What's BarstowRick Up To?

BarstowRick Apr 29, 2023

  1. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    Relax, Im still in the present. Yes, Im BarstowRick.

    Wish I knew the answer to that. You know aside from getting older.

    Perhaps the question should be is what's happening to Rick's Layout? Again the answer isn't obvious. The H&P is sitting waiting for something...anything that will improve it's situation.

    I've had friends who are hobbyist, toy train enthusiast as well as prototyper's, over to visit and subsequently went in to look at the layout. There response has been to date, "Wow Rick this really took a beating". Right they are.

    A substantial investment is needed to restore it. Has me muttering to myself. Things like, "That isn't going to happen". "Time will tell." "It is what it is." My favorite, Well, best I not say that here" Virgin ears and all.

    A question that haunts me night and day. What future is there for the layout after my demise? The answer is obvious as no one in the family is interested in it. Suspect certain family member will take a sledge hammer to it. This begs the question, then who am I doing this for? Me obviously. And no one else.

    Before I give up the ghost. I would like to see trains running on the layout once again. You know once it's restored. I'd like to see my Daylights, Santa Fe Chiefs, Union Pacific City namesake trains, the California Zephyr, assorted mail trains and of course those fifty car freight trains climbing the grades and drifting downgrade. Oh those meets on my widest curves. How they catch my eye. Just once more.

    I'm not worried about the future of the hobby. Just the future of this layout. Layouts? None, I did say NONE. Yes I did. None, that I have built to date have survived. All have been destroyed. Few where enjoyed to death but ended their life at the hands of a hostile person. Harrumph. A person Hostile toward the hobby. Heard most often. Why? Why, would anyone want to play with trains? I think we all know the answer to that one. We do!!

    So, I sit here looking for the answer and I still don't have one.

    The cost, the cost? That is certainly a factor. No I don't have my hand out. Goes against everything I believe in. Although I do make a good dumpster diver. Did I say that?

    The last issue is, admittedly I'm on the shorts. I think you know what that means.

    Let's see if I can get my energy levels up and get something done.

    Talk to you more later.
     
  2. DCESharkman

    DCESharkman TrainBoard Member

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    My friend, perhaps it may be time to scale things back to a more reasonable size and effort.

    Maybe prototype something in a smaller footprint, maybe using UniTrak for fast prototyping. Or use other track and start on a small part that you can build out and slowly increase the size and complexity. Sometimes we have to toss out the old because it is not really viable any more. I should have done that but I am insane as you know.
     
  3. in2tech

    in2tech TrainBoard Member

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    I don't think most family members are interested in anyone's hobby, be it scrap booking, golf, wood working, plastic model building, etc... They will sell whatever there is a penny's on the dollar probably. Although there are a few exceptions. When you say it's in bad shape, is it because of a move(s), not being interested for some time, etc...? Just wondering. I get bored at times and don't touch mine for month's and sometimes years in between being interested. To each their own! Although mine is a 2' x 4", I haven't touched it in month's and it's about 10 feet from me at all times pretty much. I play with it when I want too :)
     
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  4. Many Trains

    Many Trains TrainBoard Member

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    Don't worry about what will happen to it in the future. You can't control that anyways, so enjoy it now. You only need to please yourself. Whoever survives me (and I don't have kids) will have plenty of trains to dispose of. Frankly I figure they will either see the landfill, or be sold in bulk. I'll leave a note/suggestions encouraging the sale, but in the end, if it all gets trashed - well that's unfortunate but if I enjoyed it while I could, then it served it's purpose.

    Have the same situation with a huge collection of books - lots of hardcovers, most about history. If they don't like U.S. (and other) history then they are going to have some HEAVY items to dispose of. I hate to think of them being trashed, but again, I am enjoying them now. Whoever gets them in the future probably won't care for them the way I have anyways - and that assumes the future beneficiary isn't the landfill!

    And as for what people think of our hobby? Who cares! I know it is looked down on a lot of time. Oh well. Lots of people spend time lots of ways that I would never dream of doing. I've hit the age and point in my life where I just don't care anymore. It's pretty liberating!
     
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  5. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    I finally asked myself the question, "What will make me happy?" I already now the answer. It comes in the form of what I don't want. I don't want a simple roundy round. I would smash that with a sledge hammer. I don't want a flatlanders layout. It would get the same treatment. So even if I took the top off this layout it would find a early on demise at my hands.

    I had plans for a roundhouse on the top deck with a engine servicing facility. Equipped with a smoking ash pit. Of course I don't like the smell of smoke fluid and am allergic to it. So it wouldn't get much use. Can I live without it?

    That becomes the haunting question. Can I live without it?

    How about the bridges I had on the layout? I think these captured the attention of the visitors more then any one single thing on the layout. One of them resembles the Diablo Bridge, in New Mexico. Then there's the train station Greg McGinnis built that resembles the Santa Fe San Bernardino train station? It would be nice if it had a matching train yard out in front of it.

    I know a lot of you are in to the Kato Unitrack. I have #6 Kato switches on the layout and they work nice. However, I don't like the sectional track as it doesn't even come close to resembling the real track on the mainlines. The same complaint I had with Atlas snap track. As it was called. None of the rail joints are off set. Making it look toyish. The cost factor to convert is prohibitive. Not going to happen.

    You are probably thinking, "So where does that leave me?"

