Large Scale Central

On30 whimsy layout need ideas

Other Scales O / On30
#1

So my wife has wanted to display her Christmas village stuff in a neat little scene for many many years instead of just sticking them randomly on a shelf. I finally got on board and we made this display this year.

This gave birth to an entirely new theme for my On30 layout which I can say is just about to start breaking ground. I scrapped any idea of a realistic looking operations layout. I am going full on Christmas year round whimsical layout. First I have an endless supply of buildings and “stuff” to populate the layout with. Second, to add to it is cheap after the holidays at thrift stores and garage sales, and third solves my wife’s storage issues. When she wants her display (if she does) then the building and stuff will be removable from the layout and can be taken to her display and then replaced. The more I think on it the more I am liking the idea. I always do serious and try and do at least close to realistic as i can. So a little whimsy in my life will be fun.

But the point of this post is I need ideas. I can not completely abandon my entire vision. I still have a few wants. A turn table and small round house are high on my list. I also would like some industries and switching. To my knowledge none of the Christmas village manufactures spent a lot of time making industries and such. Modifing the existing structures is out because they are not modifiable. So I have a couple thoughts one is to modify model train structures and paint them up and decorate them to look like the Christmas village stuff or to see if a ceramics place has the raw village buildings that I can modify, combine, etc before they are fired.

Any thoughts. We are a long way from this being a reality but I am day dreaming and scheming.

#2

Ya know, most industries had the railroad siding on the back of the building. Maybe you could turn some around to use the back to modify.

#3

Devon;

Perhaps you could gently modify some of the buildings with signage you print on the computer to proclaim a candy cane factory, a Christmas Cookie bakery, a “Lightening Glider” sled factory, a toy train factory, a Christmas candy factory, Santa’s warehouse, Naughty & Nice Bookkeeping (for Santa), and on and on. Just a few things that came to my mind.

Happy (name) hunting, David Meashey

#4

David Meashey said:

Devon;

Perhaps you could gently modify some of the buildings with signage you print on the computer to proclaim a candy cane factory, a Christmas Cookie bakery, a “Lightening Glider” sled factory, a toy train factory, a Christmas candy factory, Santa’s warehouse, Naughty & Nice Bookkeeping (for Santa), and on and on. Just a few things that came to my mind.

Happy (name) hunting, David Meashey

Now that is a splendid idea. I had not traveled the road of whimsical industries. But that makes complete sense to stick to the theme and also develop industry around it for switching. Instantly I was thinking the two things I wanted in the original iteration was a logging operation and saw mill and a mine and a stamp mill. Well sticking to the whimsy theme we could “log” peppermint sticks and haul them to a peppermint mill for processing into some other peppermint candy. And I can “mine” some other thing like chocolate chips or who knows what and send them to the mill. By doing that I could easily use existing buildings and make a scene around the idea. I like the toy factory idea also.

You are brilliant Mr Meashey.

The ideas are already flowing. I can mine red and green sprinkles and haul them to the cookie mill. Oar cars, or hoppers filled with sprinkles

#5

How about an industry where you have flowers go in one end, and flour for the bakery comes out the other?

You could just do it and wait for someone to question it.

Rudolph’s Red Nose Factory.

Fleckheimer’s Wrapping Paper Company. Odd and ends go in one side, wrapping paper with crazy designs comes out.

Egg Nog Bottling Company

Xmas Candle Company that burned down.

My friend has “Krell Metalworks”. Ref: Forbidden Planet

Can you tell the Doctor changed my medication?

#6

Devon said “Well sticking to the whimsy theme we could “log” peppermint sticks and haul them to a peppermint mill for processing into some other peppermint candy. And I can “mine” some other thing like chocolate chips or who knows what and send them to the mill.”

For those two products:

Might I suggest real candy canes/sticks for the forest where the logging takes place.

And for the mining operation an M&M mine along with a field of candy kisses being gathered.

This way you have ready treats for visitors you can grab from the layout

#7

Wow. Pretty cool looking indeed. VERY nice!

I’d probably approach it from the other direction - see what your wife likes and would like to add. See if you can use your woodworking skills to produce some of what SHE wants.

#8

Bruce Chandler said:

Wow. Pretty cool looking indeed. VERY nice!

I’d probably approach it from the other direction - see what your wife likes and would like to add. See if you can use your woodworking skills to produce some of what SHE wants.

