Last year the fire marshal made the Roanoke Valley Model Railroad Club take down our O-Gauge layout. It was blocking the exit door on the right side of the picture. They have been redoing the bench work allowing a 36 inch pathway to the door. They are still working on the new track plan.
Our On30 group has been busy redoing areas to improve their scenery.
Let's see your pictures.
Scott Smith
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A 2021 Christmas Layout memory 
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- walt
A few random shots from Altoona:
@scott.smith posted:
Last year the fire marshal made the Roanoke Valley Model Railroad Club take down our O-Gauge layout. It was blocking the exit door on the right side of the picture. They have been redoing the bench work allowing a 36 inch pathway to the door. They are still working on the new track plan.
Our On30 group has been busy redoing areas to improve their scenery.
Let's see your pictures.
Scott Smith
Busy times at the RVMRC!
SIRT, now that's cool railroadiana!
From our Open House last weekend.....
Have a great and safe weekend!
Peter
Rail Bus #1 taking the siding into town.
Just about ready to fill the tender.
A few short videos....
1st, a UP excursion train video.....
Next, a passenger/freight video....
Last, a Conrail military freight....
Peter
Thanks Scott for getting us started!
My photos of the fun kind for this weekend are a look around town. Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend everyone!
The other side of the tracks.
Westend as it was in 2015 before urban renewal. 
On the farm.
MA&PA switch job.
Pennsy MU's and B&O RDCs meet. 
Peter thanks for sharing the open house with us. I know the Conrail engines are yours but are all those military flats yours or did some other members tack some on to yours?
Patrick thanks for taking us "On The Town"
@MichRR714 posted:
These are simply gorgeous. Club cars?
A few new random shots around the layout:
@coach joe posted:These are simply gorgeous. Club cars?
The Stroh's was a special run from Stockyard Express and the Mail Pouch was a special run from Pat's Trains. I agree they came out really nice!
@coach joe posted:Peter thanks for sharing the open house with us. I know the Conrail engines are yours but are all those military flats yours or did some other members tack some on to yours?
Patrick thanks for taking us "On The Town"
Those are mine......those are the ones that “travel”. My newer MTH sets stay in the train room......the newer MTH vehicles have too many breakable parts.....
Peter
Happy Weekend.
Here's another. PA Glass Sand employee parking lot. I changed all of the license plates to Pennsylvania plates. Didn't look very realistic with cars in central PA with plates from California and Utah!
I provided some photos of my layout for a photo backdrop project. I received some test prints yesterday to look over. Each print is about 10’ long.
Hey Norm,
Just curious...is this a personal project or will these be made available to the public?
Dave
Hi Everyone,
Here's my entry. This is a building flat I have been working on. Just a few small details to add and then I can install the roof.
Dave
Hi Norm, Thanks for posting those so quickly! I hope to have gunrunner johns prints in his hands by the second week in June, possibly sooner with a little luck. Memorial Day weekend is affecting my printing schedule!
As Norm mentioned, the pictures he posted are of the first run, test prints. He got the honor of being the first recipient. After all, I needed his collaboration, he supplied the high quality photos. What I really wanted, first of all, was his blessing to attempt this project. He most graciously agreed!
Like many of us, I admired his modeling skill & followed his progression over the years. I always felt his background buildings would make an excellent subject for a full size printed background. This particular master is actually 20’ wide x 4’ high & any section can be printed to fit a particular need. More than 2 feet of the height is actually sky, the buildings reaching about 18” plus high, from rail height. For the test proof & to save on cost, I didn’t print the upper 18” of sky & cut the backdrop in half, with about a 6” overlap in the middle.
As much as we wish, many of us don’t have the time, or even the skill to create buildings of the caliber that Norm has created. The beauty of this subject is that in a couple of hours, you can turn any bland wall into a realistic background, adding dimension & life to your railroad. I consider this project as a tribute to a very skilled & creative modeler, so many have admired.
My original goal was to print this quality subject as an addition to my railroad, as well as for a few friends. When I saw gunrunner Johns completed yard, the seed was planted. I felt Norms industry skyline would fit perfect!
If anyone is interested, I am considering producing these on an as need basis.
Thank you,
Joe
Great idea Joe
👍
Relettered this former NYC USRA 0-8-0 into Rutland #109. I’m not sure if we’ll ever see a Rutland 0-8-0 in O scale so had to take matters into my own hands!
Here is an early proposal for gunrunner Johns yard
Been a good week for me currently on vacation so here is all the stuff I took before I left.
I finished up the 2215 battery box on Monday.
Just about finished up my B&M wreck train. Still need to get a gondola. Might add a flat with a wreck load on it but I don’t know.
Our Golden Doodle enjoying my wife’s latest acquisition.
@Putnam Division, thanks for the videos.
Question: how long does it take you to set-up the military train? I ask because a member in my club has a similar train (i.e., super long with tanks, artillery, etc. loads) and it takes him a Looonnnggg time to set-up and run.
And thanks to Scot for sustaining this thread and to all who post here.
