What did you do on your layout today?

@mike g. posted:

Afternoon/Evening everyone I hope you all had a great day and got a lot done!

Thanks for all your input on the bumper color! Red it will be! LOL

@SIRT Steve, nice job on the cobblestone looks great and the weathering job on the Burlington car is outstanding! Happy retirement!

Well guys I was able to get out to the train room today. My plan was to get the Lionel 50 gang car running as I got all the parts from Jeff at the Train Tender! But every time I put it together the armature would bind up. I don't know what the deal is it has a new gear, bearing, Thrust washers, Thrust bearing, even the small ball bearing for on top of the armature till I lost it on the floor somewhere! LOL

I will be calling Jeff to order a couple extra and pick his brain if he might know why its binding! I also hope maybe someone here knows why it might be binding! Any and all help would be great!

I hope you all have a great week and fun with your layout and trains!

Mike- does the motor have a small screw in the top of the motor? If so, you need to adjust it to give the armature enough room to move.

Look at the top, if it has a small hole in the top cover, then grab a small Allen wrench and back out the screw a little.

I think the pullmor's in question have white plastic tops.

Bob

The cobblestone looks great, Steve!  Congratulations on your retirement!!

I spent some time yesterday and today getting out the few semi-scale engines and cars I have, lubing them, and running them on my layout in preparation for the Model Train Club of Zelienople Easter open house this Saturday.  I'm also taking a Legacy diesel and matching caboose.  There is one track for Legacy and three tracks for conventional operation.  I have not been much help building the modular layout, but we had plenty of help.  We were pleased to have several young fellows and 3 boys join after the Christmas open house.  They have done a great job!!  The layout is much lower than works well for me right now, but it is built so kids  can see the trains and scenery.

Back to my layout, I can report that I was able to run semi-scale trains at toy train speeds on my layout without mishap.   I was pleased with that.

Congratulations on your retirement Steve! I wish you the best of luck.

Andy

Ran 10 two bay coal hoppers with Decapod this evening.

Well @mike g..
glad to hear you got to spend time in your train room again.

Today I was in the shop adding paint to extra pieces I found in order to expand the gymnasium for the school building I’ve been working on since mid March.  It’s a DPM modular piece kit.  

The rain and snow has allowed me time in the shop, but today it quit raining at about 11:00AM and I snuck in a mowing session.  Then back into the shop to paint mortar joints. Added some Woodlands Just Plug wiring inside and just now quit.

Discovered yesterday evening a friend has a C&O Allegheny by K-Line like @gandydancer1950.  
Maybe I can find someone to add sound.  He told me to make an offer.  And That’ll  cost me😅

Have a good week!

Thanks for all the kind comments, guys. I have been observing each of your progress and impressed by your modeling creations! You guys have presented some fine work on here. Good luck with the great scenes going forward.

The last & final layout is staged for a build. I have everything completed to assemble it. As many know, I spent 30 years in Fl. and 20 in Nashville. A move back to Tampa is in the plans, just don’t when due to the economy / market.

I like to keep busy so as I move on with my next phase in life, it will be interesting to see what lies ahead.

@SIRT posted:

Thanks for all the kind comments, guys. I have been observing each of your progress and impressed by your modeling creations! You guys have presented some fine work on here. Good luck with the great scenes going forward.

The last & final layout is staged for a build. I have everything completed to assemble it. As many know, I spent 30 years in Fl. and 20 in Nashville. A move back to Tampa is in the plans, just don’t when due to the economy / market.

I like to keep busy so as I move on with my next phase in life, it will be interesting to see what lies ahead.

Congratulation on the retirement Steve. Good luck with the next chapter. Sounds like you are going to be busier than when you were working.

Bob

The marker lights are installed! Details on my build thread.

Bob

Hello all,

I’m continuing to purchase Woodland scenics buildings for my future layout. Just picked up the country store BR5845. It’s a beauty

@Alex M posted:

Hello all,

I’m continuing to purchase Woodland scenics buildings for my future layout. Just picked up the country store BR5845. It’s a beauty

Alex, I have a WS Bob’s Market too, very nice building. I downloaded a photo from the web of the interior of a market with fishing tackle, installed it inside and added a Just Plug light to the interior. Now when you look inside the front window and screen doors it looks like a store. I can’t seem to find the photos I took, I’ll take some more photos and post them.

tThe market will be an excellent addition to your layout!

@WRW posted:

I now have a good foundation in place.

Benchwork is next on the agenda ( after walls and ceiling of course).

This is what I’m taking about! My bride, while supportive, isn’t quite on board with this ambitious approach to my train room desires. But I love this!

WRW - Well keep working on it, but I will admit I have been married to the same lady for 56 years and have not been sucessful on this level yet!!  She does tolerate my collecting mania however and goes to train shows so not all is lost

Best wishes Don

It’s always great, John!

@aussteve posted:

At this point, my layout is a work in progress.

