@FECRailroaddog posted:I decided to make stalls for my engine storage, this area of my layout is inside a storage closet..
That looks great. Nice switch ladder entry you really used the space nicely.
@FECRailroaddog posted:I decided to make stalls for my engine storage, this area of my layout is inside a storage closet..
This is clever.
Dave
@FECRailroaddog posted:I decided to make stalls for my engine storage, this area of my layout is inside a storage closet..
Nice take on an engine facility. 
I hope those guys don't hit the throttle to hard coming out of the engine bays. Looks like it a long way to the floor. 
@Dave Ripp. posted:
You are moving right along Dave. How's the back holding up?
Bob
@FECRailroaddog posted:I decided to make stalls for my engine storage, this area of my layout is inside a storage closet..
Most interesting and looks great FECRailroaddog
Are the walls printed paper? What is on the other side of those walls?
I also made good use of closet space - check it out here:
@RSJB18 posted:Nice take on an engine facility.
I hope those guys don't hit the throttle to hard coming out of the engine bays. Looks like it a long way to the floor.
You are moving right along Dave. How's the back holding up?
Bob, I'm still weak but no pain. I'm good for a few hours then I start feeling it. 16 More PT visets and back to work at the end of November.
FECRailroaddog, What a wonderful idea and really great looking! Must be one huge closet! LOL
Dave, I think Bob was asking about your body back! Just a thought! LOL
I hope everyone has a great weekend, I will be doing some more ballasting and working on my wood trim for the lower loop bridge.
@mike g. posted:FECRailroaddog, What a wonderful idea and really great looking! Must be one huge closet! LOL
Dave, I think Bob was asking about your body back! Just a thought! LOL
I hope everyone has a great weekend, I will be doing some more ballasting and working on my wood trim for the lower loop bridge.
Thanks Mike, I corrected my reply.
I picked up 2 more row houses and sidewalks to replace the big house at the end of my house-trailer area. I also added another access drive and a little more grass. I also added a guard rail and repainted the parking area down by the church.
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Dave - it looks great ! Now comes the fun part to add and personalize each property like a BBQ, a garden, Pop and son playing catch, a dog house w/muffy, that's just a start of all you can do. Have fun and don't forget to post updates !!!!!! JP
@Dave Ripp. posted:I picked up 2 more row houses and sidewalks to replace the big house at the end of my house-trailer area. I also added another access drive and a little more grass. I also added a guard rail and repainted the parking area down by the church.
You are moving along really well Dave.👍
( I thought this was supposed to be a winter project....................don't you have grass to cut or a car to wash 😂😄😆 😉).
@Dallas Joseph posted:You are moving along really well Dave.👍
( I thought this was supposed to be a winter project....................don't you have grass to cut or a car to wash 😂😄😆 😉).
I washed both cars this morning LOL. Of course it's rainning now.
@Dave Ripp. posted:I washed both cars this morning LOL. Of course it's rainning now.
Where are you at Dave 🤔
I have a large area of new grass........and trying to get it to grow ................only had 2 days of decent rain in September 
BOTH CARS..........you are an animal 😂😅🙄
@Bill Sherry posted:Dave - it looks great ! Now comes the fun part to add and personalize each property like a BBQ, a garden, Pop and son playing catch, a dog house w/muffy, that's just a start of all you can do. Have fun and don't forget to post updates !!!!!! JP
I wish, I'm a ways off from figures and dedicated scenes. still working on the basics. I have about 12 square feet of town and industry to figure out.I've got to get some fenceing up to. Hopefully I can get some at the DuPage train show. I plan as I go. I try to do something everyday so I can update.
@Dave Ripp. posted:I washed both cars this morning LOL. Of course it's rainning now.
Dave, great scene above! I have a couple of the WS trailers like your's...great additions to the layout. I swear, if you want it to rain, just wash the cars...it happens to me all the time
It's certainly works better than doing a "rain dance!"
@Dave Ripp. Yes, I was asking about your recovery from surgery. Glad to hear you are on the mend.
