What did you do on your layout today?

I am going to take the route of selling for parts now and later look for a replacement, which will probably be a postwar model versus the later issued 6-14004.

Actually it is going to be high school.  I am going to paint one team my high school colors and the other the high school team that I coached.  Still don't know who I am going to have winning on the scoreboard.  The chain link fence will have some local advertising banners on it.  The left field wall will not actually be a chain link fence but will back up to a city wall.  I got this idea from a team we played when I was in high school and the left field wall backed up to a business.  They had a painted line on it and if it hit above the line it was a homerun. 

On my layout I re-worked the track plan yet again.....the only fixed feature is a stub ended terminal that is Corry, Pa. I keep tweaking to get the maximum possible run on the line; the line to Columbus is pretty much planned out as it is a shelf-around the wall; the line from Corry -Fairgrounds-North Corry is what keeps getting modified.

just ordered 45lbs of ballast from brennan (grey)

might need more??

all ready to ballast, track bed down and track down,  no surprises or problems so far

Bryan in have Ohio i'd make it a tie score with bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th then you would have a bit of suspense in the game. anyway ball field looks great!!!

Bryan, the ball field is looking good. Your layout is coming together great...Paul

I wish I had the space for a ball field AND  roundhouse/turntable but that won't happen. ran trains and experimentd more on smoke fluid. Works good.

Learned that my 042 loop was in fact 041 or so.  MTH spine cars kept derailing as one specific place.  Pulled loop and amazingly discovered a slight kink inwards to match up with the turnout.  Now I need to find some flex track to open this up a bit.  

The norm in the rest of the modeling world, is to measure track from the halfway point between rails, center to center on diameter. But manufacturers, especially in O, have often deviated from that over the years. Even within the same brand, deviations exist.  

Not the layout but train related. 

I started to repaint my sons bedroom.  He turns 5 next week and wants a big boys train room.  I will be using Lionel track as a chair rail, my photos all around the room along with some drawn prints by other people.  He will be getting a chair that the back is a RR crossing sign, and even a lamp with a base filled with coal. 

I will post images when it is done.  

Today I went to one of those big box stores and purchased a new Barbecue Grill.

Tonight is Ladies Night Out, so I am home alone.

Out of the “Man Cave” & watching MLB -  Houston Astros @ Detroit Tigers

The Train Room is waiting for a back order, from Glen Snyder Display Systems.

Cooking Hot Dogs……… Click photo to enlarge.

I got my Lionel sub station finished 100% It now is my boilerhouse for my roundhouse. Inside are two Wilesco toy steam engine boilers which look pretty good through the windows of the building. Lights inside and an amber glow from the fireboxes of the boilers. A Lionel Industrial smokestack sits outside as the chimney for the boilerhouse.

I started the straightaway on the shelf portion of the line, starting Mile 5, Scott Crossing Road south of US 6 near Columbus, Pa.

Hi folks--  Well, the "Trolley Yard" is built pretty much.  Photo shows misc freight cars taking up space there at present.  Two of the storage tracks are dummies. They don't connect to other tracks.  I tried, but 022 switches take up too much room.  So, Suzie suggested we store the trolleys on them and lift off the ones we want to run.  Cool!

The mainline crossing of the trolley leads near the interlocking tower utilizes a 22.5 deg x-over and two 45-deg x-overs..   More to come !

KRK

I installed a cylindrical tank that lies crosswise under the smokebox on the pilot plate

of #60.  Not sure what this is...an air tank?  I redid the roof of the cab, a set-back, as

I did not like the looks of the model filler I had used to reshape it.  Inching slowly

closer.  Decided not to paint the smokebox the later gray (graphite), and used to

black as in the original builder's photo.

I got to play with plaster cloth again in these photos its an optical illusion the track is not that steep or even close to that steep I pull 12 cars up the incline with no issues with a single engine. the only engine that has an issue is a MTh rail king f3 with a dummy b and dummy a and 7 cars it will probably make it if I add weight

Ah, line poles.  Brings joy to a traction fan's heart...

Nifty looking design!  I look forward to seeing the yard stuffed with trolleys...  

I'm awaiting a couple more Bachmann G scale trolleys from eBay, and mulling over ideas for building overhead wire supports for my G scale loop...

Mitch

This looks great!

 Have you considered a Lionel transfer table?!?

Even constructing a small prototypically hand pushed turntable? It would be much easier that a large one. You likely would need no outer edge table support. Many used for trolleys got turned by hand. Here is a post with a video from TMack (at the bottom)

Say!  Here's an idea.  Since you're using O27 for the loop, why not use 1022 switches instead? 

