WEEKEND PHOTO FUN 12-2-16-??

PAGE II

More Hagerstown Pictures

Scott Smith

walt rapp posted:

My plans for 2016's Christmas Layout are complete and ready to be built.

As I do every year, I create a few 'must dos' and a few 'really want to dos'.  This year's are:

ABSOLUTE TOP PRIORITY – I only had this one MUST

 The Christmas tree had to be as close as possible to the front of the layout so that personalized items and Train Party tree gifts were easily visible.  Also, the new Lionel balls from Leighanne and Mike (2015 present).

 SECONDARY GOALS – this was considered as a wishful must but became a must as I went on

 I wanted the Winter scene, the Easter scene, and Halloween scene up front, especially the Halloween one where the figures are on the street trick-or-treating.

FOLLOWUP GOALS

Both tin-plates had to reverse

I had 2 extra switches so the tin-plates could connect

Use ramps for the Lionel train.  Fun to run.  Can use O27 switches.

Family – fun to run.  Can use O27 switches.

The 1st one is the lower layer measuring 12' x 14'.  Two tin-plate trains will run on it.  That outer dotted line is a down and up ramp coming from one corner of the 'L-shaped' plateau and going to the other corner of it, which will be obvious by looking at the 2nd diagram.  The plateau is 8' on the long sides.

- walt

Looking forward to seeing it when completed.

            alco FA locomotive 2023 up and prr 2245 departing Conway yard on the A&R track  

layout update 12/2/16 / alco FA locomotive 2023 up and prr 2245 part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKSpq6pX5Sw

alco FA locomotive 2023 up and prr 2245 part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hBpMrzKTMo

dk122trains posted:

The festival of trees has begun on my Bellevue and Schenectady RR in the city of Schenectady. Merry Christmas everyone!

Very nice Don.

#1262 in progress GACX NYC AIRSLIDE..........................

Picked up some gondola loads for my new B&O gondolas. From a gentleman that sells them on the auction site. They really look great. Fit perfectly in a PW-style size gondola.

This from  Entertrainment Junction in Ohio......

A fantastic G scale layout.....a must see for any model railroader. I always dream of having the same space to build a O scale 3r layout!!!  Great city buildings. 

S.B.R.R -woodchip service.

My weekend photo fun began this morning at the Kenilworth Mall in Towson, MD. The Annual Train Garden is in full swing. The 25 push buttons, and the "Find the characters" scavenger hunt kept my grandchildren busy and entertained:  Kenilworth Train Garden

Here's some of my photos, starting with an overview from the second floor of the Mall.

The beach at Ocean City was new this year. Especially neat since my son once managed The Kite Loft in summer.

Now some various scenes around the layout, with trains. Williams Trains seemed to be well-represented.

My granddaughter perfected the fine art of pushing a button on one side of the corner, and looking through the other to see the man hammering new shingles on the roof.  It was great fun. By all means check it out if you are in the Baltimore area this Holiday Season.

The first layout got a cleaning and then some run time under conventional control.  The K-Line EP5 had its electronics replaced with Proto-Sound 1, left over from my GG1 upgrade.   Both the EP5 and the sharknose pair haul a bunch of PW "slow angle" wheels for excersise.

Bruce

I made my common visit to Engine House Hobbies this afternoon to drop off a minor repair and to see the latest and greatest. While there, I found a MTH Premier C&O Bobber Caboose and my Santa Fe trailer/flatcar set came in as well. Always nice to A) Find something new to buy and B) Have an order waiting!

Engine House Hobbies sits directly on the CSX Metropolitan Sub division and I mean literally - it is RIGHT there. There is a large picture window in the store directly facing the tracks! While cushioned into the stool next to the repair bench, we heard train horns and traffic was stopped. Not to mention, the building was literally shaking and the diesel locos where right behind us. Yet nothing crossed Chestnut Street at the store. This mixed freight inched up, while the conductor walked the train through the Chestnut street crossing with flares (can be seen near gate). He climbed back aboard and just sat there. An eastbound coal train came by, with pushers on the rear. Once about half of the coal train was by, the mixed headed west. Once the end of the train was past, they were going near track speed. Not sure what was going on. The gates at Chestnut street were working as the Capitol Limited (with Private car on the rear) came by at it's usual ~79 MPH. I'll have to ask on a railfan Facebook page dedicated to this line. 

Also of note, my static locomotive display track (based on the Gaithersburg, MD train station, just about 1/4 mile from Engine House Hobbies) is empty of it's usual locomotive, an MTH Imperial 0-6-0. The 0-6-0 was a gift at Christmas 10 years ago. About a month after the warranty was up 9 years ago, the engine had a significant failure. With no $$$ (or interest) in fixing it at the time, it was partially robbed of parts and turned into a dummy engine. I would not sell it as it has significant sentimental value. I had considered getting it running again but never did. This past week I sent it to the MTH tech formerly associated with Catoctin Mountain Trains with simple instructions - get it running, whatever it takes. I hope to get it back, in full operating condition, in the next month or two. 

In the mean time, an MTH bump and go trolley is on the track. In the background, at the station is my new-ish Trainworld Custom Long Island Rail Road trolley. 

The first people on our layout. We also planted some trees this weekend. 

scott.smith posted:

I have been volunteering at the Bedford Museum in Bedford, VA. They have a Christmas layout they set-up in November.

Scott Smith

Scott......as volunteers, you and Josh are amazing!

