What did you do on your layout today?

Nick12DMC posted:

Finally got around to running accessory wiring bus today.

Wired in log loader, coal loader, 213 lift bridge and railroad control tower. 

Great to see the youngest playing with the two loaders. Ah that pesky escaped Lionel coal!

Have a great Sunday.

Nick

Good looking layout. Do you have any videos?

Not much, just tightened some track connections in my train yard and added more screws to secure the track down. Added a couple of figures that I had put on the side until I could decide where to put them.

There was plenty to do today, what with a swap meet this morning and then cleaning and repairing some of the what I bought.  Then it was time to play.  After some general maintenance this Premier set of PS1 F3's work like a dream.  I recently hooked up a TPC to the layout and am learning to access all the PS1 features using my Legacy remote.  Some previously purchased Daylight cars look far better behind something scale rather than the traditional sized GS4 in my roster.  Time was also spent positioning a few structures I have on hand, getting an idea on where they might look best.  As the layout progresses I find my head flooded with new ideas on just how to scenic certain sections, whereas other areas are still blank canvases.  It's so easy jumping ahead when I really need to stay focused on benchwork construction.  But then, the main game is to have fun, right?

Bruce

Overhauled the serial communication system: installed some Lionel SER2 modules, connected them to the TIU, ASC, DZ-2001 data driver, TPC-300, and Arduino automated layout control. Made up some new modular / DB9 connectors to link them all together. Surprisingly, everything worked perfectly the first time.

Then played around a little sending new Legacy commands instead of TMCC from the Arduino system.

Sorry gang, but I have all but stopped doing daily updates on this topic. But that doesn't mean I haven't  been working on the layout though. Actually, I've been putting in a lot more time.

You can see the monthly update HERE.

Enjoy

I ran trains today for about 10 minutes.  Ran trains yesterday for about 45 minutes.  Always fun to watch them run!

Fixed a broken trolley pole tiedown hook.  Every little bit helps...

This morning I was just going to take the morning and enjoy running all four mainlines. I did just that but when the one train went past I noticed the brake stand with brake wheel was missing from a Bobber caboose. So now I looking for it with no idea where it may have fallen off. But I do like a challenge. Almost as much as when I lost one of the springs from a truck and spent the better part of a half an hour looking for it but I finally found it.........Paul

Yesterday I added the second locomotive to the WiFi DCS and ran two trains for a while.  The WiFi addition has worked well.  Probably because I followed the written instructions.  

I finished my tank engine build and put her to work hauling commuters in the suburbs.

midnightwrecking posted:

I finished my tank engine build and put her to work hauling commuters in the suburbs.

 

That's a good-looking unit.

Is it Tier 4 compliant ??

jim pastorius posted:

Is it Tier 4 compliant ??

Wouldn't that be some U.S. reg., for diesels? It pukes out tons of smoke!

My signals came in from china and so did the cantalever signals to my surprise the cantalever is metal. Hooked one up heres the results.

I actually ran trains. First time since Christmas eve. LOL! They still work!

Ran some trains with homemade smoke.

Jhainer posted:

My signals came in from china and so did the cantalever signals to my surprise the cantalever is metal. Hooked one up heres the results.

 

Pretty sharp!

They look familiar. Are those from We Honest on the bay? I bought a bunch of blank searchlight targets from them a while back, but I'm going to have to make my own masts and assemble multiple heads. I was also looking at buying some of their dwarf signals.

yep we honest I buy there signals and figured I would check out there cantilever ones and was surprised when they were metal. I wired up the controller to an rj45 connector then same with the light to a rj45 connector and make a cable the right length this way all the controllers can be in one spot and only have to run one cable to each signal.

JHainer-was your smoke scented ??   They look like ALCOs !!  Do you run steam ??

When you have idle time you think of stuff you can change that's why even Roger Farkash told me I would never be satisfied with anything so now I took a nice scene and make it better but I have to stop and just enjoy the trains it's almost done and I just want to run the first pictures are of what I had I took a old non working Lionel swing bridge so I wondered what to do with it so this is what I came up with with some left over track and some scrap wood I made it work now I have to finish and sure up the wood around the loop and get back to running 

jim pastorius posted:

JHainer-was your smoke scented ??   They look like ALCOs !!  Do you run steam ??

not scented yet but yes I do run steam just had them on the layout so I ram them

After finishing benchwork I just finished laying my four mainlines; two on the base and two elevated. Nothing is modeled yet so it looks rough. 

was back under the board with the creeper,,,,of course the cats milo/jake as helpers,,,,,well sorta ,trying to figure out why some acc don't work off the tiu,,,,only have 2 more to track down,got two more working ,,,

Here is what I have been up to tonight . controllers for the signals. all wired to power Wired to RJ45 Plugs for running Ethernet cable to the signal where another rj45 will be attached to the signalthe signals are 4 wires Black red yellow and green they use up one side of the rj45 the other side will be for the IR sensors. So I only need to run one cat 5 wire to each signal.

