What did you do on your layout today?

Scot,
Sounds like you are moving right along!  That's a lot of turnouts!

Dennis said:

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Well, nothing much to the layout other than run the train I am working on.  Been restoring a set of 600/601/602 Prewar passenger cars and a 249E/265T in the Lionel Corp colors.  Photo's of the cars before and during.

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Hey Dennis,

Great job on your restoration.  I admire people who can take a rusted, beat up, mistreated item, see past it's problems and bring it back to life.

 

Again, great job,

 

Jim

I actually got some work done today.

I secured the camera system power strip and got some of the wires tied up.


I mounted the fifth camera.


Now I can see the entire yard from the control panel area.


I got a good start on my train board. The numbers are the TMCC channels assigned to the engines, and represent their location within the yard. It is just a bookkeeping measure. This way when a train leaves the yard, I can advance the remaining trains on that track without having to run all over. In a perfect world, the computer will do this.


I just need to add a couple rows of number storage for the remaining engines on the layout, then paint it.

Elliot,, How many of you are there???  I am constantly amazed by the size and amount of everything your putting into that monster!  It is great to see your updates, I am sure I have learned a few things or been reminded of various ideas just from seeing your (and your helper/teamates) efforts.  Keep it up man!!

I photographed the junkbox cabooses described above, and then went through a book

on the old, abandoned Colorado and Southern standard gauge the used to run east

out into the prairie between Denver and the south, until I found a side door caboose

that looks very much like one of these.  I then dug through my decal stash until I

found C&S decals for it.  Next: to restore it.

long weekend. yard wasn't long enough. my helper last weekend wasn't the carpenter he led himself to be. but free can't complain thought I could live with some of the mistakes he had made nope couldn't wanted it correct. so the middle level plywood came off replaced what he had left of the 1/4 so the whole level is now 1/2 mdf added a curve in the yard on all 3 spurs so now I can fit more under there also could add shorter lines between on on the outer edge then spent the day with the shop vac cleaning up the mess. then ran my hopper train with a total of 10 hoppers now. I really like watching that one run around.

I have been hard at work designing a new trackplan for my new layout.  The old one will be torn down sometime this fall and construction will start after the new year on the new layout.  

 

The new one will be an around the room design.

 

 

Patrick, Matt and Jon are my crew. Patrick has been with me for a little over a year and a half, and has by far the most hours of anyone other than myself. Matt has been coming over for almost a year, and Jon about 5 months.

 

We employ some unusual techniques in the construction of the layout. Some are carried over from enterTRAINment, others are new and unique to this one, and many are things "normal" people wouldn't need or even consider. But every once in a while...

The Razorback Traction Company made a guest appearance Sunday at the Fort Smith Trolley Museum open house...

 

Note that, yes, one CAN use FasTrack on a prewar Standard Gauge bridge!  This entire rig breaks down into a series of duffel bags and fits in the car... 

 

The kiddies enjoyed the show, too!

 

Mitch

 

finally got some pics of the weekend endeavor. and a video of a train running. photo's are of the hidden yard.

 

 

Wisdom from mu Mother-in-law:

"When you begin, you are half way finished.' 

 

Congrats, you're well on your way!

Well the other day I started to pull wire. And today I posted in the Electrical Forum Asking if I was pulling enough wire. I know I may need some assistance with the wire I am pulling. So I figured this will be the place to ask. I spent almost 25 years as a sound Tec Pulling wire for 8 story buildings   and my main thing was Fire Alarms. But 1 thing I am not sure of  is what do I need to pull for the Layout?  Am I pulling enough Wire? My body has been thru enough surgeries Loosing my right leg was the worst thing I went thru.  Sometimes I cant think of the proper wires needed to complete this layout. Any assistance would help. Thanks Guys   Scot

my wifes prr cars showed up today.

I got my train board painted and hung.


The trifecta is now complete: power and switch control, video monitoring and a way to keep track of which train is where.


I'm anxious to see Patrick tomorrow, it's been over a month.

Looks good Elliot. More backdrop tomorrow?

That's the plan. I need to get that peninsula ready for track to stay on schedule. I already feel like I've fallen behind.

Hold Patrick hostage until he get's it done.

I'll just chain him to the layout, and bring his dinner down to him.

Don't forget the chamber pot

I had to run trains this morning for some out of town visitors. they all had a good time as did I. I need more visitors anybody want to volunteer?

 

Clem k

 

 

I can anchor him to the small helix with 60' chain, that should allow him to go anywhere in the train room and still reach the bathroom. I have this all figured out.

