Looking good! Yes, I can see what you mean about the downspout discharge needing extended. That elevated line looks great!! I don't think that foam is enough knee padding! My knees hurt just looking at the photographs!! 
Looks great! Congratulations!
Mark,
We use the rubber padding for the knees even though I really don't need them. They are there for the "older" crowd who has to inspect the "younger" crowd's work!
Yes, had to pull off the bridge abutment to cut an 1/8" off of them so the bridges align equally to the gargraves track heights. With doing that, I was given 4 new screws for each abutment. The senior track layout manager approved me to use 8 screws. As for the track laying, the 2 apprentices used a few more than he would have used so his inventory of screws is lessening now. Think he has about 6,895 screws to use now.
The wooden trestle were installed and look really good. These came from the previous layout. They cleaned up and re-sprayed with black paint. Will finish up the inside elevated line to the bridge this week and commence work laying tracks through the entire trestle.
The senior track layout engineer/manager will start cutting wood for the other side of the layout to start the elevation there.
Ted,
It seems you are working with a tough crowd there!! I heard of rivet counters, but not track screw counters! 
All in good fun, I know! The group is doing an excellent job! since we don't like the beach, you are giving us an excuse to visit the Jersey Shore someday!!
Rivets, screws what's the difference? We count 'em.
Mark (and for any other forum member), you're welcome to stop by anytime.
Thank you, Bud!
Rivets, screws what's the difference? We count 'em.
Mark (and for any other forum member), you're welcome to stop by anytime.
You are welcome to stop by anytime and you even get a chance to inspect the "screwed more than many" layout. Bud is over using his weekly allotment. LOL!
So Ted, is Bud going to put you into a work stoppage before all the track is installed because he used up the allotment?
No stoppage. A waiver has been granted and will expire when the track screw quantity reaches a critical level (i.e. one track screw left).
That's good!
Only 1 track screw left? Thought the minimum to be left with stands at 100 so we can sell a 100 pack for $10 to recoup part of our investment on the 10,000 we initially bought.
Bud is using way too many screws. It shows in the layout as it will never come apart unless a bulldozer hits it!
Projected estimate for track screws remaining after completion of track work is 1776. The 17 packs of 100 screws (with a few left over) should cover the investment in our original purchase.
No work stoppage here as we will be there Saturday am installing the 4 line to the line but working back from the bridge and drop a small straight after the curves are installed.
Wonder who reminded me to do this? Think his name could be the senior nutty track professor/layout engineer.
Yes, the 2 track apprentices "screwed up" last week laying track directly to the bridge. Ohhh.. are you going to cut that curve down to fit it in? Oh no you are not. Cut it in on a straight. Oh... I forgot. The SNTP/LE does a few things correctly! Lol!
Line number 4 of the elevated lines was completed to the first bridge on Thursday. Next up is to solder all the rails on both elevated lines up the ramp to the bridge and lay straights all along the wooden trestle that Bud put into place.
We are making progress once again.
Pic of track 4 to bridge.
Tried DCS to see if the Passive TIU connection for tracks 1 and 2 works. Initially had some problems. Tried running my Red Arrow Electro Liner. Even after charging, it didn't respond to either DCS or conventional. Then tried a PRR ten wheeler that Dennis had with no response. Since neither of these engines responded in even conventional, the batteries may not have been charged enough or need replacement. Eventually tried Dennis' EDM diesel, and had success. Track 1 and 2 worked well. However, did not take any signal readings. Used the cross-over to run on track 3 and had no problems. Was a little concerned that the TIUs were not in Super TIU mode. No problem. Except, when the engine got up to the bridge and was stopped for a pic, it stalled. Had to get out the ancient creaky crawler with the five-fingered crane to retrieve the engine. Tried track 4 and had no problem. From a DCS standpoint, looks like we're good to go on all tracks. So we're able to run any type of train on our layout.
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Looks good too, Bud!!
Had to get out the ancient creaky crawler with the five-fingered crane to retrieve the engine. That would have been a great picture to see!
Mark - If you saw that image, it'd be so horrible you would turn to stone.
LOL
So it must be the track laying "apprentice turned to expert" crew work that there were no problems operating on tracks 3 and 4! Guess they know how to lay down the track and screw it into the ceiling tiles properly with the correct amount of allotted screws.
Started to solder some rails on 3 and 4 and fix a few solder joints that were not soldered right to my standards, they are neatly done! Stopped soldering and cleaned all the new track joints with the Dremel to be soldered next week.
We are making progress. Have to get the senior layout engineer his wood so he can start cutting it to make the ramp on the other side of the trestle.
Not much activity construction wise. Mostly due to Thanksgiving. Still need to get additional plywood.
Got the Legacy Cab-2 software upgraded to ver. 1.61 ( the base w/ver, 1.60 didn't need upgrading). A big thanks to Steve, part of the Command demo team at the Greenberg show in Edison this past weekend for doing the upgrade (guess who's also part of the team - hint name starts with "T").
