What did you do on your layout today?

I've been dusting (cleaning) buildings and accessories the last few days.  Will finish cleaning track today.  I seldom run with smoke, but even at that, it is amazing the "grime", that gets laid down from the smoke.  Other than testing smoke units, I intend to run even less, if at all, with smoke, in the future.

George

That's a terrific photo of your daughter.  Maybe someday she'll look back on it like we here do.

Yeah Art, there were 2 full weeks of "radio silence" broken by my usual month end report. I have to say it seemed like forever.

There was very little work done on the layout last month, hence not much to say. We've been cleaning the rest of the basement to make room for all the junk that still has to leave the train room. We are getting very close. The end goal is to have everything "presentable" so I could be part of the local NMRA layout tour perhaps as early as next fall.

Hey Guys Well I put up a tree this year and I have a train running this year. I would like to thank some members who pushed me. Hit The link to check out a video

 http://youtu.be/6pkvKN6Oo0w

worked on the transfer table finished wiring the spurs and did some scenery

It looks good, Scot!!  What kind of track are you using?

I see in your video, you have your dog in a cage at the moment.  That is what I need for our little terrier.  She is a terror with trains running on the floor.  She likes to bark, then knock the locomotive off the track when it comes by.  So I am putting a Christmas train up on a table, and she started scratching the snow blanket that was just over the sides.  

I think I will build my permanent layout 4 feet high like I did in HO and N.  

You have a nice large loop of track and a terrific Christmas tree, Scot.  Kitties are always interested in trains, aren't they?

Mark its Atlas Track. I have 3 pieces of flex track 6056  and the curves are O-63.

Yes I have a Golden Retriever that I had to replace because I lost another Golden Retriever when I was in the hospital 4 years ago.

TrainsRMe  Yes they are. My son just got a new kitten.

I can't beleave  how long it takes to put this track together and put screws in to hold it down. And then to run the 14ga wire for power. I have it powered at 4 points.

It is secured at 7 locations with Atlas 6094 track screws. I am having fun this Christmas it just takes a little longer with me missing my right leg and with no help.

Scot,

It looked like Atlas track, which I think is very good looking, but I would think it would need to be screwed down to keep from sliding back and forth on the wood floor.  My wife wouldn't be happy if I had done that. 

Golden retrievers are such nice dogs.  I have never owned one, but they always seem nice.

I can't imagine what it is like without a leg.  My hat is off to you on everything you do!!

I do have hand problems that hold me back, but i am supposed to get 2 of the 3 problems fixed with surgery after the new year.

Mark the floor needs to be refinished next year. That's the only reason I secured it to the floor. To be honest with you it s**k* looseing the leg and there are times when I don't want to do any thing and I  have to push my self to do things. That's why I try to get out there and shoot photos of the trains running along the tracks. It takes lot of strength to go out there every time. I also purchased a new heater for the breezeway/garage so I can work out there. Now I just need to clean the garage and quit using it for storage of things taken from the house. And The breezeway needs another good cleaning. Plus I am not married any more I went trough a divorce 15 years ago.

Scot,

Yes I am sure you do need to push yourself.  Going out to take photos of the trains is time well spent!  I and I know a lot of other folks appreciate your efforts.  Hopefully the extra heat will help you get some things done this winter.  I bought another heater for the room that is now my older daughter's art studio, and will be my train room when she moves out.  It has been cold enough in there to damage some of her paints and casting resin.  Oops, my fault, I didn't know it was that cold on the floor by the sliding glass door.  Here the caulking had cracked, and when the temperatures went down into the teens a couple of weeks ago, it got a bit too cold in there.  Caulking fixed now.

I added some wood to the back corner of the layout so I'll be able to put up facia protecting one curve where the trains actually went out into space on the outside. I was going to get to the facia too, but holding up a 4-feet-long 3X4 beam by hand with no way to secure it to the benchwork, while screwing it in place from the inside of the benchwork, took a LONG time.

I'd have done it Saturday, but I was busy hanging out in the pilot's seat of the Spruce Goose!

wow! you got to sit in the Goose?! I only got to see her once in Long Beach the year they were taking her apart to move her.Couldn't even get close to the plane, I'd love to go thru her. And the Air Force Museum won't even let you touch the aircraft let alone get in them anymore. I had rear in Air Classics last summer IIRC that the parent company of the Evergreen Museum was in $ trouble. How did things seem there? And you've got the wrong kind of hat to be sitting in Howard's seat!

Yeah, I was totally unprepared for the experience, I would have brought my fedora for sure had I known this was gonna happen. But at least I was wearing my NASA jacket, I think Howard would have approved (assuming I'd washed my hands, first...)

P51, Lee; I just looked at your web site. Very interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Lots of photos.

Over a week and a half on one small area that I call a maintenance yard in the fantasy world railroad. Ballast, some basic ground cover and wiring more lights. It's getting brighter every week around here. Might be getting a wee bit carried away with lights. But , still having fun.

Larry

Larry Sr: There's no such thing as too many lights.

Larry, It is looking great!  I second Spence's comment that you can't have too many lights!

That's a great opportunity to get to sit in the pilot's seat of such a famous plane.  Besides the change of hat's you need a mustache to sit in that seat as well!  I'm sure Howard would be pleased the plane has been preserved.

Larry Sr. The yard lighting looks good

Larry.  I take it that your dog is not much of an Elvis fan. 

