What did you do on your layout today?

Mike, the control panel looks super!!  I really like the BNSF logo in the middle!  That is a great touch!  

Poor Tank felt neglected!  Yes, you did the right thing.  If not, he may be calling up his therapist!  

Mark Boyce posted:

Mike, the control panel looks super!!  I really like the BNSF logo in the middle!  That is a great touch!  

Poor Tank felt neglected!  Yes, you did the right thing.  If not, he may be calling up his therapist!  

Plus, the wife was trying to sleep, and when he has a meltdown it wakes the whole house! The wife wasn't very happy with me! LOL

mike g. posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

Mike, the control panel looks super!!  I really like the BNSF logo in the middle!  That is a great touch!  

Poor Tank felt neglected!  Yes, you did the right thing.  If not, he may be calling up his therapist!  

Plus, the wife was trying to sleep, and when he has a meltdown it wakes the whole house! The wife wasn't very happy with me! LOL

Well then, that made it a necessity!!  I thought Tank was a Mama's boy! 

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

I like the look Elliot!   Good to see you back on the job!!   I will be in the cities April 13 & 14 for our state swim meet.   Depending on weather conditions (remember last year!)  and my meet schedule, I would like to stop over late afternoon on Saturday for a quick show and tell if your schedule permits - OK?   I will give you a call in the afternoon of the 13th to confirm.

Cheers, Dave

Dave, late afternoon should work, but I do have a layout tour that I'll be attending on Saturday, so we'll have to nail down the time. The later the better.

Recently I purchased 30 trees from a Forum member.  LCCA  and Forum member Chuck Shearman came by today and planted them.  Thirty trees don't go too far on a room size layout.  John in Lansing, ILL

Back in the hospital for rehydration.   But, the old thinker is still thinkin'!  

Was watching a YT vid about a flash orchestra performance at the Coanda Airport in Budapest:

This led me to thinking about the Coanda Effect and how Lionel put it to use:

http://postwarlionel.com/freig...0-aerial-target-car/

Which in turn gave me an Idea: 

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...rial-target-launcher

Have at it!   

Incidentally, congrats to @JohnD, and his missus, who, I am reliably informed, have brought a new future railfan into the world! 

Mitch

I'm praying you get hydrated and are able to stay out of the hospital for good, Mitch!  Thank you for the videos!    Keep the mind working!  

Brian, I'm not sure Mitch needs diesel fuel.  

Mike - Thanks. Patrick has never lost a step, I'm the slacker with al the aches and pains. It was kind of a tough winter with all the snow. There are still a few patches left where the plow piled it up and in the shady area in front of the house. Go cheap whenever possible!

Bob - Thanks, you know, if you can make it to Pittsburgh, you can carpool with Mark and Paul. It would make a great week long vacation.

Dave - I checked the schedule, anytime after 3:30 on Saturday should work. I'll try and hurry home from the tour, which of course is on the totally opposite side of town.

John, 30 trees might not go very far, but they sure look good!

Mitch, I am with Mark I hope you can get out of there really soon and stay out! I hope you feel better soon!

Brian, great pictures once again!

So this morning I went out to the train room to figure out why one set of switches for my cross over was not working. checked all the wiring at the switches, checked the wiring at the toggles and everything was just fine. Now I am lost so I spent an hour going back over everything and low and behold here I find a lose screw on the power terminal strip. I tighten it up and Boom everything work like it should! So I guess there were 2 lose screws in the room, me and the one on the board! Well here is a picture of the neat and clean inside of my control panel! 

Hey Mitch- sorry to hear you're back in the hospital but glad to hear its not serious. I like the balloon ride car idea

Mike- Lot's of loose screws in the model train hobby At least there is one less now The panel looks good! The BNSF logo is a nice touch.

Elliot- Well we haven't made plans for summer vacation yet.....

Apples55 posted:

NCoastsideKevin posted:

Making slow but steady progress on my attic layout. Six months ago when I started this project, someone on the forum suggested I get knee pads, which I finally did. What a difference!

