What did you do on your layout today?

paul 2 posted:

GANDYDANCER, with the area you have to work with you are utilizing it to the max without overcrowding things together making for a good scene. Today I actually did a little work on the layout. I have been trying to clean off the table tops but it is a slow process because it is hard to find storage space under tables that are already full of stuff. This afternoon I took the two city backdrops I had done and taped them top the backdrop. The one I scribbed the back so it would fit into the curve of the corner better. I hope to fill in in front of them with more building flats which I hope to get at York this week. Pics................Paul

Paul, I too am going to use backdrops to obscure the furnace and pipes. I hope to have them finished in several weeks. Thanks for the compliment.

RSJB18 posted:

Had some friends over for dinner yesterday. The husband lost all of his trains in a divorce years ago. Took them down to see the layout and ran the trains for a while before they left. If you could have seen the look on his face....priceless

Mike G- a 1' wide gravel border around the foundation will help reduce the splash and keep the siding cleaner. Looks like the overhang on the roof should protect the walls pretty good too.  I have a 25 year old shed with T-111 siding and its still in good shape.

My wife’s grandfather put the shed on a bed of slag from the mill 50 years ago when they built the house.  It has held up well with the cross braces sinking maybe an inch or two over time.  After we moved here my wife put earth on top of the slag and planted flowers when I didn’t know it.  That’s when my problem started!!  LOL

Today, I made new tender headlight covers for the locomotives, replacing the styrene ones I never liked. The real ones were sheet metal, put in place at the start of WW2 when they were all repainted to basic black.

They look so much better in thin brass than they ever did in plastic.

Lee, goes to show you can always improve something. Nice job. Does make a big difference. Last night I started applying ground turf to areas around the bridge abutments and streams. Still have more to add. Pics.....Paul

          looking GREAT Paul !!! 

Lee, That is the great thing, a layout and existing fleet is never done!!  Great idea to add the shroud!

Paul, Your backdrop buildings look good!  I really like what you are doing with the stream banks!

Lee, you see details most would miss. The improvements you make sure make a difference of not only what your change, but in the whole layout ! Nicely done!

Paul2, the ground cover is looking wonderful! Just like Lee's project what your doing is bring out more and more of your layout! The streams are coming alive with color, it really helps it stand out and where you put them on the bridge abutments gives it a finished look! Great work!

Thanks Mark, Mike and Brian. This was my first attempt at doing water. I am going to do another water area but this one I am going to do better. I found a photo of what I want to do as to the water............Paul

     nmp's...

                    a couple more water shots Paul, with rough water flowing...

                        # 2419 on it's way to rescue a down subway train...

                           coupled up and ready to haul it back for repairs...

briansilvermustang posted:

 

     nmp's...

                    a couple more water shots Paul, with rough water flowing...

Simply Amazing!!!!

Finished the auto ramp! Hope the new owner will like it!

   I'm SURE he will Mike  !!     really like mine...

paul 2 posted:

Lee, goes to show you can always improve something. Nice job. Does make a big difference. Last night I started applying ground turf to areas around the bridge abutments and streams. Still have more to add. Pics.....Paul

                Paul, maybe a little bit of rubbish along the stream banks...

   nmp...

Brian, that sure looks realistic, but the EPA is going to get after you!  LOL

Lee, goes to show you can always improve something. Nice job.

Thanks, Paul. I love the work on the stream you worked on, it's looking great!

Lee, That is the great thing, a layout and existing fleet is never done!!  Great idea to add the shroud!

Thanks, Mark! I'm at a stage where I'm going back and looking over the small details. I'm really having fun with this part!

Lee, you see details most would miss. The improvements you make sure make a difference of not only what your change, but in the whole layout ! Nicely done!

Thanks much, Mike! This is the part I was always looking forward to, getting to the little details like this.

                     a couple CSX  running light at day break back to the yard...

Waiting for the dryer to stop I started adding some bushes and small evergreens to one side. Not sure how much more I will be doing. I have to run a few errands and start getting ready to head for York on Wednesday. Few pics.....Paul

       looking great Paul !  who makes them auto racks, pretty neat, like them...

