What did you do on your layout today?

Bill Webb posted:

Elliott it looks like only one choice to me with the quality of your layout. Gotta fix it or you will never be satisfied.

Bill, that may be where I end up with this. I still have to check the Atlas 89' flat, a 21" passenger car,  and the 86' boxcars but I think they're all good. It's just those dang ladders on the auto racks that I have found, that are hitting. The Challenger will have a problem too, but it won't be taking that route and will use the small helix and small hidden yard, which it clears.

There is one more critical test that I haven't been able to perform as of yet, and it may be a while before I can, and that is will those cars go through the big hidden yard? There is one spot in particular, and that is the big hairpin turn seen here, in this very old photo.

The curve diameters are 092, 084, 076, 068 and 060.  There was no choice in this design and it cannot be changed. It is what it is. The curves at the far end should be fine, because the tightest is 072 and they go up to 0104.

WOW Elliot, now that I see all the rolling stock you have. Now I knw why you have suck a big layout. I think it all looks great! Quick question. do you have any Atlas Pratt Bridges on your layout?

mike g. posted:

WOW Elliot, now that I see all the rolling stock you have. Now I knw why you have suck a big layout. I think it all looks great! Quick question. do you have any Atlas Pratt Bridges on your layout?

Oh Mike, what you are seeing there is just the tip of the iceberg. There are way more cars still in boxes.

There will only be 3 train bridges on the entire layout. Two will be lift bridges, and the third will be a multi-span box truss, which I have to do on a curve even though the real one is straight.

This is the CP (ex Milw) lift bridge over the Mississippi at Hastings MN.

The BNSF (ex CB&Q) lift bridge over the mouth of the St Croix River at Prescott WI.

This is the Milwaukee Road Short Line Bridge over the Mississippi in Minneapolis.

I might be able to use a Lionel lift bridge at Prescott, but I need to know if the MTH double stacks will go through before I invest. The other two will be scratch built.

Nice looking bridges there Elliot, I can't wait to see your full layout, I hope you put together a video! Everytime I see pictures I am just scratching my head wondering how you do all that. Do you know anyone who has a Pratt Bridge, I know the length, width, and height. But I have been looking for measurements of the deck side rails and the top rails, then the angle sizes. I can't afford one right now, but I think I can build one out of a bunch of wood I have.

Mike, I'm sure there are a bunch of forum members who have one, just not me. Why not start a topic and ask? It's as good a question as any.

;

paul 2 posted:

Today I finished up table three. Got it painted, leveled and bolted to table two and the wall. I had to make up a couple of blocks to go under two legs. Old basement I did not realize how bad the floor dropped toward the drain. Once the paint dries on them I'll place them under the legs. I made them long enough so the next tables legs will rest on them too. Right now I am hoping the floor goes back to level floor when I build table four. For me this is my stopping point. Heading for York on Thursday so for the rest of the week I'll run trains and make my wish list, actually my gotta have it list for York. Couple of pics of table three...........Paul

 

Paul:

Your bench work looks GREAT! Taking the time to carefully level the tables now will save you a lot of headaches in the future.

Randy, once again thanks for the compliment. I learned early that level is better especially where the tables meet. With longer ridged engine frames bad track work shows up more so. Still have a few tables to do. On a humorous note I am building the tables like the movie Field of Dreams. By that I am hoping a track plan will come to me like a light bulb going off.  It's not that I don't know what I want other then a switching layout. I just have not laid anything out.....................Paul

I recently purchased the small Lionel Grand Central terminal and I love it! The light inside is nice, but I felt that the outside of the station needed some more light on it. So I purchased some mini led spot lights from Wehonest on Ebay. The lights all work off of two AA batteries. Everything looks good except for one light that is dim. I have ordered some more lights and contacted Wehonest about the one dim light. I think the effect with the lights looks great. What do you think?

 

Hi John, I think it looks great! Way to go!

Thanks Mike!

Got my LED's on my airfield back up and running again. Also put out a couple Menard building for safe storage! LOL

Bolted the 253 together temporarily using 21st Century stainless screws...

Still to be done:  New wiring, brush springs,  reverser switch and pickup shoes (will be putting an order into Train Tender next week)...

Mitch

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Bolted the 253 together temporarily using 21st Century stainless screws...

Still to be done:  New wiring, brush springs,  reverser switch and pickup shoes (will be putting an order into Train Tender next week)...

Mitch

Looks great, Mitch. Always interested to see you posts.