O27 track in green, O in blue. 

(Note:  As a bonus, you can use the anti-derail feature in the 1022 switches to kill power to the spurs, leaving them as dead storage until desired.)

Whaddaya think?

Mitch

Oh, and here's a link to an article I wrote on modelling some real life trolley prototypes using O27 track:

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/t...olley-layout-designs

Enjoy! 

I finished up track and wiring on the last two 80 inch straight modules.

Next step is to clear the deck and set it all up for a serious test run.

I didn't realize you were that deep into light traction Mitch.

Detroit had a very extensive history with street cars.

 During the "other" turn of the century it had more coverage than any other city.

They couldn't run enough of them to keep up with demand.

Street maps and traction maps don't differ greatly

Here is some history if your bored. Start with the left menu & "horse car era"

By the way, the switch change, nice solution!

Thankee!  And thanks for the link.  Most interesting! 

Mitch

Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, I finished up my "SCROUNGE" P-51 consist!

First, I drilled pilot holes in the flatcar to mount the former Scout gondola ends using the truck kingpin holes:

The gondola ends were screwed into place using recycled screws from the donor MTH bump and go trolley:

Meanwhile, the flatcar stakes were epoxied into place on the former AEC disposal car:

In the best "SCROUNGE" tradition, I used wire from a burned out Lionel 44 tonner motor as tiedowns:

Here's the wing, securely trussed into place:

And the final consist, ready to roll!

Mitch

well yesterday I posted some pics of an area on my lower level where I had built a bridge (scrap box) and and plastered up a hill side. well today I decided to finish that area off a little. that was after I went to my daughters graduation.

Finally retrieved my LGB steam loco, a 2-4-0  with sound, I ran it around m outdoor layout for awhile. Ran good once I switched the power pack to G gauge. Duh !!  The engine is like new but is, probably 15 yeas old at last. Maybe 18-20. I had a Bachman Shay and a Climax but they are too heavy on my gravel ballasted outdoor track.

Solved a pesky derailment issue on one of the cured ends as the train comes out of a tunnel. Turns out is was a bad track.

Technically this was yesterday, but its still in progress. I started to repaint my Lionel "Hersey's Kisses" reefer. It was a Christmas gift a few years ago from my cousin, she likes candy/sweet things. I never really liked it so I'm making the sides white, the doors red, and the walkway on the roof a light blue. When finished, it will say "FH&J RR---Quality Fishing Roods Inc."

Today I am wiring my layout.  Tomorrow, no work on the layout.  I am attending a small town Memorial Day Parade to thank all the men and women who have protected our country and our freedoms since our wonderful country was founded.  A very special blessing to all those who have given their life doing so, the MIA's and a very special blessing to the families and friends they left behind.

Maybe our remembering these heroes with great respect makes what they did and are doing a little more meaningful to them.

I am an old fashioned patriotic American and proud of it!!!!

God Bless America and all of it's heroes past and present.

Jim Lawson

Ive never picked up a Bachmann in G. How much do they weigh?

God Bless you Jim! United States Navy 1968-1972

Adriatic- I don't have the Bachman Shay and Climax any more but they were heavy and clumsy to handle. They aren't weatherproof like the LGBs so they had to come in the house. They were a pain to get the wheels on the track, too. I have to work on a couple of switches to try to get them leveled and smoother. Last year I ballasted the track with lime sand from a landscaper/friend near me and that is nice. Dump it on the track, lift the track to let it fall through, then even and smooth it out. It hardens after it gets wet and helps hold the track it lace but easy to break loose if you have to. It would be fun to use limesand as ballast with stainless track like Gargraves and make an outdoor O gauge loop or two. Like a narrow gauge line.

Well, my Heavy Hauler trolley weighs in at about 2 pounds, 4 ounces if that's any help...

Mitch

Hi, Thanks all.

Mitch, Small, but that at least gives me a clue. Light compared to a PW GG-1, or Hudson. I think my heaviest O was a GG-1 at 7.5 or 8 pounds.

Jims post got me outside and running my New Bright junker.

  I mostly spent the time between posts re-laying the ballast.

That mole had another party to go to last night, and he seems to have found a favorite route under my porch & walkway, across my garden, and then two more yards before he dives deep. Total that's about a 300ft tunnel overnight.

 At least my lawn isn't getting lumpy like theirs is. 

