Thanks all. I have run into some trouble with the stoves now. The stoves have a base that they fit into and that base was split into two halves so my printer can print it. Each half was glued together during assembly. Well each half will take about 27 hours to print if I go with my new settings. So I either find a way to speed it up faster by testing faster and faster print speeds or I split it up further. I'm leaning towards further splits because it's the same strategy I used for the walls and roof of the cast house and skip hoist house. Experience says it'll work but we'll see. I got 8 hours remaining on a stove top piece now. I'll post some photos when it finishes.
One bad and a few good:
Bad: The printer is kaput. I'm going to have to rebuild it. That's the short of it. For those of you looking for more details...I've got z banding so bad that the prints aren't even usable for testing to see if scale is right. It's repeatable like it's a mechanical issue but I replaced rollers, belts, and lead screws. It also changes when I change slicers. So I'm going back to basics. I bought an X and Z Axis linear rail kit (from 3DFused in Michigan). I'm going to buy a Raspberry Pi 4 and I'm going to install Klipper/OctoPrint. Yes, Fluidd and Mainsail seem good but I don't see myself benefiting much from them at the moment. Octoprint is proven and stable, plus it has plugins that I use. I may still go with the Y Axis linear rail kit but most of my issues were in X and Z so I'm starting there.
Good: I got my second loop roughed in. I forgot a section of track somewhere because there's a giant misalignment for the revering siding/yard entry. I'll have to fix that eventually but I'm not overly concerned. The track with the steamer on it, and the curve section near the gondola should connect. But they definitely don't, by quite a bit. I also have to fix some humps in the track tomorrow. This is really starting to look like a model railroad now. I've really enjoyed used the momentum settings and speed presets. It's pretty awesome to let a locomotive get up to speed realistically. Here's some photos showing the misalignment and loop:
Good: I finally got the base installed on the basement shower. This is a huge deal since I intend to have operating sessions. People may not be showering but the shower has to be done for the toilet to go in, and the toilet has to go in for the vanity to go in. So this is a huge deal. I originally messed up by getting self leveling concrete in the drain. It's a good thing I did though because the original drain was in bad shape due to some creative plumbing. So here's the progression:
My MTH boxcar also arrived. It's a little late for my era but I'm not concerned. It's a great looking car:
Beyond that, I still gotta shoot a new Youtube video with trains running on both loops. I might tackle that soon. I also have enough track and locomotives that I need to start thinking about how to power all this. The newest Visionline Big Boy pulls quite a bit of juice with all its fancy smoke features (and a length of hoppers, some diecast). I was pushing more amps than I was comfortable with today when I ran the Bigboy on the outter loop and double headed/lashup/MU'ed/whatever two Lionel RS3s. I turned the smoke units off to bring the amps down a bit. It's probably time to start getting some clutter off the table too.
That's all I got for now. I'm going to sit on the couch, wait for the cement to dry on the shower base, and plot my next track purchase 
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@BillYo414 posted:One bad and a few good:
Bad: The printer is kaput. I'm going to have to rebuild it. That's the short of it. For those of you looking for more details...I've got z banding so bad that the prints aren't even usable for testing to see if scale is right. It's repeatable like it's a mechanical issue but I replaced rollers, belts, and lead screws. It also changes when I change slicers. So I'm going back to basics. I bought an X and Z Axis linear rail kit (from 3DFused in Michigan). I'm going to buy a Raspberry Pi 4 and I'm going to install Klipper/OctoPrint. Yes, Fluidd and Mainsail seem good but I don't see myself benefiting much from them at the moment. Octoprint is proven and stable, plus it has plugins that I use. I may still go with the Y Axis linear rail kit but most of my issues were in X and Z so I'm starting there.
Good: I got my second loop roughed in. I forgot a section of track somewhere because there's a giant misalignment for the revering siding/yard entry. I'll have to fix that eventually but I'm not overly concerned. The track with the steamer on it, and the curve section near the gondola should connect. But they definitely don't, by quite a bit. I also have to fix some humps in the track tomorrow. This is really starting to look like a model railroad now. I've really enjoyed used the momentum settings and speed presets. It's pretty awesome to let a locomotive get up to speed realistically. Here's some photos showing the misalignment and loop:
Good: I finally got the base installed on the basement shower. This is a huge deal since I intend to have operating sessions. People may not be showering but the shower has to be done for the toilet to go in, and the toilet has to go in for the vanity to go in. So this is a huge deal. I originally messed up by getting self leveling concrete in the drain. It's a good thing I did though because the original drain was in bad shape due to some creative plumbing. So here's the progression:
My MTH boxcar also arrived. It's a little late for my era but I'm not concerned. It's a great looking car:
Beyond that, I still gotta shoot a new Youtube video with trains running on both loops. I might tackle that soon. I also have enough track and locomotives that I need to start thinking about how to power all this. The newest Visionline Big Boy pulls quite a bit of juice with all its fancy smoke features (and a length of hoppers, some diecast). I was pushing more amps than I was comfortable with today when I ran the Bigboy on the outter loop and double headed/lashup/MU'ed/whatever two Lionel RS3s. I turned the smoke units off to bring the amps down a bit. It's probably time to start getting some clutter off the table too.
