What did you do on your layout today?

RSJB18 posted:

j. constible posted:

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

Well, I haven't even been downstairs yet today, but I just spent a lot of money on trains. I called Charlie Ro and placed my pre-order for the new Lionel catalog. Four more engines, the oil train, a bunch of tank car 3 packs, some hoppers, and the UP excursion set expansion 2 pack. List was over 5K. Pre-order knocks that down quite a bit.

My wife came into the train room and stopped, she believes the room is now full.

Hate to say it but she may be right....

Very impressive collection

a couple more shots

This morning I got my wood strips and this afternoon I found what I needed at Home Depot. I was hoping fopr 2 inch thick but one inch will work. After dinner I made up the bracing for the bottom of the gorge. I had a scrap piece of Luan board left over so I cut it to size to fit over the two braces. Now I can start to lay in the foam board. ..Pics.....Paul

Looks like you are ready for action Paul!!

RSJB18 posted

I used to blast Zepplin and Floyd in my headphones when I ran my old HO layout growing up. Very cool way to run trains.

I love listening to live and the original versions of Kashmir in various situations. Including running trains.

Even used it as a rally signal on active duty in the motor pool several times. You haven't lived until you start playing Zep and watch dozens of soliders scramble to their vehicles with weapons...

But my layout takes place in 1943, so sometimes I'll listen to big band music if I listen to music at all. My locomotives have sound systems for a reason.

I upgraded the speaker in my dummy today.

i can make it sound like an actual engine is on the track...my mom tells me it’s too loud

lol

Apples55 posted:

RSJB18 posted:

 

You started it, Bob...

And I can’t help myself from keeping it going...

Kon112H posted:

Forgot this pic , but here’s the edit.  

Hi, Would you mind sharing how you weathered your the bridge work? Looks awesome! thanks!

SNOW DAY!!!!!! YAY!!!

What did I do on my layout today, hmmmm....
I don't know if this counts as a layout, but the past week I've been removing paint off of a lot of repainted trains I acquired a while back, and have discovered a neat little trick for doing so. So here's a tip for people removing just one layer of paint from repainted engines.

If using a Dremel rotary tool, which is what I use, get a hefty supply of q-tips (About 10-20) and cut them in half with a pair of scissors, then insert the tips into the area for the attachment, and tighten. The friction of the Q-tip rubbing against the new paint will cause it to heat up and melt, sticking to the Q-tip. Once the Q-tip is covered, simply drop it out and replace it with another one. Works like magic, and is best for removing paint from lithiographed designs.

Berkshire posted:

What did I do on my layout today, hmmmm....
I don't know if this counts as a layout, but the past week I've been removing paint off of a lot of repainted trains I acquired a while back, and have discovered a neat little trick for doing so. So here's a tip for people removing just one layer of paint from repainted engines.

If using a Dremel rotary tool, which is what I use, get a hefty supply of q-tips (About 10-20) and cut them in half with a pair of scissors, then insert the tips into the area for the attachment, and tighten. The friction of the Q-tip rubbing against the new paint will cause it to heat up and melt, sticking to the Q-tip. Once the Q-tip is covered, simply drop it out and replace it with another one. Works like magic, and is best for removing paint from lithiographed designs.

 

 

I recently acquired a set of PRR ALCO's that had some paint splatter on the shells (plastic, not tin). I found that Bug and Tar remover applied with Q-tips worked well.  Didn't think of the Dremmel though.

RSJB18 posted:

I recently acquired a set of PRR ALCO's that had some paint splatter on the shells (plastic, not tin). I found that Bug and Tar remover applied with Q-tips worked well.  Didn't think of the Dremmel though.

Interesting, I've never really tried any solevents on my trains to remove the paint.
I do have some gel paint remover in the shop, would that work well for removing added paint from lithiographed/enameled trains?

Not sure about removing paint from a painted surface. Since mine were molded plastic I figured it was worth a try. The B&T remover seemed like a logical choice since its safe to use on automotive finishes. It didn't harm the lettering at all either.

paul 2 posted:

This morning I got my wood strips and this afternoon I found what I needed at Home Depot. I was hoping fopr 2 inch thick but one inch will work. After dinner I made up the bracing for the bottom of the gorge. I had a scrap piece of Luan board left over so I cut it to size to fit over the two braces. Now I can start to lay in the foam board. ..Pics.....Paul

TWO inch thick bracing!?!?!? Are you planning on standing on it? Or do you own stock in Georgia Pacific?

MODELTRAINPARTS, any of the other scenery I have done I like working with the 2 inch thick board because I have to do less cutting........Paul

modeltrainsparts posted:

paul 2 posted:

This morning I got my wood strips and this afternoon I found what I needed at Home Depot. I was hoping fopr 2 inch thick but one inch will work. After dinner I made up the bracing for the bottom of the gorge. I had a scrap piece of Luan board left over so I cut it to size to fit over the two braces. Now I can start to lay in the foam board. ..Pics.....Paul

TWO inch thick bracing!?!?!? Are you planning on standing on it? Or do you own stock in Georgia Pacific?