Here is how the new sidings are shaping up. Each of the six holds 18-20 cars, which combined with the 5 other sidings on the layout will accommodate my rolling stock and most of my favorite engines. Fortunately, I am not having trouble backing the trains through the 022 switches like I thought I might.

So, that is as far as my room (and knees) will allow for expansion. Now I get to focus on covering all the unsightly insulation and getting my old PW accessories back up and running. Been a really fun project so far. Thanks for everyone’s advice and encouragement!

Kevin

 

Kevin;

“Each of the six holds 18-20 cars, which combined with the 5 other sidings on the layout will accommodate my rolling stock and most of my favorite engines”...

l, and I am sure quite a few others here on the Forum, are green with envy lacking the real estate to have yards like that    Looks great - keep up the good work. And take care of those knees - I’m having my second one replaced in about 2 weeks!!!

I am super lucky to have found a large dead space in my house, which was totally empty with no floors, electricity, etc. I thought well, might as well put it to use! 

Turns out I tore the meniscus in my right knee, but the doc said to just live with it if I can. The gel kneepads are great - wish I had gotten some earlier. Good luck with your surgery.

Bob, the show and picnic dates are in my signature. I'm happy to help people with local logistics.

Kevin, gel knee pads sound great. I'll look into them.

Kevin, I'm sorry you tore a meniscus.  I had one for about 25 years before it got bothering me enough that the doctor said he had better clean it up.  In that 25-year wait they perfected the arthroscopic method, so it wasn't as bad as when my dad has it done when I was a teenager.  Knee pads are a must.  I should have worn them more over the years.  I have been impressed with how you have made great use of that previously wasted space in your home.  You have a nice open area like our house.  Many today use trusses that would make it much more difficult to get around!

Elliot, yes the gel kneepads are really nice!  I wish I had used them years ago.  That knee I was telling Kevin about needs replaced now, but it seems my insurance wants to keep pumping it full of shots until I can go on medicare in 2 1/2 years and they can wash their hands of me.!  LOL

Elliot, glad you are getting your mojo back. Even with time not working on the layout when you did you made progress. Big or small it is still progress. Once all the skirting is up the layout is really going to stand out. 

Mark, even without the delicious lemon bars as temptation it is still well worth the trip.

Bob, do the trip. 

I'll be heading up that way again to go to the Menards train show. I just got done booking a hotel for that weekend. I haven't done any work on the layout and probably won't get into anythong with York coming up. I got a call from th UPS store that they were able to blow up the building flats to O gauge and I can asctuaslly pick them up tomorrow instead of Monday. ...........Paul

mike g. posted:

I tighten it up and Boom everything work like it should! So I guess there were 2 lose screws in the room, me and the one on the board! Well here is a picture of the neat and clean inside of my control panel! 

Mike, isn't it great when a problem finds a solution!!!   Well done.          Cheers, Dave

I can believe you didn't already use good knee pads Elliot. It makes a difference. I like to wear heavy boots too to offset the slight height and balance change that aggravated my back ...as long as the hip's syatic nerve allowed the boots anyhow 😂 (no idea how to spell that..?)

  Elliott, a decade ago I figure by now I would have been at your door with milk and coffee commenting on the lemony sun and it's glistening amber bars illuminating your lovely hungry.. I mean home. 😏

   And nice one Mitch; you've got me craving the after Pedialyte and cool drip; chocolate Ensure milkshakes...😑 Stop being sick right now, leave the staff alone; go home; REST and crack a can of it there .

   Chocolate breakfast shakes and lemon bars...you guys are really putting the screws to me here ya know 😧

Brian, more sky-blue-pink.

Ohio does that kinda sky best imo. 

I actually got to run some trains for once! I actually ran the O gauge layout and I ran my S gauge too. I'm taking some of my new Super O track to my girlfriends house and have it so I can run any 3 rail I may buy in the future. Been a good day for trains. 

Berkshirelover726 posted:

I actually got to run some trains for once! I actually ran the O gauge layout and I ran my S gauge too. I'm taking some of my new Super O track to my girlfriends house and have it so I can run any 3 rail I may buy in the future. Been a good day for trains. 

