@RSJB18 posted:At least they are all in boxes Dave. Could have been worse. Good luck with the rest of the move/ reorg.
Bob
Thanks Bob, nothing but good times ahead. I love a challenge and thankfully have help.
As I was building the removable section, I decided to try a new method for building tall pine trees. So far I prefer to build trees in sections - trunk and then individual branches and assemble. This one is just an initial test of the method. Basically 5 floral wires twisted together to form a branch structure followed by 12, 7 and 2 mm static grass (all different colors) followed with a dusting of fine ground cover. (That stuff feels nasty - hard to get out of your skin pores). My granddaughter wanted to paint, but we agreed on trying to make a tree. So here it is in very rough form. Its the one left of Dick's Resort and Supper Club. The tree on the right was done with a similar method but single wire no wire branches. Hardest part of this was whittling down the 2x2 cedar baluster into the 16 inch tall trunk. Can you tell this is only half of a tree? Its close to the backdrop so additional branches will not fit.
I think the branches are too heavy/dense, fortunately it is easy to tease them out a bit to thin. So easy to lay down too much static grass.
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Jeff, the tree in progress looks great! Both our daughters have been doing some whittling the last year or so. The musician who isn’t nearly as artistic as the artist is really doing some nice work. Maybe I could coerce them into making some cedar trunks for the cause! 😉
@Dennis Holler posted:
Little more done. Painted third rail and fitting the big section up so I can start one the next one.
Ya know Dennis this looks really good with the dark color on the rails surround. 🤓
Considering the coal and oil burners running in this area the color looks pretty great and on the regular three rail track of my Realtrax this colring or something like it would make my dark center rail not so noticeable . Nice job sir. 
@ScoutingDad posted:As I was building the removable section, I decided to try a new method for building tall pine trees.
Looks really good S.D. A lot better than my " store bought pine trees sir.
@Mark Boyce posted:Jeff, the tree in progress looks great! Both our daughters have been doing some whittling the last year or so. The musician who isn’t nearly as artistic as the artist is really doing some nice work. Maybe I could coerce them into making some cedar trunks for the cause! 😉
Maybe a couple of the " new and improved " personal phones could lean this idea in the right direction Mark. 🤔 
@Dallas Joseph posted:Maybe a couple of the " new and improved " personal phones could lean this idea in the right direction Mark. 🤔
Dallas, I could pay someone to professionally make lots of evergreen trees for the price of two phones! 😄 They both have much newer phones than we have already! 😃
Well, i have my standards and having nice foreground trees is one of them. Amazingly the trees really do not take that long to build. And I think they are way better than the stubby trees available elsewhere. But i do use the typical products to build them.
Mark when we built college homecoming floats the EEs and MEs were barred from working in their field of study. So they did the reverse and everything worked better that way. When one is out of the field of expertise, one usually tries to keep it simple. Perhaps the same with the girls.
BTW the joint at the tree top will get a wire wrap extra branches and a latex and saw dust coating to ease the very visible transition. Now to make an eagles nest to put up there.
Jeff, good point with your homecoming float example! I’ll be glad to see how the top and eagle nest look.
@Dallas Joseph posted:Ya know Dennis this looks really good with the dark color on the rails surround. 🤓
Considering the coal and oil burners running in this area the color looks pretty great and on the regular three rail track of my Realtrax this colring or something like it would make my dark center rail not so noticeable . Nice job sir.
Thank you Dallas!
@RSJB18 posted:@Dennis Holler- The track and 3rd rail look great. I like the nails, worked like a charm. Can't wait to see the next section.
@trestleking- Looks good Rich. Although I can't call layout work "work".....
@myles- Great story and run by. If I could make one suggestion, please turn your phone 90 degrees and take videos in horizontal format.
Just ask Rich.As for me, I cleaned a section of track on the front of the layout. A couple sidings that don't see much more than a engine or car backing in. Engines kept stalling.... To say that there was some serious mud coming off the scotchbrite pad would be an understatement.
Organized the bench and put all the ERR parts away, sorted the Lionel and MTH parts that were floating around too.Bob
Thank you!
My son Ryan and I beefed up my table base and re-wheeled it. Now I'm on call for the next 2 weeks which will slow my progress.
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Good use for a Hi-Lift jack!
Tom
So summer is over......technically.....time to kick this thread back into hi gear.
Didn't plan on doing any of this yesterday but it was raining and one thing lead to another.
First- I put a RS3 on my upper level yesterday and discovered that the fuel tank hits the covers on the K-line switches I installed last Spring. The 3 I installed were NIB when I got them so it hurt to cut the covers but the railroad has to get through....
Next up was a simple one....I have 2 manual switches on the front of the layout that I keep forgetting to flip and I derail trains. I added a piece of red electrical tape to the slide to give me a visual of the switch position.
This one was more involved but been an issue for a while. The same switch shown above, when certain engines come out of the curve, ride up and out of the frog and derail. I was running my Legacy SW-1200 cab first when it jumped and I decided I'm fixing this......
First- figure out the cause..... the lead wheel being a 1/8" off the rail was my first clue. When I moved the engine by hand the whole truck would rock on the two corner wheels.
The geometry car was dispatched along with the MOW crew
I had to shim up the straight leg with a layer of cork and push the outer corner of the curve down just a bit to get everything level.
Much better now
Finally the ballast and ground cover was repaired. I have to give it all a second coat of glue today.
And I ran some trains for a while and enjoyed an adult beverage. Good to get the layout back in shape.....Christmas will be here before we know it! 
