What did you do on your layout today?

Finally picked up my new oil rig Al Granzano out did him self again

@fl9turbo2 posted:

Finally picked up my new oil rig Al Granzano out did him self again

WOW that looks Amazing! I dont think I have ever seen anything like that to date here on the forum! But then again everything I have seen photos of what Al has built is Amazing and out of this world! Your a lucky man to have it1

@fl9turbo2 posted:

Finally picked up my new oil rig Al Granzano out did him self again

That's really cool. I look to see what Al builds every week in the scenec showcase. Looks like it's a nice addition to a great layout.

I started working on my downtown today. I got 4 buildings figured out out I still have to work on painting around them.

Well guys I didnt get much done today, but I did get the first corner and the maintenance yard ballasted! Just a couple photos. Now I havea new problem, I am not going to have enough gray ballast and will have to get more.

@mike g. posted:

Well guys I didnt get much done today, but I did get the first corner and the maintenance yard ballasted! Just a couple photos. Now I havea new problem, I am not going to have enough gray ballast and will have to get more.

Mike that looks great. I have a 5 gallon bucket of used woodland scenecs light gray ballest. I could fill a priority shipping box full if the shippings cheaper than buying it. I have zero use for it but have yet to throw it away.

@Dave Ripp. posted:

I started working on my downtown today. I got 4 buildings figored out I still have to work on painting around them.

Dave,

That corner building is spectacular.

John

@Dave Ripp. posted:

Mike that looks great. I have a 5 gallon bucket of used woodland scenecs light gray ballest. I could fill a priority shipping box full if the shippings cheaper than buying it. I have zero use for it but have yet to throw it away.

Do I have to wash it? LOL Also do you know what the rate would be?

@mike g. posted:

Do I have to wash it? LOL Also do you know what the rate would be?

They just went up to $16.25. I'll try not to give you the chunky stuff.

@Craftech posted:

Dave,

That corner building is spectacular.

John

Thanks John, Woodland Scenics and Menards had different store names so I made it a double corner building.

Working on the farm on my latest layout!

@CopperCountryJake posted:

Working on the farm on my latest layout!

Lookig good, what are you using the operating track for or is it an uncoupler?

Dave, your buildings are looking great! As for the Ballast if you can ship it for that price I will take it!

Jake, Looks like you have a wonderful start on your Farm!

@DaveRipp The operating section is there for the exploding ammo dump farther down the line.

Dave. You're buildings look super especially  the ones that are butted up next to each other .Super look. May I ask what color are you using for the blacktop in these scenes. I'm very interested as I am working on some town scenes also . Thanks Farmerjohn

@farmerjohn posted:

Dave. You're buildings look super especially  the ones that are butted up next to each other .Super look. May I ask what color are you using for the blacktop in these scenes. I'm very interested as I am working on some town scenes also . Thanks Farmerjohn

Thanks John, I use Rustolium Chalkboard paint. Black of course but it's blue when you paint it and dries black.

Lots of great projects everyone!  I have had little train room time, so wiring has been slow.  I have slowly been working on my power substation kit.  The parts are so tiny, lightweight, and odd shaped that it has been slow going too.  I usually paint parts first before assembly, and that is what I did on the transformer.  It was hard to not get paint on the surfaces that are to be glued.  After completing the transformer, I decided to build the rest and then paint.  The sub assemblies are almost done and are just sitting in place, since I need to gravel the yard and paint each assembly.  Next will be to glue all the disconnects that are laying on the table in place on the structure on the left.  That will be a bit slow going.  Here is how it looks now,

@Mark Boyce posted:

Lots of great projects everyone!  I have had little train room time, so wiring has been slow.  I have slowly been working on my power substation kit.  The parts are so tiny, lightweight, and odd shaped that it has been slow going too.  I usually paint parts first before assembly, and that is what I did on the transformer.  It was hard to not get paint on the surfaces that are to be glued.  After completing the transformer, I decided to build the rest and then paint.  The sub assemblies are almost done and are just sitting in place, since I need to gravel the yard and paint each assembly.  Next will be to glue all the disconnects behind between the substation and green mat in place on the structure on the left.  That will be a bit slow going.  Here is how it looks now,

Wow Mark, that's a big undertaking. I don't think my fat fingers could work with those small parts. It's looking good and painting first was smart.

