briansilvermustang posted:
looks great Lou !
how about a siding down this roadway for some street running...
Not enough room to make it look good. I thought about it but it won't look good.
I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do in the space between the station and the siding switch. It's just flat and empty right now. Needs something.
Mark says, " Brian, some folks just don’t like an adventure! LOL "
hmmm??!!?... sidings for all levels... 
c'mon BOB... can't be that hard... 
send her some flowers... 
yeah ! I don't see no problem...
It took me three hours to dig through boxes to find all my Thomas the Tank Engine stuff. I have been buying this stuff for two years at open-air markets, yard sales, etc., and I wanted to see what I had.
I didn't like most of what I had, and I've already started giving it away.
But four-year-old Christian Neighbor (That's his real name) had a blast and went home with a small treasure trove.
that is awesome Vincent 
I started detailing my last passenger car set, the Lionel 21" 1927010, 1927020, 1927030, and 1927040 Santa Fe 9-car set. It has been a while since I painted cars and Preiser 65602 Seated People, so all Testor Acrylic Flat paints had to be mixed again.
I started with the most difficult car, the 1927030 Santa Fe Sound-Stations Great Dome #550. The lower level was painted first as I checked the final appearance of the new paint mixes. The lower level has two passenger restrooms and an office for what I call a nurses office with two beds and private restroom.
The upper level has the Great Dome seating, painted in a 60-40 mixture of Testor's Acryl Flat White and Earth Red. The seats will need three coats of paint to create a solid color without bleed-through. The Preiser Seated People will need serious grinding of feet and bottoms to lower them into the Great Dome. The Dome Floor is not adjustable and is part of the car body mold. (The Santa Fe Vista Dome Floor and Seating can be lowered and adjusted.)
Here are a few pictures of today's work. I placed a figure in the Dome Seating to show how low the people must be made to sit. I may need to remove more rear ends/bottoms as I get ready to add all the people. The roof snaps on the Great Dome and has releases at either end of the Dome with four side snaps as well. Painting the Dome Seats needs great care not to get paint on the silver painted sides of the car.
Have a good evening.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
It was a tear down day on my railroad too. I took up 36 sections of track and three switches. Two lazy switches were the scene of too many derailments. Replaced. I found room for two new short spurs. Now I can keep my passenger cars on the track and ready. I put 15 sections back down this evening. I'll have the main line open in a couple days. I will have to rewire seven lighted structures.
Say "Good Night" Gracie.
Bill
Good job, Bill!
”Good night Gracie”
Well the "party train" is home from its Boston/NYC week long trip. We came back with the same number of passengers that we left with from NH. Only one mechanical failure that was quickly repaired. Everyone had a fun time except for a few hangovers. The crew in the dining car was pumping out "cure burgers" & Mimosas on New Years Day. (Cure Burger = burger, bacon , cheddar & a sunny side up egg with chipotle sauce on the side.)
Namaste!
Matt, I am certainly glad you returned to New Hampshire with the same number of passengers as you left with. The question begs to be asked. Were they all the same passengers???? Kidding aside, I have never taking a train trip with a large group, but I have taken several bus trips from Butler Pennsylvania to Washington DC, and I know it was a constant concern to make sure everyone was still with us.
Great looking excursion train and layout! I always enjoy your posts!!
Mark Boyce posted:Bob, looks like a great project! So is there a less steep access to the upper level since you said you would make it a spur?
Yes Mark- on the other side of the layout. The grade is still steep but not as bad. Here's an old photo from when I started building.
Brian, Paul, and Matt- You guys do realize that I'm on the cliff hangin' by my fingernails already. 
I did have this plan in mind before I gave up my remaining space to my son and his gaming set up.
I'd long ago decided to make a fictional insignia for the railroad operating Battalion on my layout, and I finally drew it last night.
I'm going to put it on signs in their facility and stuff like that. I decided to draw it out on paper, as someone would have done in real life.
I drew the stump underneath the locomotive, alluding maybe to something that it happened to one of their engines in the past.
