Did more work on the town scene.

Dave

LUVINDEMTRAINS, Very effective configuring and good looking buildings combined very nicely. I like where you are taking that cityscape a whole lot.

FrankM

                               a little more Santa Fe...  very nice day out...

Moonson posted:

LUVINDEMTRAINS, Very effective configuring and good looking buildings combined very nicely. I like where you are taking that cityscape a whole lot.

FrankM

Frank, 

I appreciate positive feedback from wherever it comes but coming from you, my friend, solidifies that I am on the right track(pun intended). Thanks!

Dave

Mark Boyce posted:

RSJB18 posted:

Elliot- funny story about the Tide jug- even more amazing that you found that photo among the 1,000's you have taken and shared with us over the years.

Those pods are no laughing matter. I've sen many stories over the years of young children being poisoned (some fatally) from ingesting them. They look like candy to them with the bright colors. The Mfr's are finally putting them in child-proof packaging.
Hope the toe keeps healing up. BALLAST ON!

Bob

You are right about all of that, Bob!  New items need to sometimes revise the packaging and state the threat more completely.  I was thinking about locally a high school kid was hospitalized for eating them, and I thought why would you do such a thing?

You would do such a thing because you thought you’d get high.........

It’s a shame people feel the need to alter their mind and escape reality by using drugs/chemicals. 

All we need is our trains.

Mike

Guitarmike posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

You are right about all of that, Bob!  New items need to sometimes revise the packaging and state the threat more completely.  I was thinking about locally a high school kid was hospitalized for eating them, and I thought why would you do such a thing?

You would do such a thing because you thought you’d get high.........

Mike

As I know it, the Tide Pod thing was one of those YouTube challenges.  Bite it open and try not to swallow-- while filming yourself.  The internet is full of stupid ideas like that. 

I'm lucky cameras weren't as accessible when I was young and dumb.  Plus the challenges weren't as bad.  I tried the Saltine Challenge and almost tried the Gallon of Milk challenge back in the 90s.  The "fold a paper in half 10 times" challenge made me angry. I tried so hard to win that one. 

Luvindemtrains:   I totally agree with FrankM's comments above on your city scene...  Excellent layout of the buildings and roads... Provides some very interesting views under the deck and through truss bridge.....   Keep posting photos....    I have one of those Davenport Dept. stores, but it's never been out of the box, as I haven't built that part of the layout yet...   Great job !

chris a posted:

Luvindemtrains:   I totally agree with FrankM's comments above on your city scene...  Excellent layout of the buildings and roads... Provides some very interesting views under the deck and through truss bridge.....   Keep posting photos....    I have one of those Davenport Dept. stores, but it's never been out of the box, as I haven't built that part of the layout yet...   Great job !

Thank you kindly Chris! 

briansilvermustang posted:

Alco PA's in Santa Fe livery - can't get any better!   Thanks Brian!

Dave

There has been time at the workbench lately for finishing some projects left hanging,

First off, this presumed Walthers express reefer kit from the doorstop era.  It had been previously assembled and came with high speed trucks fashioned from wood.  After stripping the original brush job I primed it and re-glued the door hardware.  All the extra brass details were scratchbuilt and a  set of appropriate style MTH trucks mounted.  After some test time on the layout it returns to the shelf for some future paint work and decoration.

Next up was a return to a totally scratchbuilt N6b cabin car.  Had a little accident to fix before progress could be made.  The claw does look way out of place but is needed for my operation...easily swapped out for Kadees.  End railings were a real PITA.

Will probably continue to finish this project now that I'm reinvigorated.   Stay tuned.

Bruce

brwebster posted:

There has been time at the workbench lately for finishing some projects left hanging,

First off, this presumed Walthers express reefer kit from the doorstop era.  It had been previously assembled and came with high speed trucks fashioned from wood.  After stripping the original brush job I primed it and re-glued the door hardware.  All the extra brass details were scratchbuilt and a  set of appropriate style MTH trucks mounted.  After some test time on the layout it returns to the shelf for some future paint work and decoration.

Next up was a return to a totally scratchbuilt N6b cabin car.  Had a little accident to fix before progress could be made.  The claw does look way out of place but is needed for my operation...easily swapped out for Kadees.  End railings were a real PITA.

Will probably continue to finish this project now that I'm reinvigorated.   Stay tuned.

Bruce

Bruce, Great post!!  Thanks for sharing your wonderful project.

Dave

I have to take my layout down, we are moving. 

