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Bob, I am glad to see you back running trains and not having to work on buildings for a little while!

Scott, very impressive work!

Carey, Looks great, I really love the drive in!

Well folks I did get out to the train room today and started working on the right corner behind where the town will be going. Learned a great lesson, finish the outside work before moving inwards! I had  to remove everything from the town as not to break anything. I wanted to add a road up to the mountain as it didnt make sense that there was no way to get up there with a car, but they were already on top. Here is a photo of before and a couple after. I still have to make some rock molds and retaining walls before moving on.IMG_20201006_135108400IMG_20201026_165047703IMG_20201026_165052171IMG_20201026_165101120

I hope everyone has a great week and fun with there layout! Might be Friday before I get back to the layout.

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Looks good John!

I got out to the train room this morning@3:30 am just to try and get some work done. Got some more retaining wall made and painted, but still have more to do. Sorry no photos as I forgot before I had to leave. I will get some tomorrow.

I hope everyone is doing well and having fun with there layout!

@mike g. posted:

Looks good John!

I got out to the train room this morning@3:30 am just to try and get some work done. Got some more retaining wall made and painted, but still have more to do. Sorry no photos as I forgot before I had to leave. I will get some tomorrow.

I hope everyone is doing well and having fun with there layout!

Thanks Mike. 3:30AM? I sometimes "get lost in the trainroom" (quoting Mrs. 'Ski) but rarely beyond 12:30AM.

Looking forward to your pics.

Oh , Thank you much for your service protecting out great country!

The CORRECT size O curves arrived today. I had ordered a circle of 8, in O-31, and was sent 8 O-42.

Yay, these are now on the Halloween layout proper, and wired up. Loaded the MTH O engine with Proto Smoke fluid and gave it a test run. This baby smokes sooo much it filled the Foyer, and I had to open the front door for ventilation!

Missing only one piece of the Layout puzzle, still waiting for a Halloween station I ordered.

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@RickM46 posted:

TM,  Am I imagining it or is the whistle on your EM-1 the same one as on the VL and Legacy Big Boys??  Been watching your video above and some Youtube videos on the VL Big Boy. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2ap0c6DWCM

Excellent review TM !!

Thanks for the nice comment and no you are not imagining things. Lionel did use the VL BB in this variation of the EM-1. There is a slight difference between the two, the VL BB being clear and crisp, but both are primarily the same. I think why there is a difference is because the VL BB has a speaker in the locomotive whereas, the EM-1 only has two in the tender.

Morning folks, well yesterday I was able to get out to the train room and get my retaining wall finished and into place. Also I was able to patch the old access hole for the old switch motor for the upper switch. Today I hope to get some spray foam and fill in behind my retaining wall on the lower area to level it out all the way to the retain wall. Here are a couple photos.IMG_20201026_165047703IMG_20201029_160605030IMG_20201029_160610023IMG_20201029_160646073

I was going to go with a lighter tan color for the wall but the CEO liked the darker color so that's what I get! LOL

I hope everyone has a great Friday and weekend. Also I hope you all find time for your layout and trains! But most of all I hope your all having fun!

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Mike g, you ask about the base on the building. I had some scrap pieces of Masonite sitting around so I randomly traced around the building and then after cutting it out I beveled the edges.  I glued the building down to the base. Yesterday I glued down ground foam. Later today I am going to add some grass tuffs and small shrubs around the building. Also I am going to darken the edges up with earth color.........................Pics..................Paul 2

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@DL&W Pete posted:

Looking forward to seeing these installed. 30 years ago I bought metal tubing, grain of wheat bulbs and cut up a soda can for shades. Made 20 of them, I still have them for HO. Our street lights are now all L.E.D, you need sunglasses at night now.

ok Pete I replaced a couple of my 1st design with these new ones, shown are the cool white,  I also have some warm white that I will be testing.

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Hi guys, thanks for the likes!

Paul2, thank you for the information about the base on your building! It looks great!

Ray, the lights turned out looking outstanding!