I now have a good foundation in place.

Benchwork is next on the agenda ( after walls and ceiling of course).

Austeve,

For my last layout in my previous home, I poured a slab like this attached to the back of my 2 car garage.  This photo reminds me of that feeling of excitement I had, knowing my dream and plan had finally begun!  At the same time, I chuckled at myself, thinking my neighbors must think I'm nuts building a room for a layout.  But I never looked back, enjoyed every moment making the building and the layout and I still reminisce about it because it was so special.

My current layout in our new home is in the basement.  I like it, too.  But for other reasons, most of which because I learned a lot from the old layout.  But my current room, though cool, isn't as cool as that separate building made just for trains.

I know you are going to have electricity.  Are you going to have a bathroom, too?   

Mike

Iron Horse, its hard to explain but the train room is being built before the house.   It will be the staging area during our move. So far it's been a very difficult and frustrating process.   In the end it may have a sink, shower, bathroom, hot water heater, refrigerator,  AC and heat.   Table height will be about 31 - 32 inches.

Sounds like an envious railroad room.  Best wishes.

Steve, something to consider.  Mock up a table of sorts at your anticipated height then mock up another one or two tables at other heights.  Maybe try 40" or something like 44".   Work on some kind of project at the trial heights.   Find a height that most comfortably addresses your height and reach.

Twelve years ago I built a layout 30" high for a gentleman's 10 year old son.  He is now as tall as I am and now the whole family stoops to work on the RR.

@WesternPacific2217 posted:

Alex, I have a WS Bob’s Market too, very nice building. I downloaded a photo from the web of the interior of a market with fishing tackle, installed it inside and added a Just Plug light to the interior. Now when you look inside the front window and screen doors it looks like a store. I can’t seem to find the photos I took, I’ll take some more photos and post them.

tThe market will be an excellent addition to your layout!

Hi Scott,

Looking forward to seeing them

Thanks, Alex

Alex Woodland Scenics makes some quality buildings. They should look great on the layout.

This week the grandsons built three Korber sand towers. Then they collected scenery materials. One bucket of clean sand and another one with pea gravel mixed in. This should be more than enough for the layout.

It has been 75 at OBX the past few days.

Morning guys I hope your all doing well!

Bob, the marker lights look perfect!

Alex, that sure is a nice building! I wish I had more room on my layout. But as it is I have building sitting under the layout due to lack of space!

Well I spent the day out in the train room yesterday working on my gang car, with no luck! There is no adjustment screw just shims, I tried every combination and nothing worked. The good thing is there is an older gentleman that lives about a mile away that works on Lionel and MTH products, so I am taking it over to him here in a little bit.

While I was in there I installed a new yard light and cleaned track, but the best part was that I spent maybe 2-3 hours running my trains!

You know it's funny when you haven't ran trains for awhile it seems that the gremlins come in and do things just to screw with you! Last time things were running great and this time dead spots, hence track cleaning! LOL

Well I hope you all have a great day and find time for your layouts and trains! Most of all I hope you all have FUN!

Well, I’ve looked over the last few pages and you fellows have really been busy working on your cool layouts or are getting neat buildings and motive power for your future layouts. We had a fun day at Farmerjohns home and these pictures were taken with his permission to be shared on the forum. His work museum quality or a even better. Here’s Johnny. Happy Railroading Everyone

This is the first of nine cars for my new, 15" aluminum, Northern Pacific North Coast Limited train.  It's complete, for now, and ready to run. 

@leapinlarry posted:

Well, I’ve looked over the last few pages and you fellows have really been busy working on your cool layouts or are getting neat buildings and motive power for your future layouts. We had a fun day at Farmerjohns home and these pictures were taken with his permission to be shared on the forum. His work museum quality or a even better. Here’s Johnny. Happy Railroading Everyone

Incredible! Now that's a visit I truly would have enjoyed!!!

George

leapinlarry, what an opportunity you had to see FarmerJohn’s majestic layout. It must have been difficult to know where to look first. He should post a sign like Royal Caribbean use to have: Welcome to WOW.

leapinlarry - great pics, thanks for sharing htem.

Farmerjohn - Holy Sugar! What a layout!!

Afternoon guys, Hope you are all doing well!

@leapinlarry Larry great photos of @farmerjohn layout! You are right up there, you both have AMAZING layouts!

@Pingman Carl the first of 9 looks Outstanding!

Well as for me I was able to get out to the train room for a little while today. I moved my fueling stating closer to the service area and while I was at it I changed the lights out to LED's. I also installed a old lionel yard light for the service tank yard. Thats about it, here are a couple photos below.

I hope you all have a great weekend and find time to have fun with your layout and trains!

@Pingman posted:

This is the first of nine cars for my new, 15" aluminum, Northern Pacific North Coast Limited train.  It's complete, for now, and ready to run.

Great work Carl.

@leapinlarry.  Thanks for sharing pix of @farmerjohn. Layout. What a spectacular basement full of trains.

Sorry the gang car is still not running Mike. The fuel depot and lights look great.

@Bill Webb. Nice to have helpers to do the grunt work....😎

Nothing new for me today. Started another season of yard work today. 😥😥

Bob

Larry, those are some great photo angles of John's layout!  What a great visit that must have been.

Mike, it sounds like you have an expert handy for the gang car!  I need to buy LEDs.

Carl, the car really looks great!

In the process of modifying my bench work  to add  traction service.  New sub roadbed being cut into  the existing terminals.   I am in the need of 33 feet of MTH flexible Scaletrax.  Any idea of where I could get some?

@Tom Tee posted:

In the process of modifying my bench work  to add  traction service.  New sub roadbed being cut into  the existing terminals.   I am in the need of 33 feet of MTH flexible Scaletrax.  Any idea of where I could get some?

Tom- check Cabin Fever Auctions. They are still clearing out the MTH warehouse stuff. I found some scaletrax switches there last year.

Bob

Hi guys I hope your all having a great weekend!

@Tom Tee I got my MTH Scale Flex Trax from Trains.com

Well guys I got my gang car back today and runs like a champ! It only coast me $20 to have him replace the axel, come to find out it was bent just enough! He was nice enough to let me take a couple photos of his train room! Check this layout out! LOL

I hope you all have a great Easter!

@mike g. posted:

Hi guys I hope your all having a great weekend!

Well guys I got my gang car back today and runs like a champ! It only coast me $20 to have him replace the axel, come to find out it was bent just enough! He was nice enough to let me take a couple photos of his train room! Check this layout out! LOL

I hope you all have a great Easter!

You should spend more time at his house Mike. Looks like a great train room.

Making progress on a scratch-built ice house to compliment the Lionel operating ice station. I loosely modeled it on the Atlas kit (see photo), but with a much narrower footprint to fit in the limited space available. Still need to add a 3D printed handrail and install an access ladder, but they'll go on last after painting, which is the next step.

Nice job Bruce, looks great!

Andy

Ran trains for a while last night. Haven't done that much lately cause I've been working on my F3.

I recently dug out our old 35mm camera tripod. Makes this much easier.

Happy Easter and Passover.

Bob

Morning guys Happy Easter and Passover!

Bruce, the icehouse is looking great!

Bob, Nice to see you took some time for yourself to sit back and enjoy all your hard work! Sometimes you just need to sit back and run trains! Thanks for the videos!

As for spending more time at that layout I would love to, the problem is that he works train shows all up and down the west coast. From Washington all the way down near the Mexican border. So, he is on the road a lot. It's a shot in the dark when I can catch him at home! LOL

Well, I hope to get a little train room time today, but that's not a given! I hope you all have a great Easter Sunday!

I had unpacked some of my recent blow-out specials from TrainWorld.  I bought some B&O heavyweight passenger cars.  Upon unpacking them I had 3 screws in a box and a bottom that basically dropped out because of the screws not being screwed in.  Put in the diaphragms.  Not sure why thats not done in the factory but oh-well.  

Looking forward to running them along the Baltimore & Ohio Lionel Pacific and Atlas Madison cars that I purchased from @MrMuffin'sTrains.  Also took a video last night running this set.

Finally was able to find the MTH Premier passenger cars to go with my upgraded Lionel TMCC Dreyfus Hudson, looks close  

Thanks, Alex

Not today, and not really on the layout, but I do have a big job tomorrow.

I was sleeping nice last night, dreaming of today's Easter dinner with my "kids" and grandchildren, and was awoken with a CRASH!

25 plus years of organized by month TCA Quarterlies, LCCA Lion Roars. TTOS Bulletins and LOTS Switcher mags came crashing down - shelf brackets folded!

Dang!

I had a few hours this afternoon so I started painting in my low profile backdrop mountains (no picture yet).   Then I turned my attention to my new-to-me set of ROW Alco PA's.  Thankfully no one had left a battery in this 30 yr-old locomotive, but the shell had to come off the powered A-unit anyway as the speaker came loose in transit and broke loose both windshields.  Some glue and double-faced tape & I was back in business.  After a lube job it was on to the test track where much stalling & sputtering occurred.   Ok, clean the track & the wheels, but not much improvement...   Undetered I hooked up the whole ABA set & viola ! the thing runs like a dual Pittman-motored engine should !  Apparently the set of pickups on the dummy A really help.   Looking forward to running this on a layout someday !

@Lionelski posted:

Not today, and not really on the layout, but I do have a big job tomorrow.

I was sleeping nice last night, dreaming of today's Easter dinner with my "kids" and grandchildren, and was awoken with a CRASH!

25 plus years of organized by month TCA Quarterlies, LCCA Lion Roars. TTOS Bulletins and LOTS Switcher mags came crashing down - shelf brackets folded!

Dang!

Why the heck are you guys liking the above post?

That is just plain mean!  LOL