What did you do on your layout today?

He's at it again...Used a blinking LED to simulate a MARS light on this C&O E7 from Williams.
I located it on top based on old film I'd seen where this mounting seemed most common - whatever, that's where I put mine  (!) Thinking ahead, I realized that the "blinking-light-supposed-to-be-a-MARS-light" thing might get old at some point so I provided an on/off switch for it.

Video:

-RM

Looks great, Ralph!!

NS6770Fan posted:

Just finished the control panel so that I can run trains in DCC or DC. It only took about 45 minutes, but we went railfanning for five hours so of course I had to do it later in the day. 

NS6770,

Is your layout 2 Rail?

Dave

I finally started up again.

a couple of days of getting 3 semi hollow doors with homosote up and fastened. My former layout which was sold with all the trains and accessories has been on my mind since 2006. It was a good feeling To get this preliminary foundation stuff done.

sorry for the fuzzy photo.

laid out some of my freshly altered,  cut 022 switches to fit a hollow door layout with tubular track and 031 curves.

made good use of the weekend thus far. 

Going to fit some track on table number two now.

more installments to come. No more procrastination. Some layout (revisited) is more fun then none.

Leroof

I finally started up again.

a couple of days of getting 3 semi hollow doors with homosote up and fastened. My former layout which was sold with all the trains and accessories has been on my mind since 2006. It was a good feeling To get this preliminary foundation stuff done.

sorry for the fuzzy photo.

laid out some of my freshly altered,  cut 022 switches to fit a hollow door layout with tubular track and 031 curves.

made good use of the weekend thus far. 

Going to fit some track on table number two now.

more installments to come. No more procrastination. Some layout (revisited) is more fun then none.

Leroof

Looks like cutting some rail to custom fit will be next.

Leroof, It is good to see someone else who has been without a layout for a while get a good start on one!  Looks like easy cuts, then some wires, and then trains can roll!!

Mark, my former layout is in the process of being reborn.

However, I will alter the  original former plan in table number three. I am getting excited now.

Accessories, plasticville and trains are standby.

Leroof posted:

Mark, my former layout is in the process of being reborn.

However, I will alter the  original former plan in table number three. I am getting excited now.

 

 

Ah ha!  Now I understand.

Got the last thing wired back in after the downtown/passenger terminal redo: the signals. I also covered the gap below the downtown area (where all the wiring is hidden). 

I know I am not going to get everyone, with having 286 emails to go threw but here is a shot.

Ralph, Love the flashing light! Great idea with the on / off switch!

Paul, the building flats look great ! They should blend right in once your done with them!

Lou, You layout sure is coming to life! Love all the lights, keep up the great work!

Leroof, welcome back! Looks like you have a wonderful start! Please keep posting as you go along!

As for me nothing train related this weekend, I had to work at the family store helping the wife, then time for the grandkids. By the end of the night I was done!

Just for your enjoyment a picture of my weekend!

returning cattle cars to the stockyard....

Looks like fun! You sure have a great looking layout, every picture is a new adventure!

mike g. posted:

Looks like fun! You sure have a great looking layout, every picture is a new adventure!

Thanks Mike!

Mike, the store looks like a happening place!  Out near the wTer, I take it?  It looks like it’s in a location I would just like to pull up an Adirondack chair and enjoy the outdoors!!  

Mark Boyce posted:

Mike, the store looks like a happening place!  Out near the wTer, I take it?  It looks like it’s in a location I would just like to pull up an Adirondack chair and enjoy the outdoors!!  

Yep Mark, right next to the water! The old cars are from the guys that come in every morning for coffee! The blue dot is where the store is located!

Great Mike!!  I’m ready; as soon as we get all the family obligations taken care of.  That might be 10 years from now!  I think they will all outlive us!  ;-)

mike g. posted:

I know I am not going to get everyone, with having 286 emails to go threw but here is a shot.

Ralph, Love the flashing light! Great idea with the on / off switch!

Paul, the building flats look great ! They should blend right in once your done with them!

Lou, You layout sure is coming to life! Love all the lights, keep up the great work!