    In a difficult spot for sure.

    Okay, I'm headed out the door to take care of some obligations. I'll get back to you later.
     
  6. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    This is the appropriate question. Just take your time when answering yourself. Hopefully you will decide to move ahead still in the hobby. If not, well, we hope the outcome is happiness.
     
  7. BigJake

    BigJake TrainBoard Member

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    Rick,

    One of the reasons I like folded dog-bone style track plans for small layouts, is that the trains are not always running around in the same direction, even without a reverse loop. If you squeeze the "shank of the bone" all the way down to doubletrack, it allows for meets and the like. Add a crossover or two (or a double) in the doubletracked 'shank', and you gain reverse running capability. With these features, the "predictability" of a train's path around the layout is greatly reduced.

    This can provide a small layout that doesn't "run small," even in a hollow-core-door sized format. Use a pre-hung, interior HCD with the door frame mounted to the wall, and it consumes very little space when not in use, while being extremely easy to un-stow and use. Stacked rigid extruded foam insulation boards provides for very lightweight terrain, into which you can cut your grades, or use WS foam inclined risers for grades.

    Sure, it won't replace your wonderful, multi-level layout, but it can still provide for entertaining operation and railfanning, at a fraction of the effort and space.
     
  8. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    What you don't know won't hurt you. My present layout is a folded over, (preztled) dog bone. You are so right about your observations as to such a layout. Fun and nothing but fun. Large or small.
     
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  9. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    I thought I was the philosopher here on TrainBoard. Well put, well played and well said. Noted.
     
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  10. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    Bridges on the H&P. The following is a video which more or less shows off the bridges that once graced my layout.

    You'll note two bridges top side, looking into them. The two on the right is the coal district and the one on the left is a two tracked mainline the making of the upper dog bone. Actually it's a mainline with a siding. I could hold a freight trackside while a crack passenger train passed by.

     
    Last edited: May 1, 2023
  11. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    You may have aleady seen this and I'm just boring you to death.

    Here is a video which features a Union Pacific Heavyweight Passenger Train and the look a like Santa Fe Train Station in San Bernardino, Ca. Built by Greg McGinnis, of Big Bear Country, RIP.

    Yes, you can see the bridges in the background.

     
  12. BigJake

    BigJake TrainBoard Member

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    Great minds think alike!

    I did not recognize your track plan classification from your photos I saw. A pretzeled (or twisted) dogbone further disguises the route, at the expense of additional space for necessary grades, unless you use an at-grade crossing. But if you have space (more than an HCD,) it can make for a beautiful mountain layout. Giving up the pretzel twist allows a more compact layout to fit on an HCD.

    My prototyped HCD layout (Unitrack, using Viaducts for elevated trackage) adds a grade crossing to create an additional, flat industrial loop inside the fold of the shank of the 'bone. I call it "Folded Dogbone Plus 8," since it allows separate (intersecting) figure 8 and folded dogbone circuits that can also be combined sequentially by setting the switches appropriately.

    I've just got to decide that it is ready to commit to foam terrain.

    I like my spaghetti with extra meat sauce!
     
  13. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    LOL on the spaghetti with extra meat sauce. Me too.

    We are like minded.

    Well, summer appears to be here and I can get outside without freezing my butt off. So, It's time to re-cut some of the curves, risers and get back to the business of rebuilding. As long as my energy holds up.

    More later.
     
  14. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    I might add. It is going to be difficult to get new cork roadbed. According to Mike F. they are not manufacturing any right now. Also, Epay the sellers are pricing everything like it was solid gold. So a Harrumph, harrumph. And you can join me in the harrumph. Sigh!
     
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  15. BigJake

    BigJake TrainBoard Member

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    Maybe I should add to my cache of Unitrack. No cork needed!
     
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  16. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    One of the advantages to Kato Unitrack. Just that I don't like a plastic roadbed. I know I need to get over it. Just not today.
     
  17. Shortround

    Shortround TrainBoard Member

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    All I have for N is Kato Unitrack. Nothing for the HO. I've come to dislike it for a real layout as well. Just not sure what to go to. There's no local shops.
     
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  18. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    I like Ricks layout...whats left of it ! He just needs to connect things back together and run some trains, even if its just on one line ! But he won't...stubborn old goat that he is !!!! :ROFLMAO:

    Seeing trains running is a great motivator...JMO !;):p
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2023
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  19. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    Stubborn! Did you say Stubborn? Old George is right !.

    Now to clarify. Getting that one line working will be priority. I need to test my older Analog DC Transformers to see if they still operate as smoothly as they used to. If not I'm in deep do-do.

    A complete exam of the track on the lower level is needed before I can put the top deck back on.

    Back story: Not a pleasant one. I had a male cat douche both of them. He had marking his territory down pat. Darn cat.

    Thanks George, for the compliments. He ended up wasting a trip to come see me as I wasn't ready to run trains. Sorry about that!

    Now with other obligations taken care of. A birthday party for one of the missionaries and my docket is clear to get to work.

    Later!
     
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  20. BigJake

    BigJake TrainBoard Member

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    Yeah, "... just one line!" but which one?!

    Hey, "stubborn old goat" describes a lot of us, myself included; so wield that title with the respect it is due!

    Stubbornness is a quality acquired through dedicated effort, experience, and a fair amount of luck (namely the ability to keep waking up.)
     
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