@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:You know Bob, you should consider publishing this effort. It’s something that we all need to attend to and you make it look so easy.
Thanks for the compliment Jay. Looking at the work of some of the expert modelers on this forum, I don't think I can say that I was in their league. 
Bob
That is not an accurate assessment.
The car is really turning out great, Bob!!
Hi guys, I can see while I have bee playing under the train room table the rest of you have been working your rears off!
Greg Great looking bench work and I hope to see more as you go along!
Lee, wonderful detail on the WW2 generator! Turned out wonderful
Bill what a great idea, when I get back to mine if its ok with you I might barrow that idea!
Railhead, great looking landscaping! I hate the mess that is made when you have shave that pink dirt! LOL
Bob, the track car is coming along great! I hope it works as good as its going to look!
I know I probably forgot someone and for that I am sorry! I hope after a trip to town this morning I will be able to get back to the train room and wiring up the last few switches on the lower loop. If I get that done I might run a train and maybe ever take a few photos!
I hope your all having a great weekend and finding fun with your layout and trains!
@mike g. posted:Hi guys, I can see while I have bee playing under the train room table the rest of you have been working your rears off!
Greg Great looking bench work and I hope to see more as you go along!
Lee, wonderful detail on the WW2 generator! Turned out wonderful
Bill what a great idea, when I get back to mine if its ok with you I might barrow that idea!
Railhead, great looking landscaping! I hate the mess that is made when you have shave that pink dirt! LOL
Bob, the track car is coming along great! I hope it works as good as its going to look!
I know I probably forgot someone and for that I am sorry! I hope after a trip to town this morning I will be able to get back to the train room and wiring up the last few switches on the lower loop. If I get that done I might run a train and maybe ever take a few photos!
I hope your all having a great weekend and finding fun with your layout and trains!
Thanks Mike. Haven't seen you post anything this week, good to see you are still lurking around 😂😂
@ToledoEd posted:Not quite "on' the layout....but soon. Finished installing and wiring 10 LEDs in a 1/38 Ghostbusters Hearse. I will to put it in front of the layout's Hotel, and I'm working on "acceptable" O scale Ghostbuster figures to ad. That's going to be a challenge. Can't find any small figures so I think I'll use soldiers "kitted out" appropriately to catch ghosts.... It was a fun project but very challenging to install the LEDs. I used an EVANS Designs police car flashing light kit which include LEDs with resistor and bridge rectifier (I think that's what it is) attached and they are big when trying to stuff them in this Hearse. Drilling to add the tail lights was a challenge. In the end, the result was what I had hoped.
👻 Wow Ed that is quite the project'... I like the lights and the sound.. is that a sound chip from a greeting card? Maybe you can explain how you got the sound to operate...
Hi Bob, things have been a little busy around here. But I did get all the switches on the lower level wired in and working. Just not pretty as I. Waiting for the new print out of my new layout.
Sorry no photos, but I promise to take so tomorrow.
Hi guys and Bob! LOL
Here are a couple photos as promised!
And my control panel waiting for the new layout printing for my control panel.
After taking photos this morning and helping the CEO most of the day I had time to measure my $55 sheet of plywood 5 times, and some cardboard templets I was able to get it cut for the corner by the mountain! I am going to need another sheet! LOL
It fits the curve great!
I hope you all had a great day and found time to have fun with your layout and trains!
Looks great, Mike! Maybe the second sheet of plywood will cost less than $55. I heard prices are going down here in Western Pennsylvania, I hope everywhere as well.
Looking really good, Mike! Can’t wait to see the control panel after you attach the print out.
Thanks guys. I really need to paint the lower level and track before I move up. I just wanted to get it cut and see what more I was going to need.
Mike - depending on the upper structure, you may want to build in the ability to take the top section off (or a part of it) so you can get at the lower section. My section above the terminal is sitting on posts fixed in place by just three screws. Easily removed if needed - and I have done so a couple of times already. Jeff
Nice progress on the revised layout.
Mike g - your layout is taking good shape! Looks great!!
Thanks Jeff and Pat, I think I am really going to like the new change. As for removing the top section, sounds like a good idea over the track. I plan on a pop up access hole so I can reach the track in the corner.
Mike, I agree to try to make the top level there fairly easy to remove. I didn’t do my wye and engine house area as well as I would have liked. I need to get a better plan of where to cut it near where the wye leaves the mainline and rebuild it so I can get into the yard easier when not if I need to repair a switch or something else. Right now it is pretty well attached. I put the cart before the horse on that one.
@mike g. posted:Thanks Jeff and Pat, I think I am really going to like the new change. As for removing the top section, sounds like a good idea over the track. I plan on a pop up access hole so I can reach the track in the corner.
Nice to see I've spurred you into action Mike! I was in our local Home Depot about a month ago and 3/4" ply was $80.00 a sheet. It has come down since.
The layout is looking good. Can't wait to see trains running again.
Bob
Looking good, Mike and that car is coming along nicely, Bob.
Picked up a Lionel USN boat flatcar a few months ago. The flatcar was painted grey and the boat was the same grey on the entire deck with a flat red hull (sorry, no pic). It looked a little too toy-like to me, plus I'm not sure the Navy ever used any boats with red hulls, so I decide to re-paint it in more subdued tones.
I separated the deck from the hull and then the windshield from the deck and then painted the deck in a military green color with a brown interior. I painted the hull a lighter grey and added black "anti-fouling" paint on the hull bottom. After re-assembly, I added a few silver/chrome accents (hard to make out in the pics).
