At OBX with Paula, daughter Alice, and grandsons Logan and Austin. Winds were NE since Sunday. NE = rough, no swimming.

So we just happened to have some structures to build. The first one was a Dennis Brennan Richmond Packing building. Neither of the boys had built much of anything.

Thankfully Dennis has some of the best instructions that can be found. The boys read them aloud and then went to work.

Spray painting was an adventure.

Then they started on windows and doors. There were a lot but they figured out how to assign duties and made quick work of them. Good instructions … thank goodness.

Surprisingly, they got the painting and staining completed, 30 windows and 5 doors installed, the basic structure assembled, and the loading dock built and attached.

At lunch today, there was a discussion about the building; there was not a lot of interest in a packing house. Then someone suggested “Paula’s Christmas Shoppe.”

Votes in favor 5, votes against 0. Paula will do the interior and exterior which got my vote. The boys and their Mom are now on the way to Chesapeake, an hour away. Paula and I are trying to figure out how we can enlist all three in further endeavors. They did an excellent job.

Wow...Very cool story with the young'uns!

Divide and conquer Bill! The boys did a good job.

Bob

Making memories! That’s a time they’ll never forget.

When interior is complete, wired, and on the layout the boys can smile an point to the packing building and say,

we did that! 😁

That's a great story, Bill!  I'm glad the boys took to it so well.

Swapped train layout and treadmill locations

@Bill Webb that building looks great! They did awesome.

Tell Paula congrats on kicking cancer

@randr posted:

Swapped train layout and treadmill locations

Hmmm... So you're saying the trains are getting the prime spot now instead of the treadmill?

Thanks everyone for the nice comments. When this gets finished, we will post some photos. Paula has a station interior to complete before starting on this one.

The boys are going to get on OGR and read what everyone has written.

@randr posted:

Swapped train layout and treadmill locations

If you get rid of the treadmill then you layout could be twice the size.

so would my gut

Saw a Lionel yard light at a train show for $25. Figured I'd try to make my own. Turned out, the joke was on me. This one cost about double that because of the exorbitant postage for the Plastruct girders. Oh well, it was fun to build.

Terry

Not much to report lately. Almost ready to take the switches apart. I had my P-touch out the other day to print a label on my new FIOS battery back up module. I like to date the batteries when they are installed.

While I had it out, I wanted to see how small I could print a label for my locos that identifies key info, DCS/ TMCC-ERR/ address/ etc. This is what I came up with. Should fit under the fuel tanks with room to spare. I'll trim most of the blank label off. The tape is 1/2" wide for reference.

Bob

                                   Added ferry boats after 20 years...

My first try making trees. My wife was nice enough to lend a hand and made some too. These will go along the Fence track in the Oyster Bay yard.

Andy

Really ?  First try ?  They are excellent, very nice job !   JP

Thanks JP. Yes, it's my first try. Like I said, very easy method, and I'm sure some folks can and do make them better than this.

Andy

You appear to have this scenery stuff down pat. Nice looking trees!

Very good job on those trees.  It will be interesting to see how you place them.

Thanks Bill, I'm trying to add more of a "finished" look to the layout in spots.

Thanks Wood, I will approach placing them carefully as I don't want to break/damage them. I already have the area picked out. I don't want to overwhelm the space with trees though.

Andy

@Steamfan77 posted:

My first try making trees. My wife was nice enough to lend a hand and made some too. These will go along the Fence track in the Oyster Bay yard.

Andy

First time? Come on.....your kidding right?????

Nice work Andy.

Thanks Bob. Not kidding.

Andy

I put the trees in place along the Fence Track. I tried to vary the positions a little and move them closer or farther from the track. This area is pretty narrow. I also didn’t want to group them too close or too far away from each other. I’ll add some ground cover/shrubs later.

Andy

@Steamfan77 posted:

I put the trees in place along the Fence Track. I tried to vary the positions a little and move them closer or farther from the track. This area is pretty narrow. I also didn’t want to group them too close or too far away from each other. I’ll add some ground cover/shrubs later.

Andy

I think they turned out great! 

-Greg

Thank you Greg!

Andy

Andy,

If you marketed those trees, there are some scenic companies that would feel threatened.

Terry

Thanks Terry 😉

Andy

I was trying to add something to my Cemetery and couldn't get it right. I pulled out all the headstones and planted new grass. After the glue dries there will be more to come. Reminds me of

Poltergeist - You only moved the headstones!

My dad was a grave digger. When people asked where he worked, he would say at the marble orchard.😉

Speaking of @Dave Ripp. , the "under the table" consist he sent me arrived today, and is disporting itself on my test track...

Dave was also kind enough to enclose a flatcar load. 

From my research, the 248 loco is a stripped down model, no light or smoke and only a 2 position E-unit.  Still, it runs fine, and I plan to retrofit a headlight and replace the broken off cowcatcher...