Nothing much for me today. Had to take care of a small project for my In-laws. I did manage to get a coat of matte on the track cleaning car. I had a small heart attack as I was bringing it back into the garage....I almost dropped the car 🤯🤯🤯
Fortunately it rolled toward my body and i was able to catch it. No harm no foul. The car is drying on my bench.
An open question on weathering the wheels. I dont want to clear coat them since the spray will foul the wheels. What is one to do? The weathering powder wipes off if I handle it.
Bob
Hey guys thanks for the feedback, yes the walls are printed paper from clevermodels, I print them on vinyl paper I get from Hobby Lobby and stick them on to either cardboard or foamboard.
Yep it is a long way down to the floor, I always stand in front of the engine when I pull them out. I also always put them in short end in, just in case if they do take off they will hit a bumper inside the bays.
Thanks again!
PS Lionelski, I will check your site out!!
@RSJB18 posted:I weathered my track cleaning car.
Think it's ready for clearcoat but I will wait for the jury report.
Bob
Amazing job you did on this!! wow
@Dave Ripp. posted:I picked up 2 more row houses and sidewalks to replace the big house at the end of my house-trailer area. I also added another access drive and a little more grass. I also added a guard rail and repainted the parking area down by the church.
This is so cool..I love it!!
PS..the owners of the houses have got to be ****ed at the City Manager for allowing them put a trailer park across the street, property value just plummeted..LOL..
@FECRailroaddog posted:This is so cool..I love it!!
PS..the owners of the houses have got to be ****ed at the City Manager for allowing them put a trailer park across the street, property value just plummeted..LOL..
Thank you, I wanted the trailers on the otherside of the tracks but they didn't fit. I actually had no plans to put the there till I was seeing what fit.
Dave, sure looks great! You sure have been busy. Like JP said, don't forget they guy working on his car and the wife hanging laundry on the cloths line in the back yard!
Bob, I am glad you were able to save the track cleaning car! That would have really sucked to have to start over!
FECRailroaddog, Your sounding like one of the rich folks in town! Who knows maybe the trailers were there way before the houses were built and now they don't like the look across the street! LOL
Well guys I was able to get some work done in the train room. I got the side rails made for my lower loop bridge, but still have to print up some side rails.
Then as you can see in this photo right next to the clamp I was able to get one of the most important item installed, well as far as the wife and grandkids think! LOL
I would have got more done, but the wife came out and told me we had company coming over and wanted me to make sure the trains were running well. So I spent a good amount of time running the my mow crew train with the track cleaning car. Then I ran trains on the lower and upper loop for a good hour just to make sure everything was working correctly!
It was a good day cause after dinner I was able to show my train room off and run trains for another half hour!
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Not much, this morning I put in 5 feet of grass between the tracks and the edge of the table.
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I know it's not too exciting to look at, but I just busted a hole in 10 inches of concrete to allow passage from my layout to my future yard.
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@shorling posted:I know it's not too exciting to look at, but I just busted a hole in 10 inches of concrete to allow passage from my layout to my future yard.
That's dedication. I've bored concrete and I know that took some effort.
@shorling posted:I know it's not too exciting to look at, but I just busted a hole in 10 inches of concrete to allow passage from my layout to my future yard.
Thank you very much for posting this , Steve.
Maybe when I show it to Mrs. 'Ski she will get over me gutting a closet and cutting two tunnels into the back wall of what I now call "The Alcove", tearing down a basement bedroom wall to expand what was becoming Warrenville out of it into what was the basement Rec room and removing 3 quarters of a another large storage closet to make room for the "Warrenville Docks" expansion
@shorling posted:I know it's not too exciting to look at, but I just busted a hole in 10 inches of concrete to allow passage from my layout to my future yard.
I don't want to be a party pooper here but that is a big hole. What is that wall holding up? Structurally- a void that big in concrete can be an issue. Was there any rebar in the wall?
I admire the dedication tho.
