What did you do on your layout today?

Tracks are moving, but the trains are not. Went the wrong way! Foundation is finished and now the old shingle go on top of this and hauled out next week.

Dennis

The last couple of days have been spent laying track.

The two mains and the yard lead / reverse loop are now within about 20' of connecting.


As soon as the three tracks are completed, I'll start working on the yard.


I'm excited to get this triple track crossover connected. A couple more days.


 Patrick on Tuesday (at least that's the plan). Lots to do!

I got track resituated after screwing it down last night and realizing the big boy would jit the train on the adjacent track. Then worked on downtown Mattyville, moved a little backwards after realizing I needed to install a crossing gate on one of my street panels. I'm so glad I decided to make the whole town on remove able modules 2 feet by 3 to 4 feet. Makes working and servicing so much easier. 

 

these are photos from last month down main street

 

 

it's been a couple of days since my last update. the way I was going to connect the two levels worked but the clearance against the wall was way to tight. so I went back to SCARM and redid the incline. I went and bought a 3% grade from woodland scenic and here is the results not finished yet need to make my retaining walls. I also had to redo the shed and sidings. to make room.

 

I got a couple hours in today, and got 4 more sections of Gargraves down. In my last post I was wrong about how far I needed to go to connect to the crossover. It was exactly 4 sections!

 

As for Patrick, for the last 3 weeks he has picked Tuesday to come over, and for the last two he has had to change. Why was I not surprised when he needed to switch to Thursday?

 

The plan is to finish the last 8 pieces tomorrow, then wire and secure the crossover and other switches on Wednesday. Pics tomorrow.

Added some finishing touches to my trestle/lake/cliff area.

did very little tonight had storm roll through and we had no power for a little while.

Took a break from roads and started fooling with building my "imaginary" airport. What am I saying, everything in here is in my imagination.

I will be so happy when I'm done with this section of track. It is probably the most difficult to reach of any on the layout. It has the double whammy working against it, with its depth from the front of the lower level, and the lack of head space due to the soffit housing the duct work.

Add to that, the fact that I tweaked my back, and was almost unable to walk yesterday, and you can see why it has taken so long to do 9 pieces of Gargraves.


Once I get down to the crossover, conditions will improve, as the benchwork narrows, and I don't have to reach in as far.


I want to get this wrapped up tomorrow, while Patrick is working on other projects.

Not actually on the layout, but in the train room:

Finally solved my shelving problem.  The wall/ceiling of the train room is 12/12 pitch (45° to vertical).  Did a little welding in the shop downstairs.  

 

Each 4-shelf bracket is 72" long top to bottom.  Made of 1/8" x 1" strap steel.  Screwed into the rafters with big 4" star drives.  4 shelves, 35' long, lots of space now.  It was a little dark on the layout under the bottom shelf so added some light strips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only way to go!   I would be lost without mine.

The shelves look excellent.  Don't know if I would have thought of putting them on that slope.

hojack,

 

Beautiful job on those shelves. They look great.

Finished laying track, and getting the loop raised and level. Coming along, and really fun for a 4x8! Really looking forward to adding to the layout and expanding my fleet. Could really use a 990!

vacuumed up my mess and worked on a little more of the riser

Jhainer, what did you uses for your retaining wall?  I like the look.

Great idea on the shelfs, I could do that in the second floor room if I ever get it back from my son and his family living there.

There is light at the end of the tunnel!  I finally finished the "log" flume supports

(maybe shoulda made a smaller water wheel) and have begun the flume.

I was able to make a great purchase from a Forum member this past weekend of a Polar Express set 6-31960.  I ran it on the Carpet Central RR, since I have too many engines and cars clogging up the Ceiling Central RR and the Patio Central RR got rained out.  It really runs nice.  I want to buy the other cars, people, and animals as the time goes by.  Then I too can figure out how to put a beard on the fireman.  

Hello Guys.  Its been quite a few weeks since I have been in the garage working on the layout. I've been busy working in the yard doing projects that I have been working on for years .   And this year I will finally get them done since I feel 90% better. So this evening I decided to work in the garage. So this is what I did.

it's foam core with one side pealed off then I use a pen and draw the bricks on.

