Large Scale Central

Trains & Camping

General Discussion
#1

Jon you asked soooooooo.

I have a 5X10 enclosed trailer in it I keep about 375 to 400 feet of brass track consisting of 12’ (2) 10’ & (1) 8’ dia circles along with (6) wr Aristo switches 2 19.5 crossoversand 2 30 Arisro crossovers and asorted straight s. I have all this scanded in to auto cad. Before we go camping I find a camp ground that will allow me to set up and how big aspace that is alotted I then work out a track configeration that fits and is interesting to watch. all this track etc. is put together with brass rail clamps , It sometimes takes up to 8 hrs to do this. Right now I have 49 diffrent engines , I usually don’t take but about 10 at a time. They each have a plastic flower box lined with carpet paddingto be transported in
I carry my freight cars wraped in bubble wrap in Christmas tree storeage boxs I have approximately 250to 300 diffrent cars various manfactors
I normally run 30 to 40 cars per train I have a cosist of 3 Mth dash 8s a aristo u boat ( dummy and a low nose dash 8 dummy.
when we start running people start coming by and watching and asking questions. as I have sound on most of my engines alot say they thought it was real We have had over the last 5years or so maybe hundres if not 1000s of people come and look one fellow even went back home and brought back the guy that lived next to him. We keep a supply of wooden train whistles to give to the yonger set. we have met lots of people that do or did work for various RR in this area I have a 30’travel trailer that I pull with my truck while my wife pulls the 5X10 with her car. We have people ask when you bringing the trains and one last thing there is nothing like after running trains all day long like the sound of 15 or20
kids blowing those darn wooden whistle all at the same time. if there is ahy one that has any questions pm me and I will try to answer them

Ed

#2

Very neat idea.
Do you have any pictures of your camp GRR?
Ralph

#3

WOW!
What an idea. Ed, you noted 1000 people have seen and responded - incuding people asking when you are bringing the trains. I can only imagine, as our family are avid campers, the responses.

Question: Any feedback from any repeat visitors as to whether they themselves have entered the hobby?
Any indication your campground display has enlisted others to get involved in large scale?

Thanks for the posting!
Photos would be appreciated.

Wendell

#4

Thanks Ed.

When you first mentioned this I had no idea you were doing this on such a grand scale. I had in my head a small circle of track on your campsite and a battery powered train. A far cry from what you just described!

We are campers and also have a 30 ft travel trailer. On more than one occasion I have brought engines with me to either work on or to run on layouts we visit. I’d considered bringing a small bit of track to run at camp, but have never even imagined anything as large as what you are doing.

Sounds like fun. Maybe we’ll be in the same neck of the woods sometime :smiley:

#5

Jon It started with a small circle of track and some how it just got more and more. I have a train person
wife that helps me. She can talk trains with the best of them . She answers most of the questions while I keep things going .
Ed