What did you do on your layout today?

OMGoodness!

2014

2021

Page 1,000 learned a lot from this thread.  2,000 here we come.

1000 pages of Fun to read ideas, lots of really interesting photos of 100’s of wonderful model railroads taking us train enthusiasts into many modelers homes, all over the World. This is a fantastic achievement, a subject we all love and friendships made via this gadget, the IPad and computer. Thank You OGR, Your the best.

The first 1000 pages have been a lot of fun and I learned a lot.  Excellent work everyone!  I started following this topic fairly early on, but don’t know what I may have posted.  Here is the latest from me.  The rerouted upper level is in and I have been moving buildings around.  I’ll get back to wiring soon.

The Woodland Scenic corner emporium I have been working one for nearly a week, I believe the exterior painting is now complete. 

Assembly of the walls and cutting and gluing and install of the windows next!

And I learned it first here on the OGR Forum about the announcement from Atlas!

I’m excited about the new MTHAtlas announcement and left off the photo of my painting accomplished today...

i should tomorrow assemble the four walls, cut and glue in the windows....

Still munched to do to complete.

Ahhh. Page 1000! Tonight B6s no. 505 assembled a train (bbbrgbrr) in the west Yard for switching duties at town businesses. It will take water and another crew will wait for a clear signal to proceed.

Edit: I got curious about when I first posted on this thread because I wanted to see how my layout looked back then. I found two posts on page three. 1-21-13. That was before I did my not quite a complete redo thread in 2015/2016  think. The area shown has not changed very much really. More experiments with trees. But it's nice to see all the posters work way back.

Today l put signs on and finished my bashed Stony Creek Indian Trails Garage, almost doubling it's size for shops and showroom, to create the 1940 Elbert Nash dealership, with a leftover 1939 and a used 1935 Nash on the showroom floor, awaiting 1940 deliveries.  This is the third structure l have managed to crank out in this diseased year. The other two are a water mill and a grain elevator....this last turned out great.  I will try to post photos of all soon.

In need of some electrical advice! 

https://ogrforum.com/...ical-troubleshooting

Thanks!

Mitch

We also should thank @Rich Melvin and @OGR CEO-PUBLISHER Alan Arnold, and the entire staff for hosting this great Forum and putting up with a bunch of train-crazed lunatics for so long.

Many ups and downs over the years from copy-write issues, to off topic discussions about cats, dogs, the weather, you name it, we've probably all been hand slapped by the moderators once or twice.

Thanks folks!

Bob

The other night I unpacked the three MTH Scaletrax switches I bought for my yard expansion. I wanted to see how they were going to fit between the turnouts. I have 25 1/2" between the two 5122's for the crossover and it looks like it will work. I wired up one of the solenoids to just to try it out. Reminds me of my old HO Atlas snap switches. Next will be creating an adapter from Tubular to the ST. At least the rail height is almost identical so the only issue will be joining. I may just solder short pieces of tubular to the end of the ST rails. The center rail will be an isolated block anyway so only the outer rails will need to be physically connected to the ST rail.

@Mark Boyce posted:

The first 1000 pages have been a lot of fun and I learned a lot.  Excellent work everyone!  I started following this topic fairly early on, but don’t know what I may have posted.  Here is the latest from me.  The rerouted upper level is in and I have been moving buildings around.  I’ll get back to wiring soon.

Mark, Is this a before and after 1000 posts?

WOW! I have been off line for a couple days and so much has happened! 1000 pages who would have thought! I know for me I love it as I have learned so much and have made so many friends! Plus for me it is even better as I have no train guys that live near me so you all are my train family!

I haven't done anything as the CEO has kept me busy but I did get a photo from a friend and thought you all would like a little blast from the past. When they really did logging! Enjoy.

They also have a log ramp near me where the would use local rail cars to take the logs down to the water and dump them to be floated to the mill. I wish the tracks were still there also!

I hope everyone is having a great week and being safe. But most of all I hope your all having fun with your layouts!

I posted photos of my Stony Creek bashed Nash Dealer to the vehicle posting, but will try to add one photo here, with the Altoona Nanton ,grain elevator and 0akridge water mill.  These three structures are all l got done in the Year of the Plague.  Shoulda done more.

@colorado hirailer posted:

I posted photos of my Stony Creek bashed Nash Dealer to the vehicle posting, but will try to add one photo here, with the Altoona Nanton ,grain elevator and 0akridge water mill.  These three structures are all l got done in the Year of the Plague.  Shoulda done more.

