What did you do on your layout today?

Played around with a small camera to get video from the engineer's perspective. 

I need to get better, but it gives the first view of the layout from this angle ever taken.

Really nice video, Lee. The layout looks great from that perspective.

                                             got another section of shelves up.......

                                          c'om on, let's get these up on the shelves.......

                                 they've only been in boxes for a couple years now.......

Adriatic posted:

And watch the sharp solder points as well as the dull stuff 

...What? Those things are pokey sometimes  

 

(ok.....dull & oxidated is suspect )

Pokey!  As in sharp and irritating if you touch them?  Yes!  And so are component leads that stick out a bit from the solder "blob"!  My guess is Elliot has already experienced that many times over in his years of this. 

Pat Kn posted:

Really nice video, Lee. The layout looks great from that perspective.

As usual, I totally agree with Pat!!  He and I seem to be cut from the same cloth!  Your Video really shows of the great job you have done, Lee!!

Brian, So the inspector is also the supervisor as well!!  Get this place cleaned up, Brian, she says!!!  Great job!!

Finished up the downtown area with the addition of the village pet clinic, St. Margaret’s Church and a set of carolers.  I’m calling the figure out front of the church, a deacon, as my wife’s Dad was a deacon at Our Lady of Grace church in El Cajon, CA.  Maybe that will get me a Legacy engine!  Yeah, I am shameless.  Remember, it’s a wellness.  

                                               GO for it Ted

Lee, Now that's what I am talking about! Great video of your layout!

Brian, nice work, just wondering how many container cars you have? looks liken you have enough for everyone on the forum!

Ted, great looking village! I love the winter look. I would thing your moving in then right direction for that new engine!

mike g. posted:

Brian, nice work, just wondering how many container cars you have? looks liken you have enough for everyone on the forum!

 

   over 300 intermodal cars, Dad's favorite and he wants to run long trains.....

       hoping to be able to run 50 scale size car trains, and 100 of the 027 size cars trains...

         there are about 40 Triple Crown TOFC cars, a pretty neat train all together......

                         want to try and run 30 -50 car roadrailer car trains......

     50 sets of these spline cars, 100 truck trailers, should be a neat looking train

        there are still a lot more upstairs under the Alaska layout to get out yet.....

Mark Boyce posted:

Adriatic posted:

And watch the sharp solder points as well as the dull stuff 

...What? Those things are pokey sometimes  

 

(ok.....dull & oxidated is suspect )

Pokey!  As in sharp and irritating if you touch them?  Yes!  And so are component leads that stick out a bit from the solder "blob"!  My guess is Elliot has already experienced that many times over in his years of this. 

Actually, not so much with the circuit boards. I have a bunch of small cuts on the back of my hands from reaching into a small space on the layout to fish the switch machine wires for the hump yard. The screws I used to construct the layout are just a little too long, and stick through the bottom of the wood.

Now, that's pokey!

Lee, just got to watch your video. Nice tour of the layout and the scenery is top notch...........Paul

p51 posted:

Played around with a small camera to get video from the engineer's perspective. 

I need to get better, but it gives the first view of the layout from this angle ever taken.

outstanding Lee!

Brian, you da MAN! Great looking cars and what a great way to think of your dad and spend time with him! Way to go!

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

Adriatic posted:

And watch the sharp solder points as well as the dull stuff 

...What? Those things are pokey sometimes  

 

(ok.....dull & oxidated is suspect )

Pokey!  As in sharp and irritating if you touch them?  Yes!  And so are component leads that stick out a bit from the solder "blob"!  My guess is Elliot has already experienced that many times over in his years of this. 

Actually, not so much with the circuit boards. I have a bunch of small cuts on the back of my hands from reaching into a small space on the layout to fish the switch machine wires for the hump yard. The screws I used to construct the layout are just a little too long, and stick through the bottom of the wood.

Now, that's pokey!

I   used to manage that it in dashboards all the thime. I used to pull my dripping hand out and call for my sugar kit while trying to keeep blood off the interior . 

  I'll bleed smiling "for the wrench" 

...but one less poke over that sugar crap is one less poke eh?.  

mike g. posted:

Brian, you da MAN! Great looking cars and what a great way to think of your dad and spend time with him! Way to go!

