Hidden Staging Yards - Let's See Yours

BarstowRick Sep 30, 2022

  1. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    Rock? I have a question:

    If/when you scenic all that with a covered mountain...how ya gonna get in there if trouble happens inside ?

    [​IMG]

    Asking for a friend...:whistle:
     
  2. rhikdavis

    rhikdavis TrainBoard Member

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    That's alot of trees.
     
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  3. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    Rick has perfected layout building so there will BE no trouble inside.

    :D

    Doug
     
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  4. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    In reference to above. Good one Doug!

    George, There was someone else that called me Rock. You are my rock my anchor around my neck. But that's a different story for a different time and place.

    One of the oversights when building this layout. Is gaining access to the HS Yard. You can see in the pictures above, the mainline crisscrosses in front of the yard. I've had six trains sitting in the tracks and seldom had a need to get into it. Until a four pawed mouser took over the train shed. Then I had to pull everything off the layout. The last time it really ran.

    The plan is to have lift out scenery. Possibly foam platforms. I will try to replicate Mormon Rock in Cajon Pass. It will be freelance at best. Where the Bridges are is called Dry Gulch Canyon. Easy peasy desert type scenery.

    It will be awhile before I get there.

    We shall see what happens next.
     
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  5. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    Nice picture where did you get that? Rock wants to know.

    Most of what we do whether it's Toy Trains or a more serious Model Railroading. Toys? They are all toys. Some are more expensive then others. It all has to do with our track work. "Track Work is Everything" I've been known to say. I didn't coin that just repeating it.

    A friend of mine had a N Scale and yes HO scale layouts. Mr. DGAS, you figure it out. He couldn't get his trains to run on either one of the layouts without constant derailments. He asked me to come by and look at his layout. Why Me? Well, he had seen the trains operate on mine and wanted his to run the same way. Thanks for the compliment But? I know his personality. Now before I go any further. Can you see where this is leading? Going? The potential for trouble. Yep, I'm about to make a real friend or not. More likely NOT.

    I looked at his track work and it reminded me. of mine when I was first getting started. Sectional track with crimped/off angle joints. In other words they didn't line up. As though he forced the track to curve when it's not suuposed to or it's not meant to. It's not flex track. I did say it was like my track. It was! Sad to say.

    Where do we learn? School of hard knocks.

    Here's where it gets tricky. Think about his nick name, DGAS. He earned it. Given to him by his friends. Looking at the track. Do I point it out? The problems are obvious. Or do I choose to ignore it? To solve his problem he was adding weight to all of his train cars. I looked at the wheels and they were out of gauge, poor alignment, starting to spread. Getting worse the heavier he made them. Never mind the trucks.

    Hesitating, I pointed to the track and the off angle joints. Suggesting if he can straighten those out, that might change things up for him. Offering to help him. Oop's I found his anger trigger. His hot button. He said he would fix them and didn't need my help.

    Funny thing happened on the way to the train garage. He did fix the bad joints and the layout started to perform better.

    Unlike some others I've offered to help. He took it well and was pleased with the results. That doesn't always happen.

    When it comes to my layout, before the move, it was a smooth operating layout. Another good friend of mine remarked, "The trains simply glide over your layout", said DJ. Thanks Deaf John. He took video of the trains as they operated over the pike.

    My compliments to him, As did the trains on his layout.

    Both Deaf John, and DGAS became good friends and remain such to this day. DGAS was one of those Unlikely Friends. RIP... Although DGAS has left the scene he is most likely operating trains on Big Steve's Train Layout. They were best buds since Highschool. They will be missed.

    There is an element of truth in Doug G's thought on perfection. Over the years you'll find yourself improving your track laying techniques. To your surprise, you will be amazed at the overall performance.

    I might add here you will get fussier about what track products you buy and build with.It's only gotten better in the last 20 years.

    For now? I get to start over, these days. Grumble, grumble, grumble.
     
    Last edited: Oct 12, 2022
  6. DeaconKC

    DeaconKC TrainBoard Member

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    When I was building my previous layouts decades ago, I got to be pretty good at using flextrack and soldering joints and joint connectors, however, my eyes are 30 years older now and this is why I have decided to use Unitrack to avoid one series of problems, while I am sure I will find new ones.
     
  7. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    I'm having problems with my eyes. Cataract surgery was the only answer for me. Downside, the body only knows one way to heal and that's via scar tissue. So back to the Eye Surgeion for a Laser Treatment. Then for awhile I will have crystal clear vision.

    Life and what getting old does to a person.
     
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  8. Shortround

    Shortround TrainBoard Member

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    I can't have surgery for my retina issue. So, will have to live with getting shot through the eye. Every 13 weeks for now. New glasses in December, the Veteran's Administration is slow.
     
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  9. DeaconKC

    DeaconKC TrainBoard Member

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    Praying for you both.
     
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  10. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    The "perfection" thing is really about, as the years go by and you work with track more, you have a tendency to take the time as you lay it, to get track joints and curves, both horizontally and vertically, smooth to begin with instead of settling for "good enough, I'll fix it later if it causes trouble". You end up up taking several times later fixing less-than-reliable track and it's a pain.

    I know, on my current layout, although it's a fairly simple one (large ovals with yards), I can back a train all the way around it and into the yards, without derailments. It's all because I didn't settle for "good enough" ever, when I first laid track or made changes.

    Doug
     
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  11. HemiAdda2d

    HemiAdda2d Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    It wasn't too bad. Maybe 100 trees along that 8' run of false backdrop. I added lichen and Woodland Scenics foliage clumps to the face of it and the top to give the illusion of more trees. I used the WS tree armatures, and added ground foam, but the effect from a distance was more deciduous eastern than conifer western!

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  12. DeaconKC

    DeaconKC TrainBoard Member

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    Man, that looks good! Very rich feeling.
     

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