What did you do on your layout today?

Here's my new "Under The Hood"! 

https://ogrforum.com/t...s-mlb-passenger-cars

I also "haunted" an MPC bay window caboose...

https://ogrforum.com/t...c-bay-window-caboose

Mitch

I'm with you on the Amish buffet. I pigged out.

I spent the last couple of days since I got back from York adding the accessories to my layout and running my new engines. The top picture has the flag pole and street lights (on the left), the second picture has the police station and a bait shop (on the right)......well you really can't see the bait shop.

I need to get some primer for plastic.  I am redoing this Hallmark GMC pickup, which

has a metal body, as I mentioned, but it turns out the fenders and chassis are plastic,

that does not accept paint well.  (while I thought these colors this thing came in were

weird, while hunting for a 1936 brochure on the web that might show me factory

colors, I found somebody had restored a prototypical 1936 GMC to those Hallmark

colors!  I can only imagine a company truck in those colors...not some ranch vehicle

driven out into the feedlot to fill feedboxes.

I also did some work adding walls to the facade kit of a Skagway, AK saloon, to create

a complete building.  Also simultaneously doing the same for a Thomas Yorke weathered building facade, the two I started while looking/waiting for power for a American Car Co. gas electric (found).  Now need to get the truck and buildings done

so I can work on the gas electric.

Actually did nothing today on the layout. Instead I took measurements and went to Home Depot to buy enough lumber to make three tables for the switching layout. I'll let the wood acclimate for a few  days before I start cutting the 1X4's. But later today I'll work on the attic layout and run some trains......................Paul

Today so far I glued down more clump foliage and ran trains. This afternoon will be run trains while cleaning up the second  storage closet so I can get more boxes into there..............Paul

Went to MB Kleins to drop off a postwar Lionel RDC for repair.  Browsed around and bought a couple train mags.  Came home and ran trains for a short while.  Not much but something

Last night was "Treats at The Tracks" at the A&M station in Springdale.  I ran a small consist of some of my more, well, unusual equipment, as well as an abbreviated "Broadway Limited"...

Also ran my New Haven Rectifier as it was in appropriate holiday colors:

And, of course, the obligatory gi-raffe:

Music was provided by The New Highway Bluegrass Band:

And I became the first person, as far as I know, to sit in on a bluegrass jam session with a Lionel train whistle:

The kids, as usual, had a great time! 

Mitch

Mitch,

Seems like a natural to me.... Bluegrass and Lionel Train Whistle.  What a great activity.

Ed

Hooked up lighting system for my custom single bay firehouse, I purchased at York last spring.  Interior of firehouse looks great with lights for the single engine bay ( I have two 1952 Seagrave pumpers parked in there ) the second story has a kitchen and break room with the third floor being the bunk room.  Looks great when lit up!!

Hooked up power to my elevated trolly line. Got the line partially working.  Will have to install more power connectors to complete electrification.  Progress is in the making though!

Placed some Miller Engineering illuminated signs on rooftops of building in Patsburg West End.  They look terrific!  

Painted some rails rust colored.

Made some lighting of lamp posts operable. 

Last but certainly not least .... I ran trains!!!!   A B&O mail/express train on the outer main pulled by a GP9 pulling Railway Express 60 ft refers, B&O 60 refer and express boxcar, and bringing up the rear is a B&O RPO by Weaver.    On the inner main a Reading Trainmaster pulls Reading boxcars, Reading hoppers, and a Reading gondola with final punctuation with a Reading caboose.    Mountain division hosted a B&O docksider pulling two 50 ton coal hoppers and a B&O bobber caboose.  Fun railroading in Patsburg!!!

I've been a little tight lipped about what I've been up to on my layout the last few weeks. I'm going to take a page out of Mitch's playbook, and redirect you to my personal topic to get the full story. Let's just say, I've been working on the railroad.

(grin) On that note, a new Under The Hood is up!

https://ogrforum.com/t...7-atsf-nw-2-switcher

Mitch

What with the weather really going down the toilet this past weekend, I finally got back to work on the layout.  Two switch motors had quit working, One section of center rail, between two switches had gone dead, and I had a nasty but persistent derailment and dead zone occurring between the outside basement wall and a row of buildings representing my downtown area.  Certainly in an inaccessible spot.

Disconnected one switch motor to leave the switch unpowered, lubed the other and freed up it's mechanism, resoldered the dead center rail, and then, with two track cleaning cars I worked on the inaccessable track.  Turns out a basement window, above that track was slightly ajar and some wind blown dirt was dropping down on the track. 

But today, it's going back up to 70 degrees for a few days;  not gonna waste those days in the basement!  (This is Ohio and we take advantage of the limited "nice" days we get.)

