What did you do on your layout today?

paul 2 posted:

John, nice video of the 86' cars. 

Johan, the car looks good.

Ed, I like the way you did the road.

Mark, good to hear you got a little layout time.

Everyone is posting great stuff. I still have not found the time. Outdoor work is kicking me. But today I got a nice package from the "B". A couple  more Weaver undecorated trailers. Been figuring to paint them and use them behind the cabs I have been buying from Diecast direct. I haven't tried yet to see if the trailers will work with those cabs. Pics............Paul 2

 

Thanks.

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Republic Steel "40" Hi-Cube box car.

Bar GP7, very nice weathering.  I admire folks that can do that.  I really like the Republic Steel car. I grew up in Cleveland next to the Jones & Laughlin and Republic Steel mills.  I have a J&L set from Lionel, but have not been able to find anything "Republic."  Your post gives me added incentive to keep looking. Thanks for posting.

ToledoEd posted:

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Republic Steel "40" Hi-Cube box car.

Bar GP7, very nice weathering.  I admire folks that can do that.  I really like the Republic Steel car. I grew up in Cleveland next to the Jones & Laughlin and Republic Steel mills.  I have a J&L set from Lionel, but have not been able to find anything "Republic."  Your post gives me added incentive to keep looking. Thanks for posting.

Ed. Thank you very much. I like also Republic Steel Company and it's very interested read that history.  Maybe i try build later some Republic Steel items, but before that i am gonna build some load inside that car.

Johan

I rewired an AF "Franklin" 4-4-0 today.  Pulled the reverse unit and hooked things up so it's forward only.   

The train and layout will be on semi-permanent display at the Rogers,  AR History Museum!   Naturally,  I'm quite pleased.

Mitch 

The neighbors had some family with their kids over from out of town.  They know I have trains and kindly asked if it would be a bother to show them the layout.  Lucky for them all the construction is done so I got to be a good ambassador for the hobby and ran some trains along with accessories.  New elevated line ran perfectly thank the train layout gods for that.  The parents loved the red light district (they thought that was very unique) and the kids were split from the baseball field to the amusement park area. They are in town for a few more days and wanted to know if I knew of any other railroad/layout activities in the area and I said I knew of one other layout they should visit so I gave them your address Paul.  I knew you wouldn't mind. lol

Well Bryan, that was right neighborly of you to do that. You are a true ambassador of the hobby.  And you were also so kind as to send them my way. If they knock on my door that will be the first time I will see my layout since before I went to Wisconsin at the beginning of July. LOL But it was good to hear the layout ran with no gremlins showing up and they all enjoyed it..............Paul 2

mike g. posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

Mike, melt down like at Chernobyl?

Hey Mark, it made the top surface shrink down like it had been ran over with a semi truck! Its only to load small stuff with like a forklift or a hand truck! LOL

Well Mike, I just don't understand it either!  

Today I started to plan a possible track-plan tweak to develop&enhance operation on the Plywood Empire Route. Presently interchange occurs on a reverse loop in the next room (tunnel through the partition):

Drilling&blocking is done using the 'ole 0-5-0 switcher. If I were to develop a usable interchange yard I would almost double switching operations.....

This is how it might be done:

The reverse loop would be turned into a stub siding and become the interchange track, capable of holding 18-20 cars. This plus adding a passing siding and three remote uncouplers with car-stoppers would create a simple working yard.

There is space and the necessary clearance to make these changes:

This view is looking North towards what would be the interchange open-ended loop. The downsides are that I would lose the mountain and Oil Creek. The upside would be adding another whole dimension to operations.

The operating premise would be that every three days by early AM the connecting railroad would drop a 20 car train on the interchange track, picking up the twenty-or-so cars sitting outbound on interchange. The PER local would then show up and drop 6-10 cars for outbound. The necessary drilling&blocking would assemble the incoming train into two trains because a short steep grade prevents all twenty cars from reaching town together. Also, there is insufficient siding space to spot all 20 cars at their destinations. So the crew would bring one 6-10 car train into town and spot those cars as well as picking up the 6-10 ready outgoing cars. Next morning back to interchange for the other incoming and to drop outgoing. Also all 18-20 cars would get drilled&blocked into an outgoing train ready for the connecting railroad to pick up. And so it would go.

I need to recheck clearances and that the interchange track would hold the necessary 20 cars. Also, I need to test the ability of the SW1500 to handle 20 cars on level track. But what I really need to do is thoroughly run the operating scenario in my head to assure my self it will actually operate as I envision it.

Lew 

Lew, Sounds like a good plan for some switching action.  Make sure you keep the 0-5-0 switcher well lubricated!  My 0-5-0 has creaky joints!    I asked the surgeon to add some grease fittings, but he said these are lifetime greaseless joints!!    Decisions, decisions!  I do like mountains and Oil Creek!!

Oh, I can see the drawing in the middle, but don't see the two photographs!

Mark, did that fix it? I re-entered the pics.

