What did you do on your layout today?

Picked up the Menards Material handling facility. I bought it on a whim that I could use it as a coal loader. I thought the height would work but it is a tad too high. If I want it to possibly work I would have to take down the section of Masonite I put up on the back of the stairs in that area and paint the back of the stairs blue. I think it would fit then. I would rathe use it as a coal loader. But what's nice about the building is its versatility. .....meaning it will work anywhere. So I placed it on a siding in another area. I learned from experiance, be careful handling the railings they are fragile. I'll play with it some more after dinner. Also I saw on the shilling carton it was one of 3000.  Pics.....................Paul

Pics.....................Paul

Apples55 posted:

It’s not that the scale pantographs are oversized... it’s just that your cars are undersized 

If I were going to engage in applying inappropriate appendages to innocent RDC cars, I would vote for the traditional sized pantographs.

Agreed!   Any suggestions as to where an impoverished-but-honest modeler might lay hands on same?   

And I am shocked, shocked (for the second time this week, I might add) to find that you would suggest barbecuing Fortescue!!!

It's not barbecue,  it's pantogi-raffe!   

paul 2 posted:

Picked up the Menards Material handling facility. I bought it on a whim that I could use it as a coal loader. I thought the height would work but it is a tad too high.

But what's nice about the building is its versatility. .....meaning it will work anywhere. 

The size and color give me an idea.   How about here?  

Make a dandy guard tower!  

Mitch 

My nephew and I cleaned track and then ran a MTH railxar and the Lionel Commadore,

Jan

PS.  It had been awhile and took a lot of eblow action.

RSJB18 posted:

mike g. posted:

RSJB18 posted:

Brian- looks like you follow Al's blog too

http://modelrailwaylayoutsplan...3f44d87491a53696eee4

LOL so do I and I didn't know you go by Rob! LOL

Easy there guys..... It's actually Bob or Bobby (CEO's choice), my mother always called me Robert. You can call me anything you like, just don't call me late for dinner

No Problem Robby! From now on I will just stick with Bob! LOL

Paul, that sure is a great looking building! I agree the way it looks you could use it for almost anything! Even an Airport Tower! LOL

Took the day off, ran some trains, took some pictures and videos of them with my smartphone, and posted and replied like crazy on this Forum!

It was a very good day.

LOL, Arnold

Jushavnfun posted:

last week.now 

first section cleared, getting ready for next phase of deconstruction.

Getting ready to build another layout based on the Tehachipi loop

This morning before work I took off the layout and put these in  to storage. 

then I started deconstructing this section  

I'm off tomorrow so I'm gonna take this apart to get ready for new layout   all under the watchful eye of my job supervisors. 

LOL😂😂😂😂😂😂

Once again WOW!

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Apples55 posted:

It’s not that the scale pantographs are oversized... it’s just that your cars are undersized 

If I were going to engage in applying inappropriate appendages to innocent RDC cars, I would vote for the traditional sized pantographs.

Agreed!   Any suggestions as to where an impoverished-but-honest modeler might lay hands on same?   

Mitch 

So sorry, buddy, but all my traditional sized pants are firmly attached to a pair of traditional GG1’s and an EP5 (all unadulterated!!!). The only things I have in my parts box are a heap of Fastrack switch controllers from all my command control switches.

Well, I missed a lot!  

Yes it figures Brian would have one of this layout kits!  LOL

Bob, I’ll still call you Bob!

Mitch, interesting project on the new Gi-raffe Electric.  

Paul, That is an interesting compact loader you got from Menards.  It looks good there.

The grandchildren are spending the night. At grandpa’s house we run trains at bedtime.

Wait there is more…………

We read train books at bedtime. I like “Railroad Hank”.

Gary

sorry mitch, fresh out of pantographs

I still think those gi-raff horns would work

trainroomgary posted:

The grandchildren are spending the night. At grandpa’s house we run trains at bedtime.

…..Gary

OMG. They are so charming in their very apparent desire and determination to behave just perfectly so they can continue to enjoy the gift of being with you and your trains. Outstanding! It feels like a privilege, to me, to share in those photos with you, sir. Thank you. There is the very heart of our hobby.

FrankM

Trainroomgary, Sure looks like there was fun had by all! These are the moments that one remembers for a life time!

beardog posted:

sorry mitch, fresh out of pantographs

I still think those gi-raff horns would work

Or flamingos! 

Fortescue:  Okay, hold it!   Perfect!  

Freddy:  ...I dunno about this.  

Mitch 

trainroomgary posted:

The grandchildren are spending the night. At grandpa’s house we run trains at bedtime.

Wait there is more…………

We read train books at bedtime. I like “Railroad Hank”.

Gary

Gary your a cool grandpa. 

