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Paul 2:  When you come back with a lighter shade of blue, just do the top part of the background and kind of "feather in" the lighter color with a dry paint brush.  Sky's are lighter higher up in the sky than they are at the horizon.  (Or is it that they are darker at the higher area and lighter near the horizon?  Might take a look outside!)

Paul Fischer

I installed the first phase of my under-the-layout shelves for train storage. The first photo shows our current method of train storage sitting directly on the wall-to-wall carpet just asking for water damage if the hot water heater bursts or our basement leaks.2016-03-17 04.55.31

Photo 2 shows my newly built and installed shelving system directly next to the area in photo 1. The bottom shelf is off of the floor by 1 1/2 inches and we have doubled the area we had for train storage. The selves are stationary. They do not pull out like drawers, but, are a major step forward for the Great Northeastern railway.2016-03-17 04.55.46

Photo 3 shows Chaz, The Great Northeastern Railway's Chairman of the "Bored", expressing his displeasure with the new shelving system because it blocks his access to the underside of the layout where he hides when the cleaning people run the vacuum cleaner.2016-03-17 04.52.08

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fisch330 posted:

Paul 2:  When you come back with a lighter shade of blue, just do the top part of the background and kind of "feather in" the lighter color with a dry paint brush.  Sky's are lighter higher up in the sky than they are at the horizon.  (Or is it that they are darker at the higher area and lighter near the horizon?  Might take a look outside!)

Paul Fischer

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

"Chairman of the bored" "PRRing up a storm"

Good puns Randy and Mitch!!  I laughed at both!!

Work continues on the big helix rebuild project. I'm almost done. There are just 3 of the 16 support columns left to do. I hope to wrap this up this afternoon, then I can finish the wiring once and for all, and install the new deck for the turntable and roundhouse.

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Now there's plenty of clearance for the long cars and engines.

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There are two basic types of signals: Block signals and interlocking signals. Block signals control linear track, something my railroad has very little of. Interlocking signals involve turnouts, from one to very complex multiples. Because my layout represents 60 miles in the real world, but is only 6 scale miles long, all the blocks have been "squeezed out", so trains end up going from interlocking to interlocking.

I've been working with my schematics to figure out how many signals I'm going to need. The main level is close to 70 heads. Lots of doubles and triples as the track dictates.

lower deck schematic

The upper deck is getting close to 100 heads.

upper deck schematic

Finally, Joe and I have been working on these. This is one of 4 detection panels located around the room. The detection wires from the insulated rails terminate here, and the CMRI inputs connect here so the computer will know where the trains are.

IMG_6482

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Big_Boy_4005 posted:

Work continues on the big helix rebuild project. I'm almost done. There are just 3 of the 16 support columns left to do. I hope to wrap this up this afternoon, then I can finish the wiring once and for all, and install the new deck for the turntable and roundhouse.

IMG_6481

Now there's plenty of clearance for the long cars and engines.

IMG_6480

There are two basic types of signals: Block signals and interlocking signals. Block signals control linear track, something my railroad has very little of. Interlocking signals involve turnouts, from one to very complex multiples. Because my layout represents 60 miles in the real world, but is only 6 scale miles long, all the blocks have been "squeezed out", so trains end up going from interlocking to interlocking.

I've been working with my schematics to figure out how many signals I'm going to need. The main level is close to 70 heads. Lots of doubles and triples as the track dictates.

lower deck schematic

The upper deck is getting close to 100 heads.

upper deck schematic

Finally, Joe and I have been working on these. This is one of 4 detection panels located around the room. The detection wires from the insulated rails terminate here, and the CMRI inputs connect here so the computer will know where the trains are.

IMG_6482

Elliot - I really enjoy your posts and updates.  I would love to visit your layout someday soon.   I remember visiting "Entertainment" several times when you were at the Mall of America.   Any idea when the Bandana layout will be up and running at the new location? 