Originally, I was going to do it with a ET&WNC ten wheeler locomotive, but I realized I would be very complex and hard to put on an Insignia. An Army 'trench' locomotive made a lot more sense.
Brian, sure is a lot of Amtrak cars! They are going to look great with the collection you already have!
Sharp Hanger, The new platform for you station looks great! I like how you populated it with all the people just as Mark had stated!
Bob, Looks like a good change. You could always use the space where the grade went up and make it into a road coming down from the mountain!
Lou, Looks Great! What a wonderful improvement! Love the Brewery!
Vincent, Way to get the younger generation involved in trains! Shows a big heart!
John R, Nice to see you back painting the passenger cars! You do such great work, its a pleasure to see your post of what you do!
Matt, Great pictures and video's of such a wonderful looking layout! I love the story that you put along with them. I am also glad that all the passengers had a fun time and got back safe!
Well yesterday a friend and I did some work in the train room and the garage. I know its not on the layout but it will make a big improvement for the train room. We spent all day installing mini split ductless heaters/AC units in both the Train room and garage. I still have some clean up, but the good thing is it will be warm in the winter and cool in the summer!
I hope everyone has a Great Monday! I also hope you all get time for your trains and layouts!
p51 posted:I'd long ago decided to make a fictional insignia for the railroad operating Battalion on my layout, and I finally drew it last night.
I'm going to put it on signs in their facility and stuff like that. I decided to draw it out on paper, as someone would have done in real life.
I drew the stump underneath the locomotive, alluding maybe to something that it happened to one of their engines in the past.Originally, I was going to do it with a ET&WNC ten wheeler locomotive, but I realized I would be very complex and hard to put on an Insignia. An Army 'trench' locomotive made a lot more sense.
Lee, wonderful idea! Looks great! I cant wait to see them around the complex!
mike g. posted:Bob, Looks like a good change. You could always use the space where the grade went up and make it into a road coming down from the mountain!
Well yesterday a friend and I did some work in the train room and the garage. I know its not on the layout but it will make a big improvement for the train room. We spent all day installing mini split ductless heaters/AC units in both the Train room and garage. I still have some clean up, but the good thing is it will be warm in the winter and cool in the summer!
I hope everyone has a Great Monday! I also hope you all get time for your trains and layouts!
The remaining track will be leveled out and be a spur off the upper loop. I can always use more space to park cars!
Those ductless splits are great Mike. Good for humidity control too!
RSJB18 posted:
Brian, Paul, and Matt- You guys do realize that I'm on the cliff hangin' by my fingernails already.
The crew at Vetter Storm and Dash have just received a new drill press and they are transferring it from the Lexington Park and Savannah flat that just brought it in from Milwaukee. The truck will take it around the back to the loading door where she will be set up in the shop and working before 2nd shift tonight.
The RR maintenance dept got called by the Freight Station crew that the "necessary" needed some repair. So they dispatched a crew to do the job.
Bob, thank you for the photograph of the other side. Yes I know about losing promises layout space for other family members. It was always worth it though.
Mike, that’s a great improvement withe the ductless system.
Lee, looks great!
Brian, all aboard Amtrak!
Don, looks great!
mike g. posted:p51 posted:
Lee, wonderful idea! Looks great! I cant wait to see them around the complex!
Thanks, Mike. I used to know of someone who could make patches in very small numbers. I really wish he could still do that now, as it'd be great to make a dozen or so of these as a shoulder patch (and get a reproduction WW2 figure shirt to sew them onto). Better would be if someone could make them as unit crests (that sure would confuse military insignia collectors), but that'd cost a small fortune...
It'd be hilarious if I could have done that, to put them on a set of WW2 class As and show up at a re-enactment!
not on the layout but hopefully for it, reverse engineering a building, first CAD design then test design to see if it will print ok, so far looks good.
Lee, You might want to search for someone who does custom embroidery (Team jackets and the like) in small quantities using computerized machines (Janome, Brother, Bernina). By going to a store that sells these you can find someone who does it as a home/hobby business. Take them the original artwork full sized and the Pantone colors and the material you want the patches made on - you might be pleasantly surprised. I bought some great T shirts at an Eddie Bauer outlet store (<$8 each) and had a local place embroider "Southern Adirondack Railway Cartel" on them as Xmas presents for the guys in our train group at a price less than the shirts. You can contact me off site if you go this route and can't get it done locally.
