@RSJB18 posted:I weathered the trucks on my track cleaning car.
Bob;
This is a philosophical/rhetorical question... by definition, shouldn’t a track cleaning car be clean??? Inquiring minds want to know 
P.S. very realistic job on the trucks.
@RSJB18 posted:I weathered the trucks on my track cleaning car.
Wow Bob, That car really came out nice. And it's an added bounus that it cleans track too.
Wow Bob, that turned out really nice. The weathering is appropriately applied and it would appear that the car has seen a lot of service hours. Obviously, it has collected a goodly amount of dirt and grime while cleaning the track area. Well done!
Submit an article for publication!!!
@Apples55 posted:Bob;
This is a philosophical/rhetorical question... by definition, shouldn’t a track cleaning car be clean??? Inquiring minds want to know
P.S. very realistic job on the trucks.
It's a TRACK cleaning car, not a CAR cleaning car. 
Clean track + dirty car = happy railroading.
Thanks Paul.
@Dave Ripp. posted:Wow Bob, That car really came out nice. And it's an added bounus that it cleans track too.
@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:Wow Bob, that turned out really nice. The weathering is appropriately applied and it would appear that the car has seen a lot of service hours. Obviously, it has collected a goodly amount of dirt and grime while cleaning the track area. Well done!
Submit an article for publication!!!
Thanks Dave and Jay.
Bob, that turned out looking great! Now it seems it's time to put it to work! You should do a how to on how you weathered the trucks and wheels!
I will get out to the train room sometime today and see what I can get done! I cut my finger yesterday working on the airplane lift off thingy, so it could be a slow go on any projects!
Hi Guys, I did get out and work on the airplane thingy this morning. Working with Plexi glass is nice but not very stable when you cut a slice into it, so I am building kind of like a shadow box with extra support so it wont be filmzy! Photo below.
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@Bryan in Ohio posted:Paul, I dont think that's your layout so no credit for actually running your engines. Next time put a copy of the local paper dated with today's date to prove that it's yours. Lol
Finished a little fun project I was working on for the red light district. Figured I would add another vice with a casino and sports book. Took a plain wood building and added some curtains to the inside, added some casino signage that I got at Michael's in their clearance section for 2 dollars, and finished it off with the Miller casino sign.
Great pics.
Warrenville does not have a red light district, but it does have a dirty old man:
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I have a serious problem with Lowe's.
Take yesterday, for example. I went in to get a 3 way light socket to repair my desk lamp, and walked out with the socket, two folding metal sawhorses, a 2x4 cut to fit the tops of the sawhorses, 10 feet of bell wire for wiring switches under the table and two cans of gloss black spray paint for benchwork. Everything except the light socket is for the Razorback Traction rebuild, so this, I think, counts towards "what I did on my layout".
Oh, yes: I was knocking about the living lumber room and discovered that, if I work it right, I have enough old American Flyer track to add an oval to the RTC.
And I don't ever OWN any AF equipment!
Yet.
I rather suspect I'm doomed, there.
Mitch
(P.S.: I have just determined that it would theoretically be possible to add AF trucks to a gi-raffe car. I think I'm in serious trouble, here, folks.)
@RSJB18 posted:I've done lot's of printed scenery. Cheap and easy to work with. I typically print on card stock and then glue the images to heaver stock for assembly. These background flats are all made from prints.
The fence is a print and I added balsa detailing for the posts and stringers.
@mike g.- I agree that the bridge girders look great.
Bob
Boy Bob , this printed scenery is a great idea that you and Mike are showing.
Really nice idea with the additional use of the wood for the posts and stringers . That really makes the look convincing . 🤓
The scene overall is a nice one with your other detailing.
@M. Mitchell Marmel posted:I have a serious problem with Lowe's.
Take yesterday, for example. I went in to get a 3 way light socket to repair my desk lamp, and walked out with the socket, two folding metal sawhorses, a 2x4 cut to fit the tops of the sawhorses, 10 feet of bell wire for wiring switches under the table and two cans of gloss black spray paint for benchwork. Everything except the light socket is for the Razorback Traction rebuild, so this, I think, counts towards "what I did on my layout".
Oh, yes: I was knocking about the living lumber room and discovered that, if I work it right, I have enough old American Flyer track to add an oval to the RTC.
And I don't ever OWN any AF equipment!
Yet.
I rather suspect I'm doomed, there.
Mitch
(P.S.: I have just determined that it would theoretically be possible to add AF trucks to a gi-raffe car. I think I'm in serious trouble, here, folks.)
Slip slidin' away.......🦒🦒🦒🦒
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
BTW...you mentioned a problem with Lowes? I see no problems here.....🤦♂️
To ease the national supply line issues I added 4 of Lionel's #65 yard lights to my intermodal terminal for enhanced safety.
