What did you do on your layout today?

Mike, wow,  ultra low takeoff speed and did not even need the engine with the wind blowing gale force. That is a really cool feature.

Mike - glad to see you got some time in the train room. Looking good so far, always liked your airfield.

I finished building some stairs and got them installed. Now I can put up some railings around the raised section.

Thanks  - Scott

Scott,

Nice work. I can see the town folk and even the railroad workers going up the staircase to get some grub...apparently anytime day or night.

Dave

Scott, great looking stairs!  Is that the Nighthawks diner above.  I saw it on John Armstrong’s layout many years ago.  It’s a great scene as are his others!

Wow, @mike g. that’s a cool helicopter and airplane scene, great idea. Also, I know this is off topic but I hope you and @p51 Lee are safe from harms way where you live. You all are in our prayers. I’ve been running trains and getting my street crossing signals back in working order. Happy Railroading Everyone

@leapinlarry posted:

Wow, @mike g. that’s a cool helicopter and airplane scene, great idea. Also, I know this is off topic but I hope you and @p51 Lee are safe from harms way where you live. You all are in our prayers.

Do you mean the hurricane that came ashore at San Diego yesterday?

While I (and I'm sure Mike as well) appreciate the good vibes, that is many hundreds of miles away and all projections have it staying on the east side of the Sierra and Cascade mountains.

If you mean the wildfires, those are also thankfully a decent distance from us both, though the skies were awfully smoky the last two days.

Yesterday you could look directly at the sun without it even hurting your eyes.

Thanks Dave. @Mark Boyce,  yes, that is the Night Hawks Diner on the upper level. It was a fun build, the curved window was a bit of a bear, but I'm pleased with the end result.

Scott

Hi P51, Lee, no, I was not referring to the hurricane way below your area, but the out of control fires in the Washington state area. I have great friends in Spokane and his son has a farm that is in harms way. Congratulations on your award winning model railroad. Here’s a shot of what I’m working on today. Happy Railroading Everyone

@mike g. posted:

Well guys i was able to get the switch replaced and all the wiring for the taxi lights and propellers on both the plane and helicopter! here is a couple photos and maybe a video if I can find it! LOL

I second Steve at Rescued Trains comment:  EXCELLENT!
Mike, did you design the mechanism for that takeoff?

John

@leapinlarry posted:

...Here’s a shot of what I’m working on today. Happy Railroading Everyone

I like that tank car fuel facility. Is that your own design, leapinlarry?

John

@John’s Trains, John, thank you for commenting on my tank car facility, a K-Line accessory purchased long ago. We decided this would be some eye Candy locating it near the turntable area. We recently placed a new stepper motor to make the turntable actually work properly. This layout is more whimsical than scale as we just have fun running trains. Happy Railroading Everyone

Finished decaling my postwar KCS Alco, shown here passing the Neosho National Fish Hatchery. No, the KCS didn't have any FAs, but at least the nose looks like an Erie-Built. Regarding the question of whether one should repaint one's postwar equipment, I would point out that the shell was scuffed and the innards had to be completely disassembled to remove gunk. Several wires needed to be resoldered and the bulb needed to be replaced. The pilot was both cracked and warped. But I probably paid more for paint and decals than for the donor no. 210.

Wow, so many beautiful projects, beautiful trains, so many pages of fun to review three dimensional art. Page 1211, and it’s an education like no other. Well today , I got my helper out, the Rooma Robot, actually the I-Robot floor cleaner and while he was at work, I took a few pictures around the layout. Happy Railroading Everyone

Better hope the robot doesn’t have learning capabilities, it may start running trains, Larry! 😆 Great photographs as always!

I think I may have ADD or some sort of obsessive compulsive trait as part of my internal wiring. Been working to get TPRR2 operational, which is "kind of is" if you do not count switch motors.  Also selling a few of my locos and other rolling stock. (this takes a lot of time)  I previously posted a bit about casting rock walls and decided to take it a bit further.

I was working on the elevated town section in the background when the "do something else" bug hit me.  I used the castings I had to begin detailing the yard transition section with a rock cut wall.  The rock is hot melt attached to a cardboard backing so I can pick the whole thing up to work on it "on the bench".  Not sure I would recommend this, but the castings cut easily with a carbide tipped table saw blade (its old, dull and needs to be replaced)  Half way through before I realized it was cutting. These are way better than my attempts at carving pink foam.