Today I was working in the train room and I stopped to watch some You Tube videos, and found a video I never saw on YT.  This 1946 Chevy Panel Truck from a hobby shop called, “French’s Lionel Train Hobby House” see video below and photo. Enjoy.

Carey TeaRose posted:

Finally found the material I had been thinking of for the corners of my Std. Gauge Art Deco-style layout table. I bought four 12"x12" pieces of black with heavy white veining marble, that will be wet-saw cut down and then laid and glued in at the 9"x11" table's now-open corners.

These on a 42" high, 5'6" wide, x 8'10" long layout table- with fluted (routered), castered table legs, that are to be painted and finished with a black lacquer look.

Pics shows two of the marble pieces mocked-up in situ. The 4'x9'" wood end pieces seen herewill be replaced with 4'x11" wood end pieces.

Looks to me like a gale blown sea from above!

I finished setting the ballast in the yard area.  My next project is to build and install dwarf signals for indicating switch direction. Found some target heads supplied with red & green LEDs and resister on ebay.  Package of 10 included free shipping for $12.99. You can bid on them and get them even cheaper.  I felt the buy now price was a bargain already.  Great service and prompt delivery all the way from China.   Arrived within 10 days of order.   They are a perfect size for what I want to use them for.   Check it out:  JTD23 10 sets Target Faces - eBay

I will post more when I get them installed.
Dave

Moving right along with my layout.  I'm using any spare time I have now, because the upstairs renovation is coming in June. Still doesn't look like much.  I placed most of the accessories on the layout for fit and ease of use.  Now they need to be wired.  I also have to complete the wiring of the remainder of O22 switches.  I bought some building photos and mounted them to quarter inch birch plywood.  The catenary section in the front is removed for ease of working on the platform.  You can fit alot of stuff on a 4'x12' platform.    

Hi Dave, Nothing showed up from your link to Ebay.

Looks great Dan ! Where did you get the building photos? I really like them.

Mike

Also do you have a closer shot of them?

Mike

Dug out my 4 Ives  engines and ran them, first time in a long time. Tomorrow I will clean lube them. They run as smooth as silk. No steamers-just electrics but a steamer is on my list.

Restrung a 6560 crane:

Using #6 bead string from Hobby Lobby:

Works just fine!  Elevation screw for the boom is on order from the Train Tender...

Mitch

Put my old O gauge Ives away and ran my Lionel 254 with  610 & 612 passenger cars. Spent most of my time outside. Started cleaning the leaves and twigs off my G scale track. Won't take much to get it going.  I have a bunched of extra O gauge 3 rail track and just might experiment with it outside. Like a narrow gauge next to the G gauge. Thinking a little paint on the rails to keep some of the rust off. I have extra Standard gauge too !!

WRM, I wanna get some O31 curves for the 253 and consist at some point...

Mitch

I took about thirty (30) color photographs this evening of my Lionel O-gauge layout I have slowly been building for the past 18-months.  I'll have a lot more wiring to do after the track is finalized.  Mitch will like the photo of all the trolleys !!  Anyway, photos have to be checked out and ID'd and a script written to tell you guys what the heck is taking place !  I hope to post them later tomorrow!

Cheers.

KRK

Rearranged track and mock buildings, again!

Brought home a few goodies from York yesterday, a MTH trolley being one of them.  Of course I put it into immediate service and it worked like a jewel!  Runs very smooth and evenly on very low voltage.  This new MTH will now become my first line trolley, thus bumping ( no pun intended )  my Industrial Rail by Atlas O trolley into reserve status.  

I had the neighborhood kids over tonight to see the layout in action.  They all loved the new trolley and were thrilled watching 4 trains run on 3 levels.  They loved seeing photos, on the train room wall, of me at the throttle of a real life GG1 and seeing my scale Williams GG1 #4876!  There is one photo of me sitting in the engineers seat, of the real G, getting the engineers view out the small window of the G  .... as I pointed to that window on the model G.  They were in awe!!  

I let them run the trains and pick out an engine to replace the Y6b whose front pilot truck wheel was having a tracking problem when going over a switch.  The kids unanimously chose a B&O GP 9 to replace the Y6b.  One of their favorite trains in my collection is the EMD Aerotrain.  They love the way it looks!  For that matter so do I!

They had questions about cabooses ... as to how many cabooses did a freight train have?... and was the caboose always at the end of a freight train? .... What is a milk train?  