Very nice work!

Bob, like you, I will be using tubular track.  I have a few questions as I’ve pondered this possibility.
Have you previously used this type of switch? What is the reason for not using an 022 switch? Would anything from the Ross tinplate switches have worked? Thanks, Jay

@mike g. posted:

WOW! I have been off line for a couple days and so much has happened! 1000 pages who would have thought! I know for me I love it as I have learned so much and have made so many friends! Plus for me it is even better as I have no train guys that live near me so you all are my train family!

I haven't done anything as the CEO has kept me busy but I did get a photo from a friend and thought you all would like a little blast from the past. When they really did logging! Enjoy.

They also have a log ramp near me where the would use local rail cars to take the logs down to the water and dump them to be floated to the mill. I wish the tracks were still there also!

I hope everyone is having a great week and being safe. But most of all I hope your all having fun with your layouts!

Mike, let me guess, with tree trunks that large was the photo taken in the Pacific Northwest?

Keep those trains running!

Jeffrey

@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:

Bob, like you, I will be using tubular track.  I have a few questions as I’ve pondered this possibility.
Have you previously used this type of switch? What is the reason for not using an 022 switch? Would anything from the Ross tinplate switches have worked? Thanks, Jay

I was looking for something that could be easily butch.....ummm....modified to fit the available space. I tried several mfrs in SCARM and Scaletrax was the first that looked like it would work. Couple this with the MTH auctions and here we are.

O22's can be cut down but the switch machines are too big.

Here's the current layout with a template of the MTH switches.

Moved my layout (4x8) into the house from the garage. That required the build to be disassembled, all the scenery is removable since the sections are all built on styrofoam panels. Just disconnect the lighting and lift off the panels. Pretty happy with the how it all worked out.

Starting the next layout soon, need to get some diesel action going!

Looking, great everyone! So far I sadly was not able to complete my next video before my surgery (that was today). I can say my surgery went well and I have begun my "marathon" of looking through the wonderful posts here on the forum while I wrest. Thanks for reading, and happy railroading!

@RSJB18 posted:

We also should thank @Rich Melvin and @OGR CEO-PUBLISHER Alan Arnold, and the entire staff for hosting this great Forum and putting up with a bunch of train-crazed lunatics for so long.

Many ups and downs over the years from copy-write issues, to off topic discussions about cats, dogs, the weather, you name it, we've probably all been hand slapped by the moderators once or twice.

Thanks folks!

Bob

My wife is tired of me complimenting the OGR Forum.  I keep telling her she needs to get away from the mess on that other social network. Join my world 🤣🙄

I appreciate Alan’s and Rich’s work as well 👍

@mike g. posted:

WOW! I have been off line for a couple days and so much has happened! 1000 pages who would have thought! I know for me I love it as I have learned so much and have made so many friends! Plus for me it is even better as I have no train guys that live near me so you all are my train family!

I haven't done anything as the CEO has kept me busy but I did get a photo from a friend and thought you all would like a little blast from the past. When they really did logging! Enjoy.

They also have a log ramp near me where the would use local rail cars to take the logs down to the water and dump them to be floated to the mill. I wish the tracks were still there also!

I hope everyone is having a great week and being safe. But most of all I hope your all having fun with your layouts!

Think what a great layout and building you could build to house it out of that, Mike.

Morning guys I see everyone has been hard at work!

Colorado Hirailer, Nice work on the water mill and the grain elevator! I seen your post on the Nash dealership also, looks outstanding!

Jeffery, you are correct near the Hood canal area at the foot of the Olympic Mountains.

Bob, looks good, for the height difference just throw a little shim under the Scale Trax, That's what I did with a couple Ross switches I had to use and works like a charm!

Pat, that sure looks like quite the move. Good job and it looks great!

We as for me I have been working on a Dinky fire engine restore and while the paint dries on that I have turned to a Atlas switching tower I got from Dustin here on the forum. I was looking for one and couldn't find one and he had one he got from someone else and it needed alot of clean up. The person that had it before Dustin had glue everywhere. So I have been taking it apart, cleaning the glue off and trying to get it ready for paint. Here are a couple photos of the fire engine and tower.

Dustin is such a great guy he also sent along a scratch built Yardmaster shack, I took the bottom off so I could add lighting inside.

