poor folks up to when playing trains!
ATVB
tac, ig, ken the GFT & The Wholemeal Bread Boys
Pleased to meet you!
I just wanted to offer my profound thanks to all the above fellow posters for your kind words and sentiments. I look forward to communicating with each of you as the days go by. Trains are my passion.
Once when traveling from New Mexico into Arizona, I was alone on the highway. The day was spectacular and the views awe inspiring. I was kind of bored driving and came upon some railroad tracks along side the highway. They stretched as far as the eye could see. So, I pulled alongside the tracks and waited. It was so peaceful and quiet. In a short few minutes, I heard a train and sure enough off in the distance a freight train was coming. A true rattler. Headed by five pumpkin colored BNSF engines, a Inter M was heading east to Texas I presumed. Once she got to where I was standing, she blew right on by and the engineer was kind enough to sound those awesome horns. Three Dash9’s and two SD70 macs headed this train. I counted 156 cars until the ETD car passed and along she went. The sound of a train coming is nothing less then, spectacular. but the sound a train makes, as it slowly disappears into the desert is so lonely. I haven’t the words…
Rattlers in the desert
Korm Kormsen said:
welcome!
a desert setting?
you coosed one of the most difficult.
desert has so few items, each has to be perfect.
Hello Korm and thank you for the welcome.
Yes, I’ve been told that a time or two. Desert scenery is very difficult to replicate, but I feel confident I will make a nice show of it. Lighting is actually the key, but since my railroad will be outdoors, the sun will offer the best lighting one can ask for. The cacti and sage as well as the canyons and gullies are another area that, if done right, can make a train look real cool. I am only in the gathering stages and continue to collect the necessary things. Meanwhile, I also model a European railroad. Quite a contrast. Desert and snow scenery. LOL
Here you go Stacy. a little desert running.
D&RGW 315 out on the high desert.
And another at Lave Tank on the C&T. 315 on the Lead with 463 as mid train helper.
They aren’t those new -9 stuff or even an AC, but they do have a pounding hart.
Aw Dave thanks man. Those are some really first rate shots. I really love the desert. Especially New Mexico. Nothing like it on God’s earth. Just everywhere one looks, it blows one away. Trains look awesome in desert scenery. The thing is: I like how one can watch a train come and go and this can take
almost an hour if in the right spot. The desert is wide and long and if flat, taking pictures such as those above can be really cool.
Signed Jealous…LOL
Thanks again, Stacy
BTW I have a few Rio Grande Engines. My favorite by far is my SD40-2. She is new and hardly run, but what a fantastic looking engine. UP had to buy them out as well. Oh well, what the heck, right?
LOL
Welcome aboard.
I live in the desert and it’s hard to recreate on the layout!
Something you will also find is the look of the desert changes with the elevation, etc.
Doug Arnold said:
Welcome aboard. I live in the desert and it’s hard to recreate on the layout! Something you will also find is the look of the desert changes with the elevation, etc.
I agree. It is very hard to replicate a desert environment, but that is what has drawn me to it. it is a challenge and quite frankly, the train stuff is easy by comparison to the actual creation of the desert. Like I said several postings up, the fact it will be outdoors will help because I will have the added advantage of real sunlight. Coloring, as you well know being in the desert, is very unique to the desert environment. Colors in a desert are as numerous as they are spectacular. The very reason I chose the BNSF because I like the way those pumpkin colored engines look when nestled in a ravine or with a mountain backdrop full of vibrant and I might add, alive colors. I am familiar with the desert and no two are exactly alike and yes, elevation does dramatically change or alter the state a desert is in. However, I am mindful my greatest critics when this is done will be fellows like you and others that literally live in or near a desert. So, I must take great pains to ensure I do things right.
In reality, all I am interested in achieving is bringing that look and the trains to my back yard one day. I don’t live in a desert. Wish I did, but I have to be practical for now. Bringing BNSF’s three track main line to my back yard is a life’s dream of mine now. All I need are lots of BNSF Dash 9’s, some sand, a few Yucca plants and some sage bush and allot of Inter M cars. Like about 50 or so. Perhaps more. LOL
I have lofty goals, what can I say…LOL
Replicating desert scenery, eh? How’s this…
Enjoy… 
Very nice Ray. Very nice indeed. I really like the subtle details. Makes the trains look really fantastic.
Thanks for posting the pictures.
Stacy
Here is a massive G scale RR in the Arizona desert. I found this on the G Scale Central site. I do not have much information about it …sorry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIch1l9W4gc
Doc Tom
Ray is a serious desert creator. His skill can’t be beateb! He needs to mention all that rock that works so well on the layout he personally collected, brought home, and then put in place on the layout! He also has a great tutorial on “cactus building!”
Welcome Stacy. You are very lucky, you live close to Star Hobbies, and are within two hours of the best large scale train show in the country in York PA
By the way, the large scale layout shown above is the Dynamite and Rio Verde Eastern railroad, in North Scottsdale AZ. I have visited it many times. You could show up on Friday afternoon after 3, the the builder, Rick the Railroad guy, would give you a train and out you would go. It’s on at least three acres. Then I heard it fell in disarray. It appears it has been brought back to running form. It is absolutely my favorite outdoor layout ever. It was also the site of the worlds longest model train record attempt in 2008 during the national convention.
Glad to have you with us, Stacy… Welcome…
We’re in the high desert of Arizona near Prescott… Click on our signature line to see the see the layout in an “Urban” desert setting…
Paul Bottino said:
Welcome Stacy. You are very lucky, you live close to Star Hobbies, and are within two hours of the best large scale train show in the country in York PA
By the way, the large scale layout shown above is the Dynamite and Rio Verde Eastern railroad, in North Scottsdale AZ. I have visited it many times. You could show up on Friday afternoon after 3, the the builder, Rick the Railroad guy, would give you a train and out you would go. It’s on at least three acres. Then I heard it fell in disarray. It appears it has been brought back to running form. It is absolutely my favorite outdoor layout ever. It was also the site of the worlds longest model train record attempt in 2008 during the national convention.
Thanks Paul. Now we have “the rest of the story.” I wondered if this large layout was track powered???
Doc Tom
That was my question too. If it is battery I wondered how long a charge would last!
Welcome Stacy
Yes^
Stan Cedarleaf said:
Glad to have you with us, Stacy… Welcome…
We’re in the high desert of Arizona near Prescott… Click on our signature line to see the see the layout in an “Urban” desert setting…
Thank You Stan. I went to the link and I am very impressed with the layout. Really first rate.
BTW, My nephew and his family reside in Prescott AZ. He graduated from Emory Riddle fours years ago and then he married. Beautiful place Arizona. I loved being there for his wedding. Everywhere I looked, I saw beauty. Especially in the desert.
Stacy