Appears as if they have you guys well trained by allowing you to think “you own them”. [swg]
Catnip is supposed to mellow out cats and make them relaxed.
The only way to keep the cats off the layout is to put a clear plastic barrier around the edge of the layout.
Get a Quiet Time brand Pet Bed.
The layout could be llifted up to the ceiling.
Andrew
We got four cats. One of the boys gets on the layout occasionally, the other boy rarely, and the girls never do. Hmmm.
I’ve only ever found one car so much as tipped over. The “scenery” is strictly plastic buildings and action accessories, I figure that helps. Dunno what I’d do if they were more troublesome, especially since I like to encourage them to be themselves.
I do model planes too, and one morning I was amazed to spy our late, great cat, RIP Tuffy, carefully tiptoeing over the ribs of a six foot wing I had on the building board. Not a tool was moved, nor a glue bottle tipped.
Pete
Your cats are gifted, Pete. [:D] I can almost hear the ‘tires screeching and crash’ noises as ours jump on something
I absolutely cannot give my cat catnip. She gets absolutely out of control running around the apartment like she is wired up on drugs.
Andrew: EATING catnip leaves is supposed to relax a cat. However, smelling the leaves and rolling in them gives them a temporary euphoria. Not a good idea near a layout.
As for adding a clear plastic barrier, that’s not a bad idea, but it would have to be quite high, as cats are efficient jumpers. I’ve seen our cats jump five feet high or more.
Rene S.
I have been told by a vet. that a cat, in good shape & not overweight, can jump up to six feet from a stand still position, so your wall around a layout has to be quite tall.
Also I have found that cats are very curious and will find a way to get into the layout, if not put in a seperate room.
Lee F.
Catzilla…
Special OPs Cats…
My, my…
This IS a dangerous world we live in!
Seriously, I have 2 cats and I have found the best solution was a door on my train room. I keep it closed at all times. Even when I am “working” in there. You just never know when your room may be infiltrated by a “Special OPs Cat!”
Cobrabob.
Jeff look at the cat in the middle look familar? lol
!(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/rtraincollector/our pets/OurPets057.jpg)
Pixie-Bob?
Some cats can be taught to watch the trains and not get on the layout. My late Chessie loved to come down to the basement with me and sit or stretch out on the stairs to watch the trains and me.Granted, there were a couple times when he was a kitten that he got on the layout, but other than that, he was my #1 railfan.
Kevin
I took pieces of cardboard and made a cover with a peak over the top of one bridge when it is in the up position. She can no longer jump over to that section of elevated tracks and wake me up at night.
We have 3 cats, but only one is attracted to the train. She loves to climb up on the layout and watch it go. I gave up trying to keep her down, and she doesn’t really hurt anything. Except the wiring. She loves to chew on the wires, so when I find a dark light, or the train won’t run I first check the wiring to see what she’s chewed through now.
She’s also figured out how to get into the drop ceiling in the basement. A couple of the panels are missing . . . probably from the weight of a cat standing on them. Now, she climbs up there and looks down on the train to watch it go.
Overall, it’s been fun to have her around the layout. Of course all of mine is O, so she can’t really hurt any of it. The one time she stepped in front of the running train she got a real surprise and hasn’t made that mistake again.
The problem is your bed is in there. The thing i would suggest is to get a track sensor, you know for signals and hook it up to a loud horn, it should be 12 volt and thats it .My cats hate loud noises and they stay the heck out of there.
LOL, is that when she discovered the space over the layout?
Rita likes to get up on the layout to be eye level with me.
Rita can also imitate Chessie the railroad kitten.
Andrew
Try what I do for electrical cords. Take cayenne pepper and a few drops of water to make a paste and then smear the paste on wires, cords, etc. where she has chewed on. After one taste, my cats don’t even like the smell of cayenne pepper.
Kevin
Good luck with that, I’ve never had any sucess. Layout still in construction phase. The big 13lb female likes to plop herself down right in the middle of progress.
CJ Meyers
Member TCA
On a pet program on the radio I heard the suggestion of putting double sided tape on the surfaces you don’t want your cat on.
You think that’s bad, try a 50 pound dog sitting on your cotton snow (clean, and she sheds) when you’re trying to put your Christmas layout up… 
She did figure out pretty fast that putting a wet nose across both the inner and outer rails at the same time will feel quite unpleasant. She hasn’t really disturbed my christmas layouts since.