great scale tree
@fast freight posted:Grew a new apple tree for a corner of the pasture.
What did you use to make this apple tree. ?
Outstanding representation of a real tree and landscape fast freight. I envy your layout skills.
@fast freight posted:Grew a new apple tree for a corner of the pasture.
Awesome scene overall!!! That's what I would like to do, create realistic looking vignettes that just please the eye. Well done!!
George
Morning guys, some really nice work here!
@Dave Ripp., Your scenery looks Outstanding! You could always just remove the hand and put a hook there! LOL I guess I am lucky that my work bench is right outside the door to the train room, the bad part is I have to walk from the house in the rain and snow to get there! As for the Auto unloader I can check my supplies and if you want I could probably build you one, Just let me know.
@fast freight, Wonderful looking apple tree, Really brings the scene to a level of realism! I bet the horses cant wait for the apples to fall!
Well guys I didn't do anything yesterday and may not get out there today, but when I do my plan is to finish ballasting the lower level thanks to Dave Ripp and the extra ballast he had!
I hope you all have a great day and find time to have fun with your layouts and trains! I am going to go play in the rain cleaning gutters and sweeping the chimney ! Lucky me! LOL
Ordered some resistors, LED's, and a nice assortment of mini-connectors for my BEEP upgrade project. Nothing photo-worthy to show.
Oh- and had a new roof installed on the house. What a mess, sure glad I didn't have to clean it up.
Nice work on the apple tree @fast freight. I bet that's one happy horse.
Bob
@Dallas Joseph posted:What did you use to make this apple tree. ?
Outstanding representation of a real tree and landscape fast freight. I envy your layout skills.
Dallas
Apple tree was made from some roots I cut off stumps someone had dumped in a vacant lot. The wind and rain had washed the roots clean.
I glued a few roots together and added some select pieces of super trees in a hanging down position. I spray painted the super trees a dark grey to match the trunk then spray glued and sprinkled on leaf material.
The apples are red sewing pins. They are a little to large but look ok.
Dan
Thank you so much for your service.
Started prep work for the area I cleaned yesterday. It's back to being a mess but will get better in a few days.
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@RSJB18 posted:Ordered some resistors, LED's, and a nice assortment of mini-connectors for my BEEP upgrade project. Nothing photo-worthy to show.
Oh- and had a new roof installed on the house. What a mess, sure glad I didn't have to clean it up.
Nice work on the apple tree @fast freight. I bet that's one happy horse.
Bob
Boy Bob, this house stuff is really distracting. We had to have the roof done a while back ,....you are right, what a mess . We had some good guys do it but 43 squares was interesting.
Just had to have our drip joint in the sewer pipe dug up and after 90 feet of of trying to get grass to grow by watering after the dry September.....well .....super distracting situation from the trains.😬
Have a dual engine shed coming that I have a lot of work I want to do on it ......and whenever I get the LEDs and resistors in the mail I'll have to convert the lighting for a ps2 switcher.
Yup, no photos here yet either. 😖
.
@Dave Ripp. posted:Started prep work for the area I cleaned yesterday. It's back to being a mess but will get better in a few days.
LOL Don't worry Dave! It doesn't take long and it happens to us all!
@Pingman posted:What vendor(s) did you use?
I'm in the market for some and the choices seem endless.
the choices are endless Carl. I usually go to that auction site to find what I need. If I can get free shipping too then it's a bonus.
Bob
@Dallas Joseph posted:Boy Bob, this house stuff is really distracting. We had to have the roof done a while back ,....you are right, what a mess . We had some good guys do it but 43 squares was interesting.
Just had to have our drip joint in the sewer pipe dug up and after 90 feet of of trying to get grass to grow by watering after the dry September.....well .....super distracting situation from the trains.😬
Have a dual engine shed coming that I have a lot of work I want to do on it ......and whenever I get the LEDs and resistors in the mail I'll have to convert the lighting for a ps2 switcher.
