What did you do on your layout today?

Amen to that.   Still,  I  can dream.  And model my dreams!  

Would an old dummy GP fit the bill??? If so, I may have a sacrificial lamb to offer up (can’t send it till January). Not sure which is the dummy, but it’s one of these...

Why not, sez i?  I can certainly figure out SOMETHING to do with it!   Many thanks!  

Woodson posted:

While you're at it I think the Northeast Corridor should be electrified all the way to Miami.. lol Mitch I probably have a 'sacrificial lamb' I can send you.. We could start a new trend: Southeast/hurricane Corridor.. PM me what you need and I'll donate one if I have it!!!

Done and done!  Thanks!   

mike g. posted:

Wow, Its so nice how everyone here is in a giving mood! I think you would only find that here! Its really hard to find caring , understanding, giving people in the real world! Well around where I live! A lot of the younger folks are all about me!

Amen to that too! 

Mitch  

Johan, the weaver wood chip hoppers pop up on EBAY every so often. The BAR wood chip hopper was a special run done for Brentwood Antiques a number of years back, very hard to find in the secondary market. However Weaver did do a MEC wood chip hopper. The early runs were in kit form minus trucks and couplers and only one road number. When Weaver redid the wood chip hoppers before they closed they were done as one piece and they came with trucks and couplers plus there were multiple numbers........Paul

paul 2 posted:

Johan, the weaver wood chip hoppers pop up on EBAY every so often. The BAR wood chip hopper was a special run done for Brentwood Antiques a number of years back, very hard to find in the secondary market. However Weaver did do a MEC wood chip hopper. The early runs were in kit form minus trucks and couplers and only one road number. When Weaver redid the wood chip hoppers before they closed they were done as one piece and they came with trucks and couplers plus there were multiple numbers........Paul

Paul: Thanks for the information, maybe i can found couple car sometimes. Today i continued my S.B.R. wood chip car project.

Johan

Johan, you did a real great job. That car came out looking great. Pretty good realistic looking wood chip load too. I like the decals......................Paul

Mason and I have been working on the mountain.

We are definitely making progress although it has taken a long time.

It was quiet tricky to integrate the double track portal and the lift bridge. We have the “Water” to do next.

Nick

Johan, the wood chip car is looking great!

This weekend the kids and grandkids are here for a early Christmas, the wife thought it would be cool if I got a train running for the grandkids. So I spent the last 2 days removing track and laying it again to get a complete loop around the room, Had to add drops, solder track but I got it done! I can run a train all the way around the room in 0ne direction without the reverse loops, but that's ok.

I will have pictures and maybe a small video later!

paul 2 posted:

Johan, you did a real great job. That car came out looking great. Pretty good realistic looking wood chip load too. I like the decals......................Paul

Paul: Thank you. 

Johan

mike g. posted:

Johan, the wood chip car is looking great!

This weekend the kids and grandkids are here for a early Christmas, the wife thought it would be cool if I got a train running for the grandkids. So I spent the last 2 days removing track and laying it again to get a complete loop around the room, Had to add drops, solder track but I got it done! I can run a train all the way around the room in 0ne direction without the reverse loops, but that's ok.

I will have pictures and maybe a small video later!

Mike: Thank you. Very interested, cant wait your pics and video.

Johan

Nick, the mountain is looking great!

Johan, as soon as Momma gets home I am going to have them all out for there first showing of the train. I will take pictures then!

Mike- You are one great Grandpa to build a special track for the grand kids

Johan and Paul- I love the wood chip hoppers !

Nick- the mountain is looking good.

Bob

Well, after church I put on my baker's hat and made chocolate chip meringue cookies, that melt on the tongue. They as so good they should be illegal. Then made 2 batches of chocolate mousse to serve when my kids and grand kids come by tomorrow. I'll whip up some cream with green food coloring tomorrow moring to dollop atop the mousse with some red granulated sugar sprinkled on it. Today at 5pm I go to a friend's house to put together the small layout I made for her daughter.

