What did you do on your layout today?

Just ran trains!

 

Peter

I hear ya Dale. Actually, there will only be 104. I just mounted all the sockets to fill out the pattern, and on the off chance that I need a spare (which I highly doubt that I will) .

 

No real point going out and buying new ones when I already own all of these. This whole layout is made from stuff recycled from my time at Mall of America. This is only about 1/3 of my stash, and I have the power supply to run them all. Most of the time they will be relaxed anyway. All of these switches are on the mainlines and part of a CTC system.

 

I did my part to save the planet when I went with LED lighting. Now THAT was a noticeable savings!

Elliot,

 

My layout will probably have  200 + when I am done. My layout is all automated I make them up on modular boards.  I use many solder terminal ones because they are easier and faster to wire for my application. The board below,for example routes 3 trains on a loop, 2 loops. The layout has 5 loops and a trolley in all.  This type only use about 1/3 watt each and I run all the relays on a Lionel brick.The KUP style can use over a watt each,I use some of those too. I have and use some of those too. Click on photo to enlarge.

 

 

 This board takes the place of the train throttle. The bridge rectifiers provide different voltage taps.  It accelerates the train in 10 speed steps,and automatically activates the whistle and bell. When power is removed,it brings the train to a soft stop. A timer is set for the duration of a stopped train. The relays on the bottom are solder terminal  12V DPDT wired in series to give me 4PDT contacts. Panasonic SP-2-P turned upside down. Best relays I ever used. The contacts are 15 amps. 29 relays in all.

 

 

Here are some KUPs used in conjunction with timer modules to automatically activate some MTH accessories such as the gas station and fire house.

 

 

 

This board is a complete block system for super streets. They are twin coiled latch relays activated by reed switches. It keeps the cars from colliding. The cars run on DC, The capacitors provide soft stop. The timers provide for various speeds along the loop.

 

 

 

Dale H

That's quite the batch of relays Dale.

 

Back in my conventional days (pre TMCC) I used to do a lot of fancy relay control, meet and pass, sequential yards and diamond interlockings.

 

Now I have more high tech tricks up my sleeve with full layout detection tied to a computer. Technically, I didn't even need the relays, but I understand them and know that I can make them work.

Ran trains and took some photos of the layout.  Here are a few pics and a short video of the a Ma&Pa SW 1 pulling the morning local freight into Patsburg.

Well Jim now that I've had a chance to locate all my Tuckers, I find  have 13 Tuckers ( 51 real Tuckers were made ).  I guess if your grandfather had actually bought a Tucker, he may have been hard pressed to find parts later on   

 

Thanks Mark!  It was fun to create the dealership.  Turns out I have 13 Tuckers for the dealership.  

Better late than never. Upgraded the club layout to DCS 4.3 (7 tius) after testing 4.3 TIU's against 4.2 remotes to verify members could operate if they can't make the upgrade parties (next Saturday and the October business meeting).

Some happy snaps from the Springfield, MO  train show on Saturday, 9/26: 

 

A herd of Razorbacks and Gi-raffes: 

 

 A chap from Hobbytown was demoing miniature drones.  I challenged him to land one on a moving flat car:

 

Alas, the air conditioning kicked up too much of a breeze for success.

 

Still, the kids (young and old) had a fine old time! 

 

 

No train show is complete without a hula dancer.  Right?

 

 

New addition to the fleet:  A brace of Amtrak Alcos avec varnish! 

 

And, of course, a zebra:

 

Once I got the Alcos home, I reversed the motor wires on one of 'em so that the solid-state E-unit would default to reverse, enabling back to back operation:

 

 

More pics at the bottom! 

 

Thanks to my secretarial staff for their able assistance in writing this report:

 

Mitch

Mitch,

Looks like it was a happy day in Springfield!!  I love your sense of humor and the fun you bring at the shows for young and old!

Dale and Elliot,

I'm an old relay man myself.  I am trying to get to learn DCS, and just bought a used TMCC base in to have on hand if I find an old Lionel I would like to have.  My hat is off to you Dale for all your great relaying, and to you Elliot for your system.  Way too advanced for what I want to do in the home.  I would love to see both systems in action!!

Agreed. A layout may seem like a static display, but once we turn those trains on, everything "comes to life," or at least, appears to have a life of its own, something "alive and well," giving a live performance.

 

The trains are the point of it all, aren't they. No matter whether we contentedly have a single raw sheet of plywood with a lone tree and one whirligig on it taking this-from-there or waving that-at-there, or have crafted for ourselves a whole countryside and city-scape that seems so real we can almost smell the foliage and hear the toy children cheering as they run and play around imaginary neighborhoods, the trains are the absolutely essential element of the magic.

