Corvairs are great cars. I had my dad's 61 until my wife made me sell it. Then I bought a 65 two door with 30,000 original miles in 2003. Great car but I sold it to a guy who did a complete restoration and a show car.

chris a posted:

Lee,   it's looking great.... After using acrylic paint on my Lionel coaling tower, I weathered it some more with india ink diluted with alcohol... it helped bring out the wood grain even further.  You can try a test on a small area that's not visible on the vertical coal chute/elevator. 

Mark thanks for the kind words.   Hope you are doing well...

I had a productive day, got all ballast done on the new section of main line !!!  Boy it takes me a long time to do ballast...  Put the whole main line section in place and just finished running some trains down that section.  Really wanted to take the large B & O EM-1 articulated on this section and make sure I was clearing the cinder & ashes on the incline.....   Everything clears, thank goodness.    Now I'll just have to blend the new cinder covered incline in with what I did a year ago as I am ballasting the main under the signal bridge...   Looking forward to completing the lower level and then adding the next 8 foot section. 

great progress!

Jim, that’s great about your Corvairs!

Hey Mark,   Thanks,  yes I purchased the EM-1 from Wil Allen's Duckunder Ry. after they "retired it"...    He had it completely upgraded to RS 5.0 by Mike Reagan, it's really really nice.     

Thanks GandyDancer !....  Pretty much working as much as I can on this expansion.  Now that I have committed to connecting the upper and lower levels, I am really motivated to try and get the benchwork and track done so i can run trains on the entire main line.... 

Once I get past this 8 foot section upper and lower level, it should move along as there are only 2  switches planned after that for industrial sidings, and the main while it will be on a 1.5% grade is just 2 tracks parallel.   

That sounds great that Will has it upgraded!

Chris, the section is looking good. Can't wait for the pics when it is tied into the back module. When do your how to classes start...............sign me up. 

York is over till April, already booked my room. This is what I picked up while there. Tomorrow I get back to the layout. The LED wiring kits are for the wife's passenger cars. Hopefully I will be getting a call to say they are done and I can go pick them up. 

Mark, I did wave as I went by your exit but then I hit the backup on 76. Wife and I left the house at 10:00 AM and did not get to the hotel in York till 1:15 AM. I can honestly say I have never been tied up in a traffic jam like that in my whole life.

Pics of what I picked up.................Paul

I think my sister's first car was a 66 Corvair. I drove that thing from Denver to Minneapolis, not a great trip.

Got a flat about 150 miles in, near Sterling, CO. Thinking ahead, I had packed a flashlight, because I started out in the evening. Got the flat changed, and it wouldn't start, dead battery. Ended up walking two miles, in the dark, down I-76, back to the last exit I had passed. As I was walking up the ramp, the lights in the gas station went out, it was 10 PM. Fortunately, at that very moment, I was able to flag down a sheriff's deputy coming down the ramp. Drove me back to the dead Corvair, and got me a tow, to the next town. Spent a good chunk of the next day waiting for parts.

I actually liked that car, it was fun to drive. I just had bad luck on that trip.

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

I didn't actually work ON the layout today, but one of my excuses over the last month and a half has been that I didn't have access to my tools, including my chop saw and table saw.

I looked back to see when the last time I took pictures was... August 28th. Because I needed to clean up for the convention, all the construction scraps and the chop saw, were moved from the basement, out to the shop. What a mess! Then in September, we drove down to Rochester, to attend an auction, where I bought an old Jet brand combination disc and belt sander. Anyway, the shop had become impassable.

Patrick to the rescue!!!  He was on fire today!

Seriously though, the morning was rather blustery with strong winds and intermittent snow showers. We started sifting through more than 20 years worth of cut up scraps, and lit the now infamous fire pit. I had been out there last week, and swept the area for nails, and thought I had gotten all of them. Patrick took a turn with the magnet, and came back with another pretty good batch. BTW, this was the first fire since the toe incident on May 19th.

That wind was actually rather helpful, kind of like the blower on a steam engine, giving us excellent draft, and keeping the fire going strong.

I took this picture just before lunch. Patrick had already cleared a small section of the south wall.

Toward the right, Patrick tied up all of my PVC grain elevator pipes. We found a piece of slat wall, and hung it. When we started, you couldn't even see the wall, let alone stand near it. Most of my big power tools are now neatly lining the wall, the way I had always imagined it.

This was a bitter / sweet moment. I didn't realize what I had just thrown in the fire.

Charlie doesn't use shipping labels like that anymore. That box was 30 years old if it was a day. Charlie has moved at least once, and I've moved four times since then.

There's a bit of a funny story here. In the center of the picture, there's an orange dustpan. We kept losing the black one in the mess, all afternoon. I joked we should paint it orange so we could find it easier. Patrick, discovered a can of Krylon Popsicle orange. It had a price tag from a home improvement store that has been out of business for 17 years, and the can was older than that. It has been in the unheated garage all that time. I pressed the tip, and some brown gunk came out, but I was persistent. Eventually, it actually started to spray orange, not perfectly of course but well enough, so Patrick painted it.

That is what you think it is to the left of the bandsaw, a switch stand.

Poor thing has been buried behind a pile of lumber since I built the house in 1999. There's a story of how I "adopted" it, but I'll save that for another time.

It's good to be back.

Elliot, making room for more stuff. Good to see a post from you. Hope all has been going well. Seems like a long time since you posted pics of work but sometimes it is all right to take a break from the long hours. Shirley and I are planning one more trip to go to the Menards show in July...............Paul

Thanks Paul. I'm hanging in there, the toe is doing OK, still slow but steady. Patrick and I were both having back trouble all day. Just think how much more we would have gotten done if that wasn't the case. One more day with Patrick in the shop, and we'll be set for the winter and some indoor projects. I may invest in a space heater so I can work on the mill buildings out there through the winter.

Looking forward to seeing you again. We might make it out your way before you get back here, though money has gotten a little tighter, so you might get here first. Picnic is on again, let's see if we can get a few more takers next time. Are you listening Bob?

lee drennen posted:

Wow thanks Bruce!!  but I was going for Early spring 1964 and that corvair is my favorite car on the layout I love corvairs! Thanks for the awesome comments you miss my Birthday by 2days it’s the 29th

I could get my post banished to purgatory if I continued with my affections for the Corvair.  I have never been without at least one real example since 1975 and currently own 3.  Many more of them in various scales.  A recent publication featuring new car shipment by rail had a fantastic pic of new '60's on their way to anxious dealers.

Happy Birthday in advance.

Bruce

Mark Boyce posted:

I would like to find a Corvair too.  A high school friend had on and it was a fun ride!

Ex wife had a ‘66 convertible!  Great fun until you have to put a thrown belt on in the winter (a Syracuse winter)!

Guys got this little strip done before I called it quits last night covered a lot of ground yesterday getting ready to add another’s 4x8 section to the layout soon 

I’m liking  the corvair stories the one in the pic is a Franklin Mint I finally won one off the “bay” last winter. Maybe I can catch that “Lee” guy who owns it going to lunch and get some better pics

Dogs, Cats, and Corvairs....OH MY!

As I was catching up this morning (got up to Mark's post of his dog), I hear cat # 2 at the back door letting me know in no uncertain terms that I'm late to open the door for breakfast. She let me have it when she came in. Our furry companions do keep life interesting. Lee that puppy is adorable.

A couple of my buddies had Corvairs, thought they were fire traps? You guys are right, they were cool cars.

Good to see you back in action Elliot. Did you roast any wieners on the fire? At least a marshmallow? Watch out for those nails. We have to replace our roof and siding in the Spring- not looking forward to the aftermath with nails, they seem to get everywhere.

Chris the new section looks great. The loco's do too.
Lee- very nice work. I see you sprinkle your ground cover right in the wet paint. Gonna try that next time

Paul- nice haul from York- after a 13 hour marathon I'd be shot. At least it wasn't in the middle of a blizzard.

Excuse me...now # 2 wants to go back out......later

RSJB18 posted:

Dogs, Cats, and Corvairs....OH MY!

