If you had an outdoor layout and unlimited $$$$$

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

Say if you had an outdoor layout to build with at least 5 acres. Then unlimited $$$$$ to spend on it, cars, engines, and other model RR stuff. (This is on 3 rail O-guage). What would you build? I think Gargraves is the only track known to be used outdoors longterm.

Me, I would build a PRB type coal loading facility. A huge yard, some farm fields harvesting corn, grain bins. And a long straight section going from one town to the next to make up for all the turning around all of our trains do compared to the 1:1 scale.

2

OK, I’ll bite. What would I do? Maybe I’d try to create a replica of the Crystal Lake (IL) junction and wye circa 1925, complete with small yard, turntable, freight house, passenger station, lakeside spur, and run a timetable and train orders sort of operation between ‘Chicago’, ‘Janesville,’ ‘Elgin’ and ‘Lake Geneva’… or maybe a long, lazy, weed-strewn single track overhead-wire interurban line simulating the Rockford and Belvidere lines west of Chicago…

3

Since I won’t live to be 140 years old, I’d sell off 4 acres, build a house to live in on half of the one acre left and a similar looking building on the other half (maybe 70x30) and hire the SMARTT folks to build something I could see that wouldn’t take 20 years to build.

Actually having 5 acres, I have thought of a building about 400 feet long and 20 feet wide with a big room at each end. Then you could work a crew at both ends and send trains off to a distant location. Nice looonnnggg trains.

[:)]

4

Interesting question, here’s my answer.

I’d want to create ‘islands’ of activity focussing on specific topics. Such as a Harry Potter area, a Meccano/Hornby area, some Swiss mountain scenery, a Victorian city fantasy a la League of Gentlemen, a collection of all the most memorable images from my imagination and travels.

Each ‘island’ built in such a way that the onlookers could get up close and at eye level so as to be able to really feel as if it was real, especially children and each ‘island’ would have a lot of motorised and motion sensor triggered accessories and animations.

In other areas the eye level would be set so as to either make one feel dwarfed by something like a mountain or viaduct, or set to give sweeping views of long runs to get the true sense of scale and be able to run full length trains at full speed disappearing into the ‘distance’. This is very important for me, I have ALWAYS wanted to have a big enough railroad to really open the throttles wide.

When I was very young I went with the Scouts to Holland and we saw a model of Amsterdam called the Madurodam which impressed the heck out of me. You could walk through it and there was a lot to see, I always though their only mistake was not arranging a section so that you walked through it as if you were a little scale person at street level seeing it as it would appear if it was real, if you see what I mean?

Also when I was a kid I went to Boys Exhibitions, this was in the 50’s and Meccano (Englands Erector) used to put on display these VAST working models of things like the Forth Bridge, massive gantry cranes, vast tractor/trailer units with real working 18 speed gearboxes. I would love to be able to incorporate all these fond memories into one cohesive exhibition full of wonders all sewn together with the magic of trains.

5

Live steam.

Cranes you could sit in. Gravel pit.

Fun for all ages.

6

Well, if I had unlimited $$$$$, I certaintly wouldnt bother with ugly 3-rail!

why should I if I have unlimited $$$$? :wink:

And I wouldnt be limited with 5 acres either…

I would build a live steam railroad in 1/1 scale, with a 1/1 scale NYC hudson and PRR T1 to start with…

sorry…what was the question again? :wink: I think you need to make your question a bit more realistic…“unlimited $$$$$” really throws it off…

Scot

7

If you really want to build an outdoor railroad, you would be much better off switching to G-scale…its designed for outdoors (brass track and plastic ties that are UV-protected)…works much better outdoors than O-gauge.

Scot

8

with 3 rail (we’d best stick to this topic since this is CTT forum), you’d certainly get more train in the area than G gauge. Atlas and Gargraves would be good to use. 5 acres would be a lot of track to clean (unless you had a good track cleaning car), so it’d be best to use a remote control system.

The island idea seems nice

9

Ahhhhh…perhaps some day!

I think I would also stick with O gauge and most likely 3 rail. I would use some of that unlimited $$$$$ to purchase/create a cleaning train (engine with several cleaning cars). I would elevate the entire line so one could walk around at “street level”. I would have a mountain with a train circling it up (like Polar Express), accessible switches, and lot’s of activity. Perhaps, make a tunnel underground play area were kids could climb around and “pop up” in the middle of the layout. Come to think of it…perhaps build like they did Disney World in Florida. Build an entire network of access tunnels (concrete culverts stacked side by side and end to end on just about the entire lot) and then lay the actual layout on top. The idea of small trains dissappearing off into the distance is a wonderful idea.