Doing this kind of stuff helps me focus on a final look, so I know what elements will look like prior to installation. Kind of amazing how 3 or 4 molds can be modified to look different. Coloring the rock is tomorrow.

@ScoutingDad posted:

Kind of amazing how 3 or 4 molds can be modified to look different.

Nice work!

Yes, it's certainly counter-intuitive that a limited selection of molds can be re-used repeatedly to cover a larger area without appearing obviously repetitive. To cover a (much smaller than your project!) rock wall area below the scratch-built cell power installation I built over the tunnel I created to cover a couple of previously-installed tracks (sorry for the fuzzy pic -- it's a crop from a wider shot I had at hand), I used multiple castings from a single WS mold and some creative placement to simulate a much larger outcropping:

On the back of the 'ridge' (not shown), I experimented with plaster of paris poured over crumpled aluminum foil, then plopped over and pressed into the back of the shaped foam 'ridge' while still pliable, and was also pleased with the result. I finished both areas with several color washes, and some final dry brushing to accent irregularities and simulate coal smoke stains. Good luck in finishing your project -- look forward to more pics!

@ScoutingDad , Twin Pines RR., your railroad is looking great, I can remember when my layout was in the building stage, and we made rock formations via rubber moulds filled with hydracal plaster. That was many years ago. When you add the scenery, you’re going to be amazed, it just takes time. The one thing I might mention is accessibility, once you’ve placed the rock formations in place, you need access for track maintenance. You’ve probably got that under control. Thanks for sharing your neat layout with us.
Today, we are still tweaking the turntable. Happy Railroading Everyone

Ross club Tuesday night meeting at my house.

Videos:

DM&IR M-3 2-8-8-4:

Tye:  With smoking whistle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvXmrK8cgEM

Willmar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6IOGbO8wFU

Waverly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNCLstByttc

Mark's diesels:

Willmar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXbaqOhppNE

Chumstick canyon trestle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11Ogg7RP9OA

PRR Aerotrain and DM&IR M-3 2-8-8-4:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvJWjquDnz8

Mark running his diesels.

Gerry at Glacier with the DM&IR M-3 2-8-8-4.

Mark and Nate.

DM&IR M-3 2-8-8-4 at Waverly.

Interesting how 2 pictures taken seconds apart have different 'colors'.

Marias pass.

Joe dispatching.

@leapinlarry  Larry thanks for the kind words. I was reasonably happy with the detailing on TwinPines one but alas it was not possible to take it with and to be honest the bench work and track laying was mediocre at best. TwinPines2 has a much better base and has much better accessibility.

Seen your posts over the years and snippets of your layout. Kind of surprised you do not have a separate topic for your layout. It would be fun to see it all in one place.

@Steve Tyler  Steve I think I have that mold!  I have several for the variety and the ability to make many castings a day.  Still trying to get the plaster volume correct, I usually have a little less than I need. Interesting scene you created.  

@ScoutingDad posted:

@Steve Tyler  Steve I think I have that mold!  I have several for the variety and the ability to make many castings a day.  Still trying to get the plaster volume correct, I usually have a little less than I need. Interesting scene you created.

Thanks -- the design sort of evolved, as I worked out how to add the tunnel over the existing track loops. I did a short montage of video clips of the cell tower:

As to the mold, I suspect you might indeed have another copy of the same mold, since it's one of the WS staples. I found that partially filling it with plaster of paris or hydrocal, and at varying angles, yielded strikingly different-looking castings, and of course breaking and/or carving the castings, then reorienting and fitting the resulting pieces together, added more to the variety. A little sculptamold in the crevices, et voila! 😉👍

Last week I finally got around to hanging my Lockheed Model 10 Electra.

Air Mail & Fast Mail are racing each other on the Big 4!

Last Sunday, 8/20/2023, Zora Maya and I worked diligently on our respective layout projects.

Zora Maya does final measurements before installing the final shelf on our new transformer cabinet (above) while I begin soldering wires for the new LED lighting system in the Rail Post Office car interior that I am detailing (below).

Below, Zora Maya proudly poses next to the finished Transformer cabinet.