Love this look! Have to ask how you did the mountains in the background. Did you just paint the walls?

Brian, love New Haven's!!

Jerry

The past few weeks I have been working on my cityscape and I’m currently in the process of detailing and adding loading platforms for the industries that are adjacent to the yard tracks.   I have completed two industries to date and I‘m working on the third.   Hobby Lobby has provided a good source for scaleable dimensional basswood and brass tubing.

I elevated the o-gauge trackside industrial flats purchased from pghtrainfanatic to 1.5" (boxcar loading height).   BTW-if you order direct from them, you get free shipping!   The added foundations were made from 3/4” wood and faced with printable building textures from Big Indoor Trains: https://www.bigindoortrains.co..._building_fronts.htm .   This site is also a good source for printing buildings.  You can print them free and in other scales which helps when trying to achieve a forced perspective.    I have printed several and mounted them on foam core and heavy card stock and pined them to the wall.

I found several pictoral examples of trackside platforms on the internet from which I have taken inspiration.  The internet along with our OGR forum, is a marveled resource!   Hail to the internet and the OGR Forum!  

Cheers, Dave

Beginning #3 industrial platform!

paul 2 posted:

Elliot, glad you are getting your mojo back. Even with time not working on the layout when you did you made progress. Big or small it is still progress. Once all the skirting is up the layout is really going to stand out. 

Mark, even without the delicious lemon bars as temptation it is still well worth the trip.

Bob, do the trip. 

I'll be heading up that way again to go to the Menards train show. I just got done booking a hotel for that weekend. I haven't done any work on the layout and probably won't get into anythong with York coming up. I got a call from th UPS store that they were able to blow up the building flats to O gauge and I can asctuaslly pick them up tomorrow instead of Monday. ...........Paul

Paul,  I would like to make the trip.  It may have to wait until next year.  With my unemployment run out, I did accept an entry level tech support position with the local cable TV/Internet company, so who knows what days I'll be working.  I decided to put in to start taking Social Security but that will take a while.  So maybe a year from now I will be retired for good.

That is great news that the UPS store was able to enlarge the building flats to O scale!  Have a great time at York!!

Adriatic posted:

I can believe you didn't already use good knee pads Elliot. It makes a difference. I like to wear heavy boots too to offset the slight height and balance change that aggravated my back ...as long as the hip's syatic nerve allowed the boots anyhow 😂 (no idea how to spell that..?)

  Elliott, a decade ago I figure by now I would have been at your door with milk and coffee commenting on the lemony sun and it's glistening amber bars illuminating your lovely hungry.. I mean home. 😏

   And nice one Mitch; you've got me craving the after Pedialyte and cool drip; chocolate Ensure milkshakes...😑 Stop being sick right now, leave the staff alone; go home; REST and crack a can of it there .

   Chocolate breakfast shakes and lemon bars...you guys are really putting the screws to me here ya know 😧

 

Brian, more sky-blue-pink.

Ohio does that kinda sky best imo. 

It is sciatic nerve!  Believe me I learned how to spell it after this past fall and winter!  Now I'm waiting for the damage to heal.  An inch a month!  I'll be gone before it reaches the whole way down to my foot!  

Good Evening Guys and Gals,

Faces, ditches, and bridges...check out my layout page and see what I have most recently been up to.

Dave

Dave (DARLANDER) Great work, I love the flats, question is do you have a really big printer! LOL The building platforms are looing wonderful! Everything you put up here gives us cheap looking folks hope! Thank you sir!

Dave (Luvindemtrains) WOW You sure have been busy! The first picture I thought you were building a sitting area for little kids! But that sure turned out looking great! The whole layout is looking wonderful! Keep up the great work and please keep posting!

I hope everyone has a great weekend, looks like I might get the weekend for the train room! I still have some toggles to wire, and some other little stuff right now, if I get board I will just run my train! LOL

Speaking of printable scenery...I just downloaded a bunch of images from another train site I follow. Lot's of great buildings, and scenic elements for some future projects. I've used the technique before and it does make nice, inexpensive scenery.

The roof and the lower half of the stone walls are both done with printouts mounted on card stock.