Paul Fischer

With the Amer, Std. Car Co. gas electric kit on hold until I came home with power for it, I started building structures behind two facades I had, one of the Skagway, Alaska Soapy Smith Saloon (I am not making that building as deep from the sidewalk as it is now in Skayway), and another a Thomas Yorke facade of a fruit company.  The saloon is painted over all, needs trim painted, and doors, windows, details.  I am waiting for

glue to dry on walls behind this facade.  I am adding an open shelter, storage, buggies, etc. down one side, so while Soapy's is shorter, this one may be longer...all to get variety, and a difference.  It will not be a fruit company, but dunno what yet....the

saloon may stay a saloon.

Started cleaning out underneath it.

I started on my Remembrance Day display.

Not much. I actually did a late op session last week on a massive local N scale layout and realized I like trains that are big enough to easily see!

What?  No Z-Gauge or trains in a bottle?  I vote with that.  Tonight I finished my model

of the saloon I kitbashed onto the kit of a facade for Soapy Smith's saloon in Skagway.

I also made much progress on completing a full buidling for the other, Tom Yorke,

kit for a fruit company facade.  To this one I added an attached buggy shed.

Spoke with Tom, my MTH repairman tonight.  He's stopping by with my newly repaired Baltimore and Annapolis SW 9 on Thursday.

As for doing work on the layout today ... nothing done ... however I do plan a few hours of layout work for this Friday

After running the 1689e I bought recently I discovered a rear truck wheel with zinc rot and a piece missing. It would run but eventually the thing would go. Rooted around in my box of extra trucks, wheels etc and found a set of wheels with axle that would work. had to fiddle a little but works good. Then I took one truck off a Lionel 2436 silver observation car and put it on the dining car I  scrounged from the diner. The 2436 was a little beat and extra to my needs. Has a pick up roller for lights. Tracks are quiet and smooth, trains run good-knock on wood !!

I posted video #34 in my LCJ&I Lines series, showing final construction of a canyon with a small blue lake at the bottom. The canyon sides fold down on hinges, and the lake is on a collapsable table that rolls away. All this provides access to the interior of the layout. The link to my YouTube video series is in my signature block, below.

I am almost done with these two kit of facades I picked up for $5 each.  The one of

the Skagway saloon is done, and I just need to add part of the foundation "stone" and

the chimney to the Thomas Yorke fruit co-op building.  Since these were just the facades, fronts of the buildings, the rest I invented from scribed basswood, Grandt Line windows, etc.  I have not made signs for either as I haven't decided what I will use

them for.

And then...

Mitch

Having now finished the two $5 buildings, I now have looked at the RMT Budd car

chassis as power for the American Standard Car Co. gas electric.  This will mean

a longer extension than the Rio Grande gas electric, and I am looking for the best

place to cut and splice it.  And...since I now have two of these RMT Budd car shells, I

am wondering if I could splice a couple of them into a scale length RDC-3?  Are these

scale width and height, and has anybody done that?  Seems like both Lionel and MTH

made RDC-3's, but the Lionel one is collectible and both are expensive. (I think they

are taller and wider?)

Got my O-72 turnout & siding installed on the Polar & Ohio's Guest Bedroom Line.  In 3 weeks this will become the Living Room Around-the-Tree Line.   Seems to work well, though the Y6b doesn't like to back through it. 

I also learned that Menard's & MTH couplers don't like each other very much. 

Edit: Not sure why the video quality is so horrid.  Seems fine on my phone.  Sorry.

Joe came over yesterday and continued tying up loose wires in some of the oldest parts of the layout. In my haste to get things running 10 years ago, I only connected some of the feeders to the buses. We are systematically going through and getting everything connected once and for all. There really isn't that much to see, except there are no more wires hanging down over the hidden yard, which is really nice.

While Joe was working on that, I drew all of the upper deck temporary control panels, so we can start throwing switches, now that we have power.

Today, I continued the process by drilling all the holes for the all the electrical switches.

Then it was time to apply the tape, letters and switches. On the layout Park Junction is actually wrapped around a curve.

On the left side there are 2 double track mains that compress down to one double track main. The arrow lead on the upper left goes to the Amtrak depot on top of the book shelves. The other arrow on the left goes to the BNSF intermodal facility. On the right side, the top arrow is a secret reverse loop. It was designed specifically to turn the Triple Crown train, but was expanded to include both mains as well. That track goes through the backdrop and ties into University Junction.The next track is the Roseville branch. And the other arrow goes into the East Minneapolis yard.

University Junction is also on a curve. It and Park Jct are on the east wall, Park at the end of aisle 3, and University at the end of aisle 2.

Starting on the left, the top track is the long lead coming out of the west end of East Minneapolis, the other two tracks are the mains. There is a triple track crossover using a double slip. The track coming up at an angle is the connection through the backdrop back to Park Junction. This is the reverse loop again. Next we have the wye, but it's not just a wye, it's another reverse loop as well. This one faces the opposite direction of the previous one. Combine all of that with a cutoff back in the far corner by the big helix, and I have a very nice setup for display running on the upper deck. My Big Boy might even make it around. Finally, that thing that looks like diamond on the right, isn't. It's another double slip, but since it is part of a yard, the controls are manual and not Tortoise.

Any questions??? There will be a quiz later.

