What did you do on your layout today?

Last night, I ran trains.  I didn't realize it but "somehow" my DCS Wi-Fi APP reverted back to the free version where only three engines are accessible.  I thought initially I was just experiencing one of those glitches that happen from time to time, but I went to put coupler slack on one of the three engines that was running and it told me that this was a premium feature.  

Not sure how this happened but after looking at my iPad, i was frustrated and basically gave up.  I went to old emails where I thought this was discussed by @MrMuffin'sTrains but couldn't find it and then did a search here on the foru, and finally found the "restore" button which solved the problem.  With that fixed, I decided to run some trains and create a few videos.

Enjoy the videos.

John

I put up my Second Hand Lion display for the corner of my elevated railway.

Hub is talking to the teenagers in the car.  Lion coming from the corn field.   The house was made by kitbashing and 3d printing some pieces. 

I finally got started on my little  town scene  again.  I have to wire the lights  up but I think it will look ok.

Excellent looking town, John!  I like the curved street.  It makes for a lot of visual interest.

@VHubbard posted:

I put up my Second Hand Lion display for the corner of my elevated railway.

Hub is talking to the teenagers in the car.  Lion coming from the corn field.   The house was made by kitbashing and 3d printing some pieces.

As usual, very impressive John.

MTH steel arch bridges converted to lift bridges…

The bridges look great, @aubv!

Halfway through the construction of my second mountain. The paper portion anyway.

Onto the last bit.

- Jason

It’s taking shape nicely!  Looks great, Jason!

Morning everyone I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It has been about 2 weeks since I last posted anything, but I have been watching and man has there been a lot of things done! I am going to say sorry as my list it going to be long due to the 2 week leave.

@idea-thinker Love the look of your bridge!

@42trainman The layout and train room look great. I hope everything went smoothly for you and your trains show on Thanksgiving!

@Steve Tyler Steve you are so right about the instagram effect! But I will be posting some not so pleasant photos at the end for you and the rest of the folks that have fallowed along with my post here over the last few years.

@Mark Boyce Mark the layout is looking great and now that thanksgiving is over you can get back to adding to your mess. you might as well do it now before you start cleaning up as I see there is still room for more mess! LOL

@luvindemtrains Dave the Bridge and Piers are looking amazing! I know they are going to be perfect on your layout just like everything else!

@Lionelski John The new church is outstanding and I am sorry you had to spend the extra money to have the tree relocated, but it is better then just cutting it down! On a side note, wonderful job on the new shelving!

@M. Mitchell Marmel Mitch nice job on the Prewar engines and a great looking train run!

@Leroof The engines look great and glad they run smoothly. Sorry about the finger I hope it heals fast!

@Freight Train Jim Jim great looing engine, I just watched a video on it via Railfan I have to say what a impressive engine!

@jbmccormick John wonderful videos and I really like your layout!

@VHubbard Nice looking corner section and wonderful story to go along with it!

@farmerjohn John the town area is just looking Amazing and I hope everyone got out of the overturned pickup truck ok! Just wondering what your plans for the lower section below are the bluff?

@aubv Wonderful job on the lift bridges!

@jdstucks Jason your mountains are coming along great! With your attention to detail I bet they are going to look great when done!

Ok guy as for me, I have been spending the last couple weeks taking down the layout and man I sear there must have been 1000 nails holding the track down and finding each one was a chore! LOL well it's all down and now I am going to use some of the layout wood to build crates for my lift bridge and mechanisms so it will be easy to put back up. Also, for the airfield as they don't make boxes in their sizes! LOL

I hate to share with you all, but you should know, here is what the train room has been reduced to!

As many of you know I and Tank the inspector built this room just to be a train room! Now it will be someone else's special room!

Here is what is left of the bench work!

After talking it over with a few people along with the CEO it didn't make since to pay to haul all this wood to the south east section of the country. I will just start new with new lumber, this is what I will be using to build my crates for the bridge and airfield. The rest I will donate to anyone who might be able to use it!