Brian, those auto racks are from Menards................Paul

thanks Paul...

paul 2 posted:

Lee, goes to show you can always improve something. Nice job. Does make a big difference. Last night I started applying ground turf to areas around the bridge abutments and streams. Still have more to add. Pics.....Paul

Very nice Paul.  Time to look for terrain floor tile and a camouflaged vacuum cleaner & tool box. 

Brian, great night pictures!

Paul, the trees and ground cover it bring your layout to life! Wonderful work and have a great time at York!

Matt, you have the eagle eye! And Mark said I was good at picking things out! LOL

Hello All;

        Attached are photos of our layout which we have just started. Much of the fundamental benchwork is in place and we have started to lay track. Our layout is 40'x50' and will be a walk through style with the lowest level of track being on the floor and working its way up. Our plan is to be able to run 50 to 75 trains at one time as this will be accomplished with computer control. I will post more pictures as we make progress.

Thanks;

idea-thinker

Wow, Idea-thinker!  That is massive!!  Yes I’ll look forward to seeing more!

Great start on a huge layout! But I have to ask when you say we, is that you and your kids or is going to be a club layout?

Looks like Elliot has competition. 

I was not clear when I stated "we". That is my My Wife and me. I am getting close to retirement and want to get a head start on retiring.

Thanks;

idea-thinker 

idea-thinker posted:

Hello All;

        Attached are photos of our layout which we have just started. Much of the fundamental benchwork is in place and we have started to lay track. Our layout is 40'x50' and will be a walk through style with the lowest level of track being on the floor and working its way up. Our plan is to be able to run 50 to 75 trains at one time as this will be accomplished with computer control. I will post more pictures as we make progress.

Thanks;

idea-thinker

Holy cow...!

Mike

I’m getting close to retirement too, but my room is only 11’ 6” x 11’ 4”.  The rate I am going, you will be fully operational before me!  LOL. You can see it in the link in my signature line.

I forgot to mention, as my dad used to say when he was still active; I have two helpers, The Holy Spirit and Ben Gay!

idea-thinker posted:

I was not clear when I stated "we". That is my My Wife and me. I am getting close to retirement and want to get a head start on retiring.

Thanks;

idea-thinker 

That's quite the undertaking you and your wife are doing! More Power to you and I cant wait to see more!

Wow, IDEA-THINKER, Great idea, Great Layout Beginning, looks like this will be a fantastic empire, fun to watch, even more fun to run.  You and your wife make a great team. Thank you.

My little 4x8 fold-up, post-war basement layout is going modular to be displayed at Metca's (TCA) semi-annual swap meet, so yesterday I (oh-so-painfully) sawed it into four sections.  Although the original panels' track plans will remain the same, I will be able to insert additional modules between them for the shows.  I just wish I had a bigger basement (sigh).  My next step is to replace the old tubular track with a bunch of K-Line's "Super K" shadow rail I've been acquiring.

LoadMaster posted:

idea-thinker posted:

Hello All;

        Attached are photos of our layout which we have just started. Much of the fundamental benchwork is in place and we have started to lay track. Our layout is 40'x50' and will be a walk through style with the lowest level of track being on the floor and working its way up. Our plan is to be able to run 50 to 75 trains at one time as this will be accomplished with computer control. I will post more pictures as we make progress.

Thanks;

idea-thinker

Holy cow...!

Mike

THAT'S AN UNDERSTATEMENT!!!!! 

idea-thinker posted:

Our layout is 40'x50' and will be a walk through style with the lowest level of track being on the floor and working its way up. Our plan is to be able to run 50 to 75 trains at one time as this will be accomplished with computer control.

Briansilvermustang I don't think the engineer would want to be "Trading Places" with the motorman.

I have started rebuilding and refurbishing an Athearn sd50 to a weathered (kind of) SD40E. It will be NS 6330 when completed. Final work includes: finish rewiring the locomotive, add LEDs, Finish decals, grease it, and get a decoder for it. If it is a successful rebuild, I may build a few more in the future as I cannot find the real SD40Es from athearn for decent prices where as I can get SD50s for Okay prices.

                           cleaned some track...

                                                                             and ran some trains...

Great pictures Brian! It sure looks like you had more fun running trains then cleaning track! I am sure glad that door opens out or it would be a PIA to rig something up to swing the track in with the door!