What did you do on your layout today?

paul 2 posted:

Thanks Bob on that idea. I was toying with that but have to find some pictures of a rusted fence. I have a bottle of rust paint.Had to run out to Sam's Club for some house items but I had gotten a flyer that had the LED shop lights on sale. 7.00 dollars off each one. So I picked up two more for the basement. Finishing off the fence I drilled a hole for the wire of the sound shed and vacuumed up the whole area. I didn't like the color of the base so I had some aged concrete paint left and I put one coat on. Think it made it look better. Then I got out some fine black ballast and started laying in a road through the gate over to the shed. I laid down some strips of Balsa wood for a track crossing in the yard.  Later I'll start gluing the road down. Pics...................Paul

Paul that sure looks great! I love the crane! Question, where did you get the track for the crane?

p51 posted:

I know it's probably a Faux pas to do this, but I got my layout in an article in a competing* magazine, Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette, in the March/April 2018 issue:

 

*I don't think this is competition as such, as OGR certainly is focused toward a very different aspect of the hobby...

Way to go Lee! Now your forever in print! I am guessing you already picked up some frames for the article and photos! I know I would if it was me! Again congrats!

Mike, Gar Graves makes that special section of track. It measures 3 ft long..........Paul

chris a posted:

Working on weathering 2 freight cars, trying some new techniques blending alcohol washes with pastel powders.   At the same time, I am weathering weathering Korber Joes Pickle Factory, which I just bought from a fellow OGR forum member...    Evaluating whether to put Joes together as a 6 story backdrop building, or the more conventional 39 inch long - 3 story flat.... 

Chris, the flat looks wonderful! But I have to say the cars look GREAT! Maybe one day I will attempt weathering cars like that!

paul 2 posted:

Mike, Gar Graves makes that special section of track. It measures 3 ft long..........Paul

Thanks Paul.  Wood or Plastic ties?

Mike, mine is wood ties. Not sure if it is done with plastic ties......Paul

gandydancer1950 posted:

post flood recovery update...almost there...

This looks like the hobby shop I went into when I was a kid!!  Looks great, Howard!!!

Mike it's not as hard as I thought it was....  I watched countless hours of Youtube videos and did my usual over processing.....   Ended up being not so challenging...  take out an old cheap plastic car.... I used an old Lionel MPC  $5.00 gondola, first applied some Rust All which is really not much more than rust colored acrylic paint and 80% alcohol...  then I scraped some pastels with knife into the same Rust All solution in a small ketchup cup, and applied it again..  This provided more texture...  Then for the 3rd try, I applied the Rust All heavy coat, and while it was wet scraped the pastels off the bar and let them fall right into the wet mixture..  give it a try... If you don't like the result you can pretty much remove it with straight 91% rubbing alcohol and do it over...  the cheap plastic practice car works greats as it relieves the pressure of messing up. 

Give it a try 

Mark Boyce posted:

gandydancer1950 posted:

post flood recovery update...almost there...

This looks like the hobby shop I went into when I was a kid!!  Looks great, Howard!!!

Thanks Mark. I wanted the basement to have that hobby shop feel!

The Razorback Traction Co's latest varnish poses for the camera... 

Working LED taillight courtesy of Gunrunner John's constant voltage circuit.  Fortescue available separately.

With the Crimson Comet attached to the head, the consist circled the layout smoothly. 

Norma Bates Kitteh observed with great interest before deciding a nap was in order. 

Mitch 

the flamingos wants them a fortescue

beardog posted:

the flamingos wants them a fortescue

Dare I ask why?   

paul 2 posted:

Mike, Gar Graves makes that special section of track. It measures 3 ft long..........Paul

I might have to build my own, as I am going to be using Scale Trak!

chris a posted:

Mike it's not as hard as I thought it was....  I watched countless hours of Youtube videos and did my usual over processing.....   Ended up being not so challenging...  take out an old cheap plastic car.... I used an old Lionel MPC  $5.00 gondola, first applied some Rust All which is really not much more than rust colored acrylic paint and 80% alcohol...  then I scraped some pastels with knife into the same Rust All solution in a small ketchup cup, and applied it again..  This provided more texture...  Then for the 3rd try, I applied the Rust All heavy coat, and while it was wet scraped the pastels off the bar and let them fall right into the wet mixture..  give it a try... If you don't like the result you can pretty much remove it with straight 91% rubbing alcohol and do it over...  the cheap plastic practice car works greats as it relieves the pressure of messing up. 

