Are rolling stock and locomotives put away (like in boxes or somewhere off the tracks) between operating sessions (read play time)?
Similarly, is the layout covered with a drop cloth or similar?
There can be several answers to that question. Operation can be restarted with the cars in their originial locations or they can be left as they are and operation resumed from that point at the next session. It is a lot easier to leave them there and than restart the entire session, plus it seems as the trains are actually running on a 24hour schedule and do not stop.
soumodeler
The Southern Serves the South!
They can be if you want to, but generally I leave my equipment on the layout–in the yard or in the loco service area. Finely detailed models don’t like to be handled excessively.
I don’t cover my layout with a drop cloth unless I’m spray-painting nearby or something–my details are fragile, and a drop cloth would wreak untold havoc!
Recently, I remove the majority of my old school freight cars and put them back in boxes. Then brang out the modern ones for a ‘back to the future’ session. When cars are not in use, they remain in old Athearn and MDC boxes.
I don’t cover my layout up. Cause when I wake up in the morning, my layout looks especially cool. My eyes are closed all night, then I awaken in the morning, stand up in my bed, and see all my work. BEAUTIFUL!
I don’t cover anything or remove it ( I don’t have much rolling stuff anyway), but I do run my trains into the tunnels and leave them there for protection from dust when not powered up. My tunnels are at least seven feet long, so lots of ‘storage space’.
I would think covering the layout with a drop cloth would be more damaging than the dust would be. As for the cars they are usually left out unless the layout room isn’t a finished one then there can be dust problems. If storage is relly neccessary i always liked the idea of a giant traverser that is a fully sealing drawer.
Jesse
My bigboy nope, my daylight yes.