Hey Gary, keep on keepin on. Trains are good therapy. Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Morning guys, you all sure have been doing outstanding work! I wish I could say the same about me, but life and the weather has been getting in the way! LOL
Gary P. wonderful addition to this thread and sorry about all that you have been threw, but it shows that where there is a will there is a way! Please keep up the wonderful work and post!
Bill T, Outstanding work on the Still Mill buildings and you did a great job around the runway! Keep it up!
I know I am being cheap by handing out alot of likes but I haven't been in the mood to write everything down that you all have been doing. I did get a chance to get my block wall moved back and my portals cut wider so now my wonderful UP 4-8-4 runs on all my track!
I hope you all have a safe and Merry Christmas!
P.S. Don't forget to try and find time to have fun with your layout and trains!
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Layout looks great Mike...thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas to you as well...
Gary..I admire your tenacity.
I saw a power station setup earlier on this thread. I got mine from Trainz.com and I am really pleased with it. I am still trying to figure the station and the power poles into my layout. So far this is what I came up with. What do you think?
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@RSJB18 posted:Power on Gary! We are rooting for you. Any one of your issues probably would stop lesser men!
Your biggest issue may be to get the wire to droop properly to look realistic. I would recommend trying a few different types before you go to the layout.
Mark and Bob........if you string your poles with the proper droop established ,maybe taking Super Thin SuperGlue or wet clearcoat or the color of your choice from a spray can ( really wet ) and saturate the thread to keep the shape might work. 🤔
Gary......I have issues but if I had your's I don't know how I could even use my remote.
Trying to clean up the layout, finish some unfinished scenery items as my son is coming for Christmas and we plan to shoot some more 4K video. Hoping to do a "walking layout video tour" and try to describe how the track plan evolved and why.
Anyway, went into the unfinished corner behind the East End town scene, reduced the height of the shallow relief backdrop and got all the "puff ball trees" glued up last night, and placed all the pine trees I put together months ago.
So far so good with testing my new front 4 wheel Scale Pilot trucks that I bought from Lionel parts to replace the front Pilot trucks on my Legacy ATSF Northerns (3751 & 3759) The wheels on the original trucks were really small, set too close to the front drivers, came with no brake castings, and just detracted from an otherwise great scale model.
Merry Christmas to all, if I don't get here again by tomorrow.
Before - Backdrop on right without trees....
After:
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Today, I ran some classic trains with some classic transformers. Happy holidays to all!
Fendermain
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Hi guys, taking a little break from shoveling snow!
@Jrtrains, Great looking power station!
@chris a, the backdrops make world of difference! Also, nice job on the front trucks! I can't wait to see your new videos!
@Fendermain, looks like you got an early start for Christmas! Very nice!
I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas eve!
Snow, what is that? We are near 60F in Central Illinois! Almost time to turn on the A/C !
Did get a bit of time to move and re-wire my transformer into the layout. As I tend to run both DCS and transformer control at the same time, I make use of banana plugs to quickly connect from transformer to track or transformer to TIU to track. My 3 loops are isolated so I can pretty much do what I want.
Got a chance to run the newly acquired Milwaukee Road K-Line F3 A-B-A engines pulling 7 Hiawatha passenger cars. The consist pulls 4 amps downhill and 4.8 going up. I know K-Line produced an even more detailed A-B set, but this is nicely done for something from the late 90s. Even has a flashing Mars light.
Photos / Video later. Merry Christmas to ALL Jeff
PS - I am sure I'll regret the "snow" comment in 2022. YIKES!
@Fendermain posted:Today, I ran some classic trains with some classic transformers. Happy holidays to all!
Fendermain
@Fendermain Nice job on the "classic layout" Sometimes its really difficult to make them look good where everything fits and is supposed to be there. Is that a glass of used lube oil, or something more appropriate for the engineer? Merry Merry !!!
@ScoutingDad posted:@Fendermain Nice job on the "classic layout" Sometimes its really difficult to make them look good where everything fits and is supposed to be there. Is that a glass of used lube oil, or something more appropriate for the engineer? Merry Merry !!!
Looks like a glass of brain lube! ;-) Cheers!
Bill, Nice work on the slab mill.
Mark, great job on the sub station.
Larry, nice work on the additions.
Chris, excellent scenes, the trees add a nice touch.
We had some snow this morning too. It melted quickly.
Andy
I added some detail on the brick work for the bridge. I also added some spots of moss in spots on the stone, then gave the whole bridge a black wash to dirty things up a bit. The moss towards the bottom is right above where the water line will be.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all.
Andy
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Mike, the UP 4-8-4 runs great!
John, the substation looks great where you have it. I'll have to get a fence for mine too!
Chris, the scenery and engines look great!
Dallas, with some experimentation, that idea could work. I'm a long ways off from modeling power lines however.
Nothing new for me to report on, Have a Merry Christmas everyone!
I got quite a bit done today but didn't get it finished, I'll be trying to do more on it tomorrow, I can only work about an hour, then need to get in the recliner, elevate my legs and rest for an hour, then go for it again. Finally quit about 9 pm tonight, my back and neck arthritis couldn't take it anymore, took my meds and put Voltaren Gel on my hands to calm them down too. Merry Christmas to all. Stay safe and remember the real reason for Christmas, to celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ!