John Pignatelli JR. posted:

I have to take my layout down, we are moving. 

John,

I'm sorry to hear this. I dread the day I have to do that, even if my new space will accommodate another layout. Will you be building another layout in your new move?

Dave

Dave, The city streets going uphill to different levels makes for an interesting realistic scene.  It reminds me of an N scale town I built before either of our girls were born.  Now they are out of college, married, and long out of the house.  Since nothing is flat around here, I will have to follow suit once again on my new layout!

Brian, The Santa Fes look great!!

Bruce, I can't even come up with the words to express what a wonderful job I think you did on that caboose!!!  I will have to let Frank M write it for me!!! 

John, I am sorry to read you have to take your layout down.  I know how discouraged I felt when it happened to me.  Sometimes am discouraged about how long it has taken me to get to the place where I can start building something that is remotely comparable to what I had over 25 years ago.  I don't think you or I have that many years left in us again, so I hope you can join me in getting a new layout planned and start construction of an even better layout!  

John Pignatelli JR. posted:

I have to take my layout down, we are moving. 

Argh... I can relate, we are moving too. My wife says "why are you spending time in the train room, it's just gonna have to come down", but I she doesn't realize new engines have to be tested, those telephone pole kits I've had for 20 yrs need assembled, etc. Anyway I'm not taking it down until we list the house, and that happens after her business is sold, so in the meantime......  But good luck in your move John, heading south ? 

Dave, your town is looking good. The mix works well. And the different angles you took the pics at make for some good scenes. Tonight I had a small window while doing laundry so I started painting the concrete on some of the flats. But that is it till I get back from visiting the kids and grand kids. Pics.............Paul

The flats look great Paul!

Lovindemtrains, Great looking town! The different buildings and placements make it a joy to look back in time! Keep up the great work!

Brian, Nice Santa Fa collection! You sure keep the bar high with all the engines and rolling stock!

Brwebstr, Great looking cars and what detail you put into them! Wonderful work!

John, I am sorry to here you have to take it down. I sure hope your new place has room for a future layout!

Paul, the flats are coming along nicely! I hope you have fun with the kids and grandkids! Enjoy the time with them you can!

Some nice modeling on display -thanks, I enjoy seeing it.  I have moved twice in one year and, at least, I anticipated the first one and my layout was on modules to take apart but there were damages and losses plus I sold a bunch of "extra" items to lighten the load. At least I am in Pa. with a lot of train stuff around. Yesterday  I dug out my lighted signals and plan to set them up. Some are home made and, sort of crude, but I enjoy the colored lights. I used a string of Xmas mini-lights, red & green, two to a pole with a large washer painted black. The pole is 1/4"  iron pipe painted black with a 1/4" to 3/8"  reducer on the bottom as a base.  Crude but very cost effective.  Also swapped out a ZW for a better one. 

I gave this old Williams 18" Amtrak baggage car a make over. 

1) replaced interior "bayonet bulb" lighting with LED

2) This unit was always a poor tracker. Turns out, it needed a bunch of weight. It was too light. Weight added. Problem solved. 

3) The trucks were originally shiny/silver but I painted them black to match all my other Amtrak equipment. If I get tired of black I can always paint them silver again. 

4) Added red "tail lights" with an underside on/off switch. These look cool when this is the last car of the train. If it isn't, I can turn them off. 

Ralph, the car looks great! Mind if I ask what size LED's you used for the back of the car?

mike g. posted:

Ralph, the car looks great! Mind if I ask what size LED's you used for the back of the car?

2 mm

Managed to salvage my mine run road made of rigid pink styrene insulation... It was way too fragile after spray painting it with Camouflage "Sand" color..... Brush painted it with the same California AllFlor flooring paint I used on my train room concrete floor, then after it dried, weathered it with India Ink/Alcohol wash, then took the air brush out to blend and smooth the transitions....  

Been adding trees and vegetation to the hillside, not done yet, but I find it's better if I put things in place and come back the next day to finalize what trees belong where.  Then moved on to the rural gas station scene at the bottom of the mine run hill....  

so today I finally obtained that last left hand 022 to complete the classic shape figure 8 inside the oval with a return track for continuous running. Tomorrow I will run wire to power up the eleven 022's. and Sunday I will power up run a train between all three tables. It will be a special Father's Day. My daughter and granddaughter will run their trains too, one loco at a time. I will have to figure out how to do two train operation as a challenge.

What's In the next few weeks is running feeders, figuring out a couple of blocks, and where to place specialty tracks. 

