Things sure are looking Great Art! Nice fix on the support posts! I am with the rest, the graffiti looks right in place! Plus it saved the city money on labor and paint!
Last Saturday morning I met some train friends for breakfast at a local restaurant. One of them had brought an MTH Santa Fe Northern steam engine that he couldn't run on his layout. When he got it didn't think about needing 072 minimum curves and he doesn't have that. He asked if he could run it on my layout. I'm not a big steam fan, but thought it would be fun. Here is a short video of a few run-bys. The first scene is crossing the Mississippi River from Savanna, IL to Sabula, IA. The last scene is on the other side crossing the river from the Iowa side and entering my Eola freight yard.
I discovered that there were two places on my layout that it wouldn't clear, both places where I had installed bridges over the tracks. My 21" passenger cars cleared with no problem, but the cab corner of the northern swung out and hit these two places.
So another friend is bringing his Lionel Milwaukee Road Northern over soon and we will see if it does any better.
I must say that the engine is beautiful and sounds and runs great.
Art
The Northern is really nice! Yes, I have seen others say the cab overhang is what gets you! It will be interesting to see what the Lionel Northern does.
Mark Boyce posted:The Northern is really nice! Yes, I have seen others say the cab overhang is what gets you! It will be interesting to see what the Lionel Northern does.
Thanks, Mark. The Lionel is supposed to run on 054 curves, but it may have the same cab overhang as the MTH that needs 072.
Art
Art, yes I can see that is possible
Art, nice to look at your progress in a separate topic. You have got a lot done.............Paul
Art,
Thanks for the videos. Layout looking great.
- Tom
I had another friend over last night that volunteered to bring his Lionel Milwaukee Road Northern #261 over to run, take pictures, and see it it had any clearance problems. The MTH Santa Fe Northern hit roadway bridge poles in two places, but it needed 072 curves to run on. The Lionel northern only needs 054 curves so we thought it might make it. It is a beautiful engine!
The Lionel hit in the same places as the MTH one did. So we turned it around and ran it on the passenger train side of my double-track mainline and it had no problems at all. We took some video and a number of still photos and had a great time.
Being a glutton for punishment, we ran it up the interchange track to the upper level single-track Milwaukee Road branchline to watch it run. It ran around Spencer, across the bridge over the Mississippi, past the long passing siding, and the we heard a loud crunch. It hit the side of my plate girder bridge.
I will post more pictures and a video later, but here is a couple.
Art
Attachments
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Art, That is a bummer you have those clearance problems. The scenes look great!
This morning I processed the video of running Ken's (kstrains) Lionel Legacy Milwaukee Road Northern #261 on my layout. It is a beautiful engine and it ran and sounded great. Ken I really appreciate your taking the time to bring your engine over, it was a lot of fun. I'm also enjoying having more completed scenery to run trains on. I haven't done much running for the last several months as I have had it in construction mode.
Art
very nice Art ! layout is looking GREAT !! do you have a track plan drawing ?
Art,
Just watched your latest video of the Milwaukee 261. Actually watched the video several times.. once for the engine the other times to marvel at your scenery, buildings and track work.
Awesome
-Tom
Very Nice video, Art. I enjoyed spending time in running my 261 on your layout. The Cylinder Blow Down effect looks really good on your layout. I don't get that same result with my Christmas carpet layout. Thank you again for having me over!
Ken
kjstrains posted:Very Nice video, Art. I enjoyed spending time in running my 261 on your layout. The Cylinder Blow Down effect looks really good on your layout. I don't get that same result with my Christmas carpet layout. Thank you again for having me over!
Ken
Thanks a lot Ken. It was a lot of fun. I really needed that break and a chance to run trains and take pictures. Seeing that beautiful Milwaukee Road steamer on the layout weakens my resolve to not run steam engines. They sure do sound and look great.
Art
Art, nice to see trains running on your layout. The video shows you are coming along pretty good with the scenery. Overhang is always an unexpected outcome. With the way engines are getting longer along with freight cars the more clearances become critical after we have already laid down track. Impressive layout Art..............Paul
Thanks, Paul. I have really enjoyed watching the pictures of your progress too. You are building a great layout.
Art
Art,
Just some great work here! I am enjoying seeing your progress. Looking very nice.
I have been making a lot of progress on my scenery lately and wanted to have a get-together and share it with my friends. Then I received a call from my friend Steve H. with Atlas that he would be at Trainfest and wanted to stop and see me on the Thursday before. So I felt that that was the perfect time to get everybody together even though it was on a Thursday.
We had a great turnout with 39 people making it in all. It was great seeing all my old friends and especially meeting many new ones. We didn't try having an operating session due to the number of people and that everyone wasn't there at the same time. So we just socialized and ran trains. My wife made great food and baked eight different kinds of cookies.
My friend Alan (AlanRail) brought his new Santa Fe El Capitan to run. It was pulled by Atlas ABBA F units and had the 10 car Golden Gate Depot Hi-Level cars. What a long beautiful train!