Johnbrandt finished the second scenery panel and was installed by the crew.
Some scenery panels were given to us by a fellow O-gauger who was dismantling his layout.
Did some train runnin' tonite.
Ed's WBB 44 tonner.
Ted brought his newly acquired MTH UP Big-Boy.
Fortunately or unfortunately, we had a chance to check clearances on the curves. Knew the Big-Boy has a pretty big overhang and it was confirmed. Here it is on an 096 curve.
The Big-Boy approaching a 40 ft. box car. Closest clearance is about a quarter inch.
Won't be able to run longer cars on track 1 with the Big-Boy on track 2. Didn't try clearance into the trestle. Looks like we'll have the capability of running only about 99 percent of engines. Otherwise we will have to have restricted running. We did experience a clearance issue on the curve in the northwest corner with my Polar RR train. Track 2 curve is closer to track 1 than it should be. Track 2 is slated to be relocated in that area. The Big-Boy clipped the door of the Polar RR's first box car midway thru the curve.
A few shots of my Lionel Polar RR train.
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Thank you for all the photographs, Bud! Well it is good to check all clearances now! Ted's Big Boy looks great! The Polar train looks good moving along! John did another fine job. The backdrops that were given to you look great too, but of a more rugged terrain!
Won't be able to run longer cars on track 1 with the Big-Boy on track 2. Didn't try clearance into the trestle. Looks like we'll have the capability of running only about 99 percent of engines. Otherwise we will have to have restricted running.
What? Restricted running! Total blasphemy. Undo the layout, take out 3,236 screws from the track and re- lay the track. None of this 99% BS. The senior layout engineer/professor who claims to have built a few layouts to earn his credentials has not admitted a screw up and needs to unscrew the 3,236 track screws and do it all over again. It needs to be perfect like him. LOL!
Anyways, my big boy run real nice around the layout on track 2. We have to try track 1 and see the trestle clearances. Maybe Bud will have to re-locate the trestles? His wood for the other side of the elevated runs is coming this Wednesday so layout construction will commence this week.
Soldering of all the track 3 and 4 lines up the ramp to the bridge plus his start on cutting wood for the other side's elevation.
Got a delivery of wood. Marked 2 sheets of plywood for cutting of the straight and curved sections of the ramp. A bit of a snow storm got in the way causing cutting to be delayed.
Today, OCSMR was at the Monmouth Museum in Colts Neck, NJ supporting the museum's train display that we had helped to set-up. A bit of exposure for both the museum and OCSMR was an article that had appeared in the December 1st issue of USA Today listing train displays to see including the museum's and the mention of our club.
Here're a few pix of the display.
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The display looks nice, Bud and all!
We did experience a clearance issue on the curve in the northwest corner with my Polar RR train. Track 2 curve is closer to track 1 than it should be. Track 2 is slated to be relocated in that area. The Big-Boy clipped the door of the Polar RR's first box car midway thru the curve.
Track 2 got its re-location done last week with 4.5 to 5 inch clearance between the curves there. Bring on the Big Boy and the Polar Express train! No more restricted running there! Just have to test out track 1 and the trestles.
All the track sections on line 3 and 4 have soldered together up until the elevated Atlas bridge. Next is to cut 2 small track sections between the switches on the other side of the bridge along the elevated trestle.
Wood to be cut next week to begin elevated construction on the other end of the elevated 3 and 4 lines.
OCSMR was running train at Hobbytown in Toms River, NJ for their grand opening.
Here's Bill who is used to running trains with a "transformer" and had to learn to use the Legacy Cab-2 to run his 70s General thru the TPC. With some trepidation he did get his train to respond. Don't know if we have a new convert to the beginning of command control.
Dennis and Ted. Dennis running his Christmas General. The Polar RR is mine. The snow globe car was a big attention getter. Later Ted ran his C&O Allegheny with aquarium cars and eventually gave the Cab-2 to a young guest who had no trouble operating Ted's train (wish I would have gotten a pic 
).
Customer traffic was brisk through our stay 'til 4pm. Wish Hobbytown success.
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Looks like a worthwhile visit to Hobbytown!
The young boy who was there had no trouble mastering a cab-2 with my 30 second tutorial lesson. Was running my scale mallet and was having a load of fun. Unlike that guy named Bill who got the 15 second tutorial and was saying" what is this thing"! Lol!
Johnbrandt brought a few festive buildings for the holidays. Dennis' Rudolf train made a holiday appearance.
Later, added some of our AmeriTown buildings that had been in boxes damaged by our "flood" couple of months ago. Looks like a good place to add more of the same since space is at a premium for buildings. Rudolf is still there. Must be a stash of magic corn in those buildings. Wonder if he'll fly away or is he got too much of a load.
Cut most of the ramps for the north side of the layout. Replaced my 45 year old saber saw, which did a good job but used an old style blade which is hard to come by (makes you feel good when tools you have are now obsolete). The new one does a good job and almost cuts by itself. This piece goes around the roundhouse.