I think Paul is talking about the foam he is stacking up to cut the gorge out of??

Jim

Logan, the dummy sounds terrific.  Did you add lights too?  A smoke unit would really tip it off.

Your hand looks bad!  Ouch!  Injury or surgery?  It looks like mine did 25 years ago with carpal tunnel, then 20 years later I had to go through it on each hand again.  He couldn’t do arthroscopic since there was so much scar tissue to take out.

Berkshire, the q-tips in the Dremel is a great idea.

Bob, Bug and tar remover is a great idea!

Well I’m off to PT again.  Visit number 20.  Surprised insurance keeps approving, but it must be because the nerve damage affects me lifting my foot right

Well I put the chimney and marker lights on the Bunk car.   Pretty neat car!  Didn't get to test the lights but I will do that tonight!  Raining like crazy here and is supposed to flood.. ugggg.   Had to cancel my order of the hopper set from super man and then ordered them from the HEN.  So I have them and some more cabooses on the way.  Accidentally won another caboose on the bay.  Never thought opening bid would get it.  But hey its a RMT with marker lights and comes with a fee conductor dude!! : )    

Today I turn 53!!!   Do I qualify for Social Security or AARP yet?? LOL   

Paul I hope you make some more progress today!

Mark have fun at PT! 

Jim

The Lionel Theater car made a lap around my layout this morning.  Sorry about the lighting....

Jim, won't be much progress during the day. Today another TCA luncheon and then we are going over one of the members houses to see his layout. Then taking the wife out for dinner because I was gone all day having fun LOL. After dinner will be layout time...............Paul

Brian, the Western roads look nice today!

Bob, it’s freezing rain here, fortunately changed to rain, so I am at PT on the electro gizmo right now.

Jim, Happy birthday!  I am eligible for Social Security, but hope to hold out a while longer.  If nobody wants me to work after unemployment runs out, I may have to take it.

Gilly, The theater car does make for a neat video view!

Gilly@N&W posted:

The Lionel Theater car made a lap around my layout this morning.  Sorry about the lighting....

Gilly that is pretty cool! I really like the new stuff they are coming out with that has cameras in them!  Maybe an engine soon!

Mark you better get it while you can! 

Paul make sure to take lots of pictures!

Jim

Lots of great post here ! So hard to catch up. Need to get some projects lined up for the layout by York.  Had time to run various trains last night. We need more shelves still..

16 mins of running last night 6 trains https://youtu.be/DiGADtdEZXQ

Took delivery of a couple of Santa handcars from Forum member Ivan (as well as some nifty extras!) 

One of them is on its way to being repurposed...

Mitch 

Updated (again) my Williams WM FA1. Added power, cab figures and sound. I chose the path of least resistance and just wen t with all Williams components.  I checked out a bunch of the True Blast Plus sound kits and ultimately I just wanted a good sounding horn that wasn't a single-note "tugboat" sound.  Prime mover sounds are "close enough" for me. I love the simplicity and ruggedness of these Williams locos.  No muss, no fuss. They just run and run and run. 

Photos and a brief video. (pardon the auto focus issues my camera is having)

Gilly@N&W posted:

The Lionel Theater car made a lap around my layout this morning.  Sorry about the lighting....

The perspective from the car is very good, especially when approaching another train on the adjacent track.  It's the way cars look when standing on the track.

carsntrains posted:

Well I put the chimney and marker lights on the Bunk car.   Pretty neat car!  Didn't get to test the lights but I will do that tonight!  Raining like crazy here and is supposed to flood.. ugggg.   Had to cancel my order of the hopper set from super man and then ordered them from the HEN.  So I have them and some more cabooses on the way.  Accidentally won another caboose on the bay.  Never thought opening bid would get it.  But hey its a RMT with marker lights and comes with a fee conductor dude!! : )    

Today I turn 53!!!   Do I qualify for Social Security or AARP yet?? LOL   

Paul I hope you make some more progress today!

Mark have fun at PT! 

Jim

Happy Birthday Jim! Don't rush it. It'll be here  before you know it.

Bob

Jim, Bob is right!  9+ years went by fast for me.

Ralph, the Williams FA1 looks good and sounds good!  It looks like it runs good too!  Very good choice!

Got this text from my wife yesterday....another pin hole leak in my hot water line

At least its not over the trains......

Working on some stuff today. I will post pix later.

Snow this morning, now sleet, supposed to change to rain later and wash it all away.

Bob

RSJB18 posted:

Got this text from my wife yesterday....another pin hole leak in my hot water line

At least its not over the trains......

Working on some stuff today. I will post pix later.

Snow this morning, now sleet, supposed to change to rain later and wash it all away.

Bob

OUCH! Not goodGuess What drain from my first floor bathroom sink and shower broke a few years ago?

