Robert, I have seen a hinged plywood cover before. It came to be because of an kid that had not been taught to respect other people's things. I have had kids grab something off the layout wanting to "see" it. Kids, (and even visitors who should know better) can't seem to fold their hands behind their back and simply "look" at an engine. I was taught this very early on! Some times I could catch him, other times it got damaged. So, I figured a cover would not only keep the dust off, but "out of sight". If the kid couldn't see it he wouldn't try to pick it up. As I mentioned in my post with the photos, (pg.1.) while I was helping an old fellow work on his layout, a fellow walked into the room with his unruly 6 year old kid (brat) wanting to show this kid the old man's "trainset"! The kid picked up a new BRASS engine and the Dad yelled, "That train is worth more than you are!" but the kid dropped the engine on the basement floor and totally destroyed it! When the Dad jerked his kid up off the floor by an arm, he broke the arm. The old man and I had both tried to grab the kid, but the Dad got him first! Good thing too. I had never even thought about it, but you can break a kid's arm that way! I learned a good lesson about that. The Dad had to buy that engine for some heavy cash, (I think because I was a witness! So he couldn't get out of it.) The old man cried of course. He had saved most of his life to have some really good trains for his retirement years! He had a cloth cover, but later we built a plywood cover after that incident. He put a pad lock on it, and a lock on the room door too! A few years later, that kid shot another boy in the eye with a twenty-two rifle. He was always in trouble, and was eventually shot by someone while he was trying to break into their house. He was worthless, no one in the town felt sorry, or cared. Right after I married, the old man and I built hinged sides around his layout, that would fold to hang down along the sides and ends of the bench work. We made light weight pannels of 3 ply "door skins" and hinged them to fold back on eachother like a bi-fold door does, then fold down with those side pannels. We put hasps on to hold them in place while down, and could be locked when up in place covering the layout. When up covering the layout, they rested on top of the end pannels. It was a neat job, and looked nice when painted. As the years passed, and I began to get some good engines, I kept thinking of how quickly some neighborhood kid, or even a visitor, can destroy everything. I have a lock on my layout room now too, and I have the only key! [ 28. October 2002, 16:26: Message edited by: watash ]
My layout is in the throes of a rebuild/redesign, so it does not look at it's best. But recently, it has become a shelf for all kinds of non-model railroad stuff. So I recently cleared all extraneous matter from the layout and actually ran a couple of trains! Now the dark nights are here, I will make an effort to get on with some more of the rebuild, and do a bit of running, so it should stay a bit more presentable
With the Spring River Railway section of my Frisco layout under reconstruction, it is a mess (kinda like many areas on Dallas-area freeways these days ). I have at least two barrels' worth of junked scenery to haul out to the curb, as well as (I hate to mention this) signs of four-legged visitors upstairs. No, not the cats or dogs or even sqirrells, but rats! I've discovered rat droppings on the right-if-way, and have laid out traps to get the little bugger- teach it to trespass on railroad property (penalty for such a crime is death-the local judge is a mean one! ) On the upper level, where the Frisco runs, there's a few boxes I'm using as mockups to locate where I want to put buildings- otherwise, it's all trains. And the track is relatively clean and free of debris.
Hah! I spent last weekend building a 4 drawer, 24" x 22"x34" cabinet to store train goodies in. It fits under the table, and I added a pull out work-top to the cabinet for just that extra touch. Next, I plan to make some "paint jar" dividers, etc to keep the cabinet interior organized. It is one heavy son-of-agun, as I used inexpensive melamineparticle board, but did add casters to move it with. Even though I did screw up on the caster mounting , grrrrr. ( I woodwork/woodbutcher a lot)
Bspeed, Welcome to Trainboard! I like your signature- I'll have to try that diet plan out (even if it takes all year! )
Hiya, FriscoBob; we have chatted before... I guess you are now moved into the house-with-a-trainlayout in Sherman recently sold a Lathe to a local fellow who was retired from the railroad. We had a nice chat about RR's, but then again, I am quite ignorant of about 99% of railroading He told me the name of the line that runs through Van Alstyne, but darn I forgot it. And it only seems to run, oh about at midnight - tonight I think. kinda difficult to take a picture then. Would ya believe my Wife has actually changed a HAIR-DO APPOINTMENT to attend the Plano train show with me ? wow. I might actually get to buy a few goodies from vendors if I push my luck a little...
My poor little layout was so dusty, I took EVERYTHING off of it (3/4 of the layout so far), took a strainer from the kitchen, filled it with scenery, and washed every barrel, traffic cone, crate, person, vehicle, etc. It's a small city scene, but chock full of details. It's time consuming to place all that stuff back where it was. I completely strip each scene and vaccuum it throughly. Now, the problem is.......even though 90% of the scenery is weatherd by me or naturely from age..........it's so darn clean it looks prototypically incorrect!!!!!!!
Bspeed, Yep, I'm all moved in, except I refer to it as the layout with a house below it That line thru Van Alstyne was the Southern Pacific Denison Branch out of Dallas. From Plano to south of Forest Lane, it is DART's light rail line. DART owns the right-of-way to McKinney. Dallas, Garland & Northeastern runs this line south of Sherman at night. Were I not working this weekend, I'd be going to the Plano show as well. If you haven't been, I recommend it highly. [ 15. January 2003, 01:11: Message edited by: friscobob ]
Well I will put my two cents in. I have to projects going at once. My layout that folds up so it is no wider than 24 inches had been that way for several months now. Because it folds upright it can't get full of stuff. By the way its 6 x 12 when down so I can run. I use old bed sheets or spreads to cover it. My other project is a latter yard that I had to clean to finish the trackwork. So its real clean right now. I built a shelf under it so i could store layout related stuff. I use the same kind of bed stuff to cover it.
