What did you do on your layout today?

We build our house 9 years ago, and I had 4 boxes of veneer stone left over from one of the fireplaces that I save with no idea of what to do with them.  

I have a tunnel through a walk that needed something, so last night after reviewing pictures of mountains, I used the stone to make my own mountain. 
You never know when you might have something to add to the layout...

I started last night at 7:30 and finished at 10:30.  The stone is cut so it's about a 1 1/2 thick. I know when the did the fireplace it took about 20 man hours, but they had to make it level. I just had to make the pieces fit. 

Thanks Ken.

I'm not sure about mandates, but yes they are all LED's, specifically Cree daylights from Home Depot. Yes it is bright, but it makes it very nice to work. And in a room with no windows, I don't miss the sun.

All of those bulbs are run off a single 20A circuit with room to spare. I'm still looking for the right dimmers. The bulbs do have heat sinks, so they throw off a little, but nothing like incandescent bulbs. Truth is it would be physically and financially impossible without the LED's.

As always, visitors are welcome, just email me.

That is cool John. I actually have some Lutron dimmers that I saved from when I had my layout at Mall of America 23 years ago. Let me get the model number off them and you might be able to tell me if they would be compatible with the modern LED's. I have 10 of these dual dimmer units rated for 20A per dimmer.

They are  model VM2000/2

Patrick and I had a fantastic afternoon of work. He started off by filling in the screw holes in the fascia that Jon installed yesterday. But instead of sanding and painting, we moved on to the construction of backdrop on the upper level.

Patrick adds the new backdrop supports to the existing helix structure.

Patrick... You are my prisoner!

I still haven't decided whether to call this "The Guggenheim" or "the wedding cake".

This section was the most challenging with all of its special cuts.

I'll have to give some thought as to how to scenic this area.

I have an idea of what I want to do here. A road bridge will help hide those holes.

With the exception of a couple small pieces, the backdrop on the upper level is done.

I received my A & WP 290 decals from LBR Enterprises and relettered my previous attempt this evening.  Very pleased with with the assistance and service I received from LBR.  This time around I have the correct font, the herald, and numbers on the head lights.  I think it looks much better now.  I just have to go get some sealer tomorrow to lock them into place.  Should I give it white walls?

I got most of the siding in. I can put some plaster on the wood and after coloring it I can ballast the siding. With changing the switch by moving it back to the mainline more I was able to get 9 cars on the sidings. I ran to a hobby shop close to me because they said they had uncoupler tracks but when I got there all they had left were the ones with the unloading type. So I ordered two from them and just placed an order with Ross for more uncoupler tracks and a left hand manual switch.....................Paul

Trolleys and interurbans and trams!  Oh, my! 

Mitch

Guys, thanks for the complements. In response to two postings, I don't want to hog bandwidth by posting my pics again.. so The drone is a hand-held Nikon model...lol I'm still learning it... The streets are MDF board with Berkshire valley manhole covers inset into them smeared with various shades of acrylic craft paint gray in a **** poor attempt at replicating oil stained concrete. The sidewalks are Lionel, provided with the buildings.

No luck finding brass or other metal domes, so I have some styrene tube ones roughly

shaped, as I continue to fill and shape the top of the boiler.   I was surprised all three original domes on this switcher boiler were separate castings, which precluded me from having to saw any off. Also still looking for the two coupler screws that hopped down off the workbench and went AWOL while I was away from the project.

This morning I  basically finished the new siding. I may tweak the end of it adding a small section of track. I don't quite have room for 5 hoppers. The switch that is there will be replaced with a manual switch on order from Ross along with uncoupling tracks. Until I get them or if the hobby shop where I  ordered a few from calls all I can do is add plaster and ballast to the area. Here are a few pics of the progress so far.....Paul 

Had to go out to CVS this morning to pick up a sympathy card and right on the end of the card aisle they had these weathered pickup trucks for 5 dollars each.  They are 1/46 scale and will fit right in on my lake with gravel road area.

