Bob Cope said:
Tom,Great area. I lived in Kodak for about 10 years. Did some research on the KS&E and walked what ROW was not under Boyd’s Creek Road or get shot on.
I have been to the LRRR historical area a couple of times but not in prolly 20 or so years. Went shortly after they got going.
Nice pics, and I am envious of your weathering and lettering :).
Bob C.
Tom Grabenstein said:Welcome to the club.................;)
We have had such a dry summer this year that I thought I should be building a desert layout. I spent many a day out in the garden with a hose keeping my new dwarf Alberta Spruces going. they all made it. Doc Tom
The Four Ton Mountain Changing from HO scale to Large Scale has been a very interesting learning experience. Take mountain building for example. The Little River Rail Road runs through the Smoky Mountains as in this prototype picture from the LRRR Museum in Townsend Tennessee. Here is a log train in Elkmont Tennessee.
(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/1808LogTrainElkmont.jpg)
Building mountains in this big scale is a lot different than the cardboard strips and plaster soaked towels from my HO days. So I imported 4 tons of rock from our local limestone quarry to build a good sized mountain. It actually was fairly cheap at $14 a ton. The rock is the “interior” of one of the mountains and will be covered with dirt and “living scenery” this spring.
(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/4tonmountain.jpg)
Lowes is my new hobby shop and I was able to use garden stakes treated with Thompson’s Water Seal to make the trestle at Straka Falls.
(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/4tonmountainandtrestle.jpg)
Overall Boss Crumb is pretty happy with the way track laying and road bed building are going so far.
(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/4tonmountainandworkcrew.jpg)
Doc Tom
Tom,
You have done your homework, good choice on all vendors you choose. Thanks for the pictures. Have you met Dave Queener and Don Niday? Knowledgeable people of the area, along with so many others. Are you aware that the Narrow Gauge Convention will be in Hickory, NC in 2011?
Ric Golding said:
Tom,You have done your homework, good choice on all vendors you choose. Thanks for the pictures. Have you met Dave Queener and Don Niday? Knowledgeable people of the area, along with so many others. Are you aware that the Narrow Gauge Convention will be in Hickory, NC in 2011?
No, I have not met Dave or Don. I have read their posts on the forums as I have been trying to learn about Large Scale. Yes, I knew the National Narrow Gauge Convention was in Hickory in 2011. I did go to the NNGC in St Louis this year ( first time for me) and it was great. I purchased two logging flats in 1:20.3 and several figures to populate the LRRR. I also really loved the Sundance Central outfit that was on display. They have done some very fine modeling in large scale!!!
Doc Tomoops
Sorry, tried to post a picture, but those are in the alternate Freight Shed under the wife’s id. To big, many excuses, will try again.
Tom Grabenstein said:
Ric Golding said:
Tom, You have done your homework, good choice on all vendors you choose. Thanks for the pictures. Have you met Dave Queener and Don Niday? Knowledgeable people of the area, along with so many others. Are you aware that the Narrow Gauge Convention will be in Hickory, NC in 2011?Hi Ric, No, I have not met Dave or Don. I have read their posts on the forums as I have been trying to learn about Large Scale. Yes, I knew the National Narrow Gauge Convention was in Hickory in 2011. I did go to the NNGC in St Louis this year ( first time for me) and it was great. I purchased two logging flats in 1:20.3 and several figures to populate the LRRR. I also really loved the Sundance Central outfit that was on display. They have done some very fine modeling in large scale!!! Doc Tom
Hi Tom, If you were at the NNGC in St. Louis, we may have met. We had out Timesaver Switching Puzzle there right next to Sundance Central. We shared our booth with Bob Temper building large scale figures and info about the Friends of the East Broad Top.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/jgolding/NNGC2010.JPG)
Tis me in the shorts and sandals working the Yard Switcher.
Yes Ric, I remember your “timesaver” very well. I was impressed with you all working patiently with kids moving the big trains around. I confess to shyness and I did not introduce myself and I think I spent most of my time wandering around with my jaw dropped to the floor…this truly was model railroad heaven! I had only been to one convention before, the GAT show in Nashville Tennessee about 15 years ago. This NNGC show really opened my eyes to what was out there in the model railroading world. I think I visited the Sundance Central layout about 10 times and got some ideas for 1:20.3 modeling to use when I got home to Tennessee. Here is a shot I took of their very nice three truck Shay.
(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/Sundance.jpg)
Were you there with a group? Do you all display frequently at shows? While I would like to get to the next NNGC in Hickory NC I have been considering saving up the bucks to get to a Garden Rail Road convention. Do you have any suggestions for a newbie like me??? Any gatherings that really stand out for educating the novice??? Doc Tom
Tom,
“Were you there with a group?”
Kinda, actually the group was there with us. The “Timesaver” is part of the KVRwy. It sets up independently as you saw it. It sets up as part of our club’s layout. The club is the Gateway Garden Railroad Club and is about 75 families in the greater St. Louis area. We have our layout set up for the entire month of December at O. C. Jospeh’s Chrysler Dealership in Belleville, Illinois. The “Timesaver” is ther now. And then it is also part of our home railroad. There is an article about it in the article section here at LSC. We have some of our club members travel with us and there is always room to squeeze some more people in to our area. Friends make shows more fun.
http://www.largescalecentral.com/articles/view.php?id=53
We will most likely go to Hickory, next Summer. It is on our list. We’ll probably got to KC in 2011, to the National Garden Railroad Convention, because it is close and we have lots of friends in the KC area. For a “newbie”, your words not mine, I would most definetly go to the East Coast Large Scale train Show in York, Pa. on the last weekend of March. Nothing compares to it. We will be there, as we have for the last 10 years (if the Lord’s willing and the creek don’t rise). It is the best in my opinion. You’ll read a lot more about it here on LSC, as it gets closer.