OOHFAAHH! At least my waste lines are cast iron and PVC.

RSJB18 posted:

OOHFAAHH! At least my waste lines are cast iron and PVC.

OH NO!    One of the negatives about basements!!!  UGGGGGGGGGG

Jim

Oh no Bob and Jackson!!!  

At least all our pipes are on the other side of the house from the layout!!!

Ralph, that is a nice-sounding diesel, as well as a sharp-looking one.

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Took delivery of a couple of Santa handcars from Forum member Ivan (as well as some nifty extras!) 

One of them is on its way to being repurposed...

Mitch 

Mitch, I'm with you. We barely have ten months until Christmas, and we need to get serious about our 2019 Christmas lay-outs! I have already purchased three items for this year's display.

 OK I can’t resist either this was always was one of my favorites 

Great benchwork guys looking good already this week 

 Happy birthday Jim  we all here appreciate you  and your post

So I intended to get some stuff done today. I was cruising along until I decided to take the shell off my new D&H RS3. I had not serviced it since I bought it so why not. The front truck was jumping off the rails on a couple of switches so a little extra weight was in order. That went fine till I realized I put it at the rear end. Took it apart again and moved the weights to the front. 

Then I had the bright idea to rewire the motors in series. Don't know what I did but now I have a short some place and it won't run. Dicided that I had hit the wall and put the shell back on and put the engine on the shelf to be attacked another day. I've done a bunch of K-lines without an issue. 

I was working on the engine while I was waiting for the glue to dry on the wood I added to the front edge of the layout. I am going to put a small piece of trim on the front to clean it up. Been bugging me for a long time. Don't have the trim I want so I will hit the Depot tomorrow. I also moved the switch for my Lionel switch tower to the control panel. It was next to the clamp on the left on the bench top. 

Snow has ended and its raining now. Hopefully it will be gone by morning. 

Bob

Sorry the RS3 gave you trouble, Bob.  Yes, better to put it on the shelf for another day.    Sprucing up the front of the layout!  I haven't used those wood clamps since wood shop in school...oh my, that was 50 years ago!!! 

Bob, it’s nice to see handscrew clamps in use. I thought I was the only one using them 

Andy

Brian  thanks for the great California Zephyr photos.  Especially with the WP F units up front.   Have you every found any decent interior photographs of these cars ?   I went looking some time back and only found one or two photos via Google.    

Lots of great work getting done, by everyone....  Unfortunately,  I am working on company tax preparation,  so I can meet with the new accountant Friday... I'd rather be working on the trains !!!!  

Well I survived delivering Saturday's soldering clinic at the NMRA division meeting. The first part went rather well. When it came time for the demo portion, let's just say that could have gone a bit better. You know when you have guests and the trains don't behave? The old adage "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." came to mind. In the end a good time was had by all. I'm not very good at public speaking, but with about 20 guys, most of whom I knew, that wasn't really a problem. I do feel better now that it's over, like the weight of the world is off my shoulders.

On the health front, it's always something. I had a root canal today, but it didn't relieve all the pressure from the abscess. I have to go for my third visit on Thursday. Hopefully this thing will finally clear up. Been on antibiotics since my first visit last Thursday. It's just annoying.

I finally went back downstairs today, to change out that bad breaker on the house panel. I have a tattoo on my left forearm. It says "Nothing is easy". The tattoo was an homage to my dad, who always said that. And he was right. Everyday events are always cropping up, causing me to point to the tattoo. So, when Comcast came in and installed their alarm system, a few years ago, they used the wires from the previously installed sensors. Unfortunately, the wires were a bit on the short side, so thoseidiots mounted their box where it was most convenient for them. There was a nice clean piece of plywood in place, just to the right of the electrical panel. They hung it on the plywood, mostly. It was hanging over the edge by about an inch, covering two of the screws of the electrical panel cover.So I had to move that, before I could replace the breaker. And that's my nothing is easy story for today. New breaker works great. I can turn on the track power without having to reset the breaker every third time.

After spending an excessive amount of time on LIONEL's website making sure I was ordering everything I wanted from North Lima Train Works, emailed the order to John at NLTW; he phoned to go over the order; he invoiced me via PayPal; I paid; he shipped--a very good day for getting some neat stuff for my passenger train paint projects--photos to follow upon their arrival via FedEx.

Still more filling, sanding, priming and repeat--but it's getting close on four, smooth-sided passenger cars.

Also, putting together a package for Christine's painting and lettering skills this evening.

Almost time for NCIS--taking a break.

Elliot I feel what you are saying! Keep on keepin on!!!    

this is my birthday cake!!!! Choo choo!!!!!!!!

The MOW fleet is growing! Got to test the lights in the new bunk car! Works great!!

Bob the work looks good! I have those erwin clamps! I'd like to see some more pictures of your layout! 

I tried to load a 14 second video but it says its too big.   

