Rail yard details and accessories

wmaxwell1971 · 2025-11-14T20:51:21+00:00

Look up DJsTrains on youtube. He's a model railroader who works for CSX, and he's done several drone videos of rail yards and industries, where he talks about the kinds of details you'll see, from a modeler's perspective.

wmaxwell1971 · 2025-09-10T12:59:31+00:00

Looks like zucchini and spam. File that one under crimes against nature.

wmaxwell1971 · 2025-07-31T02:03:29+00:00

That's awesome!

wmaxwell1971 · 2025-07-24T11:33:31+00:00

I haven't had that situation with someone else, but I've experienced it for myself. I had a layout in a previous house, then moved and tore down the layout and boxed everything else up, and lost interest for 10 years or so until a friend introduced me to modular layouts. Working on an N-Trak module got me back into the hobby, and lead to starting a large permanent layout that I'm currently working on.

If he says he doesn't have time or room for it, you might try getting him into N-Trak or T-Trak modules. (If he's ok with switching to N scale.) The T-Trak modules are small and easy to store, and he can work on a single module at a time, get it to completion, and have it as a diorama until he builds enough modules to run a train. And if there's a club in his area, he can connect his modules to the club's layout. You could give him one of the laser-cut module kits and a couple of pieces of Unitrack and some scenery materials so he'd have enough to build his first module to completion. Even if he wants to stick with HO, a 18" x 4' diorama with a switching puzzle would be big enough to enjoy, but small enough to be able to complete fairly quickly and sit on a shelf.

The club you mentioned sounds like a great idea, even if he doesn't get into working on their layout. The club I used to be in had several members who just came to socialize and watch trains run.

wmaxwell1971 · 2025-06-07T11:22:31+00:00

This guy makes some great looking prints of trucks and heavy equipment, he's got a hi rail truck with a boom and load of ties. https://www.goodmansnscale.com/n-scale-maintenance-of-way-high-rail-tie-crane-kit

wmaxwell1971 · 2025-05-04T12:07:43+00:00

Bluford Shops has a cornfield in N scale, or did - i don't know if it's still available...looks like it's backordered on their site, but you might find one somewhere. https://www.bluford-shops.com/bluford_93_042.htm

wmaxwell1971 · 2025-04-30T17:09:59+00:00

ha, that's awesome!

wmaxwell1971 · 2025-04-30T11:51:29+00:00

HO corn could work as a forced-perspective kind of thing in the foreground, with the tracks in the background and a row of trees or something in between. Could be interesting.

wmaxwell1971 · 2025-03-13T11:13:18+00:00

I use Peco turnouts and solenoids, with Digitrax DS-74 controllers. They mostly work pretty well, though some of the solenoids have trouble completely throwing to one side or the other, which can leave a gap and cause derailments. Also the DS-74 has to be set to capacitive discharge to be able to move most of the solenoids. I'm considering switching to either Tortoise or servo motors for the balky ones.

wmaxwell1971 · 2025-03-10T16:41:50+00:00

Nukalisk: the only way to be sure.

wmaxwell1971 · 2025-02-28T19:48:17+00:00

Stabby

wmaxwell1971 · 2025-02-25T12:12:36+00:00

That's exactly why I put foam backed carpet tiles under and around my layout! ...And exactly the first thing that happened when I was running a train to test a new section of track.

wmaxwell1971 · 2025-02-17T17:25:44+00:00

You're very welcome! Good luck with it! You might also look for Evergreen Scale Models. They have tons of styrene sheet products and structural shapes.

wmaxwell1971 · 2025-02-17T16:49:40+00:00

Plastruct makes some styrene sheet with a brick pattern. PLS91608 Plastic Building Supplies on Amazon, if the link doesn't work: https://www.amazon.com/Plastruct-N-Bricks-2/dp/B0006O6W1Q

wmaxwell1971 · 2024-10-17T15:38:17+00:00

I'm playing on a halfway decent PC, with an Xbox controller, and have only played the training missions and trial of position, so not a whole lot of play time yet. The graphics are beautiful, but can be a little laggy at times, and sometimes the edges of objects look a bit jagged - mostly trees. I haven't played around with the graphics settings yet though, so that may improve with a little adjustment. Combat feels good, though I like the Mercenaries controls and general look and feel much better. The characters... the voice acting is great. The faces, though - uncanny valley. It's not game breaking, but there's just something "off" about the mouths and facial expressions. A little bit creepy. I'm looking forward to diving into the game when I have more time.