Leroof, welcome back! Looks like you have a wonderful start! Please keep posting as you go along!

As for me nothing train related this weekend, I had to work at the family store helping the wife, then time for the grandkids. By the end of the night I was done!

Just for your enjoyment a picture of my weekend!

Are you sure this place exists?  It looks like some of your excellent modeling.  Too bad that you had to work.  It also looks like a nice place to hang out.  Great cars too!

No fun days yet. Yard work is still king. Over the weekend though I managed to place an order with Scenic Express. And after my building flats arrived I place another order with Mr Muffin for more building flats. And off the Bay I found another Weaver flat car with trailer and a pair of die cast Weaver trucks and couplers. Waiting for this stuff to get here. Mike, hope you find some inexpensive dimmable  lighting.  And I am with Mark. I would have no problem sitting in front of the store in a nice comfortable Adirondack chair. GANDYDANCER1950, nice scene...........Paul 

Thanks Ted and Paul, I sure it exists, I am heading there soon for my shift, so the wife can come home~! Its a nice little place, lot of great people. The guys that come in for coffee helped do my slab for the train room, so it only cost me the price of the mud and the wife made them breakfast a few times when they came into the store for coffee! What a deal!

That’s a deal!!!

Spent yesterday planning the kitbashed building for the Mine Run module...  Using (2) Lionel Electrical Substation kits and (1)  Lionel Municipal Building that I had already assembled.....  Got 99% of the parts cut on the table saw, and finalized the layout.    Been removing windows from the existing building and priming all the brick work today.   

Chris, that is going to be one interesting building. Nice work.............Paul

So table number two is up and running! I cut the necessary fill in custom pieces and track /switch tweaking is happening. Need to do some wiring and get the track screws in, and make sure the transitions are as smooth as possible. It was a joy to see Lionel FA make multiple return loops on the two tables. History repeats itself, the pendulum has swung! 

Chris, that’s going to be a substantial building when done!

Leroof, keep up the good work!

This is the overview of this layout thus far. It will be PW Lionel type as it was formerly.

interesting to note that this plan had its origins in Peter Riddle's  designs offering an operators  maximum action in a minimum space, giving the operator a variety of routes over which the trains can travel. Each loop has a reverse loop in it a train can travel continuously from table to table,  reversing direction via those loops, without operator intervention. This  is the beauty of Lionel 022 in full swing.

just add some sidings and speciality track for accessory action.  It worked flawlessly in the former layout.  The modification may include an additional foot with on the table number three. More photos as progress is pursued.

Btw: Thank you for such an interesting read on all of Your projects.

Mark Boyce posted:

Chris, that’s going to be a substantial building when done!

Leroof, keep up the good work!

Seriously! 

Chris, would love to see a track plan of your layout! Super interesting how you complete each module from bench work through scenery before moving on to the next module. It really makes the layout look complete as you go along!

Not much for me. I just got back to the good ol'  US of A from Europe, yesterday. This is why none of you have seen much from me for the last three weeks.

We flew to London, then went to Paris, Normandy, then Spain, Portugal, and Italy. Yes, I rode trains, there, too, including the Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel and passenger trains through Normandy.

These are photos at two of my favorite places, as I was walking up Omaha Beach, and later in front of the church at Sainte-Mère-Église, Normandy, France (thanks to the photo skills of my ever-patient wife). I've been wanting to get there for most of my life. Anyone who has followed my posts or articles in the hobby press over the last year can imagine how special these places are to me.

My former layout was full of life photo taken 2005.

as the original plan was primarily for one engine operation, I added live catenary for the electrics. 

I still have the poles so I may engage half the layout with live wires.

anyway nice to rebuild this again. It will be simplified with more visual space.

back to humble beginings .

My Standard gauge loop developed a short but finally found it and repaired same. New Chinese rail made  with soft insulating material on the center rail. Replaced it. This is about the 5th or 6th one. Going to look for better made track.

Paul and Mark,  Thanks for the kind words.... Just finished doing some of the mortar work after the different brick colors and the clear coat dried.   