Gary, it is always good to see the possibility of future hobbists in the making but even better when they are family. Today for the first time in many days I am spending time on the layout. I think Mother Nature actually felt bad for me having to work outside and has said she will make it rain for the next few days. I started off in the brewery area drawing a line at the building tops so I could add black paint to where the building fronts will be. I was not planning to do any back lighting. I should be able to add the second coat in a bit and then I can move onto something else. Pics................Paul

Moonson posted:

trainroomgary posted:

The grandchildren are spending the night. At grandpa’s house we run trains at bedtime.

…..Gary

OMG. They are so charming in their very apparent desire and determination to behave just perfectly so they can continue to enjoy the gift of being with you and your trains. Outstanding! It feels like a privilege, to me, to share in those photos with you, sir. Thank you. There is the very heart of our hobby.

FrankM

Gary, As usual I thought it couldn't be said better than they way Frank says it!  But then I did have an addition.  You sir are the absolute prototype of what a train oriented grandpa should be!!  Having two daughters and no sons, I was never able to get any traction with the girls and trains.  To them, it's "Padre's hobby."   (No we aren't Catholic, we are Reformed Presbyterian.  The younger daughter has called me Padre ever since she took Spanish in junior high school) We have no grandchildren yet, and Grandma (Mrs. B) has been buying train stuff at thrift stores ever since the first of our daughters hit college.  I have a whole assortment of plastic trains (parts missing of course), books, DVDs, stuffed animals in RR attire, hats, bookbags, etcetera, etcetera!!  But you are the one who is giving lessons on how to train up a child!  Pun intended!!  

Paul, looks like you got a good start! Make sure you post some pictures when the building fronts are in place! Oh by the way, that's what rain gear is for! LOL

Today am weathering the ore chute.  Am interested in postings above about bashing an RDC.  Have accumulated shells to bash shorties into a scale length RDC-3, not RDC-1 or 2, but 3. Have worried which available shells are scale in width?  Length will involve cutting and splicing.  This on, but way down, my to-do list.

Mike, been raining all day here but I don't need raingear in the basement LOL. It actually feels good to get things accomplished again. I got the second coat of black on and painted around the corner because I will down the road be putting a building there. While the paint was drying I went back to my Downtown Deco building I had been working on and added the signs. After dinner I glue in the doors and windows. Also glued the plastic in for the roof. When that's dry I can glue the black paper to it, add the chimneys and a roof sign for the Tabacco shop. I laid a flat against the black to see how it will eventually look. But I think before I start gluing them in place I am going to see if Michaels carries thin clear plastic which I can cut into strips and glue them on the back side of the windows. Pics............Paul

Finished deconstruction of layout . Took remaining accessories and put them in storage, lCleaned track,  Took up 300' gargraves track & switches, sorted by style,  pulled & sorted wire connection, took of and organized landscaping,  ran shopvac to remove ballast, and put a coat of paint over table so I can start new Tehachipi loop layout next week. 

This will be my 9th layout design in 23 years. This is what Ireally like to do is design and build layouts. 

5:30am

noon. 

3 PM 

Go west young man.....

Got some landscaping done today started working on my coal yard 

Well I was moving along pretty good. Working on the building. Got most of the front doors and windows in. Glued the black paper down to the roof. Was going to glue in the back doors and I can't find them. I don't know if I had a senior moment. I thought I painted everything. Now I can't find them. So I went back over and started playing with the fronts to get the best combination. Tomorrow I'll look for those two doors. And with that I figured that was it for the night. Pics..............Paul

Jushavnfun, That is fast work!  Looking forward to seeing the build start.

Lee, looking good!

Paul, That industrial siding looks great!!

I was looking for a place to display my 3530 Generator car since it doesn't look good on the wall display with the pole laying down. I found a spot between the bridge and the spur serving the Seaboard coaler and gantry crane. At one time I wanted to make this a working spur but just couldn't fit a switch in.
So I roughed in a dead spur.   The Generator car is more or less trapped there unless the track crew comes along and installs a switch. I powered the spur from the accessory transformer.
My vision was that the Generator car could be supplying light to workers on the bridge. I'm a little disappointed in that the searchlight doesn't give off much light. I think the car may need some adjusting, it appears that the sound vibrator may be drawing to much. The other thing that bothers me is that the searchlight head has no movement up or down, so I cant point it up at the bridge. 

Bob. I had mine adjacent to first responders scene cleaning up hooked oil car spill

the light isn't bad in the dark, with a magnet on the base maybe stick it vertical  on a metal beam.

Mark Boyce posted:

Jushavnfun, That is fast work!  Looking forward to seeing the build start.

Lee, looking good!

Paul, That industrial siding looks great!!

Thanks mike 

Spent yesterday pulling a carpet cleaner around our house (gotta keep the CEO happy!). Raining outside today so the lawn will have to wait till later this week . Maybe I can get some train time in today. I'd love to get my new D&H set cleaned up and on the tracks. I opened one up yesterday, they have full interiors but no passengers. Guess I need to pay a visit to John Rowland.......

