Had a sip or rum and ran some trains!!!
haha, nice! getting there, hopefully in the next few months!!!
One step closer! Got the perimeter installed and painted around 75% of the layout and then got to finish up blast and some scenic work! Now on to the coal breaker, the yard, and the mountain in that area of the layout. Then finally install the finishing touch of The Fence!
my new to me geep has about an hour of run time on it now. Doesn’t quite have the tractive effort as my RS3..... go figure ;-) DL guys would be proud haha! Anyways putting it through some trials before sending it out for repaint. More on that later.....
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Looks good! I think I was just watching a youtube video of your layout not more than an hour ago haha
C Murley - I thought you were a switcher guy - that doesn't look much like a switcher. Next thing you know you are going to grab one of the big engines that needs 072 minimum and then major surgery on the layout - just like what happened to me. Fell in love with the big scale engines - no going back. No regrets either - or is it regerts? ; )
Haha! Switcher guy all the way! Especially local switchers! The Geep I guess is a road switcher and will be sent out for repaint into a locomotive I had seen running around the valley when I was younger. How do you pick locomotives? I’ve decided to pick ones that mean something to me. So, I’m modeling Pocono Northeast and Reading and Northern on my layout. Not a “normal” roster but it’s a good thing we got people that love to repaint locomotives! So, keep an eye out here for some 1980’s NEPA switchers!
The layout looks great!
Thanks Mark, we're having fun!
A little more action! Got the “plug” made for the middle of the layout. That’s where the north East PA WARM radio station lives. Still have to assemble the antenna. Anyways happy with how it turned out and it’s fit. For maintenance, for the most part it can just lift out. Also, I picked up a new car last week. Was gonna put it in the “buy anything cool” thread but will stick it here. It’s just a simple Erie Lackawanna Lumber Car, but means a lot to me. One cause the EL ran through these parts, and two the labeling. I know it’s a MTH car and mikes last name is wolf but that’s also my business. My main job is building custom wooden wing sets for aerobatic aircraft. My company is wolf aircraft products. So this is a shipment of raw spruce stock headed my way 😎
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Nice looking layout have fun take a sip of Rum 4 me!!
Had to get them all going......
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Hi C Murely,
I like! Everything is beginning to look lush. You may have your work cut out for you in tree installation. That will be another transformation in itself.
Dave
You've done a great job!!! You are doing what I thought I could do in a year or so....still working 5 years later!!!
CONGRATS
@C_Murley - Really enjoying your progress and the updates. Thanks for sharing it.
I particularly like the "updated postwar" look that you've achieved. I think you mentioned using plaster cloth - what did you use to support them, and do you have any in-progress photos of building the hills and mountains?
Can you post a track plan (even just a rough sketch)?
Coal Breaker is finished! UGM anthracite is our contract anthracite mining company. It was a fun project! Also the dock and laser cut building was a lot of fun to build and Rebekah enjoyed painting and weathering them! Not bad for a first try! I see more of those kits in our future! Also preparing the fence for installation! Dad and I are putting that up after the great turkey feast next week! Anyways, enjoy!
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Nice progress Chris. The coal loads look good too.
And.......... Done! Rebekah installed the skirt around the layout last night, and we rewired and installed the great fence after the feast tonight. Happy Thanksgiving all.........
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Chris, The layout and trains look great! I really like the brick wall fascia! I don't recall ever seeing anything quite like it. Then it is topped off with a light on every pedestal! 
Is that your son and his wife or girlfriend? Great photographs!
Haha thanks Mark....... well.... so, that’s my dad, and my better half. I’m the younger one haha! This is in my basement, my dad has been coming over about once a week to work on this with me. The wall was built by my grandfather, as well as the houses and radio station during the Great Depression our of cheese boxes!
The layout looks great Chris, nice work all around.
Andy
@C_Murley posted:Haha thanks Mark....... well.... so, that’s my dad, and my better half! This is in my basement, my dad has been coming over about once a week to work on this with me. The wall was built by my grandfather, as well as the houses and radio station during the Great Depression our of cheese boxes!