Spent some time tonight in the train room. Worked on laying an industrial spur that will service the engine terminal coaling tower ( MTH auto hopper unloading ) , the brewery ( barrel car unloading ) , and a milk platform for unloading my Lionel milk car.  One spur gives multiple uses.

Also ran trains.... Western Maryland mail/express trains with a BL2 on the point .... a Reading mixed freight with a Trainmaster on the point .... and a short freight with 2 fifty ton hoppers and bobber caboose with a B&O dockside on the point.  Nice to watch em run!!!!

Your Y6b probably has trouble because you have an "S" curve on your track. When you have a right hand curve switch immediately followed by a reverse (left hand) curve it results in a track that acts smaller than the radius of either curve. An engine rated for O72 will not run properly over an O72 reverse ("S) curve,

I started working on the next panel. I got about a third of the way through when I ran out of tape. I thought I had more, but when I opened the package I discovered it was a different width.

I then proceeded to embark on what would turn out to be a wild goose chase to Office Max, where I had originally bought it, only to find that they now only stocked the next size up and down but not the one I needed. I grudgingly bought both sizes because I was there. That tape is cheap crap and I never liked working with it anyway.

After some searching online, I discovered that Chartpak tape has gone the way of Floquil paint, discontinued but some supplies still exist. I ordered a roll, which should finish the entire project with half the roll to spare. Now the waiting begins.

I'll have to switch gears tomorrow. It's not like there isn't plenty to do down there.

With the two facades now having buildings behind them, but not photographed yet, I

went back to the American Standard Car Co. gas electric kit last night.  It needs a

2 11/16" extension on the frame, which I fabricated from sheet aluminum, after going

out for it and screws to mount it to the stock frame rails.  All the wiring had to be cut,

and lengths spliced in, which meant I was doing my not favorite job, soldering again.

I have a Walthers gas electric kit, yet to do, which will require a longer extension, and then I hope I am done with this kind of a job.  I will be well stocked with gas electrics.

This afternoon I began running permanent feeders to all the staging yard tracks.  These will temporarily allow operation from a secondary transformer until layout completion.  I wanted to work out any electrical bugs before burying the yard under layout.  Also started  hooking up switch controllers in the staging yard while testing for non derailing operation.  A few more controllers then on to wiring the fixed voltage to the switches.

It all seemed so quick when I mulled this over in my head.   Now I'm reminded of how time consuming the process is.  I haven't done layout wiring in 10 years.

Bruce

So far, have only run the Lionel pre-war 150 that I brought home from the Greeenberg show. Only thing I could afford. already have one but this nicer and runs great. Cute little thing !!  I thought prices were high. I have a limited budget but brought half my money home. Saw some items but too much $$.  Glad that I went, though. lots of non-RR stuff but I don't mind-helps pay the bills. I thought there was more AF than I have ever seen. There was a little Standard gauge and bought a red baggage car and a nice gondola. Didn't find a motor but a guy had two old engines but the motors were trash.  Glad that I went.

Tonight I taped the soldered wire extensions on this RMT chassis, lengthened for the Amer. Std. Car. Co. gas electric, and drilled and screwed on the metal plate chassis

extension. (dropped a tiny nut on the floor, which ran away and hid, so I have to go

get another as I  had only enough for the job).  Now am soldering the extension wires

onto the front truck, which has much smaller wires sticking out, so that is touchy, but

two out of four done so far. If that can be made secure, I will tape those connections,

also a very small space to work in, and can start mounting the body and finishing it.

The hard part will be done.

Like MMM above, eliminated a gremlin that attacked the club layout late last Saturday. Fortunately, the fix turned out to be minor. Took longer to set up for the fix than to make the fix.

Bob,

Your LCJ&I Pike is absolutely fantastic.  I am a big fan of your videos and work - Congratulations on a beautiful Fastrack layout! 

Cleaning up the layout has been on hold for a bit. Been raking leaves these past few days. And my present project is installing a railing going up to the attic. Never had one there but a few guys from the local train club I belong thought I should finally install one. So that is what I am doing. Today being Sunday it is off to Dalton,Ohio and a train show. On the way home I may swing by Menards and possibly buy that Sauerkraut factory if they have one.......................Paul

Last night I took some photos for OGR Forum - Switcher Saturday thread. Did some more work on the industrial siding which I began the other day.  AND of course ran some trains!!!  

I tried unsuccessfully to post some of my new layout videos on this thread last night.  Each time I posted the video came out on the thread upside down.   It did look pretty "other world like" seeing a train run upside down .... sort of Jules Vernish  I deleted those attempted posts.  

after spending several hours tapping holes I finally got to assemble my latest creation for my layout. A 30 inch all aluminum, truss bridge,  The PB is on it for size.I've been having a lot of fun designing and cutting out the pcs. It may not be an exact replica of any real bridge but I thought it looked ok.

Gary

Last night I cleared a loop of track and ran some of my vintage engines to keep them loose. Hope to run some more today plus the Std. gauge.