What did you do on your layout today?

After weeks and weeks of just researching models, today I actually started gluing

one together, an old, oddball O scale saloon kit.  It has very little detail, so will

have to be enhanced.  I am deciding whether to distress it for my ghost town or

make it slightly more presentable for one of my dying mining camps.  I do like finding

unusual structure kits....since O seems not to have enough of them.

Jon was here this afternoon, and we worked on more lighting. We are almost done with conduit work.


Just a couple more pieces at the far end on the upper, and a straight shot down the right wall on the lower deck.

 

I'm starting to play with track arrangements for the hump yard.


We completed this section of track lighting. We just have 2 more sections to go.


I'm going to swap out the regular bulbs for floods above Red Wing.


Patrick should be over Friday to paint the backdrop. Then it's track laying time!
.

I just rearranged some of the autos, as I do periodically, and managed to break off a lady driver's arm in so doing.  Another repair project.

I spent a couple hours repairing half a dozen broken throw bars on some switches.

I know I haven't done much work on the layout so this evening I went out there and I wanted to pull some wire. well that was out of the question since I pulled last time I used most of the holes that I drilled. So this time I grabed a drill and this time I will drill 3" holes. So this will take me a day to drill then on to wire pulling.

 

 

I have been just playing alittle here alittle there not doing to much wired up a few switches. and few lights put some rock down on the trestle to see if I liked it. added a few trees not to much. but took some photos

Simple task, has to catch up on my inventory of layout photos for the Forum.

Not a productive summer..other stuff, like yard work, in the way.  I have painted much

of this saloon kit, which is really simple and basic....added a door but have not thought much about how I can enhance it, other than plastering Coors and other

regional beer signs on it.  Will probably add a hitching rack...Did not distress it, so

it won't go in the ghost town, which already has a collapsing saloon..

My son,Chris, and I ran another long-distance wire from A lionel 022 remote contraol switch and the transformer control panel. Chris also installed a smoke generator for our house-on-fire scene.

Hooking up #990 Legacy.

I was up late last night 3:00 AM. up grading my Kit bashed ATSF fixed pilots SD45 to PS3, Up graded an SD9 to PS2. Started prep work on the RK cab for my next CB&Q Way Car project.

I replaced a failed Fastrack switch last night.

Broke out my two turntable kits (both Peco ones, one is dedicated to On30, the other is marked as a HO/OO one, but all the details are massive for that scale, it makes for a great O scale NG turntable as well) and plan to build them over the long weekend.

Notice how tiny thre locomotice is compared to this turntable and you'll see why it'll make for a great O scale NG one:

Then, I can get the approach tracks in place and wired. I also have an ash pit I need to paint and get under the rails, after I cut a hole for it.

Guys,

 

I took a much needed 10 minute respite today and ran my many months neglected train table and experienced  a time  dilation smile from ear to ear which will last me till the next time I go downstairs to run the trains!!!!!

 

Mike Maurice

While going up and down K-Mart's aisles I noticed this folding stool on sale for $8.  Perfect for the little ones to view the train layout, it collapses as you pick it up at the center.

Completed all 4 tables and added the quiet brace to the tops of 3 of them.  

 

Looks nice! What a great room as well. You've got a really nice space.

 

Are you planning to put a roadbed down on top or use either track with no roadbed or a track with plastic roadbed (e.g., FasTrack)? I am intrigued by your choice of QuietBrace over foam or Homasote.

Good work Walter. Quiet Brace is a good and economical alternative to Homasote. Check the Depot or Lowes's for some earth tone latex paint to top and seal the tar surface. Often they have mixing mistakes for sale cheap that they can tone for you to represent dirt.

 

Old photo below shows a decent earth surface shade I got at Home Depot that was originally a yellow-brown mix error-mostly yellow.

Looks good Walter.

Good size area to work with. I agree with Dewey on the use of Quiet Brace. I used a cheap funny looking green to paint a top coat (picture 1).

 

I knew I would be putting some type of ground cover on the entire layout Dirt, grass, weeds, rocks ect. (picture 2).

 

Painting makes it cleaner to work with.

 

Good luck ,

 

Larry

 

One of these days I'll get this layout done.

Thanks Len B, Dewey, and Larry!  I still have some paint that we used to paint the room after we removed the three walls to create the "new" space so plan to use it to seal the Quiet Brace.  

 

Len B, my plan to lay the track (Ross) without using any roadbed.

 

 

 

Walked past it again

 

Clem

lol

Larry sr-   How long you estimate until it's done? Few weeks?

Andrew

Lord willing, by the end of next year I shouldn't be embarrassed. The heavy lifting is almost done. It's all in the detailing to try and make it nice that's very time consuming. Of course like many others if I could make up my mind on certain things it could go a wee bit faster .But, still having fun.

 

Currently, Nothing but honey do's.

Larry

Having fun is what it is all about.

Nothing big, Rebuilt an Atlas ATSF 40ft steel refer that had arrive from TRAINZ in pieces, Rebuilt an K Line Texaco scale Tank car with Atlas trucks (paid 10.00 for the car) Upgraded my K Line Conoco Tank car with Atlas trucks. In both K Lines they now sit lower and ride better. Finished My SD9 upgrade to PS2. Installed Atlas 3R Cab trucks on my CB&Q Way Car project ( sits lower and looks better). Upgraded my Kitbashed ATSF SD45 with fixed pilots to PS3, ( PS2 and can motors and electronics into the SD9).

 

 

 

 

Today, I finished this project which took me all this past week - a NYC-style brownstone townhouse vignette...

Moonson, that is terrific!

 

Al

Had company over and we played with the trains.  There is a dead block section so we could run the trains completely.  Note to self... Always have the layout ready for company.  Need to fix that section of track!

moonson that building looks great. maybe you could post how you accomplished building it.

Walter, Dewey, and Larry,

I will have to look into Quiet Brace before I get to building my next layout in a year or two.  I have used Homosote before and liked it, but cutting it was a pain and I will need to cut costs wherever I can and still keep quality.  Looks good Walter!

 

Right out of an old black and white movie (in brown)!  It looks excellent!

Nothing big!  No just a bunch of little jobs that all look great!!

Thanks for all the neat photos!

  Worked on bits and pieces till I dropped last night, woke up and fiddled some more.

 Carved my first every rocky cliff onto an 8x16x1/2 sheet of green foam. Easy as pie, and looks good so far. Now for the base paint, washes, and dry brushing.

 Also JB Welded some trim pieces on and gave a trail assembly to some sheathing for a MARX C. Vanderbilt that I'm bashing into a Reading Crusader.

 Waiting for things to set, I cleaned up an old 2461 fishbelly flat car then gave it 2 wire spools till I find a transformer. Finally prepped a neglected DL&W 6419 work caboose for roof repair....Now gotta mow the lawn.  

The scene looks GREAT! Did you build the house from scratch or was it a kit? If a kit, were can the kit be obtained?

It is not a kit. The front was from Valley Model Trains and the sides and rearwall are from a variety of other sources, purchased some time ago. I'm glad you like the finished scene.

Thanks Mark!

Installed my new Legacy 990! 

did some tinkering with scenery built another trestle tonight. took some more photos this time of the Ameritown factory added some more trees.