What did you do on your layout today?

When I got home from work last night, I was drawn to the train room to run trains.  There just seems to be some sort of magical magnetic thing that happens to me each fall season, for as long as I can remember,  where I get this intense yearning to be with my layout.  This magical magnetic thing even happened during the decades where I had no layout.   So I went immediately to the train room and ran trains for almost 2 hours and of course had tons of fun!!!

I also gathered excess train stuff that I don't use to sell at this week's trains show in Arbutus, Md.  Doing so will give me more space under the table and surrounding area.   Nothing like trains in   winter....  summer.... spring ... and especially in the fall!!!

Patrick,

Thanks for the photos of your layout.  Some of the pictures actually had the glow of autumn.  Very nice.

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

I have been sick as a dog since my last post here eleven days ago. Today I was finally feeling good enough to go downstairs. When last I was down there, I had just popped the circuit breaker for the track power, after doing some high voltage rewiring. My solution to the problem was to add a second neutral wire in a piece of conduit about 25' long. I knew this was going to be a difficult task with three wires already in the pipe.

After two hours messing with this thing, I ran out of both strength and patience, and had to hang it up. I think I got it really close, like within 2', but I also got it really stuck. I guess tomorrow I'll have to pull it back, and take another run at it.

Can't run trains until this gets done.

Just pull out all existing conductors, add the second neutral, then re-pull. Done.

Tested modified 042 switches using both a small steam switcher and an SD70ace.  The test is on the curve section.  the straight has always been ok based on past experience modifying prewar 042 manual switches.

Patrick,

I always enjoy seeing pictures of your layout.  Just beautifully done and a great source for inspiration.

JoeSage posted:

My layout so far. The trolley is on a bridge to nowhere.....

Hi Joe, If you will permit, let me ask you, what motivated you to put the layout directly on the floor, rather than up on legs, at, oh say, waist height? I've always been curious about that preference, knowing numerous voices on this forum have made the same choice, while others go for something elevated off  the floor.

FrankM

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. If there is one thing I want to avoid, it's pulling all the wires back out to get the new one in. That is the absolute last resort. The box on the one end is not that easy to access anymore, as the layout has built up around it. I want to keep the work in it, to a minimum. I will get through this!

I've been working on several sections of the layout.  Track is all down though I wound up short on roadbed and have some more wiring to do.  Enough down that I can pretty things up a bit.

These shots are of a couple of underpasses, work I started on a crossing, and a shaper sheet mountain I've started.  I used shaper sheet for cliff behind town buildings without plaster, but want to put plaster on the mountain.

Today I worked some more on the lift out. I started adding some prairie tuffs And got some more Ross switches. Plus I went to pick up my reefers that the Tuesday Night Crew had made up and when I got home from doing that there was my box of Gar Graves track on the door step waiting for me. What a great two days so far. Now I'll change clothes and work some more on the lift out. Pics..............Paul

paul 2 posted:

Today I worked some more on the lift out. I started adding some prairie tuffs And got some more Ross switches. Plus I went to pick up my reefers that the Tuesday Night Crew had made up and when I got home from doing that there was my box of Gar Graves track on the door step waiting for me. What a great two days so far. Now I'll change clothes and work some more on the lift out. Pics..............Paul

Sharp reefers Paul!

WOW Paul, Sure sounds like a nice day! All I did was burn my finger with hot glue fixing a little thing for the wife!

Doing a mockup of a siding with my new Lionel/MTH 42curve Standard gauge RH and LH switches, my new-to-me Lionel 155 freight shed, and my existing USA track. The span is 73" long. Cannot fit this for my inner loop on my existing layout table table. Maybe I'll just do a spur for now instead...

decoynh posted:

Patrick,

Thanks for the photos of your layout.  Some of the pictures actually had the glow of autumn.  Very nice.

Thanks so much Matt for your kind words!  Much appreciated!

Mayor Magoo posted:

Patrick,

I always enjoy seeing pictures of your layout.  Just beautifully done and a great source for inspiration.

Thank you so much Steve!  It's great to know the joy I get in creating my layout also inspires others.  That is the greatest compliment of all!  

Moonson posted:

JoeSage posted:

My layout so far. The trolley is on a bridge to nowhere.....

Hi Joe, If you will permit, let me ask you, what motivated you to put the layout directly on the floor, rather than up on legs, at, oh say, waist height? I've always been curious about that preference, knowing numerous voices on this forum have made the same choice, while others go for something elevated off  the floor.