Nice find Byran!

I'm polishing my rails today... The cmx is rolling behind my Legacy Southern Crescent.  It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it!  

A clean rail is a happy rail.  LOL

I looked at two CVS's today...neither had them.  Bummer.  Nice find, Bryan

This afternoon I got the plaster down. I won't get a chance to color it tonight because I told the wife I would take her out for dinner. I figured I owed her because I have been absent from the main house spending my time in the attic on the layout. Tomorrow though it is a train show in Medina for me. So when I get back from that it will be time to color the plaster. And then that section is on hold till what I ordered gets here. So I guess it will be to the new table to lay out track for the station and industries......Paul

Today I organized all my new resistors. I purchased a few plastic boxes at walmart and they will work good to keep all the different sizes seperated.

Thats it..

paid some bills and paid my taxes.

Just finished three box cars, one of which is an Army marked one, I'll use that for op sessions, in that it'll have to be in a special part of the train to make it interesting:

And I bought a sign that'll hang over the door to the layout room, facing the hall:

 I sat on the front porch in the sun yesterday, and glued some cheap plastic G track I've left outside for a few years now, sort of testing the UV, snow, & ice effects of Michigan winters on it. It is a little more brittle, but holding well actually.

Oh.. the glue was for the track one of the dogs "tasted"  .

  I would have worked on the old free O layout I got, in the backyard. I was "saving" it...yep it might be was...but its also why I'm on the front porch all this week. I want to wave at some "good folks", train in hand. ...... ..

 Last week I wrapped my crappy post war layout nice in a tarp, on a folding banquet table frame, knowing rain was due, but I was going to coat/reseal the wood for outdoor use. 

  It stopped raining the other day, and I ventured outside. What I found was a ten gallon layout.

 Someone took my yard tools off it,  lifted the cover to peak, then left it!

I thought it was a boarder (I have 4). But they denied it by phone. I was ready to flip out when they all returned. But, lucky me, my neighbor was outside today, and asked if I got yard tickets from the yard inspectors last week.

"No, when where they here?"

"Last week when the rain started, they ran for the jeep. It was hilarious"

My villains very likely are "yard cops", that reached into my yard, and "destroyed my property"!

Nice huh!

Any projects outdoors must be covered if your not working on it. I've had tickets for the backyard, while working in the front(Judge said "Nothing illegal here" bla bla bla)

(this might be politically/business motivated harassment of employees, not me, longer story)  

 So, I'm waiting for it to dry again before its track cleaning time, but I'm not expecting it to last long now.

 The plane of the layout may be askew from warping once dry?? "They" knocked it off the bricks near the gate as they pushed it away from the house (to tip it over???) One leg sunk deep into the garden as it filled. I can't lift it even empty. So it sat full, except for one high corner, till I drilled a drain hole

 It was not the wind... Lawn tools, bricks on corners, & clamped. "Tented" by wood. 

 When I wave, I'll really be speaking Greek to them     ...

Yard nazis ??!!  Really ??  I would move somewhere else. Left my LGB track out all winter and it is a little dirty but OK.

Love this sign. Classic!

Drilled the last hole in the benchwork to run the last of the wiring. May not seem like a big deal, but it was the last one.

Was there any ceremony held to commemorate the running of the golden wire?   Congratulations, anyway!

My train sign.

That more like what I was looking for but never could find one that had the arrows pointing straight down.

Wow, tracks not nearly as rusty as I expected today! Except the high corner that was exposed to air as it rained. Scotch-brite & clipper oil tonight. 

Jim- They need to move, I'm the third generation in this house.  About 15 years ago, they became snobs, using school bus/speed traffic laws, and unnecessary trumped up worry, to put down the last few people using tractors, and making youth moped use illegal for low speeds 

 A cities youth now divided by fast roads sectioning it, and more dangerous intersections even on sidewalks  

 My brother took over as "yard nazi" in a boardering city. He tells me most cities in the US have adapted a Universal/International Residential Ordinance Code. "Its really messed up man. Set up to basically make everything not bought  at illegal depending on how you read it. Makes my job easy sometimes" He has had to give tickets for garden trains, and take/give tickets with his partner on complaints against themselves of  too!

