What did you do on your layout today?

You're welcome Jim. It helps me change engines, rolling stock and keep imagining what railroads do everyday, but especially during the steam era. I have recently found great interest in passenger trains especially the heavyweight cars. I remember taking a night train with high school friends north from Milwaukee to Hurley Wisconsin to snow ski at Indianhead mountain. The engine was an F3 or F7 and we were in a two or three car train with heavyweight cars. It was cold. We had to stop in very rural area in the middle of nowhere after the train was warned that some hunters got stuck in the snow covered grade crossing ahead. We eventually made it to Hurley and the train had to back into the station in a wye. We were in the end car and the conductor opened the rear door and the train backed into the snow packed station. A sweet memory for me.

Edit Oct. 2, 2020: I was talking to one of my brothers tonight and recalling life for us back in the mid 1960s in Milwaukee and the ski trip. I decided that the station may have been in Ironwood, Michigan close to Hurley, WI. A photo of a postcard I saw on web research showed a snow covered street with folks walking in the street because the sidewalks were piled with snow and reminded me that we had to walk in the street as well to our little hotel. 

Here’s an update for the week!

https://youtu.be/zWRcwCke7_0

Lots of great looking projects everyone! 

Wesley, the layout looks great!  Does the track lift out or up where the track crosses in front of the door?

@Mark Boyce posted:

Lots of great looking projects everyone! 

Wesley, the layout looks great!  Does the track lift out or up where the track crosses in front of the door?

Mark i plan on making it lift out. Probably a project in the next coming weeks

On the WVRR, where elevation to the upper level on the Main Line is gained, there was a "S" jog with O54 curves around the main control panel. Over the last 5 days I fixed this and gained about a square foot of layout space at the same time.

I replaced a O 54 curve at the beginning of this 9 foot section with two O 72 curves, and two O 54 curves on the right with another O 72 curve. This eliminated the "S" jog but brought this section over a corner of the control panel, so I removed 4 accessory switches (now being relocated to the front of the panel) and added a triangle shaped piece of plywood (this is where WVRR gained a square foot) to the top of the control panel where the accessory switches were. This is the area behind the row of Switch Track controllers shown the the first pic below.

Under the straight section I made a long girder type bridge from plastic floor tile edging sprayed with red primer. The repaired scenery includes Native Americans hunting a poor buffalo and getting the fire ready for a buffalo feast. My heros, the Lone Ranger and Tonto, are arriving to join them for dinner.

By the way, the LIRR engine was a derelict PostWar GP 7 that I repaired and painted

Ran a local passenger train, with newly acquired GGD RPO and three K-line pasenger cars through town. Made mail train with a GGD B70 baggage express, another GGD RPO, 2 PRR B60s, a New Haven B60 and a K-line PRR dinner.

Started construction on a Great Lakes ore boat for my harbor area. She will be 92 X 10 inches which scales out to 368 X40 feet. Got the plans on line for $20. All wood construction,  hand formed bow and stern. 

After I shape the stern, I will start on the hold, adding bulkheads for strength before attaching the deck. Everything will be sheathed with styrene before painting. Might take me the entire fall to complete. 

I finished my BAR X350 side dump car.

WOW! Thirdrail...that is going to be a stunning model.  You must have some incredibly large "harbor area" in order to house a model 7 1/2 ft long by nearly 1 ft wide.  That would be about 50% of my entire lay out.  That is going to be quite amazing.  Please continue to post as you make progress.  Thanks for showing us the beginning.

Don McErlean

@Don McErlean posted:

WOW! Thirdrail...that is going to be a stunning model.  You must have some incredibly large "harbor area" in order to house a model 7 1/2 ft long by nearly 1 ft wide.  That would be about 50% of my entire lay out.  That is going to be quite amazing.  Please continue to post as you make progress.  Thanks for showing us the beginning.

Don McErlean

Thanks,  my layout overall size is 22X29 feet. The harbor is 8.5X8 feet in an "L" shape,  individual legs are between 1 and 2.5 feet deep. One leg will have the ore boat and the other a 5 foot long car float.  Already completed the float bridge,  next is the float itself. 

Incidentally the size of the ore boat is not uncommon.  Many old lakers were in the 300-400 foot range. 

Wow! Great work guys. The level of work here is inspiring!

Andy

What have you been up to Andy?

ZW got demoted to accessory duty. Track power now comes from a pair of Lionel 180W bricks. I only run TMCC and DCS, so they work perfectly. 