The ramp will go up toward the north end.
From the north end, the ramp goes down.
Ted soldered the track to the twin bridges and connected the "Y" to the outer tracks on the trestle. He's taken his track laying skill to Level III. Holding off doing the north end until we locate the end of the trestle.
The west wall is a scenic challenge, especially with the inset of the windows and the trim. The scenery committee has some decisions to make. The trestle just cries "urban" background, not the scenery of our acquired scenery panels. Added a few of the crude cardboard building fronts I made long ago just to see how they look.
The members of OCSMR wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.
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Good progress Bud! Thank you for the update and photographs! Your saber saw was 45 years old. Hmmm....Mine is almost as old, and I haven't used it in a few years. I hope to be needing it this winter, but I remember it was a chore to cut roadbed with it. Maybe I will upgrade too whether blades are available or not! Thank you for the tip!!!
Mark,
We used ceiling tiles painted upside as the roadbed over plywood instead of using homosote board. Ceiling tiles were easier to cut.
As for my Level III track laying certification, it look a little fiddling to get both switches aligned with the Y switch using a Dremel cutting wheel to fit both pieces of slightly bent track between the switches. And with little to no help from the professor!
Ted
Good luck in your new location. Curious will the HO layout overlap with the "O" gauge layour or is there seperate space dedicated for HO?
Steve
L.I.TRAIN posted:Ted
Good luck in your new location. Curious will the HO layout overlap with the "O" gauge layour or is there seperate space dedicated for HO?
Steve
The layouts are separate. The HO is a layout depicting the NY&LB from South Amboy to Bay Head with PRR/CNJ operations. O scale layout is freelance. Both are in separate rooms which helps honestly because the goal of each layout is different.
Steve - Here're a few pix of the HO layout. It will be multilevel with 3 levels.
A helix will be located in the corner.
More pix are on our Facebook page which is linked on our website.
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Our club is temporarily closed due to the 16 inches of snow from last Thursday and the township not doing a very good job plowing there.
So... we wait for it to melt and/or the town finally plows the roadway and parking lot there.
The ice age has ended with the coming of a moderate temperature monsoon and slowing making a return to colder temps.
Two of the three free scenery panels were removed since they were in the way for installation of the NW elevated area.
Ted and Jim, our O-Gauge Superintendent, worked on replacing the old Gargrave's track pins on the trestle track with new ones. Unfortunately, our stock of new track pins is near depleted and we'll have to clean the old ones before final assembly. Want to insure conductivity thru the pins even though we're soldering all joints.
Ted's Big Boy reappeared. Checked clearance on some cars at the NW corner curve between tracks 1 and 2 (an area where the curves were relocated). Cars were short and had no problems but the track spacing gradually decreases to 4 inches at the beginning of the trestle and may cause some problems with the Big Boy. At the other end, coming into the trestle on track 1, have a big clearance problem with the Big Boy, so can't run it in that direction. Running it out of the trestle at that end was not a problem. At the NW end, coming into the trestle, there is interference with the vertical support. This will be eliminated with a redesign when the flat area is installed.
Started to layout and cut the plywood for the elevated flat area at the NW corner. Thru a minor miscalculation, the plywood was too long and was recut. Unfortunately, the recut was also a tad too long (the upper right hand corner in the pic). Decided to call it quits since it was getting late and my right knee was acting up making it uncomfortable to stand or walk.
Two museum guests visited hoping to tour the museum but the museum was closed. They are past residents of Lakewood. We had some historical discussions about the building and Lakewood. Ted gave them a cook's tour of the dungeon.
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Bud,
I hear you on the ice age ending, monsoon, then the next ice age; with a sizable amount of snow preceding it too! What a mess here in Western Pennsylvania!
I'm glad to see that I am not the only one who measures twice and still cuts it wrong twice! Oh well, as the barber back in teenage days used to say, "I can take more off, but I can't put it back on." Also, as a former supervisor used to tell us, "when things are going wrong or you can't figure out what is causing the problem, walk away from it, get a cup of coffee, and come back later to readdress it."
Having met Ted at York, I think he would be a great tour guide! Knowledgeable and Personable!!
We are back up and running again as a club and back "working on the railroad". While Bud is doing all his wood cutting, we will be proceeding on the final painting in the hallway so we can re-hang our pictures there and get that area completed. One part of our club said they would paint the hallway but never finished so the more active ones are going to get it done.
After about 2 weeks of non-activity, we are back to finishing the wood cutting and build the last part of the elevated runs. As our senior layout engineer has been suffering with a hurting knee and our club president will be getting his other, right, knee replaced on next Monday, progress has been slowed due to non-oiling of the knees.
We were there on Wednesday morning and made a little progress and hope the Senior layout engineer will be there this Saturday to give his expert apprentices the guidance they need.
Pictures to follow when Bud is there.