I will be heading out to the train room to do a little work on all 3 projects this morning before a meeting I have to attend!

I hope you all have a great weekend and find time to have fun with your layout! I will check in later! LOL

Thanks Bob that was helpful.

@mike g. posted:

Morning guys I see everyone has been hard at work!

Bob, looks good, for the height difference just throw a little shim under the Scale Trax, That's what I did with a couple Ross switches I had to use and works like a charm!

Thanks Mike- that's the plan, a shim under the joint to support the rail. I only have the two connections to deal with. The yard tracks are also going to be ST, I just need to got over to Nassau Hobby one day to pick them up.

Bob

So I was able to get out to the train room and I think I have my switch tower ready for paint! Had to mask all the windows!

Mike the tower and fire engine look great.  So does the yard office Dustin sent you.

Thanks Mark, I was able to get back out to the train room after my meeting and got most of the yard tower painted.

Its not the normal colors but it is what I had on hand as I cant drive yet. So I went with tan bricks with Hunter green siding on the top of the tower. I painted the roof flat black and all the pipe work will also be flat black. Here are a couple photos.

Before that I put a clear coat on the fire engine so I can use the chrome pen to get the grill and pump panel done and put this thing back together! LOL Next time it will be a simple car! LOL

Mike, all the painting looks great!  I like Hunter Green!

@mike g. posted:

Thanks Mark, I was able to get back out to the train room after my meeting and got most of the yard tower painted.

Its not the normal colors but it is what I had on hand as I cant drive yet. So I went with tan bricks with Hunter green siding on the top of the tower. I painted the roof flat black and all the pipe work will also be flat black. Here are a couple photos.

Before that I put a clear coat on the fire engine so I can use the chrome pen to get the grill and pump panel done and put this thing back together! LOL Next time it will be a simple car! LOL

Mike, Great Job!! You inspire me to give it a try. I have the Grey Sawmill and it's quite drab. Any thoughts on how I could spiff it up and weather a tad bit so it looks fun? I have a small r/c plane servo from my short plane flight..(never a long walk to the scene of THAT crash) and I will mount a sawblade that rotates for something fun. (Idea from this forum)

What colors? My wife said I need to learn my colors some day... (She Knew that when she married me!)

Thanks

More work in the gorge...

Dave

That does look impressive Mike.

@luvindemtrains posted:

More work in the gorge...

Dave

Luv

“Gorgeous”😀

Seth thanks a lot!

Dave

@Trainmaster04 posted:

Looking, great everyone! So far I sadly was not able to complete my next video before my surgery (that was today). I can say my surgery went well and I have begun my "marathon" of looking through the wonderful posts here on the forum while I wrest. Thanks for reading, and happy railroading!

Glad your procedure went well and hope you completely recover quickly.

@Trainmaster04 posted:

Looking, great everyone! So far I sadly was not able to complete my next video before my surgery (that was today). I can say my surgery went well and I have begun my "marathon" of looking through the wonderful posts here on the forum while I wrest. Thanks for reading, and happy railroading!

I’m glad surgery went well!  I hope recovery goes quickly

Luvindemtrains,

Your engine taking the bridge,
would that be a great looking Allegheny ?

Your talents and choices of power compliment each other 😀

The scenery with the natural backlight is just a great photo. Just a great look with a girder up, and the single trestle low...

i like the Orange an Blue thrown in as well.

an entertaining evening watching WV vs. Morehead State in the Big Dance...

thanks

This afternoon I assembled this nice Woodlands corner emporium and painted the many many additional  trimming to the Emporium. Whew!

Rested by running the C&O prior to the tournament games...

@Mark Boyce posted:

I’m glad surgery went well!  I hope recovery goes quickly

Yes, lots of rest and we hope no pain...

@Seth Thomas posted:

Luvindemtrains,

Your engine taking the bridge,
would that be a great looking Allegheny ?

Your talents and choices of power compliment each other 😀

The scenery with the natural backlight is just a great photo. Just a great look with a girder up, and the single trestle low...

i like the Orange an Blue thrown in as well.

an entertaining evening watching WV vs. Morehead State in the Big Dance...

thanks

Seth,

Thank you again. I was sitting in another stool and just snapped that photo because I thought it was a nice view as well. The 2-8-8-2 you see on the bridge is a Lionel N&W Y3 pulling some Atlas N&W fishbelly hoppers. I believe you can click on the photo to make it larger.

Dave