Large Scale Central

Reopening the layout for another summer

General Discussion
#21

Very nice!

I’ve been bustin’ my tail for the last couple months, and especially the last two week, getting ready for today’s OCGRS meeting that I am hosting. Literally 100’s of hours. The railroad looks better than it ever has and everything is working perfectly!

Was drizzly this morning but looking to clear, so I put out the electronics. Haven’t put out the trains yet.

So it started raining. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cry.gif)

Same thing happened last year and we cancelled the meeting.

#22

I hear you on rain. It’s the dry (very dry) season for us now. No rain in the forecast for quite some time.

But later in the summer the monsoons start up. We were lucky though when we were on the layout tour for the National Narrow Gauge convention when it was held in Durango many years ago. Rained the day before and after. But our tour day was perfect.

But we do have some means of rain dirt splashing protection:

#23

New stumps, logs, and logging crane for the logging camp:

#24

Great looking railroad Matt. I really like the oil pump, I’ll have to look into finding one of those for my railroad.

#25

Where did you get the oil pump Matt? Does it run?

Chris

#26

Chuck & Chris,

J. S. Woodcrafts here in Southern California have these pumps as part of a diarama. These are called Horse Head Pumps. Used all over Southern California. I grew up watching these being manufactured by Lacy Oil Tool in downtown Los Angeles and there plant was right across the street from my Dad’s drop forge plant.

These models are fully animated. Not cheap, but a very nice model. All the out buildings and well head are included. I bought mine at the Big Train Show many years ago, but never set it up. Still in the box, unopened :). No…I’m not selling it :).

http://www.jswoodcrafts.net/Anima_Motor.htm

Scroll down a ways on the page.

#27

Ran some trains today:

#476 coming out of the roundhouse

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#476 waiting in the siding at Rockwood with a pipe train

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#476 with the pipe train through Dulce

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#473 at the ash pit

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These beavers have a great view of the passing train

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#473 pulling the San Juan

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And I posted a video of the oil well pump moving. Unfortunately I could not load it to anything but Instagram from my phone, and I think the video will only play on a phone…but here is the link anyway:

Oil Pump Video Link

#28

It works. Nice Pix!

#29

Matt great work … Ken you two , have some great photos!

#30

Enjoyed looking over this post. Will be moving to the Durango area in the next year or so. I see you put the layout down every year. I’d like to do an outdoor there but here in Texas I’ve had issues with deer and cows tearing up track. While I won’t have cows there, I’m assuming the deer, elk and bear will be just as big of a problem. Your layout looks to be in an open area, so what is the real experience with the wildlife?

#31

Mickey Kelley said:
Enjoyed looking over this post. Will be moving to the Durango area in the next year or so. I see you put the layout down every year. I’d like to do an outdoor there but here in Texas I’ve had issues with deer and cows tearing up track. While I won’t have cows there, I’m assuming the deer, elk and bear will be just as big of a problem. Your layout looks to be in an open area, so what is the real experience with the wildlife?

Welcome to the area Mickey.

Deer walk through the layout area every day. However they don’t cause any troubles as they are pretty sure footed and don’t linger in the layout area very long. Just passing through. And they are not super heavy.

Elk on the other hand are miserable. They are heavy enough to bend the rail and usually damage it beyond repair…meaning I have to put in a new section of track. During our off season (fall, winter, and spring) I have a yellow rope tied around the layout area. It helps a lot.

Beer are around, but they have yet to cause any trouble. Mountain lion are also around, but I haven’t seen any in person…which is a good thing as it is usually too late if you see one.

Here is what elk can do:

(http://i.imgur.com/ADMt21f.jpg)

#32

I finished upgrading three LGB 43682 stock cars…added Kadee body mounts, metal wheels, brake hoses, two got a sheep double deck, tall brake wheels, and new gray roofs as opposed to the odd red roofs they came with. I used roofs from LGB 4067 boxcars which are easy to come by.

The three new cars go pretty well with the three old LGB 4068 stock cars I repainted black and decaled many yeas ago. Although I still have to number the three new cars.

One old car and the three new cars:

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And some pics of the stock train:

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A party?

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And a video clip of the mine flume with water:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVflmgOBxrT/

#33

The stock train looks great Matt

Chris

#34

So is that elk damage a multiple time a year occurrence?

#35

Mickey Kelley said:
So is that elk damage a multiple time a year occurrence?

For a long time no. But in the last few years there has been at least one section of track damaged by elk. Last year was the most severe. But we didn’t put the rope up that year. Will never do that again.

This is why I keep all the turnouts indoors in storage during the layout off season.

Thankfully the elk herds do not come around during the summer.

#36

But aren’t elk good eaten? You could down one or two in the name of defending your property (railroad) and then have meat for a few months.

#37

David Maynard said:

But aren’t elk good eaten? You could down one or two in the name of defending your property (railroad) and then have meat for a few months.

Elk tastes great. But I don’t live here year round. And unfortunately not when the elk come down.

But say if I did live here year round and did shoot me some elk, if I ever got in trouble for shooting too many elk I would always use the South Park “it’s coming right for us” defense: