What did you do on your layout today?

                             it turned out to be a nice day yesterday !!

Mike - You're welcome. My wife just bought me a bunch of "trash" cans to help me get organized. I think only one will be used for trash. The rest will be for material storage. I'll get that place whipped into shape over the summer. Your place is looking great, always fun to have a blank canvas. Good idea to have a switched outlet for layout power.

Mark - It's just a two car garage, but it does have a twelve foot ceiling. Part of what makes it look large is the fact that my wife was standing in the regular garage a half level above looking down. I designed the house for the railroad and its construction.

Bob - Yeah it is quite the pile, and there's even more inside where I've been keeping my chop saw. In addition to the cleaning of the shop, I'm going to be moving that saw and all of its scraps out there now that the heavy construction is done.

---------------------------------------------------

Been plugging away since last Friday.

I printed a bunch of images Google Earth, of Hiawatha.

As promised, Saturday I started building my mill wall. I started a topic explaining how I created this wall. Click HERE to check it out.

Here's the end product. There's a lot more to this ADM facility, but I have the space to give, so why not do it all the way?!

I glued another batch of pipes together on Sunday after finishing the wall.

I found a couple shelf brackets while cleaning the shop, so I put them to good use in the "scenery department". All the buckets down below are full of every flavor of Woodland Scenics

Yesterday was ballast day! In the morning I drove 45 minutes up to the quarry, and picked up six more bags, to replace the off color stuff. I sent my guy a picture of the layout showing the ballast. His reply was, "Way cool!!!".

The rest of the day was spent spreading and gluing over at Newport, as well as sifting more from one of the last two bags from the old batch. I'll probably get into the new stuff next week.

You can't really see it in this picture, because I covered it up with the ballast, I had to take the time to deal with the seams between the OSB and the roadbed, by caulking them. This prevents the glue and ballast from falling trough. That stuff just slows me down.

Tomorrow, I'll probably do my Menards run that I've held off on, waiting for the 11% sale to return. My shopping list has gotten pretty long.

Yes, I did think that the ceiling had to be extra high, and she was at a higher level than you.  So you can't park in your garage either.    I'm glad you got more of the ballast at the quarry.  The ballasting looks very good!

Thanks Mark. Yes, our cars are in the garage, just not that one. There's a three car on the level where she was standing. I call it a "split level garage". The third stall is where I stored the ballast bags, and a bunch of other junk. There's my old portable layout in there too. I really should try and sell or donate it, but my sentimental attachment is too great. It would be cool to see it used again, but it's too much work for me these days.

Thanks Elliot, I see things on your end of the world are looking good! The ballast is turning out very nice! I too also thought it was a huge shop from the angle of the picture! That's wonderful that you have so many garages! LOL

The wife parks in the garage all the time, I just park in there when it snows! LOL on the back of the garage is where my new train room is. The wife and I did some primer this afternoon, I guess its going to take 3 galloons not just 2! LOL No pictures as everyone has seen paint drying! 

Mike I know from experience that T111 sucks up paint like a sponge.  You shouldn’t have trouble with pealing paint.

Mark Boyce posted:

Mike I know from experience that T111 sucks up paint like a sponge.  You shouldn’t have trouble with pealing paint.

I know, I just hope it helps save on Paint, that's the spendy part!

mike g. posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

Mike I know from experience that T111 sucks up paint like a sponge.  You shouldn’t have trouble with pealing paint.

I know, I just hope it helps save on Paint, that's the spendy part!

Yes I know what you mean!’

STAIN,  GUYS, STAIN, NOT PAINT

Yes BD, That is what they say.  Paint seemed good to me 30 years ago!  I haven’t seen that garage since ‘93!  ;-)

you will use a lot less stain than paint on t111

beardog posted:

you will use a lot less stain than paint on t111

To late, we already started primer! 

Mike, you have put in some serious work on your addition. And found time to lay out a track plan. At least you could work with a track program. I never got the hang of any of them when I was doing my layouts. Mark, you too are getting there and on top of it all you got some added real estate. And Brian, it still amazes me that you have not repeated an engine yet. I have literally had no train time this past days. A day trip to western New York and more yard work have kept me from the good stuff. But I did manage to get out Tuesday with a few guys for an impromptu lunch. And one of the guys showed me his latest addition and once I saw it I knew I had to have it. Searched that night for one and found it on the BAY and got it today courtesy of Mr Brown. When it comes to Canadian Road names I can't resist. An MTH caboose in CN. English on one side and French on the other. Pics......Paul 

Neat car, Paul!

Now you're talking, Brian!  Great backdrop scene for a layout!

Starting to build more layout,  working on the 2' x 8' mine run module which has to be completed before I start the next 3' x 24' section.    Hope to post some photos later tonight once the hills and mountains are formed.   Fortunately my daughter is a talented painter and she painted the far hills on the backdrop behind the foreground scenery.  The sub road bed and 3% grade are done. 

Plans are to kitbash three buildings on the siding, for now the two side by side buildings (Sure Sweet Feeds and the Lionel Municipal building) are there for planning mock up purposes.  

Looking good Chris! I can see a lot of what your doing is what I will have to do behind my tracks! Quick question? What color of blue did you use for your sky! Once I get sheet rock up I plan on painting the whole room that color!

