My All Postwar Lionel Layout “Updated 4/7/24”

Flint Rock Valley posted:

Just now finished up my wiring underneath the layout. I am pretty happy w/ how it looks.
First pic is w/ the 6’ long Control Panel drawer pushed in. Second one is w/ the drawer extended outward.  

What do Y’all think? 

I'm curious about the grey flexible tubes in the above pictures. I'm guessing they encase individual wires to make them more manageable?

tncentrr posted:

Flint Rock Valley posted:

Just now finished up my wiring underneath the layout. I am pretty happy w/ how it looks.
First pic is w/ the 6’ long Control Panel drawer pushed in. Second one is w/ the drawer extended outward.  

What do Y’all think? 

I'm curious about the grey flexible tubes in the above pictures. I'm guessing they encase individual wires to make them more manageable?

Hi TNCENTRR, 

It’s just 1” wire loom to cover up things & keep it clean looking under there. 

Flint Rock,

Thanks for the reply and the information. I will have to keep that in mind. No matter how neat I try to be with my wiring (and I am a retired electrical engineer) I always seem to end up with that "battle field of insane spiders" look to it. Yours is neat and well organized.

tncentrr posted:

Flint Rock,

Thanks for the reply and the information. I will have to keep that in mind. No matter how neat I try to be with my wiring (and I am a retired electrical engineer) I always seem to end up with that "battle field of insane spiders" look to it. Yours is neat and well organized.

Appreciate the compliment TNCENTRR, Thank You! 

Worked on the proper configuration & timing for my Highway Signals this morning. 

Also on Saturday got the illuminated On/Off switches installed for two sidings on the outer loop & one for a siding (not shown) on the inner loop. Still have to order more switches for the remaining blocked power sidings.  

The contacts for the highway signals are fashioned from thin copper sheeting. I applied clear double sided tape to the track, then wrapped the sheeting around the top. One contact goes on one outer rail & the other contact goes on the opposite rail. For this timing sequence I have them spaced about 6” apart. Of course in conjunction w/ the highway signal a crossing gate will be activated as well (also not shown, yet). To keep this accessory activated while the signal is flashing I used the same section of track & insulated one of the outer rails w/ fiber pins. This configuration keeps the gate down w/ minimal power interruption while the train is passing over the signal contacts.

Y'all have a Great Week... 

Happy Railroading Everybody! 

Cool!  Where did you get the red/green lit toggles from?  Definitely a space-saver on the control board.

Eli, 

I just wanted to say thanks for this thread, I really enjoy your updates. Your layout and recent wiring look great! I especially liked the rocket launch a few pages back, haha.  It is always cool checking out your post war stuff!

Matt Kramer posted:

Cool!  Where did you get the red/green lit toggles from?  Definitely a space-saver on the control board.

Matt, they’re from Radio Shack. Which means they’re really hard to find being that they closed all their stores. 
Have yet to find a similar switch like these. 

PRRick posted:

Eli, 

I just wanted to say thanks for this thread, I really enjoy your updates. Your layout and recent wiring look great! I especially liked the rocket launch a few pages back, haha.  It is always cool checking out your post war stuff!

PRRick, I’m so glad you enjoy it! Thank You so much for your kind compliments! 
There will be much more updates here soon, as I’m now continuing on my elevated section project. I also started another “repair” thread. The link is above, if you’d like to follow there, too. 
Have a good one...  

Most Auto stores/isles have lighted toggles. Any good supply house will have a larger selection.  Some change color too.

Just mind the switch points amp rating is high enough (& lit volts in range of course )...

First round of Highway Signals & Crossing Gates are all done. Now to get the rest hooked up around the layout.

Something so simple, yet very gratifying! 

If anyone is interested how I wired this up, this may be of some help to you.

For the crossing gates I insulated one outer rail section of track w/ fiber pins & cardboard to insulate the from the track ties. There’s a spade connector not shown shoved inside the bottom of that rail.
For the signals I used thin copper sheeting & placed on opposite outer rails about 6” apart. Those are hand bent & glued to double sided tape as the insulator. The copper is mounted to a piece of plexiglas w/ a hole drilled for a rivet & another for the wire to come up from the table. The wire is placed underneath the rivet on top of the copper.
The timing of the flashers can be changed by changing the length between the contacts.

Today’s clip is brought to You by ~

Lionel’s 154 Highway Signals combine w/ the 252 Crossing Gates, & the newly installed 140 Banjo Signal for the Coal & Culvert Siding (which is activated from either side of the track).

Happy Railroading, Y’all!!

Flint Rock Valley posted:

Today’s clip is brought to You by ~

Lionel’s 154 Highway Signals combine w/ the 252 Crossing Gates, & the newly installed 140 Banjo Signal for the Coal & Culvert Siding (which is activated from either side of the track).

Happy Railroading, Y’all!!

Nice - I can smell the smoke from here!

What do you do when you have a manually operated 346 Culvert Unloading Station & can’t reach it anymore? 

Well, of course go in the shop & find the parts to make it electrically operated.
I’ll soon be filling in the backside of this area w/ another 30”x7’ addition to the main level, for numerous sidings & continuation of the outer loop. Doing this will cut me off from the manual operation of this accessory. So, I found all the right stuff to power it up. 
Using the handle for variable output on a Tech II, it takes a steady hand & a bit of patience to operate, but... it works Wonderfully! 

Got Culverts?

Hadn’t messed w/ the 342 Culvert Loader in awhile. It was hooked up & running, prior to the downtime of building & installing the control panel. Had to adjust the tension cable & wire it to its switch.
The Coal & Culvert Yard is now fully operational & working w/ precision!

Hop On & Take a Journey through The Rails of Flint Rock Valley  

Flint Rock Valley, I love your idea of a drawer for the control board. Could you please contact me to discuss some details around how you built it?