I hear ya Clem. I've got some coming next week.

Good plan

I ran trains for three or four hours while I cleaned up. Tested some new 'Streets stuff.  

I am building a new cupola to bring this junk box caboose into a close match of C&S

#204, and knew I'd seen but could not find some large block letter decals for it, so

spent most of two days hunting for and trapping my decals in one place.  I finally

found that Clover House had been my source for those, and that they had moved from

Calif. to Washington, and are on the web with about 400 odd ball, and some common roads,  dry transfers listed.

Tested a new to me engine runs smooth I like it. awaiting the b and other a unit

 

 

Ran the track cleaner cars and tided up as I always do at mid-month: everything gets cleaned and dusted whether it needs it or not.

Patrick's triumphant return!!! It was so nice to have him back, and we didn't waste any time.

He finished the backdrop behind Red Wing, then we put the buildings back.


That freed up space to put down the end piece of fiberboard.


The two curved corner pieces need to be trimmed and secured.


One filler piece is needed to complete this section. After that the center lines get drawn. Then it's track time!


Next time the backdrop goes up.

Hello Big Boy 4005

     Thanks for sharing these photos. It tells the story of all the objectives for this layout. This is my favorite part of the OGR Forum. Model Railroaders showing fellow members photos of their layout or things they are building on their benches. The old saying a pictures tells a 1000 words or something like this.

Cheers from Michigan 

Been working hard on a trackplan for my new trainroom.  As stated before in my other thread I am designing this one for operations that will be done with a car/card system.  I plan to be able to hold an operating session for 1 to 2 people.  

 

I am pretty set on the this plan.  It has 3 industries plus a gang track next to the grain elevator.   It has the Great Lakes car ferry and small yard to service it.  Most of the operations will be around the car ferry and it will have to be loaded correctly based on the weight of the cars and length.  Don't want the ferry to be listing to one side because it is loaded incorrectly.  

 

finally got all tracks running correctly ran 3 trains 2 passenger 1 freight all power came from a single 135 watt brick 2 engines are tmcc one is dcs boring video but I didn't care it was nice having 3 run again.  

My benchwork construction has been seriously moved back for various reasons, mostly my wife adding new, "you must do this first" tasks ahead of it, and coordinating with a local guy who said he'd help me build all of it.

SO, last weekend I spent almost all my free time building a large shelf system in our shed for my wife, which I used the same materials I planned on using for my layout benchwork (1X4s mostly). So, at least that gave me some idea of building box frames in that material. When we were done, it made it really clear that the benchwork was next and that comes first before anything else she comes up with (I'm now over a month behind where I wanted to be). The guy who was going to help is going on a 2-week vacation, so I told him I'll build all the benchwork and lay playood, and he can help me lay track and wire the thing for DCC once he gets back (which is the part I'm really going to need help with).

My layout will be in sections, like a odd module setup, for the benchwork. That way if I ever need to move, I'll just need to dremel the rails and run a knife through the gaps to cut apart the scenery at the seams. Even the wiring will have plugs at the end of each section.

The idea is I'll take the completed bench work sections over to that guy's place, we'll lay the track and do all the wiring, then I can cut out any depressions in the ground I want for the landscape, then install the whole thing in the room for the layout, hook it all up, rest run some trains, then get started on the scenery.

So anyway, that's my plan for this coming weekend.

hooked up my Dumbo pylon and put the on/off button within easy reach for my grandchildren.  Also ran all of my engines to make sure they'll have no issues when the children "play trains" with Grandpa.

I will be running trains on it for the last time tonight then start dismantling it over the weekend.  There is a lot on this layout I will not be using for the next layout so things will go up for sale on the forum this weekend.  

Out with the old, in with the new.  May be new for someone else.

Got the hole cut for the cinder/ash hoist, and repositioned both the inbound and outbound tracks for the TT. Had to get better spacing for the coaling tower, water column, and sand house.

 

I really like how you have that RR facility landscape totally meld with that background, all of it working together as a unified whole panorama. Congratulations on your artistry, sir!

FrankM

Last night I ran the last train on my current layout.  I ran my Legacy PM 1225 with freight train around for about an hour.   Tonight starts the disassembly.  I hope to have all the Fastrack put up for sale by the end of the week along with several buildings.  

 

I also changed out the hoses on my laundry machine last night to stainless steel braided hoses.  What does that have to do with trains you may ask?  Well the laundry room is right over the room where my new layout will be.  I plan to replace them every 3 years.  

The assistant engineer and I ran some trains outside.

Al; looks like he's having a good time.