# A short tour



## dawinter (Jan 2, 2008)

I finally joined the world of Youtube and did a video. 

Boy. A person can sure spend a whole lot of 'modelling time' NOT doing modelling. This is some of that time.

Enjoy the movie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HikRv7WHTcE


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Dave

The layout and rolling stock looks great as usual, and you really out did yourself with that video.


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## Rod Fearnley (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Dave. A great start to my day.


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## kormsen (Oct 27, 2009)

after closing my mouth again - how many years of work did i see in that video?


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## grabnet (Feb 24, 2009)

A very nice video. Excellent modeling!!!

Doc Tom


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Very nice vid and layout, you have an eye for detail, my nit-picking eye couldn't find a thing! ha ha. 

John


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## DennisB (Jan 2, 2008)

I am working on my first indoor layout. This has been an inspiration. Thank you for taking the time for posting this. Regards, Dennis.


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## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

Dave-- 

It was fun to see what can be done indoors with G-gauge trains! How large is your layout? I didnt get the feeling of huge open spaces but did get the feeling of lots of interesting scenes!


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## Henson (Jan 2, 2008)

Great job, thanks for posting.


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## dawinter (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the nice words guys. I'm actually a little bit embarrassed about the video but it was a rush job and I didn't have a clue how to use the movie maker. I bought Studio HD and fumbled around with it for a day or two just to get the basics organized. There is waaay to much in one of those programs. But there it is.

Talk about nit picking! Funny how a still photo will show up that glaring error as soon as you see it even though you've spent hours getting the set just right. Jeez! Just watch your own video and see how that goes. So for the record: If you see something amiss in this movie, I meant to do that. 

How many years have I been stuck in the basement you ask? Moved into this house that we built ourselves on the Victoria Day long weekend (24th of May for my American friends) in 2001. I still have a steady three months work to do down here and I will be spread out over about two years - at least. My present project, AirWire drop-ins in everything, will take till spring for sure so that will keep me from actual layout work. 

G scale/gauge indoors? 1/29th scale was meant to be used indoors. At least that's my theory and I'll stick to it. My outdoor layout ran well for two or three years, no complaints, but it was under snow for at least a few weeks every year and rain for another two months. In the summer the track got too hot to touch and I couldn't work on the layout and drink my pale ale at the same time. And there were these HUGE Ponderosa pines. Sweep sweep sweep sweep. Also I really loved the USA Trains products way better than Aristo and they while they were built for outside they were detailed for inside. So..... 
And I love doing the little scenes for my web page stories and G scale fits right in. Put all those small scenes together and you soon have a railway.


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

Hi Dave,
Thanks for posting the video. Some very pro typical scenes there, especially with CN blocking the grade crossing!
I know what you mean with regards to getting more enjoyment from your layout with it being indoors, I haven't seen my track for at least a month and it'll probably be another four months before it comes to the surface again.
Again a great video and thanks.


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## dawinter (Jan 2, 2008)

Yeah. That's a long time to be away from your trains.. Even when I ran outside I found myself running trains in my workshop. Then building a station. Then a passing siding. Well, you can see where that went. But in season I loved the colour of 'outside' and I loved how the sun and the clouds made me a new railroad every few minutes. See http://wvrr.ca/mountain.htm and click on the pictures to enlarge. It can be a huge job out there. I'd get my boxwood just exactly right and then I'd have to do it again the following week. All the critters would play on my roads and send them flying. Wasps found a home in my engine house. Now I have a few spiders and dog hair. Not so bad.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Why didn't you put the camera on a flatcar and have the locomotive puch it around the loop? 

You creation seen from a different angle.


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## dawinter (Jan 2, 2008)

Ya know? That might be a good idea down here. I did it for my HO scale group and it worked pretty well. That was a few years ago though. 

If I reduce the picture quality even one step I might squeeze a full minute out of the camera. Three or four takes and it might do the whole layout. Except the hidden track. Hmmmm. Working on that over Christmas. 
I won't try to eliminate pictures of rafters and overhead lights. Just let 'er fly.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

I look forward to it. 

I won't try to eliminate pictures of rafters and overhead lights. Just let 'er fly. 

Hey...boxes, scrapwood, and the odd powertool are scenery as well.


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## ROUTE 66 (Sep 26, 2008)

Dave,
A fantastic video and the layout is outstanding,I know it takes alot of time to do a video of that quality.And I do appreciate it, The vehicles are they 1/24 scale? really nice work on the scenes even the power poles and lines Great work!!! Thanks for sharing.....That 68 dodge charger sitting at the crossing brings me back to a movie scene which I can't seem to remember the title but as the getaway ends at the crossing in a ball of flames,someone will remember the movie I'm sure......


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 25 Dec 2011 10:11 PM 
I look forward to it. 