Thanks!

Mike

https://ogrforum.com/...6#138541431187537556

Mike, email sent... Be glad to discuss whatever it is you’re wanting to know. 
Thanks for your interest! 

Got a huge “part” of a project done today. I’ve had this rough cut pattern for a long time now. Don’t recall if I’d shared pics of this previously. This is a pattern for the base that will be the Entrance to the upcoming Interconnected Double Looped Elevated Section of FRV. The Railroad Crossing is where the horseshoe ramp to nowhere will finally get hooked up to. Today I finished filing, chiseling, & sanding this pattern. It is finally ready to apply the substrate & cut it out. 
A Train will be able to travel up from the main level & choose either the inner or outer elevated loops to proceed upon. Eventually there will be a reverse loop/ track section, so either train on either loop can come back downward to the main level. Below is a photoshopped pic of what it will soon look like. 
Super Excited to get this installed & continue my work on the elevated section! 

Y’all have a Wonderful Weekend! 

FRV. "The Railroad Crossing is where the horseshoe ramp to nowhere will finally get hooked up to. "
So the name of the town this ramp is going to is called "Nowhere"? 
It's a good of a name as any I guess. 

Dennis

https://ogrforum.com/...0#138541431197395340
Umm, Hartman that’d be a NO. The name of the town is called Flint Rock Valley... 

Ahh... the mailman brought me ALL New Bulbs today. 
The Control Panel is lookin Slick now! 

I had no idea if this thing even worked or not, till today. Quickest Accessory Repair Ever... 

I really enjoy your thread, Eli. Did you get incandescent or leds from the mailman? It looks great. Looking forward to seeing the switch module installed 👍🏻 All around great stuff!

Also, what is the video editor that you use? Everything turns out very polished and professional.

https://ogrforum.com/...7#138682179739564097
https://ogrforum.com/...6#138682179739625246

Hi JD! I’ve not made the switch over to led’s just yet. For now all the bulbs across the board are standard incandescents. I may try to change over one of these days, but I still love that authentic postwar look & feel. 
The movie editor I use is an app I installed on my phone called iMovie. It has some great editing tools. 
So glad you like the thread JD! It’s compliments like yours that keep me coming back to share my railroad’s progression. Thanks a bunch for your interest, Sir! 

I’ll post more here soon... 

https://ogrforum.com/...2#135585778481782982 
Some of y’all may know I started a new Repair Series focusing strictly on Postwar Lionel Trains & Accessories. Be sure to follow along there too, by clicking the link ^above. I’ll be sharing more on that page as I get things moved into the Service Yard (my desk). 
For today, here’s a little something I fixed up this afternoon. 
Hope Y’all enjoy the view... 

And as always ~ Happy Railroading! 

Another one ready for The Rails... 

(check video description for more details) 

Finally replaced the halfway worn through roller on this little guy. Had some new brushes & springs to install too. It’s running as good as new. 
Had to drag these guys out from the pub when their rig was done being worked on. Now it’s time for them to get their lil butts back on the job... Gonna be a long night for these three!

One handful of parts at a time & this 1464W Passenger Set will all be brand new again for the first time in seventy years. Just finished up the non powered A Unit for the first set. Almost have the 2481 rebuilt. Still a bunch of cleaning to go till the big consist can Ride the Rails of Flint Rock Valley.

Pattern Making 101

Today’s “How To” clip is brought to You by ~ FRV

Howdy Train Folk!
Today we’ll show you a brief lesson on how to cut out a pattern. This particular piece will house the Switch Module for the Entrance/ Exit from the Interconnected Double Loops on my upcoming Elevated Section.

Hope Y’all enjoy...
& as always ~ Happy Railroading!

~ New Real Estate ~

FRV has been making payments on the adjacent lot for years now. Earlier this week the final payment was made, title transferred, & rail construction has already begun.

Due to the fact I’m fresh out of extra O22’s, Marx track & switches are temporarily in place, only till I can find myself some to buy.

(If you’d have asked me several years ago if I was ever going to add more track to the already jam packed 8’x8’ - I’d have said “You’re Crazy!!”) 

Finished up the 1464W Passenger Set... Here it is in ALL its Glory! 
Also finally installed a new smoke unit in the 675, & it works great. 

Hope Y’all enjoy! 

Nice expansion and passenger set. 

For the switch section, when you get it on the layout, will the base be the plexiglass? If so, I’m Just curious why you chose that over plywood. How thick is the plexiglass? 

I enjoy seeing the work you are doing 👍🏻

Today’s view from the Service Yard of FRV.
The second of the two 2023 Diesel Powered Alco A Units is now ready for reassembly.

JD2035RR posted:

Nice expansion and passenger set. 

For the switch section, when you get it on the layout, will the base be the plexiglass? If so, I’m Just curious why you chose that over plywood. How thick is the plexiglass? 

I enjoy seeing the work you are doing 👍🏻

JD, yes it is Plexiglas, at a 1/4” thickness. 
I chose this substrate for its clearness & thin profile. Though the platform will be full of switches & a bit of track, what is visible will be see through. There’s also another secret to the elevated section which I’ve yet to reveal. You’ll know when & what it is when I get around to assembling the elevated section. 
Thanks for the compliments JD & glad you’re enjoying the updates! 

~Eli 

Had one small repair to make.

I saw this prior to disassembly, but waited to fix it till afterwards. Luckily I had a stash of brand new drums on hand.
This 2023 should be good for another 70+ years of Fun...

Oh Man, I LOVE that dual tone Horn!!
💕 〰️📢〰️📢 💕
Beep Beep

What a Wonderful sound! 

We now have Passenger Service available @ FRV.