Campgrounds on layouts

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I am planning on building a couple of campgrounds on my layout. One will be in the mountains and one will be in the desert. The one in the mountains will be next to a lake and stream. The one in the desert will be next to some hills and perhaps a lake. Both of these campgrounds will be only partially modeled. They will include spots for RVs and Pickups with Trailers, and some tents. They will have picnic tables and campfires. Some spots might have hookups.

I would love to see pictures of your campgrounds on your layouts. Please post them here so I can see what others have done. When I have finished I will post some pictures too.

Thanks.

2

Can’t show you pictures. What you’ve described wasn’t part of the culture of the area I model.

It sounds as if you intend to devote quite a bit of space to something which won’t produce any measurable rail traffic. As such, my bias would be to make it N or Z scale (I model in HOj) back in some otherwise empty spot along the backdrop - or maybe as a photo of a suitable facility in appropriate scale incorporated into the backdrop. Another possibility is a corner of the table, outside the curve.

I’ve seen models of steam era hobo camps, but nothing that the KOA wouldn’t disown on sight. Your description sounds much more KOA than hobo jungle.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

3

These will be KOA or state park type campgrounds. My plan is to only show a small portion of the campground with the rest of it being off the layout or out of view on the other side of a hill. I think there is going to be about 4 spots in each campground. One of them is going to be next to the main line on a curve, next to a stream. The other next to a lake. Each campground will only take up an area of about 12”x6” or less and will be in areas which are currently wilderness. A large portion of my layout is wilderness because my interests are in running trains over a mountain pass. Mining is the main revenue on that area of my layout and there are large two mining operations.

In real life, most of the campgrounds I have been to are in the mountains. They are large and have dozens of spots but you can only see a few from the road. That is the idea I’m looking to recreate, to just see a small part of it and know that there is more somewhere.

4

I have the perfect spot for a campground on my layout, however I am making the layout so I can time warp back a hundred years with the removal of a few of the more modern items. I think a campground would be ahead of its time in the early 1900s. I may see what I can do with the idea.

Here is a picture of our setup. The truck is fifteen years old and the trailer is eight years old. I hope your not running one of those Hoity Toity type campgrounds that doesn’t let old beater equipment like ours in.[(-D]

If you are feeling sorry for us on a stormy night and do let us in, here we are. You can print off this photo and cut us out and stick us on your backdrop.

5

LW&SF,

Would’ve gotten these up sooner, but ImageShack just struggled back to life in the last hour or so, so I couldn’t post these. I like my camping pretty rough, so that’s how my campgrounds are too…

This was our camp at the very end of the Keewenaw In Michigan’s UP at High Rock Bay.

Sadly, there are no FZJ80 models available in HO[:(]

You might find a HO scale 1/4 ton M416 trailer to stand-in for our M101 CDN Canadian Forces surplus trailer. Very similar trailers, except the Canadians didn’t build these until 1992, then used them very little before selling off the bunch to go to larger stuff like the US uses.

There are however, FJ40s around, which the railfans camping here up at Crater Lake Junction are driving.

Besides good taste in vehicles, they’ve been polite, camping on the forest service land behind the section house, unlike that bunch we had to run off last year who set their “kitchen” up in front of the door for the motor car.

All their stuff, tents, kitchen/fire gear, and truck made by the usual German outfits and should be in the Walthers catalog. I spray painted the white “tent flys” on with the help of some masking tape.

Meanwhile, over near Hesperus, some other folks who make camping more of a lifestyle (and in keeping with forum rules, we’ll otherwise steer clear of discussion about their lifestyle, except to note they don’t get around in nice LandCruisers [;)] ) are cooking up some grub. From time to time, they’re actually gainfully employed as what we in the Midwest call “lumpers,” unloading trucks and railcars for cash at the grocery warehouse run by Western Grocers on the right side of t

6

[:-^]

Here you go Lone Wolf,

My model of a campground.

photo Johns Picture 235.jpg

It is a little longer than what is in the pix. But it was a fun project.

Johnboy out…

7

I’m interested in making or buying some HO scale tents. What I’m really looking for are what we called “wall tents” in the scouts. This kind of tent was set up on a platform usually and it was possible to roll up both sides as well as the “doors” on both ends to essentially form a canopy when all the sides were rolled up or they could all be rolled down and closed. It looks similar to the tent to the right in the photo above. I’m wondering what methods have been used to make HO scale tents or if something similar is commercially available.

8

Would any of these military-style tents from Herpa help?

http://www.herpa.de/collect/(S(0ckz2r2iyg0vbci4rwtyhhfl))/detail.aspx?ProductID=745826&express=1&thumb=1

Walthers Scenemaster has a similar set but still not exactly the tent you are looking for:

https://www.walthers.com/catalog/product/view/id/919231/s/camping-tents-large-small/?ref=1

Seems like an easy enough project to scratch build. Make a form out of styrene in the shape of the tent you have in mind. Lay pieces of tissue paper, the kind that shirts used to come wrapped in, with a diluted coat of white glue on it.

Spray a mold release on the styrene form (silicone or Pam) then lay the soaked tissue over the form, perhaps using a piece for each end then one to act as the roof and sides.

Allow this to dry then carefully separate it from the form, paint and customize with rope and ties.

Good Luck, Ed

9

No campground, but I did have uniformed Boy Scouts on a hike. I think they were Preisers.

10

Is that the same as Presbyterians[(-D]

11

In keeping with our taste if I were to put a campground on it would Yogi Bears Jellystone Park

12

Thanks! I had looked at those tents. Your ideas on scratchbuilding one though sounds interesting. Have to give that a try!