@Richie C. posted:For those with cemeteries, Diecast Direct has a half-dozen 1/43 hearses for sale. They have various printed funeral home names and come with a scale casket.
Thanks Richie C! I already have two hearses but your post pushed me to look for scale caskets. A google search netted this on Etsy. Now to look through my people for some pallbearers, mourners and a funeral director. 
@pennsyfan posted:Thanks Richie C! I already have two hearses but your post pushed me to look for scale caskets. A google search netted this on Etsy. Now to look through my people for some pallbearers, mourners and a funeral director.
I just watched your YouTube video from your signature line and enjoyed it very much! It's great to see how you included the people in your life on your layout!
-Greg
Finished installing my ceiling lighting, placement not exactly as I planned, but close enough !
That’s a nice looking train room. Well done.
@trestleking posted:Finished installing my ceiling lighting, placement not exactly as I planned, but close enough !
Looks great. On to bench work! 
Bob
@trestleking posted:Finished installing my ceiling lighting, placement not exactly as I planned, but close enough !
Yeah, it looks off to the right!! lol Seriously though, they're up and working so it gets two thumbs up in my book!
-Greg
@Greg Houser posted:I just watched your YouTube video from your signature line and enjoyed it very much! It's great to see how you included the people in your life on your layout!
-Greg
Thanks Greg! I’m happy that you enjoyed it.
Lots of excellent work has taken place while we were enjoying the beach. Good going everyone.
While we were gone, Rich called several times wondering when we might return. The passenger station was left in the house awaiting Paula’s interior/exterior work. She completed work on the top level Monday morning and Rich arrived before 2:00.
We took it out to the train room, set it in place, hooked up the lights, and checked everything out, finally placing the three roof sections in place. We took photos, both to celebrate the occasion and to use to correct things that our eyes missed.
Today I spent three morning hours painting, changing, and going thru each photo to determine what needed to be tweaked. Several times, the photo appeared to show something wrong, incorrect paint, etc, and it was due to lighting; finally I said, “Enough.”
After lunch, I ballasted the three tracks that serve the station and replaced one of the trains. A Christmas train hidden on the rear track should not remain in August and was replaced by a N and W Pocahontas passenger train.
Paula spent several hours working on the track level platform scenes and is not close to completion. Suddenly she has a ton of additional figures, baggage wagons, and stuff, and I surprised her with several advertising signs that need the copy added.
She hopes to finish tomorrow. The station will be as complete as we want it to be at this stage and will still require completion of roads, a parking garage and outside lot, etc. photos will follow when Paula says, “Done.”
I have an update to my post regarding my Street Running efforts. The link below is to my original post.
https://ogrforum.com/...9#163461606170509539
My dilemma was that the boxcar couldn't negotiate the tight curves on the streets. I wasn't able to make the Streets loop any wider, @Wood suggested using Marx wheelsets. I ended up modifying a Lionel 655 boxcar. Don't excommunicate me! I cut the coupler support bars off and removed the hook couplers. Then I attached K-Line scale couplers to mate with the engine and caboose. I won't show pictures of me mutilating the car but here is a picture of the installed K-line coupler.
Street Running
Local Delivery
I'm contemplating repainting and or weathering the boxcar.
@pennsyfan Perfect! I didn't think about scale couplers. Good solution!
@pennsyfan posted:I have an update to my post regarding my Street Running efforts. The link below is to my original post.
https://ogrforum.com/...9#163461606170509539
My dilemma was that the boxcar couldn't negotiate the tight curves on the streets. I wasn't able to make the Streets loop any wider, @Wood suggested using Marx wheelsets. I ended up modifying a Lionel 655 boxcar. Don't excommunicate me! I cut the coupler support bars off and removed the hook couplers. Then I attached K-Line scale couplers to mate with the engine and caboose. I won't show pictures of me mutilating the car but here is a picture of the installed K-line coupler
Local Delivery
I'm contemplating repainting and or weathering the boxcar.
Nice work. We will forgive your transgressions with the car. From the top it still looks the same.
Bob
Took a couple days off work this week. Our fiscal year ends 8/31 so I had a couple days left to burn.
The CEO was otherwise occupied so what's a guy to do on a hot sticky day? Work on the trains in a cool basement of course!
I decided to tackle the switch modification I've previously discussed. I can say that it went well, and along with a couple of other ROW clearance repairs, I can now run my RS-1's around the outer loop on my layout. 
I had to clear all of the brush and spanish moss away from the switches before I took a cutting wheel to the solenoid frames. That stuff is tinder dry, don't need to start a fire. 
I'll restore everything after the painting is done. Interesting observation- Lionel actually took the time to shape the mold for the texture on the base plate around where the solenoid went.
First test run by. It's close but this ain't horseshoes......