Yup, no photos here yet either. 😖
.
Mine was 60 square.
@RSJB18 posted:the choices are endless Carl. I usually go to that auction site to find what I need. If I can get free shipping too then it's a bonus.
Bob
Mine was 60 square.
Did you do metal ?
I have several cars disassembled and waiting decals which are in shipment from K4. Some cars are in final color and others still in primer. Completed the pulpwood load for the gondola. I now have another eight cars ready to reassign to the DM&IR.
One great addition to the train room is now resting in a convenient location on one of the lower layout shelfs. It is now fully functional and ready to produce a glass of wine for adult visitors. Don’t get too excited and before you plan a trip to Minnesota for a glass of wine, I need to disclose that we purchased this about 10 years ago and just today opened and attached the 3 liter bag of red wine to the spigot. The first glass had a few things floating around the bottom of my glass, but I am sure that after several glasses, it will begin to taste better!
Life continues to get better!
Cheers, Dave
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@darlander posted:I have several cars disassembled and waiting decals which are in shipment from K4. Some cars are in final color and others still in primer. Completed the pulpwood load for the gondola. I now have another eight cars ready to reassign to the DM&IR.
One great addition to the train room is now resting in a convenient location on one of the lower layout shelfs. It is now fully functional and ready to produce a glass of wine for adult visitors. Don’t get too excited and before you plan a trip to Minnesota for a glass of wine, I need to disclose that we purchased this about 10 years ago and just today opened and attached the 3 liter bag of red wine to the spigot. The first glass had a few things floating around the bottom of my glass, but I am sure that after several glasses, it will begin to taste better!
Life continues to get better!
Cheers, Dave
Not fair DAVE......I have to go upstairs for my Manischewitz.
Why was this type of bottom train display shelf not included in any of the modelers layout manuals ? 😁😉
@Dallas Joseph posted:Did you do metal ?
No, 30 year GAF Architectural shingles.
@darlander, Dave that sure is a lot of cars your redoing. They are looking good though, I think your pulpwood car turned out looking great! I don't drink wine, but do have to say that looks very cool! I just have a small fridge just outside the train room to keep the silver bullets cold! LOL
I have a question for you, do you weight your tank cars and if so how do you do it? I have a fair amount of tank cars that are really light and I think they would track better with a little more weight.
@mike g. posted:@darlander, Dave that sure is a lot of cars your redoing. They are looking good though, I think your pulpwood car turned out looking great! I don't drink wine, but do have to say that looks very cool! I just have a small fridge just outside the train room to keep the silver bullets cold! LOL
I have a question for you, do you weight your tank cars and if so how do you do it? I have a fair amount of tank cars that are really light and I think they would track better with a little more weight.
What brand are your tank cars Mike ? 🤔
I have MTH Premier and Railking tank cars and the fastest way I can add weight.......... without taking the cars apart ..............is by opening THE HATCH ON TOP and using large round steel or lead weights .
I'll hold the tank on one end up at an angle and drizzle GooGlue or your favorite sticky stuff so that it goes to one end. Then it is dropping HALF of the desired weights in and leaving the tank on end. With the glue I have, I can generally work on something else and go back to turn the tank in the opposite direction in about an hour to make sure the weights stay in place.
@mike g. posted:@darlander, Dave that sure is a lot of cars your redoing. They are looking good though, I think your pulpwood car turned out looking great! I don't drink wine, but do have to say that looks very cool! I just have a small fridge just outside the train room to keep the silver bullets cold! LOL
I have a question for you, do you weight your tank cars and if so how do you do it? I have a fair amount of tank cars that are really light and I think they would track better with a little more weight.
Mike- I just bought some wheel weights from Harbor Freight. Worked like a charm on a light box car that kept derailing. They have an adhesive backing. Just peel and stick.
Tank cars may be a bit of a challenge unless you can pop the tank body open.
