Hello Davy, Hope your doing well. Your layout is looking fantastic. Im always amazed at your hardscape landscape 👍. Great work.
"HONGZ" stands for HO scale, N scale, G scale, and Z scale.
Post your non-O scale stuff here!
Cheers George, hopefully will be at least partially up and running by August. On the subject of german 2-10-0s , there were still a couple of Kriegslok 52s in regular day to day working service at a coal mine in Bosnia in 2017 (see attached film). As far as I'm aware they were still active in 2018 but don't know if the operation still continues in 2019 ? Certainly the last workaday steam in Europe. good film with some nice night time shots. Something magical about steam locomotives at night. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9-yqgnoQfI
Thank you for the information and film, Davy. Yes, I see the cleaner sides. The tenders are a very different design than I have seen. Also, I have never seen double headers with the tenders back to back. In the USA, they were always run elephant parade style to my knowledge. The coal hoppers are interesting as well, with what looks like doors on the sides, if they are hoppers. I agree about night scenes.
Hi Guys, well after couple of days of too-hot weather in which I just could not find the energy to work in the sun and humidity I finally got round to doin the last major bit of cement work on the main track bed. The nearer I get to finishing the less room I have to work in too ,flippin awkward,but hey-ho, once this batch of cement has cured I can really start to push on with the O gauge track work . A bit of stonework and some plant planting to be done and some fernickety work fixing the spurs onto the turntable. But nearly there ! 
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Yes Davy, I can see you have less room to work, but it will all be worth it! Looking great!!
Mark Boyce posted:Yes Davy, I can see you have less room to work, but it will all be worth it! Looking great!!
Hi Mark, well thats the last of the serious cement work done so most of the remaining work is track laying once the cement is cured. Rain forecast for the next coupla days so a wee break from it till the sun re-appears. Nice long double track run down that back fence .Might do a station scene there. Don't intend to go overboard with sidings just the one passing loop with its acces spur to the turntable. I also have room for a siding in far right hand corner. With some fair weather should have trains running early August ! Can't wait !
Looking great Davy! Its been a long haul and I cant wait to see your finish!
mike g. posted:Looking great Davy! Its been a long haul and I cant wait to see your finish!
Hi Mike ,cheers for the thumbs up, 5PM here and the sun's just appeared after a dull and wet day, might get a wee bitty more done tonight. The spurs to the turntable will be a bit tricky I'm hopin to use ball and spring type internal door locks to conduct the power feed to the turntable tracks. So when the table-track lines up with the off roads the sprung-balls will make contact with copper feelers. Should make life simple and avoids complicated switching or wiring. Thats the plan anyway ! we'll see how it pans out ! Am quite nifty if its a spade or pick ..etc., not so good (or patient!! ) with fernickety stuff... 
Hi Davy, I hope things went well for you tonight! It sounds like your on the right method for powering your wiskers off the turn table. I use the kind of the same method for when my drop bridge comes down to continue the power to the track on the other side!
Hi Guys, well mixed weather,bright sunshine this mornin then very warm and sticky then rain, back to sun tonight as I write this. Managed to get the main timber block cemented into position for the 2nd turntable off road. Once thats set I can get the rest of the required timber and cement work done to complete that.Other than that managed to get the longitudinal timbers nailed down to take the double track mainline. Then the rain came on ! So that was pretty much that for the day. 