Lee and Paul- things are looking good.

Justhavinfun- Your screen name sums it up. 9th layout in 23 years WOW! goes to show that this hobby has many different aspects that each of us enjoys in our own way. Some guys build their master piece and that's it. I think I lean towards your side of the tracks though.

Bob (pennsyfan)- maybe you could hide some lights around the car that will shine up on the bridge. Or- you could put a string of lights across the bridge, like construction work lights, and run the wires to the generator. Check out these guys https://www.modeltrainsoftware...r-cool-white-strings

Sounds like a challenge I would enjoy.

Bob

Paul, It took me awhile to figure out why you were painting the wall black and when I seen the flats in place I was like DUH! LOL The flats and the Downtown Deco building are looking really nice, you have come along way with both! I sure hope you find the rear doors! If not you could always board them up like in the old days! 

Jushavnfun, You sure move fast! We can tell you are a man on a mission and better stay out of the way! Good luck on the new layout and like Mark I cant wait to see it come along!

Lee, The coal yard has a nice start to it! Keep plugging away, slow and easy as it goes! LOL

Bob, Sorry you had to clean carpets yesterday! I had to sit out in our Gazebo with the wife, a fire, friends, a nice cold Coors Light, and Tank the inspector. Just because I have nowhere to go and truck is still in the shop for a new Clutch. No new building material for bench work, so it sounded like a good plan for Saturday!

Sunday it will be Seahawk's & the bronco's Oh and the wife is making Fresh Apple pie as I post here at 6:53AM! 

mike g. posted:

Bob, Sorry you had to clean carpets yesterday! I had to sit out in our Gazebo with the wife, a fire, friends, a nice cold Coors Light, and Tank the inspector. Just because I have nowhere to go and truck is still in the shop for a new Clutch. No new building material for bench work, so it sounded like a good plan for Saturday!

Sunday it will be Seahawk's & the bronco's Oh and the wife is making Fresh Apple pie as I post here at 6:53AM! 

Sounds like a nice day Mike. Send some pie east when its done

trainroomgary posted:

The grandchildren are spending the night. At grandpa’s house we run trains at bedtime.

Wait there is more…………

We read train books at bedtime. I like “Railroad Hank”.

Gary

Gary,

The epitome of being a grandfather, you got it! My grandmother was the one who provided the trains but engaging didn't happen except for the occasional, "Grandma come watch the train". After a few times around the oval I think her pretend excitement was over but loved her for giving me that time.

You sir are the full package, I can't imagine the excitement those two little ones have when they are with grandpa. Thanks for posting.

Dave

RSJB18 posted:

mike g. posted:

Bob, Sorry you had to clean carpets yesterday! I had to sit out in our Gazebo with the wife, a fire, friends, a nice cold Coors Light, and Tank the inspector. Just because I have nowhere to go and truck is still in the shop for a new Clutch. No new building material for bench work, so it sounded like a good plan for Saturday!

Sunday it will be Seahawk's & the bronco's Oh and the wife is making Fresh Apple pie as I post here at 6:53AM! 

Sounds like a nice day Mike. Send some pie east when its done

Here you go Bob! LOL

Yummm!!!! That sure looks good Mike. Cut me a piece I am booking a flight right now LOL..........Paul

Finally got the late August videos I made for making hills, mountains and terrain with expanding spray foam and low loft batting up on Youtube...   Tried to edit them and combine into one video, couldn't figure out how to do it, so they are posted as 4 separate videos labeled:   Review since 2017 video, plus Parts 1 through 3 of the current build....  They are on a Playlist together...

Here are the Youtube links.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9gdSkZSXBQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...hcvqzk6N4&t=685s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS0U1vYYK7c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8xUgGVSOKA&t=4s

For anybody not familiar with this project, here are a couple of progress photos of the 8 foot section from start to where it is currently..

Thanks Chris! I will be watching them later with a piece of Apple Pie, after the Seahawks Game!

Paul, save your time, by the time you got to the airport it will be gone!

Chris, great videos of how to. Very interesting way to do scenery differently. A question about that foam. I noticed you have a a good deal of time to work the foam. After you let it set up and applied the paint I noticed that there was still play in the foam. Does the foam eventually become hard so if you use this process will trunks of trees and evergreens stay upright???. Thanks Paul

Jushavnfun,
Yea I thought about sticking it the ironwork, but then I was thinking about making a higher base to put it on. I like your application. I haven't been online awhile so I missed the reason for your complete ripout. I've been at this 3 years, I can't imagine starting over. This generator car idea was just another brain fart that took me away from the task at hand of installing uncoupler magnets.

Bob,

Thanks for the extra lighting ideas and the link.  First I want to check the lamp sizes and make sure that they are correct. Then I'll pull out the meter and make sure that the track is getting what it should be. 
I cranked the Z up to 20 + volts and still didn't get a great output.