I've got 2 left that I don't need, so send me an email if you can use them.
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@M. Mitchell Marmel posted:I have a serious problem with Lowe's.
Take yesterday, for example. I went in to get a 3 way light socket to repair my desk lamp, and walked out with the socket, two folding...... metal sawhorses, a 2x4 cut to fit the tops of the sawhorses, 10 feet of bell wire for wiring switches under the table and two cans of gloss black spray paint for benchwork. Everything except the light socket is for the Razorback Traction rebuild, so this, I think, counts towards "what I did on my layout".
Oh, yes: I was knocking about the living lumber room and discovered that, if I work it right, I have enough old American Flyer track to add an oval to the RTC.
And I don't ever OWN any AF equipment!
Yet.
I rather suspect I'm doomed, there.
Mitch
(P.S.: I have just determined that it would theoretically be possible to add AF trucks to a gi-raffe car. I think I'm in serious trouble, here, folks.)
...............and..........down the " rabbit hole ". 🤤
@RSJB18 posted:It's a TRACK cleaning car, not a CAR cleaning car.
Clean track + dirty car = happy railroading.
Thanks Paul.
That is a false equivalency, Bob... would you mop your floor with an old, rusty, dirty mop???
Mitch. I don't think you have a problem with Lowes. Have you bought gift cards for yourself yet. Until then you're on the right track. No pun intended. By the way. I know guys that have and tell their wife's someone gave then to them .
@Apples55 posted:That is a false equivalency, Bob... would you mop your floor with an old, rusty, dirty mop???
There are other sorts? 😇
@farmerjohn posted:Mitch. I don't think you have a problem with Lowes. Have you bought gift cards for yourself yet. Until then you're on the right track. No pun intended. By the way. I know guys that have and tell their wife's someone gave then to them .
Well, one advantage of the single life, then...
Mitch
Yesterday I tested the weathering on my track car and I did have to spray the trucks. The powder did rub off when touched. I'll get it all together and put it to work later if time permits.
I also started on a couple of small details for my passenger station. I picked up a set of 4 benches recently and began painting them. I decided to leave the seats natural color and just used polyurethane on them. The legs are green.
I'm also attempting to make a pair of roadway cones. The "cones" are a pair of caps from bottles of driveway asphalt crack filler/ sealer. I am painting them yellow with red tops to match the period of my layout. I'm using styrene sheet for the bases. The caps scale to 36" tall as is, I may cut them down a little bit.
I ran trains for a bit as well and noticed I've got a worsening voltage drop issue on my upper loop. The front 2/3 of the loop has two isolated blocks. The rear section holds steady when a train runs over, but the front two drop several volts when under load. I need to dig a little deeper. Most likely an extra drop or two should fix it.
Have a great day.
Bob
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Bob, what did you spray the trucks with?
@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:Bob, what did you spray the trucks with?
Rust-oleum clear matte. I did two very light coats.
@RSJB18 posted:Rust-oleum clear matte. I did two very light coats.
How fast does this take to dry Bob ? 🤔
Mike G had asked for some finished pictures of the repainted #53. I did put a coat of semi-flat black (the industrial series coating) "Krylon Acryli-Quik Acrylic Lacquer Semi-Flat Black" I got it on Amazon. This is supposed to be followed with a coat of dull coat or similar to resemble the lionel steam engine color. I made the decals and will apply them after the paint hardens. 
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Afternoon guys,
Don, that looks Great! If I had some extra cash I would email you, but I am saving up for a steam engine! LOL Go figure a mondern day guy after a steam engine!
Bob, good luck on the park benches! I really like the idea of making your own road cones!
Victor, WOW that looks OUTSTANDING!
Well I did do a little on the airplane thingy, but spent most of the morning finding a place for my Grayhound Bus Station as I dont think anyone wants to spend $100 for shipping. So here is where it sits, tomorrow I will make parking spots and hook up power!
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@mike g. posted:Afternoon guys,
Don, that looks Great! If I had some extra cash I would email you, but I am saving up for a steam engine! LOL Go figure a mondern day guy after a steam engine!
Bob, good luck on the park benches! I really like the idea of making your own road cones!
Victor, WOW that looks OUTSTANDING!
Well I did do a little on the airplane thingy, but spent most of the morning finding a place for my Grayhound Bus Station as I dont think anyone wants to spend $100 for shipping. So here is where it sits, tomorrow I will make parking spots and hook up power!
Mike,That definetly takes up alot of real estate. At least it doesn't require a parking lot besides the attatched one. I've got several buildings that arn't going to fit. I'd like to say it's because the layouts smaller but it's also less track so I just sometimes. I'll also add that I didn't do much but fail today. Alot of ideas that didn't pan out.