Well I did get out to the train room today. I was able to get the spray foam down and painted my rock out crop. I think its ok for my first try. I also got some of my cooked dirt down and hope to get some grass down tomorrow. I also hope to get started on some wooden portholes. Here are a couple photos from today.IMG_20201030_150143396IMG_20201030_150151859IMG_20201030_150157481

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Well folks I had another productive day in the train room. I was able to get 2 portholes built, some grass down and 3 houses put back in place. I hope to have a productive day tomorrow also! Here are a couple photos

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Oh and I forgot, I planted some trees too!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

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@Mark Boyce posted:

Mike, the portal looks great, and I do like the snowy hillside.  I am still toying with the idea of adding some snow to the enginehouse area to suggest early snow on the mountain since the backdrop has fall leaves.  It was certainly like that when we lived at the bottom and I worked at the top of the Allegheny Mountain!

Thanks Mark, if I can ever work out a good plan I would still like to find a place for my scratch built airfield also!

Well folks do to day light savings and moving the clock back it is now 1:28AM. Thanks to my dog Tank I am wide awake and getting ready to head to the train room to get an early start on whatever I do! LOL I hope to have some progress photos later today probably before my mid day nap!

I hope you all have  great Sunday and enjoy time with family and friends! Also please try to find time for your layout and trains!

Nice work guys. Had to catch up on your work. I like that wood portal Mike. It is just the right contrast to the rock wall and green and white on the hill. Meanwhile , I'm still moving freights and passenger cars around to their locations for operating session no. 2 so I can repeat that session. Experiencing stalling problems with one of the B6s engines so I have to diagnose whether it's just dirty wheels/rollers, dirty track or both. But I'm back working in the train room.

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Yesterday I got this reefer from Muffin. Today went back to working on the machine shop. I darken up the edge around the building and then I started adding grass tuffs and a couple of smaller bushes around the building. I'll let the glue set up on those and tomorrow see if I want to add any more shrubery.........Pics............Paul 2

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Mike g., I really like that retaining wall, a great idea, and the tunnel portals look great, the colors look so realistic, Sidehack, wow, the street lights are so clever, neat idea, great lights, Paul 2: I like that machine shop, so cool, also the new box car, nice work, RSJB18 m Bob, wow, those NYC shark nose diesels look right at home on your beautiful layout, massive looking, DL&W Pete, cool video, nice layout, impressive, Kwisor, nice video, neat layout, Wow... Everyone, have a great weekend, Happy Railroading Everyone A5560181-6DF3-469D-B5E9-6AD97399C7B2AA872016-6CEE-49F6-BF5F-1DE613651A28215B04EF-AE65-49B0-BF67-F2EBDC97E157

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A great afternoon for the being in the train room, cold & rainy outside.  So today was a wiring day, the 120V kind.  Finished installing my dimmable LED track lights & requisite dimmer switch.  Also wired in an outlet for the lighted display cabinet my wife "donated" to the train room.  I enjoy wiring, it's so logical, it either works or it doesn't.  The 2nd pic is the "dimmed" version.

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Well next to the layout. I built shelves today. I had never really planned on it but I've run out of on layout equipment storage space. I don't like to keep things in boxes so up went shelves. Just some standards, brackets, concrete anchors, and pine boards from Menards. The whole setup should hold about 1800lbs. Little excessive for train use but should hold up fine. I'm in trouble if I run out of shelf space. This is the only good spot for shelves in my basement.....

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Lou and Bob, Nice storage shelves.  Paul is right about the slippery slope I'm afraid.  I need to put up some shelves myself, but wall space is at a premium.

Bill, Very nice bridges for $10.  Living in Western Pennsylvania, I always like seeing US Steel!

Monday, I made a trip to get two Ross switches I need to finish the track laying on my layout.  They are replacing two second hand GarGraves switches that I am not happy with.  I could probably get the GarGraves to work better, but of course they are in the locations that require the longest reach, and are tough to get a good eye on to see what's going on.  You can check out the latest here Blackwater Canyon Line.

Morning Folks, I got a little done the last couple days. But still have a ways to go! But I thought this morning I would play with building placement with the stuff I got from Menards! Here you go have a look and I am open to ideas and comments!IMG_20201104_102015973IMG_20201104_102025561IMG_20201104_102030785IMG_20201104_102039185

I hope you are all staying safe and having a good week! Remember to try and have fun with your layout and trains!

