What did you do on your layout today?

Peter, the clothesline is a great addition!

Jstraw124, I scrounged a good bit of the wood for my layout as well!  Yours looks great!

@jstraw124 posted:

I’m such a scrounger.  So far have spent about $100, with utilizing repurposed doors, 4x4 posts and old porch columns.

Nothing wrong with that!

Peter

Still in design. I had tried some more creative/complex track plans for the space available (25' x 12') but the radius got too tight or it looked overly compressed. Opted for a basic oval with a switch lead. It's modeled loosely on the SP/UP Torrance branch (complete with the PE Torrance bridge). The large street running down the middle is Western Avenue. I still have to extend the streets running under the bridge (Torrance Blvd.) The minimum radius is 49.5" (O-99). The tracks crossing the bridge lead to cassette staging.

Looks great Matt. Should be very enjoyable to operate.

That sounds great Matt. Can’t wait to see this develop.

Andy

Had a few minutes tonight. Got the brown paint on the plaster.

@RSJB18 posted:

Had a few minutes tonight. Got the brown paint on the plaster.

Yup that’s the way to move forward a little at a time. I did some test fitting of the base for an additional piece of river bed.

I just completed this O scale kit from Interaction Hobbies, with an interchangeable window display. Christmas is coming!!!

Purchased some black pipe from Home Depot yesterday. This morning I hot glued them together from the inside so the glue wouldn’t show. A bit better than the fake logs the bulkhead cars came with.

Gene

The Razorback Traction Company is pleased to announce the hiring of HRH Ko-Ko the Lord High Executioner of Mice as Associate Shop Supervisor, shown here with Shop Supervisor Norma Bates Kitteh...

Given the family resemblance, I suspect Ko-Ko (an adopt from the Springdale Animal Shelter) is a distant cousin to the late Sylvia Siamese.  Certainly, he and Norma are getting along reasonably well so far, with only the occasional growl and hiss on Norma's part. 

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world, there's no cause to fret:

https://www.facebook.com/group...ts/2124663111028899/

(No, I don't do musical instrument repair, but this was too good not to share.)

Mitch

Gegemed Gene

What size pipe did you use?  Why not get single length ?

@Windy City posted:

Gegemed Gene

What size pipe did you use?  Why not get single length ?

1/2” ID which gave me the 3/4” OD I wanted to fit 2 side by side.  They come in 2’ lengths for under a dollar. I cut them 11 3/4”.

@Genemed posted:

Purchased some black pipe from Home Depot yesterday. This morning I hot glued them together from the inside so the glue wouldn’t show. A bit better than the fake logs the bulkhead cars came with.

Gene

Nice loads thanks for sharing.

@pennsyfan posted:

Nice loads thanks for sharing.

You’re welcome. This is the first forum I’ve ever joined! With the knowledge and information shared on this forum, it’s only fair I share the little bits I accomplish.

Gene

@Genemed posted:

You’re welcome. This is the first forum I’ve ever joined! With the knowledge and information shared on this forum, it’s only fair I share the little bits I accomplish.

Gene

Gene, It's great that you posted. The more you share the better it gets.

And you did a great job with those pipes. I also like your switchers. You’ve got a lot of tract on a fairly big layout. Show us some more of that..

@Wood posted:

Gene, It's great that you posted. The more you share the better it gets.

And you did a great job with those pipes. I also like your switchers. You’ve got a lot of tract on a fairly big layout. Show us some more of that..

Thank you, I started a topic “rebuilding layout “ which I been updating as I progress if you’d like to check it out.

Gene

@Wood posted:

Gene, It's great that you posted. The more you share the better it gets.

And you did a great job with those pipes. I also like your switchers. You’ve got a lot of tract on a fairly big layout. Show us some more of that..

I can’t wait to see what he creates on that great canvas behind the layout!

Gene thanks for sharing this. We will give it a try.

