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On Thanksgiving eve, 2000, I asked a number of Garden Railroaders if they had any projects planned for the winter. Myself, I wanted to get my buildings cleaned up and detailed. The point of this collection of input isn't so we can go back at the end of the winter and rub people's noses into the things they didn't get done, but to give everyone ideas for ways to "keep their hands in" when it's too cold to play outside for long.
Some of the other folks' replies were:
Jay of the Lost Lumber RR said:
As having been a lurker for quite a while, I figured it was time to say something. I have Garden Texture's covered bridge and sawmill plan to cut wood for and assemble.
I am modeling a logging and mining narrow gauge based on southwest Colorado, northwest New Mexico logging lines. I know there was never a covered bridge on any of these lines, but to keep from getting killed by my better half for pulling out her flowers, I figured the covered bridge would work.
(David R. Clark replied to this: "Think of your covered bridge as a snow shed... very common in that area... there is even one on the higway over Wolf Creek Pass.")
Diane Mann said:
My intentions are to repaint and rehab my structures. Some of them are really in need of help. Talk about low rent districts! I also have a couple of new kits that I want to do. I'm hoping Ed will start on the rolling stock. I also plan to start playing with my airbrush this winter. This past year has been bizarre with weddings, wakes, funerals and other events . . .next year I want to be playing more with my trains!
Adding lights to my buildings is also of interest. Anybody have any great ways of doing this? I know it has been vaguely discussed, probably last winter, but I'd be interested in getting the lists ideas again! I promise I won't send out flames if I don't like the response ... I know where the delete key is!
I was hoping to add on to the layout this year, but I think the spare money will be going into 1:1 house maintenance!
Also, I do like the people outside the buildings, etc. Trouble is, they always seem to lying down on the job. How do you get them to stand up properly for the season on an outdoor layout? And, some of my people are suffering from sun and windburns. What's the best paint to use on them and will I be perpetually doing them over.....
Chuck Walters said:
I am going to repair my buildings for my garden and make some custom wood cases for each of my live steamers for transport and display!
Rick Blanchard, helpful as always, and having just moved, said:
First some replies:
I just finished mailing out over 100 sets of decals for the San Diego Convention Cars, and I have Scots decals ready to go to the post office. I am open to doing custom decal work for others, including design work for logos, etc. if desired. Fellow listee JR also does decals so either of us can help fix you up.
On lighting for buildings, look for a simple battery holder and a 12 volt light and socket. Craft stores or even Radio Shack may have the parts.
To light a structure with a warm light just connect the light to a 9 volt battery and set this contraption inside the structure. To turn it off, lift the building (or take off the roof, etc.) and unhook the battery. To get more elaborate you can run lights off of a 12 volt outdoor lighting set using the direct burial wire to go from town to town.
To keep your townfolk upright, cut back on their eggnog! The other way is to drill a hole through their foot and up their leg and glue in a piece of galvanized wire. Let the wire extend 3-4 inches and plant that part into the ground.
My project this winter is to find out what one is - having lived in Southern California for so long I forgot about all the pleasant nuances like black slush. Up here in NM at 5500 feet I'll be hibernating for sure.
I plan on doing some turnouts and sections of track to plant in the spring and finishing up all the half done cars in various boxes around here. Moving is such fun.
I put some new scans up on the net of the Cumbres & Toltec RR from Oct 99. They are numbered 1-6 so just change the number once you check out the first pic: http://urbaneagle.com/CTSRR/chama-pan01.jpg
I plan to do some structures too. Which reminds me, what are the major failures that you have experienced with your structures over the year that need repair? Is is fading paint, ineffective glue, wood swelling/shrinking, brittle plastic, general handling or a raccoon attack? If lots of people have the same problems, maybe someone has found a solution already.
Joe Betsko said:
I am going to lower some Aristo box cars and body-mount #1 Kadee's onto some rolling stock. The Dremel will see extensive action!
Randy and Sharon Mower said:
The winter project here will be re-building weather damaged buildings so we
can prepare for the East Coast Large Scale Open Houses (if Mother Nature
cooperates). Also major maintenance on the highway vehicles. And anything
other little thing that we can do to prepare for next year.
James R. Avery said:
Going with Kadee couplers on everything!
Hope to finally install DCC & sound.
Jim Schneider of Onalaska, WI, said:
Last spring I dismantled our garden railroad of eleven years. We have since sold our home and moved to a new house. One half of the new mainline has been laid with 20' diameter curves. A 20' tunnel is in place with one tunnel portal. Winter projects include a second tunnel portal, a 20' viaduct, 3 short bridges, a 5' bridge, two building kits, general maintenance of older buildings and planning of a freight yard. Should keep me busy this winter and a couple more.
Larry Parsons said:
I'm going to build the turntable by Ted Stinson that was in the December issue of Garden Railway.