As I was catching up this morning (got up to Mark's post of his dog), I hear cat # 2 at the back door letting me know in no uncertain terms that I'm late to open the door for breakfast. She let me have it when she came in. Our furry companions do keep life interesting. Lee that puppy is adorable.

A couple of my buddies had Corvairs, thought they were fire traps? You guys are right, they were cool cars.

Good to see you back in action Elliot. Did you roast any wieners on the fire? At least a marshmallow? Watch out for those nails. We have to replace our roof and siding in the Spring- not looking forward to the aftermath with nails, they seem to get everywhere.

Chris the new section looks great. The loco's do too.
Lee- very nice work. I see you sprinkle your ground cover right in the wet paint. Gonna try that next time

Paul- nice haul from York- after a 13 hour marathon I'd be shot. At least it wasn't in the middle of a blizzard.

Excuse me...now # 2 wants to go back out......later

Thanks Bob I’ve been doing  my landscaping that way since my HO days it holds a little better but you still need to spray it to set it. I use a mixture of 50/50 water and  Elmers glue to spray on top after it  dries. 

I do the same but paint holds it enough that when you spray the water it doesn't blow the cover away.

Any info on this train show in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Nov 25 would be appreciated.  My son lives in Canton so I could do 'two things' at once.

The 3 train shows I go to each year in the Cincinnati area are all NMRA run and always have lots of all scales available for sale plus layouts running.

thanks.

Their web site:

http://www.railsonwheels.com/

Today I get a bit working on the layout early. Have to do the laundry from York. So while I am doing that I am going to start installing the Gar graves connector blades to the lift out section.  And this will be a plus because the blades will make wiring up the crossing signals much easier. Pics later..............Paul

I figured there would of been some posts since my last one. At least I got the blades in all the tracks but I am still doing laundry LOL. So I decided since I couldn't drop in the lift out I would go solder some wires to the tracks. Well that didn't work. I spent 25 minutes looking for my solder I just bought and have not a clue what I did with it. I guess I might as well go to Menards and pick up more. I have no idea when I will find the other solder. Pics.......Paul

So after spending 30 minutes looking for the solder I bought a couple a weeks ago I ran to Lowes to get another roll. And this roll I am going to hang from the rafters so I see where I put it...........Paul

Did the 1 hour search for the soldering gun yesterday,Paul.  Snookums found it for me, exactly where I had left it last week.

Re: being unproductive last week.  After turning it over to he who only asks for my undivided attention, everything today fell right into my lap.  With a clearer head it was decided to use the KISS principal and leave a 2 rail loco 2 rail.  I took another shot at installing a decoder in it as well....which went off 100% successful.  Even the headlite, cab and rear marker wiring, an LED/Incandescent combo, worked as desired from the get go.  I'll fire off some pics of the ongoing project K4s this week, with side by side shots of another untouched example.

BTW, if you have never changed a Corvair fanbelt, your first time is gonna be a treat.  Doing it during a sub zero frrrrrrreeze is the thrill of a lifetime.  😈

Bruce

I added a new section to my 58 year old control panel to accommodate a Legacy Base, yesterday (I have been using the base for a couple of weeks now, with it sitting on a shelf).

This morning I installed the Legacy base on the new control panel, and modified the wiring so that, in addition to the base working with the DCS Wifi unit, TIU, and SER2, it is now connected to my TMCC command base-the goal being to be able to run TMCC from the Cab1 should I want to.  

Most of the time I will be controlling everything via the MTH Wifi Ap, but it is nice to have all of the options.

Work on a old Atlas “O” boxcar somebody custom painted and decaled in Santa Fe not a bad job but that orange door had to go so I hand painted it and added some Kadees. Also I painted and decaled a All Nations car in Lackawanna Phoebe Snow decals from Tichy. One busy productive weekend for me on the layout. Thanks for all the “likes” and comments here this week you guys give me the motivation I never had in HO scale. This “O” scale is so much better to work with and people I’m finding out are great. Thanks and have a wonderful week. Lee D.