We built a hardwood express after picking up two manual switches. Big layout is at my parents house but this kids love running trains at home too. Lots of fun. Legos and wooden blocks welcome on this layout as well!
For Mike G
what thickness are you using for the control panel?
Does the plexiglass offer a big advantage over tempered hardboard? Like maybe no warping? I ask because I need to make two small panels to show the yard tracks
thanks
Afternoon guys I hope your all having a great day!
Thanks Mark and Bob, I working on trying to get the trains back up and running. But I dont want to get ahead of myself!
Richie, great looking boat on the flatcar! Look vintage style kinda like a ChrisCraft.
SuperChief, looks like alot of fun! Soak it all in while you can!
Victor, I like using Plexiglass as there is no sag, hasn't warping. My plexiglass is 1/4" thick and held together Super Glue.
Well guys I got out and cut my access hole and while I was at it I played around with building placement! Hope you all enjoy!
Being on a tight budget, I plan to try and reuse everything I can!
I hope you all had fun with your layout and trains today!
The buildings look great Mike!
After a busy few days I was able to get back to the bench last night and continue on my track cleaning car / flat car project. I added side frames down one side of the car and left it to dry overnight. To be continued......
Happy Hump-Day!
@RSJB18 posted:The buildings look great Mike!
After a busy few days I was able to get back to the bench last night and continue on my track cleaning car / flat car project. I added side frames down one side of the car and left it to dry overnight. To be continued......
Happy Hump-Day!
Bob, that is looking great, and your Idea to make it a flat car was ingenious because you can now weigh it down with some pipe loads for better traction/cleaning action. Have you found the right paint to match that LIRR light blue/grey?
@Strap Hanger posted:Bob, that is looking great, and your Idea to make it a flat car was ingenious because you can now weigh it down with some pipe loads for better traction/cleaning action. Have you found the right paint to match that LIRR light blue/grey?
I think I did. I found a rattle can at Michaels that based on the cap, should be OK. I need to try it an see.
Bob
Mike, the cutout for the access hatch looks easy and functional. IT's nice to plan the town on the sawhorses.
Bob, the track cleaning flat car is looking very nice. Those side frames really add to the car.
Fitting the bridge section to my yard, cutting the fascia to mate up with the main platform and the new freight yard.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Fitting the bridge section to my yard, cutting the fascia to mate up with the main platform and the new freight yard.
John:
I assume that the section will be a hinged lift-up section? I like the trapezoidal shape of the sides to afford Fitting into place with no drag resistance upon closure.
Your layout is coming along beautifully. Bravo!
It was going to be a lift-out, but I'm thinking more along the lines of a hinged section now, it got bigger than I had initially planned for. That's a good thing as it allowed me to move all the switching back on the bridge or before the bridge and greatly expand the capacity of the yard itself.
That is looking good Bob. We can’t wait to see the gleaming rails left in its wake.
Mike g., wow, it’s great to see you working on your railroad, it’s looking really good, I always like seeing the giant cranes in the background, your going to have a cool layout when all of your thoughts and labor come together. RSJB18 Bob, wow, very neat track cleaning car, well designed, Gunrunner John, your wood working is fantastic, also, I like the way you keep everything clean, it’s going to be a very nice layout. I haven’t had time to work on the layout lately do honey do projects. Happy Railroading Everyone 
Leapinlarry, thanks for sharing these fantastic images of your layout.
All I gotta say is "Is it real or is it Clarol?" HOW do you guys do it?
Love it
RSJB18,
That track cleaner in flatcar clothing is a great idea. Can't wait to see the finished product.
Maybe some tanks marked "Track Cleaning Fluid" for a load?
I love watching the progress Mike.
AND, yes, re-use what ever you can. I toss nothing and, sooner or later, find a use for wood scraps, etc
My kind of project Richie C.
Looks great
Keep the progress updates coming Mike G.
That $55 sheet of plywood was about $24 a couple years ago, but don't feel bad, until recently it was $83 (7/16 thick) in my local Lowes.
I don't need wood at this point, but I love walking through the lumber section to smell the wood - reminds me of layout building (Yes, I know, I'm weird!)
Hi guys, what great work going on here!
Bob, the flat car cleaning car is looking great!
John, your facia work is looking outstanding! Your a great student and Tom is a wonderful teacher!
Larry thank you for the kind words. It really means alot, but it will never be as amazing as yours!
Well today I jumped to the other end of the table to add 2 switches and some track to be able to keep my BNSF service building. Sofar I got the area cleaned and cork laid!
Looks nice, Mike!
Larry, I always enjoy seeing your photographs!
John, you have learned well from Tom!
@Lionelski posted:RSJB18,
That track cleaner in flatcar clothing is a great idea. Can't wait to see the finished product.
Maybe some tanks marked "Track Cleaning Fluid" for a load?
I plan on using this pipe load John. I could paint and letter them to make that work. Stay tuned
"Second verse, same as the first" 
I also did a sample of the spray paint I bought. Not too bad, maybe a little light but the prototype doesn't exist any more so I get to do what I want. 
(It drizzled right after I sprayed it so disregard the water spots).
It was a slower than anticipated week due to the Edison Greenberg show, a family gathering and work but I managed to get the shelf built for the ZW and bricks and the mdf board framed and mounted for the TIU, AIU, and various terminal blocks. I plan to start the wiring this weekend.
-Greg
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