I was cleaning the basement for Christmas and stoped to reflock 1 tree. I hope you all have a great Christmas!!!!!
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MERRY CHRISTMAS:
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Merry Christmas everyone!
Bob
Merry Christmas!
Thank you WesternPacific2217, ScoutingDad and Mike G for the comments. Yes, care is taken with classic building selection and placement because of the bright colors. And…the brain lube, “a nice Chianti”, the occasional libation goes well with ozone to make the holidays more fun!
Fendermain
For weeks my layout was running perfectly until my visiting family wanted to see the trains run. So they all gathered down stairs for the big show and not even ten seconds after getting four trains going, the upper tracks shorted. I managed to get two of them going though. Later after everyone went home, I investigated and found that a plastic break piece fell under the wheels causing them to bind and lift out of the track. The truck was lifted just at a position to cross the the two rails. It’s all fixed now but what a time to fail. Merry Christmas everyone!
@WesternPacific2217 posted:Adorable granddaughter, future fashion designer maybe! But it's up to Grandpa to keep her interested in model railroading, we need more women in this hobby IMO. The fact that she thinks you need more track is encouraging! Happy Holidays!
Scott, good eye ! My daughter-in-law designed & produced my granddaughter's "leggings", so you may be right about her future profession.
Success! I got the outer track main line wired up, powered up and ran my Polar Express train for about a half. I still need to go back underneath, wire up the remote turnout for into the yard, uncouple track, and power switch for Track 1 Engine House, in my future plans. Also color tag and label all my wires what they all go to and from for easier troubleshooting in the future. I didn't post any pictures today because the rest of the layout is still quite a mess from the work on it and Track 2 is in pieces in sections as I have all that to solder track jumper wires and feeder wires to yet. It was a great feeling to power up the track all the way up with no shorts, turn it off, put on the locomotive and tender, it ran around fine, and added my three passenger cars and it ran fine with them too. Thanks for all the encouragement! God Bless You All and Merry Christmas Everyone!👍
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@Dave Ripp. posted:
Thank you sir. Gotta mention, my grandfather's and then father's hardware store was Mann's Hardware and they sold a lot of Kurfees paint and my dad's first car was a 'used' Studebaker......
Well this could go in a lot places on the forum. My grandson likes to turn the lights off and play with the "moon" of a shop light. Red streaks are the Milwaukee Road F3 passing 2x during the exposure. Merry Christmas !!!
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Gary, Congratulations on getting enough wired to have a train running!
Great photograph your grandson took, Jeff!
Using a spare project plastic box I had tonight I made a switch box for both tracks. One of each switch for each track, everything on left for track 1, the outer track. Everything on right for Track 2, the inner track. A Lionel Remote Switch controller, momentary push switch for uncoupling track, and power SPST on/off switch for Track siding in yards for future 2 Bay engine house. Will start wiring it up tomorrow and wire everything to barrier strips then finish doing the wiring to those items on Track 1, wires are hanging down, just need to be extended to the barrier strips and finish that wiring.
Rivesm, As well, I like the texture or city look of the asphalt, and would really enjoy an easy way out for myself
of WHAT is it !!!??? thanks
Terry
Shot a bunch of 4K video with my son yesterday. He's going to edit it and put it all together. In the meantime, here's a link to one of the short 50 second clips at track level. first time I have ever Double Headed Steam Engines.
As usual, it looks very realistic. You might consider some smoke residue from the engines coming out of the tunnel.
Just finished cloning my new DCS remote and backing up some of my engine sound files that for some reason are not available on the mth website (i.e NY Yankees/mets subway series engines). Thanks to a quick search on this forum, all went smoothly. The new remote is much more responsive than my old one. I guess I hadn’t noticed the wear and tear after all these years.
Now for some fun running trains, particularly the new RS3 that I received yesterday. Best sounding MTH diesel in my fleet so far.
Jay Francis, Thanks that's great idea ! I did that treatment my Concrete Portals, but went "brain dead", and never thought about adding it to the darker double portal.
Hi guys, yep, it's still snowing! Just taking a break then heading backout to do some more plowing!
You all have been doing great work!
Sorry I am short on comments, but I do want to say Chris A. Wonderful video! Your son did a great job!
I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and got lots of train stuff!
ChrisA, I thought you were testing us; and I passed.
Chris, your son did a great job on the video! We will look forward to seeing the final product!
@chris a posted:Shot a bunch of 4K video with my son yesterday. He's going to edit it and put it all together. In the meantime, here's a link to one of the short 50 second clips at track level. first time I have ever Double Headed Steam Engines.
Awesome! Nice to see them come by. Thanks
@arrsd90 posted:Rivesm, As well, I like the texture or city look of the asphalt, and would really enjoy an easy way out for myself
of WHAT is it !!!??? thanks
Terry
Terry,
Well it cannot be any easier. Took a little experimentation but easy. Mixed flat black paint (used a black on the gray side) with black sand and a smidgen of gray sand. Don't really know if the gray sand even helped as I used so little. Mix and paint. Did it on separate board to see what I would get and I figured out how much sand.
I am honored that someone asked.....as I am a bit of a novice.