Today we completed removing the Touch Toggle controls and replacing them with DCS. This involved fifteen turnouts, adding wiring for one more that we have to install, adding all to the remote, and testing. We used 32 relays in addition to adding two AIUs.

Next week we should begin work on track going from level one to level two, extending level two to the left of the engine service area, and starting the grade for level three. We will post some photos when there is something to see.

@Genemed posted:

Thank you, I started a topic “rebuilding layout “ which I been updating as I progress if you’d like to check it out.

Gene

Gene, I read your thread. You've got a nice space and your platform, wiring and layout plan looks great. You received a lot of good info from the members. My one comment is to agree with the suggestion to have an independent power source for the switches. When you start building scenery your going to need more power for street lights and building lights. I use DC voltage for all my scenery and switches. AC is dedicated to the track only.

Glue dry and laundry "hung in the back yard".

Next, this morning I saw this empty box waiting to be recycled and I thought,

"that could be a good base for a scratch-built or kit bashed background building".

Have a great weekend, folks!

Peter

@Putnam Division posted:

Glue dry and laundry "hung in the back yard".

Next, this morning I saw this empty box waiting to be recycled and I thought,

"that could be a good base for a scratch-built or kit bashed background building".

Have a great weekend, folks!

Peter

Wow what an eye! I discarded a bundle of those in the last few years! 😞

@Wood posted:

Gene, I read your thread. You've got a nice space and your platform, wiring and layout plan looks great. You received a lot of good info from the members. My one comment is to agree with the suggestion to have an independent power source for the switches. When you start building scenery your going to need more power for street lights and building lights. I use DC voltage for all my scenery and switches. AC is dedicated to the track only.

Thanks. What I’ll end up doing is having a dedicated power source for my building and misc. lighting to the panel I made. The power to the expansion hub is now coming from my 18VAC terminal block which also powers the 12 track feeders.
Gene

@Putnam Division- I've become a scrounger and saver of junk too Peter. My wife is convinced I've lost my mind.....she may be right.....The back yard scene is shaping up.
@Genemed- Nice work on the pipe loads. I'll have to catch up on your rebuild. Welcome to the Forum.
@Alan Rogers- The buildings look great. What scale are you working in?
@Bill Webb- You folks are on a roll with the wiring and programming. I guess once you get a method down it makes sense to keep going. Can't wait to see the second and third levels come to life.

Bob

@M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

The Razorback Traction Company is pleased to announce the hiring of HRH Ko-Ko the Lord High Executioner of Mice as Associate Shop Supervisor, shown here with Shop Supervisor Norma Bates Kitteh...

I got a good laugh after reading this last night Mitch. Judging by the fact that Norma is OK being below Ko-Ko, I'd say they will get along just fine.

Bob

Time for another episode of "Five Minute Scenery with Bob"

I put the first layer of ground cover down last night. I like to lay down a good layer of white glue and sprinkle the material on it. This holds it in place for the most part. I will go over it with water and diluted glue to lock it in. I used WS fine mixed turf.

Bob

@RSJB18 posted:

Time for another episode of "Five Minute Scenery with Bob"

I put the first layer of ground cover down last night. I like to lay down a good layer of white glue and sprinkle the material on it. This holds it in place for the most part. I will go over it with water and diluted glue to lock it in. I used WS fine mixed turf.

Bob

Most excellent!  

Peter

Layout renovation begins!

@Chris1985 posted:

Layout renovation begins!

WHOHA! What's this all about???????

Bob

@Chris1985 posted:

Layout renovation begins!

Superman!!! Able to singlehandedly move mountains!!!!!!

Nothing yet, the day is too beautiful to be downstairs (70 degrees and sunny!) but, as you can see from this pic, I'm ready for any project:

@Chris1985, this is why we can't have nice things Chris. Good luck renovating, always hard to do because of how to start. Can't wait to see what you come up with.