@RSJB18 posted:I don't want to be a party pooper here but that is a big hole. What is that wall holding up? Structurally- a void that big in concrete can be an issue. Was there any rebar in the wall?
I admire the dedication tho.
Not to worry. The hole is only 9 x 12 inches. We could worry about cracks emanating from stress concentrations at the corners.
Steve - you did use scale dynamite - yes? You could make a nice little scene right there adjacent to the tracks. A few workers coring some more holes with dynamite sticking out a little - a line over to the ignitor box etc, I think Artista makes a box with a plunger for people who want to blow things up. Can you tell I'm on the destructive side ? Lol JP
@Bill Sherry posted:Steve - you did use scale dynamite - yes? You could make a nice little scene right there adjacent to the tracks. A few workers coring some more holes with dynamite sticking out a little - a line over to the ignitor box etc, I think Artista makes a box with a plunger for people who want to blow things up. Can you tell I'm on the destructive side ? Lol JP
Sorry, no dynamite here. Drilled lots of holes, chipping and plug/feathers. Took about 10 hours. Among the more useless tools were cement rated reciprocating saw blades, and our antique 1950's electric jack hammer. I'm going to be boxing it in. The bridge between the layout and hole (18 inches) is located below Menard's York Towne Hotel.
@shorling posted:I know it's not too exciting to look at, but I just busted a hole in 10 inches of concrete to allow passage from my layout to my future yard.
Nice job, but you might need a timber liner 
PD
@mike g. posted:Dave, sure looks great! You sure have been busy. Like JP said, don't forget they guy working on his car and the wife hanging laundry on the cloths line in the back yard!
Bob, I am glad you were able to save the track cleaning car! That would have really sucked to have to start over!
FECRailroaddog, Your sounding like one of the rich folks in town! Who knows maybe the trailers were there way before the houses were built and now they don't like the look across the street! LOL
Well guys I was able to get some work done in the train room. I got the side rails made for my lower loop bridge, but still have to print up some side rails.
Then as you can see in this photo right next to the clamp I was able to get one of the most important item installed, well as far as the wife and grandkids think! LOL
I would have got more done, but the wife came out and told me we had company coming over and wanted me to make sure the trains were running well. So I spent a good amount of time running the my mow crew train with the track cleaning car. Then I ran trains on the lower and upper loop for a good hour just to make sure everything was working correctly!
It was a good day cause after dinner I was able to show my train room off and run trains for another half hour!
Mike - lookin' good, but that single 2X4 supporting the bridge looks like it might be a little shaky.
Hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like there might be some bracing/gusseting underneath ?
Do you plan on adding additional supports ?
Is the track base plywood ? What did you use for the sides ?
Thanks
I bought this MTH two-car addon set in New York Central about a year ago intending to convert them to Penn Central. My PC passenger consists reflects the drop off in rail passenger travel so two coaches plus a lot of baggage and freight is just about right. Well I finally "got around to it". One of the choices I made was to use the red & white "mating worms" logo. It's not prototypical, I just like the way they look against a silver background.
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I did the grass between the grass and the tracks in sections so it didn't match. I started by blending in a new top coat so all 13 feet are more uniform. Then I lighgtened up the church parking lot to make it look more like white limestone gravel insted of dirt. I added guard rails on the church lot and reflocked the trees outside the cemetary and but matching fallen leaves ground cover under them.
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@Ralph M posted:I bought this MTH two-car addon set in New York Central about a year ago intending to convert them to Penn Central. My PC passenger consists reflects the drop off in rail passenger travel so two coaches plus a lot of baggage and freight is just about right. Well I finally "got around to it".
Those look great, I love the PC it fit's into my 1971 era.
Dave R - I love those Mopars at the church. Before the energy crisis for sure!
I inserted a 3A Eaton circuit breaker on the track circuits. Hopefully this will avoid frying the electronic reverse boards and the one sound board I have. Most of the stuff is post-war but I have a few K-Line locos and a couple more modern Lionel and others that have a modest put pricey electronic componets.
