What did you do on your layout today?

 I got some wire "winter tree" armatures from the local craft store.

Before and after. I spray painted them dark grayish Brown, then strung some poly fiber into the branches, then sprayed the tops with spray adhesive. I put some foam over top of that, and then hit them with some heavy-duty Hairspray.

That's really nice work on upgrading those tree armatures, Lee.

We ran trains the past two days for the first time in months.

Took advantage of holiday clearance sales and purchased 4 of the micro led light strings (powered by batteries).  Covered a bridge in multi color lights and trees in the white lights.   Looks nice!

Decided to finally add another light over the brewery area. I kind of had a dark spot between lights around the silo area. After I did that I put the railing on the roof of the silos. Still have to make up roofs for the building. I'll get to that tomorrow. I started making the loading dock, The rest of this week I have stuff coming in the mail. Pics......Paul

Santa Fe Va, Sounds like it would look real nice!

Paul, The silo is looking great and so is the whole scene.  

Did my first TMCC conversion to this Lionel 6-18117/6-18121/6-18122 Santa Fe freight scheme F3 ABBA set. I added an ERR AC commander to the powered F3 A unit and an LCRX to the Railsounds II F3B. I've owned this set for 23 years and now I can run it under command control, which is kinda fun. Now I've got 4 more TMCC and one PS3 conversion to go. The ERR conversion was really easy.

Mark Boyce posted:

That's really nice work on upgrading those tree armatures, Lee.

Thanks, Mark.

Just plopped them down in the background on their bases, might move them eventually but for now they're good where they are.

Lou, Congratulations on the TMCC conversion!  That Santa Fe unit looks great too!

Lee, They will look good wherever you end up putting them.

John, the cars are looking Great!

Jim, nice easy touch with the trees! I am also glad to hear you got your water tower up and running! Looks good!

Mark, just cause you feel good, don't get crazy and over do it! Get better first!

Lee, wonderful job on the trees!

Santa Fe, sounds like you had a fun weekend!

Paul, thing are really looking good! Great job on the railing and ladder! The buildings turned out nice! By the way, the blue tile reminds me of Boot Camp! LOL

Lou, great job! I also have a few to do down the road some day!

Received these two bottles of Scalecoat II paint for a GN Empire Builder project; I did a double-take as I was putting them away:

Me

I'm waiting on several items; fingers crossed for delivery today.

Also, putting porthole windows in an F3 repaint from some years back; the windows are from P&D Hobby.  Also have an F3 A unit to do as well.  They all get a bit of paint around the edges which is tedious and difficult for my oversized fingers.

Filling seams on PW F3 A and B units which may be donors for the Texas Special project.

I had two derailments on the inside line of the overhead layout during our annual New Year's party.  This rarely happens, but that party is a real trainfest.  The folks check out the table layout, then are surrounded with trains that run the overhead loops for hours.

Because of that bummer interrupting our entertainment, yesterday, I decided to clean the double tracks and the cars.  Hadn't done that for over a year.  Here are some pics:

A makeshift cradle.  That is a huggie, dowsed with alcohol.  Each one of those splotches is one cleaned train wheel.

The Conrail consist. 

The two engines of the inner main line.

I'm halfway through, and my fingers are pretty blackened.  Only 50 more cars to do, along with the NH ABA and the SF ABA from the outside main line.  Haha, it's a dirty job, but, someone has to do it.

Jerry

p51 posted:

 I got some wire "winter tree" armatures from the local craft store.

Before and after. I spray painted them dark grayish Brown, then strung some poly fiber into the branches, then sprayed the tops with spray adhesive. I put some foam over top of that, and then hit them with some heavy-duty Hairspray.

What craft store did you purchase those trees from?

thanks,

Sam

p51 posted:

 I got some wire "winter tree" armatures from the local craft store.

Before and after. I spray painted them dark grayish Brown, then strung some poly fiber into the branches, then sprayed the tops with spray adhesive. I put some foam over top of that, and then hit them with some heavy-duty Hairspray.

Very cool!  The trees I did are mostly for filler in and around some future better trees.   Next I'm going to be looking for something to make winter/dead trees out of.   Never imagined Id enjoy the crafty part of this hobby! But its fun!

Jim

mike g. posted:

John, the cars are looking Great!