They really liked my US Army flat cars with artillery loads, truck and jeeps. Another favorite was my tank car train pulled by a FM Trainmaster in Virginian livery.  They also liked seeing the layout with the room lights turned off. That got a big WOW!!  Heres a few video of train on the FSJR in Patsburg!

Nothing like sharing my love of trains, both real and model, with kids!!!  Its a cool thing!!! 

 

 

Here are a few more photos of my layout ... The Free State Junction Railway.

Extended the layout with another bump out for additional sidings to serve.

Started wiring all the switches and accessories. I have to extend the wiring on three operating track sections, but everything else should be pretty straight forward.

Got around to installing my first track signal, a Z-Stuff searchlight block . . .

Picked up ZW at an auction.

Cleaned it up and tested it, works great. Even the original cord is in good shape.

 

trumptrain posted:

Brought home a few goodies from York yesterday, a MTH trolley being one of them.  Of course I put it into immediate service and it worked like a jewel!  Runs very smooth and evenly on very low voltage.  This new MTH will now become my first line trolley, thus bumping ( no pun intended )  my Industrial Rail by Atlas O trolley into reserve status.  

I had the neighborhood kids over tonight to see the layout in action.  They all loved the new trolley and were thrilled watching 4 trains run on 3 levels.  They loved seeing photos, on the train room wall, of me at the throttle of a real life GG1 and seeing my scale Williams GG1 #4876!  There is one photo of me sitting in the engineers seat, of the real G, getting the engineers view out the small window of the G  .... as I pointed to that window on the model G.  They were in awe!!  

I let them run the trains and pick out an engine to replace the Y6b whose front pilot truck wheel was having a tracking problem when going over a switch.  The kids unanimously chose a B&O GP 9 to replace the Y6b.  One of their favorite trains in my collection is the EMD Aerotrain.  They love the way it looks!  For that matter so do I!

They had questions about cabooses ... as to how many cabooses did a freight train have?... and was the caboose always at the end of a freight train? .... What is a milk train?  

They really liked my US Army flat cars with artillery loads, truck and jeeps. Another favorite was my tank car train pulled by a FM Trainmaster in Virginian livery.  They also liked seeing the layout with the room lights turned off. That got a big WOW!!  Heres a few video of train on the FSJR in Patsburg!

Nothing like sharing my love of trains, both real and model, with kids!!!  Its a cool thing!!! 

 

 

Great videos! Thanks for sharing.

I finally finished this scratch built water tank project, which had been sitting around for a very long time...

Yesterday morning the deco style Std Gauge layout table (the top) came into the house to be put together in situ. Legs are done with priming, and today I started the first coat of gloss black painting. 42" to top of table height is taller than I expected it would be. Have never had a train table at this height.

p51 posted:

I finally finished this scratch built water tank project, which had been sitting around for a very long time...

But where are Billie Jo, Betty Jo and Bobbie Jo? 

Mitch

And their towels. Ok , forget the towels!!!! Lol

Did I say that? 

Mike

keyrouteken posted:

I took about thirty (30) color photographs this evening of my Lionel O-gauge layout I have slowly been building for the past 18-months.  I'll have a lot more wiring to do after the track is finalized.  Mitch will like the photo of all the trolleys !!  Anyway, photos have to be checked out and ID'd and a script written to tell you guys what the heck is taking place !  I hope to post them later tomorrow!

Cheers.

KRK

KEN's Lionel O-gauge Layout

(An Amazement in the Works)

 

Hi Everybody-- As promised, here are the thirty color photos I took last night (Saturday, April 16th) ... The project does not appear to be beautiful and is highly cluttered, for now ! That will eventually change. Most of the tubular track will have wooden black ties glued between the metal ties. It makes the track look so much better.

There are TWO mainline loops on the lower level. Main 1 and Main 2.... There is an End-to-End loop for local trolleys to operate, known as the "Nicole Loop". Named after the 19-year old young lady who climbed up on top of the layout and installed some of the track for me. She was great ! Cute too ! Going to college to become an RN. Her slightly older brother is going to become an MD. Wow-if the family gets sick--they're all set !!

Anyway, Main 2 is designed to accommodate various operations without interfering with Trolleys. Main 1 (the Outer loop) is designed to accommodate various trains, with an interchange feature employed so Trolleys can share the mainline while a first-class train is held in a holding block.

A Trolley entering the Trolley loop from Main 1 will circle around, re-enter Main 1 in the opposite direction, cross the Hexxllgate Bridge, take a right at the tower, and ride the elevated line around the layout, terminating in the stub-end Trolley terminal, unless the Trolley negotiates track 3 in the Terminal, which continues to a bumper-controlled line.