Give it a try 

Thanks for the information Chris, I guess I will have to give it a try! I have a lot of cheap cars right now! LOL

NO

beardog posted:

NO

Fortescue:  "Oh, dear..."  

First run of the new Green Diamond, couple spritzs of WD40 and some contact cleaner is

all I have done so far. Need some bulbs and some wheel and roller cleaning. 

    Some of my newer figures gathered by chance and realized they where likely to form a Blue Man Group if I didn't act fast with an "emergency makeover" on a few.  Hmmmm ...choice of victums isn't too hard....

Mark hunting scap lumber?

Not Jack with a jackhammer; meet Fred with F.R.E.D.; no jewel. 

Need to shed the red; it looks like "he ain't right"; has Popeyes left forearm 

  Rocky is the victim of a steamroller accident; flat expression, dumb as a box of rocks, but he rocks .....and busts um good too

Acrylic water based craft paint; harder to detail fine with it.

Need a few touch ups, but good enough from a 3-4' distance for sure.

I also mounted another motor in a VW but it proved too weak in torque to budge at 12v. I need a Bridge rectifier so I can test at a higher votage too.

I think I'm down to just 3&6v motors too

mike g. posted:

paul 2 posted:

Mike, Gar Graves makes that special section of track. It measures 3 ft long..........Paul

I might have to build my own, as I am going to be using Scale Trak!

Mike- I've seen several build threads on here for gantry crane builds. I plan on making my own too one day. Right after I finish the other 100 or so projects on the TBD list.

RSJB18 posted:

mike g. posted:

paul 2 posted:

Mike, Gar Graves makes that special section of track. It measures 3 ft long..........Paul

I might have to build my own, as I am going to be using Scale Trak!

Mike- I've seen several build threads on here for gantry crane builds. I plan on making my own too one day. Right after I finish the other 100 or so projects on the TBD list.

I'm with you Bob, on the 100 of other projects. But your closer then I am! LOL

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

The Razorback Traction Co's latest varnish poses for the camera...

Working LED taillight courtesy of Gunrunner John's constant voltage circuit.  Fortescue available separately.

With the Crimson Comet attached to the head, the consist circled the layout smoothly. 

Norma Bates Kitteh observed with great interest before deciding a nap was in order. 

Mitch 

Mitch- that train looks sharp.Great job.

Don't trust Beardog...those flamingos are up to no good.

unless you let Norma at them instead......

Mitch, Congratulations on the handsome Crimson Comet consist!  Very eye catching!!

Beradog, Congratulations on the Green Diamond!  Runs great!!

mike g. posted:

p51 posted:

I know it's probably a Faux pas to do this, but I got my layout in an article in a competing* magazine, Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette, in the March/April 2018 issue:

 

 

 Way to go Lee! Now your forever in print! I am guessing you already picked up some frames for the article and photos! I know I would if it was me! Again congrats!

In all fairness, this isn't the first time my layout has been in print. So far, I've had it in:

• Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette, March/April 2018 issue.
• Trackside Model Railroader published an online magazine article on my layout, January 2018 issue. They also released a commercial DVD of all the video they shot.
• The 2017 On30 Annual did a feature article I wrote on my layout.
• Model Railway Hobbyist ran two photos online, taken on the layout in 2017, in the March and December issues.
• While not model RR-related, I got a photo published in the December, 2017 issue of Fine Scale Modeler, of my Dad's amazing 1/6 scale Civil War James rifle 14-pounder field gun.
• In the 2018 On30 Annual (coming out in about a month), I'll have an article on turning a beat up On30 Bachmann 2-6-0 tender into a MOW water car.

