What did you do on your layout today?

Amen to that.   Still,  I  can dream.  And model my dreams!  

Would an old dummy GP fit the bill??? If so, I may have a sacrificial lamb to offer up (can’t send it till January). Not sure which is the dummy, but it’s one of these...

Why not, sez i?  I can certainly figure out SOMETHING to do with it!   Many thanks!  

Woodson posted:

While you're at it I think the Northeast Corridor should be electrified all the way to Miami.. lol Mitch I probably have a 'sacrificial lamb' I can send you.. We could start a new trend: Southeast/hurricane Corridor.. PM me what you need and I'll donate one if I have it!!!

Done and done!  Thanks!   

mike g. posted:

Wow, Its so nice how everyone here is in a giving mood! I think you would only find that here! Its really hard to find caring , understanding, giving people in the real world! Well around where I live! A lot of the younger folks are all about me!

Amen to that too! 

Mitch  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Johan, the weaver wood chip hoppers pop up on EBAY every so often. The BAR wood chip hopper was a special run done for Brentwood Antiques a number of years back, very hard to find in the secondary market. However Weaver did do a MEC wood chip hopper. The early runs were in kit form minus trucks and couplers and only one road number. When Weaver redid the wood chip hoppers before they closed they were done as one piece and they came with trucks and couplers plus there were multiple numbers........Paul

paul 2 posted:

Johan, the weaver wood chip hoppers pop up on EBAY every so often. The BAR wood chip hopper was a special run done for Brentwood Antiques a number of years back, very hard to find in the secondary market. However Weaver did do a MEC wood chip hopper. The early runs were in kit form minus trucks and couplers and only one road number. When Weaver redid the wood chip hoppers before they closed they were done as one piece and they came with trucks and couplers plus there were multiple numbers........Paul

Paul: Thanks for the information, maybe i can found couple car sometimes. Today i continued my S.B.R. wood chip car project.

Johan

 

Johan, you did a real great job. That car came out looking great. Pretty good realistic looking wood chip load too. I like the decals......................Paul

Mason and I have been working on the mountain.

We are definitely making progress although it has taken a long time.

It was quiet tricky to integrate the double track portal and the lift bridge. We have the “Water” to do next.

Nick

 

 

 

 

Johan, the wood chip car is looking great!

This weekend the kids and grandkids are here for a early Christmas, the wife thought it would be cool if I got a train running for the grandkids. So I spent the last 2 days removing track and laying it again to get a complete loop around the room, Had to add drops, solder track but I got it done! I can run a train all the way around the room in 0ne direction without the reverse loops, but that's ok.

I will have pictures and maybe a small video later!

paul 2 posted:

Johan, you did a real great job. That car came out looking great. Pretty good realistic looking wood chip load too. I like the decals......................Paul

Paul: Thank you. 

Johan

mike g. posted:

Johan, the wood chip car is looking great!

This weekend the kids and grandkids are here for a early Christmas, the wife thought it would be cool if I got a train running for the grandkids. So I spent the last 2 days removing track and laying it again to get a complete loop around the room, Had to add drops, solder track but I got it done! I can run a train all the way around the room in 0ne direction without the reverse loops, but that's ok.

I will have pictures and maybe a small video later!

Mike: Thank you. Very interested, cant wait your pics and video.

Johan

Nick, the mountain is looking great!

Johan, as soon as Momma gets home I am going to have them all out for there first showing of the train. I will take pictures then!

Mike- You are one great Grandpa to build a special track for the grand kids

Johan and Paul- I love the wood chip hoppers !

Nick- the mountain is looking good.

Bob

Well, after church I put on my baker's hat and made chocolate chip meringue cookies, that melt on the tongue. They as so good they should be illegal. Then made 2 batches of chocolate mousse to serve when my kids and grand kids come by tomorrow. I'll whip up some cream with green food coloring tomorrow moring to dollop atop the mousse with some red granulated sugar sprinkled on it. Today at 5pm I go to a friend's house to put together the small layout I made for her daughter.

The train itself is made of renovated cast offs. The locomotive and tender are painted a forest green with Santa at the throttle. The motor is a 1060 scout I salvaged from my junk box. It runs on only one direction, which is fine with me.The whistle tender is a repaired junk 6646. I painted a tank car white, its metal base red,  and made candy cane stripe water slide decals applied on a bias to make a rolling candy cane. Then hot glued a Christmas Tree to a gondola and added tiny LED blinking lights. I painted an old caboose red with greed roofs and railings, added trucks with pick up rollers and made an internal light socket. Another Santa waves from the aft platform. Two cut pieces of half inch plywood will service the tracks. The plywood was painted flat white with Woodland Scenics snow applied while the paint was still wet. I intentionally left the layout undecorated so that the girl has the ability to make it her own.

So Merry Christmas, brothers!

Pete

That looks great Pete. Hopefully you have created a life long interest in trains for this little girl.

Would love to see how she decorates the board. Please share photos if you can.