That's all I got for now. I'm going to sit on the couch, wait for the cement to dry on the shower base, and plot my next track purchase
Hi Bill, what is that steamer in the pic?
Ron
@BillYo414 posted:Good: I got my second loop roughed in. I forgot a section of track somewhere because there's a giant misalignment for the revering siding/yard entry. I'll have to fix that eventually but I'm not overly concerned. The track with the steamer on it, and the curve section near the gondola should connect. But they definitely don't, by quite a bit.
Try pulling up the switch leading to the track with the steamer on it, and the curved track just beyond the switch. Install the curved track where the switch was, then the switch where the curve was. The alignment should be better. If not perfect, slide the switch along where the curve will go, until the alignment is good. Then cut the curved section of track to fill the gaps on each end of the switch.
Bill, the track laying looks great. I commented the other day on George’s thread I had a track misalignment when I was laying the initial loops of my layout. I’m not sure how toot happened either because I had printed my track plan full scale and used it as a template. Fortunately we aren’t ROW foremen for real railroads or we would be looking for another line of work! 😄. The Atlantic is a nice looking engine!
I remember seeing the green P&LE boxcars being pulled on the B&O. I always liked that green color. Yes, they are too late to look right on my era as well. I do have a Menards green P&LE boxcar along with a half dozen other or their cars. I don’t think their cooler is right, but good for economy models. I only put them on the layout when I want to take a photograph to show someone who had joked all my cars aren’t boxcar red and oxide red hoppers. 😄
Congratulations on the shower base! How thoughtful of keeping visitors from traipsing upstairs to the bathroom!!
@BillYo414 posted:
An Isalys box car hiding back there! I will always remember the big Artdeco Isalys on Rt 18 coming into town!
Ron
That stinks about your printer pulling an early retirement on you! (It's always something). Nice to hear about the loop being completed and you got to run the Big Boy on it!
@Mark Boyce thanks Mark! I'm also a little confused as to how I missed that badly. This isn't the first misalignment. I also used a program (Anyrail). As you pointed out, no overly delicate shareholders were harmed in the incorrect laying of track haha
Anyway, I also dig the green color and overall look of the boxcar. I have three of the Menards boxcars but I have to take a look at them. They spark badly over my switches for some reason.
The upstairs bathroom is actually almost above the layout. So if you had to go, it would be across the basement, up the stairs, and back across the house. That could be a long pause during an operating session. There was a crappy bathroom there. I just demolished it and improved it.
@PRRronbh I believe that building is a U-Haul facility now. You may also notice The Renner Company boxcar next to it. The Renners brewed beer in Youngstown. Their mansion still stands near Stambaugh auditorium but there is no trace of the brewery as far as I know. I'll continue to try and collect local/regional rolling stock to help emphasize where the layout is located.
@T-Bone1214 hey, what can you do? haha it is what it is. I installed a plugin to track my printing hours. I printed over 2000 hours in the last 9 months. I printed almost around the clock during the initial designs so I shouldn't be surprised this happened. Just waiting on parts now. I have the footage for a Youtube video involving the Big Boy at high speed. I just need to find the time to edit it.
I managed to slide the switch down and get the track aligned @Bob. The reverse loop is nice to have, to say the least. I'm still not sure what went wrong but it's all good now.
I think I'm going to sell my Bessemer and Lake Erie hoppers. It's a six pack, similar to these but I would have to get the actual number. They didn't have the open doors like I wanted and I like the fish belly's better. Selling them would help me finance the next double slip switch I need. Those are expensive.
Hi @Big Ken! Newport would have been situated on the Mahoning River between Lowellville and Struthers on the northside of the river. It is thought that it popped up on the canal when it came though and then apparently folded to make way for the Gateway Yard. I hope one day to be fortunate enough to stumble upon more information about it but we have about three sources and they basically acknowledge the existence. On the other hand, a lack of information makes ripe for what I'm doing.
Anyway, thanks for the photos and the compliments! Keep in mind your posted photos will be removed if they are not your own (copyright and whatnot). I always find the photos of the old mills in Youngstown fascinating. I can't believe how congested the area once was. I aim to capture that on my layout.
We did chat in email. I was looking for your thoughts and experience of working in the mill. Did you live in Briar Hill? Or work with any of the guys from Briar Hill?
You should start a topic about your new layout! I'm sure a lot of us would like to see your progress. I'm interested in your bridges. I need to get a post together for the one year mark since my last update. I just haven't accomplished enough that I think would be exciting to read about haha