Open mouth, change feet! 😆
I had no idea how old you are. Actually this is a bonus; another young fellow building a layout!! Three generations on the layout!! 👍🏻 No one in my family was ever interested in trains.
Awesome, Chris!
THANK YOU CHRIS.....
......You KNOW I have been waiting 🤔
I am so thrilled to see that BEAUTIFUL WALL of your grandfather's up again. Very nice. 😉
Chris,
Your layout is a great blend of old and new in O-Guage railroading. You really capture the joy of this wonderful hoppy.
BTW, our modular club is looking at possibly this Sunday (Nov. 27) for set up. I'll contact you via email.
Earl
Wow that awesome.
So last weekend we got our Xmas tree. Got it all set up and decorated. Rebekah says, we need a train under this tree! Well hot dam I jumped on that faster than a jack rabbit on a date! Off to eBay to grab that LW that I’ve always wanted (the pinnacle of Christmas layout memories) then right directly over to Menards to scoop up a loop of O42 track. It all arrived today and we couldn’t think of a better set to run than my grandfathers 1941, 1684 and coach!
and, speaking of rabbits, Olivia the house bunny had to come and investigate this strange smelling thing under her tree!
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Looks like somebody is ready for the season...perhaps a really nice BIG BONE wrapped up nicely to rip undone. I missed the Thanksgiving post but everything looks so prim, proper, and neat. What a fun layout. You and your dad make a great team and Rebekah is a natural. Thanks for sharing this.
Happy Holidays,
Dave
Wow Chris, this layout is beautiful. You have the perfect balance. Not to much track but just enough. Building separation space is excellent. Scenery is spot on. Congratulations for a perfect blend.
My Dad dug up some old pics of the family’s trains from 1940! My great Grandfather is in the last pic. Several of these houses and buildings that he and my grandfather exist on my layout, as well as the great fence. So happy to have found these!!
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@C_Murley posted:My Dad dug up some old pics of the family’s trains from 1940! My great Grandfather is in the last pic. Several of these houses and buildings that he and my grandfather exist on my layout, as well as the great fence. So happy to have found these!!
Absolute magic! Thank you for sharing these cool family photos.
Chris, this is an excellent build!! I’m in the process of redoing my layout so I might be harassing you for advice lol. You’ve captured exactly what I’m looking to do in choice of engines and rolling stock too. I probably liked every video you posted hahaha Awesome background story too, thanks for sharing it with all of us!
@C_Murley posted:My Dad dug up some old pics of the family’s trains from 1940! My great Grandfather is in the last pic. Several of these houses and buildings that he and my grandfather exist on my layout, as well as the great fence. So happy to have found these!!
Does that bridge in the backround still exist? From here it looks quite impressive!
Thanks for the interest guys! As for the bridge, my aunt got the prewar tinplate train and some of the houses so she may have that bridge. I’m gonna work on borrowing it from her as it just sets packed away. None of my cousins have set up the other half of the collection yet. Would be great to get it all back together!
@C_Murley posted:My Dad dug up some old pics of the family’s trains from 1940! My great Grandfather is in the last pic. Several of these houses and buildings that he and my grandfather exist on my layout, as well as the great fence. So happy to have found these!!
Very special photos Chris .
Hated always bugging you to get the GREAT FENCE put up on tyour new layout . 
This photo has a gate at the GREAT FENCE . Glad you had this one as I must have missed the gate in your multitude of photos on your updates. ( sometimes nap with my eyes open )
I just found this thread and have enjoyed it very much. Love your history video and your rebuild. You have really been bitten by the Model rail bug, seems like every time you post a video you have new engine(s) and/or new rolling stock. You have done alot in such a short time. Very nice work. About your PRR Turbine, Classic Toy Trains just had an article on the 2020 in their December 2021 issue.
Please keep us up to date on your rebuild.
Redball342
C. Murley, Is that your black pet rabbit in the pictures?
Thanks for the comments and for enjoying my layout build! Yep that’s Olivia the house rabbit haha! 1 rabbit and 2 dogs run this house.......
Nice photos Chris. Do you know what the prototype for the bridge was? Looks like the Nicholson Viaduct, or the Harrison Ave bridge in Scranton. There is also a similar bridge at the Delaware Water Gap.
