What do you do when you wait two weeks for some lights from China, you finally get them, you spend three hours installing them, you take the pics, you are tickled to death with the results, and then a pair of metal tweezers accidentally makes contact with the wiring ahead of the current limiting resistor and all the lights go up in a puff of smoke?
You curse a little, and then you order some more lights and start over...
Such fun...😜
@West Side Joe posted:What do you do when you wait two weeks for some lights from China, you finally get them, you spend three hours installing them, you take the pics, you are tickled to death with the results, and then a pair of metal tweezers accidentally makes contact with the wiring ahead of the current limiting resistor and all the lights go up in a puff of smoke?
You curse a little, and then you order some more lights and start over...
Such fun...😜
Just a little??? So sorry for your problem, Joe - I can feel your pain.
Very nice build on the token booth. I remember one like that as a kid at the Kings Highway station on the Brighton Line. I hope you are planning period appropriate turnstiles too!!!
@Apples55 posted:I hope you are planning period appropriate turnstiles too!!!
Yes, indeed. 😁
Can't wait to see those.
Interior views of token booth.
Starting assembly of stairs from platform to street level.
Stairs done, now to add a storage closet enclosed by tiled walls underneath, like in the prototype photo link.
Token booth completed.
Simply OUTSTANDING!!!!
That is a jaw dropping thing of beauty Joe.
John
Trying out stairway install for the first time.
Completed stairway.
Just unbelievable what else can I say.
Turns out these beautiful pristine subway tile walls have a fatal flaw. I glued subway tile paper (from Scenery Sheets) to thin styrene panels with dots of CA gel glue, and went over them with a roller to make sure the glue was spread. But this still left gaps between the dots, and it took a few weeks for the paper to start wrinkling between the dots. I should have used balsa sheets instead of styrene, and a layer of white glue instead of dots of CA gel.
The wrinkles kill the illusion of smooth tile walls. It was either tear everything out and start over, or do something to cover up the wrinkles. So I've placed Puerto Rican classic artworks, as well as Puerto Rican posters and ads from the 60's and 70's, over the worst of the flaws in the wall.
Platform fencing installed. Old fashioned wooden turnstiles next. That's going to be a challenge.
Joe, you really have taken the subway modeling to the highest level.
Making the first sub tunnels over 20 years ago, I basically had nothing to work with. I didn’t strive for accuracy back then, just wanted to have something to run my sets. You have set the bar for others to follow.
I think there was a notch in the oak on the token booth to slide coins under the bars where the money was exchanged? Might want to add that. I’ve seen it on a booth somewhere, maybe it was at St. George, S.I? I believe the T/A booths had that too?
Nice modeling, looking forward to seeing more! 
@SIRT posted:Making the first sub tunnels over 20 years ago, I basically had nothing to work with.
Steve, you're an "old school" modeler, one of those awesome types who can make something out of literally nothing. 20 years ago, I was an "out of the box" modeler, not changing or painting the items I placed on my layouts.
What has raised my level of modeling:
1. The internet. Now I can search the internet for pictures and for items in a way that was simply not possible 20 years ago. Steve, your subway layout was one of the ones I found on the internet that gave me ideas and inspiration for my own project. Without the internet I would have never learned about your work.
2. Super-detailed and delicate laser-cut and 3D printed parts. The platform fences, stairs and railings I installed, for instance, are laser cut and reasonably priced. 20 Years ago, that kind of detail was only available in brass. The subway entrance kiosk I will be installing, and the column footings, are 3D printed. I would not have been able to include these items on my layout otherwise.
3. Inexpensive ink jet printers and computers. My station walls and period advertising were all printed using an ink jet printer, and were sized, edited and arranged on an inexpensive laptop using PowerPoint.
4. LED lighting. So small, low power, inexpensive and low heat.
5. Fast-setting CA glues. So much easier than epoxy.
I still am learning basic things like how to cut balsa sheets, drill tiny holes, paint details, etc. etc., but the advancements I've mentioned have helped me raise my level of modeling so I can enjoy your very kind words. Thank you.
@SIRT posted:I think there was a notch in the oak on the token booth to slide coins under the bars where the money was exchanged?
I recall a bowl-shaped depression under the window where the change and tokens could be scooped up by either the clerk or the customer. I missed the chance to put that in now that the booth is completed. In any case it would be hard to see that detail once the rest of the station is finished.
Cutting and collecting bits and pieces (paper clips, cross-shaped pendants, balsa and laser cut fence for a gate), drawing a template, while following photos of turnstiles...
Time for a visit to Home Depot. 🙂
Using a template to keep the little bits in alignment while I glue them together.
(And thank you, Steve for the great suggestion re: the tile spacers as turnstiles.)
Glad to assists in great modeling and a reply for the tip - follow-up!
@West Side Joe posted:Cutting and collecting bits and pieces (paper clips, cross-shaped pendants, balsa and laser cut fence for a gate), drawing a template, while following photos of turnstiles...
Please don't forget to include a 1:48 figure just in front of the turnstiles. He'll need to be a) male, b) bent over at the waist, and c) painted with a sort of sickly light green in the face because he's d) mashed his family jewels on one of those ****ed prehistoric turnstiles while rushing to make a subway just pulling into the station.
Reality counts. 
Spoken from personal experience, I gather. I had forgotten about that unique feeling when the turnstile didn't release in time. 😝
Love what you've done Joe! I've been quietly stalking your thread. Great detail!