This line will eventually continue, via a # 313 bascule bridge, to more trackage on the upper fireplace shelf.

Anyway, more info in a short bit !

There are thirty color photos to give you a peek as to what is going on--and I include a description for each photo :

Photo # 0841 Front of layout. Hexxllgate Bridge--elevated stub end trolley terminal.

# 0842 Another view--Hexxllgate Bridge & trolley terminal. Note the construction sign:

"Construction Zone"--Safety First !-- Kuzie Construction Company" (Kuzie is Ken & Suzie combined--clever, huh ?)

# 0843 View of double-track mainline. Wood ties improve the appearance.

# 0844 Tracks everywhere ! Sawmill to the left. Elevated trolley line crosses the two mains.

# 0845 Panoramic view ! Hexxllgate Bridge--elevated trolley terminal--major junction-- the towerman controls the action.

# 0846 Trolley junction--the bumper reverses trolley.

# 0847 Panoramic view ! "PRR" train of commuters using MP54 cars, pauses at the tower.

# 0848 View of elevated trolley line looking across the steel truss bridge.

# 0849 Tail end of trolley reverse loop.

# 0850 Wiring clutter ! All wiring done without a diagram. I'm good, huh? (grin)

Middle track will be Operating Car area. RCS and Insulated track sections will allow three operating areas.

# 0851 View of steel truss bridge and "wiring clutter" ...

# 0852 Remote switch controllers.

# 0853 Control panel-- toggle switches--push buttons * ...

*Push buttons will initiate automatic operations of Trolleys.

# 0854 When power is "ON", these two lamps light ! Green light at far left lights when "switch power" is turned on.

# 0855 ZW, KW and LW transformers provide Primary power.

# 0856 My Greyhound Bus Terminal. The 'Marquee' sign is really cool in its operation.

# 0857 Pedestrian crossover is a new addition. Passengers from Bus terminal will walk over to a Trolley stop.

# 0858 Elevated trolley line making the climb.

# 0859 South end of layout. L-R: Elevated trolley line; Main 1; Main 2; Interchange to "Nicole Loop".

# 0860 Fireplace display! ATSF A-B-B-A ALCO units: four motors. (Future terminal)

# 0861 Coming round the bend!

# 0862 One track of elevated trolley terminal was extended to an elevated bumper.

Line to be eventually extended to the fireplace (top shelf) via a # 313 Bascule Bridge.

# 0863 Rear of Greyhound bus terminal. Three buses chosen to remind me of my childhood in Oakland, CA. L-R: Peerless Stages; Greyhound Lines; Trailways...

Fourth vehicle is a "woody" station wagon.

# 0864 Greyhound terminal takes up a lot of real estate.

# 0865 Another view of "Ken's Wonder" !

# 0866 SP 4294 sits on a display track. Business car "Mellenium" sits on display track.

# 0867 Trolley Loop with too much rolling stock in the way.

# 0868 Homemade book case for excess goodies.

# 0869 Steam power at the ready ! Two Hudsons; two Turbines. Two or three others.

# 0870 More power available. 1- ZW; 1- Z; 1-Powermaster; 1- CW 80. Freight and

Passenger stations.

Note: When the installation of wood Ties is completed, and Trees and Plasticville houses are installed, the track areas will be ballasted, and bare plywood and wiring will be covered by Top Soil or suitable Ground Cover. My wife Suzie has an extensive collection of vintage Plasticville. She also has seventeen (17) Trolleys.....

This completes the photographic tour of my current layout construction. As far as knowing a "little" about electricity: I took Electronic classes in high school and college.

I was an E-5 in the Navy. Maintaining communications, radar and countermeasures equipment in the Western Pacific in the 60's... I worked for the telephone company (Ma Bell) in the Switching and Special Services departments for just shy of "50" years, before finally retiring on October 24, 2014. Hopefully, guys, I'll be able to wire an O-gauge

layout !!

Cheers !

Ken Shattock (KRK)

Love them trolleys,  Ken! 

As for me, I did horrible things to a cracked Scout caboose shell and an MPC Penn Central gondola to start fabricating a crane tender out of things I had around the house... 

