Dustin, Looks great and will look perfect on the roof!
Just a side note, you maybe be the only one left with the Pink Elephant Carwash sign. They closed the one here in Seattle and are moving the sign to Museum of History and Industry.
Wow is all I can say! Fantastic work! The talent on this forum is amazing.
Dustin, I just saw / noticed the Young's Jersey Dairy sign. Did you grow-up / currently live near Yellow Springs Ohio? Been there many times when I went to school at Wright State and lived in Fairborn. I had nieces who worked there.
Dustin, Everything looks great!! I find it humorous that the Ghostbusters are riding past the theater featuring Casablanca! The 5-story building is great. All the interior details on your buildings, the storm drains on your streets, etc, etc, lots of great details!!
@AtoZ Lewis posted:Dustin, I just saw / noticed the Young's Jersey Dairy sign. Did you grow-up / currently live near Yellow Springs Ohio? Been there many times when I went to school at Wright State and lived in Fairborn. I had nieces who worked there.
I didn't notice the sign at first but after this post I went back and saw it. Very cool! I went to Cedarville University, a small Christian college about 15 min away from Young's Jersey Dairy. It was the happening spot for us college kids to go and get some good ice cream. Cool to see it on a layout! Everything on your layout looks great! I'm sure I will be refering to it in the future for scenery inspiration. Keep up the good work!
Michael
Mike G.,
I actually had no idea that Pink Elephant carwashes were a real thing - go figure! That sign actually came with the building, and I liked it, so I bought a new driver board for it. I've been enjoying watching your layout come together as well!
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Mike,
Cool! Yeah, I grew up around the Dayton area, so I've been to Young's quite a few times. The cow on the sign seemed like a great idea to try for the layout, just to add something different.
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Michael,
I think I ran a couple cross country or track meets at Cedarville when I was in HS. Thanks for the layout compliments!
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Mark & Aegis21,
Thanks! Mark, I've been following your layout progress too, looking great!
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The kids and I ran the trains some today, so I have a few new pictures from that. Since this topic is under "layout design", I figure I should come back to that point every now and then. I gave up a LOT of surface area & some potential functionality on the layout to have a T-shaped opening and be able to walk inside it. I would make that trade again, as being able to take photos from multiple vantage points & be surround by the layout is pretty cool... less surface area for more perimeter isn't a bad deal, even if it means fewer buildings and a shorter roadway for the cars.
If I had to do it again I would have had trains running at multiple levels, though. I kept all the trains at the same level (table height) assuming that I would use the yard and switch between the inner and outer track loops frequently. It turns out I almost never do either of those things, and might as well have built two simple circles at different heights for more visual interest. Maybe next time 
At any rate, here's a shot from the downtown side over. You can see the "T" cutout in the layout:
...and another shot from a less steep angle:
...and I really like this shot of the downtown area. We had the overhead lights set to "sunset" which creates a neat effect:
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Look great!
Quick update... Here's the 5-story building with the new "homemade" rooftop water tower complete & rooftop sign added. The rooftop tank came out well enough that I'm going to build a couple more using similar parts/techniques:
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Another candidate for Tall Buildings Tuesday! Nice work on the water tank Dustin.
Great job on 5 story, sign and especially the the water tank, looks very nice
Great looking 5 story building. You are very talented. Water tank and sign Wow!
A while ago I was working on making an operating model train inside the model train store on my layout... and, after much ado, I finally got it working. I had to re-do the main axle connecting it to the 12V motor as it kept slipping and/or getting jammed. The tiny layout is kitbashed from a Lionel keychain, and the train runs around when an activation button on the side of the layout is pressed:
Here is what the original keychain looks like:
Here’s the button (I used blue arcade buttons for all the “operating features” I’ve added):
and here’s the motor mounted under the table, which is connected to the train above via a long axle. At 12V, it runs on the same voltage as most other accessories and is geared for a nice sedate pace:
...finally, here’s a quick clip of the mini layout running in the hobby shop:
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Dustin, that is just Amazing work! I love all the detail you put into your layout! Thanks for sharing!
Nice work DUSTIN!!!👍👍
Mike, laz1957 — Thanks!
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Just a quick update this time. I’m busily working on a bunch of background buildings (more to come on that soon), and helping my kids build some HO structures for their table, but did finish a mast for the York hotel. I wanted to give it a tower on top so it looks a little more “grand”. I made this out of part of an old American Skyline building kit (plus paint and some detail parts).
