What did you do on your layout today?

That's a really nice photograph of you and your display layout!  And you even run DCS wifi with the tablet!

This morning while coming up from under the layout table, after connecting some wires- I whacked my head on an edge 2x4 and a facing board. YEEEOUCH! been hurting all day... boo.

Um...don't do that. 

I worked the night shift, loaded culvert pipe and got a load all set go for tomorrow.

Carey TeaRose posted:

This morning while coming up from under the layout table, after connecting some wires- I whacked my head on an edge 2x4 and a facing board. YEEEOUCH! been hurting all day... boo.

 

That is bad news Carey!!  I hope your head is feeling better today. 

Once long ago, I was soldering under the train table and forgot where I put the soldering iron.  I ended up putting my wrist right on the hot iron, and still carry the scar over 25 years later!  I wised up and bought a soldering iron stand.

Adriatic posted:

Um...don't do that. 

 

I worked the night shift, loaded culvert pipe and got a load all set go for tomorrow.

So now I know what you look like.  

RSJB18 posted:

Ted- the falls look great. Almost going to be a shame to hide them below the Christmas tree.

Bob

Bob, hide what?  Here’s what my tree will look like!    

My sidewalks came today so it is going to be a sidewalk weekend. I'll clean up the flashing today and paint them with aged concrete tomorrow. When looking for sidewalks I was going between Scale City and Korber. But after looking them both over and they are both good products I opted for Scale city because it was a single block and Korber was two blocks and I would of had to cut them in half and add a curb line to one. Pic...........Paul

TedW posted:

RSJB18 posted:

Ted- the falls look great. Almost going to be a shame to hide them below the Christmas tree.

Bob

Bob, hide what?  Here’s what my tree will look like!    

 

LMAO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9vThJnLM3A

Over the past few days....added more trees, figures, cars, Budweiser reefer, ordered a LionChief Plus NYC Hudson engine from the latest Signature volume 2 catalog.

Ran a PRR freight around the layout for awhile this morning.

p51 posted:

I still need to clean a little grit out of the flangeways in a few spots.

That's what I did last night. I have an old dental tool, which I used to scrape along the insides of the rails and the flangeways. I cleared up the insides of the guardrails and the frogs. I also ran a bright block over top of this, which scraped off the cinders which were above the level of the tops of the rails. I then took a vacuum to the entire area of the turnout, as everything else is glued down well.

Afterward, my ten-wheelers navigated this turnout a lot easier then before (for a while, I swear it looked like the drivers were bouncing off each individual grain). As you can see, we're not talking about a very long section, so it didn't take long.

Carey TeaRose posted:

This morning while coming up from under the layout table, after connecting some wires- I whacked my head on an edge 2x4 and a facing board. YEEEOUCH! been hurting all day... boo.

 

Sorry that you had to experience model railroading's "Badge of Honor" !

HMorgan125 posted:

Over the past few days....added more trees, figures, cars, Budweiser reefer, ordered a LionChief Plus NYC Hudson engine from the latest Signature volume 2 catalog.

Ran a PRR freight around the layout for awhile this morning.

Looks like downtown was pretty busy last night!  

TedW posted:

RSJB18 posted:

Ted- the falls look great. Almost going to be a shame to hide them below the Christmas tree.

Bob

Bob, hide what?  Here’s what my tree will look like!    

 

Now here is a man who has his decorating priorities correct!!  LOL

Mark Boyce posted:

Adriatic posted:

Um...don't do that. 

 

I worked the night shift, loaded culvert pipe and got a load all set go for tomorrow.

So now I know what you look like.  

  Yes, when driving my dune buggies I looked exactly like a cross between Miguella Gorilla and Secret Squirrel...though the turbos made it sound more like a Frankenstein Jr jet pack than like Speedbuggy...and landings sometimes had a Wile E Coyote flavor to them, so I wouldn't say the buggy is out of place either  

 That Menard's thread has me going on wanting to spank a few more Mousethangs and Vettes in the 1/8th mile 

....I miss geeting air cooled "air" going across some old RR crossings too 

I mean air too, a few inches don't count 

I got al the flashing off all the sidewalks. I laid them out to see what they are going to look like. I know I am going to have to buy a couple of more to do a single sidewalk on the bottom road. Tomorrow morning heading to the Berea Train show to look around. When I get back I'll paint all the sidewalks. Anyone have suggestions as to the glue I can use to glue the sidewalks down. I have some Gorilla Glue I was thinking of using. All suggestions welcomed. Pics of the walks...................Paul

Paul - Looks good.  You'll get a lot of opinions re glue.  Mine is the white elmers glue.  I've used Gorilla glue b4 and while it's very good, it expands when it dries, so you'll have to come up with a clamping method.  Experiment with different glues offline, if you can.  Best of luck!

Looks good Paul, I agree with Matt elmers glue! Gorilla glue can expand and make a mess!But you might want to ask DAD!

I have always used contact cement. If used correctly it works very well!

An issue that has recently cropped up on the layout is TMCC signal degradation in underpasses, especially when a loco or lighted cars are parked overhead.  Not all locos seem to suffer, but they vary from a PW, SW2, that I upgraded to TMCC, to my VL GG1.  So, I experimented successfully by adding the ground plain remedy in the troublesome areas.  It's all temporary for now, until I complete the layout catenary, which will then serve the purpose.  Sticking a bared wire into the socket of an extension cord has never been a favorite activity of mine

Bruce

After being sick for most of September, I'm finally feeling good enough to get back to work. Nothing too strenuous of course, but progress just the same.

I started into mass production of signals. Here I'm super gluing the targets to the mast.

The first batch...