B6s no. 5244 worked the yard order tonight assembling a switching train for the local town, a collection of 3 boxcars, 3 reefers, a flatcar with 2 farm trackters, and 2 gons an empty and one loaded with retired rr ties. Next crew will move cars from a spur to the yard to assemble a mixed freight bound for distant towns.

I am putting individual cedar shingles on the roof panels for this Oakridge Corp.  "Old Mill" kit that l bashed into a longer building.  That may mean l could run out of cedar sheets to cut and cover. Tedious! If so, rear of roof will get "patched" with other roofing.  I also discovered l had another of these kits l may put on Bay as soon as l finish.  I am also bashing water wheel for a better appearance.

Removed the old barstools/stray piece of board holding transformers and remotes and built a permanent panel.  Now the barstools can be used to sit on and we can use shelf to store said barstools. Also attempted to clean up the rat nest of wires leading to the transformers. Much more kid friendly and looks about 1000000x better.

Before (For about 15 years😬)

After:

Thanks for asking Bob. I worked on the front entry and windows for my current build. If you click on the link in my signature you will find the latest updates. I don’t always remember to post here. 🤪

Andy

I've been spending good bits of each weekend at my parents' place helping to clean out the basement for what will become the new train room. I posted the layout plan in the layouts thread.

Part of that plan meant moving the existing 4' x 8.5' layout (the one dad had since he was a kid) out of the way to make room for the new bench work. Dad is laid up from two recent surgeries, so he's not very mobile, but he was too curious about what I was doing downstairs to leave me alone. He was expecting me to dismantle the layout and put it into temporary storage. Instead, I moved it to the game room, fixed everything up, and got it running for him. Now he has trains to play with while we build his dream layout in the newly-cleaned out train room!

He is super excited, and asked me to set up a workstation for him to take apart and clean up the rolling stock that has sat unused in the RailRax since I moved out 25 years ago! So with his lame leg and his still-healing chest, he set to work helping on the cars.

Photos of the restored layout temporarily in the game room, and just before moving it out of the blank slate train room that we start building in next weekend. Note the TV I put up in the corner... Dad says he needs to be able to watch football while running trains. I'm shocked at how inexpensive a halfway decent TV is these days...

@SuperChief posted:

Removed the old barstools/stray piece of board holding transformers and remotes and built a permanent panel.  Now the barstools can be used to sit on and we can use shelf to store said barstools. Also attempted to clean up the rat nest of wires leading to the transformers. Much more kid friendly and looks about 1000000x better.

Before (For about 15 years😬)

After:

@SuperChief: I've seen all sorts of situations like you had with the transformer... "Let's just put this here for now and we'll figure it out later" turns into " these stools are now full time transformer holders"

Made sure to plan for a permanent space in my Dad's new layout for the transformers and switch boards for just this reason. Nice looking layout too!

The constant battle--every horizontal surface IS NOT storage space. Oh, and where did I put the repair parts I bought for the transformer? Gee, I sure should have labeled all these boxes on the outside when I stacked them on these shelves!

I hate it when I am my own worst enemy. And yet I make many mistakes over and again. Yeesh...

Don Merz

What a great opportunity for you both!

Don

@Don Merz 070317 posted:

The constant battle--every horizontal surface IS NOT storage space. Oh, and where did I put the repair parts I bought for the transformer? Gee, I sure should have labeled all these boxes on the outside when I stacked them on these shelves!

I hate it when I am my own worst enemy. And yet I make many mistakes over and again. Yeesh...

Don Merz

Don- I bought a 4 pack of pencil lighters and I like to have one on the bench for heating shrink wrap. Now if i could just find the  @#$%@!! thing I'd be in business. 

Bob

Got to run some trains and finished this video:

Trainmaster04: Engines and rolling stock are excellent. The UP reefers are quite a treat to see with the mix of other cars. Thanks for the video.

Here is a segment of my operating session no.3, as PRR B6s no. 5244 backs a string of freights to switch at town industries. PRR B6s no. 505 is poised to pull 3 two bay coal hoppers from Thornton Coal and spot in the engine facility later. 

@ToledoEd posted:

Earlier in this string I showed the automation of my Command Gantry Crane.  https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...7#146142158431808647

Well, I finished it. I replaced the 1ft. spindle with a 2ft spindle giving the crane plenty of room to roam.  I also decided to scratch build a platform for the scene and to cover the above layout spindle. Gave me an opportunity to give it some more interest.  I also extended the road to provide a transfer point for trucks to also supply the crane with another loading/unloading opportunity.  It worked. This weekend my 8 yr. old Grandson fired up the layout and moved the crane into position and started transferring cargo.  Now, that's what I'm talking about.  Here are a few pics and short video. Notice the fearless Superintendent on the Crane.