Atanz:  As I am not sure whether I will move again, I am designing and building this layout in modules that I can disassemble and move.   Going to be 60 this summer, and having to start over from scratch is not an option.   The modules aren't uniform in size or shape, but after my dad passed away, my son and I were able to move the 3 modules from my home to his condo and got them set up in short order.    I will try to take some overhead photos as I did about 2 years ago when asked about the overall layout.    I may also elect to shoot a short walk around video, just can't do it right now as I have layout/scenery construction stuff all over the place.   The coal mine and the mine run modules will be difficult to get to, so I really want to get the scenery work done back there.   I did build a lift out removable section in the coal mine mountain is there is ever a derailment up there on one of the sidings....  The table going in front of the mine run grade will only be 32 inches deep so I could potentially get to it in an emergency without having to levitate !!

 I was working in the prior version of RR Track software, but kind of deviated in a few places and never went back to update the cad file..... What I have so far is roughly 23 x 28 feet,  no curves less than 096, up to 0120 in alot of areas,  2 levels currently, plus the mine run is about 6 inches above the upper level.   All the backdrops are 1/8 inch masonite and are hanging on a simple rail system I made.   

For the most part the wiring is modular as well, critical modules have local sub control panels which would travel with the module, this kept vast amounts of wiring for signals and switches and sidings from having to cross long distances.  I also wired all my block signals with plugs and the relay panels are close to where the signals are, so the signals can be unplugged and packed up without too much pain.

Lee,

It's fitting that you were able to visit those hallowed places around the Memorial Day Holiday. I'm sure that's an experience you will never forget.

chris a posted:

Spent yesterday planning the kitbashed building for the Mine Run module...  Using (2) Lionel Electrical Substation kits and (1)  Lionel Municipal Building that I had already assembled.....  Got 99% of the parts cut on the table saw, and finalized the layout.    Been removing windows from the existing building and priming all the brick work today.   

 

Chris, that is going to be one big station! The work you doing just looks amazing! I can't wait to see the finished building!

Lee, Its nice to see you able to visit places like that with your background and with all the military stuff you collect and how you model it in your layout! I am very happy for you and glad you enjoyed your trip!

LEROOF, you sure are moving at a fast pace! Thing are coming together so fast, Keep up the nice work!

Chris, there is a lot of wisdom in building in modules.  I don’t plan to move, but having moved several times in the past, it could happen again.  I plan to build my layout modular.  Of course the chances of finding a space the same shape and size are slim, but I could use choice parts.  Making the wiring modular is a great idea too!

Chris, take your time working on the layout before cleaning up certain areas so we can see an overall photograph representation!

Pat Kn posted:

Lee,

It's fitting that you were able to visit those hallowed places around the Memorial Day Holiday. I'm sure that's an experience you will never forget.

Yep, it meant a great deal to me, and was at the top of my bucket list of places I still hadn't been to.

Trains were cool, too, though I didn't see ONE model train store the entire time I was there...

Cris A, Your rolling-hillsides behind are very nice, also, very realistic.

FrankM

FrankM -  thanks for the compliments on the rolling hillside, I will pass your comment along to my daughter who painted them for me....  She's really talented and I am blessed to have a 21 year old who likes to help me do scenery on the layout....   Before she left for her summer internship she painted,  spray glued and put flock and leaves on an entire box of Super Trees for me.   

Making continued progress on this kitbash.... I am thinking it's going to be machine shop for heavy machinery repair ...  main customer - the mine is right up the road.  

I really have to start adapting the "good enough" philosophy, instead of the "perfectionist approach"   I ended up with 3 different brick colors, then seal it, then 2 different shades of mortar, then seal it again....   

Hope to start weathering windows, build the flat roof, and the clapboard "bump out" for the 2nd floor of the main 3 story building tomorrow.   Then it's on to the oak loading dock about 26 total inches in length x 1 3/4 " wide,  at least I have all the oak stock cut for it.   

Now, that's progress, Chris A !!!!

Chris, I adopted the good enough approach on my current layout. Actually the very basic

good enough. Grass is green paint, ballast is black paint, road is grey paint. Mine is  54 x 80,

O34 loop, O27 loop, one siding, a bunch of prewar cardboard buildings. Some garage sale trees.