And has to go before the judge regularly for the "awful condition" of his home he cares for like a museum. "Military clean and orderly".   

A blanket law only as good, and fair as those that interpret it as they complain... anonymously . He agrees. But its "Job security, 'the way it is', and only 6 more years"  At least we still have good judges. 

Id say don't let it happen there, but its likely too late, and your nazis just haven't sprouted up to abuse it yet. 

(My bro' likes O trains too. Im "conventional PW", Hes "MTH command". Go figure) 

Wow !!  I never head of such a thing. I live in a rural area although a few city folk move out this way but everyone pretty much minds their own business. Low taxes, low crime decent schools and pretty decent government.  Figure that out. I bought satin black acrylic paint today to paint the benchwork underneath my layout so they, sort of, "disappear".  Mostly the legs. Can't enclose it, the dog loves it under there and my Standard gauge is there-for now.

Adriatic,

Yard Nazis.  I'm not worried about trains on my patio, even belching smoke and PS2 sound.  My neighbor has 2 junk cars in plain sight across the property line.  One is a Plymouth Arrow, the other a Yugo; so you know how long they have been there.  Also he leaves his 'decorative' tall grass uncut in the fall.  By the time the snow melts, it all blows into everyone's yards.

No I haven't taken the trains out yet.

Running trains with three grandchildren.  The best!

"Was there any ceremony held to commemorate the running of the golden wire?"

Pretty funny. Actually drilled the last hole in anticipation of receiving (hopefully this week) the last of the LED string lights. The layout is almost done with the only area left to be done, the Center of the North Pole. The LED's are for the Christmas Tree, pedestal, and Santa's Launch Star.

When this gets done, then we will have a ceremony. 

I have gotten some atla o track to replace some gargreaves track And installed some gargreaves instalating pins.Worked on reducing a grade.Made a odd ball load for a new southern railway flatcar.And it turns out I have to cut some more track.I have to made a short peace track.Man some times this seems more like a job than a hobby.

Worked on my Lionel M1000, had to put new wheels on the last vestibule Had the wheels and one axle so made another axle by chucking a slightly over sized nail in my battery drill. Spun the nail against a file to get it down to size then pressed the wheel on. It worked-neat with the engine a 3 cars going around the track but a little long so will park one car.

This morning I darkened the ground one more time. Laid down ballast and ground foam. Glued that down then I had to lay off the track crew because until the materials come in to finish off that area I could not have them idly standing around. Yes I am a tough crew leader LOL.................Paul

Spent more time chasing parts than working on loco this weekend.  I did shape two

domes from styrene tube and sheet, but they are flat on top and not rounded, so

are not correct.  Now thinking how I can build those up on top, or keep looking for

cast ones...

Unpacked the newest addition to the CL&W, the Timken 1111 demonstrator from Sunset Models; another great job, Scott!

Okay, so they can do stuff like this and cause damages and there's no recourse?

Yet another reason why I'd never live anywhere with covenants.

A couple of years ago, a person who'd just moved into our neighborhood was going door to door asking for signatures for a petition to start a homeonwer association. Of course, you must have 100% approval if nothing like that was set up originally and you're starting new. I was under my WW2 Jeep check out fluid levels in the transmission and transfer case prior to the show season when the guy came a'calling.

My neighborhood's oldest house was probably built in the 90s, and more than half were built later than 2001. It looks okay but a couple of people put less effort into things than others. But it's no crack neighborhood.

Anyway, I stood up, wiped my hands off and told him in very colorful lauguage that he was quite insane if he thought I was going to sign off on that and that he should just stop now as I knew he needed everyone to agree which was never, ever gonna happen as long as I lived there. He sneered and walked away without a word. I heard he got the same reception at almost every house he went to that day.