Father/Daughter Project Gets Under Way

[Drew1125]

Well, my daughter Madeline, & I got started on a little 4x6 HO layout yesterday...thought I'd include a few pics to show our progress.
The first one shows the happy builder with some of her materials that Dad cobbled up from that big scrap heap that we sometimes call a garage!

 

[Drew1125]

Here's a shot of the builder putting the finishing touches on the framework

 

[Drew1125]

Here's the frame on a base (red) that is actually a table I made years ago when the older girls had Brio trains. I think it will work well for our purposes here. It's the perfect hright for a 6 year old.

 

[kettlestack]

Charlie,
You are one lucky fellow! It's quite possible your daughter will become interested in the artistic side of things. After all what this hobby does is allow us to make three dimentional images!
On a lighter note, she is just the right size to get at those awkward bits of wiring under the layout that needs soldering

As for the scrap yard, you ain't seen nuthin till you've seen my train room!! I got the bestest scrap yard this side of the Atlantic Coz my wife is into doll houses and I can't tidy up the mess faster than she makes it!

ps ... don't forget who'se pike it is or you will find yourself outnumbered by the women in your home ...

Errol

 

[Drew1125]

Now the foam base is down, & the job foreman takes a break, (she looks a little annoyed here doesn't she? ) while the sub-contractor scrounges around for more materials...(& snaps a few pics! )

 

[Drew1125]

Errol,
I've been outnumbered since 1981, when my first daughter was born, so I'm perfectly accustomed to it.
I have my own train room, & my own toilet...what more could a man possibly want?

 

[Catt]

While my kids were growing up there were two females and three males in this house and YES ,us guys were still out numbered.

 

[Drew1125]

Well, the Harry Potter Hogwarts Express has been ordered...I know...I know...some of you are probably saying WHAT?...passenger trains on a 4x6? But hey...I must defer to the "boss" !
I,ve been getting as excited as she is, though!
We've been looking through books, looking at various equipment, & structures...we've been discussing scenery...She asked me, "Dad, can we do lots of rocks & mountains?"
Heh, heh, heh...can we do rocks & mountains...
Well, gotta go...gonna go work on some roadbed!

 

[kf4jqd]

Lookin' good!

Charlie:

It's looking good! Where's the pink engineer hat? My son who is 5 also likes trains. My younger sister liked playing with my Lionel when we were little. She hauled her Barbie Dolls while I was transporting Darth Vader!

Andy

 

[Bob Collins]

Charlie;

That is just great. If you are going to do Harry Potter you need to get that young engineer over to Kings Cross Station in jolly old London where they actually have Gate 9 3/4. Friends were there last month and said there were tons of people in the station to get their picture taken by the 9 3/4 sign.

Bob

 

[N Gauger]

Awesome stuff!!!!! It's sooooooo Neat to have your kid involved!! My Two girls (19 & 17) aren't interested. All they do is "report" to their Mom when I stop the car to see a real train. ROFL It's so much fun. And Yes I'm outnumbered, 3 to 1 and even if you include the 2 Dogs & 2 Cats, all I have is a male "fixed" cat, all the rest are Females.

This, of course helped lead to my signature:

 

[roryglasgow]

Charlie,

Great pics!

Are those giant sheets of foam that you put down on top?

-Rory

 

[Drew1125]

Yeah Rory,
I wanted to use as little wood as possible, so on top of that little frame are two 2" thick sheets of styrofoam.
The bottom one is glued to the wood, & the top piece is going to be the roadbed...
Here's some more pictures... The first one shows where I roughed out some center lines...

 

[Drew1125]

Here's where we cut some risers out of scrap foam, & made "cookie cutter" roadbed.
We used the paint cans to weight down the foam while the glue dries.

 

[Drew1125]

Well, I've hit a bit of a stumbling block...I don't seem to have anything to use for roadbed...I guess I'm gonna have to break down, & BUY some!
Oh well, guess it's back to the N scale layout, until I can get to the hobby shop!

 

[sumpter250]

Charlie,
My oldest two daughters stayed interested justlong enough to build a couple of buildings, then they went on to other things. My younger two never were interested. Now, however,there's a granddaughter,,,. In a few years I'll try again. Congrats on the project. Thanks for the pic's

 

[Bob Collins]

I have a whole covey of grand daughters, ages 7 and 5 ( three of them 5!) I wonder if they make Barbie trains like they do Hogwart Express?

There are several little boys at our church whose fathers have told them about my layout so I usually get at least one question every Sunday, "is it running yet?" I think that has to be a lot of the fun to see the expressions on their faces. It will be particularly neat with the DCC and the hand held where one of these little one can sit on a stool and actually run a train. I will be busy taking pictures of that, I think

Bob

 

[roryglasgow]

Bob,

Are those three five-year-olds triplets? Or did you just get lucky?

Why don't you paint an engine pink and just call it a "Barbie Train?" Make a little pair of striped overalls for a Barbie doll, and you can call her Choo Choo Barbie!

-Rory

 

[Bob Collins]

My daughter has a set of identical twins and my son a little red head that will absolutely run you ragged

Are any of you old enough to remember Petticoat Junction on the tube/telly/whatever? Maybe I ought to set aside a corner for Barbie Junction.

Oh come now Bob, you've been reading the DCC instruction manual too much today

Bob

 

[sumpter250]

Bob,
Do I remember "petticoat junction"?, I'm older than dirt, why do you think I do scenery so well, I watched the prototype being built!
Put down that DCC manual, you've got me doing it now.
Pete