I don't have many visitors so this is for my benefit and I am happy with it. Yours looks great,

good luck with it.  Oh yeah and a couple of dozen flamingos!!

My layout is 4 x 16 and occupies one half of my two-car garage in southwest Florida; it consists of an outer loop of 042 Gargraves with an inner loop of 036 Fastrack. The garage is not air-conditioned so I only put the layout up for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays when the humidity is low. Having recently decided to change from Super O track to Fastrack on the inner loop this coming season, I needed to do a revision to my previous track plan and village layout.  What you see in the pictures is a “dry fit” for the upcoming season. The buildings are all Department 56 Snow Village pieces with a Plasticville crossing shanty and switch tower. 

Although I appreciate and enjoy prototypical hi-rail layouts, my heart is with the postwar Lionel trains of the late 40s and early 50s which bring back memories of the simpler and more innocent times of my youth.  All my motive power have mechanical e units with the exception of a pair of MTH D&H Alco PAs released in 1998. Travel back in time to 1974 and indulge me in a little whimsy where the O&W didn’t give up the ghost in 1957 and was still using a venerable pair of GM cab units and the Erie didn't merge with the Lackawanna and kept a couple of serviceable Alco FAs on its roster.  The D&H did run an employee excursion in the fall of 1974 out of Hudson Yard that terminated near Scranton; head end power was a pair of D&H Also PAs pulling a consist of D&H streamlined cars used on the Adirondack.  I was on that excursion with my wife, son, mother and my father who worked at that time as an engineer out of Green Ridge, and I had the honor of sitting in the right hand side of the cab of one of the PAs before the northbound run.  And no, I wasn’t allowed to blow the horn.

An early fall snow storm in 1974 hasn’t dampened the spirits of the folks on a Delaware & Hudson employee excursion. The excursion originated in Wilkes-Barre’s Hudson Yard where employees and their families were treated to a buffet lunch served in the head end baggage car before travelling north to Carbondale. D&H celebrity PAs, #s17 and 19, have been turned on the Carbondale wye and are back on the point for the return trip to Hudson Yard.  As the PAs prepare to depart, a pair of Alco brethren Erie FAs rumble past with an abbreviated northbound coal drag of Lackawanna, D&H and O&W two bay hoppers filled with northeastern Pennsylvania anthracite; since the consist today is a short one there’s no need for a helper on the Penn Division’s tough grade between Carbondale, Forest City and Ararat.  Meanwhile, O&W F3s, 821 and 822 are preparing to deliver a hopper of malt purchased from Wilkes-Barre’s Stegmaier beer for micro brewer Fell Brewery, an O&W milk car for Mulholland’s, a local ice cream factory as well as a reefer of Wyoming Valley kielbasa, Mrs. T’s pierogi, and other goodies for the residents of Carbondale and Simpson, its neighbor town to the north.  These pix taken by me with my phone camera; hope to have more and better pix tomorrow when my granddaughter comes to visit and take some pix with her Canon.

Nice layout. Occasionally I get discouraged looking at all the massive, fantastically detailed layouts on here.

Then I just have to realize that that is out of my income bracket, and being handicapped, now out of

my skill set. These guys are all doing great and I enjoy looking at their layouts. Guess I gotta just make

some friends so I can pack up my prewar streamliners and run them at at lightspeed on one of 

these layouts. I'll put that on my bucket list.

Chris, I am sure whatever you make it its going to be great! Just one question, are you going to make all the roof's the same as to seam the building was all built at the same time, or leave as add on's?

Chris side note, your right about the lighting!

Coal, that sure is a nice garage layout! Must be a lot of work to put it up and take it down!

Mike  I am going to have different roof profiles.   Some time back I had seen some photos of kit-bashed and scratch-built buildings on Norm Charbonneau's layout.   Norm is a fellow OGR forum member.   His work is outstanding.   Anyway, I asked him to send me some additional photos of a similar building combination that he did, and he was nice enough to forward me 3 great photos. 

