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I'd like to present to Y'all the first runs on my newly upgraded Postwar Layout. It's called Flint Rock Valley Lines.

I just finished upgrading my 8'x8' layout. For the first time ever I'm able to run two trains simultaneously. Still need to wire everything, but it's coming along nicely.

(Is 12 turnouts too many? lol)

Hope Y'all enjoy the view.



Cheers from Texas,

~Eli

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Videos (3)
Rio Grande
224 AB
Inner & Outer Loops
Last edited by Flint Rock Valley
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NJCJOE posted:

That's a fun layout. Well done.

You may want to post those videos in the thread below and give some members a heart attack on how close your tracks are to the edge of the table.

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/t...79#70833919169083679

Thank you Sir! 

What's wrong? I don't see a problem (might be hanging a off a wee bit, ehh)... Lololol

I still need to fur out the ends. When done it should have a plexiglas outer guard. 

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Images (1)
  • Hanging Track

I had a reply from bigdodgetrain saying I need to change my avatar before it gets removed. I don't see it, or my avatar. The one that was removed was of a lionel train. I'm very new to posting here, can someone please explain what an appropriate avatar would be? 

 

Sorry about my lack of knowledge above^^... but Thank You Guys for your comments on my layout, they're much appreciated!! 

First time to ever service an engine. Have only put several on the rails, the rest are waiting till I go through them first.
This is this engines first run. I love how quiet & fast it is. It just screams around the track! 

I picked this up in a large set I purchased years ago. It's the 1569 box set, along w/ the boxes entire contents, all in nice condition. Looks great finally making its rounds on the track. 

Hope Y'all are having a Great Day, 

~Eli

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Videos (1)
202 UP Alco Diesel
Flint Rock Valley posted:

Thanks so much for all the comments & + feedback!     

While I am still very new to posting on this forum, when I have new things (pics & vids) to share- Do I just keep adding them here, or do I create a new topic? I do not know... Tia for any input on this.

You could do it either way, Eli, post here or start a new thread. If you post here it's good to edit the title of the thread so everyone can see it's updated, something like "My Postwar Layout-Updated May 2017". It's not so important right now but if you don't post anything here for a few months folks know it's you posting an update and not that someone just found an old thread and commented.

Other than this here, I've done a few things lately. Like hard wiring a block signal to a turnout, stripped the 397 down for a cleaning & service, & wired my second UCS Controller for below the Coal Ramp/ Loader Station. Next to do is service & wire the ramp & controller. I'll try to share a few clips from the above at some point. 

 

Happy Rails to You... 

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Videos (1)
Postwar Power Pack

(UPDATE: Sorry about that, my videos wouldn't load. I'll make a new one tomorrow.)

 

Howdy Fellow Train Folk! 

It's Eli here, from Flint Rock Valley... I'd like to share a few projects I've completed on my layout. The following is the hard wiring of a Block Signal to a Turnout. The signal is a Marx brand, & has/ had a manual throw on it. I scrapped that & wired it directly to a turnout that goes from my inner to outer loop. Works great, & self activated by the non derailing feature, & or the flick of a switch. I plan on wiring all my X crossings & gates in this manner. 

 

I've got some more little projects to share. I hope Y'all enjoy them! 

(And as always, any comments/ feedback are always appreciated... Thanks for stopping in @ FRV! )

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Images (1)
  • Pigtails: Clutter less on the topside.
Last edited by Flint Rock Valley

Lionel 397 Coal Loader

I got the 397 Coal Loader & the UCS Track below it all working. It's powered by the D dial from an SW 130. After running some coal up the elevator, a piece got lodged inside the belt, hindering its movement. Took it off the layout to remove said piece, & discovered the motor was just dripping in oil. So... I decided to strip it down & thoroughly clean it. The following was my first run, the detailing, & first run after cleaning. 

 

... Does anybody watch these videos, or am I talking to myself? 

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Videos (3)
My very first Coal Dump
All clean
Coal Loader 1
Flint Rock Valley posted:

(UPDATE: Sorry about that, my videos wouldn't load. I'll make a new one tomorrow.)

 

Howdy Fellow Train Folk! 

It's Eli here, from Flint Rock Valley... I'd like to share a few projects I've completed on my layout. The following is the hard wiring of a Block Signal to a Turnout. The signal is a Marx brand, & has/ had a manual throw on it. I scrapped that & wired it directly to a turnout that goes from my inner to outer loop. Works great, & self activated by the non derailing feature, & or the flick of a switch. I plan on wiring all my X crossings & gates in this manner. 

 

I've got some more little projects to share. I hope Y'all enjoy them! 

(And as always, any comments/ feedback are always appreciated... Thanks for stopping in @ FRV! )

Eli,

From my personal experience, these sort of splice connectors will cause you issues in the future.  IMHO, they are good for quick and dirty, but for something that you want to last they are not the best choice.  Your mileage may vary of course but what I have found with these is they will isolate over time.  And although it's hard to tell by the photo, they look to be too big for the wire you are using.