Then placing  a couple of accessories and plasticville etc.

 I am excited about it!

Btw, sorry for the poor picture quality.

Will send better progress photo updates.

Fun looking layout great job keep it up

Ralph, thanks for the information!

Chris you layout is so great looking that I could see myself living there! It would be a nice little step back in time! Keep up the great work!

Leroof, looing good! I hope you have a wonderful time with your daughter and granddaughter on Fathers Day!

Great Pictures Brian! I really love the first 3 of the wooden bridge!

                             thanks Mike !!!

chris a posted:

Managed to salvage my mine run road made of rigid pink styrene insulation... It was way too fragile after spray painting it with Camouflage "Sand" color..... Brush painted it with the same California AllFlor flooring paint I used on my train room concrete floor, then after it dried, weathered it with India Ink/Alcohol wash, then took the air brush out to blend and smooth the transitions....  

Been adding trees and vegetation to the hillside, not done yet, but I find it's better if I put things in place and come back the next day to finalize what trees belong where.  Then moved on to the rural gas station scene at the bottom of the mine run hill....  

 

terrific work, (and photos)!

briansilvermustang posted:

                             thanks Mike !!!

chris a posted:

Managed to salvage my mine run road made of rigid pink styrene insulation... It was way too fragile after spray painting it with Camouflage "Sand" color..... Brush painted it with the same California AllFlor flooring paint I used on my train room concrete floor, then after it dried, weathered it with India Ink/Alcohol wash, then took the air brush out to blend and smooth the transitions....  

Been adding trees and vegetation to the hillside, not done yet, but I find it's better if I put things in place and come back the next day to finalize what trees belong where.  Then moved on to the rural gas station scene at the bottom of the mine run hill....  

 

Masterful results Chris!

Hooked up some Just Plug lights, added a hub to light up heliport.  put some more at lumber mill and sanding tower, also maintenance shed This system is great.

What looks like a UFO in the dark on my camera?

yep, eleven 022's lit via plug!

the layout will come to life on Father's Day!

Congratulations, Leroof!!!

Question about using Lionel 1033.

how can I use this transformer to run one train and use other posts(?) to power the 022's ?

thanks.

leroof

great  thanks to all for sharing your layout progress. It was so motivating that I rebuilt (simplified) my former PW Lionel layout. To all every, thanks for so many amazing shared moments of creativity. 

Have a great Father's day, if possible, run trains!

Thanks to everyone who left really positive comments and likes....  Kind of exhausted tonight or I'd mention all of you by name.....   A friend of mine agreed to help me get some work done today, ended up working close to 10 hours outside, so turning in for the night.    Happy Father's Day to all !   

Jushavnfun, Lighting changes everything! Turned out looking nice! Well done job!

Leroof, NICE! Have fun today!

Chris, Maybe you should take today off and relax for a little bit! You have been busting your rear on this layout! Take a breath and enjoy Fathers Day!

chris a posted:

Managed to salvage my mine run road made of rigid pink styrene insulation... It was way too fragile after spray painting it with Camouflage "Sand" color..... Brush painted it with the same California AllFlor flooring paint I used on my train room concrete floor, then after it dried, weathered it with India Ink/Alcohol wash, then took the air brush out to blend and smooth the transitions....  

Been adding trees and vegetation to the hillside, not done yet, but I find it's better if I put things in place and come back the next day to finalize what trees belong where.  Then moved on to the rural gas station scene at the bottom of the mine run hill....  

 

Looks great!

Well I got 6 ft of the ceiling up and 2 lights moved. I don't where you can get 200 sq ft of ceiling for $65.00. I like it and think I will do the entire basement ceiling with the stuff.Most important is the wife likes how it looks and the price the best. I will have to order 2 more rolls to finish this side of the basement but want to finish drywalling the HVAC ducting first. It really brightens up the room.

My son & two grandsons came over after church and we climbed the ladder to the train "loft" and ran some CNJ & EL trains loud and fast !  It was a good test for my trackwork & superelevation done with popsicle sticks !

Continued to paint the built up rock formations along the track.  Base coat done and highlights soon, maybe even tonight.  

Hi guys- Happy belated Fathers Day to all. Everyone is doing lot's of great stuff. I'm still doing yard work.......and not that kind of yard either.

