What did you do on your layout today?

Thanks, Terry...however it does take up a bit of real estate on the layout.

-Pete

Yesterday was the Children's Christmas Train at the Arkansas and Missouri RR, and, despite running on third-tier track scraped from the bottom of the barrel, the Razorback Traction Co. made a brave showing...

The blue Giraffe Express loco did one of its customary wire breakage stunts, so another loco was brought in!  For the record, the Polar Gi-raffe Express takes O-27 curves with aplomb!

Also, Miss Mary Christmas was well received...

And my new Holiday Trolley charmed the folks outdoors on the G scale layout!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Jolly Gi-raffe Day to all! 

(more pics below)

Mitch

I spent the better part of the past few days putting stuff up on the E.  I am selling all my aluminum and die-cast Kline items, including 2 passenger sets.

jbmccormick posted:

I spent the better part of the past few days putting stuff up on the E.  I am selling all my aluminum and die-cast Kline items, including 2 passenger sets.

URL, please?  I'd like to see what you have.  Thanks!

Mitch

I was originally going to put an engine shed on the right hand 2 spurs but it didn't look right upon placing it.  My layout is pretty much maxed out for this room but after staring and thinking a bit I found something that works.  So the 072 switches in the back into the engine shed will be added on to the current dual loop 6 X 10

M. Mitchell, not sure I can post a URL here but my seller name is the same as it is here. "jbmccormick"

will try this... http://www.ebay.com/itm/272068...id=p3984.m1555.l2649 

jbmccormick posted:

will try this... http://www.ebay.com/itm/272068...id=p3984.m1555.l2649 

That worked fine!  Thanks! 

Mitch

worked on the layout a little today. more tinkering than working cleaned up and put some scenery in and ran some trains. here's todays progress.  tried my hand at painting the rails  added some trees to the hobo village.  then tried my hand at making the truck not look so brand new.

Took time to work on the town 

Put new pickup rollers on a couple of my whistle tenders and my 2025.  Now I can blow the whistle without sending out a shower of sparks!  Woo! 

Also tuned up an early vintage 3461 log car, so it now dumps logs smoothly... 

Mitch

Nothing this past weekend, as there were shows all over the place.  I had no luck finding what I was looking for....but blundered on a stack of bound "Model Train" magazines, 1954-1960. A lot of steam and historical RR info, as well as old kit ads, and construction articles, with O scale considered and mentioned...in other words, stuff not found currently in other mags from that publisher.  Dunno when I can wade through all of them.   "Historical" includes the oddball stuff as requested on another thread running.  Today, maybe, I can glue something together.

I always look for old magazines at shows but not much luck lately. Worked on my searchlight car, got the lens out of the light(glued in), cleaned everything and fixed a short so it works OK. Would like a brighter bulb but no big deal.  Read the new issue of OGR and there was 2 articles and an editorial extolling the virtues of running a layout with "operations" and warning me that I would get bored running loops so I fired up my layout and ran all 5 loops for awhile. Not boring-I think operations might get boring. Ever watch a local job switching out industries ??  They spend a lot of time sitting and idling. I watched a Leetsdale job sit for over an hour waiting to get up on the NS mainline. That is exciting.

fl9turbo2 posted:

Took time to work on the town 

Especially interesting, and all the photos (6) shown in your whole array are replete with eye-adventure in a very interesting place to visit. Congratulations on your continued success with it.

FrankM.

Thanks just thought it was time to give the town a update 

Interesting other opinion above on loops vs. point-to-point operation.  Hurry up and wait prevails in current prototype as well as historical railroading,  with everybody paid by the hour.  I remember the Southern steamer sitting on the siding, hissing and clanking, waiting to get its train back on on the main after dropping off a hopper.  But, that is, modeling a railroad, and that is what they do, or get "Casey-Jonesed".

I installed 4 Tortoises yesterday over at Interstate West. Not an easy task anyway, but made more difficult by finished wiring and fascia in the way. After getting the first one done, bent over backwards, laying on my back on the layout, with my feet on the floor, I got smart and " grew a third hand". I cut a scrap of wood, and used it to wedge the Tortoise up against the bottom of the plywood. This left my hands free so I could support myself with my left while using the screw gun with my right.

Today, I'll run wires for those four and six more to complete the Interstate West panel. That will leave just 9 Tortoises to install. Four in the big helix, two in the small helix, and three on the bookshelves. I have 4 or 5 small panels to build and 40 switches to rewire, then the switches are done! I want to have it done by the end of the month. Joe will be here Wednesday.