Larry, you can't have too many lights

Al

Thanks for the likes guys. It a motivator.

Old Cher dog has listened to so much Elvis music in her life I'm surprised she don't sing along with the rest of us.

Larry

You can see however my dog is not impressed.

 

Larry

 

Your pooch did better than mine yesterday. My wife and sister in law were making christmas candy (nothing I'll eat, of course) and I was doing some work in the layout room and my 13-year-old dachshund Charlie came into the layout room and I told him to leave as I had stuff all over the floor. He got to the door of my toy room, and let loose with a full bladder.

He's older and I bet if we all had noticed earlier he was probably going to the door tio the back deck and fenced back yard with subtle pup hints to go outside, which were unheeded if they occured. He got it in his head a few months ago that peeing indoors is now okay if he's cooped up for a long time, and we can't break him of that habit (he'd never done this so blatantly before but would pee a big spot on the carpet in our room if we left him for work all day, we now put diaper wraps on him every time we leave for more than a few hours).

If I didn't love the little guy so much I'd have wrung his little neck, I was so upset at him.

Hooking up Tropicana, to make sure all of the guy/gals up there in snow, snow states get that fresh South Florida citrus. Ya just got to have some of those sweet oranges and tangerines for the Christmas holidays. Need that C.      Ho, Ho. Ho.

Larry

Wow Larry,

Your layout has come a long way this year!  Keep it up!

I finally laid down the last piece of Homasote on teh top (only took 10 years LOL)   Now to fill a few gaps and paint it

Much Thanks to these voices on the forum who sent me a "Like" for my work on refreshing the Lionel layout @ FAO Schwarz:

Chugman; Mark Boyce; trainroomgary; TRK; Spence; C.Chancey; Chessie; Pingman; MillCity; Suzukovich.

You may be interested in knowing that Lionel completely SOLD OUT of every train-set in the store by last Friday and is endeavoring to replenish the inventory.

I have concluded from this (to put my own spin on an old axiom)  that a model train layout in a store is worth a thousand cheers! The hobby is alive and well !

P.S. The same happened @ Macy's, Herald Square, NYC !!!!

FrankM

Layout Refinements

I got all the fascia cut from a giant sheet of masonite over the weekend. Just need to clamp them all into place to make sure I have the lengths right, then mark off what contours I'm looking for, then break out the saber saw. I also need to measure the holes for the DCC and support leg bolt heads.

I also bought two large sheets of 2: thick insulation foam, for the scenery base for te backgrounds and foreground rises and 'bumps' in the landscape.

Frank:

Bravo!!! a great job on the store layout. They owe you a debt of gratitude.

Thank you for the positive report on the sales, also. The economy is improving and the hobby is alive and well! I am now booked for many months into 2015 doing custom dioramas and layout work. Model railroading is a great hobby that will live on for years to come.

Thank you, Randy Harrison, for your gracious and positive viewpoint. I wish you much continued success with your accomplishments at Harrison Trains and Scenes, to be sure.

FrankM

P.S. Having just now gone to your website, I particularly like your "Log Cabin", "The Church Yard", and the "Boy Scout Camp" among your many nice creations. Bravo, indeed!

Frank,

You certainly did a fine job on that store layout!!

I totally agree, having an operating, detailed layout in the store does wonders for sales.  I have to wonder about store owners who have layouts, but are not running trains, the layouts have obviously fallen into disrepair, or even have boxes etc piled up on them.  Thinking or stores I have visited in the last few years, more of them were in this condition than ones that had a presentable operating layout.  I know the store where I finally made the jump from HO to O Gauge for good is a magazine and forum sponsor who showed me the difference between different locomotives and actually ran the one I purchased on his layout.  I was convinced and owe him a debt of gratitude as a returning customer.

Well the light bulb just went on. I finally put 2&2 together & realized that Moonson is the Frank Mullen that is talked about in the new Notch 6 podcast. Better late than never. (LOL)

Beautiful craftsmanship, Monsoon--who wouldn't want to buy a train set after seeing your presentation.

Jon has been over a couple times since my last post, and a lot of progress has been made.

The upper deck will be the Ford plant. The lower deck will be the Hiawatha milling district, and the top of the bookshelves will be the Amtrak Midway Depot.

This photo is from August. A total disaster!!!


Last week. Squeaky clean.


The track plan for Hiawatha is drawn on the fiberboard, waiting for the backdrop to be filled and painted.


Hiawatha is perhaps my favorite part of the entire railroad. It will have 7 grain elevators / mills, a lumber yard and a scrap yard. This was actually the part of the layout I wanted to do first, but will end up being done last.

If the layout was a meal, this would be dessert.
.

Beautiful craftsmanship, Monsoon--who wouldn't want to buy a train set after seeing your presentation.

Can't say it any better Carl. Very nice work Moonson.

Larry

The Razorback Traction Co. made an appearance at the Children's Christmas Train on the Arkansas and Missouri Railroad on 6 December! 

More photos here:

http://s289.photobucket.com/us...melmm/library/Lionel 01/Christmas Train 2014

Mitch

Elliot - Great progress!  As you describe Hiawatha, it will probably be my favorite area as well.  As you know, I love grain elevators and can't have too many.  A milling district as they had in Minneapolis sounds awesome to me.

Art

Mitch - I never get tired of seeing children's faces at a train layout.  Priceless!

Art