 

Add to that our memories, imagination, and our sharing it all with others, and we have something of value, something that speaks volumes to us and, sometimes, to others (if they want to hear.) And we, the owners of these accretions, become the orchestra conductors, and the artists, the craftsmen, the civic planners, the urban engineers and architects, the electricians, and even our own cheerleaders, keeping the whole enterprise energized and relevant.

 

We sure know how to play.

 

Jus' sayin'.

FrankM.

Mark

 

I have nothing against command control,but converting all my 100+ engines at $200 each or buying new would be too much for my budget. Then there is the incompatibility between Lionel and DCS systems,not that they can not be integrated I have no interest in cracking their super secret proprietary codes. . My layout is forward only display type that will run itself. 5 main loops and a trolley which crosses one of the loops in 2 places. 4 loops run in one direction only, 3 trains one at a time per loop. The 5th loop has a passing siding where the 4 trains stage and run in opposite directions. The way it is set up, most any engine will run on it. I do not like shelf queens and can buy locos much cheaper.  I could condense the electronics with some solid state or use a logic controller,but relays are easier and more reliable. I went to Allen Bradley school before I retired,and these have become much cheaper and user friendly since I retired. Using a computer would remind me too much of work.

 

Elliot

 

What are you using for block detection?

 

Dale H

Fl9turbo2 and Moonson - Yes stepping back and running  the trains is what it is all about for sure!  I could go on, however,  Moonson you have already stated my thoughts so completely and eloquently.... I could not agree more.  You guys keep the imagination and the creativity flowing

Here a shot of a TUCKER TOWN salesman closing the deal inside the TUCKER showroom in Patsburg.

Dale, I use GarGraves track, so all my rails are insulated. The second outside rail will be connected to CMR/I input bits and go back to the computer. That information will be processed by JMRI Panel Pro and show up on a video dispatch display with a full schematic of the mainlines, including all the appropriate signaling.

 

CMR/I stands for Computer Model Railroad Interface. This is a hardware system consisting of input and output bits that is connected to a computer by a serial line. For smaller railroads, Arduino or Raspberry Pi processors could probably do the same functions. Once again, I just happen to own all the CMR/I equipment, more recycling.

 

JMRI stands for Java Model Railroad Interface. It is free software, CLICK HERE to learn more.

GOOD and INTERESTING thread, but does take up a HUGE amount of bandwidth! Would it not be better to delete and start current posts fresh?

 

It is a topical thread.

I usually start by running trains, then get sidetracked into working on my latest "whirligig".

 I will be cleaning up prog-mess again today.

The tracks are also blocked with daily life debris at the moment.

 

---

Tinplate Art,

 

There is some great info here worthy of sitting in the archives a very long time.

Rather than deletion, would starting a "what did you do II" with a link help.

 I know little of what it takes to actually run a long thread like this, but can think of many lesser threads that we could sooner do without.

 

I sure hope we get a good warning. I'd like to eventually recover some lost photos I know I loaded here, but haven't found the time to pour over every post. I've ever made on the forum.

 Is there a way to search for just a users photo posts? I haven't been able to figure it out if there is.

 

No, it doesn't take any more bandwidth than any other topic with pictures because you only load one page at a time.

 

We don't need another one, and we don't need to replace this one. Though a few people hate this topic, it is far and away the best and most popular topic this forum has ever had. It promotes the hobby in general, and allows EVERYONE to show off what they are working on.

 

I for one would seriously consider quitting the forum if this topic ever got deleted. I have almost 3 years of historical progress on my layout scattered on these pages, as I have been posting here since page 1.

 

I may feel more strongly about this, but I'm quite sure there are others who would agree.

 

What you should really do is take the time to read all 161 pages to get an appreciation for what people have accomplished over time.

Thankee!  I have lots of fun at these shows.  Well worth the hours of setup, teardown and driving, even if my mantra is "I do the darndest things in the name of fun"... 

 

Mitch

I find it easy to just click on "First Unread Post", and go right to where I left off. Little bandwidth, little wasted time, and you can continue with the fascinating stories of the development of various layouts.

Still working under the tables. I got the first storage area cleaned out and vacuumed. Now I can start to store things and inventory what I put in there. But I ran trains while doing that..........Paul

Elliot

 

I take it that the computer sends out a small voltage and measures resistance or amps? Either 0 or 1 to detect occupancy? Meters I worked on generally use 5 to 15 ma and measure quantity. Thanks for the reply.

 

Dale H

More swag from the Springfield show:  A stack of under $5 rolling stock...

 

Mostly in Razorback Red, although the Wabash caboose is destined for Giraffe Express blue... 