I liked his work on this project so much, I figured I'd eventually find a prominent place on my layout to build something similar....  Copies of the photos Norm C sent me are below.

Leroof posted:

So table number two is up and running! I cut the necessary fill in custom pieces and track /switch tweaking is happening. Need to do some wiring and get the track screws in, and make sure the transitions are as smooth as possible. It was a joy to see Lionel FA make multiple return loops on the two tables. History repeats itself, the pendulum has swung! 

I have a pretty elaborate layout that I’m working on but when I see pictures like this with platforms and tubular track it takes me back to the good ole days. Great job and we can tell you are having a great time. If I had a bigger basement I’d add a layout like yours.

Nice pictures Chris, I now see where you going with this! Its going to be a great addition to your layout!

Norm does great work!  Chris, I can see how you are interested in the general layout of his building and where you are going with yours.  

Today I got two of my four packages compliments of Mr. Postman. Found another Weaver TOFC on the Bay and my order from Scenic Express came. Still to come another set of Weaver die cast trucks and the rest of the building flats to start working on my brewery. Tonight for the first time in a while the wife will be watching her Cavs and I'll have a chance to finally get back to the layout. Since I finished off the area  where the two sidings are with scenery I now have no where to work on any projects so for right now I am going to take measurements to put a sturdy pull out piece of plywood from the edge of the table for a work bench. Pics..............Paul

Cool TOFC car Paul. Gonna need one of these to pull it.

At least the Cavs made the Finals so you get at least 4 more games. I lived about 5 minutes from Amityville for a while when I got married.

Bob

Ran trains last night for about twenty minutes.  Added some fifty ton hopper cars to my call train and put a B & O SW 9 on the point. Enjoyed every moment too!   Took a few photos the other night too.

RSJB18 posted:

Cool TOFC car Paul. Gonna need one of these to pull it.

At least the Cavs made the Finals so you get at least 4 more games. I lived about 5 minutes from Amityville for a while when I got married.

Bob

Is this Amityville where the Horror came from??  I never watched it.

Yes, Paul, you are really racking up a real train of those piggyback cars!! 

Mike, I never know most of the time how they are going to ship to me until I get the email to say how it is coming. Mark, just when I think I am done buying a Weaver TOFC along comes another one and I can't say no. It is more like I gotta have it. Bob, that is a nice looking engine but on the basement layout the roads will be TH&B, South Buffalo and Buffalo Creek. The game is on and here I am on the internet looking for bargains. ............Paul

Mark Boyce posted:

RSJB18 posted:

Cool TOFC car Paul. Gonna need one of these to pull it.

At least the Cavs made the Finals so you get at least 4 more games. I lived about 5 minutes from Amityville for a while when I got married.

Bob

Is this Amityville where the Horror came from??  I never watched it.

Yes, Paul, you are really racking up a real train of those piggyback cars!! 

Yep- the same. The house is still there. Every once and a while it will go up for sale and the local news will run the same old stories about it.

How about that, Bob!  Yes, I can imagine the news people latching onto something like that.  

This Williams GG-1 is now sporting an LED headlight & class/maker lights. The class/marker lights on a GG-1 are a little tricky in that they have a side-facing and forward-facing component.

Did you use 1 or 2 LED's?

modeltrainsparts posted:

Did you use 1 or 2 LED's?

It's one LED with two holes for the light to shine through.  The LED actually  mounts facing the side and the direction-facing side is just another hole at a 90 degree angle to the 1st.  Simple enough but Williams installs red lenses on every corner of the locomotive. The side lens comes out and gets replaced with the shaft of the LED. The extra red lens is not a problem on the  "red" end of the locomotive but has to come out on the "green" end.  Williams quality control being what it is/was, sometimes these little lens just pop out and sometimes they're a real pain to get out and usually must be very carefully drilled out . I've done a bunch of Williams stuff so far and sometimes these factory marker lights lenses are just pressed in and sometimes they've been glued. 

-RM

Latest from the Razorback Traction Co. shops: A Mister Rogers tribute trolley! 

