a picture a day....

@walt rapp posted:

1974 was #1.  Thanks for the 'not boring' comment - I needed that.

Christmas layout #23 in my count"UP"

walt

WOOOOWEE !!!! Especially love those bottom two pics!!!!   I've been enjoying seeing your layout evolution over the years Walt.  The many incarnations and variations are really interesting!   Yes, by ALL means keep the photos coming!

off loading some brew

Christmas layout #24 in my count"UP" to current year.

In the first picture, I've previously shown images of the model that I made of my parents' house(the white one on the plateau in front).  I recently finished 2 other models also shown on that front plateau: the one on the left is my house and other one is my sister's house.

walt

And one that I just particularly like

@walt rapp posted:

Christmas layout #24 in my count"UP" to current year.

In the first picture, I've previously shown images of the model that I made of my parents' house(the white one on the plateau in front).  I recently finished 2 other models also shown on that front plateau: the one on the left is my house and other one is my sister's house.

walt

And one that I just particularly like

Awesome modeling Walt.

Thanks Bob.  Always appreciate kind words!

WALT

Premiere SR 4501

NKP 765

For today:  On my way into work this morning I noticed the boss man's Caddy being towed.  'Hmmmm" .... I thought to myself.  " Bad day to ask for a raise."

Harry the cabbie was in a hurry to get to the station before the afternoon train arrived. If he gets at the front of the line, he has a chance to get back for another fare; but not today. Officer Paddy O’Toole clocked him at 32MPH going past the park. Those few blocks are posted 20MPH.

Christmas Layout #25 on my countUP

- walt

The model of the house shown here is the one I finished that year.  It's my brother's house.

@pennsyfan posted:

Harry the cabbie was in a hurry to get to the station before the afternoon train arrived. If he gets at the front of the line, he has a chance to get back for another fare; but not today. Officer Paddy O’Toole clocked him at 32MPH going past the park. Those few blocks are posted 20MPH.

Bob, can you post a few more pics of that Starlite Diner ?  Looks very interesting, and haven't seen that before...👀😉

@walt rapp posted:  the house shown here is the one I finished that year.  It's my brother's house.

Looks really good Walt.

This is our house on the PE Christmas layout that Judy and I designed that she made with yarn.

It takes a lot of design work and application to do this kind of build and have it look something like the full scale version.  You did a great job Walt .

@trumpettrain posted:

For today:  On my way into work this morning I noticed the boss man's Caddy being towed.  'Hmmmm" .... I thought to myself.  " Bad day to ask for a raise."

You have one great looking Caddy Patrick.  Nice to see  another good scene from your layout again.......always fun to get into the story sir. 

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Looks really good Walt.

This is our house on the PE Christmas layout that Judy and I designed that she made with yarn.

It takes a lot of design work and application to do this kind of build and have it look something like the full scale version.  You did a great job Walt .

That house is amazing - WITH YARN!!!!!!  That's really creative to boot.  I use styrene for all of my builds.

walt

@Quarter Gauger 48 posted:

Bob, can you post a few more pics of that Starlite Diner ?  Looks very interesting, and haven't seen that before...👀😉

@Quarter Gauger 48 QG 48, Miller Engineering produced a kit
>10 years ago. It’s all metal. I asked Alan Graziano to put it together for me. About 2 years ago the interior lights blew out. I finally got the building disconnected but haven’t made any further progress. Here are some photos from the past.

Sunrise at the Charles Street Yard...equipment check on the Pennsy PA...

FOR TODAY:  It's Friday afternoon and O'l Henry Clayton Hillis himself is trying like the dickens to get this load of hogs into the cattle car which later will be picked up by the local way freight.  Usually Henry sends a couple two tree of his farm hands to do this job but gol dang it,  they all wanted to work from home today.   I got a hankeren that O'l Henry is about to tell those farm hands they can work permanently from home ... without pay! ... just another day on the railroad.

Henry Clayton Hillis  CEO of Henry's Hog Farm.

Now I don't care who you are ...  that there is a lot of bacon!  

Walt and Dallas, excellent houses.  The house where I grew up, Dad and Grandpa grew up there also.  I built it over 30 years ago.  N-scale.

@trumpettrain posted:

FOR TODAY:  It's Friday afternoon and O'l Henry Clayton Hillis himself is trying like the dickens to get this load of hogs into the cattle car which later will be picked up by the local way freight.  Usually Henry sends a couple two tree of his farm hands to do this job but gol dang it,  they all wanted to work from home today.   I got a hankeren that O'l Henry is about to tell those farm hands they can work permanently from home ... without pay! ... just another day on the railroad.

Henry Clayton Hillis  CEO of Henry's Hog Farm.

Now I don't care who you are ...  that there is a lot of bacon!  

Patrick, always a big thank you for taking the time with these scenes!

Gene

@Genemed posted:

Patrick, always a big thank you for taking the time with these scenes!

Gene

Gene - thank you so much!   Creating scenes and the stories to go with them are alway so much fun for me.  

#26 in my Christmas Layout count"UP" to today's.

