My Temporary Setups - Mostly Trains!

[Guest Closed Account 1]

I have a dream.

 

I'm tweaking a layout using Rail Modeller for an XL N-trak module to fit into a DIY coffee table.

 

Just simple loops so I can run trains, speed match, and troubleshoot.

 

Cat proof and kid proof.

[tossedman]

There's a fella at our local train show with a coffee table layout. He's the only one that brings a couch to the show.

 

Cheers eh,

 

Todd

Edited February 10, 2016 by tossedman

[serotta1972]

I've been busy putting up a mountain, growing trees and grass.  The hardest part was deciding what shade of green to get as there as so many and ended up with Valley Green. :)

 

Color of the Month: Blue and Cream trains roaming my Green Valley

 

 

 

 

[JR 500系]

Ooohhh... Quite a nice effect I have to say!  :)

[serotta1972]

Thanks JR500, I think the trains are happy with the change of scenery.  :)

 

A running session with the 115's.  Wow, what a difference a table cover and background makes.  It certainly elevated the enjoyment level a bit with very minimal effort.  Thanks Jeff for the table cover tip, man I'm such a bum as I couldn't even get myself to paint the table.  I got some buildings on order for some added visuals and roads for the buses.  

 

 

 

[cteno4]

Lol not lazy, just smart! Simple and you can change your mind! Also great to hide wires!

 

Jeff

[JR 500系]

Wow... A good way to have fun quickly... Now I'm starting to think if building a large layout is a good idea...

[cteno4]

I always come back to Barrie's article on how he does his temporary layouts. He used the wargammer concepts of scenery bits and such to really make a rather finished looking temporary layout from fabric covering, scenery bits and adding the scenery boarders to his structures.

 

http://www.japanrailmodelers.org/pages/modelingjapan/tempoary.html

 

I think it's the smart way to get into model railroading rather than starting a small fixed layout as you can keep playing a lot with track planning, wiring, scene design all at once and in hand, not theoretical! Plus all the while you can be learning and practicing scenery techniques on little bits which is the best way to learn and refine your skills. Scenery techniques are the most personal part of the hobby IMHO, as they draw on the individual's talent, experience, skills, eye, patience, needs, etc that can be so varied. It's the one you see the most folks get flumixed on, daunted by, painted into corners, or even the reason they drop the hobby (stalled layouts at scenery is a big exit spot). So doing it in little bits makes for easy learning and failures are minimal waste of time and resources and much easier to do a round 2 and be successful, and these kinds of positive learning loops are huge at increasing your hobby enjoyment, learning ability, and over all happiness!

 

Ttrak or small modular or sectional layout ideas are a great next step then as you can start to scale up the permanent track work and scenery.

 

Also life has a way of intruding on your hobby so if things need to get packed up for awhile or move it's no big issue to do it with this sort of approach, whereas a fixed layout, unless done with careful planning for breaking into sections, usually means tearing it apart and the loss of a lot of the financial and time investment.

 

Fixed layouts are great, just think they should come after doing a lot of this kind of temporary playing for most and careful planning as to your future!

 

I see too many never get to the fixed layout and don't do much as they are waiting to get to the big layout to do any scenery, building derailing, etc. and become lifetime armchair Modelers. I also see some jump onto the fixed, even small layouts and fail or do not so great a job as they never had the refinement loops to learn the scenery techniques,met rack planning or scene design well and just went at them fast on a larger scale and it just didn't come out quite right. Getting stalled or dissatisfied with a fixed layout in process can also be this big mocking monster sitting there for some that really hurts.

 

Again the rapid succession of small successes is, in general, much more successful than isolated big ones and the lots of little ones tend to have a great agitate effect that can give you big cumulative effects!

 

Last, some experienced modelers tend to look at the temporary layouts as just playing and not serious modeling. Well that's just total BS as this is where your really learn and learn to enjoy the hobby. I think these kinds of experienced Modelers are either just very naturally talented and take it for granted or forget how they learned early on or think a hobby should be tough and daunting trial by fire! The hobby should be fun and easy and rewarding!

 

There are tradeoffs of course, but I like to think of this kind of a hobby being a wandering evolution, not a fixed path!

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[serotta1972]

Running session at the office, after work hours of course.  :)

 

Ran my new 115's, 111 and the 82 and 83.  I created my own consist with the 82, 83 and Kato's 115-300, I figured I had a motorized 83 so I just got the 4 car add on set.  These new Kato 115's are very much on par with the Tomix HG sets.  The older Kato 115's are nice but these new ones with body mounted close couplers, improved detailing and motors with flywheels are really nice.  But for the price, the older Kato units are a bargain compared to the new ones.  

 

 

 

[serotta1972]

Some new elements for my temporary layouts and posing on them are 2 of my favorite trains, also 2 of my original Japanese trains purchased in the mid/late 1990's.

 

 

I was a little disappointed at first with the non matching light green colors of the bridges but actually got to liking the  contrasting colors pretty quickly. 

 

 

[JR 500系]

They look nice! Great fun in the office! I wished I could do that too....

[serotta1972]

I just might purchase 2 more tables and more table cloths and I would have about 4 feet by 12 feet of space to play with.  I just might be spending some of days off at the office in the near future.  Hmmm, let the track planning begin!  :)

Edited March 22, 2016 by serotta1972

[serotta1972]

It's amazing what a 15 Degree crossover can do.  All of a sudden I have a double oval and 2 spurs.  Also, just in case you don't notice - I have my first building.  :)

 

 

 

 

[JR 500系]

Nice to see third sector railway trains turning up! The Hankyu 9300 is a beautiful train!

 

Get the sound card from Kato to experience the full joy of running the Keikyu!  :)

 

[serotta1972]

Oh Sammy, don't give me any ideas - you're such a bad influence!  Although my 16 month old daughter loves trains sounds.  Yeah, that's what I will tell my wife - this sound box is for the baby so she'll enjoy watching the trains more.  :)

[serotta1972]

Steam Train Excursion Day:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nah00]

Running session at the office, after work hours of course.  :)

 

 

I've thought of doing this more than once. I work in a bank and we have some HUGE room in some of our branches, want to take my spare Unitrack box in and run them. Christmas Eve I was going to run one on the back counter but ended up getting the day off. 

 

I started painting on my layout and man does it make a difference, especially on the parts I've started to ballast. I need to get some pictures up here in a thread...

[serotta1972]

I think Kato or Tomix track layouts are perfect for office conference rooms, one of these days Im gonna do a big set up on our large conference table.

[serotta1972]

JR East Commuter and Express Running Session:

 

Double oval and 2 train action.

 

 

 

[JR 500系]

I always liked the photo with a line of trains side by side with each other... Beautiful ~

[serotta1972]

Giant Trains have descended on Emerald Valley.

 

My 17 month old watching her Thomas Train whiz by!

 

 

Thomas now has company in the Kato C56 and 2 Freight Cars.

 

 

[katoftw]

Fizzling fireboxes!  That is awesome.  Great reaction from the little one.  Hands clearly waving around in excitement.

[serotta1972]

You should've seen my excitement when I ran the C56 for the first time, pure unbridled joy!  :)

[serotta1972]

DMU Running Session: 

 

 

The Queen of my DMU collection: Kiha 85 Wide View

 

[JR 500系]

Nice collection of DMUs! They look really nice! I'm a huge fan of the Kiha85 too, so much so I had to get the Kiha75 to run along with it ~