I went until I ran out of brass tubes. Ordered more from Wehonest. Might be a few weeks til they get here.

Grabbed some 1/4" mesh from Menards, and started making ladders.

For this project, I think I like the alternate rungs removed better.

A few prototype examples that I've been working from.

I also found plans with dimensions.

I wasn't happy with how this seam looked, where I added this section to the fascia, so I re-spackled it, as well as touched up a number of other spots around the layout. Once it's all sanded, I'll be ready to do the final painting. After that will come the lettering and uncoupler buttons.

This small board is the beginning of the C/MRI system. It takes RS-232 serial communication and converts to RS-422. I'm aware that RS-485 is available, but the system is 25 years old, and it really doesn't matter. The one on the clipboard has a damaged capacitor...

But I had a spare in stock, so I swapped it out.

My new computer is going to be here this week. The hard drive on the old one had head failure, and is out for data recovery. Next step for C/MRI is to run the communication line around the room to the other three nodes.

Short work day because I went to the Berea Train Show this morning. Good show but I only found a few things for myself. Before I went I opened up the box that came from the Canadian Club yesterday. A couple of 2 bay hoppers. I got  few small detail things for the layout. Milk cans and pallets, garbage cans and three small boats for the streams. In the afternoon I got the sidewalks painted with aged concrete paint. They air dried somewhat outside but I laid them out in the basement to let them further dry. Tomorrow I will start gluing them in place.....Pics............Paul

Applied some mod podge to the lake for a little wind texture, and built up a small “snow cone” which develops at the base of the falls.  Not so noticeable in photo is mod podge brushed on ice to create a slight glisten.  Wish I could figure out how to model some frazil ice, but that’s definitely beyond my paygrade.

"Return of the Terror Train" I maxed in 3d Pilot ; scene one ; take one: "The Coffin Tender's First Firing"

Adriatic posted:

"Return of the Terror Train" I maxed in 3d Pilot ; scene one ; take one: "The Coffin Tender's First Firing"

Great..I probably won't sleep tonight

I had my wife take a couple of goofy shots of me around the layout to put in with decent shots I'd taken earlier, to make a fake commercial...

This will be shown at a railroad slideshow later this month.

Great job Lee. Your scenes come to life..............Paul

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

After being sick for most of September, I'm finally feeling good enough to get back to work. Nothing too strenuous of course, but progress just the same.

I started into mass production of signals. Here I'm super gluing the targets to the mast.

The first batch...

I went until I ran out of brass tubes. Ordered more from Wehonest. Might be a few weeks til they get here.

Grabbed some 1/4" mesh from Menards, and started making ladders.

 

For this project, I think I like the alternate rungs removed better.

 

A few prototype examples that I've been working from.

 

I also found plans with dimensions.

I wasn't happy with how this seam looked, where I added this section to the fascia, so I re-spackled it, as well as touched up a number of other spots around the layout. Once it's all sanded, I'll be ready to do the final painting. After that will come the lettering and uncoupler buttons.

 

This small board is the beginning of the C/MRI system. It takes RS-232 serial communication and converts to RS-422. I'm aware that RS-485 is available, but the system is 25 years old, and it really doesn't matter. The one on the clipboard has a damaged capacitor...

 

But I had a spare in stock, so I swapped it out.

 

My new computer is going to be here this week. The hard drive on the old one had head failure, and is out for data recovery. Next step for C/MRI is to run the communication line around the room to the other three nodes.

Never any small projects on your railroad Elliot. The signals are going to look nice.

Good to hear you are felling better.

Bob

Meg n I ran some trains.  Here’s a short clip of carpet central.  Need to work on that flicker on the feed store and maybe tone down the EOT lights on Meg’s Penn Flyer.

RSJB18 posted:

Never any small projects on your railroad Elliot. The signals are going to look nice.

Good to hear you are felling better.

Bob

Thanks Bob. It's true, everything about this layout is "mass production". The trick is to get the first one done, after that it's gravy.

Brian - Thanks for the great AMTRAK photos.  The Sperliners are neat.

Pics and vids from the Bixby, OK train show on Saturday.  Hadn't actually PLANNED on setting up the gi-raffes, but I had 'em chunked into the car just in case...    

The chap next to me had a nice 027 layout as well. 

The DerpyMail car is a converted Toys R Us Geoffrey car.  

And, of course, Fortescue was in attendance.

At the request of a special ed teacher, I took a vid that she's going to share with her students, who she says will love the heads bobbing up and down... 

And some footage of the O27 layout in action! 

Mitch 

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Pics and vids from the Bixby, OK train show on Saturday.  Hadn't actually PLANNED on setting up the gi-raffes, but I had 'em chunked into the car just in case...    

The chap next to me had a nice 027 layout as well. 

The DerpyMail car is a converted Toys R Us Geoffrey car.  

And, of course, Fortescue was in attendance.

At the request of a special ed teacher, I took a vid that she's going to share with her students, who she says will love the heads bobbing up and down... 

And some footage of the O27 layout in action! 

Mitch 

Keep those kids interested in our great hobby. We can use their enthusiasm!

This afternoon I started gluing down the side walks. Pic...............Paul

gandydancer1950 posted:

Keep those kids interested in our great hobby. We can use their enthusiasm!

Yus!  It's why I keep doing this!   

Mitch 

In the process of installing the last of five turntables.   With five branch lines snaking around my basement in the steam era, TTs are a necessity if you do not like going backwards.

These Millhouse TTs are neat.

Just messing around with my cell phone again.

paul 2 posted:

This afternoon I started gluing down the side walks.

Can't wait to see when you're done with this scene.

Looks great so far!

Built my latest construction cranes