Jim

 Sorry guys I try to post pictures with my tablet.  Cant type worth beans on it.  

Elliot, you just have to keep at it!  Yes some installers take the easy way out.

Carl, I’m sure it will look great after Christine is done!

Jim, nice cake!  Nicer MOW fleet!  100 percent DC!  Sounds like my HO days!

Final step of my air operated Wilesco steam engines was to pipe in the steam whistle. Works as I had hoped it would.

Jeff B. Haertlein posted:

Final step of my air operated Wilesco steam engines was to pipe in the steam whistle. Works as I had hoped it would.

That is cool!  Can you video it so we can hear it? 

Mark naaaa better than that HO days!   

I went through 3400 box cars on ebay today!   Looking for a car I had seen a few years ago on there.   Never did find it.  Seems it was a rebel oil or rebel something.   Maybe even confederate.  I remember the car was a deep red with a gold stripe.  Couldn't find it so I bought a NC&STL Dixieland boxcar lol   Anybody have any info on the poor description I gave I would greatly appreciate it! 

Jim 

Jeff, That’s great you got it working!

Jim, Better than HO!!!!!!!  That’s a lot of cars to look through on eBay!!  You sound like you are retired already!  LOL

Mark Boyce posted:

Jeff, That’s great you got it working!

Jim, Better than HO!!!!!!!  That’s a lot of cars to look through on eBay!!  You sound like you are retired already!  LOL

I wish I was retired!   I do get a bit of time on some days to look at things.   We had a huge storm and flooding today so it was super slow at the office.  Good for doing research! 

Jim 

Jim 

I don’t think I’ve looked at 3400 cars on ebay in a 6 month time and I’m a eBay junky sometimes anyway enjoy your birthday and have fun 

Jim writes: "I went through 3400 box cars on ebay today! "

Jim, you are an inspiration to all of us to be better railroaders than we are!

Hi guys-  A little more detail on the RS-3 (I was posting from my phone and my thumbs were getting cramps).

I had tested the loco several times on the bench with alligator clips on the trucks and it ran fine. Put it on the track-nothing. I finally realized after several attempts, which included putting the shell on, that one truck was shorted and the other was fine. Both motors ran when I tested but once on the track the common wheels of the trailing truck would cause a short. At least I know where to start when I go back in.

Glad you guys like the old school clamps. I got them as promotional give-aways at work. They have come in handy several times. You should see the old bar clamps I have. They belonged to my wife's grandfather- 4' long and they weigh a ton. Probably 80 years old by now.

Elliot- Glad you got the power issues solved. We had a old electrician's joke when wires were short- go get the wire stretcher out of the truck . And you are right- nothing is easy, if it was everyone would do it.

Jim- Nice Southern equipment. The box car looks sharp too. Hope you enjoyed your cake.

Ping-man- progress photos please?

Jeff- very cool whistle, how loud is it? We need a video of the factory in operation. That looks like a great project.

ANYONE HEARD FROM MIKE G? Hope he's OK.

Bob

RSJB18 posted:

Hi guys-  A little more detail on the RS-3 (I was posting from my phone and my thumbs were getting cramps).

I had tested the loco several times on the bench with alligator clips on the trucks and it ran fine. Put it on the track-nothing. I finally realized after several attempts, which included putting the shell on, that one truck was shorted and the other was fine. Both motors ran when I tested but once on the track the common wheels of the trailing truck would cause a short. At least I know where to start when I go back in.

Glad you guys like the old school clamps. I got them as promotional give-aways at work. They have come in handy several times. You should see the old bar clamps I have. They belonged to my wife's grandfather- 4' long and they weigh a ton. Probably 80 years old by now.

Elliot- Glad you got the power issues solved. We had a old electrician's joke when wires were short- go get the wire stretcher out of the truck . And you are right- nothing is easy, if it was everyone would do it.

Jim- Nice Southern equipment. The box car looks sharp too. Hope you enjoyed your cake.

Ping-man- progress photos please?

Jeff- very cool whistle, how loud is it? We need a video of the factory in operation. That looks like a great project.

ANYONE HEARD FROM MIKE G? Hope he's OK.

Bob

Cake was good BOB : )    I think there was a massive wet snow storm over where Mike G. lives. I hope its not a health related issue for any of his family!  

Reckon you can find that short?   And shoot us some more pictures of your layout! 

Paul I hope you got us some good pictures from the layout you visited! 

Jim

Brian, I really like the train pics you provide, some are just stunning!

For me, just a test fit of building placement today.  Bunch more work to do.

Mayor Magoo posted:

Brian, I really like the train pics you provide, some are just stunning!

For me, just a test fit of building placement today.  Bunch more work to do.

          thanks Steve, great looking building, very nice !

Steve, the building looks great!

RSJB18 posted:

 

Elliot- Glad you got the power issues solved. We had a old electrician's joke when wires were short- go get the wire stretcher out of the truck . And you are right- nothing is easy, if it was everyone would do it.

