What did you do on your layout today?

seaboardm2 posted:

I got a new coaling tower and water tower for my steamers.

How about some pics?  

N&W Class J posted:

Nice shots Lee,  I agree these phones today do some remarkable things.

Thanks!

This

I started converting some of my Ives passenger cars to have lights, so I might have a lighted tinplate passenger train running soon 

I tested my new to me Premier J 611.  MTH says it will run on O54. I can't get mine to.  The front drivers ride up the rail as soon as it goes into the turn, then it pulls the pilot wheels off the track.. I then tried to get it to sit on the rails of the O54, but could not get the front and rear drivers to settle down where they belong.  I then put a curve of Ross O64 on the floor and it was much happier.  I will have to increase the minimum curve on the tracks I plan to run it on when planning my new layout.  In an 11 x 11 room, it is doable but will be interesting.

After months of little or no activity, I actually made it into the layout room for a few minutes nearly every day this week. Today I took 90 minutes and finally brought my Sunoco refinery online. I used a battery-powered soldering iron from Hakko to make quick work of the wiring - those things work surprisingly well.

My refinery / well site consists of several modern Lionel pieces and one MTH piece that I have slowly collected over the last several years. I have a set of 3 Sunoco cars from MTH's recent Railking release that should arrive next week and will take up their position on a siding that serves the refinery. Now if I can just sell enough refined product to my neighborhood to help offset the capital outlay to build my little refinery...  

Mark-I would seriously consider 072 for your engine. I put it on my 11x11 layout OK.

Mark, bigger curves are nicer and takes the problems out of derailments.  You stated MTH said it should run on 0-54. I know there have been discussions on radiuses before. So what is the manufacturer of the track you are using. Maybe it runs on MTH track. Larger curves use real state. Were you able to try running it on someone else's layout with 0-54 curves. Also are both lead and trailing trucks unrestricted with no binding on the curves......Paul 

If you want to bring your engine to my place and try my curves-you are welcome to try. It is tubular track.

I thin he runs FT.

You might want to look to see if it's wheels are over gauge Mark.

That and and guide slots needing some filing has helped me cheat the limits on a few items.

I sanded wheels till shiny and added a few more ounces of fishing lead to my Marx E7. The tarnish Marx wheels seem to develope so quickly has very poor traction. This engine varies from six cars no issues, to slipping with only 3 in about a month. I'm thinking about carving a slot for a traction tires now, as the motors strength doesn't seem to be any concern at all.

John Rowlen posted:

I finished detailing two more Lionel Chesapeake and Ohio 21" passenger cars with Preiser Figures. I am working to finish my passenger cars so I can use the Acrylic paints while they are still good.   I am going to have to find another hobby shop for paints. My west side Cleveland shop just announced they are going out of business.  Finding supplies to finish my layout is getting more difficult.

Nicely done on the interior. Are you talking about Parma Hobby that's closing or is closed?

jim pastorius posted:

Mark-I would seriously consider 072 for your engine. I put it on my 11x11 layout OK.

paul 2 posted:

Mark, bigger curves are nicer and takes the problems out of derailments.  You stated MTH said it should run on 0-54. I know there have been discussions on radiuses before. So what is the manufacturer of the track you are using. Maybe it runs on MTH track. Larger curves use real state. Were you able to try running it on someone else's layout with 0-54 curves. Also are both lead and trailing trucks unrestricted with no binding on the curves......Paul 

Adriatic posted:

I thin he runs FT.

You might want to look to see if it's wheels are over gauge Mark.

That and and guide slots needing some filing has helped me cheat the limits on a few items.

I sanded wheels till shiny and added a few more ounces of fishing lead to my Marx E7. The tarnish Marx wheels seem to develope so quickly has very poor traction. This engine varies from six cars no issues, to slipping with only 3 in about a month. I'm thinking about carving a slot for a traction tires now, as the motors strength doesn't seem to be any concern at all.

 

 

Gentlemen,

Thank you very much for your valued replies!