Happy Columbus Day everyone. I thought I would spend the day just running some trains. I started out with my R-32 subway and noticed that it was stopping every time it ran over a switch or on a curve. What was weird, though was that the engine continued to play its sounds when removed from the track. The train was upgraded to PS3 two years ago, so I figured it must be a pinched/loose wire. As anyone who has this set knows, removing the shell is a real hassle because of the opening door mechanism - it always gets stuck on the lights. Placing the shell back on is equally difficult. After carefully removing the outer and interior shells, I inspected everything and couldn’t find anything. Running the engine without the shells revealed that the problem remained. After about two hours of this, right when I was on the verge of seeking advice on the MTH DCS forum, I noticed that one of the red wires to the top of a truck was severed! It was almost unnoticeable, since it visually remained in place (you could only see the break when the truck was turned). After finding the right size shrink wrap and soldering it, I spent the next two hours cleaning, lubricating the door mechanism and gears and then trying to get the shell back on without knocking the interior lights off. Six hours in total, but my R-32 is running like a charm. Now some would say this was an unfortunate situation on my day off, but not for me. It was so much fun fixing this on my own. In fact, I had a blast. What a great hobby! Time for dinner and that bottle of Pinot Noir I picked up on sale the other day.
@Strap Hanger posted:Happy Columbus Day everyone. I thought I would spend the day just running some trains. I started out with my R-32 subway and noticed that it was stopping every time it ran over a switch or on a curve. What was weird, though was that the engine continued to play its sounds when removed from the track. The train was upgraded to PS3 two years ago, so I figured it must be a pinched/loose wire. As anyone who has this set knows, removing the shell is a real hassle because of the opening door mechanism - it always gets stuck on the lights. Placing the shell back on is equally difficult. After carefully removing the outer and interior shells, I inspected everything and couldn’t find anything. Running the engine without the shells revealed that the problem remained. After about two hours of this, right when I was on the verge of seeking advice on the MTH DCS forum, I noticed that one of the red wires to the top of a truck was severed! It was almost unnoticeable, since it visually remained in place (you could only see the break when the truck was turned). After finding the right size shrink wrap and soldering it, I spent the next two hours cleaning, lubricating the door mechanism and gears and then trying to get the shell back on without knocking the interior lights off. Six hours in total, but my R-32 is running like a charm. Now some would say this was an unfortunate situation on my day off, but not for me. It was so much fun fixing this on my own. In fact, I had a blast. What a great hobby! Time for dinner and that bottle of Pinot Noir I picked up on sale the other day.
I find it very satisfying to find and fix problems on my own. If I'm getting frustrated I stop and return the next day.
Good work! 👍👍
Was working on one of the American Flyer locos this afternoon, with the somewhat sketchy assistance of Shop Supervisor Norma Bates Kitteh...
Mitch
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I know ... This scene isn't a RAILROAD image, but real-life railroaders and model railroaders share the experiences of "marrying and burying." So a church scene, an outdoor wedding in a Pergola, and a cemetery scene are nearly universal episodes in the human experience - mine and yours. I placed a MTH Country Church on my layout, but it was underwhelming because it only lights up - no action and no sound. I wanted to enhance this building, so I added "stained glass" windows, add'l lighting, sound effects, and a control circuit.
1) I removed the factory-installed clear glass from the window frames and cut "stained glass" acetate film for each window. I found a vendor in the UK, selected non-liturgical imagery, then cut and glued small pieces of acetate in place.
2) The "stained glass" windows panels limited the amount of light coming through the peaked windows , so I added two add'l bulbs inside the building to brighten the effect. With 14v AC applied to the bulbs, much better!
3) I added a sound chip from ITT with two sound effects in sequence: church bells and pipe organ music (the Wedding Song). Perfect! The sound chip works with 12v DC from a wall wort, and its sounds are triggered by a Lionel #90 control button.
4) Because the church building is sealed, the sound volume is limited. I mounted the small 8-ohm speaker near the roof of the church and pointed it toward a small open rooftop window. Much better!
5) The nearby cemetery scene shows a funeral in progress with the coffin in place. Friends and family are gathered at the grave site for the final words by the minister -- "Rest In Peace." The vintage Studebaker hearse is at the entry gate; it delivered the coffin to the cemetery. There's no sound effect for the funeral service, but (with 20/20 hindsight) the venerable hymn "Nearer My God To Thee" would have been appropriate.
6) In the nearby Pergola, an outdoor wedding is underway with a presiding priest and two nuns, the bride and groom and attendants, and the dog of the groom. Friends and family are seated on benches on the lawn, and a Cadillac getaway car awaits - with tin cans attached to its rear bumper.
