What did you do on your layout today?

I made a short video a couple of years ago that I am trying to load as a test. A PRR decapod with a short haul.

Lee, congratulation on the next article! You do have a great looking layout!

Paul, things are looking wonderful in the mountain area and the small area you planted today! I like the track layout for your grain area! Cant wait to see it come alive!

Candydancer, great looking train set! I had never seen one like that before! Very Nice

briansilvermustang posted:

                                                 to bad I had to go back...

                                                        was just getting started....

                                                time flies when you're having fun !!!

Brian, there is always time after dinner! Before movie and Ice cream time!~

pennsynut posted:

I made a short video a couple of years ago that I am trying to load as a test. A PRR decapod with a short haul.

Who made the decapod with the short haul tender? And when?

modeltrainparts:  MTH #20-3254-1, December 2006, engine number 4557.  I had ERR installed and reed switch and magnets for 4 chuffs. All my PRR steamers are my favorites, but this is really a neat proportioned loco and it runs and pulls very well.  I bought it lightly used.

decoynh posted:

Mike Wyatt posted:

I added a cemetery to my church building scene.

Mike - I'm planning to do a cemetery next to my church.  Did you make your own monuments or buy ready made?  Any pictures?

The kit I used is:

http://valleymodeltrains.com/c...ndex.php?cPath=1_593

I bought a postwar Lionel Work Caboose to go with my Lionel Crane Car at a train show Sunday- in a box marked: "Your Choice- $3.00".  The caboose body had a hole in the roof, and a broken off roof extension- so last night- I disassembled the Work Car, then primed the diecast chassis. 

Next, my not-in-very-good condition 6257 SP Caboose gave up it's life for the Work Car.  Cut the cab just ahead of the cupola, cut the Work Caboose cab to get the door end- and merged the two.  Next step is filing, sanding and painting, then lighting. 

Finally I need to clean up the Work Car trucks - right now they are rusty and do not turn freely. I might have to replace.  Then a repaint.

I plan to have a three-car consist- Crane Car- Flatcar- Work Car, pulled by a re-lettered NW-2 Switcher.

pennsynut posted:

I made a short video a couple of years ago that I am trying to load as a test. A PRR decapod with a short haul.

Very nice loco!

RSJB18 posted:

pennsynut posted:

I made a short video a couple of years ago that I am trying to load as a test. A PRR decapod with a short haul.

Very nice loco!

I'll just piggyback Bob in agreeing with his assessment.  Very nice!

Mike Wyatt posted:

I bought a postwar Lionel Work Caboose to go with my Lionel Crane Car at a train show Sunday- in a box marked: "Your Choice- $3.00".  The caboose body had a hole in the roof, and a broken off roof extension- so last night- I disassembled the Work Car, then primed the diecast chassis. 

Next, my not-in-very-good condition 6257 SP Caboose gave up it's life for the Work Car.  Cut the cab just ahead of the cupola, cut the Work Caboose cab to get the door end- and merged the two.  Next step is filing, sanding and painting, then lighting. 

Finally I need to clean up the Work Car trucks - right now they are rusty and do not turn freely. I might have to replace.  Then a repaint.

I plan to have a three-car consist- Crane Car- Flatcar- Work Car, pulled by a re-lettered NW-2 Switcher.

Mike, that sounds like a good project!  Please send us a photograph when complete.

Mike that sure sounds like a nice project! Would love to see some pictures when your done!

Pennsynut, nice little video, thanks for sharing it with us!

Mike Wyatt posted:

decoynh posted:

Mike Wyatt posted:

I added a cemetery to my church building scene.

Mike - I'm planning to do a cemetery next to my church.  Did you make your own monuments or buy ready made?  Any pictures?

The kit I used is:

 

http://valleymodeltrains.com/c...ndex.php?cPath=1_593

Thanks Mike.  I'll look into it.