I am also working on something for OGR as well, more on that later. I've already submitted a photo from the layout for their photo section, so maybe it'll be in this magazine as well, this year?

Model Railroader is the only magazine that shot me down outright, saying they had enough On30 stuff already (which I took that to mean from the only author they have that they'll run On30 material, Lou Sassi, as they're notorious for running their favorite people and turning most others away and that magazine has never been a friend of On30 modelers, they were also the last segment of the hobby to stop calling it On2 1/2).

As for this magazine, the editor confirmed that the writer copies go out long after the subscriber copies do. So I still haven't seen it in person, even though lots of other people have, more than a week ago...

Mark Boyce posted:

Mitch, Congratulations on the handsome Crimson Comet consist!  Very eye catching!!

Beradog, Congratulations on the Green Diamond!  Runs great!!

Yes- that Green Diamond looks sharp. That has quite a wide swing around the curve. WOW

Lee, congratulations again. With all the work and detail you put into your layout it stands to reason it would make it into magazines. Well done......................Paul

This morning I got the cinder road glued down and the Balsa wood stained. I'll eventually glue them down. I started adding some ground turf around the Office and track gate area. Still have to put some larger pieces of turf in and darkening up the crossing. Pics......Paul

Lee, I am so happy for you and your article! I am very impressed in the amount of magazines you have been in! Congrats!

Brian, I can see how CSX could grow on a person. Nice looking engines!

Paul, looks like you will be moving on soon, but you sure have done a great job with the scrap yard! But then again seams like every table you do turns out looking great!

thanks Mike !

The reason for the wide swing I think is because the motor is **** near in

the center of the loco. All the flyer streamliners I have are like that. The marx and

lionel streamliners seem to have the motors located closer to the nose. And that is Marx

034 track it is running on.

Congratulations on your publication  Lee--very nice work. i have been following your posts  since moving from Banner Elk back to Greensboro. I now  enjoy the ET & WNC Railroad via your posts and my artist prints.  

Received my Yuengling Streamliners today

Sorry Mike- No Coors Light here.

The Diner car is still factory sealed.

RSJB18 posted:

Received my Yuengling Streamliners today

Sorry Mike- No Coors Light here.

The Diner car is still factory sealed.

That's ok Bob, I would guess not to many people on the east coast drink Coors Light! Sounds like there is another noreaster coming. Guess that means another snow day!

I used to drink it all the time. Very popular around here.

yea- maybe early next week. More snow = more trains . At least it melts fast this time of year.

Lee, congratulations again. With all the work and detail you put into your layout it stands to reason it would make it into magazines. Well done......................Paul

 

Lee, I am so happy for you and your article! I am very impressed in the amount of magazines you have been in! Congrats!

 

Congratulations on your publication  Lee--very nice work. i have been following your posts  since moving from Banner Elk back to Greensboro. I now  enjoy the ET & WNC Railroad via your posts and my artist prints.  

Thanks very much, gents!

Though I'm happy with how the layout turned out for what I thought I was capable of, I totally underestimated the reaction I'd get from others. It's been an amazing experience to see people reacting as well as they have, in person, online, and in print. I simply never saw that coming. You all know that you never see your own work the way others see it.

Seriously, my goal is to get an article into OGR as I'm in the forum all the time and although I'm not a subscriber, I buy most of the issues through retail and read them all.

This afternoon I had to drop the wife off to get her hair done so while I am waiting at home I got more ground turf down and glued. I would say the only thing left to do in the yard is add some bushes and rust to the fence in spots and hopefully tomorrow the weather will be decent so I can use the band saw in the garage to cut some wood to make walls to separate the different metals when I get to that. Pics ...........Paul

Looks good Paul. Is your crane motorized to move on the rails?

 Bob, it is motorized to run up and down the track.  That was the only reason I bought it. In fact it is the first accessory I have bought since the fifties.........Paul

Everyone, excellent work! Brian you take some awesome pictures of your equipment !It's like being trackside in real life!!!!

Mike