Jim, nice easy touch with the trees! I am also glad to hear you got your water tower up and running! Looks good!

Mark, just cause you feel good, don't get crazy and over do it! Get better first!

Lee, wonderful job on the trees!

Santa Fe, sounds like you had a fun weekend!

Paul, thing are really looking good! Great job on the railing and ladder! The buildings turned out nice! By the way, the blue tile reminds me of Boot Camp! LOL

Lou, great job! I also have a few to do down the road some day!

Mike, Good point on not overdoing it.  I will watch out for sure.  I convinced my wife to leave the Christmas tree up a bit longer.  I always put it up and take it down.  She had trigger finger surgery Monday, so she isn’t supposed to do much with that hand for a while.

Carl, the labels are a bit confusing to say the least! Good luck on your project!

Jerry, I am sorry to hear about your derailment, but it looks like you all still had a great time! Just think when your done you wont have to clean again for a couple more years! LOL

Jim, I think your trees look good! I bought mine cause they were cheap and I am not to the tree making stage yet! LOL

Mike thanks!   You aint far from making trees! Hope you are moving along on your layout.   Im still trying to talk the wife into letting me take down that 4x4 part of the closet/bump out in the train room.  Dont want to move forward too much until I get that done!

Jim

                                     had a Smokin' New Year's Eve...

                     now trying to get back to the daily routine...

Mark,, with you and the wife out, its ok to leave the tree up for awhile! I will still give that fresh outside smell in the house!

Jim, I really only have Thursday - Monday to work on the train, I have a little time during the week, but have to work in the early afternoon so I don't get to involved in things. But I did receive 2 switches yesterday. So that will give me something to do on Friday! LOL

Brian, great pictures, but I am just wondering how often you take out and put in the batteries in your smoke detectors? LOL

samparfitt posted:

p51 posted:

 

I got some wire "winter tree" armatures from the local craft store.

What craft store did you purchase those trees from?

Sam, these came from Michaels. They both were just painted wire armatures, made by a company called Lemax: https://www.lemaxcollection.co...s-bristle-tree-74252

The retail price wasn't cheap, around $20 or more if memory serves, but I got them at a post holiday discount. They were actually taller than most HO scale trees, as well. I already had the poly foam, ground foam (actually Super Leaf, light green, found at a hobby shop recently but I could have used any of the Woodland Scenics stuff I have) and the other supplies, so it took about 20 minutes from bare wire to the product you see there.

As it was very cold outside, I put them in the bathroom next to the layout room with the interior fan running and the lights on. In about 2 hours, they were dry and good to go.

Painted the first of five to my S.B.R. -flat car with "48 trailer". Decals & weathering comes later. 

Hey Mike, thanks.  You bet we had a great time, we have been for 30 consecutive years.  Only had the overhead layout for four.  My standard response is, "I'm doing great!  I'm retired."   Also, I'm enjoying your posts on the new layout.  It's looking good!

Jerry

Today the mailman droped off the Weaver/MTH die cast trucks I ordered from Pat's trains. Went back to working on the silo area. Got the roofs cut and glued into place on the building. And got two coats of stain on the loading dock and one coat of paint on the roof for the platform. Debating whether to put railings around the top of the building or not. Pics.............Paul

p51 posted:

samparfitt posted:

p51 posted:

 

I got some wire "winter tree" armatures from the local craft store.

What craft store did you purchase those trees from?

Sam, these came from Michaels. They both were just painted wire armatures, made by a company called Lemax: https://www.lemaxcollection.co...s-bristle-tree-74252

The retail price wasn't cheap, around $20 or more if memory serves, but I got them at a post holiday discount. They were actually taller than most HO scale trees, as well. I already had the poly foam, ground foam (actually Super Leaf, light green, found at a hobby shop recently but I could have used any of the Woodland Scenics stuff I have) and the other supplies, so it took about 20 minutes from bare wire to the product you see there.

As it was very cold outside, I put them in the bathroom next to the layout room with the interior fan running and the lights on. In about 2 hours, they were dry and good to go.

Thanks, Lee,

Didn't see any at Michaels (probably too late) but found them at Menards.  

Ordered 8. Want to make aspen trees out of them.

