trumptrain posted:

A knock came to my door yesterday at noon.  It was the little boy next door whose was turning 11 yesterday.  He was having an outdoor party later that afternoon and wanted to know if he could bring his friends over to see my trains.  My heart sunk, for I was getting ready to leave for a business meeting which was going until 7 p.m.  I told him I was so very sorry and that I would get back home until 7:15.   He said that his party would be long over by then.

At 7:15, as I pulled into my driveway, kids on bicycles rode up alongside my car as others ran alongside.  It turns out that they waited for me to come home so they could all see the trains.   I opened the back door to my house, welcomed the kids in, and the birthday boy led his friends directly to my train room.  The kids, boys and girls ranging from 18 mos. - 12 years old , eyes as big a saucers, were so totally captivated by the trains.  They stayed for about an hour and would have stayed longer but their parents came to round them up to go home.  

You can't tell me that todays kids don't love trains...... because they do!!  All of them wanted to come back again and everyone enthusiastically thanked me for showing them the trains.   I was deeply touched.  

Lucky you.  Kids in our neighborhood don't give a hoot about the layout.  They are all wrapped up in their iPad Stupid Clown games.

dobermann posted:

Put the Plastruct cobblestone sheets in place. That's  Mac Daddy and #1 and #2 money girls Bruja and Shaneequa waiting for the 8:15 in to the city. Headed to Scuttlebuts for Daddys birthday

Well Mac Daddy and company can walk there over a very handsome cobblestone walkway! 

Mark Boyce posted:

dobermann posted:

Put the Plastruct cobblestone sheets in place. That's  Mac Daddy and #1 and #2 money girls Bruja and Shaneequa waiting for the 8:15 in to the city. Headed to Scuttlebuts for Daddys birthday

Well Mac Daddy and company can walk there over a very handsome cobblestone walkway! 

Thanks Mark. The first sheet was painting one stone at a time for just over 2 hours.

Played around with my cell again today...

p51 posted:

Played around with my cell again today...

love the black & white

daydreaming, drawing out on graph paper, about expansion of my layout , with adding a second table- size 10' x 6'

mike g. posted:

decoynh posted:

Over the past several weeks, I worked on the second part of the Rico Station kit bash.  

 

 

 

Decoynh, Things sure did turn out nice! Way to make 2 nice buildings out of one, what a great idea. I also like the placement on the layout! Looking great!

Thank you for the kind words Mike.

   built some more shelves........

added more shelves to the shelves, more train parking........

My Menards order came in Sunday but I didn't go get it till today. In the meantime I hit a snag and had not been able to lay track. You get those senior moments when you think that somewhere in your piles of stuff you have another box of drywall screws and come to find out you don't. So yesterday I ran out and got another box. Today I ran to Menards to pick up my order. I really like those 1/48 vans Menards has made so far. But I got to get back to finishing that lift out section fast because the laundry is starting to pile up. Brian I like your shelving project. At least you are getting them out in the open. Anyways a pic of my buy..............Paul

Not much lately. Kinda hit a wall with the layout. Time to clear my head and press on ! Need to get the CEO's list down to a manageable level

Paul:  Those    little panel trucks look pretty nice through the celophane of the box windows.  Might just work on my 1950's era layout if they don't give modern styling stuff away that you can't see from outside.  Are they in 1/43 scale or perhaps the smaller 1/48 scale.  since virtually every other car on my layout is 1/43, I think that introducing 1/48 scale stuff might just look funny.  Also, are their any other paint jobs available?  I'd prefer something a bit more generic, like Ma's Cleaners, "Super Hot Dawg" company, etc.  What's the price on them as they hit the shelves?  Oh yeah:  what make and year of truck do they represent?  Look to be a Chevy panel truck from about 1938 or so.

Paul F.

Paul F, the vans are 1/48 die cast circa around 1948. It is the second run. The first one had Menards on the side. Today I took time to redo the lighting and add a light over the table by the stairs. To hang the light I had to remove the lift out section but it will now make it easier to start the track out of the opening. The first pic I have two lights joined but will be adding more going down the side. The second pic is the two lights in place. The old fluorescent will be coming out and  I'll run wire from that one to the back of the basement to plug in the other lights on a string. So right now there are two lights plugged together. Pics..............Paul

Paul, your like the energizer Bunny! You just keep going and going! Keep up all the great work!

Paul,

Mike is right once again!  Excellent progress on a number of different fronts!

I got one of the blue panel trucks labeled Menards and not have one of the Frenchies!  They are great for my era!!

