Okay I was looking at this weeks Photo Fun and happened to notice. Everyone's layouts are spotless, no cobwebs, no dust, no crooked poles. Am I the only one who has cobwebs and dust? If you look close at my photos you will find things out of place, knocked over or dusty No Dirty. Look at photo's from the past, same thing. I think I am going to challenge everyone to go to your layout. DON'T TOUCH IT. Take some photos and post them here. Show us you real layout.

I can relate -- I always have problems with dust on my layout. Our house is heated by force-air gas, which is notorious for spreading dust around.

Once or twice a week, I have to brush the dust off my locos with a camels hair brush, especially if the locos have been sitting for a week or more. Meanwhile, the layout gets covered in layers of dust over time. I can easily see it on the layout's roads while the grass (and green) areas steadily look less green and more grey. To get around this, I occasionally remove everything off the layout and vacuum it down, but since that's a pain, so I don't do it very often. Guess I could always place a sheet of light plastic over the layout when it's not in use?

Yup , you're the only one Lester ....ours are all spotless and perfect , Suzy Homemaker and Betty Crocker would be envious

As if .....

T

I'm not going to take you up on that challenge because I know my layout is not spotless. Far from it, in fact. When I post pictures, it's generally not the first picture I have taken of the subject. In the first (and second and third) I find items that are dusty, out of place, or covered with cobwebs.

it's not a big surprise because I only spend about three months of the year working on the trains. Once April hits, I spend a lot of time outside until late fall. By the time the outside work is completed we are into the holiday season. It's only after New Years that I get much time in the train room.

Tom

You haven't taken a close look at my photos.

Lester Perry Wrote:Okay I was looking at this weeks Photo Fun and happened to notice. Everyone's layouts are spotless, no cobwebs, no dust, no crooked poles. Am I the only one who has cobwebs and dust? If you look close at my photos you will find things out of place, knocked over or dusty No Dirty. Look at photo's from the past, same thing.

Now you know why all my photos are slightly out of focus !!!

You have to replace the scenery fast than dust settles, you got my secret

Dust is not a problem on my layout. The main part of the layout is in my basement in a separate room, the door is kept closed all the time except when operating. The room is finished, walls ceiling and floor. I think the drop ceiling is the biggest help as it catches any dust that filters down from up stairs, and there is no dust from a bare concrete floor. I vacuum the floor two to three times a year, but have never vacuumed the scenery since I started building it seven years ago. I also have a forced air furnace. My secret is I clean the furnace filter regularly, and I have an air cleaner in the train room that runs 24hrs a day 7 days a week all year long. The one staging yard that is complete is out side the main room and is open to the entry way up stairs, this is a totally different story. It has no scenery so it is easy to clean. And in the summer when we shut down it gets covered in thin plastic after the cars are moved into the main room.

Running Bear I have noticed your photos are honest. You are the exception....in more ways than one

Well here are some examples. I am not to proud.
note the dust on top and cobwebs on the front


Pilot truck


Look behind the water tower, and bell to left pump

I think there are several different ways of cleaning all the areas of your layout . One that I think is great for structures ans locos/rolling stock is my make-up applicator ...I mean my WIFE'S make-up applicator :oops: . My wife gave me her old one to use and I stir up the dust with the brush in one hand and keep the vacuum nozzle close by with the other hand ...sort of multi-tasking . The brush is very soft and won't disturb or break the details of the model .

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T

Hey mine has a black handle. Actually right now my layout is clean. That is one of the benefits of having an open house. Every October I start repairing and cleaning everything preparing for open house tour in November. If you missed it you can see it at.
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I've certainly taken a number of pics with dust and dirt and cobwebs, but I've not posted them after noticing the issues while using my photo editing program to reduce the pic size. After a quick blowing of the offending debris away, I then post as if all was always well. I think one time I missed the finger marks in the dust on one of my river scenes though.

Photoshop... heh heh heh

Relax, We spend hours making our trains look dirty, and now you are complaining about dust
It's prototype. I don't know where the dust comes from in my train room. I'm hoping when the construction of the layout is done that it will cut back. I know the ballast, Durabond, plaster and even the foam have dust in them. If dust was my only problem I would be very happy.
Les, your layout is so nice we overlook the dust and the occasional cobweb.

Charlie

I thought I was the only one who has cobwebs and dust on my layout.