I have two driveways and I put 6' shadow box privacy fence completely around the yard with gates on each driveway. Dad has a 40' camper, this spring he will be able to back in on the 2nd drive, in front of the garage, close the gate, and set up with water and electric from the garage, and run trains when ever he wants

       Mom will have this side of the yard to work on flowers with Sherri in spring

          the train room workshop....slowly camouflaging it into the yard....

                                cannot wait till spring !!

Nice Brian, way to think about Mom and Dad! Great looking yard also and I love the out side layout! But let me guess, then inspector makes sure you get the lawn mowed so it looks nice for when Mom and Dad are there! 

They must be proud to have you as there son! They are really lucky!

Lee, neat video, well done, I like your layout...Thanks for posting as I like your photography, your scenes are unique...Wow. 

Lee- great video. The layout looks great from any angle. I like how the lighting changed when the train came out of the bend too.

Brian- I think you need to train the dog to open the boxes for you. If she's gonna just stand around anyway you might as well put her to work. . Great yard too. You need to run the trains onto the bar so you can make/ receive deliveries while you're running trains.

Bob

  Brian....What is the the inspectors name? Did you go the Steve Martin route? Name her Girl?; or what?  Our "Puppi" just refused to answer to  Apollo; too snooty... Nor Lenny (of mice&men); too smart for that nonsense, his name  was Puppi  

I've been tackleing the mine shaft elevator after two years of looking at it. As it turns out the ladder frame is very close to O gage, a 16th" narrrow, but I worked it out laying rails on the frame like ties.

 So, I ran new the wood for rails up the frame, and used some deep flange AF plastic whelsets on O axles. I made an operating ore lift/dump bucket and more than one trolley ("a vertical ore cart) eventually trimming the bucket down 1/3 to clearance for the rails and heavy bucket linkage/arms needed to dump.

    It was in need of weight to have the trolley wheels remain seated while being near vertical & dangleing by a rope. I didn't like those trolleys I had come up with,  though they worked. It needed two more rails; a channel had to be made to trap the wheels. I didn't have enough ⅛" wood for two more rails and supports, but to eyball a distance I used some O 0-27 and the solution presented itself nicely. the wheels tread dia. fit nicely in between the 0-27 inner and outer rails. The wheel flange rides the rail head, the tread rides the inside edge of each rail.

Great set-up Brian.  Some of my favorite cars are Husky Stacks.

As far as the setup for your Dad goes, that's first rate.  Let me know when he's off camping, I'll get a pass from my wife and move in while he's gone.  I am a trained & qualified DAD & Granddad!  I can run trains too.  Is your outdoor railway O gauge?

Mark Boyce posted:

Pat Kn posted:

Really nice video, Lee. The layout looks great from that perspective.

As usual, I totally agree with Pat!!  He and I seem to be cut from the same cloth!  Your Video really shows of the great job you have done, Lee!!

Thanks guys, that means a lot!

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

Adriatic posted:

And watch the sharp solder points as well as the dull stuff 

...What? Those things are pokey sometimes  

 

(ok.....dull & oxidated is suspect )

Pokey!  As in sharp and irritating if you touch them?  Yes!  And so are component leads that stick out a bit from the solder "blob"!  My guess is Elliot has already experienced that many times over in his years of this. 

Actually, not so much with the circuit boards. I have a bunch of small cuts on the back of my hands from reaching into a small space on the layout to fish the switch machine wires for the hump yard. The screws I used to construct the layout are just a little too long, and stick through the bottom of the wood.

Now, that's pokey!

Yes that would really be bad!!

RSJB18 posted:

paul 2 posted:

Bob, it was not kept a secret. Two years ago or more I was posting work on the attic layout. At that time I re wired the tracks and re did all the scenery..............Paul

Well I joined the forum about a year ago so my loss. Still very nice work!

Not really. Use the search "attic" & Paul and you will likely find it.  

I think I will have a dumping vertical ore cart when I sit down to it again. I need to bend a spreader bar, open a pivot hole more, cut 2 screws to length, and then glue/paint it.

Since the holidays are approaching, it's time to dust off the Christmas Train...  

With, of course, the dubious assistance of Norma Bates Kitteh.     