I hope you all take care and find time to have fun with your layouts and trains! I will be watching along the way!

I'm looking forward to seeing your 2024 layout build, Mike!

Also, thank you for the kind comments on my recent projects.

Mike, thank you!  Yes, I did have to add to the mess!  😃

I am sorry to see the layout taken down, but I will look forward to seeing what you come up with after you moved.  You have a lot more experience now!

@mike g. Wow Mike you’ve been busy! Good idea building the benchwork with new lumber. I’m sure it will be easier to work with. Good luck with your move. I’ll be looking forward in seeing your future progress.

Gene

@mike g. posted:

Morning everyone I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It has been about 2 weeks since I last posted anything, but I have been watching and man has there been a lot of things done! I am going to say sorry as my list it going to be long due to the 2 week leave.

Ok guy as for me, I have been spending the last couple weeks taking down the layout and man I sear there must have been 1000 nails holding the track down and finding each one was a chore! LOL well it's all down and now I am going to use some of the layout wood to build crates for my lift bridge and mechanisms so it will be easy to put back up. Also, for the airfield as they don't make boxes in their sizes! LOL

I hate to share with you all, but you should know, here is what the train room has been reduced to!

After talking it over with a few people along with the CEO it didn't make since to pay to haul all this wood to the south east section of the country. I will just start new with new lumber, this is what I will be using to build my crates for the bridge and airfield. The rest I will donate to anyone who might be able to use it!

I hope you all take care and find time to have fun with your layouts and trains! I will be watching along the way!

Sad to see the layout reduced to boxes and lumber piles but in the end, it will be worth it. Good idea to leave the old lumber behind. Guaranteed that on the other end you will be saying "what the heck was I thinking????"

Bob

Hi guys thanks for the kind words, I was sad taking it down, but you are all correct that I will have another one after the move. @Mark Boyce I know I have learned a lot over the years from you guys, but I can guaranty that I will be asking a lot of questions when it comes time to put up #3!

Just a quick update I got half the crate for the bridge built, the bridge is bolted to the bottom and you can see the top just off to the right. Tomorrow I will cut the sides and ends put it all together and start on the one for the airfield. It will be the same build as this on as it is really easy! LOL

It is kind of hard to get a lot done when your trying to work, watch a dog, and its in the upper 30's to low 40's outside. To be honest I am getting soft and have to come inside to warm up a few times! LOL

@mike g. posted:

@Steve Tyler Steve you are so right about the instagram effect! But I will be posting some not so pleasant photos at the end for you and the rest of the folks that have fallowed along with my post here over the last few years.

Thanks, Mike, and good luck on the move. However, all I saw were Instagram-ready pics of an ideal layout breakdown -- where are the promised horror stories???

Mike, that crate you are building for the bridge is first rate!  Even the sloppiest of movers won't damage that!!    It is sad to see a layout taken down!!

Yes, it is tough working outside in these temperatures.  I don't know how I did it when I was younger. 

@RSJB18 posted:

Sad to see the layout reduced to boxes and lumber piles but in the end, it will be worth it. Good idea to leave the old lumber behind. Guaranteed that on the other end you will be saying "what the heck was I thinking????"

Bob

What to do with lumber is always a tough choice.  You might be right about "what was I thinking?".  OTOH, I'm still using and reusing #2 lumber from 20+ years ago; to get the same quality I now need to buy "select" grade that is substantially more expensive.

@Mallard4468 posted:

What to do with lumber is always a tough choice.  You might be right about "what was I thinking?".  OTOH, I'm still using and reusing #2 lumber from 20+ years ago; to get the same quality I now need to buy "select" grade that is substantially more expensive.

I totally agree. For a local move (doing it myself), I'd keep the lumber without giving it a second thought. When my parents moved when I was 18, my father and I broke down and saved everything from my 12x8 HO layout. Moved it all from one side of Long Island to the other. It sat in the basement and never saw trains run on it again....