FrankM

Hi Frank. 

I live in a condo and (of course) my wife was against this. So with some quick thinking and a few Lemax houses I sad, "Look how great the Christmas tree will look this year!!!" So I got the go ahead. Thats why its on the floor

Joe 

Just ran trains for about an hour. First time in a while . I have a few too many engines and cars on the layout right now so the first challenge was finding a place to put the surplus equipment. Managed to squeeze them on sidings and ran two mixed freights with my 0-4-0 PRR switcher and my 4-4-2 Atlantic Coast Line steamer. Good to get the equipment some  work. Smoked up the basement pretty good too.

Shelves are high on my to do list.

Bob

decoynh posted:

Today I did another modification of an 042 prewar switch to accommodate long  cars and SD class engines in the yard. Below are step by step pictures.  Tool used is a Milwaukee rotary tool with cut off wheel and grinding stone.  These canabalized switches will work until I can get a pair of Lionel 072 tubular switches or go with Atlas 072's  Other than pins that are available, not sure how to compensate for height difference.

I never knew these had clearance issues. I tought it was just the early 1122-027 the tanks and boxes bumped on. Can you lower the skirt of the scrap and build a lower sitting half? connecting halfs with some sheet metal and/or JB weld can give you something better looking, cleaner(dust) and more "stable" to handle. Working the JB when semi set like clay gets you close(I use plastic wrap as a workable mask, smooth lifts off easy, but every wrinkle is a snag once the JBW sets hard. The end result is virtually invisible on a well mixed batch, it looks like Lionel plastic. Ball or lay greased foil or plasitc wrap smoothly over it to creat a hollow, spred and shape JBW quick set, as mold with wet fingers and tools as it sets. This corner is 100% JBW, the "V" is a poory smoothed layer; paint would fill it, but the JB matches already dont you think? Fine sanded and lightly polished...

even the two lower steps and last riser on the steps are JBW. my yellow line is crooked.

Trasitions to height really just requires some (thin) plastic, rubber, metal, or (thicker)wood or foam, and adapting pins, or skipping the pins, running power wire a few inches, and securing track well.

Spreading the grade over two tracks before the high track is pretty safe, 3 tracks each way is smooth. You want to keep the rise from level under ⅛" per track if you can; and ¼" per track would abosolute max.  Even on a short grade like this, using just a single piece to get to rise that little bit is very "ramp like" and cowcatchers, or low pilot, or low uncoupling tacks, may short on the center rail starting up the hill, or nosedive against it on the decline, etc. Any bumps at joints should be squished flat/ filed or whatver it takes to make it smooth as can be, no chance at flanges snagging it.

Got it done with paint and weathering on the Quonset hut. Now I need to make a scale bulletin board and put a line of grass along the bottom edge.
Eventually, I'll put an interior inside with lighting.

p51 posted:

Got it done with paint and weathering on the Quonset hut. Now I need to make a scale bulletin board and put a line of grass along the bottom edge.
Eventually, I'll put an interior inside with lighting.

turned out great!

Adriatic posted:

decoynh posted:

Today I did another modification of an 042 prewar switch to accommodate long  cars and SD class engines in the yard. Below are step by step pictures.  Tool used is a Milwaukee rotary tool with cut off wheel and grinding stone.  These canabalized switches will work until I can get a pair of Lionel 072 tubular switches or go with Atlas 072's  Other than pins that are available, not sure how to compensate for height difference.

I never knew these had clearance issues. I tought it was just the early 1122-027 the tanks and boxes bumped on. Can you lower the skirt of the scrap and build a lower sitting half? connecting halfs with some sheet metal and/or JB weld can give you something better looking, cleaner(dust) and more "stable" to handle. Working the JB when semi set like clay gets you close(I use plastic wrap as a workable mask, smooth lifts off easy, but every wrinkle is a snag once the JBW sets hard. The end result is virtually invisible on a well mixed batch, it looks like Lionel plastic. Ball or lay greased foil or plasitc wrap smoothly over it to creat a hollow, spred and shape JBW quick set, as mold with wet fingers and tools as it sets. This corner is 100% JBW, the "V" is a poory smoothed layer; paint would fill it, but the JB matches already dont you think? Fine sanded and lightly polished...

even the two lower steps and last riser on the steps are JBW. my yellow line is crooked.

