What did you do on your layout today?

Bob, LOL We don't even have leaf pick up here, you just throw them over the hill! But I bet if you took them down by the track they would blow away!

LEE, I am sorry to hear that you will not be posting here anymore, do to others! Your past post sure have showed some great work and nice videos! I hope you will reconsider!

Paul, glad to hear you had a good morning with the guys! Plus you got some nice items yesterday! Sounds like a good day all around!

Ted, nice job on the LED's! Looks great!

Brian, doesn't snow mean more train time!

So yesterday I was able to finish one of the 080 ramps going up to the second level loop! I was hopping to work on the other end yesterday, but got called into the store to fix some things, didn't get done till late last night so just stayed at the apartment at the store. I hope to get out to work in the train room today. Oh and a friend brought me over a small gift, some coins from BNSF/ Santa Fe Oregon Division. They show the 3 major railroad bridges in that area. Here are some picture till later.

mike g. posted:

Bob, LOL We don't even have leaf pick up here, you just throw them over the hill! But I bet if you took them down by the track they would blow away!

LEE, I am sorry to hear that you will not be posting here anymore, do to others! Your past post sure have showed some great work and nice videos! I hope you will reconsider!

Paul, glad to hear you had a good morning with the guys! Plus you got some nice items yesterday! Sounds like a good day all around!

Ted, nice job on the LED's! Looks great!

Brian, doesn't snow mean more train time!

Mike and others 

I will still post here and other threads like SWSAT I’m just going to be more  selective where I post anymore but I will still be right here posting on this thread and other great theads we all here seem to follow so Mike I’m here to stay. 

Mike,

Love that long incline ramp!

Pat, Sounds like a good day for sure.

Bob, What?  No snow!  What leaves we have are mixed with snow.  I also haven't started with my Dad's, but like Mike said at least there, I can just blow them around the house and shop, and the wind will take them over the hill. 

LEE, That is a bummer about your truck posts.  I like what you have been doing, and hope you keep pasting!!

Paul, I was glad to see you again, and meet your sidekick, Bryan in Ohio, and everyone else who attended.  Folks, the Ohio guys welcomed this old Pennsylvanian first rate.  

Ted, the LEDs really helped an already nice display!

Mike, Your layout table is looking great!  That's some nice coins. 

Brian, Wow, That little model really does move the snow!!  

I did some work on the Christmas layout a couple of times without posting any photographs.  I know.. I ask everyone's forgiveness! 

So here is what I came up with which looks somewhat what Briansilvermustang suggested last week.  Piers made of plastic porch spindles, Masonite, wood screws, cardboard boxes, Styrofoam, and double sided very sticky carpet tape.  I just placed a few random buildings that were sitting nearby to get an idea how it looks.  I think it isn't bad.  I should be able to fit a lot of Mrs. B's buildings on this layout.  Both tracks have been checked out for clearance, electrical continuity, and structural soundness.  

Long time lurker on this thread! I finally moved some tables into place in our new, old, basement. Still have a long way to go. The biggest challenge is going to be getting around furnace curve.  I get the impression that 100 years ago basements weren't considered places of entertainment! I plopped a few trains in place to feel out the space.  I'm hoping to at least have a loop going before the end of the year.

Olivercliffs, I'm glad you posted a photograph of your train tables.  Yes, I built an HO layout in my parent's basement when I was in high school.  The house was built in 1888.  Great-grandpa was a sharp fellow as all stories go, but even he wasn't thinking about electric toy trains back then.  I had to cover the layout with a sheet of plastic every time I was finished with it because of the dirt.  Log joists still in place 130 years later!

Please keep us posted of progress!!!

Mark Boyce posted:

I did some work on the Christmas layout a couple of times without posting any photographs.  I know.. I ask everyone's forgiveness! 

So here is what I came up with which looks somewhat what Briansilvermustang suggested last week.  Piers made of plastic porch spindles, Masonite, wood screws, cardboard boxes, Styrofoam, and double sided very sticky carpet tape.  I just placed a few random buildings that were sitting nearby to get an idea how it looks.  I think it isn't bad.  I should be able to fit a lot of Mrs. B's buildings on this layout.  Both tracks have been checked out for clearance, electrical continuity, and structural soundness.  