I'm a habitual saver of left over lumber and millwork from projects. The stock has saved me many trips to HD or Lowes over the years.

Bob

morning guys, I hope you all had a good night's sleep, so you have all the needed energy to get things done! LOL

@Steve Tyler there were a few things that got broken when being packed, nothing a little super glue can't fix.

@Mark Boyce Mark the purpose of the wood crates is part of what I told Steve; I don't have that much super glue! LOL

@Mallard4468 & @RSJB18 You both are correct, if I was moving across the state, I would keep the lumber to rebuild the layout. But to move the old wood 2000 miles, plus the price in Mo, is a lot less then here and makes since to just get new and not pay to haul old stuff that might not even work for whatever I get for a new train room.

I agree on the decision to not move the wood 2000 miles.  We moved my N-scale layout 300 miles and even at that, it wasn’t worth it.  It caused problems for the movers and I never got the layout right before we moved back to Pennsylvania 3 years later.  That time I scrapped almost everything except the lumber, which I gave to a neighbor.

@Mark Boyce posted:

I agree on the decision to not move the wood 2000 miles.  We moved my N-scale layout 300 miles and even at that, it wasn’t worth it.  It caused problems for the movers and I never got the layout right before we moved back to Pennsylvania 3 years later.  That time I scrapped almost everything except the lumber, which I gave to a neighbor.

I have a 2x4 N scale layout that I built while living in CA nearly 40 years ago.  Track and wiring were finished, but scenery was never completed.  Amazingly, it survived the moving van, and still has the mover's sticker on it.

It now sits in my basement in Indiana, stored under my layout.  Still no scenery.  Progress has been slow.  It's still on the to-do list. 

Things are moving right along Mike. It’s always easier to tear it down than to build. Leaving the lumber behind is a good move. The crate for the bridge looks good too.
Andy

Hi guys I hope you all had a great weekend and had time to work on your layouts! Well the crates are done and the bridge and airfield are all packed up nice and safe! I will tell you that the boxes are a lot heavier than i thought they would be! LOL

Now it is time to turn to getting the garage somewhat packed up! Boy is that going to be fun! LOL

I hope you all take care and have fun with your layouts and trains!

@mike g. posted:

Hi guys I hope you all had a great weekend and had time to work on your layouts! Well the crates are done and the bridge and airfield are all packed up nice and safe! I will tell you that the boxes are a lot heavier than i thought they would be! LOL

Now it is time to turn to getting the garage somewhat packed up! Boy is that going to be fun! LOL

I hope you all take care and have fun with your layouts and trains! 

Mike, you sure are organized. It's great you've got ample time to pack. My last move was 24 years ago, and we had a 15-day contingency and 2 days to pack and move. I had also just had back surgery but thankfully had lots of help. Like everyone I look forward to seeing your new creations but take care of your health first.

@mike g. posted:

Hi guys I hope you all had a great weekend and had time to work on your layouts! Well the crates are done and the bridge and airfield are all packed up nice and safe! I will tell you that the boxes are a lot heavier than i thought they would be! LOL

Now it is time to turn to getting the garage somewhat packed up! Boy is that going to be fun! LOL

I hope you all take care and have fun with your layouts and trains!

Mike, nice job on building the crates. That’s something I would have done.👍

Gene

@mike g. posted:

Hi guys I hope you all had a great weekend and had time to work on your layouts! Well the crates are done and the bridge and airfield are all packed up nice and safe! I will tell you that the boxes are a lot heavier than i thought they would be! LOL

Now it is time to turn to getting the garage somewhat packed up! Boy is that going to be fun! LOL

I hope you all take care and have fun with your layouts and trains!

Nice work Mike. That HO transformer looks familiar.....Mine's running a DC buss for accessories. Only  some Menards cars at the moment.