That mole had another party to go to last night, and he seems to have found a favorite route under my porch & walkway, across my garden, and then two more yards before he dives deep. Total that's about a 300ft tunnel overnight.

You're going to have to start putting up signage! 

Mitch

I'm back. I stacked my train shelves....no, I'll start again.

  In true rail-baron fashion, I ordered my train shelves be stacked by my roomies before they went fishing.

 I did it just to see if I liked it this way too

 I will also give them orders to un-stack them promptly when they return.

Mitch, I think I might need brail for the mole. But these varmints are new to me.

What if its a baby ground hog? Now we are talking G scale subways in the future 

He would think the sign didn't even apply to him and get all bent

Will he move on with his partying lifestyle eventually?

Do you think if I talked calmly it would listen to reason?    

Or will I have to get nasty and shop for an extermination kit.

Anyone have an idea?

She is going to breed and multiply- my $$ is on the mole.  Dragged out all my G gauge cars in to the sunlight  today. Have 3 log cars but they need a few repairs. Ran my O gauge layout and tomorrow I change out some rolling stock and engines.

back to work on my layout I did what we all dread under the table wiring the layout not easy when you are doing it all alone but I got all my buildings lit and my last siding done I still have the street lights 4 sets of crossing gates to install and continue to work on the signal system and computer control system and then I can work on more scenery   

Between yard work and a couple of short trips this is the first time I have been able to do something on the layout in a good number of days. I am working on the final corner underneath the upper mainlines. This time instead of doing just one piece I decided to do three separate sections. I got the last one glued together today. Hope to start plaster wrapping them today. Some pics. On the dark side I forgot to turn the flash back on..................Paul

After finishing my test stand more than a week ago I had to order a few more roller parts from Bachruss in order to test the stand completely.

Finally got to try it today and ...it actually worked as planned.

No fires, no shorts and no crashes.

Larry

Still having fun

Test stand looks great! Terry

I'm taking a breather from mowing, so I will write what I did yesterday.  If someone had told me at any time over the 40 plus years of HO and N modeling that I would one day build a layout using indoor outdoor carpet as a scenery and track base I would never had believed it.  That is what I did yesterday.  The FasTrack was just too noisy to suit my tastes on the WS ground cover sheet.  I pulled everything up and put down a remnant I got at Lowes a couple of weeks ago.  I have both track loops and yard down, hooked them up to the TIU and did a test run.  It is quieter.  This will do on my temporary layout, until I gain the 12x12 room in a couple of years and build a more realistically sceniced hi rail layout.  We went to the Memorial Day parade and service this morning, and will be having a picnic this evening so I will get some photos up at a later date.

Well back to the old lawn mower for now.  Please remember those who served and died to make America free!!

I started the simple control stand for my "Simplicity in 6x8" layout.

 My old ZW and Type V tranformers

The top of the panel is 18 " off the floor. Perfect height for sitting on the sofa.

Plenty of leg room.

I have a ton of Atlas on/off switches that you can gang together.  They will be used to turn on and off accessories and lights.  

Coal Bin.

Got the plaster wrap on my three sections. I'll let it dry and tomorrow I'll apply the plaster. Pics ..................Paul

Larry Sr, Great test stand! Would like to know more. I could sure use one.

Wally

Ran my indoor layout-put a PW Am.Flyer engine with 3 nice passenger cars and ran that for awhile. It was nice outside so took some pictures of the outdoor layout, it is the Saxonburg, Connoquenessing, Zelienople and Pacific RR with Doyle Lewis as president. Cleaned and repaired my  log bunk cars and put them in service. Can run 5 different kinds of trains.  Worked on the ballast some more, just fine tuning things. Might ut another siding in for car storage.

Yesterday I finished testing all the very lightweight modules.

Hay Wally

This is the original post I made about it. Titled :

My new Locomotive Running Stands Bench

Search it for the information.

If I can help you at all my e-mail is in my pro file.

Jim

Cleaned up the BEER cans and took pictures..........Priceless!!

Been there Done that!!!!!

Larry

Did a test spray out of the Chas. Wood Texas Special 2245 red paint using the insides of the shells; just waiting for it to dry so I can inspect the application before spraying the exteriors.

Will shoot the passenger cars for the GN Empire Builder this evening for a second time having thinned the Scalecoat I orange too much on initial application.

Getting very proficient at cleaning my Badger single action airbrush.

