Hey Robert, was this your secret project? It looks really nice, I had the experience to build a real one for 50 heads, in my younger years. :bear-laugh: Ben
whoever builds that ... i need it! that is EXACTLY the size and style i've been wanting (and considering trying to scratch build). where can i get one? thanks, ben, for posting it. robert? is that yours? somebody ... please make this happen for the rest of us!!! dave f.
Ops! I thought that everyone knew, it is the new Micro-Train November release http://www.micro-trains.com/nr-livestock-pen.php Ben
Woo Hoo!! thanks, ben ... ... er, robert(?) ... er, Micro-Trains(??) er ... , Joe and Micro-trains and Robert????????
I kinda like it too! You can buy 2 of them, flip the foundation piece upside down, and build it mirror image, then put them a scale 4 feet apart, and spacing is about right for a double loading ramp setup for 2 stock cars. The only part that don't mirror is the cattle ramp part, which flipping over will have no board scribes, but you can do that with a sharp pencil anyways. Nope, this is not my secret project, this was last months project. I am putting the finishing touches on my secret project, but it is still a few months off from being ready for primetime.
Yea, Ray is my Undercover Brother! This is a really cool piece and they are flying off the shelves right now. Wait till you all get a load of the "secret project".. ) Joe MTL
Ok, not that I am asking to divulge the secret, but can we know if it will be "Static" or something that can roll on rails? Ben
I am assembling a 3 ramp 5 pen version of one of these babies, for my head! I will post photos soon. I just got my cows recently, and this week I got my cattle prod people in. What I still need to do is to put the pen doors on, paint the base with Floquil Roof Brown, then sprinkle Woodland Scenics yellow ground foam on to represent hay over cow poop dirt. , then I can plant my cows!
hey did you make the loading ramp as well Robert? If it was you I have to say it was an excellent easy to assemble model!
Yes, I did the loading ramp, and the speeder/tool shed too. The plan, sinister as it is, is to hook a modeler by providing an easy to build model, that everyone can build. The modeler uses a sharp hobby knife, and tweezers. This instills confidence for the next project, a novice level kit, the tool shed. Now the modeler who has been following the action develops new skills. He adds use of a toothpick or needle to apply glue, and a fine paintbrush for detail painting. Then we kick it up a notch to intermediate level modeling with the livestock loading pen kit. This one develops hand/eye coordination, as some very small parts must be glued together without breaking them. The modeler will find themselves using an optivisor or reading glasses to see the small parts, and carefully placing them with tweezers. Confidence is built when the modeler admires his handiwork, and by now, he starts looking for more challenging kits to build.
Nice piece. As a manager of three farms with over 500 head, I always take an interest in railroad stock pens. More often than not, the models I have seen would not actually work in reality (if you understand livestock behavior). This one would work nicely. There is really only one problem: It is way to clean! Ben I would be happy to send you some prototype cow patties complete with odor and flies (no assembly required). CG
CG, The corral pic is not from me, but from micro-Train. And it's ok, you can keep the smell and all the cow poo to yourself:bear-laugh:, beside missing my horses, I don't miss the farm life at all. Plus I have plenty of photos for reference. This is my wife, back in 1992 (looking a little scared inside the corral). Ben
I think this is true. These cattle pens (N scale) were built by a Belmont Shore club member who also had livestock experience. It was a lot more complex than the models you see. It seemed to have lots of pens for sorting or classifying cattle. This photo is from Nov 1999.
Robert sounds like a great plan. I mean that loading ramp was a piece of cake, I think that is part of it, not bitting off more than you can chew. I think I'll be getting that shanty buidling as well. So no hints on the secerete plan yet?
Yes, and to quote a z scale embassador " there are no secrets between z scalers". Do you remember saying that, Robert.
Joe, it sounds like your layout its going to get a livestock pen, and its its been a while since you posted pictures of your layout.
John, funny you should say that, I am in the process of deciding that type of thing right now! Due to the football season I haven't been able to really add anything lately, but I am getting that itch to start adding on now that my seaosn ended. I really like that shanty, so that is pretty much going to happen. After that I am looking at space, and thinking. you know how that goes, you wonder, what would look good here and what if I add this here type of thing. In some ways that is the most fun of building a layout because it kinda takes a life on of its own after you get started with the main plan.
For anyone THINKING about making a laser cut kit, but has never made one before, this is about the best you could start on. 1 It is inexpensive so you won't lose much if you really mess it up. 2 OTOH it is pretty hard to mess up a stock pen - look at some of the photos posted here 3 You will get a taste of Robert Ray's fabulous detail. When I first saw this one in the envelope, my thoughts were - Oh hum. WRONG. This has enough detail to keep anyone happy. The fit is exceptionally good 4 This is a good kit to practice your weathering using a SMALL paintbrush. My brush is about 1 mm in diameter and is used for painting the entire model. This causes lots of areas that are different shades of the colors in use. I used 3 -a light gray, black and deep brown. All the mixing is done by the brushful both on the pallet and/or model itself. 5 This is a great kit to learn how to use tiny drops of glue using a toothpick to place the glue. ...don
I'm happy you like this kit Don. I actually did a lot of research before designing it. I had to meet a fixed price point, yet it had to have authentic features, so I boned up on the books, researching several midwest university sites for info. LSU's Ag Center had some info, and Oklahoma State had lots of great info. After the research I had a list of required design elements: A holding pen. A crowding area with swinging crowding gate. A loading ramp with a rise of 3.5" per foot, that is too narrow for the animals to turn around. A chute fence of 50" so animals between 600 and 1200 pounds cannot see over, so they don't get spooked. And a sorting alley between holding area and crowding area. With these elements I then wanted to backdate the more modern design to an older west design, so this is what I came up with.