Hi Ric, I enjoyed your article about the KVRwy. What a neat layout. I really enjoyed this picture of a young man and his train.
(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/KidGardenRR.jpg)
He is having a great time with trains!!! One of the reasons I am building the LRRR in the backyard is for kids to “play trains.” I will not be using the super detailed Shay for “kid duty” but will be using this 0-4-0 from LGB with the tiny Vanderbilt tender toting a battery in it. I hope to save up enough money to get this converted before next summer.
(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/lgb1.jpg)
I like the rugged construction of the LGB stuff and the simple loop and hook couplers that kids can use. With a simple whistle, bell and chuff I hope to turn the children in the neighborhood , my grand kid ,and nieces and nephews loose in the magical world of model railroading.
(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/lgb2.jpg)
On the HO layout it was always “look and don’t touch”. On this one I hope to have some junior engineers with “hands on” like you have in the picture above. Thanks for the inspiration. Doc Tom
Tom Grabenstein said:
The Four Ton Mountain Overall Boss Crumb is pretty happy with the way track laying and road bed building are going so far.(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/4tonmountainandworkcrew.jpg)
Doc Tom
Tom great shot. Who makes that boss Tom figure and where did you get him.? Thats one of the figures that im looking for, for my Climax.
Shawn said:
Tom Grabenstein said:
The Four Ton Mountain Overall Boss Crumb is pretty happy with the way track laying and road bed building are going so far.(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/4tonmountainandworkcrew.jpg)
Doc Tom
Tom great shot. Who makes that boss Tom figure and where did you get him.? Thats one of the figures that im looking for, for my Climax.
Hi Shawn, That portly cigar chomping figure is from Rail Road Avenue http://www.railroadavenue.com/Products.html and is called “Ben”. They make some really nice figures. “Ben” AKA Boss Crumb really gets around (saw him on the Sundance Central module at the NNGC) and he does fit in the cab of a Shay. He would also probably fit in the Climax. Here is Boss Crumb taking a break with the crew of #2147. Of course new hire “Timmie” is always acting goofy whenever a camera is around. That’s Timmie in the Lime green brand new overalls.
(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/BossCrumb.jpg)
Doc Tom
Tom, The story of kids and model trains goes way back to when we were kids. The interest is developed because some adult encourages a younger person by letting them have the throttle. We have kids that come back year after year to the ECLSTS in York and show how their skills have developed over the years. Its fun to watch them grow up.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/jgolding/2010%20Easter%20J%20016.jpg)
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/jgolding/091108%20009.jpg)
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/jgolding/091108%20023.jpg)
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/jgolding/091108%20026.jpg)
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/jgolding/100502%20013.JPG)
The kids’ enthusiasm continues after all the adults have given in and sat down. They just enjoy the fun.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/jgolding/100502%20019.JPG)
This last one is the future of the Golding Railroad Empire. This is Luke, our grandson, when he was 2 1/2. He’s now 6 and runs the rails with the big guys at the train shows.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/rgolding/060901%20002.jpg)
Tom,
Just a suggestion… Make sure that the kids understand that there are certain “rules” that must be followed in operating a railroad, or all is chaos. Even 1:1 scale railroads have rules that must be followed.
When explained, kids, even young ones understand that the rules must be followed. Be firm about consequences, but not overbearing.
Hi Ric and Steve,
What inspiring pictures Ric. Those are great shots with the kids and the trains. I hope I can get something going as nice here in Clarksville Tennessee.
Steve, very good suggestions. Even though my RR is in its early development I have noticed neighborhood kids going straight for the bridges and trestle work as if to climb them when they visit. First rule “Stay off the bridges and trestles.”
Doc Tomhello Doc,
on my indoors layout (speak: controlled building chaos)
the first rule at the moment is “keep yer hands in yer pockets!”
as long, as my trains were compatible with their playmobils, my girls were very interested.
when the trains didn’t grow to Barbie size, they lost interest.
but i’m infecting all our nephews!
Construction Photos of the LRRR. Much like the prototype I wanted to make some constuction photos of the Little River RR in the back yard. I purchased some of the interesting Woodland Scenics large scale figures involved in RR construction and posed them at Straka Falls on the 4 ton mountain I am building. Here is how the Little River Rail Road showed its pride in their work force laboring to put down tracks high in the Smoky Mountains. The prototype historical pictures are from the Little River RR museum website.
(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/0103WorkersElk.jpg)
(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/3508ConstructionCrew.jpg)
Here are my guys at work in the 1:20.3 Smoky Mountains.
(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/tcrew3.jpg)
(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/tcrew2.jpg)
(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/tcrew1.jpg)
Hope you like the pictures. Doc Tom
Keep that crew working! They do a nice job!
Doug Arnold said:
Keep that crew working! They do a nice job!
Thanks Doug. Well, the Little River has frozen over!!! There is snow in the Tennessee Mountains and the Little River has frozen over. The freeze has prompted “goofy” new hire Timmie to test out a hypothesis he has been thinking about for some time. Can pigs walk on ice??? So he got down in the valley with his pet pig “Jupiter” to find out. Despite all the noise from the protesting ham on the hoof a good time was had and a photograph made to record the scientific evidence of Timmie’s discovery.
(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/Pig1.jpg)
(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/pig2.jpg)
“Goofy” Timmie is a Woodland Scenics creation and the poor suffering pig is a discounted Hobby Lobby “diorama” figure I got while my wife was doing last minute Christmas shopping. While corny, I hope you like the pics. Doc Tom