Mitch

@M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Speaking of @Dave Ripp. , the "under the table" consist of he sent me arrived today, and is disporting itself on my test track...

Dave was also kind enough to enclose a flatcar load. 

From my research, the 248 loco is a stripped-down model, no light or smoke and only a 2 position E-unit.  Still, it runs fine, and I plan to retrofit a headlight and replace the broken off cowcatcher...

Mitch

Looks great Mitch, I'm glad you liked it!

I'm starting to doing some dusting, in anticipation of the upcoming Narrow Gauge convention layout visits.

I was going to get a shaving brush to do that, but my father over the phone suggested a soft paintbrush (as that's what he uses to dust off the larger scale civil war artillery models he's made). So, I went down to the art supply store and got one, which was much cheaper, about $2.50.

I'm excited and worried about these layout visits, as I've never done anything like this before...

@p51 posted:

I'm starting to doing some dusting, in anticipation of the upcoming Narrow Gauge convention layout visits.  .....

I'm excited and worried about these layout visits, as I've never done anything like this before...

That is a beautiful scene! The visitors are going to love it!

John

I ordered a Williams F7A but was disappointed when it arrived missing a numberboard and one porthole. Also the one that was pictured on the website had been customized with some silver paint accents on various parts and a diaphragm on the rear door, but the model I received had none of that. They're an excellent dealer and it was an honest mixup so they made it right with a price adjustment. That gave me the opportunity to attempt to make my new very old engine look like the one I thought I was getting. I made a trip to Hennings and Walt took the time to help me find a Lionel passenger car diaphragm that fit this engine perfectly and a Lionel replacement for the right rear porthole that only needed a little sanding to fit. It wasn't a big sale but I can't say enough about Henning's excellent customer service. I decided to try to make a numberboard for the left front. I used an overhead transparency sheet and printed black background with white (clear) text. Next I painted the back of the numbers with a white oil marker. Then I laminated both sides. It was too flexible and far from perfect, but looked so much better than the remaining original Williams numberboard that I popped that out and replaced it with another homemade one. Then I painted some little highlights in silver. Now it looks almost as good as the one I thought I was buying.

John

@Dave Ripp. posted:

I was trying to add something to my Cemetery and couldn't get it right. I pulled out all the headstones and planted new grass. After the glue dries there will be more to come. Reminds me of

Poltergeist - You only moved the headstones!

I know the feeling.  I am working on a sea wall bordering a small beach and didn't like the way it ended up and had to start over (but at least I didn't have to redo the bollards for the front of the wall).  It stinks to have to redo things but it's better to do it now than wait until it impacts the running of your trains in order to fix it.

-Greg

@p51 posted:

I'm starting to doing some dusting, in anticipation of the upcoming Narrow Gauge convention layout visits.

I was going to get a shaving brush to do that, but my father over the phone suggested a soft paintbrush (as that's what he uses to dust off the larger scale civil war artillery models he's made). So, I went down to the art supply store and got one, which was much cheaper, about $2.50.

I'm excited and worried about these layout visits, as I've never done anything like this before...

Don't sweat the small stuff. Folks will be appreciative of your layout and hospitality and will overlook anything that may go wrong.  If they don't shame on them!  I'm confident you'll have a blast talking to your guests and wouldn't be surprised if you make some new friends.

-Greg

@Dave Ripp. posted:

I was trying to add something to my Cemetery and couldn't get it right. I pulled out all the headstones and planted new grass. After the glue dries there will be more to come. Reminds me of

Poltergeist - You only moved the headstones!

3 bases, home plate, and a pitcher's mound.......done! 🤪🤪

I'm sure you will figure it out Dave.

Bob

@p51 posted:

I'm starting to doing some dusting, in anticipation of the upcoming Narrow Gauge convention layout visits.

I was going to get a shaving brush to do that, but my father over the phone suggested a soft paintbrush (as that's what he uses to dust off the larger scale civil war artillery models he's made). So, I went down to the art supply store and got one, which was much cheaper, about $2.50.

I'm excited and worried about these layout visits, as I've never done anything like this before...

@Greg Houser posted:

Don't sweat the small stuff. Folks will be appreciative of your layout and hospitality and will overlook anything that may go wrong.  If they don't shame on them!  I'm confident you'll have a blast talking to your guests and wouldn't be surprised if you make some new friends.

-Greg

People will be blown away and appreciative that you are sharing your layout. 

And if anyone mentions the dust, or is otherwise critical, show them a full-sized broom.

I've also used cheap makeup brushes for dusting.

@RSJB18 posted:

3 bases, home plate, and a pitcher's mound.......done! 🤪🤪

I'm sure you will figure it out Dave.

Bob

Good call Bob, it would be a decent little league field. Maybe on the next layout. I walked a cemetery today to get my spacing figured out.