$3.50 each but not online but at different stores (none at my store) so have to pay for processing and shipping to home versus to store so, with tax, came out to 5 bucks a tree.  Got 8 of them. 

https://www.menards.com/main/h...69233724-c-12296.htm

mike g. posted:

Mark,, with you and the wife out, its ok to leave the tree up for awhile! I will still give that fresh outside smell in the house!

Jim, I really only have Thursday - Monday to work on the train, I have a little time during the week, but have to work in the early afternoon so I don't get to involved in things. But I did receive 2 switches yesterday. So that will give me something to do on Friday! LOL

Brian, great pictures, but I am just wondering how often you take out and put in the batteries in your smoke detectors? LOL

Mike, Brian must not have smoke detectors!  LOL 

I agree wholeheartedly the tree can stay up for an indefinite period of time.  However, my wife  gets sick of listening to her mother telling her the tree should already be down.  The woman is relentless!  LOL

Mike I hear ya!!  I work 6 days a week.  9 hours a day weekdays and a 4 hour day on Saturday.  So I am very limited on time.  Most evenings I spend an hour or so in the train room.   Wishing I could take those walls down and doing some piddling.  Not a lot gets done!  OH and I got those Hummers !  They are cool but nobody here liked my idea on using them lol  

Mark don't feel bad!   I haven't taken the time to take down our tree yet.  Hmm fool with trains or take down tree..  : )

I did order one of those new universal remotes that are just now coming out.  Glad Lionel fixed the bugs in them.  And now they run ALL LC, LC+ engines.  There was a list of them that it wouldn't run on the older remotes.  

Jim

Have just about finished another Carolina Craftsman Kit, this of a supply house mildly bashed into a country store. Think l only need to put the hose on the gas pump.  Have some other photos l need to load, including those of a real country store l hope to model, now closed, but one where l used to gas up vintage cars back in the 1960's.

carsntrains posted:

Mike I hear ya!!  I work 6 days a week.  9 hours a day weekdays and a 4 hour day on Saturday.  So I am very limited on time.  Most evenings I spend an hour or so in the train room.   Wishing I could take those walls down and doing some piddling.  Not a lot gets done!  OH and I got those Hummers !  They are cool but nobody here liked my idea on using them lol  

Mark don't feel bad!   I haven't taken the time to take down our tree yet.  Hmm fool with trains or take down tree..  : )

I did order one of those new universal remotes that are just now coming out.  Glad Lionel fixed the bugs in them.  And now they run ALL LC, LC+ engines.  There was a list of them that it wouldn't run on the older remotes.  

Jim

 

Jim, I am sitting here enjoying that Christmas tree right now.  I would be happy to leave it up until Easter.  ;-)  Maybe I’ll go run a train too!

Learned a lesson, again.   Sort of like,( measure twice cut once...Run big place once.)  I installed my first set of Z-stuff crossing signals. Should be called "Neat stuff." Took me a bit to get everything position so IR transmitter/sensor aligned, etc. So I decided to start the scenicing and placed them in ballast, etc. Looked good. I had previously run a few diesels and my VL Hudson around and all was good, or so I thought. When i took my J611 around, the overhang hit the signal in foreground. It's right at the end of the curve and I thought I had far enough away...I didn't so I had to remove the glued ballast, and ground cover repositioned it farther away.  Now all is good. So I reballasted, etc. and cemented everything down. Finished the road area scenicing, then took these pictures.  Any suggestions to improve the look of the scenery in this area would certainly be welcome. Thanks

Mark Boyce posted:

mike g. posted:

Mark,, with you and the wife out, its ok to leave the tree up for awhile! I will still give that fresh outside smell in the house!

Jim, I really only have Thursday - Monday to work on the train, I have a little time during the week, but have to work in the early afternoon so I don't get to involved in things. But I did receive 2 switches yesterday. So that will give me something to do on Friday! LOL

Brian, great pictures, but I am just wondering how often you take out and put in the batteries in your smoke detectors? LOL

Mike, Brian must not have smoke detectors!  LOL 

I agree wholeheartedly the tree can stay up for an indefinite period of time.  However, my wife  gets sick of listening to her mother telling her the tree should already be down.  The woman is relentless!  LOL

Mark, i don't know if your wife has them or not, but if she does tell her to turn the hearing aids off like I do! LOL

Jim, I figure if it takes longer it gives me more time to play!