Mitch

Not much but did put my Lionel 261 on the track and ran it. Spent the day taking RR photos of NS black & white locos with a CSX thrown in. The neatest was a LORAM rail grinder unit working on the Youngstown line through New Brighton. No shower of sparks but lots of smoke and dirt. Trains !!  NS and even CSX ran a whole lot of trains today. From 10AM until 3PM, lots of trains. All kinds-oil, coal, grain and mixed freights. Some crews were friendly.  Too bad there wasn't much variety in the engines.

Not much. Cast 2 more rock faces and poured another water layer.

Coincidentally, I also cast a few rock faces and outcroppings.  This is new territory to me, never having used casting molds and Sculptamold before.   Here's the castings attached to the sub layer.  I'm using house wrap ( Tyvek ) as a base then paint it with a thinned mix of drywall mud to form a solid sub layer when dry.

I picked up a rock face mold, much like the type DOBERMAN is using, to line tunnel entrances.  With Sculptamold, it sets up within 20-30 minutes and is still flexible enough to conform to the curved tunnel walls.  The completed tunnel section here is still damp.

Bruce

Looks good. Maybe I'll try sculptamold since resin is a pain.

I set aside the afternoon to get the grass done for the center section of the layout. So the scenery is finally underway. I'll have this thing looking like a layout should, well inside the 2 years since it was still a pile of lumber and flex track.

I put down paint the color of the soil where I'm modeling, put down various ground foam and ballast for gravel, them sprayed the heck out of it with Micro Mark water/glue mix to solidify it all. Just blew some air across the surface and nothing moved.

I've waited so long for this day to come, where my layout actually look like a layout should, it really made me stop and stare. I've been looking forward to this moment for over a decade.

Ran trains some this morning.  Made up new freight trains for the inner and outer loop mainlines.

Slow progress on the Steam Era Structures Linoleum Factory!

Not on my indoor O gauge layout but cleaned up the winter debris and ran some trains on my garden railway today.  Felt good being out in the sun.

Oh, did I mention replacing some cornice trim on the house, cutting the grass, alittle nap time...... .  .   .    .     .    

 You guys have some great layouts. I installed a 048 remote switch that I forgot I had. I was going through some switch boxes and there it was. The original switch was a 036 manual. I had to make some minor adjustments to the track, but it works.

 

Legs attached on the art deco style Std. Gauge layout table I am creating with my fiance' Tom.

 

 

 

Carey TeaRose posted:

Legs attached on the art deco style Std. Gauge layout table I am creating with my fiance' Tom.

 

 

 

Carey - Tom is a lucky guy!!!

Ran trains for about 10 minutes while getting dressed for work this morning.  Thats all the train time for today unfortunately 

Sent a couple of unreliable switches off to tinman.  I have 4 pre fifty switches in the layout that work perfectly.  It is the stuff from the 90's that is unreliable.  Had hand surgery last week and one armed wiring is just not working out.  

Ramp made from a wedge of foam, covered in caulk, latex paint, ground foam and ballast, with end beams of coffee stirrers and dowels died with ink.
Cost maybe two dollars total, I guess...

I saw this done by someone else and managed to get it working.

Have not done anything since I got back from York. After working on the yard this past couple of days getting caught up I can go and run some trains this afternoon. Tonight is the Tuesday night crew get together. Tomorrow I plan on an extended train work day.....................Paul

For my deco style Std Gauge layout table, the top is in four pieces fitted together. the center is 4'x8', with 9' pieces surrounding it. The four additional pieces got glued up to the main pieces, the short sides yesterday.

More bracing right next to the table legs will be happening next.

After that, then the four marble corner pieces will be sent with Tom to work to get cut. They are now 12"x12", and will end being 9"x11".

I'll be starting to look at different wood stains for the poplar top.

Love the idea Lee! Looks great!

mike g. posted:

Love the idea Lee! Looks great!

Thanks, it took very little effort. I cut the pink foam with a heat cutter, them smeared caulk over the top to get the smooth look right. The boards were amazingly easy and took less than 5 minutes total (I made an extra one at the same time, just in case another is needed elsewhere later). I had less than 25 cents into the wood and stain, the ground cover and ballast was probably the most costly part. I have maybe 15-20 minutes in it total. I think I'll be putting similar structures at the end of most of my spurs now that I see how it looks...

I would have to say it was a well spent 15-20 minutes. I have everything but the layout to build one of them. Please show more when you get them installed!