Wow, I haven’t checked this in a day, and am overwhelmed.  Great work everyone!

Two highlights I would like to comment on:

Elliot, I’m glad you got back to the shop and Patrick did the heavy work!  My back has given me trouble the last two months, but is pretty good.  I twisted some lower back vertibae, but a few trips to the chiropractor got me going.  It must have been when I climbed up on my dad’s sun porch then pulled the ladder up to tie it of and get up on the house roof to do some patching.  All okay.  I hope I don’t have to go up there again.

Paul, thanks for waving!!  That was really a bummer about the accident and traffic.  That is the closest exit to me, but if I was heading to Ohio, I would take US 422 which is 2 miles from the house, eventually ending up on I-80.

I bought a little Lionel PRR 0-4-0 #94.  One of the side rods jammed, and it took a while to realize that was the problem.  Long story short, I got it adjusted, lubed, and keep fingers crossed, it is running nicely.  I am still thinking of relettering it for Western Maryland.

Mark Boyce posted:

Wow, I haven’t checked this in a day, and am overwhelmed.  Great work everyone!

Two highlights I would like to comment on:

Elliot, I’m glad you got back to the shop and Patrick did the heavy work!  My back has given me trouble the last two months, but is pretty good.  I twisted some lower back vertibae, but a few trips to the chiropractor got me going.  It must have been when I climbed up on my dad’s sun porch then pulled the ladder up to tie it of and get up on the house roof to do some patching.  All okay.  I hope I don’t have to go up there again.

Paul, thanks for waving!!  That was really a bummer about the accident and traffic.  That is the closest exit to me, but if I was heading to Ohio, I would take US 422 which is 2 miles from the house, eventually ending up on I-80.

I bought a little Lionel PRR 0-4-0 #94.  One of the side rods jammed, and it took a while to realize that was the problem.  Long story short, I got it adjusted, lubed, and keep fingers crossed, it is running nicely.  I am still thinking of relettering it for Western Maryland.

Mark, love that little switcher. From the wireless drawbar, looks like a legacy model. Love the tender to!!

Your town I really like. It looks old style PA and the way the buildings are placed, is great!!

Thanks Mark. I think I finally figured out why my back hurts, and it's train related. On Thursday, the guy who plows my driveway, stopped by to get his check for the impending winter. It's become an annual ritual for him to come downstairs, and see the trains. Obviously a lot had changed since last year. I started up the layout and was going to do a lap with the Empire Builder that I used for the convention last month. Unfortunately, I didn't get very far. It had been parked on the upper deck, heading back to the helix. It got down the first turn, when it stalled out. Frustrated, I hurried my way into the helix to rescue the train. My problem seems to be all muscle related, and not skeletal. It's just going to hurt for a few days.

As for the engine, I think the problem is just dirty wheels and / or rollers. It's siting on the workbench, but I need to get it cleaned up and running before Tuesday, because I have more visitors scheduled.

wrawroacx posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

Wow, I haven’t checked this in a day, and am overwhelmed.  Great work everyone!

Two highlights I would like to comment on:

Elliot, I’m glad you got back to the shop and Patrick did the heavy work!  My back has given me trouble the last two months, but is pretty good.  I twisted some lower back vertibae, but a few trips to the chiropractor got me going.  It must have been when I climbed up on my dad’s sun porch then pulled the ladder up to tie it of and get up on the house roof to do some patching.  All okay.  I hope I don’t have to go up there again.

Paul, thanks for waving!!  That was really a bummer about the accident and traffic.  That is the closest exit to me, but if I was heading to Ohio, I would take US 422 which is 2 miles from the house, eventually ending up on I-80.

I bought a little Lionel PRR 0-4-0 #94.  One of the side rods jammed, and it took a while to realize that was the problem.  Long story short, I got it adjusted, lubed, and keep fingers crossed, it is running nicely.  I am still thinking of relettering it for Western Maryland.

Mark, love that little switcher. From the wireless drawbar, looks like a legacy model. Love the tender to!!

Your town I really like. It looks old style PA and the way the buildings are placed, is great!!