 

Trasitions to height really just requires some (thin) plastic, rubber, metal, or (thicker)wood or foam, and adapting pins, or skipping the pins, running power wire a few inches, and securing track well.

Spreading the grade over two tracks before the high track is pretty safe, 3 tracks each way is smooth. You want to keep the rise from level under ⅛" per track if you can; and ¼" per track would abosolute max.  Even on a short grade like this, using just a single piece to get to rise that little bit is very "ramp like" and cowcatchers, or low pilot, or low uncoupling tacks, may short on the center rail starting up the hill, or nosedive against it on the decline, etc. Any bumps at joints should be squished flat/ filed or whatver it takes to make it smooth as can be, no chance at flanges snagging it.

Adriatic - Thanks for the advice/input.  I gave some thought to tapering or lowering the half of the cover that's missing.  My first thought is why bother (?), I'm just going to replace them with 072 switches when I find them.  On second thought, I've been looking for at least a year for a pair of tubular 072's.  My other option is to buy Atlas switches and shim them to match the tubular O gauge height.  In one of the places, I don't have the space to gradually taper 2-3 sections of track.

                            had a cold beer and watched some trains last night

Ran trains again last night . Discovered that my MP-15's hit one of the lights for the engine yard. Gotta move it over about an inch. The front step and railing clipped the middle pole.

gandydancer1950 posted:

p51 posted:

turned out great!

Thanks!
Other than the bulletin board with papers and the unit sign, the hut is done.

Quonset hut looks great but you need a BUTT CAN by the door.

p51 posted:

Got it done with paint and weathering on the Quonset hut. Now I need to make a scale bulletin board and put a line of grass along the bottom edge.
Eventually, I'll put an interior inside with lighting.

Looks great Lee! you going to put duty hours on the bulletin board?

Taking Adriatic's suggestion, I modified the piece of the 042 switch that was cut out.  I removed 1/4" of material from the bottom.  It shows in the side by side photo.  The husky stack is used for demo purposes showing the clearance.  I haven't used the JB Weld yet.  I still need to cover the light bulb socket.  I'll use .020" thick copper foil & paint it black.  The switch in the photo is on the mainline and if i can get an RH 072 at the right price, I'll change it out.  Does anyone know anything about the Ross Tubular rail switches?

Set up my original Lionel 155 freight shed on the layout with a new MTH 42" Diam. LH Switch. Needing a bumper, and to rearrange some track pins. Awaiting the original Lionel 124 station. 

Matt, the gap between pieces is tighter than I thought it would be. I'd just slather the JBW on. Rough the smooth plastic with the coarsest sandpaper around, carve toe nailed slots or drill/grind toe nailed divits for best grip. JBs bond on the plastic shocks loose like superglue on brass if it is too smooth.

You don't need every square inch rough, but just it enough grooves to bite that it can grip solidly to it without chemical bond.

Maybe try to mold something small to get a feel for clay type sculpting with it and use of plastic and foil to get shape, let cure "some" then peel. Try again on with more of a set cure. The initial full set cure with JB-quick is not a full cure fyi. It will be even harder in 24hr. Harder means tougher to sand etc.( at first sanding tears too hard, gums up, cutting is easier) It has a slight learning curve, but not bad. With that corner, I made a partial outer mold of jbw, then filled the capped the corner, then skimmed over the plastic wrinkles later (the V)

jim pastorius posted:

Quonset hut looks great but you need a BUTT CAN by the door.

Good idea. I have some details I'll be putting in but I'd forgotten that.

mike g. posted:

p51 posted:

Looks great Lee! you going to put duty hours on the bulletin board?

I am, indeed. Soon, I'm going to make one on Photoshop with a real cork board photo I have, will have duty orders and such. I'll include a small war bond poster in one corner as well.

Going to make a unit sign for the front of the hut as well.

Matt has mail

Adriatic posted:

Matt, the gap between pieces is tighter than I thought it would be. I'd just slather the JBW on. Rough the smooth plastic with the coarsest sandpaper around, carve toe nailed slots or drill/grind toe nailed divits for best grip. JBs bond on the plastic shocks loose like superglue on brass if it is too smooth.

You don't need every square inch rough, but just it enough grooves to bite that it can grip solidly to it without chemical bond.