Jim, Yes I have seen before folks advising to use 072 on a layout if you can fit it in your space, and it will fit in 11 x 11.  In fact after I had commented on another topic I would be planning a layout with at least one loop wide enough for this locomotive in May, Matt Jackson (AGHRMatt) emailed me a couple quick and dirty twice around plans in that space at 088 and 096.  Thank you for the offer on trying it on yours.  I'll let you know,

Paul, Now that I think of it, MTH cites 052 for minimum curve not 054.  Yes, you are right that they can say that about their track system, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will work out on another manufacturer's track.  Now that you mention it, I do recall seeing folks comment about that before.  Why don't I remember things??  Thanks for the comment on the leading and trailing trucks.  Yes, I did look them over, and they don't seem to be binding.  I can slide them back and forth.  That is a very good point to look at closer.

Adriatic, Yes I have FastTrack on the temporary 4 x 8 table top.  I have an 048 loop and an 036 loop there.  I realized I wouldn't be able to run the J 611 on that layout, I only set it on the straight away, powered it up, and ran it back and forth on the straight to see that things were working as soon as I received it.  I don't do so well on the floor anymore.  My bad knee pops and my bad ankle gives me grief on the Carpet Central, so I only put the trains there as a last resort. 

I used Ross 054 and 064 for my tests yesterday.  I have one loop of GarGraves and one loop of tubular on the Ceiling Central RR.  I plan on using GarGraves and Ross on the permanent 11 x 11 layout, with some tubular in a switching yard with operating accessories.  Of course I would be running the J in that area, so I can use any old tubular I have in my track box.  You do have a good point that it is possible the wheels could be out of gauge.  I bought this locomotive from a young fellow I know on a FaceBook group, who put it up for sale after realizing this was more engine than he had room to run.  It doesn't have much time on it, so it could be out of gauge.  I will check into that. 

Thank you again for all the responses.  I don't know when I will bet back to this.  Yesterday was rainy I took advantage to do these tests.  Besides outdoor work, be have a wedding coming up soon.  I will keep you posted when I do get back to it.

Any medicine necessary is worth a J on the layout

Adriatic posted:

Any medicine necessary is worth a J on the layout

I agree wholeheartedly, Adriatic!!!

That is why I jumped at the chance to buy this one at the price he asked, with the opinion I would build something to run it on.  Now if I could get the N&W A 1218.  I remember chasing them both through Virginia back around 1990.

When I was in NC taking care of my son we went to Spencer and I photographed the J 611. That is my photo of the month on my wall calender.

  I opened  my screaming yellow baby Madison's for some bulb changes and hot glued the roof cardboard light blocking inserts up so it doesn't look like every car has its shades drawn. Then I pulled them behind the tmcc Kanawha jr till things started smoking in a bad place; That's odd, I havent got steam chest smoke. The motor stalled but it didn't stop trying! Headlight dim.  ????

  I flipped the smoke switch to off and it worked again. I repeated it a few times in disgust and reached for a rag and a screwdriver. Uncapping the innards I found the cloth wire insulation push out of the hole in the smoke chamber's top and the wire was shorted. I simply worked it back in place, spun the 3 body screws, gave it power and chuffed off.

   The excess smoke was from the smoke fluid wicking into the cloth insulation of the postwar element I gave it when the resistor burned out. When the heat of the shorted wire inside it hit the fluid in the insulation,, it smoked like mad. Nothing was close  to crispy and now the heat is in the pot again. I think the saturation helped it get blown out of the hole over time. I'll have to run it dry (OK on post war tablet type) , clean it and try a dot of super glue.

I like how you were able to get it back up and running again! I am glad it was an easy fix!

I've been going over my layout, at the spots where the ballast has exposed the cork roadbed underneath. Those spots are getting one of the following:

• More ballast
• Grass/weeds
• Cinders

I never ballasted the areas around the turnout points, so they do look a little odd as I haven't found a way to get ballast in there without gumming up the overly-fragile Micro Engineering turnouts I have. I do badly wish, looking backing, that I'd painted all that cork a grey color before laying track...