I do portals retaining walls all kinds of stuff. getting to the point I no longer need to measure.

Thanks I like the look.  I have plenty of areas that I will need retaining walls.  I'm planning to mix up the walls using different ideas.  

whats nice about it is you can draw anything to get the look you want I like the plain order like blocks so that's what I have done but you could do almost anything. all of these are made with either pink foam or foam core.

Today was a sad day, I packed up my cars and dismantled my train table. I'm moving and I don't know if there will be enough room for a layout at my new place. Any ideas for a compact layout in a small apartment. Maybe I can do some kind of shelf layout.

Shelf layout is the way to go.  You could do a small switching layout if you do not have enough room to do a loop for running.  

Ran out of LED's for the airport so ordered more. Then on to fooling with the residential area roads and side walks and ran out of paint  Shopping time.

 

Larry

Patrick was here Thursday, and we added two more sheets of plywood to the future Northtown hump yard.


I was very quick to move tools and materials into the new space.


We are now within about 3 sheets of completing the benchwork. This hole is about half a sheet. Need one more roll of chicken wire. Now that the space is defined I can finalize the track plan. The backdrop will run right down the middle, and this view will be no more. I hope to have this done by the end of the month, so track laying can continue uninterrupted.


Patrick also rehung the backdrop behind Red Wing.

 

 

Finally, the most miserable section of track laying is DONE!!!

 

Matt will be here this afternoon to do Tortoises. I've just made more work for him.

Ran trains for a few minutes. My schedule is packed right now so I can only run trains for about 10 minutes a day.  Working on the layout has/is not in the equation for the time being.  At least I'm keeping in touch with the trains daily.

Looks great Larry!!!

My son, Chris, is back home from school. Yesterday, we pulled out of the layout, the elevation piers and bridges that we built during January/February and stained the wood. I am adding stone paper wrap on the pilings before they go back in the layout permanently.

I ran some trains today!

 

I ran some trains. pulled the track cleaning car around for awhile. then I cleaned up the table some. then did some more plaster cloth ran some wiring for the second level to have tmcc and power. wired up the light in the barn. yea I did a lot today. then ran some more trains this time on the second level

Ran out to Wallyworld to get a couple of rattle cans, but did not think that paint would

go well with the acrylic I had been using on the log flume, so mixed some more acrylic, and  it is done, finally, except to add the access ladder (this ladder is 30 feet in O, so I would not climb the prototype) and  touch up paint.  (the prototype's

towers and ladder were only ten feet high) Then to take photos....

Due to possible adjustments needed when placed on layout, flumes on several of

these have not been attatched to the mills.  Next structure project may be an iron

furnace....

Trying to figure out where to put all the service accessories.

 

 

Added some weathering to the roof and front. Putting some figures in place, and filled in the access hatch with whisker tracks.

 

 

Placing yard lights around the area for the nightshift workers.

 

It is really looking good!  The roof weathering adds a lot.

I am looking forward to seeing photos.  I am interested in logging railroads, and will like to see your flumes.

RAN TRAINS, ENJOY, IT'S FATHERS DAY!!!

 

Fred

Matt the "Tortoise King" was over yesterday.


To date he has installed 78!


The bad news is there may be 50 left to do.


I'm still on track detail. The east ladder for Shoreham is done, and I've started on the body tracks. I probably would have gotten further, but I ran out of feeder wire leads, and had to make another batch.


For the fourth week in a row, Patrick has chosen Tuesday, so I'll expect him Thursday. This has become something of a running joke. Not a problem, it gives me a chance to get a few things done in advance, so our time will be more productive.

Painted some fastrack on bridges. And added a watchman shanty.

I was able to take a few minutes to get my MTH Y6b I bought from a forum member running on my new DCS system.  As you can see, I am running outside, because I don't have room for an indoor layout at this time.  It runs great with the default settings.  I will have to learn more about the DCS capabilities by the tiime I am able to build my layout.