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Modelers Corner

Here's couple of pictures. Fleshed it out last night then refined the layout today still this isn't how it will look as I figure things out more. The Kato ballasted track is the best by far that I've seen and doesn't cost anymore, gets rave reviews.. All the engines I use now are Kato. One is from the 80's and runs like new. Incredibly smooth with good power. Even using their cheapest power pack there's no slow speed jerkness and that's what makes them incredibly smooth unlike almost all the HO trains I've had. Highly recommend Kato products. Needed a clamp on lamp and found one on Amazon that's amazing. Bendable neck, the lamps swing out so you can position them where they work best. With the remote you can adjust color temperature, brightness and a few other things. The brightness is stepped when lowering but you press and hold the button to increase brightness it's infinite, just stop where you like it the best. I like this lamp a lot.

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Good start @sanford12 ! A small, compact permanent layout, which will allow you to build a nice scenery... That's what my late father wanted to do in the 70s with some Märklin or Fleischmann N or Z gear in the 70s... But he never did it.

Nothing to do with our temporary O Gauge + Gauge 1 + Meccano + Lego layout we assembled at a large Modelism Show in early November 2025 :

SKsqVb-Layout-and-Machinists.jpg


A general video - poor quality sorry, due to a bad lighting - showing British, French, German and US rolling stock...


T
 
Thanks.

My first train memories are from the the late 50's. In the basement my dad had his Lionel set up. We did the Gomez Adams thing running trains in opposite directions crashing them on a bridge. Wish I had them now.

I have an outside loop coming and a cross over. The outside loop may get elevated as the layout progresses. Since it's a prairie passenger train for the most part it will be fairly simple scenery. Thinking about a backdrop maybe of one of the cities skyline that's a stop. Sometimes during a build things can change as inspiration hits.

Here's a video of whats changed. I'll have to install some ears at the ends or the the outside loop curves will hang over the edge.
watch to the end for the photo of the lit up end car. It's awesome

Here's my HO layout.
 
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Have 3x4 table almost done to add the to the layout for the elevated track that's on the way. The main layout will lose the folding table that holds it now for another table I'll build. Here's how it looks now. The 3x4 will go on the right.

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Cool looking set.

Kato makes a Big Boy steam engine that is very tempting but it's nearly $300. I'll have save for that if I want it but it's' Union Pacific and that's what I'm building. It's so detailed it's hard to believe it's N scale. I think it may be a piece that will increase in value. Yeah it'll be in my set. It's a beautiful piece.

N UP 4-8-8-4 Big Boy Steam Locomotives

katousa.com katousa.com
 
Cool thing about "G-scale" is because it is large, you can do some crazy things. On the train forum there is a build challenge every year. This year's theme is to build something "crazy" (AWNUTS - Always Whimsical, Not Usually To Scale). Ten years ago the theme was to build something that uses a flat car somehow. This was my entry:

 
These large model train layouts, made me remember a place we had dinner, in Baraboo Wisconsin (Wisconsin Dells). Buffalo Phil's:

www.buffalophilsgrille.com

Train Delivered Food at Buffalo Phil's Restaurant in Wisconsin Dells

Check out the LEGO® BRICK City & get your Train Delivered Food at Buffalo Phil’s! Enjoy rotisserie chicken, BBQ, pizzas, kids’ meals, ice cream & more.
www.buffalophilsgrille.com www.buffalophilsgrille.com

The food is actually delivered to your table, via model trains!

buffalo_phils_train_food_delivery.jpg

The food's pretty good, too.

Will go back, most likely, when we're in town on our recurring gig, next fall.

Regards,
Gordon.
 
Every year Large Scale Central has a build challenge. You can only use what you have at hand and outlay no more than $35. I've posted some of my past entries above.

This year's challenge is to build something in the character of A.W.N.U.T.S. (Always Whimsical, Not Usually To Scale). The originals were usually done in tin-type:
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You get the idea!

For this year's entry, I decided to make the "EmBark Dog Park". But rather than a park-setting, this will be where people come to park their dogs, including valet parking, short and log term parking, and other services including things such as "De-Tailing" for Rottweilers and Aussie Dogs, etc. Of course we will have "Express Service with a Smile!"

I've converted and LGB engine for the chassis and the sides will resemble a dachshund. Of course the car will feature animation such as a dog dragging his butt.

I've already printed out a covered parking spot as well as the long-term parking garage. Watch your ankles.

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I went though my boxes and the layout and dug out a few more dogs. I more of less decided on the project layout and animation.



The four dogs “parked” on an angle represent the short term/hourly parking. The dog house/parking structures are for the over-night, long-term parking.

John is riding in on his dog, but obviously the lot is already full/over capacity, as Max and Sarah, and their dogs, have just found out.

If things work out as hoped for… the pug will drag his butt around the hydrant and chihuahua. The two dogs in the foreground will tussle back and forth over a bone and the rail car itself will have a tail that wags.

 
Fun model airplane fact of the day;

This is an RC model of a full sized airplane called the "Citabria"..... And, why such an odd name, you might ask?

...... Because "Citabria" is "Airbatic" spelled backwards.

Yes, , , really... ;)


en.wikipedia.org

American Champion Citabria - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

"The Citabria is a light single-engine, two-seat, fixed conventional gear airplane which entered production in the United States in 1964. Designed for flight training, utility and personal use, it is capable of sustaining aerobatic stresses from +5g to -2g. Its name, "airbatic" backwards, reflects this."




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toddalin said:
I went though my boxes and the layout and dug out a few more dogs. I more of less decided on the project layout and animation.



The four dogs “parked” on an angle represent the short term/hourly parking. The dog house/parking structures are for the over-night, long-term parking.

John is riding in on his dog, but obviously the lot is already full/over capacity, as Max and Sarah, and their dogs, have just found out.

If things work out as hoped for… the pug will drag his butt around the hydrant and chihuahua. The two dogs in the foreground will tussle back and forth over a bone and the rail car itself will have a tail that wags.

Click to expand...

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The tail wags the dog..., or vice versa:
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The third motor is for two dogs to tussle over a bone/toy. I made a channel and "sled" to hold the magnets and the motor will make the sled go hack and forth under the deck pulling the two dogs on the deck along with it.
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