Still working on my endless canyon. Have about 20 feet done including the ghost town but still have about 8 or so feet more to go. It reaches 7 ft. tall and most of it goes to the floor. The upper main line and a short line, both electric. Three mines are serviced by the short line. Not sure how many hundreds of pounds of plaster I've used. There will be blue seamless wall behind the canyon with clouds. Don

 

 

 

You know every time I look on here someone WOW's me with there skills. I'll say it again WOW I have a lot to learn. The good thing is this is the best place to learn! Thank you all and Dan looks great!

I second Mike on that. I love the rock work and can only imagine the time, energy and money it took to create a scene that impressive. I think it looks like resources well used!

Thanks Lee, it's really the cheapest thing on the layout. Plaster Paris, a wood frame, black wrap and acrylic paint. The longest time is letting the molds set up in the sun for a couple of days. It's embarrassingly easy. I wish more people would try things they haven't done before. Anyone can do this, By the way, that's not a white waterfall at the end of the trestle, it's just not covered with a rock mold yet. Don

Hi Don, Is there anyway you could post a video or pictures on how you do that? It's great work!

Wow is right!  Such massive elevations covered with rock castings really does require tons of plaster.  Well done!

Back at the ranch, the section of rock castings I slapped together the other day received some color and foliage today. 

Bruce

 

 

lets see.  MTH Challenger with a faulty smoke unit.  First I superglued the fan blades to the motor shaft so it's not free spinning anymore.  Second I replaced the wicking.  Third I drilled out the hole in the metal piece that divides the smoke output to the two stacks, doubling the diameter size.  Smokes a hell of a lot better.

Next was to install an LED backup light in the challenger tender(bulb burnt out) and install a tether for my new PS3 aux tender.  Removed the coil coupler on the Aux tender and installed a Kadee coupler.  Now my Aux tender is my transition car to my kadee equipped rolling stock.  I'll do a video tomorrow.

Mike, it's in ORG a few months ago. Don't remember what issue. You can look it up. Glad you like it. Don

Tom- extra bracing at the top of the legs added. Me- looking at Minwax wood stain colors. 

The marble pieces are not here, that means Tom has them at his work to get them cut.

Of the stains, I like the English Chestnut, and Green Tea or Early Spring.

trumptrain posted:

Carey TeaRose posted:

Legs attached on the art deco style Std. Gauge layout table I am creating with my fiance' Tom.

 

 

 

Carey - Tom is a lucky guy!!!

Aw shucks, thanks... I'm one lucky gal, too- he's a keeper. Nice to have a master woodworker in the house to build stuff for me We're a good team- I come up with ideas, he makes them happen.

YES! Marble corners pieces cut to size for the layout table. Next, individual cut fill pieces underneath the stone pieces to get them all flush with the top height. Goodie goodie, these look great with the black gloss painted table legs!

I modded Mr Allosaurus to fit on the gang-car to chase the piggies. During the process I managed to move the blade over six inches to reach the ring finger of my other hand, it did not bleed very much! CA glue is such a blessing. C'est la vie. 

scale rail posted:

Thanks Lee, it's really the cheapest thing on the layout. Plaster Paris, a wood frame, black wrap and acrylic paint. The longest time is letting the molds set up in the sun for a couple of days. It's embarrassingly easy.

Funny how the easy stuff sometimes is the thing people make a big deal about, meanwhile they never notice the things that almost drove you nuts or to the poorhouse, huh?

I'm in the middle of scenery work myself, but I decided to use light materials that can flex in case I ever need to move the layout, so using plaster is out for me.

Doesn't mean I can't appreciate your work, though...

Finally got around to finishing Altoona Power Station. Now I just need to connect the power to power the LED I installed inside. This should make this building light up really nice. Next up is too add a whole bunch of zombies. Turn this into a great zombie scene.

 

Looks great, between you and Dustin!, I am glad I have Menards! LOL

Tony,

I love the Work Train.

Good luck with power House too.

John,

 I will be doing a vid on the work train set soon. Just waiting to add some additional work train cars. But I do have a few other train vids. Check them out here 

https://www.youtube.com/user/MrBorderman01/videos

Thanks

A  nice  classic power station.  Like it !!

Went to my L.H.S. today and pick up a hard copy of the MTH Catalog. 2016 Volume 2. Bert was on duty from my old L.H.S. Also met Frank in the HO & N scale department. He had the D T & I / 1776, in HO Scale.  We also talked about the Durand Michigan, Railroad Days, May 12th - 15th. http://www.durandrailroaddays.com/

Frank recommended several railroad history books I should read about the D T & I. Below is a loco I will be putting on my MTH Built to Order. Due late May.