 

Thanks Bob, and that is the second part of that expression. Dad said that sometimes too. At summer camp we always talked about the "smoke bender" and the "sky hook" , not much call for the "wire stretcher in the woods". I just moved the box up a little, then over enough to expose the screws. I'm just not sure why I should have had to. Dummies! At least I found it before an electrical inspector did.

I'm starting to get worried about Mike too. Five days away from the forum isn't like him. 

Here you go Jim- my little slice of heaven on a 4 X 8 board.

Bob

                                    https://youtu.be/u7QCnv0Qpfg

CSX AL, your mill project is impressive.

Brian, never ceases to amaze me you have not got to the end of engines but keep em coming.

Bob, the last engine I took apart and put back together ended up with some of the things not working but it ran and had sounds so I left it alone.

Steve, goo looking building.

Jim, happy belated birthday. I wish I could be 53 again.

Elliot, I always hate it when something not related to trains comes up and takes me away from the trains. But it is important to resolve electrical problems. So with that taken care of, the tooth getting better and the soldering class over with you can get back to your layout.

Mark, that was nice to get a windfall and be able to use it for trains. Hope you are feeling better and able to move around with less pain.

So today I started off with a bang. I started laying in the base foam board but that is on hold because now another quest has started to find out where the heck I put my package of hot melt sticks for the glue gun. Guess for me it never fails when you are a person who just piles up everything and expects to find what you need right away. Pics......Paul

RSJB18 posted:

Here you go Jim- my little slice of heaven on a 4 X 8 board.

Bob

Bob very cool!   Some nice trains on there too!  I see a ton of toggles and such, what are you running for power??  And nice that you have your layout schematic handy to post!!! 

Chris that is a nice building!  I put my main lines way out near the walls ... Looks like you thought ahead with your track work and put a siding there.  I did not think to do that! 

Elliot I checked the TV station web page for my weather and they had a story about the snow storm where Mike G. lives!   They are talking FEET not inches!   Folks stranded all over the place!  Said its the biggest snow there in 50 years?? 

Jim

Here's an early picture of command central Jim. All old-school conventional control as of now. Haven't made the jump to DCS or legacy, or bluetooth, or LC or LC+.......  One day....

Brian - Alaska RR, the real thing in wilderness railroading today.  It must be a lot of cold hard work to keep them going.  Thanks for the shots.

paul 2 posted:

CSX AL, your mill project is impressive.

Brian, never ceases to amaze me you have not got to the end of engines but keep em coming.

Bob, the last engine I took apart and put back together ended up with some of the things not working but it ran and had sounds so I left it alone.

Steve, goo looking building.

Jim, happy belated birthday. I wish I could be 53 again.

Elliot, I always hate it when something not related to trains comes up and takes me away from the trains. But it is important to resolve electrical problems. So with that taken care of, the tooth getting better and the soldering class over with you can get back to your layout.

Mark, that was nice to get a windfall and be able to use it for trains. Hope you are feeling better and able to move around with less pain.

So today I started off with a bang. I started laying in the base foam board but that is on hold because now another quest has started to find out where the heck I put my package of hot melt sticks for the glue gun. Guess for me it never fails when you are a person who just piles up everything and expects to find what you need right away. Pics......Paul

Ah shucks I know where the glue gun sticks are!  Over there next to the flux capacitor and that old can of steam you have sitting there lol   OH man I spend more time looking for stuff than I do working!  I know what you are going through!

Bob what is the power pack??  I take it you havent tried any of the Lionchief stuff yet eh?  At any rate very cool!   This here is my power source! : ) Kind of dull looking aint it?? lol

Jim

RSJB18 posted:

Here's an early picture of command central Jim. All old-school manual control as of now. Haven't made the jump to DCS or legacy yet. One day....

 

Same here. AC motors. The only electronics are the Liontech electronic E-units, a Liontech horn&bell and an old MRC AC101 power pack w/ a  walkaround throttle.

paul 2 posted:

 

Elliot, I always hate it when something not related to trains comes up and takes me away from the trains. But it is important to resolve electrical problems. So with that taken care of, the tooth getting better and the soldering class over with you can get back to your layout.

 

Well Paul, it's all loosely related to trains and the layout. It seems like any disruption when I'm on a roll, it takes a long time to get back in the mood. That's exactly what I need to do. I have a few critical repair issues to deal with, that may test my knee a bit, because I need to sit on the floor and get back up a few times to do them.

The tooth is doing much better this morning. He injected some bleach solution into the canals to sterilize the area, but some of it went up into the abscess. Last night some of it managed to drain out through the tissue. That tasted nasty. With the pain and swelling down by about 90%, he should be able to backfill the canals tomorrow, and put this thing to bed. Then we just have to do a crown, think large steam engine for the cost of this project to save a tooth.