@Mark Boyce posted:

Lots of great projects everyone!  I have had little train room time, so wiring has been slow.  I have slowly been working on my power substation kit.  The parts are so tiny, lightweight, and odd shaped that it has been slow going too.  I usually paint parts first before assembly, and that is what I did on the transformer.  It was hard to not get paint on the surfaces that are to be glued.  After completing the transformer, I decided to build the rest and then paint.  The sub assemblies are almost done and are just sitting in place, since I need to gravel the yard and paint each assembly.  Next will be to glue all the disconnects behind between the substation and green mat in place on the structure on the left.  That will be a bit slow going.  Here is how it looks now,

Nice work Mark. I would have lost half the insulators by now.

Bob

Spent some time installing the upper level platforms and doing some scenery grass, dirt, roads. sidewalks. Now for the buildings and street lights. John

Everyone's recent work looks great!  Thanks for sharing!

-Greg

Sculptamold, sculptamold and more sculptamold. One thing I loved about Marty Fitzhenry's layout is that the initial view a visitor has is that gorgeous yard. I had only room for a small yard and in the loop across the yard I put a...uh...water feature. I've never figured out if it is a lake or a river and I doubt that it matters which it is. But the upshot is that the yard with the lake (?) beyond is the first thing a visitor sees--and THAT is what I am trying to get done.

The pic shows where I am with this. The bridge closest to the camera has been removed for some cosmetic work. The lake edges and bottom are consuming all my sculptamold. And layout time.

Don Merz

@Radioman77 posted:

Spent some time installing the upper level platforms and doing some scenery grass, dirt, roads. sidewalks. Now for the buildings and street lights. John

That's looking really good and it looks like you can reach from both sides.

@Don Merz 070317 posted:

Sculptamold, sculptamold and more sculptamold. One thing I loved about Marty Fitzhenry's layout is that the initial view a visitor has is that gorgeous yard. I had only room for a small yard and in the loop across the yard I put a...uh...water feature. I've never figured out if it is a lake or a river and I doubt that it matters which it is. But the upshot is that the yard with the lake (?) beyond is the first thing a visitor sees--and THAT is what I am trying to get done.

The pic shows where I am with this. The bridge closest to the camera has been removed for some cosmetic work. The lake edges and bottom are consuming all my sculptamold. And layout time.

Don Merz

Very nice Don. Is that sculpamold easy to get paint to stick to? I used Woodland Scenics Flex Paste before and had a hard time with it.

It is on wheels so I can move it around. It also tilts up so I can get to the underside. John

Did a little painting for the building base and part of the main drag. When this dries I'll paint in the allys and get the buildings in. It'll lighten up and blend when dry, sloppy looking when wet.

Afternoon guys, not alot here from me. I have been doing a little work on the upper loop on the other end, but dont want to get to far as I want to make sure I am cutting the right curve. I will post a photo later!

Mark, great job on the power Substation! Its going to look sharp on your layout!

Raidoman77 (John) wonderful looking grass and dirt, but I really like your new upper level platform!

Don, from what I see here when your done its going to be an AMZING focal point to your layout!

Dave,I love how you just keep trucking on! It kinda makes me feel lazy! LOL It's really looking good and remember that everything looks sloppy till it done!

Hope everyone is having a great day!

@Dave Ripp. posted:

Wow Mark, that's a big undertaking. I don't think my fat fingers could work with those small parts. It's looking good and painting first was smart.

@RSJB18 posted:

Nice work Mark. I would have lost half the insulators by now.

Bob

@mike g. posted:

Mark, great job on the power Substation! Its going to look sharp on your layout!

Thank you Dave, Bob, Mike!  Yes these parts are really small and easy to lose track of.  I am finding it much harder now than when I built N-scale models in my 30s.  I think it is a good looking kit.  I wish there were some more tabs or something to help align parts.  I guess if there were, realism would be sacrificed.

Don, where does all that sculptamold go?  The scene is shaping up nicely!

@Mark Boyce posted:

Lots of great projects everyone!  I have had little train room time, so wiring has been slow.  I have slowly been working on my power substation kit.  The parts are so tiny, lightweight, and odd shaped that it has been slow going too.  I usually paint parts first before assembly, and that is what I did on the transformer.  It was hard to not get paint on the surfaces that are to be glued.  After completing the transformer, I decided to build the rest and then paint.  The sub assemblies are almost done and are just sitting in place, since I need to gravel the yard and paint each assembly.  Next will be to glue all the disconnects that are laying on the table in place on the structure on the left.  That will be a bit slow going.  Here is how it looks now,

Mark , are all the parts number coded ?   😉

They would have to be if I was trying to put the substation together .