Bob
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@RSJB18 posted:Mike- I just bought some wheel weights from Harbor Freight. Worked like a charm on a light box car that kept derailing. They have an adhesive backing. Just peel and stick.
Tank cars may be a bit of a challenge unless you can pop the tank body open.
Bob
Bob, I have the same thing and yes they work well on box cars and gondolas, just not sure for tank cars. I tried to find a place to put them but never found a place where they could be hid or looked good.
@Dallas Joseph posted:What brand are your tank cars Mike ? 🤔
I have MTH Premier and Railking tank cars and the fastest way I can add weight.......... without taking the cars apart ..............is by opening THE HATCH ON TOP and using large round steel or lead weights .
I'll hold the tank on one end up at an angle and drizzle GooGlue or your favorite sticky stuff so that it goes to one end. Then it is dropping HALF of the desired weights in and leaving the tank on end. With the glue I have, I can generally work on something else and go back to turn the tank in the opposite direction in about an hour to make sure the weights stay in place.
My Tank cars are from Menards I really like them and they roll ok, just thought if I added weight they would do better!
@mike g. posted:I have a question for you, do you weight your tank cars and if so how do you do it? I have a fair amount of tank cars that are really light and I think they would track better with a little more weight.
The three tank cars I have are K-Line cars with metal frames and trucks. They have good heft and track just fine. They originally were banks with a coin slot. One end is free to open so it would be easy to add weight if needed. The top hatch on the dome also opens and I assume many tank cars may have that feature. If that is the case with yours, you could pour in some sand to increase the weight of the car. If not, drill a 1/4 inch hole in the belly and add sand to increase the heft. Plug the hole with 1/4" dowel.
Cheers, Dave
@darlander posted:The three tank cars I have are K-Line cars with metal frames and trucks. They have good heft and track just fine. They originally were banks with a coin slot. One end is free to open so it would be easy to add weight if needed. The top hatch on the dome also opens and I assume many tank cars may have that feature. If that is the case with yours, you could pour in some sand to increase the weight of the car. If not, drill a 1/4 inch hole in the belly and add sand to increase the heft. Plug the hole with 1/4" dowel.
Cheers, Dave
Thanks Dave, I will have to check. When I got them I just added them to the train, but remember they were light and wobble going down the track.
A little plaster, a little paint. Now I have to wait for everything to dry. It's the hurry up and wait game.
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Dave Ripp, you are right, it looks just as messy as before!! 
Well, you have to make a mess to accomplish almost anything!
I received my terminal blocks yesterday, but didn't have time to work on the layout last evening.
@Dave Ripp. posted:A little plaster, a little paint. Now I have to wait for everything to dry. It's the hurry up and wait game.
Dave, looks just fine to me, work in progress! I have no more room to put stuff on my layout while working on it, so I bring in a 6' Lifetime folding table to work on. Question: in one of your posts you showed some road guard rails, what brand and where did you find them? Your layout is looking good as usual.
@WesternPacific2217 posted:Dave, looks just fine to me, work in progress! I have no more room to put stuff on my layout while working on it, so I bring in a 6' Lifetime folding table to work on. Question: in one of your posts you showed some road guard rails, what brand and where did you find them? Your layout is looking good as usual.
Thank you. They are Gilberts from an old slot car set. I got lucky and found 44 for around $28.00. They are about 9 inches long and easy to install. I've also used Tyco & Aurora guard rails which require a little work on the base.
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Dave, the plaster and paint look great! I see you also moved the mess over a little!
Started painting the mesa. I took it from this angle for Dave. Last weekend my Assembly/Feed table was totally clear as I needed my table saw for a non-train related project. (I know, those suck). It is not the HDQ of scenery fabrication for my layout. I know I will need all this stuff so why put it away? Also, notice that I am down at the end working today. On Monday I was in the middle. The mess and clutter is part of the fun!