Jim, I hope that Mike is just incommunicado for technical reasons due to the storms, and it isn't related to his bout with the flu. Not a good double whammy.

Brian, that is an impressive set of Alaska Railroad photos.

With sporadic diligence, l have this cook house roofed...."wood" shingles, with patches of corrugated roofing over kitchen, chimneys, and stacks.  Need some O scale 1930's kitchen dollhouse furniture....dry sink, icebox, cast iron wood stove, etc. to complete...oops, rough dining room tables/benches, too.

Vincent Massi posted:

Brian, that is an impressive set of Alaska Railroad photos.

          thanks Vincent

The layout details are amazing in the photos posted.  I like P51's narrow gauge railroad videos.  All of the layouts are taking shape and showing care in adding interesting features to the layouts.

I finished painting another box of 24 Preiser 65602 Unpainted Seated People for 21" Santa Fe and Canadian Pacific passenger cars arriving around Christmas 2019.  This box is pink clothing for the women and medium brown for the men.

The eleven new Preiser 65602 packs are on the way from Questmark and Frankarts in Germany.  I have four more boxes at home to paint before they arrive.  The next box is Yellow for the women's clothes.  (Blue, green, pink, yellow, lavender, then repeat.)

For a break, I am converting two Atlas O B&O Trainman Box cars to three rail.  That will give me all four road numbers of the B&O Sentinel 40' Box cars.

Sincerely,  John Rowlen   (2-13-2019)

Kon112H posted:

carsntrains posted:

 

 

Bob what is the power pack??  I take it you havent tried any of the Lionchief stuff yet eh?  At any rate very cool!   This here is my power source! : ) Kind of dull looking aint it?? lol

  I can’t stand fast track but , I’ll  say they do a great job marketing to entry level and people who are not good with electrical stuff.  

 

We are all different! And I have seen some amazing Fastrack layouts!!   Sean's trains for one.   BTW I watched your video on FB last night!  Some good looking Southern equipment rolling around!  Does your KONWAY sign not light up??   And does that Southern TOFC have any dates on it that might indicate its era?

Jim

carsntrains posted 

 

We are all different! And I have seen some amazing Fastrack layouts!!   Sean's trains for one.   BTW I watched your video on FB last night!  Some good looking Southern equipment rolling around!  Does your KONWAY sign not light up??   And does that Southern TOFC have any dates on it that might indicate its era?

Jim

Thanks, funny the other silver trailer cars have dates 55-56. There Lionel PS-4 cars. I feel these cars  where used mid 50s to late 60s . In the 70s you see the double trailer flats.   Trains or classic trains did an article about this in the last year actually.  

The Konway sign is not lighted.  

Kon112H posted:

carsntrains posted 

 

We are all different! And I have seen some amazing Fastrack layouts!!   Sean's trains for one.   BTW I watched your video on FB last night!  Some good looking Southern equipment rolling around!  Does your KONWAY sign not light up??   And does that Southern TOFC have any dates on it that might indicate its era?

Jim

Thanks, funny the other silver trailer cars have dates 55-56. There Lionel PS-4 cars. I feel these cars  where used mid 50s to late 60s . In the 70s you see the double trailer flats.   Trains or classic trains did an article about this in the last year actually.  

The Konway sign is not lighted.  

Kon yeah I went over one at the hobby shop..  kind of in a hurry...  and didn't see a date on it.    So the other cars just like that say 55-56 on them?   Do they also have TTX and Trailer TT Train on them?   

Oh and my brother is an electrician.   I have been wiring layouts (HO) since the mid 70's.  And if you check out Sean's trains you will see he is no slouch in wiring at all!   LOL    I will give you one though.   They put that Fastrack in the starter kits.   You get a couple then you add to it.  Before you know it.... You have a Fastrack layout!   If I knew what I know now before I bought the first piece of Fastrack I would have looked into Gargraves with Ross turnouts.   BUT nobody in my area carries GG or Ross.  One place does carry Fastrack and the other doesn't carry any O stuff.   

Jim 

I must of looked for 45 minutes for glue sticks in the basement. I finally gave up and headed up to the attic to look. 10 minutes into looking up there I found a package of them. I was back in business. So after a late lunch I have managed to get the one side of the gorge roughed in. Tomorrow I hope to get the other half done. Then I can worked on the small island to separate the upper falls into two. Pics.............Paul

Looking good there Paul!   Glad you are making progress and found the glue sticks next to the canned steam!!! : )   

Jim 

paul 2 posted:

CSX AL, your mill project is impressive.

Brian, never ceases to amaze me you have not got to the end of engines but keep em coming.

Bob, the last engine I took apart and put back together ended up with some of the things not working but it ran and had sounds so I left it alone.

Steve, goo looking building.

Jim, happy belated birthday. I wish I could be 53 again.

Elliot, I always hate it when something not related to trains comes up and takes me away from the trains. But it is important to resolve electrical problems. So with that taken care of, the tooth getting better and the soldering class over with you can get back to your layout.