For those that may be interested, I posted a video on YouTube showing how I motorized the Gantry Crane. https://youtu.be/o3CajyV26IM

 Wow, Ed, that crane id really moving at top speed, and nice and smooth.. Nice job, and good looking photographs'....  Now we need a video of the grand son loading and unloading......😁🤴🏻

@Quarter Gauger 48 posted:

 Wow, Ed, that crane id really moving at top speed, and nice and smooth.. Nice job, and good looking photographs'....  Now we need a video of the grand son loading and unloading......😁🤴🏻

Thanks Ted.  I hope they visit this weekend in which case, "Crane Operator, Zack" will be given his operating assignment! 

@Trainmaster04 posted:

Got to run some trains and finished this video:

Love this running session.  I would love to see some more. 

@Wasatch Railroader posted:

Love this running session.  I would love to see some more. 

Glad you enjoyed it! Currently I am working on a product review on the EM-1 but I plan on doing the Blue Goose next and, hopefully, one on the Frisco Meteor since it is different from the Blue Goose. Again, glad you enjoyed it and happy railroading!

S.B.R. ALCO FA1 #400 with a steam generator & vista dome "Dianne". Now i only need more some passenger cars.

@ScoutingDad posted:

Been busy doing detail work and then redoing the detail work. Decided to take a break and run my new MTH Imperial Big Boy with a 20 box car consist.  This is about its limit going up a 2.8% grade. The wheels start to slip at the max incline point. The whole train wraps around about 75% of my layout.  Most of the cars are Atlas Steam Era Classics with a few MTH Railking and Premier box cars thrown in. Yes, the cab clips the inside of the tunnel as it exits. I'll have to adjust the portal a bit.

I decided to name my layout the Twin Pines Rail Road.  Many of you seem to have a name for your layout, I decided to pick one for mine. The name comes from a resort my dad used to co-own in the Spooner Wisconsin area in the 50s and 60s. Now all I have to do is model the big red pine the resort was named after. The tree was two trees that had grown together to the point they looked like one tree until about 3 feet up the trunk. 

I am going to try another camera. This looks a bit grainy and jumpy to me. What do you guy think? 

https://drive.google.com/file/...GL1/view?usp=sharing 

It all sounds good.  I got an error message from Google when I tried to open your link.  It wants me to request access.  I can, but my Google email address is different from the one I have on my OGR Forum profile.

Hi guys, Its been a while, but I have been working on the layout. I think last time I was here I told you all about switching out my street lights to LED's. Well I have been doing more of that with all the other stuff I have so I can try and run everything from a 12v power supply threw a DC to Dc buck converter. Well to date I have8 Menards Buildings,  fuel station that I switched to LED, a set of yard lights, and 3 Menards lighted vehicles powered up with no problems. Here are  couple Photos of that.

Then I told Mark that I would let him know what I had  from Menards, so here is a  list for you Mark!

15 Buildings, 5 lighted cars and trucks, 2 race cars, a dump truck, ready cement truck, 3 ambulances, 1 fire truck, 1 electrical boom truck, 9 tank cars, 5 box cars, and 12 Military flat cars with loads! I hope that give you an idea! LOL

Oh wait, these came today!

That brings it to 17 Buildings! LOL

I hope your all safe and doing well! I also hope you all are able to fine time for your layout and trains~! But most of all I hope you all are having fun!

That is quite a list, Mike!  Dad must be proud!!    These two buildings came in today??!!  What will be left for your trip to Dakota??    I think you need some of those covered hoppers for that salt plant.  

@Mark Boyce posted:

That is quite a list, Mike!  Dad must be proud!!    These two buildings came in today??!!  What will be left for your trip to Dakota??    I think you need some of those covered hoppers for that salt plant.  

Hi Mark, I still have to get a church and something for a kids playground the CEO wants on the layout. Plus maybe some more lighted cars. I was just looking at my list and I missed something. so if you need one let me know.

17 Box trucks! LOL

@mike g. posted:

Hi Mark, I still have to get a church and something for a kids playground the CEO wants on the layout. Plus maybe some more lighted cars. I was just looking at my list and I missed something. so if you need one let me know.