Mark how is your back doing? I went to the doc today and I might have you beat. Hand an EKG and now I have to go see a cardiovascular specialist.  Doc says I have a heart rate of a pro athlete, not some over weight 54 yo. Says my ticker is going to slow for my age. Lol guess I better slow down sonthe heart can catch up!

mike g. posted:

Jim, I figure if it takes longer it gives me more time to play!

Mark how is your back doing? I went to the doc today and I might have you beat. Hand an EKG and now I have to go see a cardiovascular specialist.  Doc says I have a heart rate of a pro athlete, not some over weight 54 yo. Says my ticker is going to slow for my age. Lol guess I better slow down sonthe heart can catch up!

Mike, I’m sorry to read you have a heart problem.  My back problem is nothing in comparison.  I don’t really mind problems with extremities if my organs are okay.  

I got the EMG and MRI done.  The back doctor called me today and asked how I’m doing.  He said I have a bulging disk at L5-S1 and it has caused nerve damage, thus the pain down the leg.  I am up to 3 pain pills a day, the most he wants.  I will see him on the 15th of this month for a steroid injection right at the bulged disk.  I continue physical therapy tomorrow, which finally seems to be helping some.  

I’ll pray for you that the cardiovascular doctor  can help you get your heart beck to normal.  

ToledoEd posted:

Learned a lesson, again.   Sort of like,( measure twice cut once...Run big place once.)  I installed my first set of Z-stuff crossing signals. Should be called "Neat stuff." Took me a bit to get everything position so IR transmitter/sensor aligned, etc. So I decided to start the scenicing and placed them in ballast, etc. Looked good. I had previously run a few diesels and my VL Hudson around and all was good, or so I thought. When i took my J611 around, the overhang hit the signal in foreground. It's right at the end of the curve and I thought I had far enough away...I didn't so I had to remove the glued ballast, and ground cover repositioned it farther away.  Now all is good. So I reballasted, etc. and cemented everything down. Finished the road area scenicing, then took these pictures.  Any suggestions to improve the look of the scenery in this area would certainly be welcome. Thanks

It is looking good.  You may want to add some street lighting to enhance the night scene:  10X O Scale Model Trains Metal Light Poles Wired LED Lighted Street Lamps  $15 + $2 shipping - check out ebay.    Dave

Finished painting the interior and installing Preiser people in the Dome of the Dome Chair Car in the Lionel Challenger two-pack.

I still have to place Preiser people I painted on the main floor.  The second Coach from the two-pack is next.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

mike g. posted:

I went to the doc today and I might have you beat. Hand an EKG and now I have to go see a cardiovascular specialist.  Doc says I have a heart rate of a pro athlete, not some over weight 54 yo. Says my ticker is going to slow for my age. Lol guess I better slow down sonthe heart can catch up!

Dang, sorry to hear that. Pay attention to the doctor and I hope they get this figured out soon!

Dave, thanks for the comment and suggestion. I’ll do it. Never occurred to me. 

Took a cue from Brian and started straightening out my overflow room. I'm not done but can walk into the room and see my desk now LOL.  I also built a small track side shanty that can be seen in scenery and structures.

Dave Ripp. posted:

Took a cue from Brian and started straightening out my overflow room. I'm not done but can walk into the room and see my desk now LOL.  I also built a small track side shanty that can be seen in scenery and structures.

Wait.....this is overflow?????? OMG that's bigger than my entire basement

p51 posted:

mike g. posted:

I went to the doc today and I might have you beat. Hand an EKG and now I have to go see a cardiovascular specialist.  Doc says I have a heart rate of a pro athlete, not some over weight 54 yo. Says my ticker is going to slow for my age. Lol guess I better slow down sonthe heart can catch up!

Dang, sorry to hear that. Pay attention to the doctor and I hope they get this figured out soon!

That sucks Mike. pay attention to the doc's orders. Cardio problems are nothing to mess with but they seem to be manageable these days.

Bob

RSJB18 posted:

Dave Ripp. posted:

Took a cue from Brian and started straightening out my overflow room. I'm not done but can walk into the room and see my desk now LOL.  I also built a small track side shanty that can be seen in scenery and structures.

Wait.....this is overflow?????? OMG that's bigger than my entire basement

I was thinking the same thing, Bob.  LOL

Dave, It looks like you did get organized well though!