The "Emphysema Express" is, well, smoking like a chimney...  ;-) 

And, of course, the K-Line Hanukkah boxcar in the interests of ecumenism. ;-) 

Mitch 

I put in another 10 hour day today. Eight of those hours were spent testing and debugging the SSD cards. At first I thought I had a lot of bad circuits, like 30% of 216 total, but that wasn't really the case.

What happened was I only pressed the LED I was using against the terminal screws. It wasn't making good contact. There were still a few bad ones where I had to flip the board over and inspect my work. In the end, I was able to fix all but two circuits. They both had the same issue, where the red light was on with no input applied, and I could never get a green. I may revisit those two with a better light and my Opti-visor.

The other two hours were spent hashing over operations with Gary. Back at the beginning of October he gave me the schedule and train orders he made up for the layout. Then he asked the $64,000 question: when did I think the layout would be ready to have an operating session? I had hoped to do that by the end of this year, but it's looking more and more like it will be spring or summer of next year. I know the uncouplers are a must have, but I would also like to have the entire C/MRI - JMRI system running too.

Just gotta keep after it!

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

I put in another 10 hour day today. Eight of those hours were spent testing and debugging the SSD cards. At first I thought I had a lot of bad circuits, like 30% of 216 total, but that wasn't really the case.

What happened was I only pressed the LED I was using against the terminal screws. It wasn't making good contact. There were still a few bad ones where I had to flip the board over and inspect my work. In the end, I was able to fix all but two circuits. They both had the same issue, where the red light was on with no input applied, and I could never get a green. I may revisit those two with a better light and my Opti-visor.

The other two hours were spent hashing over operations with Gary. Back at the beginning of October he gave me the schedule and train orders he made up for the layout. Then he asked the $64,000 question: when did I think the layout would be ready to have an operating session? I had hoped to do that by the end of this year, but it's looking more and more like it will be spring or summer of next year. I know the uncouplers are a must have, but I would also like to have the entire C/MRI - JMRI system running too.

Just gotta keep after it!

Poor contact on low voltage will get you every time. Glad it wasn't as bad as you thought Elliot.

Remember- slow and steady wins the race!

Bob

RSJB18 posted:

Brian- I think you need to train the dog to open the boxes for you. If she's gonna just stand around anyway you might as well put her to work. . Great yard too. You need to run the trains onto the bar so you can make/ receive deliveries while you're running trains.

Bob

                                                       delivery on the way

Elliot, its nice that the boards were not that bad off, everyone needs to catch a break now and then! Bob is right, slow and steady wins!

Let Gary known it will be ready when its ready! LOL

              patched up the wall and added some temporary color to it....

Adriatic posted:

  Brian....What is the the inspectors name? Did you go the Steve Martin route? Name her Girl?; or what?  Our "Puppi" just refused to answer to  Apollo; too snooty... Nor Lenny (of mice&men); too smart for that nonsense, his name  was Puppi  

 

                                                            Izabelle

                                                     inspector " IZZY"

Patch job looks good Brian, I bet you ran some trains also from the pictures  you sent! LOL

I finished installing lights on a station platform I ordered at York.  Jim Robinson, Bridgeboss did a super  job building it. 

I installed 2 LEDs.

Here's  the final product:

and how it appears on the layout...trolley stop feeds the train station.  And yes, you can see that the Ghostbusters just arrived at the hotel...

Got the layout ready for an open house on Sunday.

ToledoEd posted:

I finished installing lights on a station platform I ordered at York.  Jim Robinson, Bridgeboss did a super  job building it. 

I installed 2 LEDs.

Here's  the final product:

and how it appears on the layout...trolley stop feeds the train station.  And yes, you can see that the Ghostbusters just arrived at the hotel...

What buildings did you use in your picture? 

This project had it's up and downs and almost got dumped 

Now I can finish the passenger platform from old walkway foot lights     

Took up the one track to curve it more toward the front of the table. Cork is down and if the glue is dry later tonight I can get paint on it and put the track down. Waiting for that I'll start measuring pieces to make the table frame in front of it. Pics................Paul

Darn I hate senior moments. Hit the wrong button again........I did that this morning when I sent a happy anniversary message to a friend and ended up sending it three times in a row. I really hate computers............Paul

Looks good Paul, what are you going to put where the track was?

MIKE G, I will be laying down plaster and ground foam in that spot......Paul