@M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

The Razorback Traction Company is pleased to announce the hiring of HRH Ko-Ko the Lord High Executioner of Mice as Associate Shop Supervisor, shown here with Shop Supervisor Norma Bates Kitteh...

Mitch

Mitch;

Maybe you can get Peep-Bo to help you with herding your cats…

Pitti-Sing(ing) is rather strident from cats.

Hope you have plenty of Yum-Yums for the staff.

And if Fortesque complains about the new addition, I’d just tell him “Pish-Tush”.

Wow!!! That was awfully painful, even for me

I repurposed some wood scraps and installed the base for my new river section. This is just a vignette to accommodate a scene that I want to create.

i installed a piece of 1X3 behind the Mianne benchwork to add strength and then a facia plate for an even surface for the sea wall.
I had cut the tops off some Mianne posts on my old layout. I decided to use them as a base for the removable section. The reason for the portable piece is because it adds another foot to the 8’ width of the main table. I used this method on my old layout and it worked pretty good. I used extra Mianne screws as posts and drilled holes in the riverbed to mate with them. This works for a light weight scene. Next step is to seal the old screw holes and create a bead around the edge. The water is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. In the meantime I’ll put down some base color.

@pensyfan

Bob, I gotta see how this turns out.  I appears to be 18-20+" deep. Will you have any support on the outside edge? The picture makes it appear slopped. I assume it is flat and parallel to the table. You'll show more picks and I look forward to them.

@Wood

It could be a little off. I’ll set it once all the water, etc is on there.  There is no support on the outer edge, it would be a trip hazard.
Thanks,

So last week, at least, it was suggested I put up plastic, my wife concurred, but I only did it under the tables. Ignore the haul from Lancaster .

Storage Shelves finally arrived...

Someday I'll actually get to run my trains...

I had a 6-17534 Diamond T Flat Car with 2 Corgi Trucks and got another one cheap. My plan was to repaint the trucks for use with my semi-trailers. The Lionel scale tractors are beautiful but too big for the traditional-size trailers and too rich for my budget. First, I repainted the extra 6-17534 flatcar for PRR and placed two of the new Menards Power Wagons on it.

Then I repainted one of the trucks for PRR, making the interior look a little better than the solid black plastic that it was. I stripped all the original paint off the front of the truck body before repainting, but it still turned out to be a disappointment. A bigger problem than the paint is the fact that the engine compartment has no motor, so I don't even know how it's supposed to pull a trailer.

The repainted tractor is pictured here in what will someday be a partially car-level intermodal and REA facility. An un-prototypical, implausible, and impracticable setup to be sure, but given our space limitations, the guys down there will have to make it work. I have full confidence in them.

@Wood posted:

@pensyfan

Bob, I gotta see how this turns out.  I appears to be 18-20+" deep. Will you have any support on the outside edge? The picture makes it appear slopped. I assume it is flat and parallel to the table. You'll show more picks and I look forward to them.

@Wood

Thanks for the nudge, you were correct. When I went up there today I got the level out and corrected the slope. Then I put down a bead of hot glue and a thin coat of black wash.

@pennsyfan posted:

@Wood

Thanks for the nudge, you were correct. When I went up there today I got the level out and corrected the slope. Then I put down a bead of hot glue and a thin coat of black wash.

Glad I was able to help. I'll be looking forward to how you fill this space.

Wood

@AGHRMatt posted:

Still in design. I had tried some more creative/complex track plans for the space available (25' x 12') but the radius got too tight or it looked overly compressed. Opted for a basic oval with a switch lead. It's modeled loosely on the SP/UP Torrance branch (complete with the PE Torrance bridge). The large street running down the middle is Western Avenue. I still have to extend the streets running under the bridge (Torrance Blvd.) The minimum radius is 49.5" (O-99). The tracks crossing the bridge lead to cassette staging.

Looks like a nice plan.  As long as you are still in the planning phase try to find a way to get trains back into staging without backing in.  I had that, it was frustrating at times.