Weekend Photo Fun 4-22-22-??

Thanks Scott for getting us started!   Here are my photos of the fun kind for this fine weekend!  I hope everyone has a terrific weekend    ( click on photo to enlarge )

Track gang.

Goings on down at the railroad.

The local switch job.

The old home place.

Railroad busy - ness.

Hi everyone.  I have not participated with the Trackers for over two years due to the pandemic and my health issues, but if things get better I plan to make a show in the fall.  Problem is, I forgot what my modules looked like.  Found some pictures to help me put them together again. The bridge has a lot more scenery on it now.

Installed LED strip lights for a club member's MTH subway set and was surprised when I opened the power car since this was my first experience seeing the insides of a command control powered unit:

Enjoying everyone's great photos each week.

Our railway club is now open to the public on weekends. I have added a 2nd O scale loop to the O gauge section of the Garden Railway. Will be spiking in a center rail to the inside O scale loop. We use G scale track on G narrow gauge tie strips.

My CP freight train stretches' the entire length of the island, love running long trains. And first run with our new Santa Fe engine on the mini rail tracks the kids enjoy this.

Pictures from York, Oct 2021.....

Have a great and safe weekend, folks!

Peter

My newest car.

Weaver 40’ Jersey Central box car  Route of the Blue Comet.

Well...This is all that's left of the Black Diamond Railway!

Believe it or not, I was excited to do it.  Approx 15yrs is a long time.  I'm ready to start the new one.

I'll be posting the El sections for sale on the For sale forum today.

A 2021 Christmas Layout memory

Two of my 11 Miller animated signs.  Again, Pittsburgh themed.  That simple looking 2 track thing is my way of leaving an impression of an incline.  I made it once I bought the sign.  Anyone who's ever watched a Pittsburgh sporting event will surely recognize the Miller sign image

- walt

WM Geeps handle a mixed freight around Jasper's Rock

Happy Weekend!

@kj356 posted:

Enjoying everyone's great photos each week.

Our railway club is now open to the public on weekends. I have added a 2nd O scale loop to the O gauge section of the Garden Railway. Will be spiking in a center rail to the inside O scale loop. We use G scale track on G narrow gauge tie strips.

Hi,

Just curious.  Where is your club located?  I love the bridge to nowhere.  Will it eventually go somewhere?

Atlas 3-rail track works well in a garden railroad.  It would be easier to install than spiking the third rail to a different track.  We have been using it on the G&O garden railroad for over 10 years.  Here is a link to the G&O Story:  https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/.../the-gandamp-o-story  

NH Joe

Here's a scenic shot from the layout.

Dave

This is my little O Gauge layout. 48x68.   I run my train almost every day and have a lot of fun with it.

Happy Weekend.

@Rich Battista posted:

Well...This is all that's left of the Black Diamond Railway!

Believe it or not, I was excited to do it.  Approx 15yrs is a long time.  I'm ready to start the new one.

I'll be posting the El sections for sale on the For sale forum today.

Rich,

I am sorry to see the Black Diamond go.  I bought all of your DVDs.  They are some of the most inspiring and informative model railroading videos ever made.  I followed your video instructions to convert diesels from 3 to 2 rail.  

Are you still planning to rebuild in 2-rail O scale?  If so, I am looking forward to seeing your progress.  

NH Joe

NH Joe re: garden railway. (I do like what you have done with your club garden railway) RE your ?'s. Fine details here in this post on the bridge and set up location etc. all details; can scroll down for the links and more details further down the thread; https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...vated-garden-railway

I have set up 5 O scale/gauge tracks now on the O gauge island. Tracks 1 & 2 outer loops are rails slid into the O scale (G narrow gauge) tie strips and good quality clamps to hold them together. The rails are long 6 feet I stager the joints as much as possible 2-3 feet so it allows a good even curve. This way I can get a good wide radius curve without kinks. This allows the biggest O scale 2 rail engines to go around the broad curves. Tracks 3 and 5 are Atlas 3 rail track. Here is the link to the G track used; https://www.sunsetvalleyrailro...om/track---rail.html We already had this track available at the garden railway club so did not cost us to buy more. The Atlas track I have used for a few years just pull it up in the fall for use with the Christmas train set ups / displays.

The advantage of using the Sunset Valley G narrow gauge track is that the ties are wider more stable in the gravel. With the longer rails and tight rail clamps the power supply all around this huge loop only uses one power feed location and through winter snow and freezing or summer heat wave and all day sun - the track floats on the gravel expanding and contracting and never looses electrical continuity over the years. The center rail is not that difficult to install use screws. I can form the track to fit the available space by bending the rails in a rail bender easily to fit the curves I need.