I've been a little all over the place lately.  Recently I was able to get another uncoupler installed in the yard and got quite a bit of ballast done in that area.  Stocked up on ballast also, so I can do quite a bit more. 

Did a little more ballast in this area and some minor landscaping.  This was more of an experiment than anything.  Thinking about putting some type of campsite here, or maybe some hippies doing what hippies do.  I'm also leaning back towards staining the fascia boards.  I have a good supply of dark stain, and it would be easier to keep clean.  I have a hard time working too long in one area. 

Finally installed the power switch to the layout.  Previously it was plugged into a wall outlet.  That was outlet was moved and an separate power supply was added for just the layout from the main panel. It would have been a lot easier to do this before the layout!  Lesson learned......Also I have been doing a lot of cleaning up my wiring, and setting it up to install a control panel.  Its not getting any easier crawling under the layout, and I'm only 41

I seem to have figured out a plan for the shelf/playroom side area of the layout.  Its going to have a construction theme, using much of my son's die cast Cat equipment.  We will see how that goes.  The artistic side of this is not my specialty.

A lot of progress is being posted lately so I thought I would add in.   I have reached the long overdue summit of my mountain.   I am in the process of creating the illusion of a taconite processing plant, in HO scale, to sit on the summit.   Mountain Iron, (name of a town not an actual mountain), Minnesota, has a taconite processing plant and this will be its name sake.   I model the DM&IR railroad and they hauled iron ore in the past and now mainly taconite.   Taconite is an enriched iron pellet made from iron concentrate and bentonite clay.  The results of the processing is a hard round marble sized ball called taconite and it goes directly into the furnace to process steel.   The DM&IR (now owned by CN) hauls taconite to the shipping ports on Lake Superior.

The mountain top is constructed exclusively of styrofoam and it will remain portable throughout construction as I need to move it into the garage now and then for messy work and ease of access for construction.   At one time, I  model in HO so I have ample track and switches and currently have the blessings of my son-in-law to display his collection of ore cars until he gets around to building his layout.

This past summer I have taken a number of photo of plants in northern Minnesota. Not finding many suitable structures available in HO scale, I have had to scratch build several pieces.   I am currently working on the  buildings and cladding them with styrene panels. 

So this is my pictorial update on my progress so far:

This photo shows the layout of the Northshore Mining Taconite plant in Silver Bay, MN

My photo collection

Rough stage of summit and plant mock-up

HO equipment on loan from my son-in-law

Garage work space

Mountain base

Plant building skeletons

Styrene cladding almost complete plus addition of some suitable kits

Waiting for the arrival of more Evergreen steel siding

Added some rock moldings and filled in with Sculptamold modeling compound

Base paint added to rock moldings but not detailed at this point

Hopefully more progress to come in the new year. 

Happy Holidays to All and may your stockings be stuffed with trains!

Dave

                  looks GREAT Darlander, very nice scene !!!   awesome idea

                         had to do some laundry at lunch today...         really...

Darlander, Great project. I like that the scene is based on prototype information. Looks like you made real progress so far. Thanks for posting.

briansilvermustang posted:

                  looks GREAT Darlander, very nice scene !!!   awesome idea

Thanks!  Do you have a layout drawing that you could share in a post.   Would love to see the big picture of what you are doing.  

Dave

Pennywise11788 posted:

paul 2 posted:

Thanks Bob ( RSJB18 ) I try to vary the trees. PENNYWISE 11788, The trees with wire bottoms I glue. The ones that have the tree material all the way down I am able to stick them in the hole without too much problem. The ones that are I glue them. Tonight I started laying out track on the last table I made. Basically it is going to be a grain silo complex but still not sure if I am going to add a building to make it a cereal plant maybe. And to do the track I have to order a few more Ross switches. Stopping there I went back and added some small trees that to me sort of look like scrub trees. I saw them in the Scenic Express catalog and thought I would give them a try. So I am probably done for the night unless the wife can find some sports to watch. Pics.............Paul

Looking good I sometimes I feel like I want the whole US of A modeled on my layout but one thing for sure I do want a mtn range and yours is killer 

Paul, do you have a drawing or sketch of your complete layout plan that you can share in a post?   Would like to see how all the parts fit together.  What you are doing looks great!  Thanks, Dave

Put a speaker by the MTH radio station.. 

