I’ve just encountered a new problem, at least for me. My wife breeds Papillons (think 5 pound dog with 2 pounds of fur). My water fall mountain is still under construction, so the interior is still easy to reach. The dogs have taken to using the tunnel as a rest room! I had two derailments today for dog droppings inside the tunnel. I’m sure that some one out there has experienced this problem before. Anyone have an idea for a “pooper scooper car”? I’m afraid that after I finish building the waterfalls that I might not be able to properly remove this type of debris. I have tested the design for track cleaning purposes using a plasterers “pole sander”, but had not planned on dealing with dog droppings.
I’m thinking of some kind of removable spinning brush on the end of a flat car. Anyone else experienced this problem and how did you overcome it? Never had this happen in HO&N scales.
They don’t taste that bad with enough barbeque sauce!! lol
You might try a snow plow. At least it would push it off the tracks.
I’m not sure of the name since I don’t have animals, but you might try soaking the tunnel area with “Dog-Gone” or similar dog repellent.
Another possiblity is to catch them in the tunnel and flu***hem out of the tunnel with the water hose a few times. Hopefully they will get the hint.
Another suggestion is to make plugs for the ends of the tunnel. That will keep dogs, cats, and most any other critter out of the tunnel.
And even another , wire an electric fence transformer into the tracks. Wire it up with a DPDT switch to switch from train power to fence power. You would need to remove any locos or cars that have electronics in them before switching to fence power. Once they contact the tracks a couple of times, you won’t be able to get them even near the tracks again.
Book ends? I never thought of that. Stuff the dogs, cut them in half. Put the front half on one bookend and the back half on the other bookend! T%hat would definitely look different[(-D]
I had a friend who had a problem with birds nesting in the cowling of his airplane. Solved the problem by using a few hunks of the 4"thick upholsterer"s foam cut about 1/2 inch bigger than the holes. Just plugged them into the holes after shutdown, and pulled them out as part of routine when untying plane from ground anchors.[8D][8D]
I guess a couple of times slamming your train into a wall with all the attendant wreckage to rerail will cause you to come up with a routine to remember to remove whatever blockade you finally choose to put in the tunnels![banghead]
If you’re worried about forgetting to open the doors, then motorize the doors, and make them automatically open when the track is powered up. Then close when the track is turned off.
You might try moth balls. I had squirrels in the attic, threw a bunch up there. They did not like the smell and left. It may work with dogs and cats.
I have also seen at Wall Mart and other garden stores a little battery powered device (for your key chain) to keep dogs away from you while you are walking or riding a bike. I do not remember the name but it puts out a sound that we can not hear and the dogs do not like.
I’ve heard that getting a bunch of tiger dung from the local zoo will keep dogs and cats away. BIG KITTY!
As for the electric fence charger, you won’t have to keep it on all the time, just for a few “events” between the dog and the track and they’ll get the message. Not only will they stay out of the tunnel, but they’ll stay completely away from the track. Had a problem with our dog getting into our flower beds and vegetable garden. She won’t go anywhere near a bare wire now.
Get a Dash-9 or a Mikado with a sound unit and the volume on full and chase 'em out using it. This way you get to antagonize the dogs and play trains all at once. On the serious side, i’ve heard of motion sensors that are hooked to garden sprinklers. That might help?
Enough fun with the “dog abuse”!!! These dogs are PAYING for the TRAINS!!! [:)][:)][:D] (2 males & 4 females; puppies go for ~$2,000 each) [8)][8D] Fighting off the spray from the garden hose is their version of play time. If the sprinkler system kicks in while they are outside they will run from sprinkler head to another “snapping” at the water spray about an inch from the sprinkler head. [:-^]
The YARD BOSS (a.k.a. wife [^] ) has footed the bill for the pond and RR (~$23K) from proceeds from the dogs. She (who must be obeyed) is in full control of the landscaping in this project. Since I had “water over the falls” this weekend (the rest of the mountain is still under construction) she has announced that we are going out to Walter Anderson’s this weekend to begin plant and “tree” selection. (again, being funded by stud fee’s) [;)] Anderson’s is a VERY LARGE garden center and they carry LGB, Pola, Pico, B’man, Aristo, AND ON AND ON!!! At the San Diego County Fair they always have a garden setting with at least 2 LGB/B’man trains running.
Bet you cannot guess where I spend most of the day when at the Fair. [:D]