While I was at it, I fixed a couple of wires that were bothering me. I cut a piece of styrene tube in half and made covers to hide them going to my upper level. Paint is next and then I'll clean up the scenery. I may finally do something about the black plywood too.
All in all a productive day on the layout.
Bob
You had a couple of very profitable days.
Way to go Bob. It must be very reassuring to your wife that you are productive even without direct supervision. Glad you were able to use up your days in a fun way.
@RSJB18 posted:All in all a productive day on the layout.
Bob
Well done Bob. Let the engines roll!
@Bill Webb @Tranquil Hollow RR @pennsyfan
I love it when a plan comes together! Yes. it's nice to be productive when working on the layout. Call it retirement practice.....
Bill- great work on the station. That's going to be a conversation piece when it's done.
Thanks gents!
Bob
Hi guys, it's been a couple days, so I am not too far behind! So here we go! LOL
@Putnam Division Peter wonderful looking modules! The new road looks great!
@Lionelski John Great camp sites! Looks like a lot of folks enjoying the sunny days of summer!
@Dave Ripp. Dave the cemetery looks wonderful! I really love the grave digger you posted on the other thread!
@trestlekingThe lights are up and they look like they should work just fine. That is one big step out of the way, now on to the layout!
@Bill Webb Bill you Paula, and Rich have done an amazing job on the passenger station!
@pennsyfan Great job on getting the street cars running, what a wonderful idea and Iam glad it worked!
@RSJB18 Bob great work on getting the clearance you needed! But inquiring minds want to know what you're going to do with the exposed post sticking up?
As for me guys I was working on another cheap auto I got at WM, it started out as a monster truck and I wanted it to be just a nice truck for the layout. here is a before and after shot.
The truck and Bronco bumpers used to matchup. But with the removal of the lifted suspension, it is now a normal work truck! 
I had a box truck that decided to donate the required parts, so it became a Dually! 
I hope you all have a great week and wonderful long upcoming weekend!
Most of all I hope you all find time to have fun with your layouts and trains!
@mike g. posted:Hi guys, it's been a couple days, so I am not too far behind! So here we go! LOL
@RSJB18 Bob great work on getting the clearance you needed! But inquiring minds want to know what you're going to do with the exposed post sticking up?
As for me guys I was working on another cheap auto I got at WM, it started out as a monster truck and I wanted it to be just a nice truck for the layout. here is a before and after shot.
The truck and Bronco bumpers used to matchup. But with the removal of the lifted suspension, it is now a normal work truck!
I hope you all have a great week and wonderful long upcoming weekend!
Most of all I hope you all find time to have fun with your layouts and trains!
The terminal posts are dead now Mike. The power to them came through the coils of the solenoid. I suppose I could have cut them down but for now they are painted brown and will be hidden by ground cover. I did the site restoration this morning but I'll wait till the glue dries and share more pix later.
Nice work on the truck!
Bob
@RSJB18 posted:The terminal posts are dead now Mike. The power to them came through the coils of the solenoid. I suppose I could have cut them down but for now they are painted brown and will be hidden by ground cover. I did the site restoration this morning but I'll wait till the glue dries and share more pix later.
Nice work on the truck!
Bob
Cool, and thanks for the compliment.
I will be looking forward to your new photos
I just put together a ET&WNC coal train ready to roll on the layout and placed some extra ET&WNC cars on the Junction track.
I also dusted everything.
It's as ready to go as it can be for the narrow gauge convention layout visit tomorrow.
Beats me how many people will visit considering in the second furthest layout from the convention hotel and I don't think any of the other area layouts are showing tomorrow.
If anyone visiting tomorrow is a regular here, please let me know when I talk to you, as I probably won't recognize anyone by a face.
@p51 posted:I just put together a ET&WNC coal train ready to roll on the layout and placed some extra ET&WNC cars on the Junction track.
I also dusted everything.
It's as ready to go as it can be for the narrow gauge convention layout visit tomorrow.
Beats me how many people will visit considering in the second furthest layout from the convention hotel and I don't think any of the other area layouts are showing tomorrow.
If anyone visiting tomorrow is a regular here, please let me know when I talk to you, as I probably won't recognize anyone by a face.
Good luck Lee. I hope some folks take the time to see your terrific layout.
Bob
@p51 posted:I just put together a ET&WNC coal train ready to roll on the layout and placed some extra ET&WNC cars on the Junction track.
I also dusted everything.
It's as ready to go as it can be for the narrow gauge convention layout visit tomorrow.
Beats me how many people will visit considering in the second furthest layout from the convention hotel and I don't think any of the other area layouts are showing tomorrow.
If anyone visiting tomorrow is a regular here, please let me know when I talk to you, as I probably won't recognize anyone by a face.
