Kato Fantasy......

[AviatorAtHeart]

Where do I start with this?
It has been a while since I posted!
I had a layout, it was going well.
Life happened.
Pause.

Recently, (the weekends of the 10th and 24th April)
I dug the first layout free and had a run on what remains of the now damaged route.
The exciting bit, my daughter “encouraged” me to make the trains work.

Her little face was a picture!
After running almost everything I own in various configurations, She asked me for a roundy roundy......

BLESS HER!


So, what colour train would you like?
Yellow.

With a big station, and a house.....
What follows will be the creation from the mind of a five year old, with some modelling from me.

Initially I thought about z but oof it’s expensive!
(Plus I’d have zero stock)
Considered t gauge....lack of buildings (for me anyway)
Both great for space!
Baby may also think I’ve stitched her up? Daddy, it isn’t the same size train......

So I decided to stick with what (little) I know.
I bought some kato track, N.
A few variation packs,
some curves and straights (carded x4 type)
A controller and some oddments.

Kind of reminds me of scalextric, although it hasn’t arrived yet, it has been shipped, from what I saw on YouTube, the system looks encouraging for easy adaptation!

I have two orders in the post, some old stocks of timber kicking about and a few bits and bobs still to decide upon/order.
The plan, I think it will be some type of unorthodox modular array, like ntrak? Or similar.
To be connected by risers and bridges (kato viaduct) with all track sitting at carpet height rising to module height. So that it can be easily stored/changed with sort of scenic points along the route, which could be placed anywhere we can run a track!
I think it could be fun......

The actual design is a work in progress at this point.
Nothing will make sense, no research!
No prototype to follow.......artistic license following the guidance of my baby girl.

I am excited about it though, and with some free time still up for grabs, baby comes first.

On with the plot;

The train is yellow!
The first yellow train you think of is?

Well, I thought Union Pacific!
I’m not a real train guy, So any other yellow trains?
I don’t know.
Feel free to highlight any.

I have acquired a kato SD70 ACe 9041 dc.

I think the kibri station kits suit large brick station!
They look great as models from what I can tell.
So I may well end up with osterburken.

I found some yellow carriages too......
(I couldn’t afford the steamer and it also wasn’t yellow)
That’s a clue as to what carriages make up order 2.

I’ll add some pics when the goodies get here.

I have to have something by may 8th latest so it will be happening fast.

Cheers
J

[IanS]

The first yellow train I thought of was the Tyneside Metro in it's original livery. Then came to mind engineering trains.

Don't get carried away to much in your imagination, let her decide. If a shape she likes is there, get that and paint it yellow, make her own livery and rail franchise!

[glencairn]

I agree with Ian S. Let her decide.

My now 4 year old granddaughter tells me what to run. Funny how it is the Class 55s. Anyway, she is in charge. I dare not argue.
Even better, she loves the 1-1 stuff.

Let your daughter decide. Surprisingly she will want something you will never think of; and it will be better.

Glencairn

[AviatorAtHeart]

Something I will not think of......
How about a hot pink hurricane!
It will be her design, don’t worry, I have my toys.
(My completed kits she calls daddies toys)

Dare not argue indeed!
She runs my trains, I just get orders to make it do this or that, typically route selection or put all the things on, pretty much I’ve aimed for a train that is bigger than all of that, and yellow. (I did ask if she minded green or black but I got told yellow, so we don’t have the steamer that should sit with the carriages and I couldn’t use my GWR stuff)
The train that carried the people was clearly her favourite.

It is quite likely a hot pink T. rex will be marauding the Great Plains while a brachiosaurus does a wee wee on the people at the station........ honestly, I’m curator and assistant pop bringer/floor sweeper. I’ll probably tackle electrical and perhaps the chop saw

Make this, show me how, let me do it.
That’s how she works.

What I do like, she looks at the details in the same way any one of us does. I’m keen to develop that until it is time to shoot bubbles with water pistols.

Minor update, Both orders dispatched!

[AviatorAtHeart]

First delivery.....
Points to nscaleamerican trains!
Ordered 8pm Wednesday! Standard post.

More pics to follow. (The model is lovely!)

[AviatorAtHeart]

Kato EMD SD70ACe
Dc.
(And next to a dapol 28xx for good measure)
It’s a really very crisp model.

[AviatorAtHeart]

Final delivery arrived.
I think I overcooked it.

Slightly annoyed at ripped box in carriage set. It indicates someone had a peep before me.....
Not sure it will count for much in six months from now!

Boxes ticked.
Roundy roundy with a yellow train.
Something that works.....to be confirmed.
I can’t wait to see her face.

I did click the contents of the v1/3 boxes together yesterday, and it looks to be simple and fast to change things about and pack it all away again.
Something I did notice, the controller has nice big child friendly controls.

[Chops]

Your granddaughter is a beautiful blessing. Many happy memories for her with Grand Dad. I tried to interest my eldest daughter in trains at about that age. Like MacBeth, "Throw physic to the dogs, I'll none of it!" Oddly enough, my eldest, who grew up in the digital era, rather enjoys analogue games like cards, Monopoly, all that sort of thing.

[AviatorAtHeart]

[quote=Chops post_id=34120 time=1624675718 user
Your granddaughter is a beautiful blessing. Many happy memories for her with Grand Dad. I tried to interest my eldest daughter in trains at about that age. Like MacBeth, "Throw physic to the dogs, I'll none of it!" Oddly enough, my eldest, who grew up in the digital era, rather enjoys analogue games like cards, Monopoly, all that sort of thing.
[/quote]

Lovely sentiment, but this is my daughter!
She is interested in aspects of the hobby, I am merely guiding, can we build a plane, yes, can we play trains, yes, can I have a roundy roundy....enter kato!
She has always desired to paint and glue from craft bags.

We finally finished the hurricane! It’s a mess, but she enjoyed most of her time on it, and it is definitely sitting in the cabinet!

As for trains.....

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I’m gutted I cut the front end off of the loco.
So we posed a few other shots. This was in the moment and so it holds greatest value.

I had a day, or a few! experimenting with the track, mostly on how different point configurations and the curves worked themselves out, no power & no trains scheduled.

That led to me working out a silly set up that involved a few more packs of track, and with that I conjured up the ultimate floor layout, which I have mapped so the run can be built again and again. She loved it, and it was a lot of fun working out........

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Built with smallest three lane yard possible out of the bits I have, I think this is as small as it gets but I may be wrong?
A special spot was made for the yellow train, the thing is a monster.
The yard point switches are powered separately and I assist with parking and point selection here only. (Using kato dc converter and 16vac output from a gauge master combi.)

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The single line station option (from metcalfe) with passing loop..... so she can play with the switches properly!
She had some experience here, and seemed to cope well but ended up playing with the new herd of cattle.......

(More to follow shortly)

[AviatorAtHeart]

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Passing loop and station converge and enter the tunnel, which goes under the bed and then loops around the back for the long run back to the yard.

Each time the train entered the tunnel, the excitement level went up a lot! She really liked the tunnel.
Under the grass mat (gw battle mat) I have hidden most of the boxes and also covered part of the track, it works as a temporary measure. The mat is near on bullet proof.
You can see the pack of figures/animals here, I got some horses from woodland scenic and cows and farm workers from model power.

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The overview. Lot of fun! Full working points, packs away in an hour, lays out in slightly more.

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Who knew these would be the highlight!
It actually led to a good discussion on what the scenic content of a permanent board could contain.
Mostly farmland and horses.....pretty much like the local area.

So far, she’s played with my trains more than I have!
But who cares. They are finally being run!