Jim,

Your outdoor layout sure has a Butler County name if I ever heard of one.  I did not know you ran trains outdoors until recently.  I would like to see your pictures some day! Maybe I should name my layout the Mars, Valencia, and Butler, for places I have lived and my wife's and my high schools.  It is a thought...

Snagged some 3/8" dowels for future G scale overhead poles at Lowes.  

Mitch

Just got done exercising my older MTH PRR E8's and pax set.   They haven't seen rails in a couple years. A little oil and grease, and off they went.

 I like the way my trains look on my "Weathered" Fastrack.

Larry Sr- I went back a few pages but couldn't find your test bench. I went to your profile but couldn't open to your email. Help! How do I locate your original posting? Thanks.

Wally

Click Here

Mark

You can still do scenery with the indoor out door carpet and it doesn't look that bad in the first pic that is scenery and where the 4 trees are is indoor out door carpet.  which you can see in the second pic

now what did I doo on the layout in the past 2 days well not much yesterday. and today I cleaned the train room it really needed it also threw out a bunch of bits a pieces I was tired of them laying around. I'll probably need one for the bit and pieces next Friday why do I say Friday cause garbage day is Thursday . but oh well it needed straightened up and cleaned up . I ran trains both bays non stop tho different ones steam and diesel fixed another traction tire on the challenger then ran it. I cut out a hole in the lower level to be able to get to a hard to reach area . I always had the plan to cut it out but never did until today. we are now calling the Bella Hole for my granddaughter to pop up and watch trains I just don't know what to do with the space. any ideas would be appreciated.   these are photos doing 360 degrees from inside the hole and a shot from outside the hole and then the challenger smoking up a storm all day. I swear I went through a half bottle of smoke fluid between all the engines today.

John,

Thank you.  I have seen your modeling and that of others combining other scenic material with the carpet for very nice results.  You are doing a great job.  My guess is I will just get the buildings and temporary roads set out over the summer, then come fall start trying my hand at some other scenic effects.  Thank you.

Can't wait to see it.  this time around I skipped the indoor out door not because I couldn't make it work but with the quiet brace and ballast the track I really quieter. I am really having fun with the layout this time just start up the 2 engines and let tehm run while I work on the layout. I feel like a road crew dodging traffic some times. 

Am almost ready to put this loco back together.  Today was doing some final trim

painting and touch-up.  The running chassis was not touched.  A complete new pilot

with "cowcatcher" was soldered together out of brass and a severly modified O scale

"cowcatcher", but that, and a fabricated pilot truck will screw right into the front

holes for mounting the boiler casting.  Maybe, unless I find more "re-do's", that should

complete this model of GW #60, except for decals.

Next project:  finding the smallest driver diameter chassis I can, hopefully an 0-4-0,

that I can remove the rear driver pair from, and power a steam coach with .

It was suppose to be a rain day but no rain. So I pretended it was raining and got the plaster on. I had to do this in the garage because It have room on the layout. So hopefully the plaster will be dry tomorrow and I can colors the rocks. Some pics.......Paul

did a retaining wall and tested out changing the color of fastrack .

Put the boiler back on the chassis, this was trial and error as wires were moved around.  Tried it on a test track, and...it still ran!  Surprise!  This with the new pilot

truck.  Did a little paint touch-up and started to install decals:  the first a Great

Western white diamond with a black "60" on it under the modified cab window.  More

decals tomorrow, Dull Cote, and then..I have to find a tender, as this loco came

available because I wanted the tender as a "standard" Vanderbilt for one of my home

road's engines.  The Williams 4-6-0's tender looks close, but it is crude with cast on handrails, etc.  The 4-6-0 will be a home road loco so could get a Vanderbilt, if the internal parts would fit.  Guess a search is in order.

Took delivery of two more Bachmann Big Hauler G-gauge trolleys to-day, and tested 'em out on the layout.

I'm probably going to take a leaf from prototype practice and put the working motor truck from the open car into the red trolley, as the open car has clearance issues with its car-length steps smacking into the layout's frame (to be fair, the layout was built with a small mining train in mind, so...).

Other upcoming to-dos: Stain the ties and frame, add ground cover and ballast, and, eventually, operating overhead...

Mitch

(Obligatory O scale content:  An On30 Bachmann car next to its somewhat larger cousin!)

Today, I ran all ten trains (and even the trolley co-operated,) the first time since Christmas. Even my wife came down into the basement trainroom to join me once she heard the whistles howling, esp. the Lionel scale steam Erie locomotive #3315.