I'd like some of that joint-oil too. Too many years using my hands as wrenches, pliers and hammers. But as Arnold pointed out, I still get to use them to work on and run trains so it's all good 

Lew

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

I rewired an AF "Franklin" 4-4-0 today.  Pulled the reverse unit and hooked things up so it's forward only.   

The train and layout will be on semi-permanent display at the Rogers,  AR History Museum!   Naturally,  I'm quite pleased.

Mitch 

Looks great, Mitch... congrats on being on semi-permanent display (you can take that anyway you want!!!). All that’s missing from that tableau is Rin-Tin-Tin chasing Norma BK!!!

geysergazer posted:

Mark, did that fix it? I re-entered the pics.

I'd like some of that joint-oil too. Too many years using my hands as wrenches, pliers and hammers. But as Arnold pointed out, I still get to use them to work on and run trains so it's all good 

Lew

Ah yes, much better, Lew!!

How do y'all get so much done?  Again, my progress took about over 30 hours.  When the light over my head came on this time, illuminating dark corners were my goal.  I rummaged through a box of power supplies and chose an old Sears Beta Max camera supply (12VDC@3A).  I also grabbed a broken "angel eye" headlight.  The headlight had two semi circular led strips.  I mounted them to the bottom of two elevated sections of track.  While I was up on the board, I found a split piece of curved tubular track that was causing derailments.  Easy fix.  I also added LED lights to my hot rod shop.  To get the light intensity I wanted, I installed a 1K Ohm pot on the output of the camera supply.  I think I will be adding many more LED's.  I have a spare big supply.  13.8VDC @ 35A should light the railroad well.

1982 "BETA" camera supply

I'm with you, Bill!  Some of these guys accomplish so much!  I just stumble around, but I'm having fun at it.  That certainly does light the corner!!

Bill, I think 13.8VDC @ 35A would light several thousand LEDs 

Lew

Today for fun I sprayed one of my scrap MTH 2-Rail RealTrax pieces with Stone paint to see what a gray ballast would look like.  It was my first ever attempt and it looks like it.

When I get more adept at spray painting, I plan on buying Ross Roadbed for Atlas O and using the same Stone paint like Peter (Putnam Division) has done.

Amfleet25124 posted:

Today for fun I sprayed on my scrap MTH 2-Rail RealTrax with Stone paint to see what a gray ballast would look like.  It was my first ever attempt and it looks like it.

When I get more adept at spray painting, I plan on buying Ross Roadbed for Atlas O and using the same Stone paint like Peter (Putnam Division) has done.

Hey Kevin,  that stone paint also works great for streets, roads and parking lots, sidewalks....

Also, looks pretty good for ballast as you show... Nice'...

Looks great, Kevin!

I forgot to upload a picture of the "angel eyes."  Here is one side.  Don't get all excited about premade LED arches.  The headlights these came out of are $164 a pair.  They look cool on my truck but one little rock really hurts.

Bill

Quarter Gauger 48 posted:

Amfleet25124 posted:

Today for fun I sprayed on my scrap MTH 2-Rail RealTrax with Stone paint to see what a gray ballast would look like.  It was my first ever attempt and it looks like it.

When I get more adept at spray painting, I plan on buying Ross Roadbed for Atlas O and using the same Stone paint like Peter (Putnam Division) has done.

Hey Kevin,  that stone paint also works great for streets, roads and parking lots, sidewalks....

Also, looks pretty good for ballast as you show... Nice'...

 

Mark Boyce posted:

Looks great, Kevin!

 Thanks guys.  I figure its a good start.

Busy deleting photos from old posts.....

RSJB18 posted:

Busy deleting photos from old posts.....

Same here. A few but they are there so it needs doing.

Lew

First pour of WS Realistic Water for the lake.  Going to do one more pour then try my hand at creating ripples using Modge Podge.

Mitch, Looks very nice! Should  be a wonderful display at the Museum! Nice Work!

Bryan, Way to step up and share your trains with the kids and there parents, I sure am glad everything ran smooths and all were impressed! It was so nice of you to inform them about Paul's layout! It will be interesting to see what Paul says about there visit! LOL

Paul, I hope your ready for company! LOL

Lew very interesting idea, it sounds like that's what your trying to reach in the end for your enjoyment! You can always rebuild the mountain somewhere else.

Bill nice job on the corner. I just love the ease of putting LED's on the layout and in buildings. Also its great how all those old power supplies for phones and such are coming into use now! LOL

Steve, the lake looks good! I sure hope you will keep posting more photo's as you go along! It will be nice to see the finished product!

Well I didn't get any train room yesterday, but that's ok as I am kind of stuck till I can afford my Ross "Y" 's . I will do a little touch up painting on some buildings and might paint the top of the bench as I do have the paint. LOL

Just thought I would throw this in today as it just came across my computer as someone liked a post from 2012. My first ever O scale layout! Enjoy                                                                                               It was a 5 X 9 layout LOL

Well its Hump day so everyone have a great day and Have fun!