Bob
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Congratulations to the MOW gang and I hope that they too were the recipients of an adult beverage. Also, thank you for sharing the process you followed in identifying and rectifying the issues.
Jay
@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:Congratulations to the MOW gang and I hope that they too were the recipients of an adult beverage. Also, thank you for sharing the process you followed in identifying and rectifying the issues.
Jay
I'm sure they swelled the coffers at the local pub that evening as well........
Bob, I'm glad the modifications were successful!!
@Dave Ripp. posted:My son Ryan and I beefed up my table base and re-wheeled it. Now I'm on call for the next 2 weeks which will slow my progress.
Awesome, that’s such a great idea I’m going to do that for my table.
My little project today was to clean up a wiring job I started a couple years ago on my cable-stayed bridge. The red & white wires coming from the red flashing LED's are just hanging out. They connect with power wires coming up the column on the left.
I used a black soda straw to feed the wires from the right side over to the left. Then trimmed the wires and tucked them behind the column.
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Built a small 2 level layout in the rental we are staying at for a whole.
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If you call your two level layout " SMALL " Jeffery........I'm going to have to change my layout description from ' MEDIUM TO LARGE ' to MINI .
Nice job sir.
Jeffery, you really did a nice job with the layout in your rental. I like how you supported the upper level with a cantilever approach, it keeps the lower level tracks open without obstruction.
Doing something I should have done when the layout was constructed, paint the rails. Finally found a red brown paint I like but brushing it on is tedious.
Jeffery, what a great use of space ! Would love to see more pictures. It’s always great to see multiple trains running at the same time.
@necrails posted:Doing something I should have done when the layout was constructed, paint the rails. Finally found a red brown paint I like but brushing it on is tedious.
My next layout will get spray painted before a piece gets laid......good luck.
Gluing down the sidewalks/alleyways……starting to work on grade crossings…..
Have a great and safe week, everyone!
Peter
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@Putnam Division posted:Gluing down the sidewalks/alleyways……starting to work on grade crossings…..
Have a great and safe week, everyone!
Peter
I hope you "greased" the local building officials before you start on those sidewalks.
I decided to darken the street base color a little bit……
The buildings go back tomorrow.
Peter
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@Putnam Division posted:I decided to darken the street base color a little bit……
The buildings go back tomorrow.
Peter
Looking good Peter, the darker gray base was a good idea. Just curious, what is your eventual plan to fill the gaps between the sidewalks/road and the track roadbed?
Gene
@Genemed posted:Looking good Peter, the darker gray base was a good idea. Just curious, what is your eventual plan to fill the gaps between the sidewalks/road and the track roadbed?
Gene
Ballast, “dirt”, weeds, trash and Woodland Scenic’s’ fencing.
Peter
@necrails posted:Doing something I should have done when the layout was constructed, paint the rails. Finally found a red brown paint I like but brushing it on is tedious.
You might look at Woodland Scenics "Rusty Rail" paint pen or investment in an airbrush system - either way would make the job go faster.
@Richie C. posted:You might look at Woodland Scenics "Rusty Rail" paint pen or investment in an airbrush system - either way would make the job go faster.
Tried the pen and found it to be as difficult if not more so than a brush. Coverage is poor requiring two or more coats, tip wears out quickly, color is too red when compared to the prototype. Tamiya x 64 red brown is spot on. Just picked up an air brush, have to learn the proper technique. Anyway this project will follow the how do you eat an elephant rule, one bite at a time. Thanks for the tip though.
@necrails I've used Rustoleum camouflage brown spray paint. I spray the track and the use a block of wood with a paper towel wrapped around it to clean the track surface before it dries. The Rustoleum camouflage tan is great for aged cement work also B.T.W.
@Genemed posted:I’ve been working on the yard section after removing the turntable. Thanks again Bob @RSJB18 your idea of isolating the yard from the inner loop has worked out great. I had an extra switch and building, so I made a designated maintenance area with a raised platform.
Gene
it looks great, Gene! Leave it to Bob to figure out a way to shoehorn the yard in and isolated from the main line
The setting sun this evening, shining in on my basement layout, changed the appearance of this village street, compared to the usual LED lights in the ceiling. The natural light with its different hues and shadows seemed to give the scene new life. Much has been said lately on other threads about cameras, lenses, tripods, etc. resulting in superior pictures. The importance of lighting should be on that list too.
Bob
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@Genemed posted:I’ve been working on the yard section after removing the turntable. Thanks again Bob @RSJB18 your idea of isolating the yard from the inner loop has worked out great. I had an extra switch and building, so I made a designated maintenance area with a raised platform.
Gene
Looks good Gene.
As Mark said, take advice from the guy who shoehorned 3 sidings inside a 027 loop.....🤣🤣🤣
Thanks Mark.
Lighting is everything. I used to do theatrical lighting design so I can relate.
Bob
@Mark Boyce posted:it looks great, Gene! Leave it to Bob to figure out a way to shoehorn the yard in and isolated from the main line
Thank you Mark. I wouldn’t even think of doing that when designing the new section.
Gene
@Genemed posted:Thank you Mark. I wouldn’t even think of doing that when designing the new section.
Gene
The things Bob and others suggested on my layout were beyond my imagination as well. What a great group of folks on this forum!
@T-Bone1214 posted:@necrails I've used Rustoleum camouflage brown spray paint. I spray the track and the use a block of wood with a paper towel wrapped around it to clean the track surface before it dries. The Rustoleum camouflage tan is great for aged cement work also B.T.W.
I did consider that but was concerned about over spray. For new install track without ballast this would have been my preferred option. Anyway, exhausted my first jar of paint, a good excuse to visit the LHS for more.