Or perhaps I would have just as much fun sticking with one (or more) of Thor’s mini layouts.

Isn’t this hobby great!

Jim H

10

We live on 5 acres of heavily timbered land with two creeks and several steep hills. It would be fun to model Colorado scenes with tunnels, trestles and mountain passes. I would also like to include flat cars w/tanks that could fire live ammo to eliminate some of the deer around here, remote control of course! I can’t even fathom the cost factor of such a build.

11

5 acres… WOW…

I have 1.4 acres mostly wooded and want to build a timber company railroad on part of it.

If I had 5 acres, it would really depend on the terrain. Is it hilly? If so, how steep? Is it wooded? Is it flat? This all plays into what type of system you are going to go with, IMHO. Also, are there ‘ponds’?

If the terrain is ‘rolling hills’, partially wooded, partially open I would do some mountain scenes in the hills with some timer type industry intermixed with coaling opperations. In the ‘open’ spaces I would have farm land. Also a city with large railyard… think Western Maryland into Baltimore… or Frederick… or Hagerstown… probably model the Cumberland to Hagerstown region as that pretty much covers Coal/Timer/Farmland.

I would use Atlas 21st Century nickle track as it won’t rust and the plastic rails are supposed to be UV resistant. Not sure how I would power a 5 acre railroad, probably put some solar panels somewhere with a battery backup system (hey $$$$ is no object!), have to build some MOW trains to keep everything clean. Also see if I could model a working ballast train that would suck up the old ballast, lay new ballast, and then tamp the ballast - THAT WOULD BE COOL AS HECK!

All my curves would be O-72 minimum, with mostly O-84 and O-96 in the mountain region. Probably have 6 Alleghenies, some Mallets, Turbines, K4s, and the like. Also run some diesel latch-ups as well. Be cool to have 2 Alleghenies double headed pulling 100+ coal cars with an Alleghenie in the rear for extra push…

Definitely have a turn table, with LARGE (10+ stalls) roundhouse, classification yard, sanding/fueling area, maintenance sheds, etc (yard area). Have to have at least 2, if not 3 coal mines, large timer company area with working flume and catch pond, with a large saw mill.

SNAP… back to reality… and emp

12

Brent–
We found this house & property 17 years ago and jumped on it. Less than 6 figures to buy. One son was in Junior High and one just starting HS and they loved it. It’s so quiet and peaceful here with no neighbors yet we are less than 25 minutes to world class entertainment, shopping and an expensive airport (Des Moines) or two hours to an affordable airport (Omaha). They will have to carry us out of here, no plans to move. Our sons are sitting on a gold mine for inheritance.

13

Jon,
Sounds wonderful! My wife and I love our new place and in 6 - 10 years when we are ready to move we’ll make out comfortably on the sale! [:)] The house is large enough that we could stay here longer, but the 3 spare rooms are a tad bit on the small size so when the kids (hopefully) get older we will need more space. That and there are a few things we don’t like about the house that are either too expensive to change, or we are chosing to just live with.

14

Even though i am all about 3 rail “O”, if i had an outdoor layour with that much room id have to go G scale, and 100% live steam! I cant think of anything more exciting! It most be a blast to have live steam loco’s(allthough likely alot of work)

15

Hi Boyd

I would forget three rail and lay two rail track I would be worried about something getting stuck between the running rail and power rail, I would find out what track the UK “O” people use out doors and use that track.

(Note I have an outdoor “G” layout and may just make that a lot bigger instead)

I would import all stock from the UK in that outline along with all locomotives being either Live steam or Clockwork steam outline and I do mean “O” scale ones[8D]

You did say $$$ where not a problem so why settle for less than real steam Locomotives and top notch mere mortals cannot afford them clockwork loco’s.

Does any one do US live steam in “O” if the do and they are a quality product they would be on the line as well.

13 Coach passenger trains would be normal on that sort of size piece of land and a miniaturist gardener would be hired to create a miniature sort of in scale garden for the trains to run through, and teach me how to look after the garden properly.

Have I spent enough yet?? I am sure I could spend more given a bit more thought[swg]

regards John

nice dream will have to wake up now

16

Union Pacific, Cheyenne, Wyoming, 1945…'nuff said.