I'm also now making some bushes for various places. Static grass is coming soon, then trees.

I attached the top to my 5x12 Mianne benchwork today, set up a loop of track and ran some trains!

Dug out some more Standard gauge track and some Homosote, moved some stuff and started laying out another carpet RR in my bedroom. This is preliminary to see how it fits before I get it up off the carpet. I am going to use older curve pieces but think I will spring for the new 36" straights. That will eliminate a lot of joints.

I just realized that 2 years ago today, this was the scene on my back deck, where I set up my bench work so I could be sure I could walk around inside it before I installed it into the room a weekend later...

Don't worry, there won't be too many more of these "two years ago today" posts...

Took a break on this Hot Summer Day, to read the DMRRC Newsletter, (See link in my OGR Forum signature)

Gary

water tower on photobucket *browse it in reverse last photo is the link.

I finished a tower for the fudgcicle stick and icing cup water tank. Im not sure if I can, or how to, attach anything from an Android so I linked to the fist of about 6 photos of it on my mini Christmas layout. Hopefully you can browse.

I found a fat square dowel and ripped the length with a hack saw. When I glued it, I tried to leave the rough cut from the hacksaw, exposed to view. The pipe is a dowel painted gold/brass, and the pump box is an old crate built from scratch before I was born. Those two pieces aren't glued yet and are crooked in the photos. I might go to a smaller pipe too. The tank is offset to allow for a catwalk along one side. The spout frame and a ladder are next.

I introduced my new Joal container stacker to its new home! What a great Birthday gift from my kids!

What a lucky dad Chris!

I decided to weather my MTH N&W unshrouded J today, I've never weathered an engine before.  I think for my first outing on an engine I did....OK...ish.  Not the best pic's but here it is.

Looks great!! anything you do with N&W can't be too bad!! See my bio!!

I extended the road on the layout. I put painters tape down and spread spackle between it then pull up the tape. Then when it's dry sand and paint it.

Started on the bench for my temporary office layout.  Re-using 2x6s from my last layout.

The workbench in the left of the image will be part of the layout.  Next up is the right wing.  Then some 1x4 inner braces then I lay track!

You can follow along on my progress on this dedicated thread:

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/t...-acres-office-layout

That's great Chris. 

Time to play with a grime wash?

One of the few things Bachmann did on my ten-wheelers I didn't like is the crummy builder's plates. They made them opposite, with the background in bronze and the letters in black.

So, I printed several sets of these onto white decal paper, along with scale photos of the actual front number plates, though when they print out they're not as clear as they appear below. But still, they're much better than the ones that came with them. The numbers below them are for what road # they go with on my modeled ET&WNC. Yes, they're the correct serial numbers and dates for those specific locomotives.

I intend on adding them to my ten-wheelers this weekend:

Adriatic posted:

That's great Chris. 

Time to play with a grime wash?

Thank you....yes it is....

Doesn't look like much but it's taken hours to finish this

dobermann posted:

Doesn't look like much but it's taken hours to finish this

It looks quite good!  Fences like that take time 

Thanks Mark

First attempt at this kind of fence and probably last

joe

Those chickens look like they're "In The Mood"! 

Mitch

Chickens + fence = eggcellence

Watched it collect more dust.

Omni Models gets top marks for customer service! 

I'd ordered a 3/16" brass angle piece for the 3424 Brakeman on Fastrack experiments, but...

Dropped 'em a note on eBay, and had an answer within minutes offering a refund or a replacement!  The replacement will be winging to me shortly! 

Mitch

I put these two figures on the layout last night. The guy with the shovel is sort of in a moving pose, but he could be resting on that shovel, so it's good enough for a static pose for me. The female standing next to the door, I found at a comic book store under gaming supplies. She's actually too small for O scale, but can easily pass for a teenager or an older kid, who you would easily find working in East Tennessee during the war, at least I see it that way.