Sunday, September 16, 2012

What Scale is Scenery?

Funny thing happened on my way to the forum (model rr club) today.  I turned around and came home.  Nebraska Huskers were playing football on TV.  Actually playing in Memorial Stadium located in Lincoln.  Memorial Stadium seats over 86,000 people, making it the second largest city in the state, second only to Omaha.  I always thought it was third behind Omaha and Lincoln.  But the TV said second and if they said it on TV it must be true.  They have been sold out for over 360 straight games so they are adding 6,000 more seats and luxury suites for those like Larry the Cable Guy; ya, just another home town boy like Johnny Carson and others.  Watched the game.  WE WON!  Went back out about 1pm with three boxes and another roll of Plaster Cloth.

I wanted to see if my full length (80 foot) HO passenger cars would fit around the turns and through the cuts.  They made it fine with a bit of unrealistic overhang at the corners, but no scrapes.  I forgot my big Pacific steam loco was broken so used a couple of little steamers to pull 3 or 4 cars around the upper level.

Still not making any progress on the scenerys second coat of plaster cloth when I spotted a box I had brought out some weeks ago labeled "On30 trains".  OK, I wondered if they would make it around the layout; O scale (1:48) narrow gauge trains running on HO (1:87) track, scenery and clearances.  It worked.  Round and round they go, where they stop nobody knows.  But, the Phantom do!  When I tried to use the upper reverse loop there was one rock too much.  Quick blast of some dynamite  (really just a snip of the scissors) took care of that.  Getting more nerve I ran it down to the lower level.  Bump, it hit a cardboard truss support of the 3 section.  Tore off the cardboard.  Bump, hit the 1/2" pressed board sub-roadbed.  We designed the layout with 3-1/8" clearances.  The On30 locos require 3-1/4".

So now the question again.  What Scale is Scenery?  Here are a few pictures.  What scale do YOU think it is?


Yes, there is that nasty rock outcropping I had to blast away.

The same cut before I tried the branch to the right where the overhanging cowcatcher caught the nasty rock.

You have to admire the detail that O scale allows.  Did I ever tell you that I like cute?
  
Did I ever tell you I like cuts?
 
And still need to add some industry on the branch to the right.

Keep in mind the scenery is without color or texture, only the basic shape and size.  I took several videos, but was unable to load them.  Maybe just too big.  If you know how drop a line in the comments below.

 Armchair