Ran trains for some visiting kids, always fun.

Mike g, I do take breaks believe it or not. Mark, the Frenchie's truck I am going to leave them as is. They are too nice to change. The first issue of the truck I bought a few of them to change the color on some of them. And as Gomer Pyle would say surprise surprise LOL. Got a package from Angiestrackside flats I was not expecting till Friday. A bunch of building fronts. So my idea is on the table by the stairs  I will mount them along the wall once I glue them to foam board. I placed a section of plywood at the back of the table that will be the road in front of them. I'll be putting a stone wall along the front of the plywood and in front of that on the table top I will place all my downtown deco buildings in front of that. Tomorrow taking a day off to do a day trip to western New York. Friday I'll work on the basement because I m hosting my small local group on Saturday. Pics................Paul

I agree, Frenchies is to nice to alter at all!  The building backdrops look great!

Ran trains for a very brief time.  Enjoyed every moment!!

trumptrain posted:

Ran trains for a very brief time.  Enjoyed every moment!!

Pat: Those are some GREAT photos of your Diesels! As always, your scenery is fabulous!

Looking great as always, Pat!!!

          worked on some more shelves and layout area....

a double main line will come through here with a passenger station area along the wall

Looks great, Brian!  You have interesting walls with the handy pillars to mount the ends of the shelves.  Should be sturdy.  Do you have more of those pillars on your wall?

Mark, that area used to be a fireplace that I tore out years ago....looked like a good spot for trains...    don't look to close at the wood work though, definitely not the world's best carpenter.  hopefully will get some more shelves up tonight......

briansilvermustang posted:

Mark, that area used to be a fireplace that I tore out years ago....looked like a good spot for trains...    don't look to close at the wood work though, definitely not the world's best carpenter.  hopefully will get some more shelves up tonight......

 

An ideal situation!  I'm a sloppy carpenter, myself.  Don't worry about me looking too hard, my cataracts and growing astigmatism make everything dark and blurry!  LOL

Fortunatly, my first cataract surgery is scheduled for two weeks from today!!!

Good luck with your upcoming surgery Mark.  hope all goes well....

Thank you, Brian!!

Mark Boyce posted:

briansilvermustang posted:

Mark, that area used to be a fireplace that I tore out years ago....looked like a good spot for trains...    don't look to close at the wood work though, definitely not the world's best carpenter.  hopefully will get some more shelves up tonight......

 

An ideal situation!  I'm a sloppy carpenter, myself.  Don't worry about me looking too hard, my cataracts and growing astigmatism make everything dark and blurry!  LOL

Fortunatly, my first cataract surgery is scheduled for two weeks from today!!!

Mark: Good luck with your surgery. I had both mine done last year and it went perfect. I don't even need glasses any more, but I do use them for reading. The first one is always the hardest one because you don't know whats it going to feel like. My problem was I own a cabinet shop and couldn't be around any dust.. ya right... so I had a long 2 month vacation

Mark,

Good luck with your surgery. I had both of mine done, one month apart. I had no problems and don't need to wear glasses anymore. Like Bob - only readers.

Bob,

Thank you very much!!  Yes I see what you mean about dust.  I am fortunate that I am semiretired working as a contract engineer with my old telecom company, For most of my 41 years with utility companies, I was out and about as a technician in weather, dirt, and grime.  Now we will see how it works the first few days looking at the computer screen, but I'll be off for the first 4 days after surgery anyway.

Pat Kn posted:

Mark,

Good luck with your surgery. I had both of mine done, one month apart. I had no problems and don't need to wear glasses anymore. Like Bob - only readers.

Pat, thank you!  Mine will be two weeks apart.  I first started wearing bifocals at age 39.  Then went to trifocals.  The last year and a half I went from being far-sighted to being near-sighted.  It changed too fast to keep up with proper glasses.  You can see what else I wrote in response to Bob above.

Not a layout, but the space I am on, have a problem that is driving me crazy. So the steps to my basement are concrete (concrete block covered with concrete, not particularly flat), I am in the last stages of finishing the basement and I have two wooden treads that when I try and glue them down with construction adhesive, the adhesive doesn't seem to set, usually with construction adhesive by the next day it is solid. I am trying a different type (was using liquid nails heavy duty, switched to a GE one designed to work on all kinds of different surfaces), but wondering if anyone else ever ran into this. Also saw it with wood backing I glued to the riser portion (to use as backing with wood beadboard wainscotting wood), didn't seem to set right either....any thoughts? If this doesn't work, I'll switch to flooring nails to hold it, I could probably use concrete to set the treads but am lazy, don't feel like working with concrete. 

briansilvermustang posted:

          worked on some more shelves and layout area....

a double main line will come through here with a passenger station area along the wall

Great collection!