Peter

brwebster posted:

The first layout got a cleaning and then some run time under conventional control.  The K-Line EP5 had its electronics replaced with Proto-Sound 1, left over from my GG1 upgrade.   Both the EP5 and the sharknose pair haul a bunch of PW "slow angle" wheels for excersise.

Bruce

Always have a warm spot in my heart for a K Line NH EP-5!

Peter

BANDOB posted:

My weekend photo fun began this morning at the Kenilworth Mall in Towson, MD. The Annual Train Garden is in full swing. The 25 push buttons, and the "Find the characters" scavenger hunt kept my grandchildren busy and entertained:  Kenilworth Train Garden

Here's some of my photos, starting with an overview from the second floor of the Mall.

The beach at Ocean City was new this year. Especially neat since my son once managed The Kite Loft in summer.

Now some various scenes around the layout, with trains. Williams Trains seemed to be well-represented.

My granddaughter perfected the fine art of pushing a button on one side of the corner, and looking through the other to see the man hammering new shingles on the roof.  It was great fun. By all means check it out if you are in the Baltimore area this Holiday Season.

Great pics, Bill......BTW, when I lived in Baltimore 79-83, I shopped at that mall in a store called Stebbins-Anderson.....I suspect it is long gone?

Peter

Earlier in this thread I posted 2 images of my planned 2016 Christmas layout track plan.

After 1 week of daily work, here's what I have to show for that.  Doesn't look like much but consider:

1. I had to haul all of that Homasote from storage upstairs to the living room and since it's painted, it's heavy!

2. There is a layer of 1/2" blue foam insulation board under it which needed transported up too.

3. ALL of the major wires are in place, hidden under the Homasote.  I leave gaps in the underlayment blueboard to run the wires in so that they don't get compressed when I walk on the Homasote.  You can see an example of this is pictures 1 and 3.  BTW: the ugly visible wires in these pictures I didn't care about because they will be under the plateau and thus not visible.  That's an AIU under the white towel in picture 1

- walt

SIRT posted:

Upstairs stinkin up the house again!

Great fun, Stve!

Peter

I'm not the only one who sucks at building trees... 

"Only God can make a tree"

Nice pictures everyone. Here's a few shots of this weekends progress. 

Finished a PS3 upgrade and fixed pilots on a set of RDCs. I know they're not scale but they look fairly decent. Next up I finished installing my Korber textiles building and did some landscaping. Then I had to take a few shots of some engines from the ground. Lastly I made some progress on my Atlas roundhouse. Floor has been painted, walls assembled and tracks ballasted. The front roofs were finished along with the walls and windows above. I'm thinking of adding LED strips on the main roofs for some light inside. 

walt rapp posted:

Earlier in this thread I posted 2 images of my planned 2016 Christmas layout track plan.

After 1 week of daily work, here's what I have to show for that.  Doesn't look like much but consider:

1. I had to haul all of that Homasote from storage upstairs to the living room and since it's painted, it's heavy!

2. There is a layer of 1/2" blue foam insulation board under it which needed transported up too.

3. ALL of the major wires are in place, hidden under the Homasote.  I leave gaps in the underlayment blueboard to run the wires in so that they don't get compressed when I walk on the Homasote.  You can see an example of this is pictures 1 and 3.  BTW: the ugly visible wires in these pictures I didn't care about because they will be under the plateau and thus not visible.  That's an AIU under the white towel in picture 1

- walt

 

Always look forward to this, Walt!.

Peter

John Sethian posted:

Finished the Sharks.  For details, see the 2 rail forum:

BEFORE

AFTER

John....your trackwork always looks so REAL!

Peter

Alex M posted:

I have a lot going on at the moment. Enjoying every minute of it 

Gorgeous!

Peter

Here some new photo's

BANDOB posted:

My weekend photo fun began this morning at the Kenilworth Mall in Towson, MD. The Annual Train Garden is in full swing. The 25 push buttons, and the "Find the characters" scavenger hunt kept my grandchildren busy and entertained:  Kenilworth Train Garden

Here's some of my photos, starting with an overview from the second floor of the Mall.

Now some various scenes around the layout, with trains. Williams Trains seemed to be well-represented.

 It was great fun. By all means check it out if you are in the Baltimore area this Holiday Season.

 

Thanks for the tour.  I missed it the last 2 yrs but it's on my list for next week.  The bridge has always impressed me.  I asked one of the club members there about the motive power they used and his reply was Williams because they are reliable over the long display season.  BTW did you have a chance to check out the Stebbins Anderson layout?

This Post is filling up with some really Memorable Pictures, There is so much Talent, words can not Express....Thank You for the responses....Merry Christmas.

Saw some awesome rare golden locomotives at today's NJ Hi-Railers open house. They included a golden Big Boy, golden F3s, a golden Hudson, a golden Presedential, and a golden Polar Express. 

Our "secret" missile launch accessory

https://youtu.be/ylzZPPRWIGQ

In response to the questions/comments on Stebbins-Anderson in the Kenilworth Mall, Towson, MD:  It is now half the size it was. Trader Joe's is under construction on what was the second level of Stebbins-Anderson. I did not go into the remaining lower level, so I do not know if they still have trains. I'd heard a rumor they didn't. Wild Mary, if you could confirm on your visit, that would be great!

Farmer_Bill posted:

I'm not the only one who sucks at building trees... 

"Only God can make a tree"

These guys have you two beat!

Sadly this seems to be what happens when the zoning folks don't live near the eyesore

I took some shots in Oregon and along the WA border on Saturday:

Taking a break from running Steam.