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Mark , are all the parts number coded ?   😉

They would have to be if I was trying to put the substation together .

Yes they are number coded.  Although I worked in substations from the mid '70s to early '90s and the parts make sense to me, I have needed to check the numbers on a few.  I didn't mention it is a Walthers HO kit.  They did a nice job on it, and I think it still scales right for a small town distribution station.

Mark,

I had to delete my last post because you answered my question above. The substation looks good. Please show us when you get it on the layout.

Dave

@Craftech posted:

Dave,

That corner building is spectacular.

John

Yes, I love the original building but the kit-bash is WHOA!

Dave

While not as impressive as most posts, a banner day for me. My first attempt at painting a figurine. A good thing his back is to us, as apparently I cannot paint eyes or sun glasses (no, I won't post the front of George!)

George is an executive of the C&J and spends off time brushing up on his putting. Since there alot of construction going on he has more time than usual

Got back to my NP North Coast Limited dome cars, four of them, and went through another "final" check before clear coating.  Found a couple of paint touch-up issues that were easily fixed.

But to my consternation, I found the serif in the "M" of "VISTA DOME" on a decal was missing its left side serif!!!

How the heck did the serif not get printed?

So, with my 73 year old, occasionally trembling, hands, I cut a fresh decal's serif off, and attached it to the defective decal on the car, successfully.  Photos below.

The delay on the four dome cars is caused by doing a large door baggage car using a LIONEL UP baggage car from the 6-31712 Anniversary set as the donor.  Its roof vents, large doors, and skirtless shell closely resemble NP's 73' prototypes.  Photos this week-end.  (I  screwed up the stripe on the four doors and I'm redoing them now.)  It too requires some paint touch-up on the car ends because I carry the white stripe and two-tone green across the car's plastic end and my masking skills are not good enough to create a sharp stripe line between the two colors on the molded ends.

@luvindemtrains posted:

Mark,

I had to delete my last post because you answered my question above. The substation looks good. Please show us when you get it on the layout.

Dave

Dave, I will say the sub station really reminds me of some old stations tucked away on small town side streets back in the ‘70s and ‘80s.  Since my layout is set in the ‘50s I’ll put it at the edge of town I think.  I’ll add it to the mix of buildings and post it for everyone!

Love the substation! And all the many other posts. There's some real terrific scenery and ideas, along with the talent to learn from and aspire to. Thanks to everyone (can't name them all)

My steam heating plant is now fully functioning along side my Machine Shop, although it could use some refinement.  Runs great on 5 VDC. Still need ground cover, trees, and some life/action figures. The LEGO guy on the marble steps is for my Grandson. Need to keep them engaged!

I have brand new smoke detectors in the house. Nary a peep from any of them!!

@Mark Boyce posted:

Yes they are number coded.  Although I worked in substations from the mid '70s to early '90s and the parts make sense to me, I have needed to check the numbers on a few.  I didn't mention it is a Walthers HO kit.  They did a nice job on it, and I think it still scales right for a small town distribution station.

Mark .......I can't wait to see the final result..........after you get the glue off of your fingers 😉

Thank you Endless Track and Dallas!

Get the glue off my fingers?  Get my stuck together fingers unstuck is more like it.  Yes I have trouble manipulating tweezers and small pliers, so fingers are sometimes better.

Reminds me of a guy I worked with 30 years ago.  He built model airplanes.  One evening he accidentally squirted glue in his eye and his eyelids were immediately glued shut.  He laughed telling the story how his wife laughed the whole trip to the hospital to get him unstuck.

@Mark Boyce posted:

Thank you Endless Track and Dallas!

Get the glue off my fingers?  Get my stuck together fingers unstuck is more like it.  Yes I have trouble manipulating tweezers and small pliers, so fingers are sometimes better.

Reminds me of a guy I worked with 30 years ago.  He built model airplanes.  One evening he accidentally squirted glue in his eye and his eyelids were immediately glued shut.  He laughed telling the story how his wife laughed the whole trip to the hospital to get him unstuck.

Reminds me of a Comedy of Errors...........I guess that is the fun part of being married.  😉

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Reminds me of a Comedy of Errors...........I guess that is the fun part of being married.  😉

Amen!  The guy was great telling a story where he was the but of the joke.