I turned one train on at a time, each traversing its separate loop, enjoying the lines and movement of each train individually; then, I enjoyed the collective, wonderful cacophony the whole shebang made, smoke and sounds everywhere, uniting the entire experience. I enjoyed taking note of the various details I had included, here and there, in this creative expression I have allowed myself since 1995. I reveled in the fact and fun of it all. I am 71 and grateful I have been able to let myself play.

I walked around and around the room feeling a great satisfaction at the whole experience of having built and crafted the layout, at possessing it, and of having shared it with so many friends and family.

And I looked forward to the good times ahead.

FrankM.

Exquisite layout!  <3

Mitch

Thanks very much, Mitch!

FrankM.

Nice !!   I couldn't handle 10 at one time !!  5 is an overload for me but, I know what you mean by standing there and watching. I do the same thing and feel myself relaxing.  Cleaned all my track yesterday and redid a curve that had been bothering me. Put in two 054 pieces to ease the curve. If I had to do over again I would have started with much wider curves than I did -031s. Have replaced most all of that now.

John,

The weathered FasTrack looks great!

Frank,

the photos of your layout are great!  You have done a wonderful job!  Thank you for sharing with us and all the encouragement you give us!

Beautiful looking layout.

Well this morning with plaster dry I added the washes. But one of the old sayings is just one more please. So I had pink board left over so I opted to make a small cliff for the fourth corner between upper and lower mainlines. I already had done rock work in front but as an after thought I decided to make up a small piece to go behind it. Pics of the finished cliffs and the new one started. I hope to at least plaster it later this afternoon. So while plaster wrap is drying  I guess I will get the grass cutting out of the way. Here is a few pics......................Paul

If I had not seen the process explained by you, I would have thought I was looking at rockface here (!!!!!) Are you sure you're not a stonemason? It even looks hard to the touch. And heavy ! Wow.

FrankM

Nope not a stonemason Frank but thank you for the compliment. I myself never would of thought I could do this. But if you don't try something new you will never know or learn. It has been fun doing these projects...........Paul

 after seeing this I noticed I need more trees so I ordered a bunch from scenic express

Re-wiring for the 3td time, looks better each time.

Brent

Hi All

Very nice work Paul,  jhainer and Mitch. Oh My 10 trains That's got to be a site.

For several years after Christmas holidays I hunt for all those cheap ridiculous looking trees all the stores want to get rid of.

Here is a few I did today  to try and make them blend in with my more expensive store bought trees.

Believe  it or not they turn out pretty respectable  when you sneak them into the forest. This is the second batch of about 50 this year. I have hundreds of trees on my small layout and I still need many more.

I dip the whole tree into a 50/50 glue water mixture then roll them around in all kinds of different colors. Messy but it works.

After drying for a couple of hours I spray them with a quick coat of scenic cement.

Larry

Still Having fun

Larry that's cool I have a few of them I pull the ceramic base off tho . they look much better the way you did them I didn't do to much made an order with scenic express for 124 trees and a 6 pack of ground cover. then finished up one of the WWII airplane loads painted the car and cradle. then I started the third level on the right side of the layout since my 60 inch bridge should be here soon it was suppose to ship on the 23rd from here in Ga so shipping shouldn't be more than a few days. problem is in this area I have so many switches that i'm not sure how to lay it out with portals.

Tonight I finished #60 for the Great Western, a Consolidation modified from a Lionel

conventional 0-8-0, by applying the decals.  I thought I could use a tender from an MTH 4-6-0 for it. but it is too tall and wrong shape.  Somewhere around here, could not find tonight, I have an MTH 2-6-0, but that tender may be the same as that for the 4-6-0.  The 0-8-0's, now 2-8-0, tender was a Vanderbilt, and it will go behind something lettered for my fictitious short line, the Denver and Front Range, which has a standard of Vanderbilt tenders and side door cabooses.   (I hope I don't have to scratch built a tender, but I don't remember one from mfrs. with this low profile).  Will search again tomorrow.

I ran trains, all day nearly.  A LOT.  Six locos in five trains with 60 rolling stock distributed among them on three track loops, and on my 'Streets, seven cars, two buses, and three tractor-trailers, and two boats on the lake.  Movement everywhere.  It was splendid, if noisy, and for once, everything worked just as it should and no thing gave me any problems.  

Started early this morning and got the color on the last cliff. Once it has had a chance to dry I'll take them all up to the layout and put them in place. I still have a bit of pink board left so who is to say I don't find another area to add to. For now though I got some mulching to do and then later run some trains as my reward. A couple of pics of the last cliff done.......................Paul

Last night I finished hooking up auxillary power to ten turnouts.  I think all the track wiring is complete.  Next on the wiring list is a couple light towers, two crossing gates with an ITAD and a signal with a ITAD.  After that I will look at building placement.