I won't try to eliminate pictures of rafters and overhead lights. Just let 'er fly. 

Hey...boxes, scrapwood, and the odd powertool are scenery as well. 



The background clutter is a constant issue with us indoor guys. I havent submitted any pics to GR because they wont allow digitally altered images and that apparently includes removing background clutter. Seams I've seen a lot of pics in MR with digitally added steam and smoke so I think they are fairly selective in enforcing that rule.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

I have cropped photos before sizing them, and they were allowed. Perhaps cropping does not classify as digitally altered? 

Anyway, some distracting background items could possibly be cropped out. 

Best, 
David Meashey


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## Bighurt (Sep 15, 2009)

Dave, what radius do you use indoors?


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## dawinter (Jan 2, 2008)

Back again. Christmas and all you know. Some answers are in order.


My minimum radius is the radius of the Aristo/LGB 'long' turnouts what ever that is. I've heard various explanations and people and manufacturers attach numbers to them that has always seemed like a 'secret code' to me. Why can't they say "five foot radius" or something simple like that. Are they ashamed? Will the truth give away company secrets? Just checked an old Aristo catalog. X-wide switch 30370. See what I mean?

I always crop photos because when I'm after some depth of field indoors I often back off the subject, take the photo and then eliminate the excess around the edges. I always run the photo through the Adobe Auto-fix as well. Why not? Even if I don't see any change when switching back and forth between the 'fixed' and the original. Adding smoke is trashy. It changes the composition of the photo just the same as cloning out a power pole would. Fail!

I do eliminate the rafters and some lights for my web page stories though. No fault there. It's my story, my photo, my layout. I don't see that as any different than adding a flood light and turning off the overheads. People who see my web site know that. At least I don't make a secret of it. It just looks nicer.

I did do a What's New a little while back that was purely an overview so I backed off and let it all hang out. I think viewers got a better perspective of the basement from that but when I returned to my fictional story line it was back to nice 'power tool clean' close-up photos. 

Those vehicles are all diecast models from WalMart type retailers. I expect they are all 1/24th scale but there might be a 1/25th in there as well. Hear's the deal. The buildings are 1/24th scale. The people are 1/24th scale. The trains are 1/29th scale all by themselves. I know that 1/32nd scale is 'closer' to 1/29th scale than it is to 1/24th scale (It is isn't it?) but it just looked all wrong. So 1/32nd stuff went out at a garage sale and I'm glad it did. 

There are also plenty of 1/24th scale vehicles on the market and the plastic modellers world has a great selection of modern, finely detailed and proportioned 1/24th scale figures. No ugly brides, cowboys and fat policemen.

Just a point about the power lines. I found that large spools of button hole thread is very inexpensive and it doesn't seem to attract the 'fuzzes' like some threads do. A thousand feet was about $7.00. Put a little plastic glue on a pole, wait a few seconds and run the thread to the next pole, wrap it around the 'insulator twice leaving a slight droop and move on to the next pole. Repeat and glue every 3rd pole. Start nearest the pole and work your way out to the ends. A long boring job but don't start until all your scenery is finished. 

The latest What's New is on my web site. Drop by when you can. Heck! There was even a two part HO story in there. You know. For the less pure of heart.


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## Koploper (Apr 3, 2011)

Wow! Clearly you have the layout that every night I dream of one day having.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice work there. I'm not too big on indoor railroads but yours sure looks nice, might have to change my mind!


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## dawinter (Jan 2, 2008)

I had indoor (N scale) for 25+ years before I started this silliness and I was really in love with outdoor trains for three years after that. Loved most was the changing light as the morning changed to afternoon and then to evening. Always a different railroad. As a photo guy it was special. Then I noticed that my workshop test track got longer and longer and I added a bit of ground cover here and there. And I could play when it rained - or the track was to hot to touch. Then there was this new house and I was building it the way I wanted it built and there was 1400 sq ft of open basement ...... See how these things sometimes work out? Much appreciate the kind words though. Cheers. Dave


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## dawinter (Jan 2, 2008)

Oh and by the way. I can't say enough good things about your railway. I actually have that GRR issue in my 'save this' file because of the plan and the size of your layout. Just right in every way. Easy maintenance, access to everything and scenic points of view. Great work all around. Thanks for sharing all this. Dave


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## Elcamo (Dec 10, 2011)

Amazing layout, the snowplow caboose was very cool. Keep up the good work!


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## Tom Thornton (Nov 18, 2008)

I have been a fan of Daves railroad for a long time via his web site. Now we got to see the railroad in GR magazine. Very nice!

Daves attention to detail is great and the story that goes with the photoes is a real nice touch. Keep up the good work Dave and hope to see the areas that are unfinished brought to life. Thanks for the video too.

Tom Thornton


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