Where as the Atlas track tends to need a couple of power connection points and occasionally needs to have the track connectors replaced after long severe weather hot or cold. With track ties closer; gravel and tree debris sits on top of the ties and needs more cleaning then the G track. Also needs more work to keep it level in the gravel. The Atlas track has a lot of joints as the track sections are much shorter. The slip on rail connectors do not hold tight enough for good electrical connection from year to year.

As for the G scale bridge yes work continues on extending the G scale railway over the bridge. We just installed the bridge and widened the O gauge Island over the winter and moved the mini rail tracks to give us more room.

The CANADIAN NATIONAL high-cube 4-door 86' boxcar from LIONEL.

Canadian Freight Railcar Gallery - CNA 795121 (railfan.ca)

Andrew

@New Haven Joe posted:

Rich,

I am sorry to see the Black Diamond go.  I bought all of your DVDs.  They are some of the most inspiring and informative model railroading videos ever made.  I followed your video instructions to convert diesels from 3 to 2 rail.  

Are you still planning to rebuild in 2-rail O scale?  If so, I am looking forward to seeing your progress.  

NH Joe

Joe, thanks, I appreciate the comment.  If I ever miss my layout I can just watch the videos!

To answer your question, the main middle level and the bottom will be 2-rail, and the top single track loop will be 3-rail to run the 3rail engines like the lionel big boy I can't part with.  However,  I'm making it from Atlas 2-rail track and will use an HO rail as the center power rail  so I can convert it to 2 rail in the future if I want.   I plan on posting the layout on the layout form before before I get started.

@th55 posted:

This is my little O Gauge layout. 48x68.   I run my train almost every day and have a lot of fun with it.

What size curves are you using that can handle a Veranda Turbine in such a small space?

                                                    Whirlpool & Libby's

Had a fun day Friday. Had to change out a gear case seal. At least it was on a GE they are a little bit easier.

Could you explain what the gear grease seal is and does and where it fits and how you do it?  thanks

Nate, looks like you are pretty good at keeping those engines running    The gear shown; is that the one that is replaced with a different sized gear to change the gear ratio?  Like if I want more torque and less speed.  Or is that gear change more internal to the motor?

@wb47 there are 4 pieces for the main axel seal that get put on after I clean it all up. Then there is another seal for the pinion gear. Then I will clean the matting areas of the top and bottom gear case. Use some type of sealant not to sure what yet. I will try to take some photos next week when we put it all back together.

@CAPPilot not really lol I’m the low guy on the totem pole. So I get all the fun jobs. Was hired on as a Carmen but with most short lines you do a mix of everything. Plus with being a smaller shop we all help out. For changing the gear ratio I think you would change out the smaller pinion gear. We had one lock up and I had to cut it out in the field. That was a fun day. We didn’t have the means of changing that out so we sent it to the P&W for that.

Welcome York Meet week!

See you all on Friday.

Some snapshots from the club yesterday morning:

.

The locomotives shown are Chief Drew's who just returned  from his annual leave visiting family in Wisconsin where he scored a beautifully custom painted Rail King switcher and caboose in Wisconsin Central livery--at fantastic prices--photos of those next week, promise.  He stopped in Ohio to visit the Corner Field Museum which others have written of here on OGR.  I was duly impressed with his over-the-top personal experience, so it's on my model train bucket list.

My dad and I went to that train show at the Monaghan Banquet Center (through Knights of Columbus) in Livonia, Michigan earlier today, and... with all the small space it had there, it wasn't that great; just the usual displays from every train show that I've been to in the metro Detroit area; same play table, same Thomas dealer, same (or different) model railroad scale dealers, but the usual (different) host. At least, I got some nice goodies, such as the 1945 (or 1941, according to the female dealer) Lionel 1666 train set (plus operating track section, automatic crossing gate) and a few others for example.

@Trainwreck nate posted:

Had a fun day Friday. Had to change out a gear case seal. At least it was on a GE they are a little bit easier.

The level of detail on your layout is amazing! Museum quality and then some! 😜  In all seriousness, it’s very cool to see how it all looks and works in 1:1. We are lucky to get your posts. Thanks!

@Trainwreck nate posted:

Had a fun day Friday. Had to change out a gear case seal. At least it was on a GE they are a little bit easier.

Nate:  You're lucky, you've got a pit...  Based on personal experience, I don't recommend doing the job without one.  That gear grease never comes out of your clothing.