Another friend and forum member Ken (kjstrains) brought over his Lionel Milwaukee Road Northern #261 to run a fast Milwaukee Road time freight on the layout.
Art
If I may ask where did you get the REA vans outside your freight house?
Art, enjoyed the November 8TH video. You have gotten a lot done and the scenery is looking great. Great trackwork too. ................Paul
Lou1985 posted:If I may ask where did you get the REA vans outside your freight house?
Lou, I got everything from Diecast Direct, except for the two small vans on the right side which are from Menards. They are 1:50 scale and the others are 1:43.
Art
Art, Looks like a great time indeed! Looks like you got a great Wonder Bread sign up and some trucks to haul it!!
Great video Art. Looks like everyone had a great time. The layout looks great! Very nice seeing so many trains running.
Bob
Just awesome Art! The layout is absolutely stunning and it warms my heart to see all of the fun and bonding we can do through this hobby. Thanks for letting us get a glimpse of your wonderful event.
Dave
Art, what a nice video and gallery! Sure looked like everyone had a fun time! But how could they not, had a chance to run trains on a wonderful layout and eat some great homemade food and cookies! It sounds like a great way to spend a Thursday, let alone any other day!
Great video! Looks like you’ve been hustling on getting the scenery done. Awesome!!
Art,
Always impressive , thanks for the great video and thank you for sharing.
- Tom
You did good Art
Chugman posted:Lou1985 posted:If I may ask where did you get the REA vans outside your freight house?
Lou, I got everything from Diecast Direct, except for the two small vans on the right side which are from Menards. They are 1:50 scale and the others are 1:43.
Art
Thanks. I'll check them out.
Love the video Art! Lots of cool trains. Wish I could have been there, but without a lot of planning, Thursday would never work. Keep up the good work, and I'll get down to see you, hopefully within the next year.
Art, thanks for inviting me. Seeing pictures and videos of your layout are always enjoyably. However, seeing it in person with several trains running is fantastic. The scenery is some of the best of the best I have ever seen. That hand carved arched brick viaduct is just one of the many interesting and detailed focal points on your magnificent O Scale layout.
Thanks for sharing your technique for carving, forming, painting and applying the bricks. You really should do a video or write an article to share with method everybody. If you have already done this I apologize, it is hard to read every post.
Art,
That is spectacular. Your layout really has come along way. I'd welcome having you see my layout if you are ever in / near Winnetka.
John
Hi Art
Great video ! Your layout is fantastic, it’s one of my favorites
Alex
My son , Jim, was over last night and brought his MTH Canadian Pacific Holiday Train to run for the first time on my layout. We were both very disappointed that the engine was DOA right out of the box. Some functions worked, but it wouldn't run, couldn't turn off the smoke and etc. Also one of the holiday box cars had lights that only worked on one side.
In spite of the set backs, we had people on the layout that had been waiting in the cold to see the train and we weren't going to disappoint them. So we ran our trusty MTH Milwaukee Road SW15AC switcher down and picked up the cars and started the Christmas journey.
https://www.youtube.com/UWBGDzWOy08
Art
Great video! Sorry to hear the loco was DOA. Especially this close to Christmas. Any chance you can get the dealer to swap out for another one?
Chugman posted:My son , Jim, was over last night and brought his MTH Canadian Pacific Holiday Train to run for the first time on my layout. We were both very disappointed that the engine was DOA right out of the box. Some functions worked, but it wouldn't run, couldn't turn off the smoke and etc. Also one of the holiday box cars had lights that only worked on one side.
In spite of the set backs, we had people on the layout that had been waiting in the cold to see the train and we weren't going to disappoint them. So we ran our trusty MTH Milwaukee Road SW15AC switcher down and picked up the cars and started the Christmas journey.https://www.youtube.com/UWBGDzWOy08
Art
Art, Great layout. Do you ballast the track or leave as is?
bigtruckpete posted:Great video! Sorry to hear the loco was DOA. Especially this close to Christmas. Any chance you can get the dealer to swap out for another one?
Thanks. My son is going to try.
Art
Seacoast posted:Chugman posted:My son , Jim, was over last night and brought his MTH Canadian Pacific Holiday Train to run for the first time on my layout. We were both very disappointed that the engine was DOA right out of the box. Some functions worked, but it wouldn't run, couldn't turn off the smoke and etc. Also one of the holiday box cars had lights that only worked on one side.
In spite of the set backs, we had people on the layout that had been waiting in the cold to see the train and we weren't going to disappoint them. So we ran our trusty MTH Milwaukee Road SW15AC switcher down and picked up the cars and started the Christmas journey.https://www.youtube.com/UWBGDzWOy08
Art
Art, Great layout. Do you ballast the track or leave as is?
Thanks. I have already ballasted most of the upper line, but we have some rewiring that needs to be done on the lower before I feel comfortable ballasting there. Eventually I plan to have it all ballasted.
Art
Art,
Enjoyed watched your video, nice to see some Iowa towns! Thanks!
Patrick
Art,
Thanks for the early holiday treat. Really enjoyed the latest video journey.
-Tom
