What did you do on your layout today?

TedW posted:

My parking blocks came in so painted them up. A couple cars on order so I'll wait for them before striping if I choose to do it.  Also I'm done with this icemelt scenic element. I promise. Too much "little here little there". Am I the only one that does that?  Just can't leave well enough alone. 

 

Ted, it looks great!!  I want to make puddles, which I know a couple methods, but how did you make those impressive snow drifts!!!  I need some of them on my mountain division!!

gandydancer1950 posted:

Finally finished putting together Lionel USMC set #1591, circa 1958.....

Looks great!!  A tribute to The Corps!

Ted W,

i just saw your explanation of your technique!!  I work with foam but need a hot wire cutter or hot knife.

 Thank you!!

I also love your array of trains and accessories you have on display,Ted. I'd love to see a broader view, esspecially of your display cabinet. I have a couple of display cases that I will be setting up shortly and would love to see yours, as I'm always looking for ideas on displaying trains. I bet yours is pretty cool based on what I can see!

Thanks again;

Mike

suzukovich posted:

Obviously not impressed. Maybe she was looking for the Giraffes. 

Or an actual train, not just a couple of mere streetcars.  ;-)

Mitch

TedW posted:

Mike welkie posted:

Thanks Ted ,not too many of these veterans survived because of their undesireable running characteristics, Lol. Good to see one!

Mike

What chu talkin bout Willis?    This one runs pretty good if ya ask me     This is on the 11v side of a 1033.

 

I've got a 246 that I picked up a couple of years ago. It runs like a champ! A little bit of a touchy e-unit but I just leave it off when I run it. Here she is on a simple carpet central loop.

This early afternoon on 08/21/2017 I left my trains and rails alone in the big house and went outside to enjoy a once in a lifetime Total Solar Eclipse @ 2:41 PM EDT Lexington SC.

T Thompson

thebeeman posted:

This early afternoon on 08/21/2017 I left my trains and rails alone in the big house and went outside to enjoy a once in a lifetime Total Solar Eclipse @ 2:41 PM EDT Lexington SC.

T Thompson

I'm about 25 miles down the road from you Tommie...

did some work on repairing some wiring for my miller engineering signs. use  these signs is a very learning experience. i'm not that electrical inklined . i do like it to be very neat and it is awful all i can do is like the man said 1 wire at a time. i have learned to put in service loops for some buildings. i think i will go down a little later for more wiring problems.

I've populated the elevated "yard" using the "hand switcher".  I also added a rolling stock display shelf above the elevated yard and below the accessory shelf.

decoynh posted:

I've populated the elevated "yard" using the "hand switcher".  I also added a rolling stock display shelf above the elevated yard and below the accessory shelf.

Using the ol' 0-5-0 are you?

gandydancer1950 posted:

decoynh posted:

I've populated the elevated "yard" using the "hand switcher".  I also added a rolling stock display shelf above the elevated yard and below the accessory shelf.

Using the ol' 0-5-0 are you?

I'll be doing just like Matt!  Either over, under, or on a rollout.  Looking good, Matt!!

0-5-0, thats too funny lol !!!!

Mike welkie posted:

0-5-0, thats too funny lol !!!!

Yeah, that's an old joke, I think. I've used that and, "Hand of God" when describing moving rolling stock by hand when you could use a loco.

'Didn't like the "plastic" look of the base of my MTH industrial water tower.

Added some "concrete" steps....

"Planted" some turf, weeds, and bushes and had the yard crew scatter a few rusted I beams around (leftover from an old Lionel starter set).

Woodson posted:

thebeeman posted:

This early afternoon on 08/21/2017 I left my trains and rails alone in the big house and went outside to enjoy a once in a lifetime Total Solar Eclipse @ 2:41 PM EDT Lexington SC.

T Thompson

I'm about 25 miles down the road from you Tommie...

Did anyone notice the shadows through the leaves on the trees casting a complete image of the sun on the ground right before and after the highest level of "totality"?

Notice the image changes on the attached photos both taken toward the same direction (first image is before totality, second image is after).

HMorgan125 posted:

'Didn't like the "plastic" look of the base of my MTH industrial water tower.

Added some "concrete" steps....

"Planted" some turf, weeds, and bushes and had the yard crew scatter a few rusted I beams around (leftover from an old Lionel starter set).

Never thought of that.....looks great!

HMorgan125 posted:

Woodson posted:

thebeeman posted:

This early afternoon on 08/21/2017 I left my trains and rails alone in the big house and went outside to enjoy a once in a lifetime Total Solar Eclipse @ 2:41 PM EDT Lexington SC.

T Thompson

I'm about 25 miles down the road from you Tommie...

Did anyone notice the shadows through the leaves on the trees casting a complete image of the sun on the ground right before and after the highest level of "totality"?

Notice the image changes on the attached photos both taken toward the same direction (first image is before totality, second image is after).

Yup, pretty cool

Ted W. I don't know if you got my reply, but I really like your train display, with your post war equipment ! Is there a possibility of you posting a picture of your display cabinet with its contents? I have a display cabinet as well and would like to see yours and how its configured.

Thanks;

Mike

Mike welkie posted:

Ted W. I don't know if you got my reply, but I really like your train display, with your post war equipment ! Is there a possibility of you posting a picture of your display cabinet with its contents? I have a display cabinet as well and would like to see yours and how its configured.

Thanks;

Mike

You must have me confused with another post(ogr member).  No cabinet display.  Sorry.  Ted

Sorry, I thought you were the one that had the really cool USMC train that was pieced together.