Detroit Toledo & Ironton  - Click here to learn more.

In what you might say is role reversal the wife was watching a basketball game and me, not into sports, I was in the attic running trains for the evening.  Had three conventional and one legacy running. More fun watching trains go around then watching someone running up and down a court.................Paul

I am with you Paul!  Now Football is a different story!

smoking building.

Very nice, where are the fire trucks?

I made some photos of the pickle plant complex (Menard's sallting station and the packing plant, as well as the "pepper" tower, and the rolling stock lettered for the plant, or that support it.....vinegar car, etc.) but have not figured out what this "pickle branch"/company shortline will use for power. I need a scale Porter steamer, and just the K-Line is out there...

Yesterday.   I went out into the lower yard and addressed a fallen granite rock that rolled out into the yard with a 12 lb. sledge hammer.  When I finished, and had a lot of gravel sized pieces, and gathered it all in a few wheelbarrow loads to dump over the bank, I went for a motorcycle ride.

Sometimes it is better to just walk away.  This distraction was the best thing for my layout at the time. 

Today, I have a better plan and clearer direction. 

SAC Sparkchaser posted:

Yesterday.   I went out into the lower yard and addressed a fallen granite rock that rolled out into the yard with a 12 lb. sledge hammer.  When I finished, and had a lot of gravel sized pieces,

Just by way of a friendly Hello, let me offer a bit of trivia. Your rock was from Canada. I don't know where you live, but if it is anywhere south of the Great Lakes, it was a "Glacial Erratic," brought to you by the last Ice Age ( as were the Great Lakes themselves) and deposited in your area by glacial action. Pinkish with the usual black/shiny/gray mica flecks or white-ish with the same content, such rocks originated in Canada and were rolled/dragged/washed to you, hence the rounded shape.

I couldn't resist that, but you probably knew all that anyolways. You picked one of the hardest  rocks on Earth to wack at.

Hi.

FrankM.

In the current issue (June/July) of OGR, there is a photo of a "Bert" patrolling a layout...assume not the same "Bert" cited above...   Per another comment above, a sibling's oldest kid went to a certain college expecting he would make the football team.  He did not.  He did graduate.   I am into cars and trains, not spectator sports, but, to me, basketball moves, football crawls, baseball stands.  (no clue what they do in tennis, nor how they score it, or....even the terminology, although a cousin played it).

And here I was picturing that rock as as having fallen from the ancient volcanic cliffs overhanging Telluride, behind the old RGS  station, or maybe from the Sierra, to roll across the abandoned roadbed of the North Pacifci Coast RR and through your backfence, setting off your dog, who took strong offence at the intruder.

Today it was not on the layout but below. I found some tiles from the previous home owners. So I laid tile today. I got to roller it yet. Couple of pics of the area..........Paul

There is a reason you can't buy that tile anymore.  begins with the letter A.

quickly testing wood stain colors- both from Minwax. The green is their Express Colors in Emerald, definitely needs a second or maybe even third coat. Done with a cloth. The other is English Chestnut, laid on thick with a brush and not wiped after. 

Moonson posted:

SAC Sparkchaser posted:

Yesterday.   I went out into the lower yard and addressed a fallen granite rock that rolled out into the yard with a 12 lb. sledge hammer.  When I finished, and had a lot of gravel sized pieces,

Just by way of a friendly Hello, let me offer a bit of trivia. Your rock was from Canada. I don't know where you live, but if it is anywhere south of the Great Lakes, it was a "Glacial Erratic," brought to you by the last Ice Age ( as were the Great Lakes themselves) and deposited in your area by glacial action. Pinkish with the usual black/shiny/gray mica flecks or white-ish with the same content, such rocks originated in Canada and were rolled/dragged/washed to you, hence the rounded shape.

I couldn't resist that, but you probably knew all that anyolways. You picked one of the hardest  rocks on Earth to wack at.

I live in the Pacific Northwest and our house in on the floor of an ancient glacial valley. Wouldn't have been good real estate 20,000 years ago, I'm imagine.

It stinks when I need to dig a hole for any reason because for every ounce of soil, the shovel will pick up ten pounds of granite and other hard rock types.

CTR:  You should put indoor/outdoor carpet on your layout. deadens sound, easy to put install.