@scott.smith posted:
Outstanding! I’ve watched this four times now and can’t get enough. Amazing multi gauge tinplate action and each time I notice something different. Even noticed the hand knocking down the windmill around the 6:40 minute, LOL! Great stuff Scott!
S@Pingman posted:@Putnam Division, thanks for the videos.
Question: how long does it take you to set-up the military train? I ask because a member in my club has a similar train (i.e., super long with tanks, artillery, etc. loads) and it takes him a Looonnnggg time to set-up and run.
And thanks to Scot for sustaining this thread and to all who post here.
Using a 4 track 20+ foot yard, it still takes 15-20 minutes....
Peter
@Strap Hanger posted:Outstanding! I’ve watched this four times now and can’t get enough. Amazing multi gauge tinplate action and each time I notice something different. Even noticed the hand knocking down the windmill around the 6:40 minute, LOL! Great stuff Scott!
That's not just any hand, that is my hand.
I am happy you enjoyed it. If you get to the Roanoke area let me know and I will be happy to show the layout.
Scott Smith
@Strap Hanger posted:Outstanding! I’ve watched this four times now and can’t get enough. Amazing multi gauge tinplate action and each time I notice something different. Even noticed the hand knocking down the windmill around the 6:40 minute, LOL! Great stuff Scott!
Since you were enjoying the other video I uploaded the Facebook Live video from Tuesday to YouTube. I am running the same trains, but I do start out with a night video. The layout lights up very nicely.
Scott Smith
@Putnam Division posted:Those are mine......those are the ones that “travel”. My newer MTH sets stay in the train room......the newer MTH vehicles have too many breakable parts.....
Peter
Peter where did you get the M3 Grants and the Sherman’s with the D Day Snorkels and I thought I saw some WWII vintage Self Propelled 155’s and several other WWII pieces of equipment. I am working on building a military train but want everything to be WWII Era equipment.
@RJT posted:Peter where did you get the M3 Grants and the Sherman’s with the D Day Snorkels and I thought I saw some WWII vintage Self Propelled 155’s and several other WWII pieces of equipment. I am working on building a military train but want everything to be WWII Era equipment.
I started getting these cars about 20 years ago from Bob Geller at York in the Orange Hall.......about 10 years ago he stopped coming.......but he does have an eBay store.
I found a 2016 OGR Forum link about him.....
https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...-toy-train-site?nc=1
Peter
Beautiful weathering on your rolling stock, and tracks. Excellent pics Steve'.. What, where publication will your article be published? 
Craig: is that a video of YOUR layout and train room? really nice either way
thanks - walt
Here is the final proposed mock-up (of the Norm Charbonneau full scale backdrop) @ 10% actual size, for gunrunner John’s yard area. For final approval, I feel a scale model gives a more accurate representation, rather than a distorted composition created in photoshop, as proposed previously.
Waiting for John’s approval.
On this Memorial Day week-end, some raw video from Saturday's club operations:
A new Thomas LionChief debuts and is available for young and old visitors to the club:
Les' MTH GP-35:
Dave's Pat's Trains Special Legacy B&O in blue:
Raphael's new to him MTH AMTRAK Genesis:
Chief Drew's LIONEL GP-35s and Wisconsin Central (?)
My apologies for shaky camera work, poor composition, etc. Hoping to improve.
@walt rapp posted:Craig: is that a video of YOUR layout and train room? really nice either way
thanks - walt
Walt,
Yes, that's my layout in my basement train room.
@PRRMiddleDivision posted:A few random shots from Altoona:
Some great figures Neal. What ones are they or a mix of different types?
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:@SIRT, what is that in the gondola? Is that gravel? Did you make it? I know the answer is probably, "Yes of course".
That would be an MTH HOPPER. Glued gravel over the coal and spray painted the gravel primer grey. Also cut the plastic tabs and lowered the excessively high MTH load.
Backdrop approved! Next stop Gunrunner John’s layout! I can’t wait to see it installed.
@SIRT posted:That would be an MTH HOPPER. Glued gravel over the coal and spray painted the gravel primer grey. Also cut the plastic tabs and lowered the excessively high MTH load.
Dang phone tricked me, looked like a gondola, lol.
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:Some great figures Neal. What ones are they or a mix of different types?
Dave,
The ones that you see in the closeup photos are from Artistta.
Well, I've been somewhat out of circulation for the past year since retiring an moving to Arizona. Last weekend, I finally pulled a train out and visited the Paradise and Pacific O Gauge club and ran for a while on their layout. Ironically, the locomotives were the last ones I ran at AGHR before I moved.
@AGHRMatt posted:Well, I've been somewhat out of circulation for the past year since retiring an moving to Arizona. Last weekend, I finally pulled a train out and visited the Paradise and Pacific O Gauge club and ran for a while on their layout. Ironically, the locomotives were the last ones I ran at AGHR before I moved.
Congrats on the retirement! I was just at that club during spring break and it is a very impressive facility. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your equipment running the rails there!!
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