Lee that looks OUTSTANDING! I wish I lived closer, but then again we have family coming for the long weekend! Plus I have some friends coming over to see my train room that I haven't seen in years!
Good luck on your open house and I hope you get alot of people!
@mike g. posted:Lee that looks OUTSTANDING! I wish I lived closer, but then again we have family coming for the long weekend! Plus I have some friends coming over to see my train room that I haven't seen in years!
Good luck on your open house and I hope you get alot of people!
Lee, Mike, I hope you both have enjoyable visits. You both have great layouts to show. No trains for me this W/E; I’ll be showing my car at Lead East in NJ. https://g.co/kgs/y4v6y2
I got the scenery restored yesterday after modifying my switches. Ground cover and shrubbery was quickly replaced. Wish I could do it on the 1:1 scale "layout" so quickly.....
As mentioned, I also started on the black plywood area between the two tracks on the main level. I added some plaster cloth to give the area some dimension, not totally flat. Ground cover will be added as time permits.
By coincidence, the knurled nuts for the terminals fit perfectly in the tubing I cut for a throw handle.
Bob, you have been on a mission. Time for cocktails and decompressing.
@RSJB18 posted:
You must have been working really hard; you aged quite a bit since you’re avatar picture. 😱
Lee, can’t wait to hear how the event went. Your layout looks great.
Passenger Station renovation part 1 is hereby declared completed. That really doesn’t mean a lot. Paula is looking at the Scenic Express catalog for landscaping materials for the front as I type this. I say wait; oh well.
That’s a good thing. I can’t believe my good fortune to have a wife who is excited about the train room, has decided what she wants to do, and can do it well. Add a friend like Rich to handle the structural work and I can go fishing Saturday.
The station is modeled after the N and W Roanoke station. It is on two levels, the top containing the concourse and waiting areas, the bottom has three tracks and two platforms.
No, this is not Grand Central. After all, the N and W was a coal hauling railroad BUT that did not mean that passengers were forgotten or pulled by stinking diesels. The Roanoke built J was one of the premier engines ever made.
It isn’t’ practical to model Roanoke so selective re-creation is being used which places obstacles/opportunities in the paths of progress. We spend hours deciding what goes where, how, and when to do it.
Harry Heike built the station about five years ago. Until early 2022, it sat there alone with nothing close to the second level. Now there is a great deal within two feet and we are almost ready to add more Benchwork and lay track which will extend to the center and left away from the right side Engine Service area.
So, to celebrate progress, Rich and Paula decided to renovate the station.
The front brick building interior was gutted and both side business offices/dispatch area/freight service were redone. The main concourse features a Colonial Red rear wall, a custom hand-crafted mahogany ticket/service area, and a green marble floor, all of which perfectly compliment not only each other but also the famous French chandeliers which light the area.
Several Architectural awards have been received including one which recognizes the assistance of the VPI (Virginia Tech today) Department of Architecture.
The rear waiting area offers a comfortable place for travelers to pass the time watching East/west bound traffic while awaiting the arrival of epic passenger trains such as the N and W Powhatan Arrow, Pocahontas, and Cavalier, and also such famous trains as the Southern Tennessean.
On ground level, passengers board in comfort while enjoying the delightful Roanoke weather. Often they can be seen studying renderings about the Historical Heritage of the Roanoke area.
The station is a constant bee-hive of activity. Paula outdid herself in creating dioramas that offer sights ranging from a bevy of beautiful women and nattily dressed gentlemen to a purse snatcher being chased by the authorities and even a lady of the evening meeting her escort.
The last stage of the remodeling will likely begin in 2023 and will include parking areas, a park, plenty of landscaping, and additional cultural attractions, including a section devoted to the famous N and W photographer O. Winston Link.
As a note to Mark Boyce who has a station awaiting populace, Paula has placed 200 people, an estimated 20 baggage carts, and a ton of other stuff. She will be glad to assist you when ready.
This is almost turning into one of Alan’s OGR articles so let’s see the photos.
@Bill Webb- an amazing feet of modeling skill by a great team. I often watch the Roanoke camera on Virtual Railfan. The camera is across from the Hotel Roanoke, at the Virginia Museum of Transportation. Was/ is the station still there?
Bob
Oh, Wow Paula, excellent job! A train terminal wouldn't be real without lots of customers and workers. This scene needs all these figures. Nice wagons, tables, signs, and activity.
Bill, I have had the pleasure of seeing this building before it's a great rendition of the N&W terminal. Perfect lighting and lots of detail and class. Tap this scene off as an eye catcher.
@Bill Webb posted:Lee, can’t wait to hear how the event went. Your layout looks great.
Thanks!