17 Box trucks! LOL

17 box trucks!!!!!  Thank you, but no I don’t need any.  I have more vehicles than I will be able to fit on the layout already!  😄  Yes, your CEO is right!  You need a church and playground so the kids don’t play on the tracks 👍🏻

Working on the mountain test running trains 

Today was all about installing two red LEDs to light up the backside of the red lenses Lionel originally provided on the rear of my 2441 observation car.

I installed two red LEDs that came from a string of Christmas lights that contained fifty very small LEDS powered by three AA batteries. I added a $0.99 regulator, diode, cap and current limiting resistor and tried various settings on the regulator.

I ended up with the perfect brightness (to my taste) at 2.1ma of current, that the regulator kept under perfect control from 6v to around 18-19v (min to max throttle on my ZW.) Couldn't have imagined this stuff when I was a young'n and was thrilled by a giant red glass lens in front of a hot incandescent bulb!

George

I've been working on another background building. This ones a Korber apartment building. Tried something different on this one since I had trouble with the paint and wipe technique I normally do for mortar lines. After the acrylic dried I tried steel wool as a first step and emory boards to clean it up. Works well, and the emory boards are easily trimmed with scissors to keep a fresh surface to work with.

Stay safe,

Scott

Evening guys, I hope you all had a great week and all stayed safe.

Kwiser, your mountain train test run looks great!

Scott, outstanding job on the wall! Thanks for the how to!

Well as for me I took a little change in direction from my LED's and buildings. They for cast rain for the next couple days and around here that normally means time next summer. LOL So I dug up some nice Washington dirt and started sifting. I need the dirt for my dirt roads and playfield the CEO wants on the layout! It's  not very fun, but I think about Elliott that did several buckets to get the real ballast for his layout. Well any  way here is a photo of before and after. The bucket on the right is the starting bucket, center sifted, and left is left overs! Enjoy! LOL

I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday and an even better weekend!

Got my lower level track laid down. Tomorrow will be hooking the feeder wires to the bus line! Should have more trains going tomorrow!

Started cleaning off all the "stuff" that has collected on it as we start to head into colder weather and I mess with the outdoor G scale line much less. Got lots to do on the indoor layout, maybe even a total rebuild of the benchwork from the ground up.   Just have to see what I decide to do this winter.  Especially if most all the local shows are canceled again.   AD

Added some more freight cars to the layout this week. Our final beer reefers for the Tuesday night crew came in from MTH. Some more Lionscale cars plus some Lionel bulkhead flat cars came yesterday. Pics............Paul 2

Well, finally a rainy day here in Tennessee and time to see what’s going on here on the forum. Mike g., that’s a cool Menards Billboard sign, looks so good, also, your layout is really coming together and when you get the accessories placed and wired in, Wow.... Good to see your pictures of progress. Paul 2, beautiful rolling stock, really cool. My wife and I have been busy with house and yard work, but today it’s Raining... My friend Will and I ran trains yesterday at my house. Stay safe, stay healthy, Pray Continually... Happy Railroading Everyone

Larry, I know I am not the only one glad to see you having a good time running trains! I bet you had a blast with your wonderful layout and vast collections of trains!

I know all about the rain, its been raining here now for 2 days and more to come. Thank you for the nice words about my layout, its been nice to get time in the train room again. But I have learned a important lesson, make sure you get all the scenery done on the outside before moving inwards if  you have a around the room layout! LOL

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! Do what you have  to to find time for a little train and layout fun!

I’m happy to report that I had 5 visitors. We built two consists, and ran these trains and enjoyed our visit.

Larry, looks like a great day running trains.  There has been little rain here all summer and fall.  However we are predicted to get rain tomorrow from the hurricane.  They bring rain, not much wind.  It won’t get much past us, the mountains will stop it.

Not much rain here on Long Island this Fall either. Monday and Tuesday we will see the remnants of Delta also. Too bad I have to go to work .

Lot's of good stuff. Larry- great set of steamers...running a bit light though . Mike G- You are building a nice Menards collection there, keep it up. C&O Steam- Visitors? WOW! Glad to hear a good time was had by all. Paul2- more nice freight cars. You have a good eye.

I can finally report that my building is done and ready to return to it's foundation on the layout. Not sure it will happen today but I'll be happy to finally get it off my workbench. Every time I thought I was done, I'd break something and have to fix it. I had a shelf fall on the roof and knock the water tower and one of the vents off, I almost broke the loading dock off the side, and nearly broke the new light over the dock door.

Bob

@GeoPeg posted:

Today was all about installing two red LEDs to light up the backside of the red lenses Lionel originally provided on the rear of my 2441 observation car.