Hey Bob, it was the wifes idea! But it worked out great cause it help me find problem spots before I got to far! Had to change the angle of the rise after the bridge a little and add a few drops !

Pete, Nice Christmas Train! Here is a picture of my Christmas train and a short video. I couldn't wait for Momma to get home, cause I wanted to share it with you all!

A cold Coors Light, the OGR Forum on the laptop and a BNSF mixed freight making the loop.
Great work Mike!

RSJB18 posted:

A cold Coors Light, the OGR Forum on the laptop and a BNSF mixed freight making the loop.
Great work Mike!

Thanks Bob, it is Train's and football Sunday! I thought I was the only one to really scan pictures! LOL

Mike - be careful operating while using a “Silver Bullet”. Very nice!

decoynh posted:

Mike - be careful operating while using a “Silver Bullet”. Very nice!

Matt, its all good, the more Silver Bullets I have the slower the train goes! I haven't figured that one out yet! LOL

Nice Amtrak photographs, Brian.  I could step right in that last one!

Johan, the wood chip car looks great!

Nick, you and Mason have been doing a really nice job with that mountain.

Pete, Excellent job with that little train and layout!

Mike, You did great getting a loop ready to run for the grandchildren.  How old are they?

 

I actually spent some time yesterday and today retaking photographs on the Christmas layout of various trains for an article someone asked to write for next Christmas season.  It is not this magazine, and I won't divulge anything more.  The only reason I mention it is to thank everyone of you who contributed with ideas for the layout.  You helped interest someone.  

mike g. posted:

RSJB18 posted:

A cold Coors Light, the OGR Forum on the laptop and a BNSF mixed freight making the loop.
Great work Mike!

Thanks Bob, it is Train's and football Sunday! I thought I was the only one to really scan pictures! LOL

Well I was going to say something about the poster of the lovely young lady in your garage in the other video but I figure this is a family forum so.....

RSJB18 posted:

Mike- You are one great Grandpa to build a special track for the grand kids

Johan and Paul- I love the wood chip hoppers !

Nick- the mountain is looking good.

Bob

Bob: Thank you.

Johan

mike g. posted:

Hey Bob, it was the wifes idea! But it worked out great cause it help me find problem spots before I got to far! Had to change the angle of the rise after the bridge a little and add a few drops !

Pete, Nice Christmas Train! Here is a picture of my Christmas train and a short video. I couldn't wait for Momma to get home, cause I wanted to share it with you all!

Coors Mike: Looking good, specially i like that cold Coors and mixed freight. 

Johan

mike g. posted:

decoynh posted:

Mike - be careful operating while using a “Silver Bullet”. Very nice!

Matt, its all good, the more Silver Bullets I have the slower the train goes! I haven't figured that one out yet! LOL

Experience comes with age!  LOL

Mike: great video, your layout is looking great.....also..... the Coors Lite !!!!    LOL

I have a PW F3 that I repainted in CB&Q livery and converted to an F2 with scale parts from P&D.

Unfortunately, I set it up as a single motor and it lost its magnetraction.  Going through my parts drawers I realized I had a back-up powered rear truck that I could swap in for the magnetraction=less one.

When I got the shell off, I discovered I had a front power truck w/ no motor.  So, I not only replaced the rear truck with a spare with good magnetraction, I also swapped out a front power truck with a dummy truck.  (Those of you who have removed the front truck on a PW F3 know the complexity of disassembly involved with the pilot and electro coupler.)

I"ll use the scavenged front power truck on an upcoming project.

Meanwhile, I'll see if I can find someone who can re-magnetize the removed rear power truck.

 

 

Thanks everyone for the really nice words!

Mark, your Christmas layout is just wonderful! I hope you will share where we can find the article next Christmas!

Bob, the poster was  gift from the wife when I first finished the garage! What a good woman! LOL

Johan, thank you sir! I know the train is to long to make it around the reverse loop, but it looks good now!

Matt, I should be an expert sometime down th road then! LOL

Dad, Thanks, you cant work on train with out the Coors Light! LOL

Mark Boyce posted:

Nice Amtrak photographs, Brian.  I could step right in that last one!

Johan, the wood chip car looks great!

Nick, you and Mason have been doing a really nice job with that mountain.

Pete, Excellent job with that little train and layout!

Mike, You did great getting a loop ready to run for the grandchildren.  How old are they?

 

I actually spent some time yesterday and today retaking photographs on the Christmas layout of various trains for an article someone asked to write for next Christmas season.  It is not this magazine, and I won't divulge anything more.  The only reason I mention it is to thank everyone of you who contributed with ideas for the layout.  You helped interest someone.  

Mark: Thank you. Your Christmas layout looking nice. Unfortunately, this year i can`t build any Christmas layout, but maybe next year again.

Johan

WOW Carl, your diving into things I would never thin about! Sure sounds like a hand full! Good luck!

Mark- the Christmas Layout looks great. Good luck with the article.