Great thinking and already in that mode. First and foremost this is becoming very much “our” project as opposed to my project or her project. Second her display and my layout will be more or less mutually dependent on one another. she has thrown her two cents worth in and mainly her chief desire was to make her display seasonal while mine would be permanent. With that the buildings and such will be removable from mine so they can be used on hers. Basically this whole idea was born out of the plan that she can “store” her village stuff on my layout and then that gives me a supply of buildings. So whatever she has will be used on mine and vis versa. She has even mentioned the idea of abandoning “her” display above and just both of us spending our time on “mine” which then would be “ours” (these words really do not exist in our vocabulary). I need to interject a bit of back story here. I have always loved Christmas and Christmas decorations. I grew up in a family where Christmas decorating was an all hands on deck art form. I have been collecting just about anything I can find at garage sales and thrift stores that is both train and Christmas related with the plan to decorate my room for Christmas in a train theme. After Christmas I could go back to a traditional motif. So this just fit right in with the big picture. So when we first started talking about this she even said that she may decide to scrap the display above (it is in a bathroom after all, not the most convenient location) and we will open my hobby room to visitors to see our over the top Christmas village display. I think this is the route she is leaning and it means I will have to clean it up for the holiday just in time for MIK to kick off, a non-zero sum game; I win, she wins, the visitors win. As an added bonus she will take an interest in helping with the layout something that to date has been nothing more than a passing interest.

To the rest of the ideas surrounding industries we are coming up with some creative solutions. I love the idea of people being able to eat the layout, lol. A few of Lou’s names and themes are great. I especially love the egg nog bottling plant.

#9

Devon,

This will be a lot of fun! Don’t forget liquid industries, such as oil wells that pump “wassail” or “Gluehwein.” You could develop an industrial cycle have tank cars run pumped molasses to a refinery for distillation into spiced rum! A travel shop advertising a tropical getaway would add a visual joke.

Eric

#10

Okay,

You guys are way to awesome. I had not doubt you all would deliver and you did not and continue to not disappoint. Of course Eric has to chime in and remind us that he decorates a palm tree for Christmas (okay I don’t know if he really does or not) but throwing a bit of tropical in would be a fun conversation starter. Maybe a sugar cane car or Dole pineapple billboard reefer?

Keep it coming guys. You are making my day and just reinforcing that this is the direction this layout was meant to go.

#11

Rudolph’s Clown Noses

Elve’s Shelves

Vixen’s Tack Shop

#12

Elve’s shelves lol

#13

Skittles might be a good thing to mine as they are hard shelled, durable, and should slide easily. Might need mini skittles due to scale.

#14

I ran most of your ideas by the wife last night. As I was sharing them throughout the day with her she was telling friends and family. When I got home we discussed some of the better ideas at length. She is as excited as I am if not more so. She loves over the top Christmas decorating and the idea of an interactive Christmas themed layout (that is edible) has her excited. So much so that she said I HAVE to have it DONE by next year (we have been married 30 years next year you would think she would know better that DONE is not a word I am very familiar with). She even said she will “help” that way it gets done. She did go on to clarify what “help” means and I am pretty sure my dad uses a synonym to describe when my mom “helps” . . .he calls it nagging. She started to grab the car key, I am not sure but I think she was heading to Home Depot before she turned and cooked dinner.

#15

Devon Sinsley said:

(it is in a bathroom after all)

It’s just such a shame that you can’t take a shower until after it comes down. (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)(I guess the “rest” can be done in the “back house”) (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)

#16

Bruce Chandler said:

Devon Sinsley said:

(it is in a bathroom after all)

It’s just such a shame that you can’t take a shower until after it comes down. (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)(I guess the “rest” can be done in the “back house”) (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)

lol thank God we have two, lol. This is a spare bathroom or guest bathroom. It doesn’t have a shower in it anyway. It has a nice jetted tub though and I really miss it. I spend some time in there when I hate my head.

#17

Sorry I over looked the obvious but thought your wife might help out with the doable hot chocolate all night diner:

https://www.thespruceeats.com/hot-chocolate-on-a-stick-520658

And so as not to forget any imbibers don’t forget the Eggnog bean field:

https://www.ohnuts.com/buy.cfm/jelly-belly-egg-nog?pre=50199&gclid=CjwKCAiA8ov_BRAoEiwAOZogwYkXMO4WbtN0JfUQOCbbHTY1PRNkNv99m_FOsWEkw3TMGKprVgB0kRoCPKkQAvD_BwE

Anymore trouble we can get you in just holler(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#18

@David M., I am passing those recipes to CINCHOUSE!

#19

Make sure the kids help her(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#20

Is that a jacuzzi tub the layout’s going over? If it is, that brings a whole new dimension to the design. Like, where’s the drink cooler? (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)