The train itself is made of renovated cast offs. The locomotive and tender are painted a forest green with Santa at the throttle. The motor is a 1060 scout I salvaged from my junk box. It runs on only one direction, which is fine with me.The whistle tender is a repaired junk 6646. I painted a tank car white, its metal base red,  and made candy cane stripe water slide decals applied on a bias to make a rolling candy cane. Then hot glued a Christmas Tree to a gondola and added tiny LED blinking lights. I painted an old caboose red with greed roofs and railings, added trucks with pick up rollers and made an internal light socket. Another Santa waves from the aft platform. Two cut pieces of half inch plywood will service the tracks. The plywood was painted flat white with Woodland Scenics snow applied while the paint was still wet. I intentionally left the layout undecorated so that the girl has the ability to make it her own.

So Merry Christmas, brothers!

Pete

That looks great Pete. Hopefully you have created a life long interest in trains for this little girl.

Would love to see how she decorates the board. Please share photos if you can.

Hey Bob, it was the wifes idea! But it worked out great cause it help me find problem spots before I got to far! Had to change the angle of the rise after the bridge a little and add a few drops !

Pete, Nice Christmas Train! Here is a picture of my Christmas train and a short video. I couldn't wait for Momma to get home, cause I wanted to share it with you all!

A cold Coors Light, the OGR Forum on the laptop and a BNSF mixed freight making the loop.
Great work Mike!

RSJB18 posted:

A cold Coors Light, the OGR Forum on the laptop and a BNSF mixed freight making the loop.
Great work Mike!

Thanks Bob, it is Train's and football Sunday! I thought I was the only one to really scan pictures! LOL

Mike - be careful operating while using a “Silver Bullet”. Very nice!

decoynh posted:

Mike - be careful operating while using a “Silver Bullet”. Very nice!

Matt, its all good, the more Silver Bullets I have the slower the train goes! I haven't figured that one out yet! LOL

Nice Amtrak photographs, Brian.  I could step right in that last one!

Johan, the wood chip car looks great!

Nick, you and Mason have been doing a really nice job with that mountain.

Pete, Excellent job with that little train and layout!

Mike, You did great getting a loop ready to run for the grandchildren.  How old are they?

I actually spent some time yesterday and today retaking photographs on the Christmas layout of various trains for an article someone asked to write for next Christmas season.  It is not this magazine, and I won't divulge anything more.  The only reason I mention it is to thank everyone of you who contributed with ideas for the layout.  You helped interest someone.  

mike g. posted:

RSJB18 posted:

A cold Coors Light, the OGR Forum on the laptop and a BNSF mixed freight making the loop.
Great work Mike!

Thanks Bob, it is Train's and football Sunday! I thought I was the only one to really scan pictures! LOL

Well I was going to say something about the poster of the lovely young lady in your garage in the other video but I figure this is a family forum so.....

RSJB18 posted:

Mike- You are one great Grandpa to build a special track for the grand kids

Johan and Paul- I love the wood chip hoppers !

Nick- the mountain is looking good.

Bob

Bob: Thank you.

Johan

mike g. posted:

Hey Bob, it was the wifes idea! But it worked out great cause it help me find problem spots before I got to far! Had to change the angle of the rise after the bridge a little and add a few drops !

Pete, Nice Christmas Train! Here is a picture of my Christmas train and a short video. I couldn't wait for Momma to get home, cause I wanted to share it with you all!

Coors Mike: Looking good, specially i like that cold Coors and mixed freight. 

Johan

mike g. posted:

decoynh posted:

Mike - be careful operating while using a “Silver Bullet”. Very nice!

Matt, its all good, the more Silver Bullets I have the slower the train goes! I haven't figured that one out yet! LOL

Experience comes with age!  LOL

Mike: great video, your layout is looking great.....also..... the Coors Lite !!!!    LOL

I have a PW F3 that I repainted in CB&Q livery and converted to an F2 with scale parts from P&D.

Unfortunately, I set it up as a single motor and it lost its magnetraction.  Going through my parts drawers I realized I had a back-up powered rear truck that I could swap in for the magnetraction=less one.

When I got the shell off, I discovered I had a front power truck w/ no motor.  So, I not only replaced the rear truck with a spare with good magnetraction, I also swapped out a front power truck with a dummy truck.  (Those of you who have removed the front truck on a PW F3 know the complexity of disassembly involved with the pilot and electro coupler.)

I"ll use the scavenged front power truck on an upcoming project.

Meanwhile, I'll see if I can find someone who can re-magnetize the removed rear power truck.

Thanks everyone for the really nice words!

Mark, your Christmas layout is just wonderful! I hope you will share where we can find the article next Christmas!

