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How do you plan for Watchability?
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Author:  paulrace [ Wed Mar 12, 2014 1:33 pm ]
Post subject:  How do you plan for Watchability?

Our first article on the subject is here:

http://familygardentrains.com/primer/wa ... bility.htm

Ideas include designing interesting setting, track plans that aren't immediately obvious, and many more.

If you're signed up, you can add your experiences by replying to this message or starting a new topic in this forum. Our signup form is here:

http://familygardentrains.com/fgt_forum_signup.htm

Author:  SkippyGP [ Sat Aug 23, 2014 10:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: How do you plan for Watchability?

We run what we call "FUN TRAINS". We have rolling stock from many companies and in many scales. While all our locomotives are from Aristo-Craft and USA Trains, and are in 1:29 scale, our rolling stock runs the gamut from 1:20.5 to 1:32.

Additionally, we've purchased cars that represent things we like such as McDonald's and Tootsie Roll Pops. That makes our consists colorful as well as fun to watch.

On our Bachmann combine cars, we open the doors of the mail compartment and have inserted bags and boxes to make it appear that there is really mail being hauled. The passenger compartments have several people in them and, a conductor walking in the aisle.

No one has ever said that our railroad is boring. We hope to keep it that way.

SkippyGP

Author:  paulrace [ Wed Sep 24, 2014 4:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How do you plan for Watchability?

Our biggest open RR is always Christmas-themed with Christmas-themed trains, lights in the trees, Christmas music playing, etc.

But even on regular days, I have the RR structured so that trains "go away and come back," so you have a sense stuff is really happening and not just trains running in circles.

Author:  Perryo [ Tue Dec 15, 2015 5:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How do you plan for Watchability?

We enjoy running Thomas and Friends (T&F) trains on our garden railway from time to time. They don't quite fit the theme of our Camden and Mount Holly Railroad, but the children really identify with them and honestly they are just fun to run - with your imagination providing various railway adventures for Thomas and Percy.

Our T&F engines are straight-out-of-the-box simple DC track powered locos. Simple is good, but I did miss the sounds of an operating steam engine; And since blowing the whistle is fun for adults and kids alike, I decided to build a simple sound car to run with our T&F trains and add a little more interest to our T&F operations.

My sound car is a Bachmann T&F open wagon with a simulated coal load. The plastic coal load simply sits in the wagon with spacers to position it near the top to simulate a full load. This leaves plenty of room under the load for all the necessary sound system components.

The major components for my project included:
MyLocoSound universal steam sound card
2-1/2", 8 ohm Speaker
Speaker baffle (spray paint can plastic top)
On/off switch
Track Power pick-ups (for the steel wheels on the car)
9V nimh battery w/battery clip

With the exception of the track power pick-ups all components were mounted to the underside of the coal load. The coal load was perforated with tiny holes above the speaker location. Once the speaker and baffle are sealed in place the holes are almost undetectable.

Couple the sound car behind Thomas or Percy and you're set to go!

Attachments:
TF Sound Car.jpg
TF Sound Car.jpg [ 199.36 KiB | Viewed 19671 times ]
TF Sound Car Interior.jpg
TF Sound Car Interior.jpg [ 180.22 KiB | Viewed 19671 times ]

Author:  paulrace [ Fri Dec 18, 2015 10:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: How do you plan for Watchability?

Thanks for the photos. That's a very clever solution.

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