Yesterday I just ran trains for a bit being it was Tuesday and the Tuesday night crew meets.  But today I let the scenery go and decided to finish some un-plastered areas that needed to be done. The first was the last section coming around the wall. Where the wood is I will be putting up some flex wall. The second area was where I had two sections of rock that didn't butt together. First I was just going to add some dense foliage in the opening, changed my mind and filled it in with plaster. The third area was behind the station. Wasn't much of an area but I had to plaster it so I could get the backdrop up and foliage in front of it. That's probably the work day today. Tonight I'll just run some trains and tomorrow color all the plaster. Some pics....................Paul

Used shims to level a switch, still have chaos. Went to the U.S. 24 Hour Post Office.

To renew my subscription to O Gauge Railroading magazine.

Click on photos to enlarge.

With plaster dry I got busy adding the colors to the plaster and then washed it with a diluted black. Also got the earth tone on which I hope will be dark enough. I don't have any more color but this weekend is the Medina show here in Ohio and I hope to find some there. Two more areas to do after dinner and then I can add the foliage. Couple of pics.........Paul

Cool, Paul2. Approaching total coolness.

Paul 2,

I really like what you have been doing!  Have a good day in Medina!!

well yesterday I didn't do to much didn't even go to the train room ordered stuff for it but didn't go up there. today was a different story I went up there and stood there looking around for what am I going to do today. so decided to mix up the fusion fiber and try it out. then did some painting on the layout and finished off with a little scenery all the while I had 3 trains running in the background. a few days ago someone asked it I run steam engines because of the smoke fluid I made. so took a video of that too.

Thanks, looks pretty good.

Jhainer posted:

well yesterday I didn't do to much didn't even go to the train room ordered stuff for it but didn't go up there. today was a different story I went up there and stood there looking around for what am I going to do today. so decided to mix up the fusion fiber and try it out. then did some painting on the layout and finished off with a little scenery all the while I had 3 trains running in the background. a few days ago someone asked it I run steam engines because of the smoke fluid I made. so took a video of that too.

 

Your scenery work using Fusion Fiber is spectacular! Fusion Fiber is my flagship scenery product. It is easy to use and, unlike plaster, is a one-sitting process. You mix it with water, color it with acrylic paint, apply it with a putty knife and sprinkle on your ground cover. All of my customers that have tried it love it. Again, GREAT work!

I didn't use a putty Knife I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty

A little bit more done today. I colored the plaster and I applied plaster to three areas around the station I forgot to do yesterday. Where I filled in the two section of rock after taking the pic of that I did another wash of black to blend it in better. I need input on the two back drops I have. It will go behind the station on the back side. Which one, industry or city scape. here are the pics.................Paul

Looks great Paul! As for the backdrop, I like the city scene for that location.

Mike

Paul2, thanks for your nearly daily updates on your layout progress.

City scene !!

Matt,

   I finally got  around to hanging the Miller Electric 1900 Lighted Lionel Ornament, a way cool addition to to the Christmas layout.

PCRR/Dave

I ran trains, took photos and videos to post on forum.  Will post on Switcher Saturday and already posted on Weekend Photo Fun.  

Earlier this week I visited Engine House Hobbies in Gaithersburg Md and bought a couple freight cars.  Also won a very nice Kline 18 inch B&O passenger coach on the Bay. It looks great as the rider coach on my B&O Mail train!

Began today by routing Romex under sections of track not yet wired in.   I also ran some to the staging yard, finally tying it into the main bank of transformers.  Then added a few jumper bars on the Xformer shelf and desk side to facilitate flexible 12 gauge wiring so that the main bank can be deployed or slid back inside.  This was the perfect time to install circuit breakers at each Xformer power tap.  During a short trial run I blew the breaker handling track power....maybe 6 amps is too small a breaker for my needs?  After removing a bunch of lighted passenger cars from the circuit the breaker stopped tripping.  I continued on by dropping about 6 feeders, bringing power to former dead sections of track.  Test runs over the newly powered sections proved successful.  It's on to finalizing the main bench work and connecting all the track ends.

Bruce