Ran trains a bit this weekend . I was pinch hitting for Rich over on Switcher Saturday. If you missed it check out all the fun here

Had a little fun with my 3 MTH 0-4-0's

   gonna need a beer train out to the pool tonight,  a hot one out there today

Laying GG & Ross with a goal to eliminate the annoying track joint clicking noise.   I have been taking out all the track pins and just touching them on a fine grinding wheel to remove 99% of the centering tab.  Careful visual checking keeps the pin centered.

Meticulously trim all track pieces so as to have perfect touching interface for each rail end.

Second step is to taper file / chamfer the tops and inside edge of all of the rail head ends.  Considerable  noise elimination.

If anyone is looking to add some pizzaz to his/her layout while retaining realism, try reproducing the scene from this old photo. It was a runaway in 1895 at Gare Montparnasse in Paris:

Cheers!

oops

Thanks guys. Sorry I didn't post Friday, I had to hold my left arm still at dialysis, to keep the alarm from going off constantly. I've got an appointment to get that fixed on the 28th. Today things are going better. All quiet, just the way we like it!

Mike - I'm always happy when someone finds something they can use, in what I'm doing.

Bob - Finding the photo was easy. I have my files pretty well organized. That early stuff isn't in with the modern stuff from the last six years. When I started the layout, I picked a half dozen locations, from which to shoot. When I restarted construction, after a 5-1/2 year cancer break (the dark years), I changed my strategy as the aisles were closing in. Now I just take pictures of what I'm working on, with the occasional overview shot. As for the Tide pods, of course I was joking. What a bunch of stupid nonsense, all to get hits on YouTube. Do something constructive, DUMMIES!

Paul - My mind is always turning when it comes to finding junk to use for the layout. I had a box full of these little pine trees, which I bought thinking would use them at enterTRAINment. Never got around to it. They were cake decorations, and I found them at the surplus store, so I bought them all. I was going to have a hillside in the back corner where they could be viewed at a distance, so their small size worked in my favor. I have no use for them now, so I brought the box over to my Sunday get together, where there are a bunch of N scalers. Four guys took about half the box. I was happy to see them go to good homes. That was a few weeks ago. Yesterday, one of them brought over what he had made with them. I didn't have a camera with me, so I didn't get a picture. Let me just say, they were beautiful! He had taken them apart, flocked them with some WS, and reassembled them, using 2 or 3 of them to make one, and threaded the pieces onto painted bamboo skewers. They were the most magnificent tall pines I've seen in any scale. Fantastic detail in the plastic molding. KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here are some shots of Freddy. Gotta remember to let him breathe by loosening the blue cap.

In truth, my daughter is the better artist, but this is still cute after all these years.

Pig's Eye yard was full of cars, now it's almost empty.

Shoreham yard (upper deck) is mostly done. The mains near the backdrop are all that's left.

Working around from 35th Ave.

All glued here.

Almost all spread.

Saturday, I got the last section of mains painted at Pig's Eye.

I've got to get the ballast and glue dams in along here so I can finish.

The ballast is now connected, one small section left to glue.

While I had the airbrush out, I got in the hole and finished Cottage Grove.

I Hate to say it, but my son never went downstairs. He was too busy showing me his latest video game. We did have a nice lunch though. He's in Mark's neck of the woods today, and will be heading toward Paul tomorrow. He and his buddy are doing Halls of Fame. They did baseball and hockey already, and are moving on to football and rock and roll. Can't remember which day he's coming back, but his truck's in my driveway (dripping oil).

Tom Tee posted:

Laying GG & Ross with a goal to eliminate the annoying track joint clicking noise.   I have been taking out all the track pins and just touching them on a fine grinding wheel to remove 99% of the centering tab.  Careful visual checking keeps the pin centered.

Meticulously trim all track pieces so as to have perfect touching interface for each rail end.

Second step is to taper file / chamfer the tops and inside edge of all of the rail head ends.  Considerable  noise elimination.

Tom Tee,

That sounds like a tedious job!  Interesting.  The track joints are the one track sound I like.  Even with ProtoSound running I can hear the old clickety clack as the train goes by!

I had the oddest op session ever, yesterday. I was off-loading my WW2 Jeep from its trailer, returning from a 3 day display at a regional air show. A neighbor I'd never before met came up and started talking to me. He was either out of his mind or high as a kite, I can't tell which. He wouldn't shut up and did NOT at all seem to get I was at the end of a long and grueling day and had a lot yet to do.