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...gers-tribute-trolley

Mitch

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Latest from the Razorback Traction Co. shops: A Mister Rogers tribute trolley! 

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...gers-tribute-trolley

Mitch

Mitch;

Looks like Shop Superintendent Norma B. is slacking off... your depot could use a good dusting. She needs to get Fortesque busy with the (flamingo) feather duster   

Very nice Trolley 🚋 🚋 🚋

That's not dust, it's PATINA!  

Mitch 

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

That's not dust, it's PATINA!  

Mitch 

One of the major spots on my layout is what I call Brickerville.  Today Brickerville got a basic clean up and a big expansion...

Before

After

beardog posted:

Nice layout. Occasionally I get discouraged looking at all the massive, fantastically detailed layouts on here.

Then I just have to realize that that is out of my income bracket, and being handicapped, now out of

my skill set. These guys are all doing great and I enjoy looking at their layouts. Guess I gotta just make

some friends so I can pack up my prewar streamliners and run them at at lightspeed on one of 

these layouts. I'll put that on my bucket list.

I am with you, brother! When I came back into the hobby (after several years down under), I thought that an 8x8 table with a couple of main lines and 12 turnouts would be impressive. Then I joined OGR Forum and was disabused of that notion!  Truly, what some of these modelers have done is simply amazing. 

I am reminded, however, of the notion that any layout is a great layout if it captures your dreams and attends to "unfinished childhood business" (or, as I say in session with my patients, "un-fun-ished business," which is what a bucket list is for!). 

Dr. Joe 

Chris A, 

Wow, your layoutis really coming to life, looking very good. I have been away from the forum do to a trip to So. Korea. I will go back a few pages and try to catch up on the progress of many nice layouts. Thanks for posting your building, a really beautiful one, and I will be adding pictures soon. Happy Railroading.

Welcome back from South Korea, Larry!!!!

Z Stuff DZ-1010 Set Crossing Gate & Pair of Block Signal Detectors

Today I wired up a crossing gate, did all the soldering on the portable workbench before installing on the layout.

This video shows the testing procedures on my portable workbench.

Gary

geez, I thought every one knew what patina is

just ask flea market freddie, antique annie, estate sale esther, picker peter. 

"That's not rust, it's PATINA"

"Trains were cool, too, though I didn't see ONE model train store the entire time I was there..."

Well, you have to go to TOY stores.

p51 posted:

Not much for me. I just got back to the good ol'  US of A from Europe, yesterday. This is why none of you have seen much from me for the last three weeks.

We flew to London, then went to Paris, Normandy, then Spain, Portugal, and Italy. Yes, I rode trains, there, too, including the Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel and passenger trains through Normandy.

These are photos at two of my favorite places, as I was walking up Omaha Beach, and later in front of the church at Sainte-Mère-Église, Normandy, France (thanks to the photo skills of my ever-patient wife). I've been wanting to get there for most of my life. Anyone who has followed my posts or articles in the hobby press over the last year can imagine how special these places are to me.

Fantastic memories!  One of those rare times that you want memories to go on forever.

I hitch-hiked the Normandy area in 1966 ... just 22 years after the landings.  Slept on Omaha in a bag.  Walked extensively through St. Lo and Ste. Mere Eglise as did you.  There were many still alive then who lived through WWII and the June-August, 1945, period.

Things I wouldn't change for anything.  Not even free O Gauge trains.  LOL!  

Added ties and painted my tubular track and now am adding ballast.  Tried kitty litter (no good),  tried chicken grit (too big),  and finally chick grit which Im happy with.  I may add a little ink to tone down the color a bit, but for now I like it.  Also got a "Sarges Supply" quonset hut from "Cars" off Amazon pretty cheap for my junk yard and am sprucing up the landscaping around it so it doesnt look quite so toy like.  Thanks for looking!

- Nick

Looking good Nick! how big is your layout? I see you have 2 transformers must be bigger then what your showing!

Thanks!  Its really not big at all,  8 x 8.  Only one of the transformers is in use.

-Nick

trainroomgary posted:

Z Stuff DZ-1010 Set Crossing Gate & Pair of Block Signal Detectors

Today I wired up a crossing gate, did all the soldering on the portable workbench before installing on the layout.