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It's not what I've doe o the layout, but what I did removing some rolling stock from the shelf layout. I had some hoppers, ore cars and a caboose on the tracks from my last run, sometime during the summer. I finally decided to take them down, and a line PARR caboose slipped out of my hand and onto the stone patio. Ouch! Some substantial damage was caused, including the roof overhang, the ladder and some other broken parts. Looks like I have a winter repair project. this was the second caboose to fall; the other one was an MTH Santa Fe.

@rail posted:

It's not what I've doe o the layout, but what I did removing some rolling stock from the shelf layout. I had some hoppers, ore cars and a caboose on the tracks from my last run, sometime during the summer. I finally decided to take them down, and a line PARR caboose slipped out of my hand and onto the stone patio. Ouch! Some substantial damage was caused, including the roof overhang, the ladder and some other broken parts. Looks like I have a winter repair project. this was the second caboose to fall; the other one was an MTH Santa Fe.

Sounds like you need some Peanut Butter for the hands.

IMG_20201104_210503Continuing to prepare for an operating session. I made up a 4 car passenger train headed up by PRR E6 #460 pulling a GGD BM70, and K-line coach, dinner and parlor from a used K-line 6 car PRR Broadway Limited set I bought years ago. I removed the rollers (I don't use lights) and wanted reduce drag and track noise. The remaining 3 cars will be boxed up make room on the passenger team tracks for the mail train. I am also boxing up 3 MTH premiere passenger cars I no longer want, to sell at the local train show when it eventually opens.

Nice scenes Mike, Dennis and P51.

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Last edited by pennsynut

Finally, I started the revision to the "Valley of Bridges" layout. I need to create an access point on the far side of the layout along the wall.  I climbed up on the layout and started unscrewing the track that is in the new quarry area.

The Lionel Rotary Hoppers started to arrive this week.  I continue to box engines parked on the opposite side of the layout.  Getting ready for upper level construction.  Hard Hats, Hard Heads, working to remedy Hard-to-Reach areas of my layout.

I will take pictures soon.  Have a good week.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

Paul, looks outstanding! But that sure is one fancy floor for a machine shop! I sure hope you have a good cleaning crew! Also  can you find out from Bryan what he used for it? Nice beer reefers. Never heard of them, but then again I have never been to New York! LOL

John R. Be careful up there on the layout, things can get dangerous. Take my word on that! LOL

Well guys I didn't do to much today. I worked on the lights in my tow truck on the new road going up the hill, just not satisfied with how it looks with dim head lights.

I then turned my attention to the pedestrian bridge that will go from town to the location where the CEO wants the park to be. I had to relocate one of the set of stairs as they were running right down to the end of track in my yard~! Here are a couple photos. Enjoy and I know its a shame to wreck such a nice bridge but then again its my layout and i Paid good money for it! LOLIMG_20201105_150724201IMG_20201105_150739467IMG_20201105_150747473

Everyone have a great night and I will be b ack after dinner to check in!

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Been planning my first layout build, I do have layouts, but all have either been purchased at auction, or, as with the o gauge layout that I need to restore at some point, have been donated to us, layouts being 2 N, a Z, a HO, a S in need of restoration, a O needing restoration, and one of those All Aboard American Flyers. Anyways, planning the yards right now. My plan is to have all operating postwar engines, not counting duplicates (over 60 postwars currently on roster) on the layout, some will be at the engine terminal, some will be at terminal stations (planning on having a loop behind terminals for freights,) or on the mainline with trains. I've also done feasibility studies for our engines, deciding what duties they will be on, 1615 will be a yard goat, 230 and 225 put together on freights etc.

Lots of great updates on here!

Finally got to start work on my layout with a help of a great friend. You can follow the table progress here:

https://midnightwoodworking.co...-train-table-part-1/

https://midnightwoodworking.co...-train-table-part-2/

https://midnightwoodworking.co...-train-table-part-3/

Really excited to get it all together and will post photos here once it is complete. Love this hobby and looking forward to getting the trains moving on the layout!

Chris

@Chris1985 posted:

Lots of great updates on here!

Finally got to start work on my layout with a help of a great friend. You can follow the table progress here:

https://midnightwoodworking.co...-train-table-part-1/

https://midnightwoodworking.co...-train-table-part-2/

https://midnightwoodworking.co...-train-table-part-3/

Really excited to get it all together and will post photos here once it is complete. Love this hobby and looking forward to getting the trains moving on the layout!