There's another guy down the street with a HO layout (I'd talked to him a couple of months ago and told him he could come see my layout if he wanted) came riding his bicycle up and asked to see the layout right then. Note that I'd never seen this guy on a bike before and I think he saw me out in the front yard talking with the other guy so he came up because of that. Neither seemed to notice I was in a (very sweaty and dirty) WW2 uniform and looked like I'd just run a marathon.

Not wanting to be rude to either of them (especially the HO layout guy), I walked in head of them, to a surprised wife as she wouldn't have expected for me to have anyone with me after coming home from an event like that.

They wanted to run trains, the crazy one not really understanding anything and just saying the most random stuff all the while (for example, I'd mentioned the layout taking place in 1943 and gas rationing came up. the HO layout guy knew about that but the crazy guy lost it. He actually said, "I'm going to have to talk to my congressman about that but that's unacceptable!" even though we both reminded him that it was over 70 years ago). Frankly, I'd have rather he never got to see the inside of the house as I'm certain he'll tell anyone who'll listen what I have in the house now. He struck me as the type who has no conversational filter.

I finally got out them on their way and all my stuff put away and a much needed shower, WAY later than I'd intended. All I'd wanted to get the Jeep in the garage, the trailer put away in the back, a shower and change of clothes, then go to dinner. That all happened, but a lot later than I'd wanted.

The whole thing was quite surreal.

Mark, admittedly,there is a nostalgic charm to the  loud sound of hollow tubular  track on metal ties but as time rolls on my tastes have scaled out.  I prefer weathered shades to colors and distinctive  background whispers to dominating room filling  sounds.  

With this Ross - GG effort, I really wanted to add eye level three rail to my two rail pike but when I did a test run the  clickety-clack  was disappointingly overpowering.  The standard rail ends  are like a loud boisterous neighbor with my childhood non sound trains being the biggest villain.  Once completing the aforementioned tune up and adding PS-2 to everything it is now a welcome addition.

The work only sounds more tedious then it really is. 

Tom Tee posted:

Mark, admittedly,there is a nostalgic charm to the  loud sound of hollow tubular  track on metal ties but as time rolls on my tastes have scaled out.  I prefer weathered shades to colors and distinctive  background whispers to dominating room filling  sounds.  

With this Ross - GG effort, I really wanted to add eye level three rail to my two rail pike but when I did a test run the  clickety-clack  was disappointingly overpowering.  The standard rail ends  are like a loud boisterous neighbor with my childhood non sound trains being the biggest villain.  Once completing the aforementioned tune up and adding PS-2 to everything it is now a welcome addition.

The work only sounds more tedious then it really is. 

It was time well spent to make it more satisfactory for you!    Perhaps, I will get tired of the clickety clack, and will be filing down my track pins too.  Now my only concern is seasonal expansion on the layout.  Some folks have trouble with it, and others do not!  

Elliot, I am glad you are scheduled for a tune up so you don't have to be concerned with setting off alarms.  I for one can attest to the fact that even the most dedicated dialysis nurses don't like alarms!!  

Do you know where the location Pig's Eye got it's name?  I love stories like this.  Just like the stories of how the town I went to High School got it's name -- Mars, Pennsylvania!  

Your son is like my two sons-in-law, if they aren't looking at their phones for Pokemon Go guys, they are researching some new game.  The younger, who is a videographer by trade, also does a podcast on the latest in gaming.  I have to hand it to him, now the game companies send him new releases to try out and review online.  They just paid for him and his friend, The Mayor of Butler, to go clean over to LA to the big E3 extravaganza.  This isn't the first time.  Just tonight both couples were over for a late Father's Day, and they kept talking about that stuff, and I was lost.    Never fear, they and their friends think I am cool.    Must be something in that La Croix water they are drinking!  Glad your son came through our area, he can take the one day heat wave with him; back in the 70s again tomorrow.

Ran some trains yesterday for a few minutes.  It was short and very sweet

I should let Elliot answer but I can help.  Pig's Eye was the original name for St Paul, MN, named after an island in the Mississippi inhabited by a local character named Pig's Eye Jackson.  (Hope I got the last name correct!)  We even have a local brand of beer called Pig's Eye to commemorate him.

When the Catholic Church decided to build its Cathedral of St Paul here the name Pig's Eye was thought to be too colloquial and a "more suitable" name was applied.

I'm not a native Minnesotan although I've lived here almost half my life.  I've probably condensed and interpreted a little of the above so I'm hoping Elliot will correct or clarify where necessary.