I installed two red LEDs that came from a string of Christmas lights that contained fifty very small LEDS powered by three AA batteries. I added a $0.99 regulator, diode, cap and current limiting resistor and tried various settings on the regulator.

I ended up with the perfect brightness (to my taste) at 2.1ma of current, that the regulator kept under perfect control from 6v to around 18-19v (min to max throttle on my ZW.) Couldn't have imagined this stuff when I was a young'n and was thrilled by a giant red glass lens in front of a hot incandescent bulb!

George

Update: here's a shot of the finished Obs car. Not anything to win an award, but it kept me well entertained and I kinda like it!

Next is window treatments. I may buy one of the photo-editing bits of software that would allow me to snip fam member faces out of whatever picture they're in, and then print them on clear sheets, cut to size and install them in front of some frosted windows! Kind of like the hero boy in Polar Express, only an actual pic instead of a silhouette.

Made a cheap remote control holder and harbor rearrangement

Today a squad of Cicadas attacked the switch tower at Springville Flats.  The workers were able to escape just in time.  The  National Guard is loading into gondolas at the Odenville yards to repulse the invaders.  Now I need to find my '60s vintage army men.

Bill, The look like they are right out of an old science fiction movie!!!  I'm glad the workers escaped with their lives!!  I'm glad the National Guard is on the way.  I saw one cicada a couple weeks ago.  I hear them in the trees, but never see the little buggers.  It's a good thing, because Mrs. B would see them too and not like it!! 

Got a little more done today

IT'S DONE!!!!!!

Not without one more fight though. I set the new pole and light in place at the end of the siding and wired it in. Worked fine for a few minutes and then it went out. After a few choice words.....I checked the splices and as I moved the wire, it lit again. Turned out to be the resistor adapter was faulty. I swapped it out with another and all is good. Glad to have this project behind me so I can get on to other things.

Ran trains for a while to celebrate too.

Bob

Tedious task, applying tiny cedar shingles to a lengthened roof on a bashed water mill kit. In a time when l should have been cowering at home getting a lot of model work done, too many distractions.  Anxious to get to work on Menard's engine house, lengthing a stall and fabricating doors, but this is glacial.

Bob it looks fantastic and well worth the time, effort and a few bruises....you came out as the victor. It was fun to follow along.

What’s next????

@Rich Wiemann posted:

Bob it looks fantastic and well worth the time, effort and a few bruises....you came out as the victor. It was fun to follow along.

What’s next????

Thanks Rich- next? hmmm.......

I need to pay some attention to the other side of the layout. I need to build a tunnel portal and hillside for the back left corner and also do something with two sidings in the middle. I'm leaning toward a small grain elevator that can serve several types of cars. We will see.

Bob

Congratulations on a job well done, Bob!!

Nice work Bob.

Haven't done much on my layout. 

Playing with REAL trains, on the other hand...  ;-)

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...rkansas-and-missouri

Mitch

I've been cutting soundstop board I used on my old layout for the new smaller temp layout. I then have started painting it with the Krylon stone paint, looks ok to me .

@Mark Boyce posted:

Congratulations on a job well done, Bob!!

@decoynh posted:

Nice work Bob.

Thanks Guys. Been a frustrating month or so seeing the building on the work bench all the time.

Hello Darrell where did you buy the stone paint it looks good thanks Kevin

You can try craft stores, my local stores just had small cans in too dark color. Found what I was looking for on amazon.

Thanks Kevin

Over the weekend, I shot a lot of video for an online pay service (I don't think it competes with OGR though).

While trying out new angles I found one I really liked. I staged my own shot if a coal train, which I'm keeping for my own uses:

https://youtu.be/_qR5oo2NC4c

Yesterday at a flea market in PA I bought a PostWar SanteFe 623 switcher for a steal. The plan was to make it a custom paint project BUT, now that it is cleaned and lubricated, it looks and runs great - way too good for a painting project. Until I figure out what I want to do with it, it is on a shelf with it's matching sister, my SanteFe 622 bell-ringer.

Yesterday:

O Gauge -  still hunting down my recently repaired MTH AT&SF engine that has gone missing! It’s got to be here someplace!!!

Std. Gauge- FINALLY got the smoke unit on and working on my MTH Ives 1134 Circus Engine. BIG yahoo!!!