Greetings.... I've had ZERO train time lately  but hasn't stopped my paypal account from working overtime. Just added a really nice pair of NYC cabeese to the fleet.

Still been lurking around keeping tabs on everyone's great work.

Bob

Nice Bob! You and Paul must have the same paypal account! Seams to be endless! I bet you also have the same Mr. Brown driver!

Hey Mike,  I just went down to read the color name & code off the can, and unfortunately,  I moved the last 1.5 quarts out of gallon into glass jars......    Not thinking too clearly apparently, because I neglected to write down the color name and code on the jars.....    If I am at the hardware store this weekend, I'll try to have them read the color and give me a matching name....

I am going to need more now that I am building another 35 linear feet of layout along two walls.    

Thanks Chris, That would be GREAT!

Chris, the new work on the scenery looks great.  Your daughter did well.

Bob, Well now you have three more to choose from when you get more time to run trains.

Brian, Two more nice ones.

Well I got all ready to paint, and now it looks like rain! Thought I would eat and see what happens! LOL

Mike, it is raining here too.  We finally have similar weather!    I know conventional wisdom is to stain T111, but then you have to go back and do it again every few years.  If you paint it, you can forget it for some time.  Maybe I'm unconventional.    Anyway, you have passed the point of no return, so it is a moot point.  I'll look forward to seeing it completed!

Thanks Mark, I still hope to get out today to finish primer!

chris a posted:

Starting to build more layout,  working on the 2' x 8' mine run module which has to be completed before I start the next 3' x 24' section.    Hope to post some photos later tonight once the hills and mountains are formed.   Fortunately my daughter is a talented painter and she painted the far hills on the backdrop behind the foreground scenery.  The sub road bed and 3% grade are done. 

Plans are to kitbash three buildings on the siding, for now the two side by side buildings (Sure Sweet Feeds and the Lionel Municipal building) are there for planning mock up purposes.  

going to be an outstanding mining scene. Looking forward to seeing your progress!

Hi Cris A, I agree with Gandydancer. And I would add that the top photo in the array sets an entire tone that promises a beautiful, authentic vista in that whole area. I, too, am eager to see it all develop.

FRankM

Bob, nice score on the cabooses. Mike, hope you get your outside painting done but at least you have a layout plan going. Also Mike seeing you have X amount of space is there a possibility of an under the table yard for storing trains. Chris, you are making good headway. Even better when family works with you. It's going to tie in together real good. Brian, I like the backdrop with the waterfall. Where did you get that. It would work on the next module I am planning. Nothing on the layout again today. Too much yard work. Maybe tomorrow. We'll see. .............Paul

gandydancer1950 posted:

chris a posted:

Starting to build more layout,  working on the 2' x 8' mine run module which has to be completed before I start the next 3' x 24' section.    Hope to post some photos later tonight once the hills and mountains are formed.   Fortunately my daughter is a talented painter and she painted the far hills on the backdrop behind the foreground scenery.  The sub road bed and 3% grade are done. 

Plans are to kitbash three buildings on the siding, for now the two side by side buildings (Sure Sweet Feeds and the Lionel Municipal building) are there for planning mock up purposes.  

going to be an outstanding mining scene. Looking forward to seeing your progress!

Looks like a model railroading masterpiece is in the works.

Arnold

Thanks to all for the many kind compliments on the progress, and the "likes"

Had a really productive day.... Got the concrete road primed and glued down, then got the pink styrene forms in place, and ended up getting about 2/3 of it spray foamed and the low loft batting applied.... Waiting on some hydrocal castings which I glued to some pink styrene with Gorilla glue to dry so that I can finish the last 1/3 of the foreground mountains/hills on the left hand end...  I'd like to get these "assemblies", glued in place tonight so I can finish the spray foam and low loft batting tomorrow and start with painting the dark earth brown paint and applying dirt, grass, foliage etc.   I am using the same method that I did a youtube video on about 2 years ago...  virtually no plaster used other than the hydrocal cast rocks.  

Mike G:   The Glidden color names and codes that match the blue sky are:  

Glidden:     Clear Blue Sky -   B44,    color scanning computer also provided another really close Glidden color:   

Siesta Key Blue  B45U.....   They have paint sample chips of both these colors at the local Home Depot... Most background videos I watched over the years recommended buying the least expensive flat wall latex paint... Both these color samples are identical to what I used.  

Here are some photos of today's progress....

Thanks Chris! Also things are looking great, I have never seen the battening method before, really makes me want to try it!

paul 2 posted:

Bob, nice score on the cabooses. Mike, hope you get your outside painting done but at least you have a layout plan going. Also Mike seeing you have X amount of space is there a possibility of an under the table yard for storing trains. Chris, you are making good headway. Even better when family works with you. It's going to tie in together real good. Brian, I like the backdrop with the waterfall. Where did you get that. It would work on the next module I am planning. Nothing on the layout again today. Too much yard work. Maybe tomorrow. We'll see. .............Paul

Hi Paul, I was thinking I had to take down the shelves from my office per the boss, so I just might rehang them in the train room for cars not on the track!

Chris, I’ll say you got enough done!  Looks great!

Mike, no rain in my neck of the woods today.  

I replaced the traction tires on an engine and installed BCRs in a couple.  Have 8 engines done with 15 more to do.

Larry