Mike

Sorry Ted, I see now it was Gandydancer. So Gandydancer , is it possible to see your display cabinet and contents? I really like whats displayed on the wall with the cool USMC train. Im going to set up a display cabinet and would like to see yours.

Thanks;

Mike

Mike welkie posted:

Sorry Ted, I see now it was Gandydancer. So Gandydancer , is it possible to see your display cabinet and contents? I really like whats displayed on the wall with the cool USMC train. Im going to set up a display cabinet and would like to see yours.

Thanks;

Mike

Here's a few photo's...thanks for asking Mike

Wow, what an awesome collection! Was the glass display case withh the station and ither accessories on it ,custom built or was it a former store display case?

Thanks;

Mike

Mike welkie posted:

Wow, what an awesome collection! Was the glass display case withh the station and ither accessories on it ,custom built or was it a former store display case?

Thanks;

Mike

Thank you, I made all of them myself except for the box collection case. The plexiglass display cover was made by a friend of mine.

Great work Sir, to compliment and display a fine collection!

Mike

Yup. We saw the interesting shadows too. It was interesting how much light the sun puts out when it's 96% covered by the moon. That sun... it's quite a big deal! And to think, there are stars that are as much bigger than the earth is too the sun. I believe there are massive red giants that extend out as far as the orbit of Neptune. To imagine a sphere of matter so many millions of miles in diameter is simply unimaginable... Interesting sentence that was.

Mike welkie posted:

Great work Sir, to compliment and display a fine collection!

Mike

Many thanks!

You're quite welcome!

Mike

Was actually doing a lot the last few days, finishing up some wiring and cleaning all my track, etc. after a few months away with some medical issues, but today was reserved for watching/photographing the eclipse in NE Pennsylvania. Back to the basement tomorrow!!!

What did I do on my layout today?

Well, nuffin' really. 

I've been busy earning Brownie Points by building a new kitchen for SWMABO*.

First, a new pantry . . .

First, I had to fill in the old doorway to the laundry.  Then, I had no idea how long building a Tardis would take. 

* "She Who Must Always Be Obeyed"  - Rumpole of the Bailey.

Trainman2001 posted:

..... That sun... it's quite a big deal! And to think, there arestars that are as much bigger than the earth is too the sun. I believe there are massive red giants that extend out as far as the orbit of Neptune. To imagine a sphere of matter so many millions of miles in diameter is simply unimaginable...

And to learn that they shrink to Blue Dwarfs and eventually collapse to die as Black Holes, is, indeed, unimaginably amazing, too! (I believe I got that dichotomy correct.)   Sometimes, Red Giants and Blue Dwarfs exist together in partnerships. I understand that means they would cast partnership shadows, of two different intensities, on things existing on planets in their system.

FrankM

Max, nice job on the pantry. I learned that if you keep the CEO happy your railroad flourishes..................Paul

HMorgan125 posted:

Woodson posted:

thebeeman posted:

This early afternoon on 08/21/2017 I left my trains and rails alone in the big house and went outside to enjoy a once in a lifetime Total Solar Eclipse @ 2:41 PM EDT Lexington SC.

T Thompson

I'm about 25 miles down the road from you Tommie...

Did anyone notice the shadows through the leaves on the trees casting a complete image of the sun on the ground right before and after the highest level of "totality"?

Notice the image changes on the attached photos both taken toward the same direction (first image is before totality, second image is after).

Very cool. My daughter said her friends family did something similar with a colander, got the same effect.

MaxSouthOz posted:

What did I do on my layout today?

Well, nuffin' really. 

I've been busy earning Brownie Points by building a new kitchen for SWMABO*.

First, a new pantry . . .

First, I had to fill in the old doorway to the laundry.  Then, I had no idea how long building a Tardis would take. 

* "She Who Must Always Be Obeyed"  - Rumpole of the Bailey.

Just went through the same thing for the CEO Max. Good luck with the renovation.

Only problem is I lost the debate about running a loop of track on the ledge around the room

Bob

You have to pick your battles, Bob. 

Now that the CEO's project is substantially complete, I've had a little time to work on the trains again.

Added some more ground cover around a switch and cleaned up the loose ballast from the sides of the Fastrack. Looks much better than the bare plastic.

Bob

I bought a small shack from Woodland for the new engine yard. It's kind of plain so I'm adding a couple of lights to it. I'm scratch building them with a couple of small LED's. I made the "fixtures" from some 1/4" square dowel I have. I still have to paint them and do the wiring. I'm going to mount them just under the peak of the roof.

I put down some hay remnants in the cow pasture. It's a little detail that I knew was missing, I just had to find some material that would look correct for it.

As you may recall, I put a modern fan-driven smoke unit in my 2020 turbine some months back.  Went back and did a bit more work last night...

I had taped a control switch into the cab while I made sure the system worked.  Since it does, I JB Welded the switch in place.

I also installed a brass tube to fit into the smoke unit, thus eliminating any smoke going inside the shell.

A view down the flue.  The brass tubing will be painted at a later date.

A perfect seal!

Naturally, Shop Supervisor Norma Bates Kitteh was on hand to make sure the work was done properly.

Bench testing.

I got tired of monkeying with multiple transformers when I had a perfectly serviceable ZW in the workshop...

Under steam on the layout!

ProTip of the day:  If, like me, you have a few crossing gates that like to stay down, a 1/4 ounce wheel weight, discreetly placed, works wonders...

Mitch