What did you do on your layout today?

I stripped the paint off a cab I had decaled but the decals silvered. I repainted it and added a gloss coat.  I will add the new decals in a few days after the paint is 100% cured. 

Summer is in full swing now.  Just a week until the Fourth of July.  Unlike most summer is where I get the most work done on the layout.  I hate the heat so the nice cool basement is a perfect spot for me!  I also am less busy during the summer then the fall and winter.

I spent the last few days under the layout organizing boxes, finding stuff to sell, and  getting ready to run more wires.  I plan to get started on wiring up my buildings soon and then start making my sidewalks and streets.   

I ran a "BRAND NEW" Lionel GN (BNSF) Heritage Legacy SD70 for a friend of mine. He is in the process of building a Legacy/DCS Layout and wanted me to test it for him. What a Sweet Engine. The Sounds and Operation are excellent!!!

Fred

Worked on setting the turnouts and leads in place coming into the engine service terminal.

Settled on the paints for the rail sides ... then Floquil discontinued it and none is to be found!!!

Isn't always that way??  Figure it out and can't get it.

So we start over looking for the right paints to use out of the air brush to do the sides of the rails.

Any ideas?

well, im in planning stages and observing what you guys are all doing for ideas for the next layout.  of course Ive got to finish my garage and get some lighting in there!  homedepot is going to love me!

Chris

Patrick was here Monday and we moved the last row of lights. Then we worked on the ceiling grid in the south half of the room.

Yesterday I actually worked solo for the entire afternoon. I started doing the cut tiles for the north half. When Menards delivered the pallet of tiles, there were some damaged ones, a few with dings and a few with water damage. By the time I was done cutting, there was less than one tile of waste. It was a lot better than trying to return them for credit. When I ordered them, they didn't have enough in stock to finish. Now I have a pretty close count of what I need to finish, plus I want some spares.

I also got a bunch more grid hung. Trying to get up the gumption to head down, plenty more to do. Patrick will be back tomorrow. Pictures to follow.

Did some scenery work the last few days. I will post pictures later.

Matthew

Finishing up re-painting and lettering one of my legacy ten wheelers for the Michigan and Great Lakes RR.

Started like this:

And now looks like this:

Modifications included Kadees on both ends.  

I still have to change out the headlight to something better looking, add a rear headlight for reverse moves and switching, and weather the whole locomotive.

I can not decide if I want to paint the running boards with the white strip.  I know most locomotives didn't have it after they left the factory but I really like the look of it.  

Practically lost interest in this enclosure building for the creosote retorts.  Murphy must be a sub contractor on this project.  Had to go through and epoxy various joints because the "brick" foundation material, from a defunct company,  was not compatible with Testor's glue.  Added larger and stronger roof supports, of wood, since styrene was too flimsy for the space bridged.  Had about half the Plastruct roofing on, over a unplanned artist board layer added for strengthening, when another series of those

plastic foundation joints collapsed.  Epoxy is drying on those.  This shoulda been done

two weeks ago, and there is still track to mount and scenicing to do.  This layout should have a lot of rotted ties and woodpeckered telegraph poles!  (by the time

this plant gets finsihed)

It was our pleasure to welcome a couple of ladies to the layout. They were visiting with my wife and she mentioned our passion for O-Gauge trains. This immediately sparked an interest to see the layout. It is always fun to see the reaction of visitors when they see for the first time a model railroad filled with trains and accessories.

They had a wonderful time and want to bring back their husbands and friends.

Started bench work, got most of lower subway level done.

Patrick and I finished the grid on the south half of the ceiling today. Then Patrick carried in and put in the last 10 cases of tiles. Unfortunately there were a couple more damaged ones, so that left us just 2 whole tiles short. Now I just have to grab a couple more cases and do the cut tiles around the edges. The space looks so different.

hey Elliot.... looking good nice and bright compared to what it was when we visited you in may!! have you figured out a spot for those stairs by the bluffs yet? so what is next project on the layout?

$oo

I installed the new HotShot™ Speedometer from Boulder Creek Engineering.

Didn't do anything (yet) but shoot some photos for OGR Forum posts.    

Right now the plan is to polish off the ceiling which should go pretty fast. Then I want to get the decking, backdrop and lighting done for the upper deck on the peninsula where the new helix is. Then I'm back to laying track, first to connect to the helix, then the hidden yard. After that, its time to wire. The goal being to be able to run from hidden yard to hidden yard in a loop to loop configuration.

The steps are part of scenery, which is a looooonnngg way off. Looking at minimum 3 years. Trains need to be running first.

I completed my country 'Streets road around my hilltop and down the other side, connecting to the already completed sections. I watched one of my city buses traverse eighty lane-feet up hill, around the hill, and back down across the layout.  Pretty cool.

Did some material shopping today. Hit Home Depot and grabbed some 2x4's and more of those LED light bulbs. Nearly cleaned them out. Then turned right around and went to Menards for the last ceiling tiles and some diffusers. Only got half of the diffusers, but it's a start. Gotta do some lumber chopping and some painting tonight so things are ready for Patrick on Wednesday. It takes some work to get things prepped, so we can work on things that I can't handle alone.

Today I received my O-72 turnouts from Frank Knautz, Thank you Frank...Modification to my PW layout will begins later this month and these will be a great addition to what I have in mind.

JZ

Last few days I blundered on photos of another model creosote plant, and those of

two more prototype plants (this after major construction of mine is almost finished).  Luckily, I gained some details and am on the right track. There is another way I could

mount the retorts, burying their bases in the "ground", so am mulling over that possible change.   I have lost momentum and enthusiasm, so need to get back in gear.