Mark, that was nice to get a windfall and be able to use it for trains. Hope you are feeling better and able to move around with less pain.

So today I started off with a bang. I started laying in the base foam board but that is on hold because now another quest has started to find out where the heck I put my package of hot melt sticks for the glue gun. Guess for me it never fails when you are a person who just piles up everything and expects to find what you need right away. Pics......Paul

Thank you, Paul.  Yes, little pain; just my foot tingles some when I stand up.  My last PT is tomorrow.  Then I just have to work on my endurance and floppy toes.

The gorge area is looking great!

And the train kept a GROWIN all night long!!!!!!

Got that green caboose today in the mail! It's a K-Line caboose! Very nice too!

Jim

Everything looks great nice work as always guy 

Brian it amazes me  also how many Rail pictures you have 

 Paul that bench work looks very nice 

Konway  I like that southern 40 foot piggyback trailer and that trailer train flat car. Is that a new  Lionel they just came out with?

All the talk about conventional old school control, I thought I’d throw in my current control box. It’s the same size box that my grandfather ran since the 50’s or so. Last year I rebuilt it with plywood. 

carsntrains posted:

Kon112H posted:

carsntrains posted 

 

We are all different! And I have seen some amazing Fastrack layouts!!   Sean's trains for one.   BTW I watched your video on FB last night!  Some good looking Southern equipment rolling around!  Does your KONWAY sign not light up??   And does that Southern TOFC have any dates on it that might indicate its era?

Jim

Thanks, funny the other silver trailer cars have dates 55-56. There Lionel PS-4 cars. I feel these cars  where used mid 50s to late 60s . In the 70s you see the double trailer flats.   Trains or classic trains did an article about this in the last year actually.  

The Konway sign is not lighted.  

Kon yeah I went over one at the hobby shop..  kind of in a hurry...  and didn't see a date on it.    So the other cars just like that say 55-56 on them?   Do they also have TTX and Trailer TT Train on them?   

Oh and my brother is an electrician.   I have been wiring layouts (HO) since the mid 70's.  And if you check out Sean's trains you will see he is no slouch in wiring at all!   LOL    I will give you one though.   They put that Fastrack in the starter kits.   You get a couple then you add to it.  Before you know it.... You have a Fastrack layout!   If I knew what I know now before I bought the first piece of Fastrack I would have looked into Gargraves with Ross turnouts.   BUT nobody in my area carries GG or Ross.  One place does carry Fastrack and the other doesn't carry any O stuff.   

Jim 

They Vary actually on the road names . The PRR has PRR markings.  All the build dates are between 1955-1956 or **** close to it. All really nice Lionel cars though.  

carsntrains posted:

And the train kept a GROWIN all night long!!!!!!

Got that green caboose today in the mail! It's a K-Line caboose! Very nice too!

 

Jim

Jim, that entire green train is interesting.  I have seen that first boxcar in another photo of yours, but I can't read what it says.

And a friendly suggestion? Try changing locos with that green loco and tender that is on the third line from the left.

 

lee drennen posted:

 

Konway  I like that southern 40 foot piggyback trailer and that trailer train flat car. Is that a new  Lionel they just came out with?

that car in particular was In 2017 V2 so I got it last fall probably.  All our trailer cars are Lionel PS-4.  If You can scoop them up under $80 you did good.  I got some for less and one slightly used but I’m Really good at finding deals online and in person. 

Jon1443 posted:

All the talk about conventional old school control, I thought I’d throw in my current control box. It’s the same size box that my grandfather ran since the 50’s or so. Last year I rebuilt it with plywood. 

Jon, you're frightening my wife. She's afraid that I'm going to try something like that with my HO trains.

Vincent, it’s worth it if you can have every controller hooked up to something. Until you forget what controls what

Jon1443 posted:

All the talk about conventional old school control, I thought I’d throw in my current control box. It’s the same size box that my grandfather ran since the 50’s or so. Last year I rebuilt it with plywood. 

 Welcome to my laboratory egore. Very nice glad you are keeping the tradition on going that reminds me of a scientific laboratory  experiment 

 Took a few pics of my B-75 Mack on the layout 

Vincent Massi posted:

carsntrains posted:

And the train kept a GROWIN all night long!!!!!!

Got that green caboose today in the mail! It's a K-Line caboose! Very nice too!

 

Jim

Jim, that entire green train is interesting.  I have seen that first boxcar in another photo of yours, but I can't read what it says.

And a friendly suggestion? Try changing locos with that green loco and tender that is on the third line from the left.

The boxcar in front is the Smithsonian Southern boxcar with Southern 1401 on it.  1401 is sitting a bit out of view in that picture pulling Southern boxcars that you can just barely see in the lower right hand corner.  That green engine is a John Deere set that I got at a bargain hunt store for 100 bucks.   So is that Pennsylvania engine sitting next to is.  Southern 4501 is pulling that covered hopper train.   I have some more cabooses coming so they will surely be changed around!   I will try to post a picture of that whole yard here in a bit. 