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So being rained off today I went and worked inside on another rail project. Years ago I was heavily into G scale 1/29th. Mainly Aristocraft. However, lost interest and sold most of my stuff off. Kept a few things though. One item I did keep was the very last Aristocraft 4-6-2 I bought.The Aristo pacifics were notorious for poor drive assemblies however this was one of the last production models which were a lot better. the Aristo pacific was based on the B&O P7 "President" class which is one of my all-time favourite US types. Especially the rebuilt P7c version. The Aristo model needs quite a lot of rebuilding to get it looking right for a P7c. I started the project years ago and shelfed it and its sat there unfinished since. However now that my G scale line is rebuilt and nearly back in action, I took a notion to finish the P7c. My G scale line will be mainly German outline with German loco sounds etc., but I'm thinkin a US pacific with American steam sounds would be nice for a wee bit variety. The B&O P7 pacifics were all in all-over Royal Blue at the end of steam irrespect of sublass. However a solitary one 5308 /latterly 106 was in a crossing accident in 1956 and against all the odds so late in the steam game it was repaired and outshopped in freight engine black. To the best of my knowledge the only P7 ever that wore black . So 106 in black my loco will be. In real life the P7s boilers were all re-lagged in later years right over the smokebox sides which gave them a fatter appearance . I've mimicked this using fine balsa wood glued on to the boiler barrel and wrapped in paper-thin plastic card. Still a bit to be done. I'll aso need to re-work the smokebox front etc., anyway here she is still in pieces posing for a shot. The tender top also required major surgery as the Aristocraft tender was modelled on a non standard version of the P7 tender and was only correct for one loco in the class for a short period of time 
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Davy, things are sure looking good! Your almost there with the track and ready to run some trains! Good luck on your engine rebuild, looks like it will be a nice engine to run around now and then!
Hopefully she'll look like this when finished,albeit in black. This picture was taken at Benwood Virginia when she was still numbered 5308 and in blue. Must have been soon after this pic was taken that the loco was damaged in the crossing accident and received her 3 digit number 106. All remaining B&O steam received 3 digit numbers in late '56 as the 4 digit numbers were being used for the diesel incumbents.
Hi Guys,well not a lotta progress the last few days, some fairly regular bouts of torrential rain haven't helped . Plus yesterday while workin on the track I tripped and fell ,went down like a ton of bricks,took a chunk out my right knee bashed my other leg and battered my side and twisted my back..... so I had a lovely day ....not.... however have survived the ordeal , needless to say my wife and daughters thought it was hilarious...... despite the pain I had to laugh as well.... 
... got fixed up went back out only to immediately run out of track pinning nails . But hey ho will get a pack today. Coupla days should see a train making a circuit ! 
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Looks good Davy! Take care of your knee and watch out for those tripping hazards! If it wasn't for the rain things wouldn't be so green and lovely in your garden!
Awesome Davy! Keep us posted on you and your railroad!
Hi Guys ,well rain actually stayed off for an hour this mornin and the sun came out, so got some track laying done. Thats the first circuit down the back run complete. Rain's just come back on so that'll be it for the day probably. Still progress...slow but sure. I;ve nearly run outta track as well so I'll need to measure up and see exactly what I need to finish. Some of the plantlife has invaded the track in places so that'll need cut back too before any trains can move. Gettin there though ! 
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Hi Guys, well a dry day today for a change, managed to get some more track laid and a bitta tidyin up done. On the final stages now. Have run out of track and so has the shop I get it from ! ,so hope it comes in sooner than later. Meantime I have some other bits and pieces that can be done. 
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WOW Davy, your almost there! I guess without more track it will give you time to trim back some of your wonderful plants from the track area so its all ready for when you get the final track down you can start running trains without any problems!
Hi Mike, weather just ain't playin the game Warm but regular torrential downpours. Just havin to grin and bare it . Sun comes out, everything dries up ,make another start then the big grey clouds appear again and down it comes. Cut back most of the plants yesterday and cleaned out the wee plant trench alongside the brick path. Too much effluent from mixing cement got in it so when everythings finished I'll re plant it with thyme and the like . Just been out layin a bit more track,just some spare bits and pieces I have left . Half a (dry) hour's work would see the outer circuit complete and a train running. However can do nuthin about the weather.... Just managed to get a wee loco lay-by siding into that corner laid this mornin (1st attached pic) and in the process right now of finishing the switch work between the two mainlines (2nd pic) ,however thats the rain back on ! 
