.

[bob turner]

They just loaded, after my post. Very nice.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Thanks, Bob Turner. I have enjoyed every word you have written.

Regarding my track , I started and continued, once committed to its use, with 3-rail (hi-rail no less!!!! ) because it was all I knew from childhood into adulthood, having only picked up model railroading once I was married and possessed of a new home, back in the 90's. I had no idea 2-rail even existed, and simply followed the direction and product available at my LHS.

Of course, once I saw work like Norm's , I became an instant fan. Also, I lap-up any photos 2-railJon ever posts. His groundcover, alone, is beautiful, in my estimation, and his realistic crafting of layout panoramas have been favorites of mine since he was 3-railJon and amazing so many of us.

Thanks, again, for the reach-back.

[bob turner]

That is certainly true, but Jon did convert.

Check out Norm's latest photos of Lionel and 3rd Rail weatkhered locomotives. If it weren't for the track and flanges, these would be among the most realistic model scenes I have ever seen.

[webenda]

A few weeks ago I visited the forum and thought it had advanced to a pretty good place. There were some good threads moving along. This is really taking a step backward.

OK... here is my diorama of abandoned track in the desert.

The track is Atlas-O 2-rail, sand is Sonoran Desert, Arizona, the backdrop is Monument Valley, Utah and dust devils courtesy of bad lighting.
Two-rail track is certainly more realistic than 3-rail but the diorama could be improved with hand laid track.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

...perhaps even more realistic without the clips and with a touch of weathering on the ties - if that's your goal (?)

[2railjon]

Looks awesome, Wayne!

[webenda]

...perhaps even more realistic without the clips and with a touch of weathering on the ties - if that's your goal (?)

My inspiration had clips and no visible weathering on the ties. Are you suggesting I deviate from the prototype to make it more realistic?


The Namib desert in southern Africa.

[webenda]

Looks awesome, Wayne!

Thank you Jon.

[rogruth]

Wayne,
Where is that stretch of track located and what is its gauge?
Are those metal ties on it?

[MurphOnMillerAve]

...perhaps even more realistic without the clips and with a touch of weathering on the ties - if that's your goal (?)

My inspiration had clips and no visible weathering on the ties. Are you suggesting I deviate from the prototype to make it more realistic?


The Namib desert in southern Africa.

Nope. I take back the suggestion. "Proof is in the puddin'" and you sure know your stuff. I had forgotten about those clip-type-things that go from one rail to the next, so your modeling certainly does look like the prototype! Good Man! Goood modeling! And you can forget about weathering - Apparently, I do not know what a desert can do, or cannot do, to railroad ties (!) Good modeling and good man, again!

(P.S. I had a feeling I was going to be in trouble by suggesting any possible changes, which is something I never do. And won't again, that's for sure. )
I enjoyed that conversation, though.

[webenda]

Wayne,
Where is that stretch of track located
Nambia, Otavi Mining and Railway Company

and what is its gauge?
Track gauge: 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)

Are those metal ties on it?
Yes, steel ties much like our beloved Lionel train track.

Track in this photo is the original Otavi 1 ft 11 5⁄8 in (600 mm) gauge.

[webenda]

...perhaps even more realistic without the clips and with a touch of weathering on the ties - if that's your goal (?)

My inspiration had clips and no visible weathering on the ties. Are you suggesting I deviate from the prototype to make it more realistic?

The Namib desert in southern Africa.

Nope. I take back the suggestion. "Proof is in the puddin'" and you sure know your stuff. I had forgotten about those clip-type-things that go from one rail to the next, so your modeling certainly does look like the prototype! Good Man! Goood modeling! And you can forget about weathering - Apparently, I do not know what a desert can do, or cannot do, to railroad ties (!) Good modeling and good man, again!

(P.S. I had a feeling I was going to be in trouble by suggesting any possible changes, which is something I never do. And won't again, that's for sure. )

Aww, you are no fun. I was trying to start an argumentative discussion so we could exchange ideas, such as, pulling the rails out of Atlas' plastic ties and replacing the ties with Lionel steel ties. And those clips could be trimmed to look like the straps on the prototype. That was my thought when I said the diorama could be more realistic with hand laid track.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Nah, no argument here, Wayne. You are far too pleasant of a guy to do that with, and besides, every hobbyist is having his own good time of it being creative. Exchanging ideas sometimes works, but giving unsolicited advice/suggestion, as I did, is perhaps not a good idea - at least, not for me to do.

I find the huge variety in how each hobbyist, who has a layout, expresses himself and his interest in model trains to be intriguing. It's all play, adult play. I wouldn't want to intrude on anybody's personal expression of what is fun and correct for them. That's for sure.

[webenda]

Apparently, I do not know what a desert can do, or cannot do, to railroad ties (!)

The primary reason for steel ties (or sleepers) is there are no trees in most deserts.

A secondary reason is the desert is hard on wooden ties. They dry out quickly and then won't hold railroad nails (spikes if you prefer) If the desert gets any rain at all, wood ties just disintegrate as they go through wet/dry cycles. They call it, "Dry Rot."

In a few years the above tie, already losing its track nail (spike if you prefer), will split and look like this:

Here in the Sonoran Desert Union Pacific is replacing wood ties, not with steel ties, but with concrete ties.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Very interesting, and very welcome, information, Wayne. I would never have thought of the effect the desert's climate had on wooden ties, but it makes instant sense once pointed out.

I have never tried to model anything that I had not personally seen or experienced; thus, my modeling of product or as custom work, for customers and clients, had always been about the geography and climate of the Northeast of the USA, in particular, sights common to Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and even Ohio and West Virginia.