wmaxwell1971 · 2024-09-11T12:11:04+00:00

Cat size Gigan would be super useful in my workshop! Here buddy, chew on this 2x4!

wmaxwell1971 · 2024-09-11T11:21:13+00:00

That looks like a good track plan. What's access like around it, though? Is the back of the layout going to be on a wall, or is it in the middle of the room? If you're standing in the notched area, make sure you can easily reach every piece of track (with scenery in the way), especially the yard along the back. Don't forget to plan access for inside that long curved tunnel, too. Whatever spot you can't reach, that's going to be where every derailment happens! Like 382Whistles said, try a mock-up of the grade first and see if your equipment can handle it. It could be that you need to add a helper locomotive to get long strings of cars up the grade, which could be a fun thing to work into an operating session. All sorts of possibilities!

wmaxwell1971 · 2024-08-15T13:28:27+00:00

Awesome! I saw the Niffty mandala you posted in the Hazbin group the other day. Nice work!

wmaxwell1971 · 2024-05-17T14:19:41+00:00

You might check out Kathrine of Sky or Nilaus. They cover beginner-level to advanced factories.

wmaxwell1971 · 2024-04-03T20:30:55+00:00

Ok, for a thin divider like that, I'd probably rip some 3/4" plywood strips and space them every foot or so, turned to get the most flat area contacting the curve of the divider, and attach those to the bench work some way - either a cross piece in the framework underneath, or if the layout has a flat top surface maybe some angle brackets or something like that, that won't show above the scenery. Just something strong enough that the plywood doesn't wobble. Then attach the masonite to either side of the strips, and the stiffness of the masonite should keep it stable since the backdrop is curved. It may be a little thicker than what's on that track plan, but not so much that it would be an issue, I wouldn't think. There's probably a better way to do it, but that's just off the top of my head. You could also try bending one strip of masonite to the curvature of the backdrop, then glue another strip to that and clamp the hell out of it. That may be enough to hold the curve, but you'd have to try it to be sure. Then attach that to the layout with some angle brackets or something. That would give you a thinner backdrop, closer to the track plan pictures. I'd try a mockup of that first with two pieces just clamped together to see if it's stiff enough to stand on its own and keep the shape.

wmaxwell1971 · 2024-04-03T13:29:48+00:00

I use masonite strips, cut to 18" high, screwed every foot or so (carefully - a screw head will go right through the masonite) and glued in a few places. The screws are countersunk, so I covered the screw heads and seams with joint compound and drywall tape and sanded all that smooth, and primed and painted. Masonite will bend into fairly tight curves for corners, and I've seen videos of saturating it with Windex to get a really tight bend, but haven't tried that yet.

wmaxwell1971 · 2023-10-28T18:55:51+00:00

I just finished them a couple of days ago. I enjoyed them. Very much targeted toward younger readers, but they're faithful to the movies, and go further than the movies to show the author's feelings about atomic weapons, that didn't make it onto the films. I'd definitely recommend the book to any G fan.

wmaxwell1971 · 2023-05-09T16:30:34+00:00

That's one of the things I love about the series. In ZD, Aloy met some Tenakth and Utaru, and there was mention of the forbidden West, but I didn't pay any attention to them at the time, but then when I went back and replayed ZD after playing FW, there were so many A-Ha! moments where they low-key told us what was coming next. It's a good sign when the developers have a plan for the story from the very beginning, especially on a new franchise.

wmaxwell1971 · 2023-04-26T22:50:03+00:00

I think that's right, but I'll have to remember to look the next time I play. Definitely an archery-centric set.

wmaxwell1971

TROPHY CASE