This video shows the testing procedures on my portable workbench.

Gary

Gary, Very nice demonstration.  I do not understand you mean by your last sentence about the little black thing to shield the tracks better. 

Mark Boyce posted:

Gary, Very nice demonstration.  I do not understand you mean by your last sentence about the little black thing to shield the tracks better. 

Hi Mark:

Sorry for the poor sentence structure at the end. I noticed the error but if this was a YouTube video, i would have cleaned it up in the editing process. Just shot it on my iPhone and sent it in as a raw mp4 file to be used with the OGR video player.

I should have said: The electric sensor in the black base of the slave & master crossing gates must be aligned.

Below is the diagram from Z-Stuff.

Gary

Gary, Okay, now I see what you were referring to.  I watched it twice wondering where the sensor was "hidden" when you placed your hand in front of it.  Excellent update!!  Thank you!  I don't know that I will ever use ones with gates, because in rural areas where my layout will be set there were no gates, just flashing lights or crossbucks with no lights at all.  Of course the ones with just flashing lights would have to use the same sensing mechanism as the gates.

My dies cast trucks came yesterday. Today I washed up the Korber flats to make them ready for paint. The rest of the flats are suppose to get here Monday. At least I got that done. Tomorrow  I have to get a couple of 1 X 4's. Thought I had one so I have to get them so I can start my pull out shelf under the table top. .........Paul

I think I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel, and I am not hearing any whistle blowing.....   Just got the last pieces of the scratch-built loading dock glued up and had to take some photos before I call it a night.    Spent at least 1/3 rd of my time making jigs to cut and assemble all the parts for the dock, but without the jigs, I'd never have gotten it done.   

LeapinLarry, thanks for the kind words.  Welcome back from S. Korea, that had to be an interesting trip with all that's been going on the past couple of months.   

Paul,  looks and sounds like your making progress.   

Today; I am still working on the installation of Z-Stuff for Trains, Crossing Gates. (DZ-1010)

This video is a time test on the crossing gates. Checking to see if the gates go down and stay down until the last car in the train passes the railroad crossing.

Gary

Wow, Elliott, the nail in the toe had to really hurt, please do what the doctor says, get well soon. One day working on my layout, I ran a drill bit right through my index finger, I cannot tellnyou how much pain it was, but, it hurt bad. I simply wrapped up my hand and went to my doctor.  So, be Careful....

Chris A, Your mine area looks real. I am glad to see so much talent displayed here on this thread. Great pictures, I like the 3759 in the distance.  Wow...Your eye for detail is very evident. Keep us posted....

Lou1985, your roads look great, the trains beneath look great, keep the pictures coming, very nice work....

ROSS, I like your tunnel transformations, and the color scheme you’ve chosen. I really like the way you have the signals set up to. Please add pictures as you do more work. Nice scenery, looks really good.

STPAUL, I like your comments, always Positive.

Mike, how is your new train room coming along. I really like your carpentry work. Be careful, keep us tuned in....

Mark Boyce, I like the pictures of your new layout and also your positive remarks on many of the above comments and pictures.  This makes this forum a lot of fun to watch. This is a great hobby, great people, simply a lot of fun people, exchanging ideas in a fun way.  Happy Railroading.  

trainroomgary posted:

Today; I am still working on the installation of Z-Stuff for Trains, Crossing Gates. (DZ-1010)

This video is a time test on the crossing gates. Checking to see if the gates go down and stay down until the last car in the train passes the railroad crossing.

Gary

Looks good Gary. I had to go with the Lionel's 153IR Controller because of where the crossing was located on my layout. Now I have to get bell sounds for when the gates go down.

Larry,  Thank you!!  Have you seen where I was just granted the family room where my Ceiling Central RR is.  Twice the space!  My wife finally realized we didn’t need three sitting rooms now that we are empty nesters.  I didn’t rap a hint either!  

I’ve seen photographs of a couple of those places in Seoul.  A young woman from our church taught English there for a couple years, and a classmate of one of our daughters has been over there since they got out of college; Wow it’s been 5 years now.  Both are great young people!!