So somewhere in another thread, a comment by someone gave me the idea that when I eventually raise my table (to accomodate my growing children) that I should use the "lower level" to run a subway system. So back to the store to grab a few 1x4's to build a platform that will rest on the 2x4's that make up the table so when the time comes, I can lift the 1x4 frame which the display will rest upon, and add a 8" (or so) platform which will house the subway.

While I was at it, I started figuring on wiring, so I went to Amazon and grabbed a bunch of T-Tap quick splice connectors, along with the proper spade connectors to attach my feeder wires to the FasTrack. I'm going with 14 gauge wiring for the bus, and 16 gauge for the feeders. For a 4x8 layout, that's probably overkill, but it's impossible to find anything under 16 gauge at Home Depot, so ...

That sounds fine, Deuce!!

Darlander, great pictures and idea!

Brian, why don't you tell the truth, you had to play with the trains and thought while you were there you would do laundry! Lol

                                        O K,  so I didn't do any laundry...

Dave, I basically do not have a real track plan. I sort of started in one corner and have worked my way around the basement. I will try to put it down on paper later as to what I have done and what I hope to do. There are also spots I will be making over. I worked a bit on the layout this afternoon for a while. I had a luncheon to go to but the weather headed me back home. Suppose to go out tonight but that is sort of iffy right now with the snow. I went back to where I started the layout. I had added a table extension so I could have two reefers at the Sauerkraut factory. After I laid down the cork I put a building behind it to see how it will look. Then I took up the switch I had there. Decided that I did not have enough yard lead to switch the yard on the other side of the wall. I will be ripping up the cork to redo the area. Pics..........Paul

The A&M will be running "Pajama Trains"  through Christmas,  so I decided to leave my trains up and run 'em for the kids... 

But first, sunset over Springdale!   

My audio theater group does live sound effects.  Here, we see some Razorback Traction Co. rolling stock simulating train sounds.. 

On with the Santy Claus stuffs!  ;-) 

Picked up two 072 switches and installed them on the floor layout so I could run the, then sitting vacant, Erie passenger set on the same track as the Burlington passenger set.  The neighborhood kids like the extra 'complexity' versus just running each train on their own track.

Finished painting, re-assembling and installing LED lights in three engines.

Headlights in engine and tender, lighted green marker lights in engine, 'running board' lights, fire box light and cab light and, when appropriate, red marker lights in the tender.

I'm surprised the Lionel and MTH don't add the 'running board' lights to steam engines: how do they expect the engineer to see where to oil without a light!

GN S-2 4-8-4

Burlington O-5 and O-5B 4-8-4

Painted the ramp last night tested the look real quick, have some finishing to do make a curb or railing..

Ran my only steamer, DL&W 18003, under the Christmas tree. It seemed to respond well to it's 1st lube job in 10 years.   Had to turn off the Sound of Steam, the dogs were complaining ! 

                                            a pair of helpers pull into the yard...

                                           couple on to their morning train...         

            the freight train pulls out on it's eastbound run, while a passenger train....

                                 gets ready to pull out on it's westbound run...

trestleking posted:

Ran my only steamer, DL&W 18003, under the Christmas tree. It seemed to respond well to it's 1st lube job in 10 years.   Had to turn off the Sound of Steam, the dogs were complaining ! 

Congratulations!  I can't run trains under the tree at all.  Even if it has no sound, the little dog barks, then waits for it to come around front and nudges the engine off the track every time.  She must think she is ridding the house of a pest!  