Since Pete mentioned cookies... I made a batch with my kids this afternoon. Not often we can get the two of them away from a screen and in the same room doing something together. Gonna run trains after dinner.

Bob

Mike, the safety cage and ladder is a kit from Plastruct. They have different lengths. .....,Paul

mike g. posted:

Hey Bob, it was the wifes idea! But it worked out great cause it help me find problem spots before I got to far! Had to change the angle of the rise after the bridge a little and add a few drops !

Pete, Nice Christmas Train! Here is a picture of my Christmas train and a short video. I couldn't wait for Momma to get home, cause I wanted to share it with you all!

Yay Mike! Glad to see you are running trains. That was a fun video to watch. Your progress has been amazing to watch. I remember when you were telling everyone you were going to build this room. I never would have imagined you would be running trains this soon.

Dave

mike g. posted:

Thanks everyone for the really nice words!

Mark, your Christmas layout is just wonderful! I hope you will share where we can find the article next Christmas!

Bob, the poster was  gift from the wife when I first finished the garage! What a good woman! LOL

Johan, thank you sir! I know the train is to long to make it around the reverse loop, but it looks good now!

Matt, I should be an expert sometime down th road then! LOL

Dad, Thanks, you cant work on train with out the Coors Light! LOL

RSJB18 posted:

Mark- the Christmas Layout looks great. Good luck with the article.

Since Pete mentioned cookies... I made a batch with my kids this afternoon. Not often we can get the two of them away from a screen and in the same room doing something together. Gonna run trains after dinner.

Bob

Mike, Thank you!  I am still rather surprised anyone would want to do an article on my little thrown together Christmas layout!     I most certainly will share where to find the article when the time comes!  All of you helped out!!!  

Bob, Thank you!  I think it will be fun!    I'm glad you got the kids together.  Licking the bowl and beaters always got us interested when we were kids!! 

Thanks Dave, I didn't think I would be running trains yet either! LOL

Hi all here are the pictures of the grandkids watching the train! The youngest one asked if I could build them one! LOL

                                                                                                                           I hope someone here can help me out though, I start up the engine and the sound works fine, about 1/2 way around the sound stope, but the engine keeps going not missing a beat! Any ideas or suggestions?

As soon as I hit the direction button or lower the speed sometime the sound comes back on.

Excellent photographs, Mike!!    Tell those grandchildren they just need to come visit more often.  Grandma's cookies and grandpap's trains; what could be better!!! 

Mark Boyce posted:

Excellent photographs, Mike!!    Tell those grandchildren they just need to come visit more often.  Grandma's cookies and grandpap's trains; what could be better!!! 

LOL How did you know Mark? Grandma made 3 dozen cookies for them!

Mike, All grandmas make cookies!  LOL

Great pix Mike. Christmas season and grand kids and trains.

I'd jump on the little one's request

RSJB18 posted:

Great pix Mike. Christmas season and grand kids and trains.

I'd jump on the little one's request

Bob, we bought a battery operated one form Walmart for under the tree this year, but Tank wouldn't go for it. I packed it back up and when he asked me to build him one I broke it out put it on the table and Boom he loved it! At 4 I hope he still wants to play trains next year!

Finishing up the farm.

The farm looks great Jim!

luvindemtrains posted:

mike g. posted:

Hey Bob, it was the wifes idea! But it worked out great cause it help me find problem spots before I got to far! Had to change the angle of the rise after the bridge a little and add a few drops !

Pete, Nice Christmas Train! Here is a picture of my Christmas train and a short video. I couldn't wait for Momma to get home, cause I wanted to share it with you all!

Yay Mike! Glad to see you are running trains. That was a fun video to watch. Your progress has been amazing to watch. I remember when you were telling everyone you were going to build this room. I never would have imagined you would be running trains this soon.

Dave

Great video, Mike! What satisfaction you must feel to have come so far!

Merry Christmas!

Mike, keep the videos coming. Trackwork is progressing rapidly now.

Tonight I got the ladder and safety cage painted. It should be ready to glue in place tomorrow. Pic......Paul

Did some more experimentation with the camera...