Maybe try to mold something small to get a feel for clay type sculpting with it and use of plastic and foil to get shape, let cure "some" then peel. Try again on with more of a set cure. The initial full set cure with JB-quick is not a full cure fyi. It will be even harder in 24hr. Harder means tougher to sand etc.( at first sanding tears too hard, gums up, cutting is easier) It has a slight learning curve, but not bad. With that corner, I made a partial outer mold of jbw, then filled the capped the corner, then skimmed over the plastic wrinkles later (the V)

Thanks for the heads up.  Need to take a trip for supplies.

JoeSage posted:

Moonson posted:

JoeSage posted:

My layout so far. The trolley is on a bridge to nowhere.....

Hi Joe, If you will permit, let me ask you, what motivated you to put the layout directly on the floor, rather than up on legs, at, oh say, waist height? I've always been curious about that preference, knowing numerous voices on this forum have made the same choice, while others go for something elevated off  the floor.

FrankM

Hi Frank. 

I live in a condo and (of course) my wife was against this. So with some quick thinking and a few Lemax houses I sad, "Look how great the Christmas tree will look this year!!!" So I got the go ahead. Thats why its on the floor

Joe 

Baby steps Joe.  You'll win her over!  This year Xmas, next year THE WORLD!  

TedW posted:

JoeSage posted:

Moonson posted:

JoeSage posted:

My layout so far. The trolley is on a bridge to nowhere.....

Hi Joe, If you will permit, let me ask you, what motivated you to put the layout directly on the floor, rather than up on legs, at, oh say, waist height? I've always been curious about that preference, knowing numerous voices on this forum have made the same choice, while others go for something elevated off  the floor.

FrankM

Hi Frank. 

I live in a condo and (of course) my wife was against this. So with some quick thinking and a few Lemax houses I sad, "Look how great the Christmas tree will look this year!!!" So I got the go ahead. Thats why its on the floor

Joe 

Baby steps Joe.  You'll win her over!  This year Xmas, next year THE WORLD!  

Ted has a good point, Joe!  

Thank you Frank, for bringing up the question.

p51 posted:

gandydancer1950 posted:

p51 posted:

turned out great!

Thanks!
Other than the bulletin board with papers and the unit sign, the hut is done.

Great scene!

Mark Boyce posted:

TedW posted:

JoeSage posted:

Moonson posted:

JoeSage posted:

My layout so far. The trolley is on a bridge to nowhere.....

Hi Joe, If you will permit, let me ask you, what motivated you to put the layout directly on the floor, rather than up on legs, at, oh say, waist height? I've always been curious about that preference, knowing numerous voices on this forum have made the same choice, while others go for something elevated off  the floor.

FrankM

Hi Frank. 

I live in a condo and (of course) my wife was against this. So with some quick thinking and a few Lemax houses I sad, "Look how great the Christmas tree will look this year!!!" So I got the go ahead. Thats why its on the floor

Joe 

Baby steps Joe.  You'll win her over!  This year Xmas, next year THE WORLD!  

Ted has a good point, Joe!  

Thank you Frank, for bringing up the question.

I think you'll need a long folding table for snacks and excees presents.

 In a few days, or after it's cleared move the layout to it, then putz around with some side framework that might appeal to her, then talk about nicer legs.

Basically, if you take a cue from Carey Tearose's benchwork, you might get away with far more than you'd expect. Think "furniture", not layout, and land in between

A coffee table is about 4x the size of this.(I had to hand bend, this is mine)

Leave it to Adriatic!!!  Always the most novel ideas!!! 

JoeSage posted:

Moonson posted:

JoeSage posted:

My layout so far. The trolley is on a bridge to nowhere.....

Hi Joe, If you will permit, let me ask you, what motivated you to put the layout directly on the floor, rather than up on legs, at, oh say, waist height? I've always been curious about that preference, knowing numerous voices on this forum have made the same choice, while others go for something elevated off  the floor.

FrankM

Hi Frank. 

I live in a condo and (of course) my wife was against this. So with some quick thinking and a few Lemax houses I sad, "Look how great the Christmas tree will look this year!!!" So I got the go ahead. Thats why its on the floor

Joe 

Thanks, Joe, for your reply.

As you  can see, our little conversation gave me an idea,  "Layout Decision Number One," for a thread on the forum. It might turn out to be an enjoyable and informative larger conversation for us all.

FrankM.

I had an idea once....here is the rough draft.

It a toy bubble, from a gumball machine.

Adriatic posted:

I had an idea once....here is the rough draft.

It a toy bubble, from a gumball machine.

Always the most novel ideas!  Case in point!!

Probably did the opposite of everyone else. I took my layout apart.