Tom, Thank you!  The buildings are just set in place temporarily.  I move them around from time to time.  When I get building the new expanded Blackwater Canyon Line, I will have two towns, one at the top of the hill, and the other on the other side of the room at the bottom of the hill.  

Thank you about the 0-4-0.  I do like those tenders.  The switcher is actually conventional with Railsounds from 2012.  I was surprised it had the optical drawbar when I got it.  I got it at a really great price, with the idea of putting ERR in it, if it will fit.  Regardless, it moves nice and smoothly with conventional control.

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

Thanks Mark. I think I finally figured out why my back hurts, and it's train related. On Thursday, the guy who plows my driveway, stopped by to get his check for the impending winter. It's become an annual ritual for him to come downstairs, and see the trains. Obviously a lot had changed since last year. I started up the layout and was going to do a lap with the Empire Builder that I used for the convention last month. Unfortunately, I didn't get very far. It had been parked on the upper deck, heading back to the helix. It got down the first turn, when it stalled out. Frustrated, I hurried my way into the helix to rescue the train. My problem seems to be all muscle related, and not skeletal. It's just going to hurt for a few days.

As for the engine, I think the problem is just dirty wheels and / or rollers. It's siting on the workbench, but I need to get it cleaned up and running before Tuesday, because I have more visitors scheduled.

Elliot, The ducking, twisting, and turning, in a hurry will do it.  Actually I'm glad it seems to be muscular.  It can clear up, and we have to learn how to take it easier to not have the problems again!  Have fun Tuesday with the visitors!

Paul2, things sound like they are going well with the laundry! LOL I am glad you got your blades installed and had a nice drive to Menards! I am surprised you didn't pick up any train cars while you were there! LOL

Lee, the box cars are looking great! Keep up the great work!

Mark, that little switcher is a great addition to your fleet! The layout in the background is looking wonderful also!

Elliot, sorry about the stalled engine and your back! I sure hope both get better soon! Its really nice to see you back at it again!

I spent the last 2 days moving my mom and cleaning out her house with my younger brother! Loaded all her good stuff to go with here and after she was gone we started the house cleaning! If you have ever known someone who hoards that's my mom! We filled a 40 yard dumpster full to the top, and have to go back next Friday to finish when the next empty dumpster arrives! Man am I one soar old guy! I got home just to find that I had 286 emails and 90% were from here and 10% junk! LOL

Thank you, Mike!

My Dad was like that.  He had tools and materials that belonged to my grandfather and great grandfather.  We spent this summer on his shop building, garage, and basement.  The house is still pretty much the way it was, but there isn’t that much there other than household items and his fishing stuff.

Take it easy, rest up a bit!

chris a posted:

Lee,   it's looking great.... After using acrylic paint on my Lionel coaling tower, I weathered it some more with india ink diluted with alcohol... it helped bring out the wood grain even further.  You can try a test on a small area that's not visible on the vertical coal chute/elevator. 

Mark thanks for the kind words.   Hope you are doing well...

I had a productive day, got all ballast done on the new section of main line !!!  Boy it takes me a long time to do ballast...  Put the whole main line section in place and just finished running some trains down that section.  Really wanted to take the large B & O EM-1 articulated on this section and make sure I was clearing the cinder & ashes on the incline.....   Everything clears, thank goodness.    Now I'll just have to blend the new cinder covered incline in with what I did a year ago as I am ballasting the main under the signal bridge...   Looking forward to completing the lower level and then adding the next 8 foot section. 

Chris, all I can say is your work is amazing! they way you build things and tie them together ! One could never tell its an add on! Great work!

Mark, I have a week to rest up and just think about what's next in the train room build! I am thinking its time for more tops painted brown!

mike g. posted:

chris a posted:

Lee,   it's looking great.... After using acrylic paint on my Lionel coaling tower, I weathered it some more with india ink diluted with alcohol... it helped bring out the wood grain even further.  You can try a test on a small area that's not visible on the vertical coal chute/elevator. 

Mark thanks for the kind words.   Hope you are doing well...