RSJB18 posted:http://www.quickmeme.com/img/af/af498b6ab7f372ff094586d542d8bd7edc276aee795d1c03ae28a798f2208720.jpg Great pix Mike. Christmas season and grand kids and trains. I'd jump on the little one's request thumb Too funny. I just spent a nostalgic night looking at Cookie Monster history and videos; the time inspired by the warm plate of peanut butter cookies I was busy sampling In the process I found my normally non-drooling dogs kryptonite is smelling peanut butter cookies...found out with my sock . There it was incredible; near a foot round thin puddle connected by thick tell-tale "shoelaces" to it's sad eyed owner. A cookie put an end to the drool machine, but not the persistence at getting more. Today is trick day without promting... and some pouting over plain toast laugh The night before I made muffins; man ;l Sweet blueberry and a plain, a bit denser batch for sopping (hopefully non-lumpy) gravy . Tonight I might be doing pineapple upsidedown cake and pineapple shortbread cookies. I just finished some lightly sweetened nut meg & ginger French Toast. A turkey is sitting in Vernors and citrus juice mix overnight after thawing 90% in a "Scarborough Fair" dry rub for the last 4 days. If I step back from the layout 6ft I'm in the kitchen and at the stove. I can see most of it from the rest of the kitchen too. My baking success is based on their being no catastrophic derailmaints during a timed mixing/event or at a batch end laugh A good mousse pie would be awsome cool I used to get an $18 mousse pie in the early 80s that would ruin desert for you for a long time thereafter. I still miss it. I can't imagine what it would cost today. An hour to the new local, $40-50 each, and maybe a few years to back on the holiday waiting list I'm glad the "old ladies" taught me a thing or two growing up. RSJB18 posted:http://www.quickmeme.com/img/af/af498b6ab7f372ff094586d542d8bd7edc276aee795d1c03ae28a798f2208720.jpg Great pix Mike. Christmas season and grand kids and trains. I'd jump on the little one's request thumb Too funny. I just spent a nostalgic night looking at Cookie Monster history and videos; the time inspired by the warm plate of peanut butter cookies I was busy sampling In the process I found my normally non-drooling dogs kryptonite is smelling peanut butter cookies...found out with my sock . There it was incredible; near a foot round thin puddle connected by thick tell-tale "shoelaces" to it's sad eyed owner. A cookie put an end to the drool machine, but not the persistence at getting more. Today is trick day without promting... and some pouting over plain toast laugh The night before I made muffins; man ;l Sweet blueberry and a plain, a bit denser batch for sopping (hopefully non-lumpy) gravy . Tonight I might be doing pineapple upsidedown cake and pineapple shortbread cookies. I just finished some lightly sweetened nut meg & ginger French Toast. A turkey is sitting in Vernors and citrus juice mix overnight after thawing 90% in a "Scarborough Fair" dry rub for the last 4 days. If I step back from the layout 6ft I'm in the kitchen and at the stove. I can see most of it from the rest of the kitchen too. My baking success is based on their being no catastrophic derailmaints during a timed mixing/event or at a batch end laugh A good mousse pie would be awsome cool I used to get an $18 mousse pie in the early 80s that would ruin desert for you for a long time thereafter. I still miss it. I can't imagine what it would cost today. An hour to the new local, $40-50 each, and maybe a few years to back on the holiday waiting list I'm glad the "old ladies" taught me a thing or two growing up. RSJB18 posted: Great pix Mike. Christmas season and grand kids and trains. I'd jump on the little one's request    Too funny. I just spent a nostalgic night looking at Cookie Monster history and videos; the time inspired by the warm plate of peanut butter cookies I was busy sampling     In the process I found my normally non-drooling dogs kryptonite is smelling peanut butter cookies...found out with my sock . There it was incredible; near a foot round thin puddle connected by thick tell-tale "shoelaces" to it's sad eyed owner. A cookie put an end to the drool machine, but not the persistence at getting more. Today is trick day without promting... and some pouting over plain toast    The night before I made muffins; man ;l  Sweet blueberry and a plain, a bit denser batch for sopping (hopefully non-lumpy) gravy .  Tonight I might be doing pineapple upsidedown cake and pineapple shortbread cookies.  I just finished some lightly sweetened nut meg & ginger French Toast.    A turkey is sitting in Vernors and citrus juice mix overnight after thawing 90% in a "Scarborough Fair" dry rub for the last 4 days.   If I step back from the layout 6ft I'm in the kitchen and at the stove. I can see most of it from the rest of the kitchen too. My baking success is based on their being no catastrophic derailmaints during a timed mixing/event or at a batch end      A good mousse pie would be awsome  I used to get an $18 mousse pie in the early 80s that would ruin desert for you for a long time thereafter. I still miss it. I can't imagine what it would cost today. An hour to the new local, $40-50 each, and maybe a few years to back on the holiday waiting list      I'm glad the "old ladies" taught me a thing or two growing up....

Oh, I added a "manger scene" with some old wood figures and $1 store animals I found.

Though the "little guy" looks suspiciously like a man in a small bathtub; it forced perception works for me though  

Izzy, you owe me $50. I told you they'd catch on eventually with you showboatin' selfies like that. Heck, Norma almost blew it till she "ball and twined" um with Fortescue in the spotlight.

Whataya think for my avitar

Too sexy eh?...

Too serious?

Comfortable and "real"....

But it on has one 'good side'. The rest scream "goofball

They'd never all buy into an avitar photo' but dog-gone it you still owe me $50 the others caught on, you win it back if you can train the rest... Merry Christmas Iz, Norma, Tank and the rest; good luck wit dat...With that. (Sorry, peanut butter was stuck in my teeth)

..Puppi.

And a very Merry Christmas from Fortescue,  Norma, Sylvia and me!   