Bob, the poster was  gift from the wife when I first finished the garage! What a good woman! LOL

Johan, thank you sir! I know the train is to long to make it around the reverse loop, but it looks good now!

Matt, I should be an expert sometime down th road then! LOL

Dad, Thanks, you cant work on train with out the Coors Light! LOL

Mark Boyce posted:

Nice Amtrak photographs, Brian.  I could step right in that last one!

Johan, the wood chip car looks great!

Nick, you and Mason have been doing a really nice job with that mountain.

Pete, Excellent job with that little train and layout!

Mike, You did great getting a loop ready to run for the grandchildren.  How old are they?

 

I actually spent some time yesterday and today retaking photographs on the Christmas layout of various trains for an article someone asked to write for next Christmas season.  It is not this magazine, and I won't divulge anything more.  The only reason I mention it is to thank everyone of you who contributed with ideas for the layout.  You helped interest someone.  

Mark: Thank you. Your Christmas layout looking nice. Unfortunately, this year i can`t build any Christmas layout, but maybe next year again.

Johan

WOW Carl, your diving into things I would never thin about! Sure sounds like a hand full! Good luck!

Mark- the Christmas Layout looks great. Good luck with the article.

Since Pete mentioned cookies... I made a batch with my kids this afternoon. Not often we can get the two of them away from a screen and in the same room doing something together. Gonna run trains after dinner.

Bob

Mike, the safety cage and ladder is a kit from Plastruct. They have different lengths. .....,Paul

mike g. posted:

Hey Bob, it was the wifes idea! But it worked out great cause it help me find problem spots before I got to far! Had to change the angle of the rise after the bridge a little and add a few drops !

Pete, Nice Christmas Train! Here is a picture of my Christmas train and a short video. I couldn't wait for Momma to get home, cause I wanted to share it with you all!

Yay Mike! Glad to see you are running trains. That was a fun video to watch. Your progress has been amazing to watch. I remember when you were telling everyone you were going to build this room. I never would have imagined you would be running trains this soon.

Dave

mike g. posted:

Thanks everyone for the really nice words!

Mark, your Christmas layout is just wonderful! I hope you will share where we can find the article next Christmas!

Bob, the poster was  gift from the wife when I first finished the garage! What a good woman! LOL

Johan, thank you sir! I know the train is to long to make it around the reverse loop, but it looks good now!

Matt, I should be an expert sometime down th road then! LOL

Dad, Thanks, you cant work on train with out the Coors Light! LOL

RSJB18 posted:

Mark- the Christmas Layout looks great. Good luck with the article.

Since Pete mentioned cookies... I made a batch with my kids this afternoon. Not often we can get the two of them away from a screen and in the same room doing something together. Gonna run trains after dinner.

Bob

Mike, Thank you!  I am still rather surprised anyone would want to do an article on my little thrown together Christmas layout!     I most certainly will share where to find the article when the time comes!  All of you helped out!!!  

Bob, Thank you!  I think it will be fun!    I'm glad you got the kids together.  Licking the bowl and beaters always got us interested when we were kids!! 

Thanks Dave, I didn't think I would be running trains yet either! LOL

Hi all here are the pictures of the grandkids watching the train! The youngest one asked if I could build them one! LOL

                                                                                                                           I hope someone here can help me out though, I start up the engine and the sound works fine, about 1/2 way around the sound stope, but the engine keeps going not missing a beat! Any ideas or suggestions?

As soon as I hit the direction button or lower the speed sometime the sound comes back on.

Excellent photographs, Mike!!    Tell those grandchildren they just need to come visit more often.  Grandma's cookies and grandpap's trains; what could be better!!! 

Mark Boyce posted:

Excellent photographs, Mike!!    Tell those grandchildren they just need to come visit more often.  Grandma's cookies and grandpap's trains; what could be better!!! 

LOL How did you know Mark? Grandma made 3 dozen cookies for them!

Mike, All grandmas make cookies!  LOL

Great pix Mike. Christmas season and grand kids and trains.

I'd jump on the little one's request

RSJB18 posted:

Great pix Mike. Christmas season and grand kids and trains.

I'd jump on the little one's request

Bob, we bought a battery operated one form Walmart for under the tree this year, but Tank wouldn't go for it. I packed it back up and when he asked me to build him one I broke it out put it on the table and Boom he loved it! At 4 I hope he still wants to play trains next year!

Finishing up the farm.

The farm looks great Jim!