Bravo, Frank! You have a spectacular layout that, obviously, brings joy to you and all who are fortunate enough to see it. You should be proud of it. I wish you MANY more years of railroading.

Beautiful layout!

(Musing on creating 'passes' for visitors). Fixed a backdrop made up of blue plastic banquet tablecloth that covers fluffy pink insulation on the basement wall and hangs from the ceiling (floor joists). A staple occasionally comes loose or a cat inadvertently (deliberately?) rips it. 

some of what I did today wasn't working on the layout I ordered a new engine an MTH RailKing Evolution Hybrid then I got an e-mail my bridge shipped and yesterday I ordered from scenic express a bunch of stuff so I should have some nice boxes in the next few days. so after all of that I went up and figured I would try to figure out the right corner of the layout it was going to be too many tunnel portals to deal with so how else do I get it to work well I removed 2 switches since I already had another way to travel. the switches were not needed. so here is what I came up with

Ectually, I use the cheap ridiculous trees as is:

Ironically, that IS a Lionel Christmas tree car that I picked up cheap on eBay...

http://www.tandem-associates.c...ns_6826_flat_car.htm

Mitch

My sincere thanks to:

56F100; Mitch; CaliforniaRailFan508; Adriatic; Paul/Matt;

AXP889; rboatertoo; Spence; Bryan in Ohio; Pingman; Paul2; Pat Kn; Larry Sr.; Harry'sTrains; Steamer; trainroomgary; gandydancer1950; Garrett76...

...for the much appreciated "Likes" you sent me about my layout photos posted on this thread concerning my running trains as what I did on my layout recently.

And sincere thanks to:

Mitch; John/WP; Mark Boyce; Spence; gandydancer1950; Randy Harrison...

for your very generous comments about my layout on this thread.

FrankM.

love to see a diagram of your track plan!

I am working on the "shelf" portion of the layout, adding a substation at Scotts Crossing Road that is cobbled together out of Wiseman and DPM offerings. Not yet completed (and it is getting a foundation) but you get the idea...

Moonson - Your layout looks absolutely fabulous!!!!  Thanks for sharing the photos!  Most inspirational!!!   I also loved the way you wrote about today's experience of running trains.  As I read your words they reminded of a symphony orchestra performing Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring ( and it is still spring   which begins with a solo bassoon ( one train running ) and steadily builds into a driving rhythmic explosion of polyphonic energy ( all trains running with whistles and bells, locomotive sounds, et all ).

I too am grateful for being able to express my creativity through the art of model railroading.  I love sharing the hobby with fellow hobbyists  and especially love sharing it with kids.  

I look forward to hearing more about your experiences Moonson and seeing more of your layout photos.  May the years ahead bring you much joy!!!!

A very profound analogy, trump train!  

Its been a while since I've posted any progress of my railroad on this thread.  I've been busy with home improvements and a heavy work schedule .... which has left me little time for trains.

One of my home improvements was to have insulation blown into my attic, brining the attic insulation up to code.  This meant clearing out the entire attic which also meant clearing out all of my train boxes.  ( whew!! lot of boxes !! ) Since the access to the attic is a pull down door in the ceiling of my train room,  I temporarily stored the boxes on top of my layout, where they sat for over a month.   Just last weekend I was able to get the boxes back into their new storage area. Now I can run trains again... which I did!!!  Last Sunday,   the kids next door came over with their dad and we ran trains for quite a while and had BIG FUN!!!  They are totally into trains and I started them with their own layout a few years ago.

I hope to get to some more layout work this weekend.

I'm just happy Moonman & Trumptrain are "up and running".

I finally ordered and quickly received a Sinclair rotating sign and Sinclair HC window sign from Miller Engineering. They look great and are going on the layout this weekend! Terry

Well, just this evening, I was laying more track and had occasion to use my multi-meter (VOM) to check for SHORTS.  Sure enough, on the secondary mainline going across the Hellgate Bridge, there is a nasty short between the center rail and ground.

So tomorrow morning, I have to tear things apart and see what is causing it.  Good thing I have not tried to power up as yet !

KRK

Simplicity is beauty!  I like your layout Escaperocks!

I like the way your trains look on your weathered Fasttrack also!!!!  Great job!!!!!!!