MERRY CHRISTMAS:

New to the forum, and new to O scale. I started preparing the upstairs of my garage (17’ x 27’) to start roughing out the track plan for my 2 rail system. I’m shooting for a similar look of the Tehachapi loop and, if possible, a version of the Horeshoe Curve on the opposite end of the layout.

I‘ll try to post photos as I progress.

Merry Christmas to all, and best wishes for a safe holiday season.

Butch, Your manger scene looks great!!!  The Izzy selfies look like most selfies, just not quite right.    

Thank you one and all for the Christmas wishes!!!

Here is my manger scene this year, right in the center of town at the foot of Mount Brian.  To the left is a couple getting married to commemorate my mother-in-law and late father-in-law who got married on December 23rd long ago.

May everyone have a very Blessed Christmas!!!

Nu2Oscale posted:

New to the forum, and new to O scale. I started preparing the upstairs of my garage (17’ x 27’) to start roughing out the track plan for my 2 rail system. I’m shooting for a similar look of the Tehachapi loop and, if possible, a version of the Horeshoe Curve on the opposite end of the layout.

I‘ll try to post photos as I progress.

Merry Christmas to all, and best wishes for a safe holiday season.

Nu2Oscale, Welcome to a great Forum filled with very kind and helpful folks.  I am so glad you joined us here!!  Whether 2-rail or 3-rail, there are lots of folks here who will be glad to answer any questions you have.  I myself modeled in HO and N scales from the late '60s until 2012, when I decided to switch to O 3-rail because of my eyesight and arthritis.  I picked 3-rail over 2-rail simply because I do not have the space for the broader curves needed for 2-rail, but didn't want to settle for just a small switching layout.  Tehachapi Loop and Horseshoe Curve are great undertakings.  I live about a two hour drive from Horseshoe.  Welcome again!!!

Nu2Oscale posted:

New to the forum, and new to O scale. I started preparing the upstairs of my garage (17’ x 27’) to start roughing out the track plan for my 2 rail system. I’m shooting for a similar look of the Tehachapi loop and, if possible, a version of the Horeshoe Curve on the opposite end of the layout.

I‘ll try to post photos as I progress.

Merry Christmas to all, and best wishes for a safe holiday season.

Welcome to the forum. Lot's of great info from a great bunch of guys. Sounds like an impressive project. I'd suggest starting your own build thread in the 2-rail area. Feel free to post here to as we all love to see anything trains.

Bob

RSJB18 posted:

That looks great Pete. Hopefully you have created a life long interest in trains for this little girl.

Would love to see how she decorates the board. Please share photos if you can.

I hope so to, Bob! I also gave her a container of Woodland Scenics “snow” and s package of winter trees in scale size. Told her she can hairspray the trees and sprinkle snow on the branches to make a wintery effect for her layout. Her eyes lighted up and I could see her imagination take flight. If I can, I will get a pic of her improvements.

Right now I have to cook a couple of pounds of shrimp and make a big batch of whipped cream  for the chocolate mousse I made yesterday. My kids and grandkids will be here later today. Everything else seems ready except for constantly policing the tracks around the tree for fallen tinsel.

Merry Vhristmas to you and yours!

Mark Boyce posted:

Butch, Your manger scene looks great!!!  The Izzy selfies look like most selfies, just not quite right.    

Thank you one and all for the Christmas wishes!!!

Here is my manger scene this year, right in the center of town at the foot of Mount Brian.  To the left is a couple getting married to commemorate my mother-in-law and late father-in-law who got married on December 23rd long ago.

May everyone have a very Blessed Christmas!!!

An absolute fantastic scene. Reminds me from the Scrooge Movies. Love the old style Christmas Tree in the top right. Looks like one my father has as well. Thank you for sharing this nice photo and scene for Christmas Eve.

Mark Boyce posted:

Nu2Oscale posted:

New to the forum, and new to O scale. I started preparing the upstairs of my garage (17’ x 27’) to start roughing out the track plan for my 2 rail system. I’m shooting for a similar look of the Tehachapi loop and, if possible, a version of the Horeshoe Curve on the opposite end of the layout.

I‘ll try to post photos as I progress.

Merry Christmas to all, and best wishes for a safe holiday season.

Nu2Oscale, Welcome to a great Forum filled with very kind and helpful folks.  I am so glad you joined us here!!  Whether 2-rail or 3-rail, there are lots of folks here who will be glad to answer any questions you have.  I myself modeled in HO and N scales from the late '60s until 2012, when I decided to switch to O 3-rail because of my eyesight and arthritis.  I picked 3-rail over 2-rail simply because I do not have the space for the broader curves needed for 2-rail, but didn't want to settle for just a small switching layout.  Tehachapi Loop and Horseshoe Curve are great undertakings.  I live about a two hour drive from Horseshoe.  Welcome again!!!

