HIGH PLAINS 3 RAILERS COLORADO CHRISTMAS SHOW 2012

Here is the video.

Thanks Gents, enjoyed the video!

Great video thanks for posting. Looks great and lots of action for people to see the kids love that. Lots of trains running and long trains with lots of color.

 

But it scares me seeing that set up with kids reaching in and putting hands on the tracks.

 

I had a display set up with a fence around one time to keep kids out from trains running.

Had a big engine running fast little kid got around fence somehow and ran in and grabbed the engine and got his finger caught in the running gear was pinched in tight and he yelled took a bit to get his finger out and had a little mark on the finger when done.

Was glad I never had a lawsuit against me for that. Now make sure that I post do not enter or touch notices and beef up the fencing making it a chore for kids to get in.

 

All you need is a kid that pinches his finger in running gear, the engines are going fast and big engines have powerful motors and flywheels that do not stop easily or quickly. Or a kid with wet fingers or hand on track getting a shock.

 

Best to keep them back away from layout so they cannot touch.

 

Another thing I have seen is kids pulling trains off the tracks an engine on the floor at speed can cost a bundle to repair or replace!

 

Love the display but seeing the kids with hands on tracks and over trains is scary!

 We have been setting this layout up for over 15 years and have never had a problem. There may be a problem at the very next show but up till now we have been pretty lucky. We built the layout for our enjoyment first that is why its four feet high. We have no backdrops to block our view.

  Little kids (the ones most likely to touch )will have to be picked up by their parents to see whats going on.This provides forced parental supervision. Older kids mostly just want to reach out a stick their hands in the smoke plume.

  If a kid looks like trouble and wants to touch something we hand him the remote or Lionel Big Red Button and let him blow the whistle.

  We never want to put up a rope or install plexi-glass. We want the public to enjoy them as we do up close and in your face with plenty of noise,smoke and action!

  The layout is set up on finished birch plywood. We wanted it to look like a floor layout from years ago when you and your friends would put your head on the floor to watch the trains go by. Us older folks can't get on the floor like that anymore but we can still enjoy the trains the same way with this layout. We have folks with wheel chairs and walkers come right up to the layout with big smiles on their faces taken them back to a time over 60 years ago.

very cool video

Watching that kid put his hand on the track also disturbed me. It shows a lack of respect. Handing a kid like that the remote or the big red button is a good solution. Just another exampe of how trains and people can change someone's attitude.

Great video! Thanks for sharing. This is why trains are the best hobby in the world!

  I don't know what video you guys are watching but I don't see anybody touching the tracks.I do see kids pointing out peguins around the layout. Find all six and they win a candy cane off our Christmas tree.

I'm a member of the Tinplate Trackers of Austin. Our track modules have slots in the front for low plexiglass dividers that discourage those younger kids with wandering hands and fingers from poking their fingers in the running gear or grabbing passing passenger or freight cars. I think it's a little raw to do to the better-behaved members of the five to eight year-old set , but the dividers have discouraged a lot of accidental train-wreckers. In an ideal world, the dividers wouldn't be necessary, but in an ideal world, spectators would keep their uninvited hands off the trains.

5:30 And 8:40 time line in video looks like people have hands arms on tracks.

 

Lots of people leaning on layout or close to trains some pricy.

 

This is a great video and display not to detract in any way from the display just saying keeping folks back is safer for them and trains.

Love the color, length and speed and great trains running great video.

 

A  neat and cheap way I have seen is Milk jugs with sand in bottom and plastic PVC white sprinkler pipe in 3-4 foot lengths stuck in the tops of the jugs on floor, a Tee connector on top and rope run through around the layout set out a foot or 2 from edge to keep hands off and safe.

 

One train caught in a coat or clothing of someone leaning over a layout as is seen in the video and train then falling on floor with a string of cars smashing to pavement at speed would cost a lot more in damage then a bit of rope and PVC pipes or other barrier to keep people off a layout.

 

The last $1000 engine I had drop 4 feet off a layout cost me a lot to repair, a lot more then the price of keeping someone back.  

 

It is mainly that I did have a kid get a finger pinched in an engine as mentioned this has me really cautious for public displays.

 

When there are lots of club members out front to keep a watch on and deal with the public this helps a lot. Smaller groups less members need to be a bit more cautious I guess.

 

Our local club has a similar layout to yours where folks get up close to trains. So far no real problems the odd hand hit by a train but nothing serious.

 

My own displays in public though, set up many displays a year over many many years and from my experience have trains running on carpet on floor (I have no where to store or way to carry stands) and fencing to keep people out of layout. Everyone gets a great view and sees the trains close enough for the action.

 

It is the best part of a display when you can hand a remote to someone and let them run a train. We always walk around and let kids push the buttons on remote.

And the closer they are to the action the better.

 

Again great video and display love it, thanks for posting it!

Thanks for all compliments on our layout and the video. As Choo-Choo Mike has said, we've done this, this way for many years. No real problems as of yet. Not saying there couldn't be in the future.

Our layout gets the crowds, compared to the others, because it IS UP CLOSE and PERSONAL.

We watch it very closely, and will continue to.