Looks good Mark. Is the tunnel where Mt Brian will be?  Don’t forget to plan corner real estate for your wife’s buildings too. The phone booth is a good start. LOL. 

Thank you, Matt!  Yes, the tunnel goes through Mt. Brian!!  She just got the phone booth a couple days ago at the thrift store.  Actually, I need to find a corner lot for me.  She will take all the rest!  

Mark,

Looks good!  I really like that structure in the back.  That should give you extra room for buildings.

Overcliffs:  I just posted this AM that us train guys can overcome many issues, including furnace curves....

This is further away, but, oil tank is center, lowered central vacuum unit is right.  You'll figure the furnace thing out.

Jerry

Lee, that is great news that your still going to be around!

Jerry, Thanks it was all Daves planning, I just build the stuff! LOL

Mark, I am glad you had a good time yesterday at the breakfast and didn't fall asleep! LOL The Christmas layout is looking GREAT!

Olivercliffis, Looks like you have a good start, just keep going! Jerry is right, you will find away! Everyone dose sooner or later!

I went out to the train room, and instead of starting the other ramp down, I finished the end where the train will someday go out the window. Then I did a little work on the other end, but I have to get the lower track laid before I can build the upper level over it, so that will have to wait for now. Sorry no pictures!

Thank you, Jerry and Mike!!

John, thanksfor the feedback on the bench drill. Going to go look at it tomorrow.

Mike, the pics show you are making good progress.

Mark, layout is brining out the Christmas spirit.

OLIVERCLIFFS.............good start. No more lurking. keep postiong your progress.

Well today I was suppose to start wiring cars up. But I asked the wife if she wanted to take an afternoon trip to the Firelands show in Mansfield Ohio. said let me tun in and we can go to Cheddars, nice restaurant, after. Of course she never says no LOL. Most of the time I don't find anything but this time I found a few older vehicles for 5 and 10 dollars apiece. Now I will do some wiring. Pics.................Paul

Thank you, Paul!  Those are nice vehicles!!

Thank you, John!  Your track looks great!

For the first time in almost a year, ran trains! 

Looks great Mo!

Great buy Paul! They sure will look nice on your layout!

John, you sure do some great things with track, wonderful work! I think I could do something like that I just don't have the attention span! LOL

WOO HOO Look at you Mo! 2 trains on the same track at the same time! You do man! One day I will be in that club! LOL

Did a massive  amount of renovating, running and showng the trains to others today. Had great fun and a great day, but am now exhausted. Will tell you all about it here during the next couple of days.

Until then, "Happy Trains to you, until we meet again." Arnold

Drilled holes under structures for eventual lighting wires.

In the meantime, I took these...

briansilvermustang posted:

 

 

 

 

 

 

OLD SCHOOL in Rutland, VT!  Those whitewalls and that nice clean engine won't stay that way today.  Usually at this time of year we say "Winter Is Coming", now it's "WINTER IS HERE!  SNOW SHOWERS TODAY & 3-6" TOMORROW........ Brought out the RUTLAND Snow Plow & Cabin Car for the snow removal crew.  We weren't ready last week.

Mo985 posted:

For the first time in almost a year, ran trains! 

That is just great!

jgtrh62 posted:

Mark your Christmas layout is coming together nicely, looks great! It’s taken on a completely diffent look than the pics from even a couple days ago.

Today was Thanksgiving Dinner round 1 so didn’t get to much done due to Turkey OD, but did manage to mess around with laying out the second crossover.

Looking good, John! The right of way obviously passed through an abandoned Pepto-Bismol mine.😆

Menard City is coming along. Just waiting for a few more switches  for the yard and then relocate  more buildings 

Lee, Great pictures once again!

Matt that is one cool looking snow plow and matching cabin car! Can you imagine the ride in one of those at high speeds!

Bob, WOW! That sure is quite the undertaking! I sure hope the city bought more land for expansion so you wont have to do this again anytime in the near future!

Dad (Bob), pretty good size expansion. But somehow I do not think it is just to move your buildings around it is for the new buildings coming from Menards that you know about. 

Lee, great pics. Once you get the lighting in they are going to be some very good night scenes.