Thanks for the welcome gentlemen. I’m still navigating the site and trying to get the topics sorted out. I started model railroading in G scale, for 10-12years, but had to abandon due to arthritis and other medical issues that kept me from crawling on the ground...besides that, my nephews didn’t show the interest I hoped they would :-(

Missing the hobby, I decided an elevated O scale layout would be my salvation. I like the fixed pilot locomotives, as that was my motivation for 2 rail over 3. As long as it’s related to a train, we’re all happy....LOL.

I was born/raised in NJ and grew up watching passenger service, but always loved seeing the long freights and locomotives. BNSF colors and schemes were always a favorite, and my heart will always have a place for the east coast runners, CSX, NS, and Conrail.

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

             MERRY CHRISTMAS  everyone !!   from Me, Marci, and "Izzy"

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all

LMAO Brian- we posted the same image at the same time.

Bob

Nu2Oscale posted:

New to the forum, and new to O scale. I started preparing the upstairs of my garage (17’ x 27’) to start roughing out the track plan for my 2 rail system. I’m shooting for a similar look of the Tehachapi loop and, if possible, a version of the Horeshoe Curve on the opposite end of the layout.

I‘ll try to post photos as I progress.

Merry Christmas to all, and best wishes for a safe holiday season.

And to you!  If you have any questions, feel free to ask!  We might just know the answer!  If you're REALLY lucky, it'll be a correct answer!   

Welcome aboard!

Mitch 

Merry Christmas everyone! You guys are the best thanks for all the likes and encouraging comments this year 

RSJB18 posted:

LMAO Brian- we posted the same image at the same time.

Bob

Bob and Brian, It is a winner indeed!! 

briansilvermustang posted:

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

             MERRY CHRISTMAS  everyone !!   from Me, Marci, and "Izzy"

Brian, Thank you for the Merry Christmas wishes from you, Marci, and Izzi!!  They both sound like keepers!!!  

wrawroacx posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

Butch, Your manger scene looks great!!!  The Izzy selfies look like most selfies, just not quite right.    

Thank you one and all for the Christmas wishes!!!

Here is my manger scene this year, right in the center of town at the foot of Mount Brian.  To the left is a couple getting married to commemorate my mother-in-law and late father-in-law who got married on December 23rd long ago.

May everyone have a very Blessed Christmas!!!

An absolute fantastic scene. Reminds me from the Scrooge Movies. Love the old style Christmas Tree in the top right. Looks like one my father has as well. Thank you for sharing this nice photo and scene for Christmas Eve.

Thank you, Tom!!!!  Well you have an observant eye!  Since my wife has such a large hoard of ceramic buildings, I have to pick a theme for each Christmas.  This year the theme is Dickensville as most of the over 40 buildings I crammed onto this 4x7 are Dickenville she inherited from her grandmother.  There are a few Dickens Village buildings are thrown into the mix.  You're welcome!  Merry Christmas!!

 

                                        how about them BROWNS

 

                 don't forget, I get to open a present every time they score

Layout is ready for Christmas!   Family coming tonight!  woo hoo!  Foam done, got some buildings lit and running for tonight, choo choo is running well.  Glad to see Mike G. getting to run a train for his family! Well done sir!     Hope Santa brings us all some train goodies!   Merry Christmas everybody!   

Jim 

I have long wondered why DM&IR SD40-3’s are equipped with a reddish-orange colored box or tray attached to the side frame of the forward truck on the engineers side of the engine.  Note picture of #413.

I posted a question concerning this on the Missabe Historical facebook page last week and quickly received a reply.   It’s a storage rack for a FRED or EOTD, End Of Train Device, which is used today in lieu of a caboose.  Some call it a FRED bed.

I have never seen this storage rack pictured on other RR road locomotives, so thinking this rack is somewhat unique to the DM&IR, of course I had to add this detail to my two SD40-3’s.  I found a small sheet of thin copper in my material supply pile that proved to be ideal for fabricating the storage rack.  I had to judge the dimensions of the tray based on photos of road engines and web pictures of EOTD’s.   I am not a “rivet counter” so I felt that a general facsimile there of was quite sufficient.   The paint stir stick was perfect to form the tray. 

I cut a band of copper to the desired width (length of tray) and bent formed it over a paint stir stick that was a scale foot wide.

 Trimmed to the desired depth of the box and then stood it upright on a piece of copper, that I first coated with flux and then heated and secured with a touch of solder.

Repeated process for the other end piece.   I found it best to first secure the small end piece with masking tape.  

 I trimmed off the excess with a scissors and honed the joint with a fine file and emery paper.

With a project like this you usually end up making several and choosing the best.  The pieces were then washed. primed and painted. 

 

Project complete.  

I also scratched together a cosmetic EOTD to ride in the tray.  

 

This month, I have also added more street lighting to the layout and painted the fascia.

I chose to use the room’s wall color rather than the traditional black or green color seen on many layouts.

Thanks for all the great posting this month.   Hard to keep up with all the back and forth chatter and progress.