As great as my Christmas layout looked, I had loads of issues, mostly due to my own faults and rushing to get it completed by Christmas morning. The new control system worked beautifully, but both locomotives are running only when they feel like it. I want to blame the e-units as the whistling tenders are working great. Neither loco has been serviced to my knowledge, so I'm going to look at doing that first
Today the Postman dropped off a box and I unpacked it. This beauty was inside:
After changing out the couplers to the hidden-tab type (I have standardized on them because the remote-uncouplers&car-stoppers are spaced accordingly) the new car went into the interchange yard (fiddle yard).
This pic is for Mark:
"built by Pullman Standard Butler, Pa"
I like the level of detailing on these MTH PS-2CD cars, nice paintwork&lettering but not too delicate for old arthritic hands to handle without [too much] damage.
This car fits into my developing scheme of having a car on the PER for each road I have ridden. Still need Reading, Western Pacific, Mopac and Amtrak. Some small lines like the Apache railroad (White Mountains of Aridzona), the East Broad Top, the Penn View Mountain Railroad (Blairsville, Pa) and the Oil Creek & Titusville prolly not gonna' happen.
Lew, John Hansen and Diamond Jim Brady would be proud!!
MTH really did a nice job on those cars!!
Painted a bunch of Bachmann figures I found in a box. Not perfect, but good enough for my purposes. Nice to finally have some people on my railroad. Build it and they will come!
RSJB18, Bob, I’m glad to see you make changes in your layout, that’s Progress, also DECOYNH, I like your layout and the videos, Wow, also Lew, really nice car the postman delivered, very colorful, and Lew, your layout is really cool, 
and Mike G, it’s great to see you’ve had a little railroad time, and Trumptrain, your pictures are also exciting and colorful. Today, I actually hooked up the street lights, it’s more work than I had anticipated and crawling under the table wasn’t quite as easy as it used to be.... But, there had to be Light. Have a great week everyone.
Larry, The lights look great! There is always so much to see on your layout!!
Thank you Mark, also your layout is coming along nicely and I really like the ceiling layout, it’s awesome. Please post more of your pictures for the new comers to see. Everyone’s layouts have features that we can enjoy and learn from. Tomorrow I plan on hooking up more lights and powering more track blocks.
briansilvermustang posted:RSJB18 posted:
Brian, Paul, and Matt- You guys do realize that I'm on the cliff hangin' by my fingernails already.
Bob;
As someone who has been in free fall (sans parachute) for many years, all I can say is embrace change and...
sidehack posted:not on the layout but hopefully for it, reverse engineering a building, first CAD design then test design to see if it will print ok, so far looks good.
Ray, I am very intrigued by your ability to print scale parts. I know that you have a special 3D printer, but does it work off of a photo segment or do you need to enter data and dimensions, etc or both? Would like more information on the process. What a valuable tool! Thanks!
Cheers, Dave
Bob I like the changes you are making to the grade... Can you tell me more about the block wall under the upper level track to the right of the portal,,, that's really nice looking stone work ?
Lou, The work you're doing is a major improvement, well worth the effort.
LEAPINLARRY: Great photos... you did nice job of not letting the camera compensate for the lack of light so the night time view would look right.
Ray, the 3D print of that turn of the century window assembly is awesome !! Nice work.
John Rowlen, incredible work on the interior of the Santa Fe streamliners.
I had a great day, drove up toward NH and picked up my Christmas present a pair of Golden Gate Depot O scale 3 rail Brass Heavyweight Pullman cars, an observation car and a diner.... I'll take photos later tonight when I go back down stairs to work.... My daughter who started working this past July 4th, practically bought them for me with a cash gift at Christmas.... I have been helping her move into her new apartment and buying her some things she needed, but it was heartwarming to get such a thoughtful gift. I had told her before Christmas that I really wanted to buy these cars after seeing them at a local show in early December.