It went really well. I had everyone sign in on a guest book and haven't counted them yet, but I had a relatively steady stream the entire time.
One guy who also has a ET&WNC layout, but in HOn3 (and an excellent rendition of the real railroad) came by, along with other well known folks in the hobby.
Dropped off a photo for the model contest (which has a photo contest with it) afterward and hit the vendors room.
I saw some amazing model work:
I also met several big hitters in the hobby, some were folks I'd been wanting to talk to for years...
Also bought a book from the author, been wanting this for a while, from the dean of ET&WNC history:
That is worth attending. I will show this to Rich and Paula.
Glad that things went well.
Bob the station has been redone and is now the O Winston Link and History Museum of Western Virginia. It is done well and Winston Link’s photos are fabulous.
It is located across the street from the Hotel Roanoke entrance.
Thanks Wood. You made Paula’s day. We all had a good time with this building. Can’t wait to get back to it but have to do other things first. Brooklyn cars will be featured in the parking garage and lot.
@Bill Webb posted:Lee, can’t wait to hear how the event went. Your layout looks great.
Passenger Station renovation part 1 is hereby declared completed. That really doesn’t mean a lot. Paula is looking at the Scenic Express catalog for landscaping materials for the front as I type this. I say wait; oh well.That’s a good thing. I can’t believe my good fortune to have a wife who is excited about the train room, has decided what she wants to do, and can do it well. Add a friend like Rich to handle the structural work and I can go fishing Saturday.
The station is modeled after the N and W Roanoke station. It is on two levels, the top containing the concourse and waiting areas, the bottom has three tracks and two platforms.
No, this is not Grand Central. After all, the N and W was a coal hauling railroad BUT that did not mean that passengers were forgotten or pulled by stinking diesels. The Roanoke built J was one of the premier engines ever made.
It isn’t’ practical to model Roanoke so selective re-creation is being used which places obstacles/opportunities in the paths of progress. We spend hours deciding what goes where, how, and when to do it.
Harry Heike built the station about five years ago. Until early 2022, it sat there alone with nothing close to the second level. Now there is a great deal within two feet and we are almost ready to add more Benchwork and lay track which will extend to the center and left away from the right side Engine Service area.
So, to celebrate progress, Rich and Paula decided to renovate the station.
The front brick building interior was gutted and both side business offices/dispatch area/freight service were redone. The main concourse features a Colonial Red rear wall, a custom hand-crafted mahogany ticket/service area, and a green marble floor, all of which perfectly compliment not only each other but also the famous French chandeliers which light the area.
Several Architectural awards have been received including one which recognizes the assistance of the VPI (Virginia Tech today) Department of Architecture.
The rear waiting area offers a comfortable place for travelers to pass the time watching East/west bound traffic while awaiting the arrival of epic passenger trains such as the N and W Powhatan Arrow, Pocahontas, and Cavalier, and also such famous trains as the Southern Tennessean.
On ground level, passengers board in comfort while enjoying the delightful Roanoke weather. Often they can be seen studying renderings about the Historical Heritage of the Roanoke area.
The station is a constant bee-hive of activity. Paula outdid herself in creating dioramas that offer sights ranging from a bevy of beautiful women and nattily dressed gentlemen to a purse snatcher being chased by the authorities and even a lady of the evening meeting her escort.
The last stage of the remodeling will likely begin in 2023 and will include parking areas, a park, plenty of landscaping, and additional cultural attractions, including a section devoted to the famous N and W photographer O. Winston Link.
As a note to Mark Boyce who has a station awaiting populace, Paula has placed 200 people, an estimated 20 baggage carts, and a ton of other stuff. She will be glad to assist you when ready.
This is almost turning into one of Alan’s OGR articles so let’s see the photos.
Magnificent!
Peter
I decided to do a little Urban Renewal on my modules. I cover 18 feet of our modular layout. The original modules were built and decorated in 2009-2010. I will briefly try to take you through the journey......
First, pictures from the Summer of 2010 in my garage:
Have a great and safe weekend, folks!
Peter
Next stop was a major addition in 2017. I went from 12 feet to 18feet (where I remain).
Two major buildings kitbashes: one of of a Korber factory and the establishment of MAX FOODS....these pictures are from Summer through Fall of 2017.....
.....and, Woodland Scenics Morrison Door Factory thrown in.....
Peter
Excellent work Peter! One of these days I will have to drive down and see one of your club's open houses.
-Greg
Since that time, I tried to declutter, moving out Morrison's Door Factory.......but, I wanted to change the look.....I decided to pave the streets and "declutter" a bit more.....then, defined the paved space with more foliage......
....I also "weathered" the "asphalt" a bit......
My next step will be to put the buildings back and adjust the "people" and add a few more vehicles since the road is now "paved".
Peter
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