All the granite in my area comes from ancient volcano's.  Garrett island in the middle of the Susquehanna River between Havre de Grace and Perryville Maryland was purchased in 1880 by the B&O Railroad s they could construct a bridge across the river and it was named for John W. Garrett President of the B&O Railroad.  The rocky high ground on the island's west side is the remains of the volcanic core. Basalt and quartz formed by the volcanic activity are still present.  There are several abandoned quarries on both sides of the river and one is still being mined by the Vulcan Materials Company and they estimate they can quarry down about 1000' below the rivers surface and still have plenty of stone 100 years from now.

jmiller320 posted:

All the granite in my area comes from ancient volcano's.  Garrett island in the middle of the Susquehanna River between Havre de Grace and Perryville Maryland was purchased in 1880 by the B&O Railroad s they could construct a bridge across the river and it was named for John W. Garrett President of the B&O Railroad.  The rocky high ground on the island's west side is the remains of the volcanic core. Basalt and quartz formed by the volcanic activity are still present.  There are several abandoned quarries on both sides of the river and one is still being mined by the Vulcan Materials Company and they estimate they can quarry down about 1000' below the rivers surface and still have plenty of stone 100 years from now.

So cool, I was stationed Aberdeen when the Ordnance center was still there, I used to hang around HDG all the time to hit the antique stores, watch the Metroliners zip by the NE Corridor, and sometimes pay the toll to cross the river to Perryville for it's nice depot and the outlet stores there.

Man, I miss that place...

In September, I was going between NYC and DC to get on the Capitol Limited for our cross-country Amtrak trip, and made sure to shoot this over that amazing bridge:

oh!!! I was supposed to wipe off the chestnut stain with a cloth after... duh me. OKAY! Here is a new piece of wood for the English Chestnut stain, one coat brushed on and then wiped off. Second coat of the Emerald, poured into a container and then brushed on, and wiped off. Better

Harumph. I like the two stains together but the English Chestnut next to the Blk/Wht marble does nothin' for me...

P51, The Ordnance School move to Fort Lee and took the Museum, Anzio Annie and all the tanks in the field with them.  You wouldn't recognize the place today.  The new brick barracks have been converted into office buildings.  Almost all of the old wooden WWII building have been torn down and new six story office building have replaced most of them.

 

Sometimes progress is invisible, and today was one of those days. The results of my efforts won't show up for quite a while. I spent 4 hours online ordering electronic components from 3 different suppliers. I'll be building 18 of these circuit boards,

as well as 6 of a different type. The one shown has 12 identical circuits, and each controls a bi-color LED for signals. Doing the math, that's 216 of these LED drivers.

When it comes to electronics, I have limitations. I can't design circuits. I can kind of understand them. If this was cooking, I can follow a recipe, I'm just not a chef. Today was my day in the pantry, gathering the ingredients. When they show up, I'll start cooking. Great project to set up in front of the TV and watch baseball.

p51 posted:

It stinks when I need to dig a hole for any reason because for every ounce of soil, the shovel will pick up ten pounds of granite and other hard rock types.

You'll be needing one of these, then...

Mitch

Carey TeaRose posted:

oh!!! I was supposed to wipe off the chestnut stain with a cloth after... duh me. OKAY! Here is a new piece of wood for the English Chestnut stain, one coat brushed on and then wiped off. Second coat of the Emerald, poured into a container and then brushed on, and wiped off. Better

Harumph. I like the two stains together but the English Chestnut next to the Blk/Wht marble does nothin' for me...

Speaking as a chap who grew up matching trim to fabric in the family store on Fabric Row in Philly (Marmelstein's on S. 4th Street, tho my father trimmed his name down in the 50s), I'd lose the emerald in favor of a two-tone brown to go with the marble.  But that's just me. 

Mitch

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Carey TeaRose posted:

oh!!! I was supposed to wipe off the chestnut stain with a cloth after... duh me. OKAY! Here is a new piece of wood for the English Chestnut stain, one coat brushed on and then wiped off. Second coat of the Emerald, poured into a container and then brushed on, and wiped off. Better

Harumph. I like the two stains together but the English Chestnut next to the Blk/Wht marble does nothin' for me...

Speaking as a chap who grew up matching trim to fabric in the family store on Fabric Row in Philly (Marmelstein's on S. 4th Street, tho my father trimmed his name down in the 50s), I'd lose the emerald in favor of a two-tone brown to go with the marble.  But that's just me. 

Mitch

Trying a mix of Ebony with the Eng. Chesnut. And then will try an Onyx stain solo. The Emerald is a nod to painted green layout table surfaces, with just a hint of deco. The mix is at the bottom right in this picture.