 

"Mary Christmas" now has a more appropos flatcar: 

 

ATSF = ATtractive Santa Fan. 

 

Mitch

Dale,

I can appreciate both the conversion cost and being reminded of work.  I have the advantage that I only started in O gauge 3 1/2 years ago, having sold all my HO trains after over 40 years in HO and N.  I only have 3 DCS engines, and a half dozen postwar and MPC ones that will always run conventionally.

 

I must confess the sounds available in the newer engines really impressed me.  Of course I realize I can still get the sounds running them conventionally, but thought I would give command control a try, never having tried it in HO.  I do not intend to make use of all the many features of turnout and accessory control, I will still leave them as manual buttons.  Both electronics and computers remind me of work, and as I end my career, my layout philosophy is the KISS principle. 

I love this topic!!

Not exactly Dale, a DC ground is superimposed over the AC common. That ground signal does the classic wheel / axle jump to close the circuit. The other side is 5 VDC back at the input card which is seeking the ground source to drive the bit high. There are also some capacitors and a diode that filter and direct that track ground before it reaches the card. I'll take some pictures and show you what I have. It might help.

Pat: These are great photos and video! Your scenery work is stellar, as always!

Added three MTH 0-27 Full length Vista Dome that I bought yesterday. I'm not sure if I like them on my layout yet. If not, I'm going to trade them for a Williams (pre Bachmann) Rio Grande Alco AA units.

Ran trains both conventional and DCS.  Looks I finally got the bugs out of my control system!    

 

Unpacked some ancient Woodland Scenics tree kits my daughter got at a thrift store.  The leaf netting was all crumbling up, but the trunks are just fine.  Bent them into shape ready for painting.

thank you Elliot.

 

I would like to know how it works, electronics is a hobby of mine.

 

Dale H

Yes, this thread is a great one.  There is much to learn from others and enjoy from the progress others make on their layouts.  The long growing length of the topic is very  beneficial in so many ways.  It is like a running novel, with many characters, all playing the part for them and their input / expertise.  Why be concerned with the number of pages...... information and suggestions for all to use is a good basis to the entire forum, and to continue as it is.

 

Jesse

It runs!  It runs!  Always a surprise when I lengthen on of these RMT or other chassis

for a gas electric.  I had to extend the side rails and cut and splice many wires to

lengthen it to accept this LaBelle D&RGW Oneida gas electric conversion.  Last minute

foul-up occurred when I, like the gentleman building a Kentucky bourbon distillery on

another thread, had a part vanish without a forwarding address.  It was the RMT front

coupler which I had apart to install the small pilot, which I needed to mount to the

coupler shaft.  That was engineered and then I tried to put the spring and its collar

back on....SPROING!  Thanks to Weaver for their plastic couplers.  I cut one of those

up to fit, mounted the pilot, and finished this project!  I miss Weaver.  I also finished

the second of the water towers, with just its signs to add, and found a third water

tank kit, but this is just a horizontal stock tank for ground mounting.  Has anybody

else ever built one of these LaBelle gas electric kits, two or three rail?  I am betting I now have the only three rail one.

Dale (and anyone else who's interested) I've started a new topic to continue this conversation.

Mark,

Just to suggest an option for you. If the leaf netting is not usable you can try painting dryer lint for tree foliage. It's free so if you don't like how it turned out you lost nothing but a little paint.

Great idea Mark !!! Dryer lint.Just goes to show there is a use for every thing! I never would have thought of it ,and learn everyday from this thread,which goes to show how important it is.We Modelrailroaders are an innovative lot.I learn a lot from a lot from Mitch Marmel ,Myles and everyone here on the forums.
Mike

Sorry, I meant Pat on the dryer lint.
Mike

It is THAT time of year again so I have started getting some stuff into the window.

 

Gee, I was wasteful, and extravagant....I cleaned the screen and threw out a bunch of

dryer lint last night!  Today, more productive, I finished the LaBelle gas electric, and

all three of the water tanks, two on towers, and one ground stock tank, and took photos which I hope to post on here.   Wonder about the water color in the solid

cast urethane stock tank...I painted it blue, and oversprayed it with a muddy brown, trying to get the effect of the sky reflected in muddy water.  Took two tries and then

I quit.  Dunno if the O scale cows will drink it.  Hand made some skulls and crossbones

for the arsenic springs water tank that feeds the loco standpipe.  Its tower has "danger" and "poison" signs in English and Spanish.  Now, what next to do?...I have kits for two more gas electrics, one of the long Walthers ones, and one of the American Standard Car Co. ones, but am tired of cutting frames and splicing wiring for a while.  Must be time to build another building.

Kind of a laid back day. Worked on filling the storage closet area while running trains......Paul