Greetings from the Outerbanks of North Carolina

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bsosborne1

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Hello, I am Scott. I am finally getting back in model railroading after raising kids and developing a business. I've loved G scale since I was a kid but it was always out of my range. I have semi-retired to the beach and I'm ready to build my layout. I am still developing the idea and acquiring materials. I have a background in the themed entertainment construction industry and am a self taught electrical engineer. Now that i'm not involved in that in the day to day I need an outlet for creative energy. I plan out a layout with many animated features, some homebrew DCC, water features, and a animated Waltzing Waters style fountain show. I have lots of skills relative to the hobby. I can rock sculpt, I 3d print (Both FDM and Resin), I've done extensive prop making, I know my way around an rpi and ESP32. I can build and program ride show controls, I can design environmental lighting and sound, and I know how to incorporate that all into a project. Looking forward to learning from the experience in this group. Also, to complete the stereotype, yes I am a high functioning autistic.
 
Welcomevto the forum, Scott. You get all the help you need on here, and you'll probably be ablevto chip in with some of your own. Just beware of the humour, and tell us more about your home brew! Beer, cider or wine?
 
Good to have you along Scott. Plenty of ideas, advice and wisdom here for you to profit ftom. An interesting set of skills you have, I'm expecting to see some fantastic scenery. Speaking of which we need photographic evidence of all that happens. Above all else though enjoy yourself here.
 
AlanL said:
Glad to know that I'm not the only one here :D

Welcome Scott and look forward to seeing the results of your special creative talents here.

You've told us a lot about your skills but what will be the theme of your railway?

AL
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Sorry, I tend to lead with what I can, rather than what I intend to do.

I've always been into the Marklin/ LGB style railways. I spend a lot of time at Epcot when I worked for WDW many years ago. I would stare at the layout in the Germany pavilion for hours. I guess I like the whimsy of it. Stylistically I am less into scale replica and more into whimsical fantasy. So more compact with more 8' and under radius curves.
 
Welcome to the forum Scott. Living close to the sea you do could have track electrical contact issues due to salt spray and general sea air issues. As you are in the early stage of your plans may I suggest you look to battery power your trains, there are DCC battery options your side of the pond thus your electrical skills will come to the fore here and in your animated bits where direct wiring will I assume be the thing.
 
dunnyrail said:
Welcome to the forum Scott. Living close to the sea you do could have track electrical contact issues due to salt spray and general sea air issues. As you are in the early stage of your plans may I suggest you look to battery power your trains, there are DCC battery options your side of the pond thus your electrical skills will come to the fore here and in your animated bits where direct wiring will I assume be the thing.
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That is something I was considering. I'm about 1500' from the Atlantic.
 
dunnyrail said:
Welcome to the forum Scott. Living close to the sea you do could have track electrical contact issues due to salt spray and general sea air issues. As you are in the early stage of your plans may I suggest you look to battery power your trains, there are DCC battery options your side of the pond thus your electrical skills will come to the fore here and in your animated bits where direct wiring will I assume be the thing.
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Well I fell in that temporal anomaly of a topic. Lots of research to be done there. It seems what the RC controllers do is super simple. I don't understand the high cost of the electronics. Seems like some hobbyist motor controllers ran by an ESP32 could do all the same things. And it could be ran from the web browser on my phone. Would be super easy to add sound and light. For that matter I could get crazy with some addressable LED control. And if i get boarded I could have everything on a dedicated wifi network that would allow all the devices to communicate with each other. That way you could use RFID to activate things as the trains go around the layout. Surely someone has already done this. We do this type of stuff in escape rooms. Everything is of a custom nature so you can't use pre made stuff.
 
korm kormsen said:
i would be more interested in homespun landscapes, than in homebrew DCC - specially if it is whimsical or fantasy. :wasntme:

be welcome!
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That's something I need help with. Layout, pathways, water features, lighting, and color palate I've got. Its adding the plants that I struggle with. I can do artificial stuff. But trying to pick the right living plants to complete a look is a skill I just don't have.
 
bsosborne1 said:
Surely someone has already done this.
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Cue a post by PhilP PhilP
bsosborne1 said:
Its adding the plants that I struggle with. I can do artificial stuff. But trying to pick the right living plants to complete a look is a skill I just don't have.
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Forums -> Scenery -> Plants & Planting. Plenty of people with green fingers here, either the modeller or his wife, after all they are garden railways.
 
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