Merry Christmas & Holiday to all and Happy New Year!
May your stockings tonight be filled with Trains!!!

Cheers, Dave

 

Jim, Nice work on the Farm!

Pete, thank you Sir! It sure does feel Great to be running a train!

Paul, the ladder is looking nice! Cant wait to see it all finished up!

Lee, what a wonderful Picture! Are you sure you don't do that for a living!

Butch, what a nice story I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

NU2OSCALE, Welcome! You will find that you are going to have a blast with these folks! Lots of information to be had, just ask!

Mark, Wonderful Manger Scene! Both you and butch! Merry Christmas!

Brian, sure are some nice pictures of you all! Looks like a great crowd to hang out with! Merry Christmas!

CARSNTRAINS (JIM) I hope you have a wonderful time with family over Christmas! Out kids and grandkids just left as we had Christmas yesterday. The wife, I and Tank have to work at the store tomorrow so we can give our employees Christmas off to spend with there loved ones!

Dave, Amazing work! I too have never seen a box like that on an engine either. What a perfect match you built, keep up the wonderful work and I hope you have a Merry Christmas!

Sorry Brian, I had to barrow your card as I don't have one!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Fiddling around with a track cleaning car ala @M. Mitchell Marmel. Tried pulling it with a K-Line MP-15, no good, had to pull out the big guns. Cast bodies  and magna-traction can pull out tree stumps. Works OK- gotta figure out how to get even pressure across all three rails.

And since we're sharing this year..... Got the Christmas lights up and running on the layout. Heading out for Christmas Eve soon.

Once again- Merry Christmas to all the OGR members and families.

Bob

RSJB18 posted:

Fiddling around with a track cleaning car ala @M. Mitchell Marmel. Tried pulling it with a K-Line MP-15, no good, had to pull out the big guns. Cast bodies  and magna-traction can pull out tree stumps. Works OK- gotta figure out how to get even pressure across all three rails.

And since we're sharing this year..... Got the Christmas lights up and running on the layout. Heading out for Christmas Eve soon.

Once again- Merry Christmas to all the OGR members and families.

Bob

Christmas Trees look great Bob! As for the track cleaning car, try gluing some small spacers under the car where you want more pressure! Just a thought, They should be small enough when not cleaning track you wont see them from the side!

Either way, Merry Christmas!

Dave, Nice looking addition to the DM&IR engine!  The street lighting looks great too!  Merry Christmas!

Bob, I have to work on a track cleaning car too.  I have the Magic Erasers but haven’t picked a car.  The Christmas lights look great!  Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!!

I detailed a Lionel Union Pacific Challenger 21" Baggage Car.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

John, looks like great interior detail!

Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS: PART 2

Merry Christmas everyone. Nativity scene after last night open house in CT. 

Hope everyone had a great Christmas waking up to trains running around under the trees and packages full of trains to open. Last night I got my ladder glued into place. I had been trying to figure out what type of structure to place on top of the silos. Then it finally dawned on me that I had worked for Nabisco in Niagara Falls NY and there we had silos. So I took a trip on google back to the falls. Scratched down what I think will work. Now comes the fun of fitting into the area. But I think it will be a fun project. Pics.............Paul

Looks like a good plan, Paul!  Merry Christmas!

darlander posted:

I have long wondered why DM&IR SD40-3’s are equipped with a reddish-orange colored box or tray attached to the side frame of the forward truck on the engineers side of the engine.  Note picture of #413.

I posted a question concerning this on the Missabe Historical facebook page last week and quickly received a reply.   It’s a storage rack for a FRED or EOTD, End Of Train Device, which is used today in lieu of a caboose.

I have never seen this storage rack pictured on other RR road locomotives, so thinking this rack is somewhat unique to the DM&IR, of course I had to add this detail to my two SD40-3’s.  I found a small sheet of thin copper in my material supply pile that proved to be ideal for fabricating the storage rack.  I had to judge the dimensions of the tray based on photos of road engines and web pictures of EOTD’s.   I am not a “rivet counter” so I felt that a general facsimile there of was quite sufficient.   The paint stir stick was perfect to form the tray. 

I cut a band of copper to the desired width (length of tray) and bent formed it over a paint stir stick that was a scale foot wide.

 Trimmed to the desired depth of the box and then stood it upright on a piece of copper, that I first coated with flux and then heated and secured with a touch of solder.

Repeated process for the other end piece.   I found it best to first secure the small end piece with masking tape.  

 I trimmed off the excess with a scissors and honed the joint with a fine file and emery paper.

With a project like this you usually end up making several and choosing the best.  The pieces were then washed. primed and painted. 

 

Project complete.  

I also scratched together a cosmetic EOTD to ride in the tray.  

 

This month, I have also added more street lighting to the layout and painted the fascia.

I chose to use the room’s wall color rather than the traditional black or green color seen on many layouts.

Thanks for all the great posting this month.   Hard to keep up with all the back and forth chatter and progress.