Received my repaired Standard gauge motor yesterday from the repairman. Needed new wheels & the reverse fixed so I took the "loaner" motor out of the Lionel 380 and put the repaired motor back in. Then put the "loaner" back in the #8. All run well.  Emptied the last moving carton I had, removed two  3 car sets of Ives Standard gauge passenger cars  The original paint is faded and flaking but keeping the original. Wiped them all down with the cleanng towelettes. Will oil the wheels and run them this week.

         night shift...

Paul, it sure sounds like your moving right along! See that's what happens when your inside instead of being outside with yard work! LOL

Chris the building and loading dock are looking very nice! I cant wait to see the finished product!

Gary, Nice job on the gates they look wonderful ! Do the lights on the arms also flash when all hooked up?

Larry, looks like you had a nice trip ! Did you peak into N. Korea? LOL  The train room is slow and I have to give my dentist some of the money saved for the train room. Oh well there is always next paycheck!

Brian, More and more trains! The pictures of the different trains and the amount of them makes the normal persons head spin! LOL Nice pictures one again!

Ran Canadian National...

          that is a really great scene there, backdrop blends in really nice !!

mike g. posted:

 

Gary, Nice job on the gates they look wonderful ! Do the lights on the arms also flash when all hooked up?

 

Hi Mike: Thanks for watching & commenting on the video, about the Z-Stuff Crossing Gates. No lights on the arms, but there is a Green & Red light on both of the approaching dwarf signals. I would recommend any item made by Z-Stuff. I have several of their track side signals. 3 - Color Signal DZ-5050 also the Upper Quadrant Flag Signal DZ-1040.  I have also talk to the owner Dennis.

Just last month I had a visitor to my train room, who I met on the OGR Forum. A husband and wife team.  They told me they have also been to your train room.  Here is the tip. Him and his wife have traveled the world in a sailboat. 

Gary

GANDYDANCER, I'm with you. CN, one of my favorites too. Suppose to rain here this afternoon so I ran out to the Depot to get the wood I needed for making my work table. So with with the possibility of rain and the wife having a game tonight I should be able to get some train work done................Paul

trainroomgary posted:

mike g. posted:

 

Gary, Nice job on the gates they look wonderful ! Do the lights on the arms also flash when all hooked up?

 

Hi Mike: Thanks for watching & commenting on the video, about the Z-Stuff Crossing Gates. No lights on the arms, but there is a Green & Red light on both of the approaching dwarf signals. I would recommend any item made by Z-Stuff. I have several of their track side signals. 3 - Color Signal DZ-5050 also the Upper Quadrant Flag Signal DZ-1040.  I have also talk to the owner Dennis.

Just last month I had a visitor to my train room, who I met on the OGR Forum. A husband and wife team.  They told me they have also been to your train room.  Here is the tip. Him and his wife have traveled the world in a sailboat. 

Gary

You have me stumped Gary,  as my train room is not completed! But I did meet a nice couple at the family store!

trainroomgary posted:

mike g. posted:

You have me stumped Gary,  as my train room is not completed! But I did meet a nice couple at the family store!

I just e-mail you their names.

Gary

Yep Gary, very nice couple! Was a joy visiting with them!

Got all my wood measured so I can cut it tomorrow for the pull out table top. Spent the better part of the evening getting the flashing  out of the window openings on the Korber flats. Working on the last flat. The plastic in the windows is fairly thick. Razor knife couldn't cut through it. So I got a drill and started drilling a lot of holes around the edge so I can punch it out then clean up what's left with the razor knife. Had to take a break I was going crossed eyed. Tomorrow the rest of the flats are coming. I'm glad I didn't wait to d this all at once..............Paul

I’m looking forward to the pull out table top!  Yes I can see you would get buggy eyed!  I hate trimming window flashing.  You have to be so careful 

Paul, I am sure by morning your eyes will be back to normal! But I cant wait to see what you have been doing! Are you sure your not watching Basketball?

Finished my control panel and began laying down some ballast!