I have had some problems with my latest layout project.  Bob, I can relate to your woes. I decided to add a long siding in front of the lower mainline to take the place of the one I had to take out to put in my little yard to the right.  I had an extra GarGraves 042 left hand switch, and it cut right into the mainline great.  It kills me that the instructions say that they don't come prewired after some date in 2006, and the instructions don't tell me what to add.    I had made a bunch of connections to where I thought I had it ready to go.  When I powered it up, I saw I was still missing some connections in the frog.  I had also noticed that the plastic frog was too high, and thought that was messing with things, so I ground it down with the two-speed Dremel I bought 35 years ago.  That thing is a lot harder to control than it was years ago.  Couldn't be anything wrong with me!!  So, there are some gouges where I didn't want them. Finally, the Dremel sanding tool quit turning though the motor was running.  I thought the tool had gotten lose in the chuck.  After fiddling I realized, the shaft won't turn at all.  Getting back to the wiring, I had a bunch of holes drilled in it, and it was all screwed down.  I thought I would try to alleviate the problem in place.  Don't even ask what I was connecting; I want to forget the whole thing.  My 10-15-watt soldering pencil couldn't heat it up enough, so I got out the 35-watt soldering gun.  I wasn't getting good heat transfer, but the iron was tinned and tight.  Finally it slipped, and I melted a big hole in the switch.  There is something wrong with that soldering gun, but I guess it isn't a crime, it must be 50 years old, since I bought it when I was in high school to build my first layout.  So, I was so tired of it, this evening, I took the switch out, replaced it with the piece of track I had cut out and ran a train around and around.  I resolved, I am going to buy a Ross-ready 042 left hand switch at McCormick Hardware in nearby Zelienople and forget about the GarGraves.  This is supposed to be a hobby! 

@Carey TeaRose posted:

I love how your photo is on the billboard, which also explains the layout itself

@Darrell posted:

I've been cutting soundstop board I used on my old layout for the new smaller temp layout. I then have started painting it with the Krylon stone paint, looks ok to me .

Darrell,

I've done my road bed exactly the same way except mine is a brown speckled paint.  I spray homasote and I am glad I did because I had to move my layout to my new house and I can reuse it all.  I still have the 0-42 corner jig I made for my router -- so I can  make more.  Looks great!

Mike

Some days are like that Mark. Your layout is taking shape. Keep up the great work.

I am going to get a new front stoop, driveway and connecting walkway at my house in a week or so. I am worried that when they jack hammer the stoop and extension along the front of my house that the vibrations might cause my building flats and signals to fall on trains and buildings. So today I started to temporarily relocate eleven passenger cars and ten freight cars with B6s no. 5244 and moved fifteen freights with B6s no. 505 to what I call my yard tracks.

Mark, I would say that Murphy’s Law was hovering over your shoulder.

Ahhhrrrgghh ..glued more individual cedar shingles on the second half of the mill roof.  First half done.  Structure will have old wood shingles on front of roof and rusty corrugated sheet at the back. Building is a third longer than provided by kit, and looks better proportioned to me.

I did a few small projects on the layout during the last two or three days. I made our wye into a separate block and added a dpdt switch so either one of our two Z-4000 transformers can be used to control it. I also isolated the tail of the wye with a spst switch so that an engine can be left there.

I also made some new layout diagrams showing the locations of switches and blocks, and put them on the fascia boards around the layout.

And I added a couple more scenic details to the roundhouse area (a work in progress).

@pennsynut posted:

I am going to get a new front stoop, driveway and connecting walkway at my house in a week or so. I am worried that when they jack hammer the stoop and extension along the front of my house that the vibrations might cause my building flats and signals to fall on trains and buildings. So today I started to temporarily relocate eleven passenger cars and ten freight cars with B6s no. 5244 and moved fifteen freights with B6s no. 505 to what I call my yard tracks.

You may want to cover the layout with plastic too. The dust that is about to fall off the floor joists will have you cursing for a while.

Bob

I was thinking about that as well Bob. Great minds

Over the weekend I had knocked over (Aristo-Craft #1 gauge) Mrs. Buttons N. Bows - who is Owner and Head Clown of BUTTONS & BOWS COLOSSAL CIRCUS, and she is also the Owner of BUTTONS & BOWS CIRCUS RAILWAY, breaking off her hand and umbrella!

And I had knocked over (Bachmann) Clown Emmett Kelly, Jr. too, breaking off the base of his sweep broom- again.

Hubby Tom is the fixer/re-gluer in our house. The repair-er of my peeps as need be.

Today I'll be setting them both back up in the Circus area on the Upstairs Standard Gauge Layout. They are standing in front of one of my custom-design Standard Gauge Billboards that I created- this one lives on the Main Floor Layout- its to promote the Circus that is on the Upstairs Layout.