Gregory Adams, AKA Grego, said:
I want to finish just one project, the conversion of the LGB 2-6-0 into a 2-8-0 suitable for use as WP&YR #40. I already extended the drive and boiler and it works. Now the detailing of the front steps and fixtures seems like much more work.
Oh, I also started a new pike here in California - small - just something so I can run trains.
John J. King said:
Originally I was going to pull up the circle of track around the pool and
move it outside the lanai and put it in the lawn and try to create something
that looked like a garden railroad. Then along comes this tornado
(associated with hurricane Gordon) that took the track, the lanai, and the
existing garden for a trip to heaven knows where. Have gotten a permit
finally to rebuild the lanai and add twenty feet in width and the length of
the old lanai which I will use for a garden railway. Now comes the
problem(s) do I lay track to get a train running quickly, or plan properly
and take a week short of eternity to get it operational? Roadbed, wow never
needed that on original circle around pool, concrete deck never moved so who
needed roadbed. Brass rail again or something else, battery or track power,
scale or 10" rule or better maybe 20". How many of you would use a Unitah to
pull a European consist? If it looks good on the shelf it will look good on
the layout as well, won't it?
Well, you see where I am going, nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Not trying to start any major discussions on the above, but anyone with any tidbits on tropical Florida, salt water, sand, heat, sunshine, track connectors, grease, solder, and a basic propensity complain about hard work, I'm all ears. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, I am. Tornado did damage, but no one was hurt and I will be stuffing myself with turkey surrounded by family. Who could ask for more? (Er, John, what in the world is a Lanai? - ed.)
John Peters wrote:
Right now I am in the process of putting out around 10,000 Christmas lights before the crowds come. Last year I had more visitors the three weeks before Christmas than I did the rest of the year. We averaged about 20 people per night. If you haven't done this before, give it a try. The lights are really neat at night with trains running. Daytime is dull anyway since the flowers are all dormant now.
I'm trying to start a flame war with myself. I am finishing an improvement to track power by adding jumpers to all my track (1200 feet) connections at the same time I am converting all of my major engines to RCS/Battery/Sound. So far I've converted two Big Haulers with BBT drives and my LGB Coca-Cola diesel. I sent a Shay and a Climax to Dave Goodson (yes, he of rail clamp fame or flame) because they were too much for me to tackle. The Shay is back and is magnificent, the Climax is waiting on batteries. Still have my Bachmann 4-4-0 to go, and maybe an Aristo Pacific.
I also have 3 building kits to assemble, Bachmann cars to repaint, and I plan to learn to make decals with my Alps printer. That should about cover this winter and several more.
Ross Webster said:
My winter project list.
If nothing else I will get the last one done for sure
Richard L Friedman said:
As for me, I'd like to get the track straignt and true where its supposed to be! Then I'd like to assemble a Bachman coach kit to go with my combine, and a Korbel small house, and learn to scratchbuild a couple of larger office/storage type buildings with my (new for me) '57 Shopsmith!
Then I'll wait for good weather.
As a followup to Diane's question about people fading and peeling, Bob Atwell wrote:
There are several Photographic UV protective sprays on the market that can both protect our figures and buildings from the Sun's UV rays. I have had good luck spraying some of my figures and other plastic accessories that aren't UV stable with this. It comes in various levels of gloss and I tend to use a matte finish that also tends to take the shine off of things.
You can use the glossy type where you want to keep the shine on things. I re-spray about every two or three years and it seems to help. I had several old Pola buildings that weathered a bit too much for my liking. I cleaned them up with soap and water. Then used a light coating of Armorall (the non glossy type) and sealed them over with the UV protective photo spray.
The results were good and the stuff seems to work. I believe the manufacturer is Marshals but I haven't checked the can in a while. It's real purpose is to protect photo's exposed to direct sunlight. It works well for that purpose and the peeling paint on my accessories and figures has been greatly reduced if not eliminated by this. I bought mine at a professional photo supply store.
Lloyd Day said:
I didn't see or get the original message but I am planning to build the Kingfield turntable the plans for which were inserted in the latest GR. I had pulled them out and carefully laid them aside, now if I can just find them.......
Today an HO friend and I are building small large scale and HO ovals in an empty storefront in downtown Bangor. (Maine) They will be up for the Christmas season.
John Abbot (who lives in the Florida keys) said: I am starting to clean up and repair buildings and put them back out on the layout. Everything was removed for the hurricane season. Weeding and cleaning up leaves and setting up for Christmas season. Winter is when we operate and enjoy the railroad.
Gary Nichols said:
I think I'm going to start working on all the spring and summer 2000 projects I didn't get finished.
Gregory Adams (Grego) added:
Ok Paul - here is my real list - basically to be ready for spring time operations on the WP&YR (California division).
This article copyright ? 2000 by Paul D. Race. Reproduced by permission.
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