Seeking ideas: scene for a oNe trak end loop

[delamaize]

Hey everyone,
Short background, I moved my girlfriend and her 2 girls in about 4 years ago, and in turn, I gave up my train room, for her oldest daughter. I took down my around the room oNe Trak-ish layout. The compromise was putting shelving in the garage, and storing 90% of the layout. Given it was a plywood Prarie, it wasn't a bad process.

I set up one of my 4 foot strait module, and built 2 end loops. This actually had been a blessing in disguise, because having a smaller layout, has kind of made it less daunting to scenic it. The start module is a station, and I have that roughed out, one end loop is a farm scene on a hill, both have foam shaping down, but I still need to do plaster/sculptimold and everything else, it's a pink abomination right now. But, I have no idea what to do with the other space. I'm on vacation in Salt Lake City right now, but I'll take some pictures when I get home in about a week.

So, let's hear your ideas

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I mean, the classic trope is a big mountain in the middle to hide the whole thing.

But that is a trope at this point.

What about the idea of a ridge running across it at an angle, with tracks along the ridge on each side then ducking into a tunnel to make the return?

[BOK]

I look forward to pix of your railroad particularly the end loops and their construction. What is the size of your loops?

I am a retired railroader who has a nice simple HO railroad. But looking forward to when I need to go to assisted care I could possibly have a simple N scale railroad similar to yours/ My balloon tracks are 30" by 4'.

Thanks,

Barry

[basementcalling]

Paired industry for loads in and out perhaps?

[Pizzaparty]

Coal power plants are generally big loops, along with newer grain elevators. Then they don’t have to switch out the cars, pull in turn around and send it out

[bbunge]

If your center area is flat, one challenging option that would match your farm motif would be a center pivot irrigation system.  You know, those big irrigation circle devices.  They come in all sorts of sizes, so even a small one is likely to fit in the space.  There is a bit of infrastructure involved, including a pump station and perhaps a power generator, depending how you want to set it up.  Extra props to do a DKS and make it move .    Extra extra props to introduce just a bit of rolling field across the diameter of the circle. 

I spent a couple of summer vacations working a couple of them with my now-passed father-in-law's farm in the desert west.  Hard, dirty work, but great memories.   Amazing machines, that once broken in, need all sorts of attention, from repairing all the switches and electrical components to maintaining the big pumps (that in his case drew from small holding ponds fed from a state/county irrigation system) to replacing tires, to unsticking sections in low/muddy areas, to dealing with collapsed sections.

Bob

[Lemosteam]

If your center area is flat, one challenging option that would match your farm motif would be a center pivot irrigation system.  You know, those big irrigation circle devices.  They come in all sorts of sizes, so even a small one is likely to fit in the space.  There is a bit of infrastructure involved, including a pump station and perhaps a power generator, depending how you want to set it up.  Extra props to do a DKS and make it move .    Extra extra props to introduce just a bit of rolling field across the diameter of the circle. 

I spent a couple of summer vacations working a couple of them with my now-passed father-in-law's farm in the desert west.  Hard, dirty work, but great memories.   Amazing machines, that once broken in, need all sorts of attention, from repairing all the switches and electrical components to maintaining the big pumps (that in his case drew from small holding ponds fed from a state/county irrigation system) to replacing tires, to unsticking sections in low/muddy areas, to dealing with collapsed sections.

Bob

I like this idea.

[delamaize]

I like this idea.

I do too actually...

[x600]

hey Mike, Real water!

Greg O.

[nkalanaga]

I've seen them in lengths from one section to a quarter-mile long, so yes, it would fit almost any layout.

Some aren't even full circles.  They have bumpers on posts, and sensors on the wheel assemblies, so they reverse.  Quarter and half circles are common.  There was a half circle just north of Pasco, WA in the 70s that frequently DIDN'T reverse.  Drivers on Glade North Road, a major local road, had to watch for it, especially at night.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

hey Mike, Real water!

Greg O.

Lol, my dad did that on an NTRAK module! One of his favorite memories is of Mr. Kato coming over to the layout and dipping his fingers in it after his translators told him "yes, it's real water".

[delamaize]

hey Mike, Real water!

Greg O.

I'm sure the Sparkies would love that.

[cfritschle]

If your center area is flat, one challenging option that would match your farm motif would be a center pivot irrigation system.  You know, those big irrigation circle devices.  They come in all sorts of sizes, so even a small one is likely to fit in the space.  There is a bit of infrastructure involved, including a pump station and perhaps a power generator, depending how you want to set it up.  Extra props to do a DKS and make it move .    Extra extra props to introduce just a bit of rolling field across the diameter of the circle. 

I spent a couple of summer vacations working a couple of them with my now-passed father-in-law's farm in the desert west.  Hard, dirty work, but great memories.   Amazing machines, that once broken in, need all sorts of attention, from repairing all the switches and electrical components to maintaining the big pumps (that in his case drew from small holding ponds fed from a state/county irrigation system) to replacing tires, to unsticking sections in low/muddy areas, to dealing with collapsed sections.

Bob

And here is a prototype.  https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9479364,-114.6369328,640m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMzMS4wIKXMDSoJLDEwMjExNDU1SAFQAw%3D%3D

[Lemosteam]

And here is a prototype.  https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9479364,-114.6369328,640m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMzMS4wIKXMDSoJLDEwMjExNDU1SAFQAw%3D%3D

Perfect, IMHO.

[wazzou]

The prototypes move so slowly, it would be pretty difficult to animate that.