Here it is atop the York:
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Looks great!! Now you need King Kong hanging around up there with a couple biplanes buzzing around!!
Excellent work!
Peter
Nicely done! I love the level of detail.
Michael
You are so talented! Do not even want to ask how much you have into this super layout.
I finally (mostly) finished the 12 story Plasticville apartment I had been working on. Need to add some details on the patios, and people partying on the roof, but it is now pretty much complete:
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That's another impressive looking building!!
Fantastic!
Love it frizzinbee
So over the last week or so I built an Atlas switch tower from a kit and added it to the layout. Figured I would try something different and didn’t kitbash this building... just added a working exterior lamp and interior lighting. Nice easy build, and I’m happy how it came out!
My next addition is something I’ve let float for a while, but is finally getting Up to the top of the list. This addition to the layout is NOT an easy build and will not be secured to the layout by gravity... more to come on this one as it comes together. Hopefully I will do Carl and Ellie proud:
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Your whole layout has such detail totally amazing
Excellent job on the switch tower! An all time favorite! I had one in HO growing up, late ‘60s early’70s. I have the O scale kit on my shelf.
@frizzinbee posted:So over the last week or so I built an Atlas switch tower from a kit and added it to the layout. Figured I would try something different and didn’t kitbash this building... just added a working exterior lamp and interior lighting. Nice easy build, and I’m happy how it came out!
My next addition is something I’ve let float for a while, but is finally getting Up to the top of the list. This addition to the layout is NOT an easy build and will not be secured to the layout by gravity... more to come on this one as it comes together. Hopefully I will do Carl and Ellie proud:
I like it! (I got the movie reference too! )
Bob
@Mark Boyce posted:Excellent job on the switch tower! An all time favorite! I had one in HO growing up, late ‘60s early’70s. I have the O scale kit on my shelf.
Mark - thanks! It is a great kit, probably one of the better ones out there in terms of ease to build and fit/finish right out of the box. Mine was on the box for over a year before I got to it.
@RSJB18 posted:I like it! (I got the movie reference too!
Bob
Bob - Thanks! This kit is super tedious, but I’m excited about it and think I have a plan to make it rally cool looking. Going to add some balloons, and clouds, when I hang it up. Plus, this is the first time I have to/get to detail the underside of a building!
Well done!
Peter
@frizzinbee posted:Bob - Thanks! This kit is super tedious, but I’m excited about it and think I have a plan to make it rally cool looking. Going to add some balloons, and clouds, when I hang it up. Plus, this is the first time I have to/get to detail the underside of a building!
My son watched that movie A LOT!!! I think I counted the floor joists under the house once. 
Don't forge the garden hose too !
Dustin, outstanding job! I cant wait to see how up ends up! LOL
Mark , if I were you I would hang on to that Atlas switching tower. I can't find one anywhere!
Pete - thanks!
Bob - You called it, hose reel added!
Mike - thanks! I sent you an email re: Atlas switch tower
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Hey Dustin haven't seen any posts in a while. Hope all is ok with you. Was wondering if you ever got that house UP.
@E-UNIT-79 posted:Hey Dustin haven't seen any posts in a while. Hope all is ok with you. Was wondering if you ever got that house UP.
All is good here, thanks for checking-up! ...and sorry for the much-delayed reply. I did eventually get the "Up" house up... and then shortly thereafter we decided to make a move to New Mexico. So the layout came down, and all the buildings/trains/etc. are now in storage since our house out here doesn't have a basement. The plan is to re-build a better layout at some point in the future.
@frizzinbee posted:All is good here, thanks for checking-up! ...and sorry for the much-delayed reply. I did eventually get the "Up" house up... and then shortly thereafter we decided to make a move to New Mexico. So the layout came down, and all the buildings/trains/etc. are now in storage since our house out here doesn't have a basement. The plan is to re-build a better layout at some point in the future.
Glad to hear all is well. Thanks for the reply. We all have these moments. I'm finally all finished with my room, now to make and hang display shelfs and than start building layout. Life just keeps getting in the way. Lol
I'm glad all is well, too. I had no idea the last post was in February! I wish you well in New Mexico and that you can find space for a layout soon!!
Hey Dustin, I sure hope your liking the warm weather in NM! I am sure when you get back to trains your going to have an AMAZING layout as before if not better!