Dave

This morning I went to the Kirkland Ohio train show. It is a two day event but I wanted to get to Dalton Ohio for that show on Sunday. I went in empty and came out empty. Got home and for the afternoon I cut legs for the first table and installed leveling screws on the bottom of them. I now have the first table frame and legs done.  After dinner I am going to put the plywood on it. I would start on the second table but I messed up and didn't get enough washers for the bolts through the legs so after Dalton it will be a quick stop to get washers at the Depot. I'll post a couple of pics later...........Paul 

I've been working on this corner of the layout for a while, now. It has become a favorite. I have been altering it, polishing it, refining, and re-detailing it, when I have had time over these several months. It is called Grange Road corner. Other perspectives are posted on the WeekendPhoto Fun thread for March 18-20. photo 2mphoto 2mnnxphoto 3mmm_edited-2

FrankM.

Moon Township, USA.

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Last edited by Moonson

Have not really worked on it do to  being busy at work though I did sort all of my old HO scale stuff. Since I want to get rid of a bunch of stuff so I can focus on my O gauge. Still keeping some stuff I still want to keep but feels good to let go of some stuff. Also picked up the room that has my layout might work on my small logging layout tomorrow before work.

Went over to Charlie's (MichRR714) and helped him layout his switchback.  Laid it out on rosin paper (it also covered up his lower tracks which were distracting us. ( you may need to display the image to see what we did)

P1040687 2016-03-19 Charlies switchback c

I was also there to look at his Altoona round house as I will be building one shortly.

P1040701 2016-03-19 Charlie Round house

We also ran his Hiawatha, very strong colors.  Looks great 

Fun afternoon.

Dan

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The wiring started getting to me so moved off to something else today. Did a rough mock up to get an idea of bridge height and placement. 

Second I learned  you can't use two transformers crossing between blocks. 35 volts ouch!

And last the MTH wifi worked flawlessly yesterday but all day today it would not read any engines regardless of network or device used.  I'm sure it will get figured out but that's for another time.

 

 

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I haven't posted in a while; I've been doing lots of scenery work, ballasting, and working on the trestles and lift out bridge at the doorway entrance to our train shed. Most of the trees I had placed in temporary trial locations are off right now as I did scenicing, and I am slowly deciding where I want them. I haven't put ballast or scenery on the upper level yet, just all the wiring and some main structures: roundhouse, Atlas turntable, sawmill and  derrick and office building, and storage yard. Last couple of days I started scenicing the river banks and river under the bridge (with lots more to do). I tested the bridge and put a track cleaner car behind the SP Mallee (as the SP men pronounced it) cab forward. Little by little...... But having fun!

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SP Cab Forward Mallee
Last edited by WP
darlander posted:
Elliot - I really enjoy your posts and updates.  I would love to visit your layout someday soon.   I remember visiting "Entertainment" several times when you were at the Mall of America.   Any idea when the Bandana layout will be up and running at the new location?
Dave

Thanks Dave.  Visitors are always welcome, just drop me an email to set up a time.

As for the Bandana layout, I have diverted much of my time this month, to the moving process. Today they had the truck, and about half the layout made it over to the new space. Tomorrow the rest goes. Once the old space is totally clean, the reassembly can start. I expect the toy division will be up and running in fairly short order, maybe as soon as the first week in April. The 2 rail layout could be running by May, but it will take a while redo the scenery.

Here are a couple of shots of the action today. An extra chunk had to come off this piece at the last minute, in order to get it through the door.

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Arriving at the new space!!! Piece of "cake".

IMG_6497

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I started roughing in my mountain.  Like clockwork, I got knee deep in it and decided to adjust .

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The boxes in the foreground are mock ups for city buildings. I've decided to put them on an "upper level" that will sit directly over the tunnel portal in the middle of the next pic and extend to the left about 6-7'.image

Then the middle track ( the one going into the portal) will service a passenger platform under the "upper" street. The back one will be completely out of site. 

Now, to figure out:

What to build the street level out of? I had an idea of 1/8" luan, with foam on top.

How to connect my street on the bottom (where the brown track piece and silver ruler are) to the upper level?

What to do with the open space where the mock ups are?

"The struggle is real!"

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was looking at loading dock on the net and I wanted one, but I am cheap LOL. So I worked on my own loading dock. It's not done, but thought I would share. I still need to put a side dock to go along the end of a building and then weather it some how. Here is what I have so far.DSC00107DSC00108DSC00109DSC00110DSC00111DSC00112DSC00113DSC00114

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