I am determined to finish installing a pair of Tortoise machines on the crossover to the Mine Run, and hopefully I will get my double red dwarf signals installed on the passenger yard tracks which will indicate when the last car on the train is within 4 inches of the bumper at the end of the spur....
leapinlarry posted:Thank you Mark, also your layout is coming along nicely and I really like the ceiling layout, it’s awesome. Please post more of your pictures for the new comers to see. Everyone’s layouts have features that we can enjoy and learn from. Tomorrow I plan on hooking up more lights and powering more track blocks.
That's the thing, isn't it? Also, everyone's layout has a different character / ambience which I enjoy as well.
Progress on the 1927030 Santa Fe Great Dome #550 is moving forward. I finished the three coats of paint on the seats and tables. I am now slowly grinding the selected figures to fit in their places. I started with the tables in the rear of the car.
I stopped for the night after making a grinding mistake on a figure. Tomorrow I will continue inserting people to the front of the Great Dome Car.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
darlander posted:sidehack posted:not on the layout but hopefully for it, reverse engineering a building, first CAD design then test design to see if it will print ok, so far looks good.
Ray, I am very intrigued by your ability to print scale parts. I know that you have a special 3D printer, but does it work off of a photo segment or do you need to enter data and dimensions, etc or both? Would like more information on the process. What a valuable tool! Thanks!
Cheers, Dave
Dave, I wish it were that easy, I need to build a full 3d model in CAD (yes dimensions,surfaces, solids etc.), make an STL file from that, then put it through a "slicer program" which isn't difficult, it produces a program that the 3D printer cad read and then if all the printer settings are right it's time to make a part. Then in anywhere from 30 minutes to many hours we have what you see there. That wall with window took just over an hour and luckily was correct the first time. Yes to me this is the future but unless you have the STL file that someone else makes then you need to learn how to create models in a CAD system. When I need or want something I can probably make it.
If I can help you in any way just ask.
John Rowlen posted:Progress on the 1927030 Santa Fe Great Dome #550 is moving forward. I finished the three coats of paint on the seats and tables. I am now slowly grinding the selected figures to fit in their places. I started with the tables in the rear of the car.
I stopped for the night after making a grinding mistake on a figure. Tomorrow I will continue inserting people to the front of the Great Dome Car.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
John, you are doing great modeling there and it took me right back. This is what one of those Great Domes looked like from the inside:
Smart-**s young gazer in foreground.
Geysergazer, Lew, you are so correct, every layout has its own theme, Sense of humor, ambiance is a better description. John Rowlen, your great at making the Lionel passenger cars look better, your patience in painting the small people and taking the cars apart is awesome. Chris A., your layout is coming alive and looking so real. Your like Norm Charboneau, (probably mis-spelled), so great at weathering, construction technics, and more. I had people added to some of my passenger cars. Happy Railroading.
Lew, Thank you for the picture.
Larry, I like the passenger car pictures. Your lights on the layout make it very interesting in low/no room light.
Have a good evening.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
leapinlarry posted:Thank you Mark, also your layout is coming along nicely and I really like the ceiling layout, it’s awesome. Please post more of your pictures for the new comers to see. Everyone’s layouts have features that we can enjoy and learn from. Tomorrow I plan on hooking up more lights and powering more track blocks.
Thank you, Larry! I hope to be posting more, and doing more soon. This fall has been busy, but hopefully I’ll have more time. Two days before Christmas we finally closed on selling my parents’ house after 2 1/2 years. I am finally getting around better after knee replacement surgery Nov 5th, and we have all of the holiday work and activities behind us.
I’ll look forward to seeing more lights on your layout!!
I spent 13 hours chasing a short that developed while making track changes. The short was between main line track power and O22 switch fixed voltage. I found and fixed that short. One switch, that I did not mess with, got a short between the anti-derail isolated rails. I will replace switch #3 tomorrow.
My waterbed is calling me.
Bill
Bill, Short circuits can really be devious that is for sure! You deserve a good night sleep!
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