Merry Christmas & Holiday to all and Happy New Year!
May your stockings tonight be filled with Trains!!!

Cheers, Dave

 

Dave,

First off Happy Holidays. The project looks like it turned out great. You can never have enough details. The layout looks fabulous. Would love to see more. Thanks for posting.

Dave

Nu2 welcome to the forum!

Thanks all for the uplifting and interesting projects, photos, and ideas.

Merry Christmas to all! I absolutely love this thread. I got some very cool train items from the wife today! I was able to sneak away from the festivities to shoot this video of the new layout! If you look at my previous 2 layouts on my YouTube channel you will see lots has changed over the years. Hope everyone enjoys the rest of the holiday! 

https://youtu.be/PDil8FFbG7U

Well, it’s Christmas Day, and a great time to clean track under Mountains, and bridges, it’s been a long time coming, and I am finding that age is catching up rapidly....Merry Christmas all.  

John, I am with Mark, Wonderful job on the Baggage Car!

Sam, What a neat video! Thanks for sharing it!

Matt, great manager scene! Tank really liked it!

Paul, very nice work on the ladder install! The plans you have drawn up sure looks like a winner!

NSRAILFAN100, wonderful video of your layout! Very nice!

Larry, I cant say it enough I just love your layout! It is just amazing!

Did a little clean up.  

MasterBlasterNash posted:

Did a little clean up.  

Great looking Train room, with a wonderful layout! Very Nice!

MERRY CHRISTMAS: FINAL:

https://www.ashland.edu/admini...admissions-greetings

 

 

I always hated to take our Christmas layout down after the holidays, and especially I hated putting my Lionel 2026 back in its box, to go in the attic for another year.  Because of that, my 2026 lives on our coffee table all year round these days.

But during the Christmas season, I put it on my layout to spread holiday cheer once more.  And that's what I did on my layout today.  After a routine lubrication and cleaning of wheels and rollers, it ran just as well as it did on its first Christmas morning, back in 1951.  The whistle was a bit balky, so I opened up the tender and applied contact cleaner to the commutator and a drop of oil to both bearings.  After that, it began functioning normally.

And when that whistle blows, why, it's Christmas, 1952, all over again!

these are some goodies i got for Christmas!   Ran them a bit today

Santa getting a train ride home from the deep south!                 jim

Put a decoder in my caboose to turn on newly installed interior lights as well as marker lights.

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

 

Took more shots tonight.

I converted two shots that weren't all that good, into sepia, and I think they worked as representations of 1940s snapshots...

p51 posted:

Took more shots tonight.

I converted two shots that weren't all that good, into sepia, and I think they worked as representations of 1940s snapshots...

Lee - Looks like a 1940s snap shot to me!  GREAT JOB!!  BRAVO!!

Jim, sure looks like you got some nice things for Christmas! Also thanks for the nice little video!

Lee, I wasn't around in the 40's but sure looks just like the pictures in the history books! LOL

I always enjoy the posts here and started to work on the layout again after a 6 month sabbatical. You can't tell by the mess but I cleaned up one end and added handles to the farm pop out to make it easier to take in and out. I will try to get a little done each week and add a photo to inspire others as they do me.

Dave, what you've done looks great! I don't have a layout, yet, but your photo's have inspired me, and given me some idea's .. thank you for posting!

Rusty

Looks good Dave! Nice layout!

samparfitt posted:

Put a decoder in my caboose to turn on newly installed interior lights as well as marker lights.

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

 

LEFT ARM FOR SALE

Like I have said many times, and only because I am right-handed, I would sell my left arm to be able to do something like that! WOW!

Samparfitt, I agree the caboose lighting is great!!

Dave, I'm glad you are back on the layout.  The farm is looking great!  Handles for the pop out are a good thing!  You are making it so we can't tell it is a popout!

Lee, the 1940s photos really look realistic!!

Moved older power (F7A's and F7B's)  to storage tracks at the old roundhouse, so to make room for more newer power (GE ES44's and Dash-9's) on the engine service tracks.  Some of the active power will be moved down to standby power ( SD45's, GP39's and MP15's) The old F7's  will only come out of storage in the summer grain rush.

Impressive Dave!

samparfitt posted:

Put a decoder in my caboose to turn on newly installed interior lights as well as marker lights.

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

 

Sam, Nice job on the DCC decoder and the light system! I am with Dr. Joe, but I cant afford to give up either arm! But will say wonderful work! LOL

Dave Ripp. posted:

I always enjoy the posts here and started to work on the layout again after a 6 month sabbatical. You can't tell by the mess but I cleaned up one end and added handles to the farm pop out to make it easier to take in and out. I will try to get a little done each week and add a photo to inspire others as they do me.

I have the same situation as you with the high wall, then tunnel, and high wall again.  Please inform me as your source for your block wall to the right of the tunnel opening.  The block that you used is exactly what I wish to use to finish the rise of my elevated track. 

Thanks,

John d. Sewell