Mark Boyce posted

..... my first cataract surgery is scheduled for two weeks from today!!!

Hi Mark, I too wish you the absolute best result from your surgery. I am sure all the goodwill you so often extend to us here on OGR Forum will be part of the storehouse of blessings you can draw upon as you endure the procedure and progress afterwards toward a full and beneficial outcome.

With sincere respect and prayers,

FrankM

Hi  guys,

 Been a long time since I have checked in. I have not posted because I have not done anything on the layout. A summer thing. I did run trains last night for the first time in months. It felt good!!!

Nice shelves Brian!! 

thank you KRM and Gandydancer1950

Moonson posted:

Mark Boyce posted

..... my first cataract surgery is scheduled for two weeks from today!!!

Hi Mark, I too wish you the absolute best result from your surgery. I am sure all the goodwill you so often extend to us here on OGR Forum will be part of the storehouse of blessings you can draw upon as you endure the procedure and progress afterwards toward a full and beneficial outcome.

With sincere respect and prayers,

FrankM

Thank you so very much, Frank!  I always appreciate someone's prayers!  I greatly appreciate the warmth and encouragement you give us as well.

bigkid posted:

Not a layout, but the space I am on, have a problem that is driving me crazy. So the steps to my basement are concrete (concrete block covered with concrete, not particularly flat), I am in the last stages of finishing the basement and I have two wooden treads that when I try and glue them down with construction adhesive, the adhesive doesn't seem to set, usually with construction adhesive by the next day it is solid. I am trying a different type (was using liquid nails heavy duty, switched to a GE one designed to work on all kinds of different surfaces), but wondering if anyone else ever ran into this. Also saw it with wood backing I glued to the riser portion (to use as backing with wood beadboard wainscotting wood), didn't seem to set right either....any thoughts? If this doesn't work, I'll switch to flooring nails to hold it, I could probably use concrete to set the treads but am lazy, don't feel like working with concrete. 

Hilti metal concrete anchors. I like the anchor type you have to drill for.

Better yet are the machine screw metal expanders that can fold over inside a hollow bricks interior.(has to be hollow or a hole gouged wider as it recesses.)

I don't trust the plastic expansion types because I've seen folks hurt by their falure (ever see a heavy 5x10' print on wood knock a sweet old lady for a loop?)

Your soft cure issue is lack of fresh air, temp, or high humidity. The first two are most likely imo.

 Had a day full of coincides yesterday, but first...

  I got this led gimick thing with some advertising in the snail mail and looked around in vain for a place I could use it. I think it would make a nice sign for a store, casino, etc., but I just can't seem to find a sweet spot. It even kinda matches a crappy caboose I painted.

Price is right if anyone here has an interest in it.....free. 

  The mail retrieval went hand in hand with this 9/10/17 News Herald Mi. issue I used to show size. It had a photo&story of the inspection of footings of a very old rail bridge converted to Grosse Isle traffic use long ago. Ive found the old piling for its older eastern sister via Google earth and clear water days. That led to searching the UP of Michigan for pilings associated with a northern rr logger Con Culhane and a post about him in the Canadian lines washout thread.

Somewhere in there I saw Gandy Dancers name and decided it was Gandy Dancer Blues Day and started with some Leadbelly prison tunes in a YouTube playlist.

Half an hour later I heard something I'd head before long ago as a kid. The blues tunes were part of the old Alan Lomax recordings, and it swung to French Canadian fiddle music you might have heard in the logging camps 100-150 years ago. I can sing it,...kinda, but don't really know what it means (happy new year? Lovely New Year?) I think it is traditional, Ive heard other versions I'm sure. What struck me was how the rhythm was done and the voice. I went to look and sure enough, a Michigan man was singing and sitting down, tapping out the rhythm. Edward King was a friend of Great Grandpa's I think. I'd seen that sitting tap dance before.....while waiting for stories on Paul Bunyon and Babe....Somewhere in there is my intro to Con's stories too.    So in music and language, I have a new angle to do more research on Con, maybe it's not all forgotten.

I think I need to play the lottery today

Maybe I'll get really lucky and this embed address will work too.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YCHaeCcfBH8?list=PL2EZoaR63yeluQVPFlj_RqdUdtrBoaqv_" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Excellent tail and the youtube stuff was....

thanks

joe