Ran trains for a while last night. Shot this video this morning for SWSat.

mike g. posted:

Dave (DARLANDER) Great work, I love the flats, question is do you have a really big printer! LOL The building platforms are looking wonderful! Everything you put up here gives us cheap looking folks hope! Thank you sir!

No Mike, I do not have a big printer; standard 8.5" x 11" paper printer.   Most building prints fit on standard paper.  I have made larger buildings by combining or doubling separate prints.   Also, the second and third rows were printed in a smaller scale (S, HO and even N) which print fine on standard paper.   The first row of O-gauge industrial fronts were purchase on the bay from angietracksideflats & pghtrainfanatic.    I printed all the buildings in the residential section including the fence.  Most were O scale prints.   Note the red brick 4 story building in the last picture.  If you look close, it’s made from two copies of the same building.   I have also doubled the height of a building by combining prints.  

Cheers, Dave

Residential section:

Red brick building - double prints side by side:

          a great day outside today !!     hopefully all the snow days are done...

While reading the Nov 1952 issue of Trains magazine:

Full page ad: again, the good ol' days!

I think I'll send in my 50 cents for the cool stuff that we can get!

Has anyone in their lifetime ever seen steam engines run like this.

Dave, your last pics of your scenery are very good. You definatley have an eye for capturing mother nature.

Bob, good idea and nice work.

Mike g, your control panel has come out great.

Johan, keep the pics coming. Job well done on the rotary plow.

Today I did a full circle. I got out late morning to th UPS store and picked up the flats I had blown up. I am quite pleased with the way they turned out. My opinion I thinks the colors actually came out better. Here are some pics. The first pic has the original flat at the top of the new flat to give some perspective of size. Now I just have to get to Hobby Lobby and pick up more larger black foam boards but seeing York is just a few days away I won't get there till I get back...............Paul

Looks great Paul. 

Very successful day at the Omaha show. (Sorry for the lame quality photos)

CoastsideKevin posted:

Berkshirelover726 posted:

I actually got to run some trains for once! I actually ran the O gauge layout and I ran my S gauge too. I'm taking some of my new Super O track to my girlfriends house and have it so I can run any 3 rail I may buy in the future. Been a good day for trains. 

Love this look! Have to ask how you did the mountains in the background. Did you just paint the walls?

Thank so for the reply! Dad airbrush painted the walls but then we added metal screening with durabond 90 to make the "real" mountain on the wall. 

Well, it looks great. Gives me good inspiration!

paul 2 posted:

Dave, your last pics of your scenery are very good. You definatley have an eye for capturing mother nature.

Bob, good idea and nice work.

Mike g, your control panel has come out great.

Johan, keep the pics coming. Job well done on the rotary plow.

Today I did a full circle. I got out late morning to th UPS store and picked up the flats I had blown up. I am quite pleased with the way they turned out. My opinion I thinks the colors actually came out better. Here are some pics. The first pic has the original flat at the top of the new flat to give some perspective of size. Now I just have to get to Hobby Lobby and pick up more larger black foam boards but seeing York is just a few days away I won't get there till I get back...............Paul

Paul: Thank you. I try, last week was a really busy.

Johan

Paul, The backdrop flats look great!  Have a great week at York!!  Are you travelling the Pennsylvania Turnpike with the heavy tolls, or going across I-80 then dropping south?

RSJB18 posted:

Speaking of printable scenery...I just downloaded a bunch of images from another train site I follow. Lot's of great buildings, and scenic elements for some future projects. I've used the technique before and it does make nice, inexpensive scenery.

The roof and the lower half of the stone walls are both done with printouts mounted on card stock.

Ran trains for a while last night. Shot this video this morning for SWSat.

 

WOW Bob... that rock wall is spectacularly realistic. The stone really looks like it has depth. Great job!!!

Been a while since I’ve updated, but all of the major main line track work is finished. I just need to work on a DPDY or AR1 for the reverse loop, but other than that, I can run trains. Next step is to start working on the yard. Please ignore the mess.  My helper is also sleeping on the job again!!