Bob

Here's another completed Downtown Deco building. Once the building is in place more details will be added. The build was pretty straight forward and most of the time was spent on the roof work.

Dave

Finished covering the second mountain in paper today. Initially, I thought I made the mountain a bit too big. But now that the structure is complete and I've taken a step back, I think it came out pretty decently.

Let me know what you all think.

- Jason

Awesome! Looks great.

@jdstucks posted:

Finished covering the second mountain in paper today. Initially, I thought I made the mountain a bit too big. But now that the structure is complete and I've taken a step back, I think it came out pretty decently.

Let me know what you all think.

- Jason

Nice work.  The black paint for the ceiling and pipes really sets it off.  I assume that you'll walk on the benchwork in order to finish the scenery on the mountains.  I just hope the pipes don't leak - I'm trying to visualize a plumber walking on your layout, and it's not a pretty sight.

Looks great. The layout is really coming together. I look forward to your progress

@jdstucks Jason it looks like it will blend in nicely when finished with the backdrop, great job!

Gene

Jason, the mountains in front of the backdrop look great!  The track and bridges flow between mountains to make a cohesive panorama.  Well done!

While this was from the other night, I had fun running trains until a derailment in a tunnel.  

This bridge was part of my first initial layout that moved with me when moved back in 2004, 25 houses away.

John

Morning guys I hope your all doing well!

Thanks for the nice words on the packing. @Dave Ripp. Dave the early take down and packing was an idea from a forum member and confirmed by our realtor for better visual aid to a possible buyer.

@RSJB18 Thanks Bob, I love your idea for the HO transformer! I am going to have to go that way for extra power as they are a dime a dozzen!

@luvindemtrains Dave wonderful work on the Rainbow Beverages building!

@jdstucks Jason you sure are doing an amazing job on the mountains! They blend in well with the backdrop and the whole scene is telling a story! It will be fun to watch where it goes from here!

@jbmccormick John I love the bridge, I would have taken that also even for a 2000-mile trip! You have a wonderful scene there and I bet the rest of the layout is as impressive!

I hope you all have a great week and find time to have fun with your layouts and trains! I will be checking in threwout the week~!

@mike g. posted:

Morning guys I hope your all doing well!

@RSJB18 Thanks Bob, I love your idea for the HO transformer! I am going to have to go that way for extra power as they are a dime a dozzen!

I hope you all have a great week and find time to have fun with your layouts and trains! I will be checking in threwout the week~!

I'm running mine at about 10vdc and have a few of the regulated power supply boards for adjusting to match the load.

With help from my 10-year-old great grandson Matthew, we installed an OTC track section alongside the Lionel Conveyer Log Loader.  That accessory has been in place for almost a year, but this task didn't get done until today. Now a Lionel Log Dump Car can deposit logs to that accessory -- which lifts them to the top of the ramp and drops them into a waiting gondola.  A small step forward.

Next mini-project -- install a sound circuit and small speaker at the Rocket Diner by Menards.

Mike Mottler   LCCA 12394

@Mike H Mottler posted:

Next mini-project -- install a sound circuit and small speaker at the Rocket Diner by Menards.

If you're going to locate it near the edge of the layout, have you considered a self-contained motion activated sound system, like the one pictured below?

The bundle comes with a battery pack, but the circuit board (shown in blown up form in the bottom right corner) can be powered directly by a micro USB cable, which can also be used to download sound files from your computer to the on-board memory (and there's also a slot for a micro SD card if you need more storage).

I used it to add appropriate sounds to a camping/nature corner of my layout:

There are many versions of this basic bundle available, but I chose this one for its inclusion of a hard-shell speaker, which makes it easier IMHO to safely bury it under the layout surface 

Mike, that is great you got the track section in and the log loader working with your great grandson!!!

Steve, that is a pretty slick installation.  I am assuming it could be positioned so selected sounds could start when a train goes by.