Your best bet here is to either cut and splice with the proper size butt connector or solder.

Tony

Lionel 456 Coal Ramp

The first pic I thought y'all would get a laugh out of... Anyone need some replacement cord for their hand rail? I have Plenty! 

finally got around to tend to the coal ramp. Stripped it completely down & gave it a super detailing. Only one hand rail cord came w/ it. So I decided to manufacture my own out of stuff from my shop. Very pleased w/ the outcome. What do Y'all think? 

It all works perfectly! & even better now that I wired up a newer toggle switch to the turnout. It'll have to do till I can get myself a vintage one to change it out for. 

Washed the dust off both my 3456's. The one in the video is my better of the two. They're all clean & waiting for a load. 

 

The Coal Deliveries shall soon be coming down from Flint Rock Mountain. 

 

Thanks for stopping in @ FRV! 

 

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Images (5)
  • Hand Rail Cord
  • Clean Rail & Beam Assembly
  • 456 Coal Ramp Parts
  • Modern Toggle Switch
  • My second 3456 Hopper
Flint Rock Valley posted:

It's a joke Carl... 

But I am doing  a professional job on all my repairs! 

I agree, "it's a joke" to call what you did "professional RESTORATION."  You replaced a cord; your didn't "service" the transformer.

I'll follow along with your videos.  And I've serviced the 397 coal loader replacing the belt; and, I've serviced the 456 coal ramp to operational status with new hand rails and wiring.  Having done those meager tasks, and replaced power cords on a couple of LIONEL transformers, I continue to enjoy the hobby sans videos.

Carl, I am brand new to all of this. I am learning & teaching myself about every aspect of creating & maintaining a postwar layout. No one has helped me, I've built this all by myself. As far as performing "those meager tasks", I am very proud of myself & what I've built/ repaired/ wired thus far. I hope you can share my enjoyment along w/ me, too...

 

 

And Thank You Jim! 

I have been following this thread and watching the videos with interest since I am trying to get similar accessories added in my layout.  I have a request and two questions:

1. Please post a diagram of your layout.  I would like to see how you fit all of those accessories in your layout.

2. I am trying to resurrect a 456 coal ramp.  I have a black 3456 N&W Hopper Car and a maroon Hopper Car that has N&W markings faintly showing but does not have paint.  Neither car will go up the ramp without the plunger hitting the first electromagnet.  Can the plungers on the cars be adjusted up?  OR Does the electromagnet need to be adjusted downward?   Since neither car came with the ramp,  that leads me to believe that the ramp is the problem.   Since both electromagnets operate and the light and coupler work at the top, I haven't taken the ramp apart yet.  Do the electromagnets project above the rails?

Like you, I also need to replace the wire rail.  Thanks for that info.

I look forward to hearing from someone on my problem and look forward to more about your layout.

DS TEXAS, 

Here's my Track Plan as you requested. I currently do not have any accessories listed on there, but you can easily figure it out where they're placed by watching a few videos. 

 

As far as the ramp is concerned, I just checked the clearance from track to magnet. The magnet Does project above the track, by about a 1/16" of an inch. Being that it is screwed to & rests atop the large column, I don't believe it can be adjusted. On that note, I'd disassemble the hopper plunger assembly & make sure everything is clean & free of debris. If that doesn't do the trick, you might try loosening all screws/ bolts to the ramp, then loosen the one screw under the column to the magnet & moving it as far to the back as you can. When tightening the ramp screws/ bolts, start at the top keeping the ramp ends as far from the column as you can. There's not much adjustment to be had, but just maybe it'll be enough for what you need. Hopefully that should get you in working order. Maybe someone w/ more knowledge on this topic will chime in... 

 

Good Luck to you, Sir! Let us know how everything works out for you. 

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Images (1)
  • FRV 8'x8' Track Plan: Red lines denote segmented  Power Blocks.
Last edited by Flint Rock Valley

Lionel 164 Log Loader wired & ready for action.

It will operate much better w/ the proper sized logs... 

Fixed the lights just after this. The way I have it set up, I'm able to turn the lights on & off as I please. When I can acquire a few more turnouts, I'll be able to actually dump logs into the loading bin. 

 

Thanks for watching Everyone!  

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Videos (1)
Lionel 164 Log Loader

For Smokes Sake 
I'm sure this won't be as impressive to some of y'all as it is to me, but this is the first time to ever have smoke coming out of a loco for me. Until I can get some of my postwar steamers serviced & converted to liquid, I just had to have a Smoking Session. So I got out the 8633 to see what it's all about... My Goodness it smells good in here!