Mark Boyce posted:

I can't run trains under the tree at all.  Even if it has no sound, the little dog barks, then waits for it to come around front and nudges the engine off the track every time.  She must think she is ridding the house of a pest!  

Must be conspiring with Norma Bates Kitteh!   

Mitch

Nice pictures Brian, I am happy to see your having fun!

Mark I know what you mean, I cant even have a car sitting on the floor or it will be eaten by this!

Ah ha, Mike!  Yes that looks like a canine who would eat a car!  Pass the salt please!!

Here's ours!

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

I can't run trains under the tree at all.  Even if it has no sound, the little dog barks, then waits for it to come around front and nudges the engine off the track every time.  She must think she is ridding the house of a pest!  

Must be conspiring with Norma Bates Kitteh!   

Mitch

Quite right, Mitch!  Annie (short for Little Orphan Annie - someone dropped her off near our house) loves to bark at the trains every time I run them.

                                my past train buddy, "LACY"...really miss her...

Great pictures guys! See I knew it wasn't just Norma Bates that messes with trains! LOL

Home railroad mascots are awesome

 "My" 2 dogs were abondonded by a renting border here  (at least "the devil" took one of 3 when he left. 340lbs of dogs minus 60lbs, so I still have 280lbs of dogs that aren't even mine..... I'm that sucker   I love dogs, but have had enough issues taking care of myself the last decade. ...Ever try to rehome a giant breed? Not easy, and irresponsible to let them go to just anyone. Nice and lovey or not, it is a very large ANIMAL, therefore a danger too..

  The only time I've been truly upset with them for long is when they messed with trees and wood loads looking for a new texture to chew on.

  Other than "Puppy" (140lb Bandogg) sneaking onto the layout to investigate this summer, they steer clear. They will just watch or curl up and sleep knowing I won't be very entertaining again till the trains stop.

  Last night I set up 15 feet of carpet track in my bedroom for the trolley to bump and go on for one night. They tiptoed over and around it all night, more annoyed it's near their rear legs when standing at the extra food &water than anything.

   I'd like to think "No, that's mine" trained them well, but I have to wonder if a wet nose to the 12v-ish ac lines isn't the real reason they avoid my toys 

    Hey, Brian, I kinda miss it already, 'cause it's like "home"( since the dogs moved in anyhow ) , but don't think the dusting of the stock hasn't been noticed   "Oh my, shiny objects!"

My wife wonders if the first owners wanted rid of ours because she wasn't housebroken.  The vet said she was about 8 months old when we got her.  The old dog we had actually trained her.  She watched him, and even though he was almost blind he followed the same path up the hill to the bush, then turn left and right to get back to the door.  Now he has been gone 6 years, and she usually still follows the same path through the yard back.

Mark Boyce posted:

My wife wonders if the first owners wanted rid of ours because she wasn't housebroken.  The vet said she was about 8 months old when we got her.  The old dog we had actually trained her.  She watched him, and even though he was almost blind he followed the same path up the hill to the bush, then turn left and right to get back to the door.  Now he has been gone 6 years, and she usually still follows the same path through the yard back.

We have had similar success with the older dog training a new pup or younger dog.  Our black Lab, Tess, housebroke our new 8 week old yellow Lab, Hannah with never an accident in the house.  Tess & Hannah were still with us when we brought home our current only dog, Gracie, a Bagel.  They must lay down the law.  We used to have a tiny cowbell hanging on a string on the door to go out.  Hannah was the designated bell ringer. when she rang the bell they all went out to do their business.  Now that the Labs have gone to the "rainbow bridge", 12 year old Gracie licks my hand when it's time to go out.  

Train related:  With Christmas and New Years coming up, there will be a lot of overtime here in NH unloading the BEER & ALE reefers and 20' Trailers for the Holy Grail Brewery & Pub and The Old Mystic Depot Restaurant.  Time is of the essence because next will be reefers with Sausage, Ham, Vegetables & Dairy coming to town.  Busy time of year!