New From North America

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

I been thinking about doing some collecting and/or making a diorama for a few decades now that I think about it. Along the way I have picked up or been given half dozen tractors in different scales - 1:16 1:32 HO an a couple odd balls. So not much of a collection.

About me - I'm dual US Canadian citizen. Raised mostly in Montana but have lived or worked all over the west coast and the prairies. Currently reside on Vancouver Island in British Columbia.

My background is agriculture and natural resources. My interests are primarily farming ranching hay cereal crops generally dryland or irrigated 1950s or so to present including farm forestry.

I was watching a toy auction yesterday an certainly suffered some sticker shock (prices) - $1100 Canadian for a 1:16 white 12 row corn planter needing some repair - my gawd. In spite of that decided yeah I'll do this but I do need to sharpen my pencil (know what I want an shop carefully) since I do have a couple other money pit hobbies. RightNow I'm going through the mental gyrations of trying to sort this out. What scale(s), what purpose, what models, etc. What I personally relate to based on experience or tractors an farm equipment that I've never seen or experienced in real life.

For example I been thinking about a 2ft by 5-8ft shelf display with a working HO scale train switching yard elevators etc set in grain country on the prairies. Should it be 60s or modern? Can I even find suitable models in HO scale as any other scale would not look right.

Anybody else combine trains an tractors?

Just an example.

As for collecting I really like the idea of 1:32 as in my mind I think 1:16 is really for playing with an takes up a lot of room. HO just seems too small and lacks detail. Any opinions?

I look forward to being a part of this forum.

-Ed-

[Jack390]

Personally,I think 1/32 is the best scale, but I have seen some good 1/64 US yard layouts. In terms of yards, the sheds in 1/64 are much smaller dimensions to 1/32 so can be effective when building large scale sheds. 

[SirTainly]

Hi Ed, I have found a few HO pieces which I use on the model railroad clubs layout, but they can't compare with a 1/32 piece for details. What are you looking to do though, make something that's an accurate model of a specific prototype, or capture the feel of something. That may answer the dilemma.

Vancouver Island eh? Lovely place, spent 3 years in Vancouver and popped over to Victoria with a few friends for the train shows there.

Simon 

[New Hollander]

Welcome Ed,

good to hear that a North American is interested in 1/32. We mostly see 1/64 or 1/16 from over there. Your theme is a bit difficult combination. I'm not into trains so I don't know if there are many in 1/32. Of course there are trains in 1/87 but tractors and farm machinery mainly have a German theme, and there are not many models. You may find some newer John Deere or Fendt tractors and Case/Claas/JD combines and some balers, but implements are rare.

For the ag side 1/32 would be my choice for a North American theme. From the 50's might be difficult but Ertl, Britains and Universal Hobbies still produce models from the 60's and 70's that can be purchased new in the NA at model stores or from Amazon or eBay. Some examples for you: Ertl John Deere 4020, IH 756/1586, UH Ford 5000 and Britains New Holland TR70 combine(older). Newer models are readily available. Here's a good site to do some research on what has been produced: farmmodeldatabase.com

Here are some used 1/32 trains for sale here in Holland: ≥ Vind spoor 1 in Modeltreinen | Overige schalen op Marktplaats. There's also a nice choice in 1/32 trucks and pick-up trucks. Shipping from Europe might be expensive.

Don't hesitate to ask for help.

Edited April 20, 2023 by New Hollander

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

First of all thank you for the replies.

As I indicated right now I'm thinking build a train/agriculture display while collecting some 1:32 on the side after that we shall see. The one 1:32 model I have is a Ford 9030 bi-directional and I really like it and I think it displays well without tying up too much room. I've seen some really nice combines in 1:32 as well. I can certainly imagine a 1:32 diorama though I don't know about buildings an such.

As for the train/agriculture display. First I appreciate all the commentary. I want to be sure everyone sees my thinking. I intend to have the train portion be an actual functioning HO scale train while the agriculture portion is like a stationary diorama. For the train people here it will have dcc sound an all. It is not to be a run around (like a circle) track but a switching yard combined with a short runs of track. As I said a shelf layout 2ft by 5-8ft. Many railroad fans operate running trains on shelf units not in circles due to space/money limits. Switchyards are a common theme.

Here is a short video of a switching operation. Note this shelf unit is something like 15in wide by not very long.

Now expand the concept to train/agriculture diorama like I intend to do. The idea being more than diorama - something you can actually play on. I have thought to take the idea even further but I don't know how feasible it is. When I was a kid I used to race HO scale cars on a track. Why not DIY using cut reassembled track to actually have car/truck/tractor movement in addition to train movement? This idea is way off in the future and I don't know if it is feasible. I have no doubt many on this site would know more about doing this than I do.

I don't want anyone thinking dioramas are boring or passee - many are beautifully done better than I can do no doubt - I'm just thinking why not bring life to them. By no means is this idea unique to me. It occurred to me a few years ago when I visited this place in Hamburg Germany that featured moving trains cars an more.

As for me I plan to loosely model a bit of the great sand hills railroad near leader Saskatchewan (grain/cattle country) based on this - to be further modified - track plan. Note it is 2ft by 7ft as shown.

https://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k112/AmandaJeen/2x5number3.jpg

I hope I have not bit off more than I can chew.

Keep any comments/suggestions coming an thank you all.

-Ed-

Edited April 20, 2023 by EasyEd
Trying to fix link.

[EasyEd]

Hey All,

I'll add a bit about me...

I grew up mostly in Montana. Grandparents on one side dryland wheat a few cattle a little bit of hay. The had a wide front Case LA late 50s I believe. A Minneapolis Moline row crop Z. An open station case combine - don't know what model.

Other grandparents were registered shorthorns columbia sheep and hay and occasional oats. They used 2 8ns and an NAA. So all fords. New Holland haying equipment - sickle bar mower, side delivery rake new Holland baler with a Wisconsin engine on it.

I had an uncle that did dryland wheat and chickens like 5000 loose in henhouses. I bet I have gathered more eggs washed more eggs candled more eggs packaged more eggs than most people ever see in their lives. He had Farmall m small JD - don't remember what model.

I was mostly free child labor at all 3 places and so learned a lot. I had/have other relatives in farming ranching but these three were close by.

My father was a truck(lorry) driver so I've a fondness for IH trucks - 4070s to be precise. He also had dump trucks.

Later I did research using a 105? hp New Holland tractor that I bought for the research place - don't recall the model. Did propane flaming research with it. I also was tech advisor for farm planning which got me to know about mostly high HP articulated and not articulated tractors and modern combines - mostly grain farming.

I had my own small group of shorthorns and did haying - sickle bar mower, side delivery rake IH baler that would rock a person to sleep - for a few years.

Shoulda put this stuff up front in the first post.

-Ed-