What did you do on your layout today?

Couple o fat boys playin trains

Can I come over after i get back from chicago?

Door is always open dude, you tell me when. I seem to remember you cancelling last Tuesday. The last Tortoises are on the workbench, but I don't think we're quite ready for them yet.

Yeah, sorry bout that. I walked into my parents house to drop the dog off and within 5 minutes she had paint on her feet and it was all over the brand new floor. I cant leave her at my house cuz she barks at things and I have neighbors that complain so I had to take her home

Urban renewal.  Downtown just wasn't working.  Lots of cutting and refitting Ameritown and IHC buildings.  Painful at first but the results are pleasing.  Two more nights to go.

Got a late start today but I got in a couple of more sections of track getting me closer to the yard area. Once I got the track in place I added some plaster between tracks. Now I am waiting for it to dry so I can color it. Then ballast along side the tracks, add some grass foam and glue it all down...................Paul

I'm so slow I have to post on a weekly slot.

Here is the latest things accomplished on Larry's fantasy railroad. As we say work in progress. I only been playing in a small city area. About 6'X7' and only 3 or so feet wide. Unreal how much time you can spend on such a small area.

Added the Lionel street lights, some store props, guard rails in parking area, mail boxes. parking meters, fire hydrants, and of course more bushes and landscaping flowers and tree beds.

Don't worry about the kinda sorta dead people you might see, I'm working on several hundred people. No idea where their going yet.

Still having fun and goofing off.

Larry

Larry,

your street scenes are looking very good

I am finishing up my lift bridge. I still have some work to do but over all it is mostly done. 

David

After much delay I have finally been able to invest some quality time in my new layout.  Next, I will be painting the base green, the cork road bed gray and laying and wiring the track and switches.  That way I can run trains while I do scenery, buildings, etc.  I will require 11 bridges over the river all of which I am scratch building.  In my part of NH, we have had 40" of snow in the past 7 days and much more predicted this coming weekend, so inside projects are great.

The entire layout is constructed of stand alone modules, bolted together so when I go to that great train yard in the sky,  it will be easier for the kids to move.

Jim

Jim: Your track plan looks great! With 3 reverse loops and your sidings and run-arounds, the operation possibilities will be many. Post more photos as you progress.

Randy, thanks for the compliments.  Will surely post more pixs as I go.

Jim

Glued my traction tire onto my MTH Erie Triplex.  Checked smoke unit. All AOK.

Starting on the road where it will continue down onto the liftout mountain section and down on to civilization.

I got my yard lead track to the beginning of the yard. Now I have to lay out how I want the 4 way switch and the other switches to go. It already looks like I  will have to rip up some of the old cork and glue down new cork because I won't have the same footprint from the old yard. Coffee break then continue working............Paul

Jim,

I'm glad you are getting time to get things to a point where you can run trains.  It is looking great.  We experienced 40 inches of snow about 20 years ago when we lived in West Virginia.

I put up shelving to hold my collection, and then spent the afternoon cleaning up the three rooms that will become my carpet central. (or as my friends are calling it the laminate wood central).

ran the trains for a while. rotated the train under the tree from my 671 to my 2046, and spent a while digging icicles from the wheels.

laminate wood central:  I love it!!

i won a couple marx canadian pacific engines this week.  I put them on the track tonight.  1 took right off, and the other needed a little oil and a lot of coaxing.  both are running great now.

Dismantled my 5 x 7 layout to make room for my much bigger O-gauge layout.

KRK

Went with a friend to an indoor flea market kind of place, mostly junk, but did buy a K-Line Cross Country Express set at a decent price. Was hardly ever run. Funny, the shell of the diesel is the same  as the Marx I have bit it has 2 motors and tires. There are two cars I like-a nice Pennsy coal hopper and a three dome tank car. Not sure what I will do with it, maybe try o trade it off. It runs and pulls good. I also got a 1964 book titled "The Complete Book of Model Railroading" by Dave Sutton. Mostly HO but a lot of good info and lots on interesting photos.

Ran trains with my son this morning after I got home from work.   Had the Polar Express on the middle track and my Illinois Central GP7 on the outer track pulling freight.  Unfortunately right after I snapped this pic the GP took a tumble off the track to the ground.  Broke the steps off the front truck.  My son learned a good lesson on speed.  I will be looking for replacement parts soon and he can help me fix it.  Great father and son time together!

GREAT PICTURE.  THAT SMILE TELLS ME YOU ARE RAISING A LIFE LONG TOY TRAIN FAN!!!

PS  HE MUST GET HS GOOD LOOKS FROM HIS MOM!!!!

JIM

A headlamp went out, and I took apart my first "modern" Lionel steamer (old Berk jr)

Ha! Sooo easy. 3 screws then lift! Not one valve gear, or rod bolt to take off.

And the bulb was still good! just unscrewed, loose.

I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel on my dirt road project.  The upper part is in its final plaster coat, and then done.

Today I got cork down and painted for switches I am adding to the yard. I'm waiting for the paint to dry on the cork so I can lay down the track and switches. Later I will lay in the four way switch so I can see where I will place it.......................Paul

The dirt road connector is done, except that I may add guardrails later.  Although this is no improvement to the layout aesthetically, it is logically, as now my 1/48 mountain folk have a way down to the flatlands.

Before and after are shown.

TrainsRMe,

excellent improvement!  Now we cen go down to see 'dem flatland furiners!!

With all the talk about vehicles I dug out my 2 boxes(small) of vehicles to go through them and start putting some on the layout. Especially the old jeeps.

I've been conducting experiments on the Gi-raffe Event Horizon: 

As you can see, it IS possible to run 14 giraffe cars and a GG-1 around an O-27 loop if done carefully. 

In addition, I took delivery of my brand spanking new RMT PRR Tuscan GG-1 today, which is trundling around the layout with the Broadway Limited quite cheerfully!

Mitch

Got the Ironville level all stripped of buildings in preparation of cutting the access hatch. Laid out the particulars of where its going to happen. Reinforced the framing where I have to cut some joists. (LGirder construction) Now need a day to make it happen, and begin putting everything back in permanently. The hatch will allow installation of back edge scenery, and the cityscape proper. Yay! Pics to follow when I get the cutting done. 

I've had a hard time posting to this thread because in reality I have done very little for my layout in quite some time.  For me the more pertinent question is, "what did I do for your layout today?"  I know that sounds pretty bold, however I've been spending all my weekends and evenings on perfecting 3rd Rail F7s at this point.  Before that was the El Capitan, the finish sets for PS cars, the FT, and numerous other projects prior to that.  As a result my layout sees little if any activity, but it brings me great satisfaction to be able to apply my skills in helping make this hobby just that little bit more enjoyable.  It is at least for me.

     I received the rivet press, advancing table and the chopper lll from NWSL the other day but they did not send me the dies that I ordered. I gave them A call and everything was taken care of. Choo Choo Kenny

That's more giraffes than they have at the zoo!!  Looks great, Mitch!!

Thank you Chris!!  It comes completely built up.  Once upon a time, I would have not been interested in complete built up buildings, but these days, I am impressed.  It comes with lights and wiring.  My friend Patrick had it lit on his layout.  I have not wired my few lit buildings yet.  I am thinking of buying the Woodland Scenics J. Frank's IGA store too.  It will hit the train budget hard, but it reminds me so of Mr. Perry's Golden Dawn market in Mars, Pennsylvania when I was growing up in the '60s.