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Videos (1)
Smoking Session
Last edited by Flint Rock Valley

Lionel Box Set 1575

 

Here's a little something I put together last night. The box is complete, w/ all its contents. While I have acquired many different collections over the years, this particular one I hold close to my heart. It was a gift from a dear friend of mine. It was her late husbands set as a child.

I've never ran it until last night. When first powered up, it didn't move at all. I hadn't touched a thing, or oiled & lubed anything. I rolled it back & forth a bit by hand, loosening the motor. It was a little sluggish at first, but after a few seconds it took of like a race horse. As you can see in the video, everything is in great shape, & nice & clean. The engine runs like a champ! 

 

Hope ALL of Y'all enjoy another view of Flint Rock Valley Lines! 

Thanks for Watching!! 

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Videos (1)
Lionel Box Set 1575

Just yesterday I finished detailing my Lionel 2056. It's never been this clean since it left the factory 65 years ago. Before complete reassembly, I did some test laps on the track. It was intermittently chattering very badly. I was a little disappointed, & did not know just what was causing this sound. I assumed I did a proper cleaning & put everything back like I found it. Something was not right. Now keep in mind, this is only my second steam locomotive to service. I've done two diesel engines thus far, one FA & one F-3, totaling 4 engines now. For not ever performing such tasks, I think I've been doing a nice job. I was upset that I might have messed something up in my process. Well, that wasn't the case. It was so clean, that after multiple laps on the rails, & adding a bit more oil here & there, the sound subsided completely. It just needed more oil during its break in period. I was so glad that it ran smoothly afterwards! 

This is & has been a learning process for me. I am taking my time w/ each project, from start to finish. It's nice to know I'm doing a good job when the engines run so well after all these years. 

Later last night I finished detailing its tender, the 2046W. I cleaned the carbon dust & grime off the commutator & brushes, knocked some rust off the wheels, & oiled up everything. Without any repairs needed, it ran great & sounds wonderful. Stay tuned for a cleaned up view of the two together, & some nice boxcars I detailed as well. 

 

As always... All comments are welcome, & Thanks for Watching, Y'all!! 

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Videos (2)
Chatter Box
Lionel 2056

Frank, the only black repainted loco I've seen is a prewar 561 in my collection, just the shell though. I didn't know, until someone pointed it out. You can see that engine & set here:

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/t...rewar-american-flyer 

 

As far as repairing any body parts, I've yet to do such a thing. However, when the time arises for me to do so, I'm a Craftsman by trade, & feel confident I could undertake any task there of. 

 

Appreciate all of your positive feedback Frank... Thank You Sir! 

#ELI   ---    2245   TEXASSPECIAL.... I gotta have one!.. and a Texas A & M Aggies Sign!!! oh, and a SONIC drive in...... oh, how about What-a-burger!... oh, and RoDEO, Bareback BULLs, and "....Deep in the South of TEXAS...."   Yes, yes, and LoneStar Long necks.......  and texas gals...... nuff said.

Howdy Folks!

On Saturday I went to one of our annual Train Shows here in Central Texas in New Braunfels. Was able to make a very good purchase. Picked up two complete O22 box sets, 2 lefts, & 1 right... All for a mere price of $30.00. 

I also picked up these four 6462 NYC Gondolas. Two were $10 each, & two were $5 each. This was a good buy as well. 

With the purchase of these new to me switches, I'm able to finish up my last configuration on the lower level, creating 3 different sidings, on my already packed layout. Here's how it came out. Now to get them wired & to run separate track power. 

Y'all stay tuned for my up & coming design to finish out my elevated section. When this is done, I'll be able to run 3 - 5 trains at any given time. 

 

Till then...

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Images (2)
  • 7 O22's for $30.00: What a Bargain!!
  • 6462 NYC Gondolas: All four for only $30.00!
Videos (1)
My new sidings

IMG_4049IMG_4048IMG_4039

 

An Old Timey View in black & white of my ALL Postwar Lionel Layout. 

Current progress has remained at a standstill from late February/ early March, due to my bad back. It's been miserable these long months, not being able to work for a living, or work on or enjoy my hobby. Not sure how long this will have ahold of me, but I'm missing my so called normal life & daily routine. Till then, watching my old videos & perusing old pictures will have to suffice. 

I'd love to see any of Y'all's Postwar Pics & Vids, if you cared to share. Thanks!

Maybe my next report I'll have some better news...

 

Hope Y'all are having a Great Summer, 

 

~Eli

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Images (3)
  • B&W 1: Farm House & Barn w/ a small Pond, a Water Tower, front edge of the Coal Ramp, 2 Bascule Bridges, & Trains.
  • B&W 2: Milk Platform & Milk Cars, a Railroad Passenger Station, & an Engineer Switch House.
  • B&W 3: An overview of the left majority of Flint Rock Valley.

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800-980-OGRR (6477)
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