What did you do on your layout today?

After over a year torn apart for track renovations… adding DCS with its associated wiring, block, and soldering recommendations, which amazingly worked first time thanks to this forum & Barry’s book…

I finally was able to run trains last night.  

Want to annoy the wife less than two minutes after applying power?  Do this…

Tom

@FlyPlanes-PlayTrains posted:

After over a year torn apart for track renovations… adding DCS with its associated wiring, block, and soldering recommendations, which amazingly worked first time thanks to this forum & Barry’s book…

I finally was able to run trains last night.  

Want to annoy the wife less than two minutes after applying power?  Do this…

Tom

Looks great Tom. You forgot to blow the horns too.

SJB18 :  Those units look great Bob.  You could even run an AABA if you wanted, RR in later years put the A units wherever they needed extra power.

Don

@Craftech posted:

I like that layout Darrell.  How did you attach the Fastrack bumpers to the K-line track?

I removed the fast track pins on the bumpers. I then removed the center pin from the K-line track.

Then I just jammed them together!

LOL!

Tom, the layout is running smoothly!

Bob, the Santa Fe units look great together!

Darrell, Nice looking layout!

@Darrell posted:

I removed the fast track pins on the bumpers. I then removed the center pin from the K-line track.

Then I just jammed them together!

LOL!

I love it.

John

@RWL posted:

I made a track bumper out of some left over wood ties from some Ross track cut offs.
I think I will try to make some more of these, as I kind of like it, and it seems sturdy enough, when a car hits it.

Very nice. I've made several of my own too.

Finally got the bench work done.  2" foam will be on the top since it's an around the room layout with everything in reach.  The only place you can't access comfortably from both sides is the section at the bottom of the stairs.

-Greg

Hi Greg

That's some serious length of benchwork. What height did you select?

Thanks Victor - it's 38" off the floor so 40" with the foam.   It will be 2 full loops around the perimeter and a 3rd branch line covering 2 1/2 of the 4 sides.   The far side and length in front of the stairs will be narrower due to the offset basement walls.   It's roughly 20' long on each side and 4' wide everywhere else.

Credit to Jim Barrett as I followed his advice from his book almost exclusively.   Can't believe everything is level all the way around because my basement floor sure isn't...lol.

-Greg

Excellent job Greg, getting it all level

Just finished this, a WW2 US portable generator.
Painting it is going to be a real project I'll have to do carefully as the details are so fine on this thing.

You can tell how tiny this thing is, even in O scale.

Yeah, I'm aware of the broken flywheel on the casting. I probably won't repair it, and instead either will sit that away from the viewer or perhaps it'll represent something in need of repair. It's way too small for me to fix it correctly.

Later, I blasted it with some Tamiya USAAF OD green
Looking good, I'll paint all the highlights, light weathering and maybe fuel drips after work tonight
I'd been sitting on this kit for a long time, just decided to do it now as I hadn't done much for layout projects lately

Finally had a chance to build my attachable side ramp. I made it  easily removable so I can detach the station when needed.  Next up I need to install some girder support beams to give it a Long Island city elevated look.

Greg,

This looks like it's going to be a wonderful layout! Can't wait to see more progress. Congrats, one milestone down.

Dave

@luvindemtrains posted:

Greg,

This looks like it's going to be a wonderful layout! Can't wait to see more progress. Congrats, one milestone down.

Dave

Thank-you Dave.  I went to Home Depot earlier today for a MDF board for the electrical panel.  I will start stringing the star wiring over the weekend ahead of placing the foam boards on the top.  I already have those ready to go in my garage.

-Greg

Got a little work done on the farm and the bluff today. With all the wok being done trains on the Ozark Midland & Southern Rwy. are getting pretty backed up!

Looks awesome Strap Hanger!

railhead, has your wife seen that mess yet?

beardog49, yep, she was down in the Train Room this evening and was happy with the progress.  We've been together for 47 years now so she has gotten pretty accustomed to the Train Room and the messes I make.  LOL

it only takes 47 years??

beardog49, Yes, I can pretty much assure you that if you can hold out for 47 years, you will have won that battle.  LOL

Great work, guys!

Just finished the smallest non figure project I've put this much detail into, the generator is done.

A lot of detail in one square inch!

I'm not sure where it'll sit, but here it stays for now:

I made this because I wanna string lights to the new Quonset hut that's coming and a generator is the only thing that'd make sense.

congrats..... to both of you

Bearhead, Very nice looking progress!  Congratulations as well!

Lee, the compressor looks great!

beardog49 and Mark Boyce,  thank you fellas!

Great job guys,  forward progress on a layout even if it is just one square inch, is still progress.

Neat little generator.

Impressive bench work.

I like the rock face scenery.

Great station scene.

I have a TMCC  gantry crane for my scrap yard. I didn't want the crane to straddle the spur track, so I  made my own crane way from 2 pieces of aluminum bar stock and wood 1x2's for spacers.

Next comes a plaster skim coat for the driveway and final scenicking.

Bill, that crane way is a neat idea!  It will look great when done.

@Mark Boyce posted:

Bill, that crane way is a neat idea!  It will look great when done.

Thanks Mark.

I used 2 pieces of aluminum cut to 5 feet long to custom fit it into the space available.

Had to chew up a bunch of Styrofoam bench top to make way for it. The tops sit even with the rail heads.

Bill, that head on view shows better what you have done so far!  Great idea!

Bill,

That's an excellent crane and pathway for it.

Not quite "on' the layout....but soon.  Finished installing and wiring 10 LEDs in a 1/38 Ghostbusters Hearse.  I will to put it in front of the layout's Hotel, and I'm working on "acceptable" O scale Ghostbuster figures to ad.  That's going to be a challenge. Can't find any small figures so I think I'll use soldiers "kitted out" appropriately to catch ghosts....  It was a fun project but very challenging to install the LEDs.  I used an EVANS Designs police car flashing light kit which include LEDs with resistor and bridge rectifier (I think that's what it is) attached and they are big when trying to stuff them in this Hearse.  Drilling to add the tail lights was a challenge.  In the end, the result was what I had hoped.

Made some progress on my track cleaning car detailing. More to come.

I'm hoping the finished car looks somewhat like this. I will be placing a pipe load on the car for added weight.

Bob

Shout out to all the recent posts...lot's of nice projects gents.

@Greg Houser, @p51, @third rail, @ToledoEd, @railhead53, @Strap Hanger

Bob

RSJB18  Thank you Bob for the shout out! 

Bill B.

I doubt this is the right place to ask this question, but since this where I have been posting of late, I would like to know how do I respond to this:

I noticed the same announcement.  Ignored it but am concerned if we have been somehow "hacked"

Don

I have only seen it on railheads posts, not sure what it was but I cannot believe ogr hasn't stepped in

I had seen the "time to upgrade" notice on my profile page.  I just went back there and deleted the one that was in my signature block and now it has disappeared.  There are a number of the same notice on my profile page.  I'm not sure whether to ignore or delete them.  I thought it was a actual notice from the forum????

I cut and glued the side panels on the flat last night.

You know Bob, you should consider publishing this effort. It’s something that we all need to attend to and you make it look so easy.