Today I removed buildings and other scenery things from a section to keep them safe from upcoming front stoop work. Good opportunity to clean up some stuff knowing I have to do it afterwards as well. Took two pics.

Unpacked and road-tested this beauty from Beth at The Public Delivery Track:

An MTH PS3 SW1500 (of course) and it runs as slow as a turtle.

They got the Tuscan Red pretty close IMO.

@Aldovar posted:

Made a cheap remote control holder and harbor rearrangement

Looks like a really good and fun way to have some team work to get a layout organized.  😉

@RSJB18 posted:

IT'S DONE!!!!!!

Not without one more fight though. I set the new pole and light in place at the end of the siding and wired it in. Worked fine for a few minutes and then it went out. After a few choice words.....I checked the splices and as I moved the wire, it lit again. Turned out to be the resistor adapter was faulty. I swapped it out with another and all is good. Glad to have this project behind me so I can get on to other things.

Ran trains for a while to celebrate too.

Bob

Very nice indeed, Mr. Bob! That is a good looking corner of your layout. I love the lighting effect!

George

Today we iced up the reefers.....

@gandydancer1950 posted:

Today we iced up the reefers.....

Fantastic railroad and your photography skills really shine.

The kind of look I can only dream of for what I could do on my layout. 🤓😴

Lew- very nice, now you actually have an engine from the home state of the PER. I have a Penn Central model from the Despatch Shops in Rochester. This is an earlier PS-1 version.

Gandy- nice refer collection.

George- Thanks for the compliment. The other back corner has been on the back burner because I need to climb up on the layout to reach it. My plan is to build a diorama that I can just drop in place and be done.

Bob

Put up another photo backdrop. One more to go for that side of the layout.

Gandy - Great looking layout, where did you find the workers loading the ice?

Stay Safe,

Scott

@Mark Boyce posted:

I have had some problems with my latest layout project.  Bob, I can relate to your woes. I decided to add a long siding in front of the lower mainline to take the place of the one I had to take out to put in my little yard to the right.  I had an extra GarGraves 042 left hand switch, and it cut right into the mainline great.  It kills me that the instructions say that they don't come prewired after some date in 2006, and the instructions don't tell me what to add.    I had made a bunch of connections to where I thought I had it ready to go.  When I powered it up, I saw I was still missing some connections in the frog.  I had also noticed that the plastic frog was too high, and thought that was messing with things, so I ground it down with the two-speed Dremel I bought 35 years ago.  That thing is a lot harder to control than it was years ago.  Couldn't be anything wrong with me!!  So, there are some gouges where I didn't want them. Finally, the Dremel sanding tool quit turning though the motor was running.  I thought the tool had gotten lose in the chuck.  After fiddling I realized, the shaft won't turn at all.  Getting back to the wiring, I had a bunch of holes drilled in it, and it was all screwed down.  I thought I would try to alleviate the problem in place.  Don't even ask what I was connecting; I want to forget the whole thing.  My 10-15-watt soldering pencil couldn't heat it up enough, so I got out the 35-watt soldering gun.  I wasn't getting good heat transfer, but the iron was tinned and tight.  Finally it slipped, and I melted a big hole in the switch.  There is something wrong with that soldering gun, but I guess it isn't a crime, it must be 50 years old, since I bought it when I was in high school to build my first layout.  So, I was so tired of it, this evening, I took the switch out, replaced it with the piece of track I had cut out and ran a train around and around.  I resolved, I am going to buy a Ross-ready 042 left hand switch at McCormick Hardware in nearby Zelienople and forget about the GarGraves.  This is supposed to be a hobby! 

Ugh--this is the kind of thing I hate--that is when a project stalls or aborts because of something weird--like Dremel tool failure! I've had to fix one of my Dremels multiple times. There are many different models so this may not apply to yours. But many of them have a plastic connector between the motor shaft and the tool head, inside the housing. If you open it up and see that, you can go online and order a replacement. Might as well get a spare too.

Those Gargraves 042 switches are strange beasts. I have several different Gargraves 042 models. I am not sure how that frog is supposed to match up with the track end. In the end, I gave up and went with a Ross 054. If you need one or more 042s, just email me and I'll be glad to supply them. I have a box of them (used and new) that I am probably never going to use.

Good luck Mark!

