Weekend Photo Fun 12-29-17-??

My Son and I just completed the CDX Lego compatible rollercoaster that Santa picked-up at York.   

Around town..................

Have been looking for some K-Line aluminum cars and recently picked up four of these five beauties from different Forum members and the NP Baggage from eBay.  

This 21" B&O Observation is the newest and now begins the daunting task of adding to the set! Anyone have some available cars?  I have the 15" B&O 4 car set in LN condition to trade if interested.

Looking for an 18" Baggage & RPO in preferably unpainted silver. Maybe some 'misc' cars as well.

The final 2016 Christmas Layout memories

A year-end recap - there were 4 seasons represented on the layout.

- walt

And some overall views:

Here's a couple pics of my recent custom painted cars, a pair of Lionel 86' auto parts cars in UP "Building America".

Walt,

Good to see all that tinplate on the layout after some of the "issues" you had!  Did I miss the 2017 pics?

Ed

More progress on the Pam Am building , just starting the  helipad  

Trying to have this complete before NJ Hi-Railers Trainstock 

Alex 

Here's something different than what I usually post. Every year between Christmas and New Years. my best friend Mitchell Dakelman visits for a few days. Mitch is a train collector, railfan, the NRHS archivist, and my co-author for our two books dealing with the Pennsylvania Turnpike. When he comes out, he brings classic railroad films, and this year was no exception. As usual, I held a party where we have goodies, run trains on the layout, and then spend the rest of the evening viewing films. Here is a photo of Mitchell addressing the group (there were 19 of us this year) prior to projecting the films. I know almost all of these fellows due to my long term memberships in the NMRA and TCA. Additionally, my son Steven invited a fellow train enthusiast who is close to Steven's age of 18 that he met here on the Forum. The point is, that the pleasure I get from the hobby is not just from the trains, but the many friendships that I have developed through the hobby.

Happy New Year!

Wow Alex M! That building is coming along great! 

Is that Ralph Kramden up on the roof looking for Norton?

Mike R

Some scenes on the Highlandtown Fire Station Train Garden

Happy New Year to everyone on this forum. I am so thankful that I found this forum about 10 years ago. All of you have some how contributed to my layout in one way or another. I have had so much help with this hobby and I am so grateful. Here are some photos of the layout.

A few photos of the new Postwar inspired Alco AA units from the green FA passenger set.

Will add some of the three 2400 series passenger cars later.

Roger Wasson posted:

Happy New Year to everyone on this forum. I am so thankful that I found this forum about 10 years ago. All of you have some how contributed to my layout in one way or another. I have had so much help with this hobby and I am so grateful. Here are some photos of the layout.

 

Roger,

Congrats on your layout article in Classic Toy Trains. I noticed it in the new issue I received yesterday and am looking forward to reading it soon.

Lionel Brass Hybrid Mikado at the NJ hi-railers

corsair29 posted:

I really like that!!!

Just finished the Downtown Deco Tavern kit Santa brought me.  "Just finished" being a relative term with my projects, as when I get to the 90-95% range I tend to move on to something else, add tweaks and upgrades later.

The WS Deuce's Bike shop was also under the tree this year.  Next project is DD's Metal's Bank.

And while I didn't get coal in my stocking, I did get garbage.

SIRT posted:

Around town..................

Stunning grade crossing. Please share how you created these. The realism in the planks of wood are awesome! I'm am also interested in knowing how you covered those large blocks on the bottom of the crossing gates up.

Have a great New Year’s weekend everyone!!  Here are a few shots of an early Christmas gift (to myself!! ) that I purchased during Nassau Hobbies’ Black Friday sale last month.

I'm disposing of most of my OGR's, but looking through them first. I am keeping some of the oldest ones - and all that I have of the "O Scale Railroading" title.

1990 or so:

Whatever happened to this "Mike's Train House" Williams/Weaver dealer? Still taking orders for brass? Can't seem to find his website in the ad anywhere...

These things come complete with an operating headlight and smoke unit! Wow!

Just a couple of hours ago got to say Hi and a Happy New Year to fellow Youngstowner Mike Reagan.  Ran into to him here at the local toy train shop.

Happy I waited  all these years to buy my Williams SP Cab Forward!!! Got what is a NOS unit for less than $500....$1400 was a LOT in 1990!!!