I used Woodland Scenic figures, tombstones, and a wrought iron fence. This was a fun-to-do mini-project. Photos attached.
Mike Mottler LCCA 12394
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@Strap Hanger posted:Happy Columbus Day everyone. I thought I would spend the day just running some trains. I started out with my R-32 subway and noticed that it was stopping every time it ran over a switch or on a curve. What was weird, though was that the engine continued to play its sounds when removed from the track. The train was upgraded to PS3 two years ago, so I figured it must be a pinched/loose wire. As anyone who has this set knows, removing the shell is a real hassle because of the opening door mechanism - it always gets stuck on the lights. Placing the shell back on is equally difficult. After carefully removing the outer and interior shells, I inspected everything and couldn’t find anything. Running the engine without the shells revealed that the problem remained. After about two hours of this, right when I was on the verge of seeking advice on the MTH DCS forum, I noticed that one of the red wires to the top of a truck was severed! It was almost unnoticeable, since it visually remained in place (you could only see the break when the truck was turned). After finding the right size shrink wrap and soldering it, I spent the next two hours cleaning, lubricating the door mechanism and gears and then trying to get the shell back on without knocking the interior lights off. Six hours in total, but my R-32 is running like a charm. Now some would say this was an unfortunate situation on my day off, but not for me. It was so much fun fixing this on my own. In fact, I had a blast. What a great hobby! Time for dinner and that bottle of Pinot Noir I picked up on sale the other day.
When you have a day like this it really has to be gratifying. The alternative would be an " unfortunate situation " . I always hated having an unresolved engine issue .
The successful person is the one who can solve problems. 😉
Last year at this time The Big House was on display setting on the shore in New Jersey. This display was the amazing work by Alan Graziano.
Fast forward nearly a year later the Big House has a more permanent location on the hill overlooking downtown Olive Hill.
Last week the grass mat was cut, the wires pulled, and the connections were made to the four toggle control switches.
And now whatever the feeling the Big House may illuminate from the second or first floor. Or as the engine with the coaches pass from the front or the four back porches the lights can shine.
I am so happy the idea came to me last year. I asked Alan to make the old photos of my family’s house come back to life. And now, “suddenly the wheels are in motion”!
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Seth,
The house is stunning and looks wonderful on your layout. Alan is a master.
Dave
@Dallas Joseph posted:How fast does this take to dry Bob ? 🤔
Typical spray paint drying time. It can be top coated after a few hours but 24 for a full cure. The stuff stinks to high heaven, make sure you are in a well ventilated area, preferably outdoors.
Bob
@RSJB18 posted:Typical spray paint drying time. It can be top coated after a few hours but 24 for a full cure. The stuff stinks to high heaven, make sure you are in a well ventilated area, preferably outdoors.
Bob
Thanks Bob.
Outdoors is the best for me too. Even during the winter doing quick spray jobs outside,
Even spraying small amounts indoors ends up in lingering odors and dust . The dust became apparent to me when I saw the floor and different surfaces when the sun was shining through the layout room windows .
Added 4 more buildings to downtown. Also a couple feet of grass I'll vacume up excess after the glue dries. I'm now past the 1/2 way point of the layout on basic scenery.
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Dave, thanks but I do plan on putting in a few parking spots. Nice job on the new houses and grass. Things sure are looking great over there!
Strap Hanger, I am glad you were able to get it fixed!
Mike Wonderful job on the church and great scene's you have going on there!
Seth all I can say is AMAZING!
I worked in the garage on my airplane thingy, and as Dave posted up above, it was a trial and error and for me it was more error! The motor I tried just wouldn't work like I thought it would, so tomorrow I plan on trying something else! lol which means the grayhound bus station was on hold all day.
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Very inspiring Mike g. Your getting there. That is the part of our hobby that I love. Creating things like this.
@Dave Ripp. posted:Added 4 more buildings to downtown. Also a couple feet of grass I'll vacume up excess after the glue dries. I'm now past the 1/2 way point of the layout on basic scenery.
Moving along at a fast pace Dave. Don't forget to save some work ( play ) for wintertime. 😉
@E-UNIT-79 posted:Very inspiring Mike g. Your getting there. That is the part of our hobby that I love. Creating things like this.
Thanks, I find it better to try and build it for cheap then buy it for $$$
Most of the parts I use for stuff like this is motors the I got out of old printers, They are a great source for small motors!
Changed out work house for row house. Added another 1.5 feet of grass between tracks and back drop. Started to prep another area for the end of the downtown. I'm not sure what I'm putting there till the space is ready. I included a before and after of the house swap. Also my sloppy prep work.
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