@West Side Joe posted:Stairs done, now to add a storage closet enclosed by tiled walls underneath, like in the prototype photo link.
I'll follow a joke post with a serious one.
First, Joe, your work is just tremendous. It's a pleasure to follow along with your progress.
I have a few questions:
Again, this is nice, nice work.
Thanks
Steven J. Serenska
The stairs are from laser-cut kits I found on Ebay. In some cases I had to combine two kits together (like for my Times Square module), or alter them if they were not exactly the size I needed. Being laser cut they were easy to alter with a sharp knife.
The columns are wooden dowels painted green and inserted into holes drilled in the platform. The dowels rest on the plywood "floor" of the module in 3D printed footings done for me by Alan Nelson ("AlanRail" on this forum). The collars at the top and bottom of the columns are styrene tubing of two different external diameters, sliced super thin with a razor saw and slipped over the ends of the dowels.
Thanks for the kind words.
Old fashioned wooden turnstiles completed.
Joe,
Nice! That is really cool.
John
Although all the passengers on MY subway station module are above average and would never think of doing something so gross, the Board of Health said I had to put up this sign. 😁
@West Side Joe posted:Although all the passengers on MY subway station module are above average and would never think of doing something so gross, the Board of Health said I had to put up this sign. 😁
Hello Joe !
With your fantastic museum caliber high quality modeling work and especially on those station scenes on that layout module, WHY must you use that god awful oversize huge tubular rail track ??!!! It serves only to ruin an otherwise first class beautiful and details-realistic NYC subway station scene. At least replace it with Atlas 3 rail or Gargraves 3 rail track which has more prototype looking rail. SCALE RAIL profile track would look so much better -- see this on one of my O Scale EL Stations (below)
Best regards - Joe F
I agree with you that a different type of track would add to the realism. But I'm building these modules for my own personal enjoyment, and I gotta say I like the heavy-duty look of the tubular track. It says NYC and subway and Lionel to me. You and Steve P. are exceptionally talented modelers, unlike myself, and I have often looked to your creations for inspiration.
I've had a lot of fun getting to where I am with these modules. All I can say is, I'm still having fun doing what I'm doing, and isn't that what it's all about? 😄
Heh Heh -- well, Joe, then start HAVING MORE FUN by ripping up that Fred Flintstone prehistoric ancient toy-like tubular track and install some type of good looking 3 rail track using scale looking rails - and pose a train at various places at that station (or coming into it.) Your modeling efforts are works of art and very realistic looking. Like another museum caliber modeler - my friend Steve "SIRT" Phetterplace did - but Steve used much more realistic looking (3 rail) track - see his photos following ! . Maybe this will motivate you !! You can do it Joe !! Regards - (the other Joe) - Joe (F)
Thanks Joe. I just wanted to mask the RR ties since subway tunnels don't have ties so to speak. Covering them with wood strips helps a little. Ties should not be dominant on subway (TUNNEL) operation. Too bad us 3r choo choo toy folks don't have realistic ready made track for all scenes. Cant shake that old stereotype mold.
3r O Tracks -
As of 2023 we still don’t have a reliable and abundant track system to easily complete a semi advanced (scale) layout. We really need all the pieces to the puzzle, not bits and pieces from each company. Trackage to fit all needs of making a layout is just not available, yet they keep wanting to sell us more cars and engines every day. Thin center blade, low profile curves, tracks and switch sizes should be readily available. I often wondered why cobblestone, brick and paved street sections were never made as well. Why can’t a white center rail be offered for snow scenes, and the list goes on. You must wonder why the track rails are so high and the ties so inaccurate when everything else is highly detailed. At least a company could strive to offer more realistic items even though it’s 3 rail. They could even offer 3r to 2r mating tracks too. Sidings don’t need a center rail as I have shown on the new layout. We have very detailed trains, why not complete the look?
We also need proportionate sized vehicles of all years to fit all scenes from 1:48 back to 1:50. Same with buildings.
Subways – no supporting items there either. Lionel and MTH sold subways for years, so why not offer tunnel beam kits, 3rd rails, tiled stations and EL’s? Marketing oversites or laziness, I guess.
My last question is why do we have brass and gold-colored rails on higher end trackage, aren’t they supposed to be silver? Funny, you never hear the 3RS lobster claw complainers ever mention anything about that cosmetic issue.
The other Joe has found new ways to model things in a realistic way making things by scratch like the rest of us had to do over the years. It aint easy as a D.Y.I. and not for some to attempt either. I have to wonder if more realistic off the shelf items were offered, would it lead to more O scale interest. I still see a track shortage today, guess O is in decline?
Great thread! A reminder....be careful posting prototype pictures making sure you follow copyright. Our TOS and the featured topic thread on copyright may need to be reviewed.
Never realized there were that many ties in the tunnels. I mostly focused on the station track areas. Many times there was water in between the rails as well. 
Thanks Joe F. for the additional info.
B.T.W. really nice modeling on the wood turnstiles W.S. Joe!
S.
This City Hall station would be an awesome one to model (photos from a station tour I participated in today with the NYC Transit Museum).
Installed gap filler signal and sign. Red light indicates do not proceed. Red light goes out as gap fillers retract.
https://youtube.com/shorts/asCZZpLgtbw?feature=share
Trying for a suggestion of the single-aspect gap filler signal at the old South Ferry station:
Installed platform benches.
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