Yeah Mark, at dialysis we call it the "F" word, but it's not what most people would think. It stands fistulagram. I had one back in December, and they used a balloon to open up the blood vessel, way up in my shoulder area. My guess is that it has collapsed again, and may require a stent to prop it open. Can't keep doing this every six months, and I sure don't want problems on our trip.

In reality, the proper name of the ex Milwaukee Road yard, down by the river, east of St Paul, is St Paul yard, but everybody calls it Pig's Eye. The yard is center right in this screen shot. The thing bottom center is the waste water treatment plant, also Pig's Eye. So is the lake lower right.

So, who was Pig's Eye? I'll let Wikipedia take it from here.

Elliot, I am sorry your son didn't take time to go visit the train room, But it sure sounds like he and his buddy are having a great time on there road trip!

The ballast is looking great, I would think your almost done with all the ballasting! You must have a couple hundred pounds of ballast on your layout! 

Just q quick question why did you take most of the cars off of the Pig's Eye area?

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

Yeah Mark, at dialysis we call it the "F" word, but it's not what most people would think. It stands fistulagram. I had one back in December, and they used a balloon to open up the blood vessel, way up in my shoulder area. My guess is that it has collapsed again, and may require a stent to prop it open. Can't keep doing this every six months, and I sure don't want problems on our trip.

In reality, the proper name of the ex Milwaukee Road yard, down by the river, east of St Paul, is St Paul yard, but everybody calls it Pig's Eye. The yard is center right in this screen shot. The thing bottom center is the waste water treatment plant, also Pig's Eye. So is the lake lower right.

So, who was Pig's Eye? I'll let Wikipedia take it from here.

Yes, I recall fistula from my wife's dialysis days.  Well, I'll be praying they get the new one done and all fixed up for long lasting service!

Excellent history on Pig's Eye!!  It wasn't what I was expecting, but old Pierre reminds me of the Western Pennsylvania history a generation earlier or so that lead to the Whisky Rebellion!!  Thank you!!!

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

Here are some shots of Freddy. Gotta remember to let him breathe by loosening the blue cap.

In truth, my daughter is the better artist, but this is still cute after all these years.

 

I Hate to say it, but my son never went downstairs. He was too busy showing me his latest video game. We did have a nice lunch though. He's in Mark's neck of the woods today, and will be heading toward Paul tomorrow. He and his buddy are doing Halls of Fame. They did baseball and hockey already, and are moving on to football and rock and roll. Can't remember which day he's coming back, but his truck's in my driveway (dripping oil).

The late great Harry Chapin, "Cats in the Cradle"!

 "We'll have a good time, Dad".  My oldest son (no kids) was here this weekend from CT.  My younger son & Grandkids, also from CT, called on Sunday, grandson spring football & granddaughter basketball camp.  "We'll have a good time, Dad".  Circle of life, it's great.

You're welcome Mark. I love Wikipedia. I throw them a few bucks every Christmas when they ask, to help keep them going.

Not to worry Mike, if he doesn't come down when he picks up his truck, he'll be here again in July. Then he's moving back here in October for good. He'll probably stay with us, in his old room, for a while, til he finds a job and gets his own place. I'll get him to help with the trains. I had to move all the trains out of the way so I could reach back in there to paint the rails. That involved laying on the tracks. The second reason was to stop the glue solution from dripping on them when I did the upper deck.

Time to get to work.

Thanks Elliot for explaining the missing cars! It sounds nice that your son will be living with you for a little while, enjoy the time you get!

Well today was suppose to be a rain day but that was not the case so I had to do some watering. I still managed to get down in the basement later in the afternoon and after dinner. I got a few more flats done. I also see in the pics I will have to touch up the bricks where I got concrete paint on them. Guess I am not as steady with a brush anymore. Tomorrow I have an order of Scale Coat paint coming. More concrete paint and railroad colors. Tomorrow I hoped to get some more flats done. Couple of pics.....................Paul

Paul, we got all your rain.  I have a terrible time painting neatly.  I have to mask everything.

1.  Wired three Menards buildings to run on layout (transformer) power, instead of wall warts.  I used:  AC/DC to DC Buck Converter Step Down Modules 1.5 volt to 27 volt output.  These things work great!!  About $7 a piece, and you adjust the output to the 4.5 v DC needed by the Menards buildings.  

"How To" write-up attached!!