Colored the rock wall and set it back in place.  Color is a little darker than I was going for, but when you start dark, its really hard to go lighter. First coat had an olive drab type color which looked really good from a highlighting view. Then added more washes to get more of the tones I wanted. Did not do any dry brushing of the edges - did not look like it needed it.

That’s looks very realistic Jeff; well done.

Jay

@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:

That’s looks very realistic Jeff; well done.

What he said . . .

@ScoutingDad posted:

Colored the rock wall and set it back in place.  Color is a little darker than I was going for, but when you start dark, its really hard to go lighter. First coat had an olive drab type color which looked really good from a highlighting view. Then added more washes to get more of the tones I wanted. Did not do any dry brushing of the edges - did not look like it needed it.

Excellent work Jeff.

@ScoutingDad, now coloring the rocks makes a beautiful difference, Wow. Great job. Happy Railroading Everyone

I haven't posted recently on my progress on redoing my layout because there wasn't much to see.

While there is still no major visible progress, I thought I would post a few photos.

This is my temporary work area.  It will eventually be the end of my yard.

Here are 2 photos showing the track being roughly laid out along 2 of the 4 sides of the around-the-room layout.

My train room computer with my Lionel clock.

Here are the 2 boards I have prepared for power output from the transformers going through chokes, fuses, TVS and connecting to the TIU's (using passive, super-TIU mode).  The boards are back-to-back under the layout behind the stand for the transformers.

A ZW-L supplies 4 channels of power to 1 board, and a ZW-C with 4 bricks supplies power to the other board.  It's a little overkill, but I  use a refurbished postwar ZW to power accessories.

I have just started dragging 12 gauge wire from these boards to where they will connect to 16 gauge wire for the final connection to the track sections. 

@ScoutingDad posted:

Colored the rock wall and set it back in place.  Color is a little darker than I was going for, but when you start dark, its really hard to go lighter. First coat had an olive drab type color which looked really good from a highlighting view. Then added more washes to get more of the tones I wanted. Did not do any dry brushing of the edges - did not look like it needed it.

Very nice!

Peter

Jeff, the rock wall looks great!  Superb coloring!

Vince, the panels for your electronics look great!  I have almost outgrown mine!  My temporary workspace on the layout has diminished.  I don't know what I'll do when it is gone: I am so used to it. 

Randy, that's a nice job Zora Maya did on the transformer cabinet.  The RPO will look great with an interior!

Made some more progress on the engine shed today, really taking shape. Stained some custom decking and got that installed. 3D printed some custom light domes for the rafters.

@Lancer posted:

Made some more progress on the engine shed today, really taking shape. Stained some custom decking and got that installed. 3D printed some custom light domes for the rafters.

Lance, the engine house looks great!  Nice job on the flooring

@Lancer posted:

Made some more progress on the engine shed today, really taking shape. Stained some custom decking and got that installed. 3D printed some custom light domes for the rafters.

Well done!

Peter

@Lancer- nice work on the engine shed.

Not much lately. I did manage a few minutes yesterday to rearrange my engine shelves due to a lack of available real estate. For some strange reason someone keeps putting new engines on them.......

And I ran my LC 0-6-0t for a bit too. I'm very happy with this engine. Runs well with my Cab-1L or via the bluetooth app.

Bob

@RSJB18 posted:

Not much lately. I did manage a few minutes yesterday to rearrange my engine shelves due to a lack of available real estate. For some strange reason someone keeps putting new engines on them.......

Bob

Ahhhhh… you’ve been visited by the Summer Secret Santa

Really nice collection of engines, Bob.

@Apples55 posted:

Ahhhhh… you’ve been visited by the Summer Secret Santa

Really nice collection of engines, Bob.

Yea...and I'm the head Elf! 🤣🤣🎅🎅🎅

New Work Bench

@Brooklyn Corey posted:

New Work Bench

Excellent.....great use of space!

Peter

@RSJB18 posted:

@Lancer- nice work on the engine shed.

Not much lately. I did manage a few minutes yesterday to rearrange my engine shelves due to a lack of available real estate. For some strange reason someone keeps putting new engines on them.......

And I ran my LC 0-6-0t for a bit too. I'm very happy with this engine. Runs well with my Cab-1L or via the bluetooth app.

Bob

Engines have a tendency to multiply like viruses.......

Peter