Don Merz

Gandydancer, amazing scene with the milk cars, great pictures, Wow, RSJB18 Bob, beautiful Diesel, your layout is so cool.... Thanks for all the beautiful pictures. I visited my friend DR. Jack, the pictures are of his awesome railroad, you can see his Milwaukee train videos on Mr. Muffins web site. Happy Railroading Everyone

Great photos everyone and sure is a lot of great work being done here! As for me I cooked 3 pans of dirt and thats about it. We are leaving tomorrow to head to North Dakota so I hope by mid week next week I will have a couple new building and some more autos from Menards!

I hope everyone is staying safe and having fun with there layouts!

Safe travels Mike and if you see some great scenery in ND, please send us photos !

EB

@Don Merz 070317 posted:

Ugh--this is the kind of thing I hate--that is when a project stalls or aborts because of something weird--like Dremel tool failure! I've had to fix one of my Dremels multiple times. There are many different models so this may not apply to yours. But many of them have a plastic connector between the motor shaft and the tool head, inside the housing. If you open it up and see that, you can go online and order a replacement. Might as well get a spare too.

Those Gargraves 042 switches are strange beasts. I have several different Gargraves 042 models. I am not sure how that frog is supposed to match up with the track end. In the end, I gave up and went with a Ross 054. If you need one or more 042s, just email me and I'll be glad to supply them. I have a box of them (used and new) that I am probably never going to use.

Good luck Mark!

Don Merz

Don, Thank you very much for your sympathy and providing suggestions.  I got on the computer to report in what I discovered last evening about the Dremel and saw your message.  Mine is a basic two speed model number 285-3.  Here is the photograph I took that shows exactly what you mentioned.  The flex coupling as the parts diagram called it had crumbled.  I made sure I dumped out all the little pieces and ordered a new coupling last evening.

I also connected temporary jumpers to all the power drops in my little three-track yard that has 2 GarGraves 042 switches, one RH and on LH.  I was able to run an engine everywhere with not trouble.    I have one more 042 LH switch I plan to install in the same location of the one I had trouble with and see what happens.  I will report my findings.  Garbage pickup is tonight, and the butchered troublemaker is already in the can.  Many would say keep it for parts.  I don't ever want to see it again! 

@mike g. posted:

Great photos everyone and sure is a lot of great work being done here! As for me I cooked 3 pans of dirt and that's about it. We are leaving tomorrow to head to North Dakota so I hope by mid week next week I will have a couple new building and some more autos from Menards!

I hope everyone is staying safe and having fun with there layouts!

Mike, Ah yes the aroma of walking in my grandma's house and smelling dirt baking in her oven!  It takes me back to childhood! 

Have a safe, fun visit to North Dakota, and we will look forward to see what your shopping spree turns up.

I posted the videos I took the other day on my YouTube page

https://youtu.be/yuUccJ0reVw

https://youtu.be/Vrh1eAvyqxk

https://youtu.be/m9098_73KvA

https://youtu.be/wGQCVoIJ5kk

https://youtu.be/YNYpVj8NJOY

John

@RSJB18 posted:

Lew- very nice, now you actually have an engine from the home state of the PER. I have a Penn Central model from the Despatch Shops in Rochester. This is an earlier PS-1 version.

Bob, I also have this MTH PS3 SW1500, the prototype of which "lives" and works in Pittsburgh:

Actually just South of the 'Burgh, from Neville Island to just South of Canonsburg.

https://hawkinsrails.net/shortlines/pohc/pohc.htm

@Trainmaster04 posted:

Got to run some trains and finished this video:

Great choice of fantasy engine schemes. 

@FrankRazz posted:

Great choice of fantasy engine schemes.

Thanks! When I made this video I had planned on doing a double header with the Blue Goose and with Lionel’s latest Meteor. Sadly that wasn’t able to happen due to I got a bad model from them.

@Mark Boyce posted:

I also connected temporary jumpers to all the power drops in my little three-track yard that has 2 GarGraves 042 switches, one RH and on LH.  I was able to run an engine everywhere with not trouble.    I have one more 042 LH switch I plan to install in the same location of the one I had trouble with and see what happens.  I will report my findings.  Garbage pickup is tonight, and the butchered troublemaker is already in the can.  Many would say keep it for parts.  I don't ever want to see it again! 

I installed the extra GarGraves 042 LH switch, connected power, and the train ran through both legs of the switch perfectly.  I still don't know what was wrong with the first switch, but I don't care.  It is out in the green can waiting for Mr. Green to haul it to the landfill tomorrow.

Installed and painted the base of my modified, hinged lift MTH Arch Bridge to connect my around the room tables.i