D500 posted:

I'm disposing of most of my OGR's, but looking through them first. I am keeping some of the oldest ones - and all that I have of the "O Scale Railroading" title.

1990 or so:

Whatever happened to this "Mike's Train House" Williams/Weaver dealer? Still taking orders for brass? Can't seem to find his website in the ad anywhere...

These things come complete with an operating headlight and smoke unit! Wow!

 

This was Mike Wolf's business before he officially launched MTH. I had my hobby shop back then and in trying different distributors when I was adding trains to our store, I settled on Mike's as they had the best prices and Rich Foster was very helpful to me as a new train merchant. As such, I was able to become one of the first generation of MTH Dealers when it started. Being a small store, they permitted me to buy 'ones & twos' of the high-ticket items. I remember stepping out on a limb and ordering 4 or 6 of the 1st die-cast Challengers at $1100 or so each with much trepidation. They sold out within a month!

It was fun learning all the new information that went with selling retail trains back then!

Here's another project I'm working on. While installing ERR the customer also asked to have a light and man installed in the doghouse. 

Out in Alliance Nebraska , drove around for some train action,  very slow right now, not sure if it's the weather  -25 when I took these. On the south yard I caught a engine being put back on the tracks. It was interesting to watch.  Also included some shots of a few cars and a line of engines waiting to be mothballed.  Nick T.

Snapped this while on my lunch break today.  Our 1942 GE 50 ton diesel locomotive sits besides our water and coal towers under a blanket of snow waiting for a new battery and its next call to service.

The Train of Sin made an appearance at the Great Big Greenhouse today. Setup started at 9:15 AM. I finished packing the last piece at 3:30 PM. When I was DONE, I discovered two cars that didn't get unpacked. One car at the house undergoing repairs, one on preorder from NJHR.

The official count today was 82, not 84 cars. NUTZ 

So, I need 14 more beer cars....

For the record three WbB engines, all powered. Six motors pulling 6.5a @ 10VAC on the Z4000.

82 boxcars of beer on the track.  82 boxcars of beer... 

Happy New Year Gilly! 

scott.smith posted:

Over the last few weeks I have been having difficulties with my wife's cat. I have my trains displayed on top of my bookshelves. She has already knocked one of my tinplate cabooses to the floor.

So I had to add plexiglass train catchers to my display.

Scott Smith

It must have taken months for your wife to train the cat to do that. Cats are very difficult to train. If I were you, I'd check the trains very closely for Cat Nip residue.

Just saying 

I played around with the macro function on my phone camera and came out with these cool shots of one of my engines.

Multiple generations of Reading power!

Chris

LVHR

luvindemtrains posted:

SIRT posted:

Around town..................

 

 

Stunning grade crossing. Please share how you created these. The realism in the planks of wood are awesome! I'm am also interested in knowing how you covered those large blocks on the bottom of the crossing gates up.

Thank you -

Cut pine strips on a table saw to scale tie size. Score joints and grain marks with a scribe. Apply stain. Use a marker to simulate spikes. Secure with liquid nails. 

It's been several years now, think I first mounted the signals on a block of wood then covered with foam. I sand and shape Styrofoam for just about everything. Paint with latex. Secure foam with L.N.

I already posted some pictures of my 2065 earlier, but I just dug up some cool pictures of my 2025 in the tunnel of one of my earlier Christmas villages from a few years back. I created this effect by stopping my engine and putting it in neutral right on the curve in my tunnel while I positioned a 6520 Searchlight Car's spotlight in the direction of the engine.

corsair29 posted:

.

Steve, very interesting building.  Can you give us a little rundown on it.  Thanks

Well I redid my "sprayer" project car into a wheelset car.  

This is it with the tank and sprayer I cobbled together with existing and 3d printed parts (the ladders and walkways along with barrels and valve body).   

And now with a wheel rack and wheels.  Should I add a small crane?

wild mary posted:

corsair29 posted:

.

Steve, very interesting building.  Can you give us a little rundown on it.  Thanks

Thanks! It's still unfinished but I started with 3 plasticville hospitals and an airport. The back is cut from the 2 story tan and silver building front that was part of a 2 piece set. The loading platform is just cut balsa wood. You can see more of the processes here.

https://ogrforum.com/...81#77030152649038981