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@Ralph M posted:I bought this MTH two-car addon set in New York Central about a year ago intending to convert them to Penn Central. My PC passenger consists reflects the drop off in rail passenger travel so two coaches plus a lot of baggage and freight is just about right. Well I finally "got around to it".
Ralph , they look good with the backround . 👍
I'm not a prototypical guy either when I like how things look to me . Your layout looks pretty sharp .
@Richie C. posted:Mike - lookin' good, but that single 2X4 supporting the bridge looks like it might be a little shaky.
Hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like there might be some bracing/gusseting underneath ?
Do you plan on adding additional supports ?
Is the track base plywood ? What did you use for the sides ?
Thanks
Hi Richie, Thanks for liking how things are going. As for the 2x4 its a old rough cut true 2x4. It is probably older then I am. Under the plywood road bed is another 2x4 and they are screwed together with 4" screws. I don't think its going anywhere, but your probably right that a couple gussets wouldn't hurt.
As for the side, I ripped down some 1/8th inch paneling that we took out of our house when we did our remodel. I spray it with water to help it bend and then attach with liquid nail and some small nails.
Ralph, Nice work on the switch over to Penn Central! I am with Dallas, great looking background but I bet the rest of your layout looks just as nice!
Dave, Your landscaping is just Outstanding! You did a wonderful job on the church parking lot. I like how you blended the grass and brought it all the way to the edge of the track!
Victor, its better to be safe to be sorry!
As for me I spent my day yesterday moving things so I could continue ballasting! I also got a little ballast down. Last but not least I spent some time packing up things I put n here for sale to ship them out as I am trying to get enough money to get me a Polar Express type steam engine! LOL
I hope you all have a great day and find some time to have fun with your layouts and trains!
@mike g. posted:Hi Richie, Thanks for liking how things are going. As for the 2x4 its a old rough cut true 2x4. It is probably older then I am. Under the plywood road bed is another 2x4 and they are screwed together with 4" screws. I don't think its going anywhere, but your probably right that a couple gussets wouldn't hurt.
As for the side, I ripped down some 1/8th inch paneling that we took out of our house when we did our remodel. I spray it with water to help it bend and then attach with liquid nail and some small nails.
Hi Mike - I'm sure the vertical support and strength are there. I was concerned about lateral movement as it looks like the track is balanced on the 2X4 and could sway a little bit side-to-side if someone accidentally bumped into it, but I'm sure you have it figured out.
My winter project is to expand my layout a little by adding a long straightaway to convert a reversing curve into a simple curve with two separate in-and-out tracks and at the other end I'll have to build something very similar to what you have - basically, a free-standing bridge across to the main layout. Mine will be a little trickier because I have to put a lift-out in the middle, so I was planning on putting vertical supports (smaller than 2X4's) on both sides of the track, rather than just using single 2X4's underneath.
I'll start a thread to show progress once I get started in a couple of months.
@Richie C. posted:Hi Mike - I'm sure the vertical support and strength are there. I was concerned about lateral movement as it looks like the track is balanced on the 2X4 and could sway a little bit side-to-side if someone accidentally bumped into it, but I'm sure you have it figured out.
My winter project is to expand my layout a little by adding a long straightaway to convert a reversing curve into a simple curve with two separate in-and-out tracks and at the other end I'll have to build something very similar to what you have - basically, a free-standing bridge across to the main layout. Mine will be a little trickier because I have to put a lift-out in the middle, so I was planning on putting vertical supports (smaller than 2X4's) on both sides of the track, rather than just using single 2X4's underneath.
I'll start a thread to show progress once I get started in a couple of months.
Hi Richie, thanks for being concerned, it locks in really tight when the lift up section is in place, when its down there is no train on the part that sticks out onto the 2x4. Normally the only ones in the train room when the lift section is down is myself and Tank!
I really look forward to seeing your winter project! I am sure its going to be a fun build to watch!
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