Shipped 10 days from China.  I have had 100% good service and 100% working units and LEDs from this outfit.  

e-Bay Seller :

e-worldseller(23948&nbsp

bought a mint lionel 11540 in the box for $100

Mike

GREAT INFO THANKS🤗

Mike Wyatt posted:

1.  Wired three Menards buildings to run on layout (transformer) power, instead of wall warts.  I used:  AC/DC to DC Buck Converter Step Down Modules 1.5 volt to 27 volt output.  These things work great!!  About $7 a piece, and you adjust the output to the 4.5 v DC needed by the Menards buildings....

UPDATED the attachment 7:15 am EDST Thur. June 21.

Paul, the flats are looking great!

Mike I also want to thank you for the information, very interesting!

Brian, Nice pic's of the Cotton Belt!

I've been absent a lot of late ... primarily due to vacations and business travel. It's meant I haven't had much time to work on the layout (or buy anything, either). However, in a brief moment of peace, the oldest asked to run the "outside trains" (since they're in my workshop, he considers them "outside"). So out we went, and for about an hour we played trains.  I'm glad to see that he continues to want to play with them. Wife came out with the youngest, and immediately started asking about things on the table ... but since I haven't even been home (pretty sure the two weeks I spent in Asia prohibited me from working on the train table located in North America), I'm not sure how I could have managed such a feat *sigh*.

However, the youngest is finally able to see over the table (when standing on a stool) and actually liked loading up one of the gondolas. So looks like there may be more time spent at the train table with both of them in the future.

Deuce posted:

I've been absent a lot of late ... primarily due to vacations and business travel. It's meant I haven't had much time to work on the layout (or buy anything, either). However, in a brief moment of peace, the oldest asked to run the "outside trains" (since they're in my workshop, he considers them "outside"). So out we went, and for about an hour we played trains.  I'm glad to see that he continues to want to play with them. Wife came out with the youngest, and immediately started asking about things on the table ... but since I haven't even been home (pretty sure the two weeks I spent in Asia prohibited me from working on the train table located in North America), I'm not sure how I could have managed such a feat *sigh*.

However, the youngest is finally able to see over the table (when standing on a stool) and actually liked loading up one of the gondolas. So looks like there may be more time spent at the train table with both of them in the future.

Thanks, Deuce,  for the little window into your family life. No successful man ever said, "My only regret is that I spent too much time with my family."  These moments are more precious than gold, and the children are small for such a short time. May the Good Lord give you and yours many joyous train hours together.

Worked on the last of the buildings flats. The larger ones I decided to do the window areas first, let that dry and go back and do others areas. On a couple of the flats the windows were molded in. I thought I could mask off the flat leaving the windows exposed and apply the green spray paint to them but I think I am going to go to Home Depot and get a small jar of paint made up the color of windows I sprayed. Pics.............Paul

                        went train watching...

I have been running a few O gauge freights today using my bigger engines, all early PW.  They have working smoke units in them that were last fueled over a year ago at my old house. I was blending my own smoke fluid at that time and these things are still smoking !  I think that is pretty good. Haven't added any for 14 months at least. When I moved I got rid of the ingredients except the oil, which I use.

HCSader73 posted:

Deuce posted:

I've been absent a lot of late ... primarily due to vacations and business travel. It's meant I haven't had much time to work on the layout (or buy anything, either). However, in a brief moment of peace, the oldest asked to run the "outside trains" (since they're in my workshop, he considers them "outside"). So out we went, and for about an hour we played trains.  I'm glad to see that he continues to want to play with them. Wife came out with the youngest, and immediately started asking about things on the table ... but since I haven't even been home (pretty sure the two weeks I spent in Asia prohibited me from working on the train table located in North America), I'm not sure how I could have managed such a feat *sigh*.

However, the youngest is finally able to see over the table (when standing on a stool) and actually liked loading up one of the gondolas. So looks like there may be more time spent at the train table with both of them in the future.

Thanks, Deuce,  for the little window into your family life. No successful man ever said, "My only regret is that I spent too much time with my family."  These moments are more precious than gold, and the children are small for such a short time. May the Good Lord give you and yours many joyous train hours together.

Deuce, Pete is so right!!!  I am sorry your work takes you so far away at times.  When you are back home, then there are a thousand things!  I'm sure your wife is overwhelmed when you are gone!  May God bless you and your family!!

paul 2 posted:

Worked on the last of the buildings flats. The larger ones I decided to do the window areas first, let that dry and go back and do others areas. On a couple of the flats the windows were molded in. I thought I could mask off the flat leaving the windows exposed and apply the green spray paint to them but I think I am going to go to Home Depot and get a small jar of paint made up the color of windows I sprayed. Pics.............Paul

Paul, You will get them looking good!!  While I said I mask everything anymore, I didn't say mine turn out that great!!  Old fumble fingers here takes his hat off to you!