Looks great Mike.....from humble beginnings- look where you are now.

Bob

RSJB18 posted:

Looks great Mike.....from humble beginnings- look where you are now.

Bob

Thanks Bob, I sure have learned a lot in the last 7 years and have a lot more to learn, but it is getting easier! 

Sure is a lot more fun when you have a better understanding of things!

There: it took a good couple hours to delete all the pics I had put up of either unknown provenance or for-sure copyrighted. I know better as my Wife is a Librarian. Last evening she reminded me with the short sweet lecture that copyright fair-use only applies in a [formal] education or research environment. I hope all of us are policing our posts similarly because Alan doesn't have the time to go through all these threads for copyrighted or possibly copyrighted material.

Lew

Steve, really good start to the lake. Keep the pics coming. 

Mike g, bottom line is I am never prepared. Always worried gremlins will rear their ugly little heads. Your layout has really come a long way. Looking beter and better with every pic you post..............Paul 2

geysergazer posted:

RSJB18 posted:

Busy deleting photos from old posts.....

Same here. A few but they are there so it needs doing.

Lew

Thank you Bob and Lew for commenting on deleting photographs.  I hadn't seen Alan's pinned post, but got the drift and pulled it up on the computer.  During the week I almost never look at the Forum on the computer.  I just reply to emails I get about additions to the topics I'm following.  I believe the only photographs I have posted from off the Internet were of the real places I plan to base my layout on.  They would all be on this topic and my own design and build topic.  I'll have to take a look see!

I did some concept-testing wrt adding an interchange yard. I started by assembling a 17 car train as it might be delivered to interchange by the connecting railroad. Then coupled up the SW1500 and tested it's pulling power: 

Cars on the train are blocked as they would be with tank cars at neither the head-end or rear-end. I then split that long train by drilling and re-blocking into two trains for the trip from interchange to town:

Pay no attention to that troll peeking around the corner. He is harmless.

The process worked and was a satisfying bit of operation so now the decision will be made as to whether crowding in a whole new operating scene will work or whether the loss of scenery along with the addition of track&switches would make the whole pike too cramped and spaghetti-bowl-like.

Lew

Lew,  I like spaghetti.

Consider this section of your layout a "Puzzle Board," subject to change and rearranging of pieces by your current operation or mood. 

1. Fill it full of trees and you have a forest as foreground to the beautiful view out the window.

2. Run long storage sidings and you have more space to park your rolling stock. 

3. If space becomes an issue, trim the buildings for "background" placement. Save the backside and you have another building.

4. All "wiring drill holes" are easily filled with a bit on greenery, a rock, a critter, a tree stump, etc.

It all is looking good.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

NIIICE Brian!

I especially like the lighting in the third pic.

Lew

John Rowlen posted:

Lew,  I like spaghetti.

Consider this section of your layout a "Puzzle Board," subject to change and rearranging of pieces by your current operation or mood. 

1. Fill it full of trees and you have a forest as foreground to the beautiful view out the window.

2. Run long storage sidings and you have more space to park your rolling stock. 

3. If space becomes an issue, trim the buildings for "background" placement. Save the backside and you have another building.

4. All "wiring drill holes" are easily filled with a bit on greenery, a rock, a critter, a tree stump, etc.

It all is looking good.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

John, the goal would be to achieve this track-plan of a practical interchange yard with sufficient storage of interchange cars:

The reverse loop (in the next room) would be turned into a stub siding and become the interchange track, capable of holding 18-20 cars. This plus adding a passing siding and three remote uncouplers with car-stoppers would create a simple working yard. The necessary clearances exist so the plan is practical. 

This corner would lose the mountain and tunnel and a double-track liftout (actually hinge-up) would be required:

The yard-throat track switches would be positioned as shown.

The South side of the layout (the pic with the troll in it) has had it's track-plan tweaked more times than I can offhand remember as I gained experience with operating.

Lew

Did not want to create a new thread.   But what did I do on my layout today?

I took a call from a inadvertently from a solicitor while running my Alco PA ABA and went through horn, bell and announcements.  It is so loud am curious how it sounded over the phone. 

Brian, Peek a boo thoroughbred!

Lew, Looks like a good plan!  Have fun!

Brian, One just has to love those BN & BNSF engines! Thanks, Wonderful night photos of your NS engines! From all your pictures I would have to say you have more Engines then anyone I know! LOL

Paul, I know what you mean about the gremlins I worry every time I power up the layout for the grandkids, never fails something goes wrong, while it works perfect during my pretest! LOL

Lew, Good looking train! It looks like every thing went well! I will be watching to see what direction you go! Keep us all posted!

Well its raining right now and if it is still training when I get off work it will be a train room day, but if its dry then its back to yard work. LOL That's how things roll around here. The good thing is its the weekend and I might be able to get it done early and still get some time on Sunday!

Well folks its Friday! I hope everyone has a great weekend with plenty of train time! Whatever you end up doing please have FUN!