Chris

WOW Chris, I just read your update part 1-3 and your work is just amazing! I know alot of people take pride in there layouts and tables. Yours looks like your building a high end piece of furniture! If I had read your post before I did my table I might have done something different. but I am happy.

One thing I did not  see were holes for wire runs. I sure hope your going to drill them before you set them in place.

Forgot to post yesterday that I ran the local passenger train and at the end of the line, turned the train around and staged it for the return trip. Removed some K-line Passenger cars to storage and will remove 3 MTH passengers next week. Over the past 3 months, I purchased 5 cars, 2 GGD RPOs, a GGD baggage and 2 weaver B60s. Too many unused cars to juggle during operating sessions. Now it's better.

I put together an oil well for the Plywood Empire Route. The PER is loosely themed on the Oil Creek and Titusvile Railroad and Titusville is in the heart of the original oil boom country so it fits.

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I cranked up my imagineering and combined a Lionel [working] pump-jack, part of an MTH modern tank car and catwalks with lights from a Lionel oil storage tank. Plus some cardboard, glue and a bit of felt. Also covered a tunnel into the sewing room with a photo of one of the Royal Gorge Domes.

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I have to laugh at my luck at purchasing Lionel.  I just received a hard-to-find 6-82674 Union Pacific Rotary Gondola 2-pack and found that on the double end Rotary,  some of the screen printing was not completed properly.

I am checking all the new Rotary Gondolas that just arrived again.  I found one CSX 2-pack with an operating coupler that had NO SPRING to pop the coupler open.  Inspect everything, and then look again.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

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Nick, looks like you have a great start! I hope you keep posting!

John, sorry to see things are not right when you pay good money for something! As for crawling on top the other day I missed the step stool and landed on my rear! Hence my warning! LOL

Well today I went and looked at a HO layout of a guy that lives in the area. He has done an outstanding job with it and gave me some ideas. One was I needed to carry the mountain up on the wall above the section that sticks out from the wall. So I took a try at painting more on the wall and am some what happy with the out come. The CEO suggested I paint the Sun in the corner, so I went back out and put the first coat for the sun up. I am not to sure about it, I might have to veto her idea. I am posting photos to get your thoughts! Please let me know what you all think!IMG_20201106_151207892IMG_20201106_162523922

I hope you all have a great weekend planned and that it includes your layout and trains!

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This week I have received the Pennsy stone wall sections ordered from Scenic Express. And received the order for my two extended width double portals, also Pennsy.

Placed the portals into position on the track and tested several engines operations for clearances.  I learned how important this step is earlier... Two portals are in curves.

Spray painted some of the stone walls the stone gray to test the look with watered down India black ink.

measured and placed in boards as a dry run to enclose a tunnel. I wish to add a piano hinge so to have ready access to my tunnel.

I was so very happy to receive the Pennsy extended double portals in such a timely basis.

This will be a productive weekend hopefully.

John,  I'm truly sorry you have such wonderful luck ordering new Lionel cars and engines. This situation makes me think twice before ordering any new Engines although I have one picked out and waiting for the second stimulus (I hope) mailing.  No guarantees.

And Mike G your layout, Sun (from the East I hope), and your early morning progress has been fun to watch.

A great weekend to everyone...

@t8afao posted:

Little more work done on the station.  The roof access is scratch built for our old station,  will incorporate some of the parts for this one.

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Really like the look of this station, when I build my layout, I'm defiantly going to build a station somewhat based off of Deerwalk VFD here in WV, as it's the station my Grandfather help start back in the 70's. He's still with it, semi retired after being assistant chief and chief, and is now the treasurer. The original station was built on his property, but they now have a really nice station down the road. I'm also going to build a pipeline office based off the office of the company my other grandfather worked for, Mountaineer State Energy, formerly Carl E. Smith

Thanks everyone for there input on the sun, I am headed out to make the mountain peak a little taller to cover the sun! LOL

Mark as for the snow, its the plastic chunks that come in a bag, it almost looks like ripped up old plastic grocery bags but clear.

I hope everyone has a great Saturday and I have to clean a little up for SWSAT

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