HCSader73 posted:

No successful man ever said, "My only regret is that I spent too much time with my family." 

The one thing about things like this is that many people insinuate that the person would rather spend time at the office all the time (often because they decided not to hire the number of people really needed to do the job in an effort tot save on benefits) and that the company wasn't making them spend too much time away from home.

I've personally experienced this a few years ago (I could never count on having any weekends free, due to some idiotic computer system that required substantially more time to do the job the system it replaced, for a couple of years). I got so sick of hearing people refer to me as a 'workaholic', which suggested I'd rather be at the office instead of drowning in mandatory overtime that easily exceeded 20 hours a week on slow weeks.

Lee, Yes you are so right on that!

Having recovered medically, l opened the kitbox for "Matters Mill". As you will see when l get my mill photos posted, l need another water mill like l need four flat tires. Always kitbashing, l immediately started putting in stronger bracing. But when l went to a convention in Hickory, NC  a few years ago l hunted down the few NC water mills l had a list of, and did not see a Matters Mill.  Is there one in NC?  And Hickory is known for furniture, big warehouses of it, so l walked through them looking for hickory furniture to match my few pieces of Amish-made hickory furniture.  They did not have a stick of hickory in Hickory!

Unpacked several cars that have sat in boxes for years.  Kind of pathetic but got it done

Worked on my Engine House- painted the building, the roof sections, the doors, and the "concrete" pad.  Added O27 straights inside, center rail painted black/ outside rails rust.  

Next- should receive the LEDs tomorrow- add lighting and figures.

Watching my MTH Premier GS4 Daylight go round and round the layout at 30 scale mph. Has a problem with the PS2 3V boards where it shuts down at speeds above 35-40 scale mph. So far it's been chugging around for 16 minutes at 30 scale mph without stopping. 

Just playing around with the camera this afternoon, dared to even suggest a diesel helper actually took place on the layout. Oh, the humanity!

p51 posted:

Just playing around with the camera this afternoon, dared to even suggest a diesel helper actually took place on the layout. Oh, the humanity!

great weathering on that caboose!

Lee, that second photo of the train going away is really special with your superb scenery.  Very nice.

Played @ 3am this morning...      Bone-head crane operator.  

                             making good time on a nice sunny day...

                      pulling into the station, "on time", later that evening...

Cool crane Ted....3 AM? Really?

Lee- great photos as always. We will forgive your diesel transgressions

Paul- the buildings are going to look great when they are done. A couple of lights behind a few random windows would look cool too.

Deuce- You summed it up perfectly. I have been lucky throughout my various careers that I never had to travel regularly for work. Almost always home for dinner with the family. Savor the time you have, it does pass in a blink of an eye.

Bob

DEUCE, Sorry about work taking you away , but it sure has to be nice when you get home! I love it that your son wants to come out and run trains with you, soak it in cause it might change! I was wondering if you have thought that maybe the wife bought you a surprise and put it on your layout to see if you would notice!

Paul, the flats are looking great! But don't forget to paint the doors! LOL

COLORADO HIRAILER, Sounds like you have a good amount of work ahead of you! Have fun and please post pictures!

JBMCCORMICK, I feel your pain, I have stacks of boxes of train stuff I haven't been into for 2 years now! I hope to have the train room done this summer so I can dig into the boxes, it will be like CHRISTMAS all over again!

Lee, Some great pictures of a wonderful layout! 

TedW, Nice crane! I sure need to get one of those down the road one day! Really looks like fun!

great weathering on that caboose!

Thanks! That's the first laser kit I ever built and I think it shows. I'd love to build another one to replace it someday as I've gotten better at such things since then (but that kit isn't exactly cheap).

Lee, that second photo of the train going away is really special with your superb scenery.  Very nice.

Thank you! I've had some folks see the layout in person who were very surprised that this is my first layout. Many folks are surprised at all the static grass and the corn field, especially.

Lee- great photos as always. We will forgive your diesel transgressions

Thanks! I feel like I should be in a support group... "Hello, my name is Lee, and I have put a diesel on a layout where it doesn't belong. It started simple, with a cool looking Whitcomb at a great price..."

Lee, Some great pictures of a wonderful layout! 

Thanks, Mike! Let me know if you ever want to come down to check it out in person, between construction sessions on your own layout room, that is...