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I converted my small inner loop from the DC power pack it came with to AC power, had some issues with the CCA wire I purchased by mistake (Help with Wiring Issue, is CCA wire the issue? | O Gauge Railroading On Line Forum (ogaugerr.com)).
Then I wired up the accessories on the new expansion my sons and I are adding, still have to add in a few LEDs in some of the buildings. We are trying to build a small race track, not to scale, so my next project is to try to build some small stands for it since I couldn't find any to buy. I also mounted a background behind the layout on the wall. I still how to install the woodland scenics fence I purchased, just have it placed on the layout around the airport for now.
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A little more work on the new area. I have some Elfin Model back ground buildings tat will cover most of the sidewalks.
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@Dave Ripp. posted:Thank you. They are Gilberts from an old slot car set. I got lucky and found 44 for around $28.00. They are about 9 inches long and easy to install. I've also used Tyco & Aurora guard rails which require a little work on the base.
Thx Dave, the search is on!
I had a Lionel ZW operating the Lionel (lower level) and American Flyer (upper level) in "The Alcove".
I replaced it with American Flyer 17B and Lionel LW transformers.
Why? No reason really, except that I felt that American Flyer should be powered by American Flyer (and the 17B looks cool!) and my simple Lionel layout as a youngin' was powered by a Lionel LW.
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Mike, I built it. Plans on Kreg Tools Let's Build Something site. It's on wheels and has lots of storage as well. One of the best things I have every built, very versatile
@Lionelski posted:I had a Lionel ZW operating the Lionel (lower level) and American Flyer (upper level) in "The Alcove".
I replaced it with American Flyer 17B and Lionel LW transformers.
Why? No reason really, except that I felt that American Flyer should be powered by American Flyer (and the 17B looks cool!) and my simple Lionel layout as a youngin' was powered by a Lionel LW.
I always liked the looks of both those tranformers I wish I had kept mine.
I still have my LW, original that my dad bought in the 50s. The wire is still supple. Nothing touched on it. Works perfectly.
@third rail posted:Continuing on with the lake remodel, I used a technique to make waves by laying down 3 layers of toilet paper and diluted white glue. Made up a mixture of 50/50-60/40 Elmer's glue and water, then painted the surface and layered the toilet paper lasagna style. While everything was still wet, I teased the paper into waves with a paint brush. As the paper soaks up the glue the embossing disappears. The main thing is to work extra at the edges of the paper to make sure that they disappear. After a few days drying, I then painted the surface with a brown latex flat paint, blending in some flat black to mimic deeper water. I found a Corgi Models yellow submarine, removed the bottom and cut and trimmed it for placement.
Next week when all is dry, I will use gloss water based finish to bring out the wet look.
I finally completed the lake feature on the Chicagoland lionel railroad club's layout. Painted the surface brown and black, then I highlighted the waves with white and silver acrylics. Finally everything got 3 coats of high gloss water based poly to bring out the wet look.
I added a fishing boat along with the yellow submarine. Both had to have their bottoms cut off to make them waterline models. Hope you like them.
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@third rail posted:I finally completed the lake feature on the Chicagoland lionel railroad club's layout. Painted the surface brown and black, then I highlighted the waves with white and silver acrylics. Finally everything got 3 coats of high gloss water based poly to bring out the wet look.
I added a fishing boat along with the yellow submarine. Both had to have their bottoms cut off to make them waterline models. Hope you like them.
The water color came out great, it looks just like the Fox River near me. The ripples around the sub are great to.
We all live
On a yellow submarine,
A rotten tangerine,
A can of gasoline!
Ah, schoolyard songs...
Mitch
Let it snow Let it snow Let it snow
I always wanted a snowmobile for the layout but there are not very many choices for O scale so......
I broke out the tools and built one. When I was a kid the neighbors got a brand new Polaris and I thought it was the coolest thing, next to a train set of course.
A little modeling clay, brass wire, brass sheet and some paint. I model in the summer though so this will have to go in a garage for awhile.
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