I had a productive day, got all ballast done on the new section of main line !!!  Boy it takes me a long time to do ballast...  Put the whole main line section in place and just finished running some trains down that section.  Really wanted to take the large B & O EM-1 articulated on this section and make sure I was clearing the cinder & ashes on the incline.....   Everything clears, thank goodness.    Now I'll just have to blend the new cinder covered incline in with what I did a year ago as I am ballasting the main under the signal bridge...   Looking forward to completing the lower level and then adding the next 8 foot section. 

Chris, all I can say is your work is amazing! they way you build things and tie them together ! One could never tell its an add on! Great work!

Ditto!

Bruce - As I said b4, ex-wife’s ‘66 convertible was a nice looking little car, but seeing it go down the road in Syracuse was one of my happiest memories. Another happy memory was seeing my ex go down the road in 1980.  This Friday I’ll be celebrating 28 happy years with wife #2.  

decoynh posted:

 

BTW, if you have never changed a Corvair fanbelt, your first time is gonna be a treat.  Doing it during a sub zero frrrrrrreeze is the thrill of a lifetime.  😈

Bruce

 

Bruce - As I said b4, ex-wife’s ‘66 convertible was a nice looking little car, but seeing it go down the road in Syracuse was one of my happiest memories. Another happy memory was seeing my ex go down the road in 1980.  This Friday I’ll be celebrating 28 happy years with wife #2.  

LMAO!!!!!

Mark Boyce posted:

Wow, I haven’t checked this in a day, and am overwhelmed.  Great work everyone!

Two highlights I would like to comment on:

Elliot, I’m glad you got back to the shop and Patrick did the heavy work!  My back has given me trouble the last two months, but is pretty good.  I twisted some lower back vertibae, but a few trips to the chiropractor got me going.  It must have been when I climbed up on my dad’s sun porch then pulled the ladder up to tie it of and get up on the house roof to do some patching.  All okay.  I hope I don’t have to go up there again.

Paul, thanks for waving!!  That was really a bummer about the accident and traffic.  That is the closest exit to me, but if I was heading to Ohio, I would take US 422 which is 2 miles from the house, eventually ending up on I-80.

I bought a little Lionel PRR 0-4-0 #94.  One of the side rods jammed, and it took a while to realize that was the problem.  Long story short, I got it adjusted, lubed, and keep fingers crossed, it is running nicely.  I am still thinking of relettering it for Western Maryland.

One of my favorites Mark. Glad you found the problem and it was a simple fix.

Hard choice between PRR and WM. Just buy another one.....problem solved.

Bob

     HEY !!   where's mine ?! 

RSJB18 posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

Wow, I haven’t checked this in a day, and am overwhelmed.  Great work everyone!

Two highlights I would like to comment on:

Elliot, I’m glad you got back to the shop and Patrick did the heavy work!  My back has given me trouble the last two months, but is pretty good.  I twisted some lower back vertibae, but a few trips to the chiropractor got me going.  It must have been when I climbed up on my dad’s sun porch then pulled the ladder up to tie it of and get up on the house roof to do some patching.  All okay.  I hope I don’t have to go up there again.

Paul, thanks for waving!!  That was really a bummer about the accident and traffic.  That is the closest exit to me, but if I was heading to Ohio, I would take US 422 which is 2 miles from the house, eventually ending up on I-80.

I bought a little Lionel PRR 0-4-0 #94.  One of the side rods jammed, and it took a while to realize that was the problem.  Long story short, I got it adjusted, lubed, and keep fingers crossed, it is running nicely.  I am still thinking of relettering it for Western Maryland.

One of my favorites Mark. Glad you found the problem and it was a simple fix.

Hard choice between PRR and WM. Just buy another one.....problem solved.

Bob

Good point, Bob!  And at the price I got it for, even a tightwad like me could afford two!!! 

briansilvermustang posted:

 

 

 

 

Hey folks!  Now we know what Brian looks like!!  

Actually, if we could put a face on our inner selves, all of us would look something like that!  Me?  I'm the little blond haired boy looking in the window of the Menards Hobby Shop!