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Hi Davy,
Just trying to remember. Your doing all O scale around the garden and a smaller G scale layout in the back of the garden.
Dave, The tracks and the garden plants just go so well together! It is really a grand project!!
Seacoast posted:Hi Davy,
Just trying to remember. Your doing all O scale around the garden and a smaller G scale layout in the back of the garden.
Hi George, no ,its the other way about.I used to have a great big 3 track mainline round the garden in G a few years ago. then decided to replace it with O ,Then changed the plan again.The G line is now a single line with a couple of passing loops . which runs right round the whole garden including thru the centre of the O gauge layout but at a lower level.The O gauge is a double track mainline with a couple of passing loops on the inner line. Both the G scale O gauge set up have turntables and a few sidings for loco storage. Thats pretty much it. I'll post some photos showing the whole set up shortly.
Mark Boyce posted:Dave, The tracks and the garden plants just go so well together! It is really a grand project!!
Hi Mark, just wish it was finished !
Seacoast posted:Hi Davy,
Just trying to remember. Your doing all O scale around the garden and a smaller G scale layout in the back of the garden.
Hi george OK heres some pics to clarify whats goin on. This first pic is lookin up the garden from the house end .G scale turntable in the foreground lookin up the G scale mainline on the left side of the garden. Line goes right up and under the flowerbox fence
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Lookin from the wee hut in the RH rear corner of the garden along the the back R to L. The G scale line runs down in the "cutting" beneath the O gauge layout on the upper level .Last two pics are taken lookin out from behind the hut window right. Hope this clarifies things ? 
and left shots.
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WOW Davy, things sure are looking GREAT! It sure is going to be fun to sit there in the Wee Hut and run the trains with a nice warm drink keeping you warm when its cold out! I bet its going to be relaxing just running trains!
Everything looks great Davey! I bet your ichin' to run a train
Bob
Looking very nice.
....aw well..... can do nuthin about the weather ! ,.....needless to say ,no progress today ! 
Rain sure is making all the landscaping grow beautiful.
It all looks outstanding Davy!
Larry
Larry Sr. posted:Rain sure is making all the landscaping grow beautiful.
It all looks outstanding Davy!
Larry
Hi Larry, better when the sun shines....supposed to look like this ..... 
Davy
Hard to imagine you sitting still for a time just watching the trains run. You really get into the stone work, a lot of effort and a fabulous result.
Whats next?
Scotie posted:Davy
Hard to imagine you sitting still for a time just watching the trains run. You really get into the stone work, a lot of effort and a fabulous result.
Whats next?
Hi Scotie, thanks, I enjoy the stonework but whether I like it or not age is catchin up ! So am lookin forward to actually playin trains in future.Havin said that theres still a fair bitta minor hardscapin to be done. I'll need to make sure that theres sufficient lineside stonework on the O gauge section along the back fence to retain the fine crushed granite ballast thats still to get laid. Still need some more low growin creepin plants here and there as well. So plenty to keep me occupied. Plus I still have to get the turntable for the O gauge wired and working . Well it rained non stop all day yesterday (Sunday) and its now 1.37 AM Monday here and its still rainin ! So hope somebody turns the sun back on sometime soon !
Late night Davy your burning the midnight oil!
Davy, that garden is looking amazing! the trains are just going to add that extra special touch! I hope it stops raining for you so you can get more done, as I love to see your post and how things are coming along! Try and stay dry!
Hi Mike, well rain finally stopped so been workin on the O gauge line. Just took a break ,knees killin me kneelin all the time. Just one short length of track to lay on the outer circuit then I'll try a train on it and see how it performs. Did a wee bitty work on rebuilding the Aristocraft G scale pacific last night . She's beginning to come together. However a lotta detailing work to go yet. Still its takin shape. should look like last pic when finished
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Davy, I can appreciate the hurting knees from kneeling!! Well, you are almost done!
That Pacific is really shaping up nicely!!