Kon  Im going to see if the Trailer Train stories show what logos they used and when.   

Jim : ) 

So after dinner there was nothing on TV so I went back down to the basement. I got the other side roughed in along with the small island to divide the river. What is left is the small area between the bridge abutments and at the back of the table. I get that done and I can start to put down the plaster wrap. Pics............Paul

carsntrains posted:

Vincent Massi posted:

carsntrains posted:

And the train kept a GROWIN all night long!!!!!!

Got that green caboose today in the mail! It's a K-Line caboose! Very nice too!

 

Jim

Jim, that entire green train is interesting.  I have seen that first boxcar in another photo of yours, but I can't read what it says.

And a friendly suggestion? Try changing locos with that green loco and tender that is on the third line from the left.

The boxcar in front is the Smithsonian Southern boxcar with Southern 1401 on it.  1401 is sitting a bit out of view in that picture pulling Southern boxcars that you can just barely see in the lower right hand corner.  That green engine is a John Deere set that I got at a bargain hunt store for 100 bucks.   So is that Pennsylvania engine sitting next to is.  Southern 4501 is pulling that covered hopper train.   I have some more cabooses coming so they will surely be changed around!   I will try to post a picture of that whole yard here in a bit. 

Kon I don't think there is much you can do with any track that cant be done with FasTrack.  I have a Dremel also!   And we all should respect the choices of others and not make such statements.   Fastrack has been good for me and a bunch of others.  When they start putting Gargraves in starter sets and carry it in the LHS  I'll give up my Fastrack! LOL   Im going to see if the Trailer Train stories show what logos they used and when.   

Jim : ) 

 

Sorry deleted .

Vincent here are a few more pictures.   First one is the Smithsonian car.  It will match perfectly with the new Southern 125th anniversary car!  

This is 1401 pulling a string of Menards Southern boxcars!  That's about a 14 foot long train.  

Here you can see the two main lines that are to your far right. The inner main is not occupied at this time.  The other 4 are part of what will be the freight yard.  The Pennsy engine is pulling some VERY old 6464 freight cars. 

All are 1401, 4501, and 2401 are LC+ engines and the JD and PA are LC.   

Jim 

Very nice indeed!

I played with the Doppler Loop on my SP Cab Forward through the DCS Wifi Ap.  I have not tried this feature in years, and have never done it through the Ap.  It is, IMHO, easier to use in the Ap.

The effect is pretty cool, even on a small layout.

I also measured the outside loop using the "Measure Route" command.  It is larger than I thought at .28 scale miles in circumference.

Again today the Royal Gorge rolled through Salida. Every Pic on the trainroom walls my dad took and I helped with in the darkroom.

Hi Guys, ITs me Mike G. Sorry I have been gone for awhile. Things have been hectic here, I am still fighting the flu, the store got 26" snow, and the house got 32" of snow. I have been trying to keep things clean here at the store. Then I am informed that I need to shovel the snow off our roof at home because of the snow load. I couldn't even get into the driveway. So I had to go back today and use the tractor to move enough snow to get into the garage. I am so done with SNOW!

There has been no train work, no buying, selling, trading. Just this dam store and my Flu and Sonw!

I would like to say after reading 6 back pages there has been some wonderful work and special days! Jim, happy belated Birthday! Elliot, congrats on the new Breaker! Paul the gorge is looking wonderful! Chris A. you building is growing everytime I see it! Looks Great! Bob, that sure is a sweet little layout thanks for sharing, Everyone else I promis to make it up down the road, but I am whooped and feel like Sh**!  I will try to keep in touch more often.

Jim, I haven't had time to even check the mail! I will let you know!

Good to hear from you Mike. I'm not one to get worried easily, but you had me going this time. I disappear from the forum for days at a time, but if something was really wrong, my wife would let you know. Be careful with all that snow, and welcome back.

Hi Elliot, thanks, I try to get here daily, but this flu and snow has been kicking my butt!

Butch, here at the store we got 26" and at our house we got 32", just to much for this old guy! LOL

carsntrains posted:

Vincent here are a few more pictures.   First one is the Smithsonian car.  It will match perfectly with the new Southern 125th anniversary car!  

 

This is 1401 pulling a string of Menards Southern boxcars!  That's about a 14 foot long train.  

Here you can see the two main lines that are to your far right. The inner main is not occupied at this time.  The other 4 are part of what will be the freight yard.  The Pennsy engine is pulling some VERY old 6464 freight cars. 

All are 1401, 4501, and 2401 are LC+ engines and the JD and PA are LC.   

Jim 

Jim, thank you for the information and the pictures.

Mike, even if you don't have time to say anything, if you just put a like on a post or two, it does two things. First, it updates your last visit to the forum, and second whoever you pick will be able to tell the others you're alive.