- Walt

A couple more

@Mark Boyce posted:

Walt and Dallas, excellent houses.  The house where I grew up, Dad and Grandpa grew up there also.  I built it over 30 years ago.  N-scale.

@Mark Boyce - that's a beautiful scene Mark!  Especially given working in such a small scale. I never built anything other that 1:48 size but I image it's way harder to do in 'N'.

- walt

@pennsyfan posted:

@Quarter Gauger 48 QG 48, Miller Engineering produced a kit
>10 years ago. It’s all metal. I asked Alan Graziano to put it together for me. About 2 years ago the interior lights blew out. I finally got the building disconnected but haven’t made any further progress. Here are some photos from the past.

Wow, Bob that lighting is fantastic.  Funny, I've been a customer of Miller since 2010.  I never saw that diner.  I would have definitely bought one...  Love it'...  Thanks for taking the time to repost it'..👍😀

Hunter

@walt rapp posted:

@Mark Boyce - that's a beautiful scene Mark!  Especially given working in such a small scale. I never built anything other that 1:48 size but I image it's way harder to do in 'N'.

- walt

Thank you, Walt; and thank you everyone for the 'Likes'!

Harder, I would say yes.  But, I had a lot more manual dexterity then in my mid 30s, so I have just as much trouble in 1:48th scale now; not that I don't keep trying!    One thing is in 1:160th scale, you can't include as much detail, so there may be a lot less parts.

Car rally at the corner of North Main as the "Chief" pulls out of the station...

@walt rapp posted:

#26 in my Christmas Layout count"UP" to today's.

- Walt

Walt:

Your Christmas layouts have evolved into something downright breathtaking!!!! Bravo!! How long did it take to fully assemble #26 above?

@Randy Harrison posted:

Walt:

Your Christmas layouts have evolved into something downright breathtaking!!!! Bravo!! How long did it take to fully assemble #26 above?

@Randy Harrison:   WOW - thank you for the much appreciated comment Randy!

I allow 7 weeks each year to set it up.  Sadly it also takes me about 7 weeks to take it down, clean everything (there's a LOT of train wheels! and track!), and put it all away.

still with #26 - just a few extra shots.  My purpose in deciding to do my count"UP" was to show the incremental growth and improvements from #1, not to show individual scenes.  But some scenes are the first time that I had them so I might show a small few for each year too.

- walt

I held what we called the "Train Party" each year for all of my 28 relatives.  My grandson was into dinosaurs at that time so I made this scene for him.  The rocks are petrified ones that my brother-in-law gave to me from a dig that he participated in out West.

Looks like this is turning into my personal thread!

#27 in my Christmas Layout count"UP". Sadly I don't have a single picture of the tracks drawn at the bottom of the diagram.

- walt

During the teardown, this pattern of the ballast that I did was a new kind of picture for me so I took it.

W@walt rapp posted:

Looks like this is turning into my personal thread!

#27 in my Christmas Layout count "UP". Sadly, I don't have a single picture of the tracks drawn at the bottom of the diagram.

- walt

I never get tired of seeing your photos, Walt. Each and every one of your layouts are a joy to see.

FOR TODAY:  Now that it's May it's a pretty sure bet that the snow fighting equipment won't be needed until late November.  MOW personnel are giving the equipment some needed repairs and maintenance before the equipment is stored for the next six months or so.  

Crewman Tucker Lloyd wipes the sweat from his brow as he's just crawled out from under the Jordan Spreader where he performed a visual inspection.  Foreman Inky Daniels stands on the spreaders deck as ponders what needs being completed next.  Carman Topper Anderson inspects the blade of the rotary unit.  ... just another day on the railroad.   

View from high up in the FSJR office building.

Inspection of the wing blades.  Cuffy Bell and Moose Grafton do the honors.

@Dave Ripp. posted:

I never get tired of seeing your photos, Walt. Each and every one of your layouts are a joy to see.

Amen

Passengers checking out a cougar

@walt rapp posted:

Looks like this is turning into my personal thread!

#27 in my Christmas Layout count"UP". Sadly I don't have a single picture of the tracks drawn at the bottom of the diagram.

- walt

During the teardown, this pattern of the ballast that I did was a new kind of picture for me so I took it.

Walt, I’ve been faithfully following your Christmas layouts and I’m very impressed with your endless hours and dedication for a seasonal layout, excellent work.

Gene

E units.  Weaver B & O E8A and 3rd Rail Burlington E5A 9911A, "Silver Pilot".  The latter is preserved and runs at the Illinois Railway Museum.

E-units (E-6) MTH AB set both units powered

Pennsy E8's

Ron

Thanks Gene!

#28 in my count"UP" of my Christmas Layouts

- walt

Thanks also to @Dave Ripp. and @pennsyfan

Hi guys just wanted to let you know that I am still around!

I want to thank you all for the wonderful photos of your layouts! It is so fun to go back and see what I have been missing. I have been busy with other things, but I am still trying to stay in touch with what is going on here!

I hope your all doing well and having fun with your trains!