I ordered in Miller Engineering flashing billboards for the historical north/south Colorado route, the "Joint Line" holders, Santa Fe and D&RGW, to flash competitively

at each other across my junction.  Now just need Rock Island and Missouri Pacific

versions (maybe Burlington...Colorado and Southern, a Burlington holding, will never

happen)  Gee, five railroads to choose from if you wanted to get out of "Dodge"..

more than there now are U.S. auto makers or airlines out of many airports.

Ran trains for a little bit with the kids this morning.  

Ran my new to me PM 0-8-0 for about an hour.  after 10 minutes = Gotta work on that smoke though.

Ron

Patrick was here today, and we used up most of the materials I picked up on Monday. Patrick put up the diffusers while I finished painting the 2x4's white. Then I cut a bunch of the partial tiles and he put them in place. Finally we hung the 2x4's. We do keep busy.

The 2x4's are going to serve two purposes. Lights will be mounted about half way out on each side. Then a valance will be added to the ends.

Next Tuesday we'll put up the backdrop and the decking on the upper level.

All of the diffusers are up in the first aisle.



The completed southwest corner above the big helix.

Spent some time finalizing my plans for the layout expansion to install the car ferry that Alex Malliae built me.  I will be picking it up in 5 days and be home on the 14th to start the install.

The plans will also include my long wanted hidden staging.  I havent decided if I will document every step of the way on the forum or get it all installed and have one big reveal.  

Last thing done a couple of days ago was to glue Berkshire Valley roof ventilators down the center of the creosote retort house, and wonder about the future availablity of those parts.  Watched fireworks last night, but saw none in the shape of a locomotive (obvious oversight on their part).  Contemplating how great a country is where this unreformed kid with too many years can have spent last weekend chasing the prototype and has just surfed the net for "toys".  HAPPY FOURTH!!

I just spent the last hour running trains with my 3 year old son.  He just loves watching them go.  He picks out what cars he wants the train to pull and he is starting to learn how to control them with the legacy remote.

I think just I had the most fun running trains this morning then I have had in a long time.

Nothing yet going out later to lay homosote as a silencer on plywood I'm using fast track. Deciding if Titebond glue is good choice to bond the homosote.

Two events. First, in order to create an addition the 4th photo thread, I took some patriotic photos. Later we have guests coming over for the 4th and a layout tour is first on the agenda.

Happy 4th to everyone.

It's the sharing and seeing such happines that raises our hobby to a higher, even more gratifying level, isn't it.

FrankM

Got some progress done on the train room.  Fully Insulated the 1 exterior wall and all of the electrical is complete.

Still need a replacement basement hopper window, a door, sheetrock, suspended ceiling and a floor.   But slow and steady progress none the less.

Looking good Matthew, and ahead of me as I just moved.  As to sheet rock/drywall, don't forget that if noise is a concern to you or others in the house, there is now a noise - insulating drywall available.  It is highly favored by apartment building owners and family's of musicians. 

Keep up the good work.

It was a great day yesterday to realize how much others love trains and appreciate our work. It also helps when everything performs flawlessly. Trains and the 4th, how could you go wrong.

Painted the rails Roof Brown.

So far, mounted the three buildings for the creosote plant on a foamboard base....will

have to devise piping among the buildings, install details and then scenic all around

them (may add another track to service supplies for the office building..office upstairs/warehouse below and another for car storage)  I did take some photos of the

uncomplete complex, for once, as I usually neglect to to that.  Got in my protoype

photos of the trip to Coldwater, Mich.  No good photo of the Little River Pacific, but

of structures, and the WWII "Weaver" troop cars.

Another trip to Menards. I'm still two diffusers short after cleaning out the second store. I'll hit another one tomorrow, so Patrick can polish the ceiling off Tuesday.

I cut and installed a few more tiles, did some vacuuming, then started wiring the lights for the lower deck.

This is starting to get exciting, because when these big projects are out of the way, it will be all track laying and electrical. I figure that will take a couple of years.

Nothing on the layout, but started pressing some diesel wheels on axles. I sure could use a small lathe to machine some wheels.

The 213 controller does not have any lights to indicate the bridge position. While the bridge does cut power to the appraoch track when it raises; I still want an indication on the control panel. So I installed a micro switch under the bridge and wired up  red and green LEDs on the control panel. I used LEDs from Evan Designs  that were rated at 7 - 19 volts AC/DC. I used a 5v wallwart and they light really bright. You can catch them change in your periphial vision; just what I wanted to alert a sleepy engineer. 

NEWS from Patsburg " Home of the Free State Junction RR"

Having some of the neighborhood kids to visit the layout tomorrow.  Tidied up the train room, organized and put away items.  Put together a train consist with lots of action and fun cars for tomorrow.

Consist is a Reading Train Master, Western Maryland FA2, ( both Williams ), Lionel operating barrel car, K line cop and hobo car, MTH dump car, MTH log dump car, MTH operating hopper car, K line rotating search light car, Lionel work caboose with welder welding with torch, Lionel search light car and Lionel boxcar with hobo playing "I've been Working on the Railroad" on his harmonica. The kids will have big fun unloading all those cars.

I also lubricated some freight cars, did a bit of scenery work, and ran trains for a while.

Also viewed Eric Seigels website.... really a great site!!!  If you have not seen it check it out ..... ericstrains.com

That is all the news from Patsburg for now.

Happy Railroading :-) !

Patrick W

Finished all framing for bench work for subway level, lower city, and lower lake level.