Mo, nice action video on your layout

Today I was greated with a package on the doorstep from the bay. I got another corn syrup tank car for my Pepsi Plant. Along with that I finished stripping the wires so I can now start to solder them together.. Pic...........Paul

jgtrh62 posted:

Very cool Mo, thanks for sharing!

Thanks guys! Ha Mike, I need to to take medication for my AD but still chase a lot of squirrels. 

LOL John, maybe if I took more meds I would stay more focused ! This morning I have to go out and hang Christmas lights on the house and then hope to get back in the train room to try and get the ramp on the west end of my layout done!

Guys your stuff is looking great as always 

Brian, Great B&W photographs!

Matt, yes I need to get my snowplow out as well.  Mine is a NYC that was bought by the Western Maryland, but never repainted. 

Mike, Well it is snowing here again, and I haven't gotten Dad's leaves blown over the hill yet, so no lights yet.  Stay safe on the ladders!!  

Paul, That is a great looking car.   Be watching for a personal message.

Thanks all for the kind words.

It had been so long, that I had forgotten that I had an engine in need of a new set of traction tires. The rear trucks kept derailing and I couldn't figure out why. The fist time it did it, it tripped the breaker on my power pack for track power. When I fired everything back up I kept getting an "engine not found" error on my controller. I tried everything I could think of and was about to give up; My switches and everything else were all lit up and everything. Then I remembered the circuit breaker on the side of the transformer.

After last night, I've got a whole new list of stuff to do, until I can find my old list!! haha!  

      " This morning have to go out and

                       hang Christmas lights on the house "

        be careful Mike !           layout is looking good

paul 2 posted:

Lee, great pics. Once you get the lighting in they are going to be some very good night scenes.

 

Thanks for the kind words (and to Mike as well)!

Electricity wasn't in the valley I model except along the main road through the WW2 years (it was another 4-5 years before the "Hollers" got power lines in them), so most structures with lighting will have lights that look like lanterns. The scenes will likely look more like this, though I won't be able to run much night ops as there won't be enough appreciable lights to run trains (nobody would be able to tell how the turnouts are aligned, for example).

Everyone is doing great stuff. Mike, Mark, Paul, Lee and Lee, Bob, Mo (welcome back), and John. If I missed anyone my apologies, Keep up the good work.

Me? none..... wound up out shopping all day yesterday. We were in a local housewares store that is going out of business and they were selling everything to the bare walls. I was looking for something I could fit under the layout for storage of cars and locos. When the CEO asked what I was looking for I broached the subject of the storage drawers I want to build.  Didn't get shot down so that's a big YES in my book. And I just cleaned up the garage so I could get the car in for winter. Guess it's gonna stay out a bit longer.

Bob

mike g. posted:

Lee, Great pictures once again!

Matt that is one cool looking snow plow and matching cabin car! Can you imagine the ride in one of those at high speeds!

Bob, WOW! That sure is quite the undertaking! I sure hope the city bought more land for expansion so you wont have to do this again anytime in the near future!

There’s an old wooden winged plow in a yard in the Ashland NH area I think. We saw it about 10 years ago when we were serious geocachers. Lyme disease ended that game for us. Those plows are huge, maybe 12’. High.   I can’t imagine the wooden ones going as fast as the modern ones in the Rockies. Some great videos on YouTube. 

Decided to push wiring back. Went to Harbor freight and bought the bench drill. It will do what I need it for. And for 58 dollars I figured I could not go too wrong. But now no more excuses. Soldering here I come. Pic.....Paul

paul 2 posted:

Decided to push wiring back. Went to Harbor freight and bought the bench drill. It will do what I need it for. And for 58 dollars I figured I could not go too wrong. But now no more excuses. Soldering here I come. Pic.....Paul

That's a great deal Paul. I had a full size drill press that I took from my wife's grandfather's house but I had no room for it so it was donated. I have a full carpenters shop on my campus so any major projects I'm doing the tools are a short drive away.

Enjoy the new toy.

Bob

I tested a new Erie E8AA passenger engine set #822 and 827 that arrived today.  They will run with the Erie FA-2 freight engines and an Erie Heavy Mikado.

I hope this 73MB video posts.  I have had difficulty in the past

John Rowlen

The video did not post properly.  The Nikon Coolpix L32 has never been able to post content that plays on my computer perfectly.  Sorry for the inconvenience. 

Sincerely, John Rowlen