Mr. Brown brought me a Xmas present this AM-a Lionel 682 loco, in nice shape, smokes like a fiend, runs smooth. Bought it from a forum member. This is about my 12 or 13 th forum purchase in a year and a half-I think.  Waiting for a Standard gauge set to.

This past week end was fascia board install and paint.

Hopefully tonight wiring 9 Ross Switches for power

Didn't get much done on the layout over the weekend. Went to a train show in Medina. But today I got the first storage door finished. The rest of the time while I was running trains I started to glue down scenery on the other side of the layout. ..................Paul

Finished equipment shed,fence gate and stile

Added street lights.  The light comming out from under the buildings will be fixed with added wires there holding the buildings up alittle 

Yesterday I started the last upper side for foliage. And the last front section to scenic. I am going to add some clump foliage to the corner hill and replace some generic trees with better looking ones. Once I get this section done I can concentrate on the lower section in that area behind the freight yard. Today is a non work day. Lunch with some TCA guys and then tonight a Tuesday night group train night. A couple of pics area being worked on......................Paul 

I added this Bi-Centenary Canfor car which arrived this morning.

Paul, that bit od scenery really makes the upper level look great!

A little quiet in this topic so here's what I did tonight not much wish it would warm up a little so I can get outside and work on the boat. I have a lot to do to it . but in the mean time trains get the attention not a bad thing.

I ordered all the on sale Kobler buildings I have been trying out a new way to make asphalt roads. seems to work pretty good.  worked in scarm a little setting up where to put buildings and roads there not detailed buildings but there the right sizes.

My accomplishment is noteworthy, if not as dramatic as those you've posted.

Having had lots of contact problems with my ALCo S-2 on the Kitchen Counter Division of the Staten Island Rapid Transit Railway, I finally decided to get change out the axles equipped with those God forsaken traction tires after having tried all else without success... I even tried Bourbon - on the rails.

I tested the S-2 after having installed only one axle and the change was nothing short of miraculous; changing the second axle made no noticeable change.  The process took only half an hour and I recommend it to all.

JHAINER,

Can you explain how you did your asphalt roads, they look real good.  Thanks!

I used

http://www.tractorsupply.com/t...m-blasting-abrasives

put down white glue sprinkle the coal over it then wet out like you normally would with glue water mix

haven't tried putting lines on it yet

Last night I finished up the interstate west panel, that's 10 more working switches.

This is the panel support structure. Very simple construction, as all the panels will be removed eventually when the layout is converted to full CTC.

Here it is from the front.

Now with the panel in place.

This is a little messy right now, I'll tie everything up when I get all the switches connected. This area sends power out to the Tortoise motors.

At the bottom are the relay control wires from the panels.

Joe will be here in a little while. I have a small project that will yield big results which I plan to get done today.

Today I worked on scenery. Took out the genic trees and put in better looking ones. Still have more to add to the corner mountain. I have just about used up the foliage I have so it's time to order from Scenic Express. A couple of pics of progress so far. Still have more to add to this area before starting down the side I would work some more on the layout but another train get together tonight........................................Paul...........Paul

Scenery goes a couple layers, a couple textures, a couple colors, several hours, and a couple feet at a time.... then you run out of Super Trees

Beautiful!  I'm finally starting to build my own layout and want all your secrets!

Rapid Transit Holmes posted:

Beautiful!  I'm finally starting to build my own layout and want all your secrets!

Beautiful  is right, and Laidoffsick just told us the biggies, in my opinion: layers; time; variety of colors and textures, foot-by-foot (I'd say inch-by-inch, often utilizing teaspoons, chopstix, tweezers and dental picks, my trusted tools) progress, and patience (implicit.) FrankM.

Here are some of the layout's neighborhoods in development...over the years...

Moonson you're definitely right about that, inch by inch! Your scenery is simply fantastic, amazing, spectacular to say the least, and I hope to have just a fraction of the detail you put into every scene.

Laidoffsick posted:

Moonson you're definitely right about that, inch by inch! Your scenery is ...

That's particularly nice to hear you say, Laidoffsick, because I find your low rolling-hillsides very appealing and realistic, especially considering details such as the overall tone and unity, esp. evident in the areas of a mixture of grass, gravels, and soils. Really good looking.

FrankM.

And Thank you.

I really enjoy seeing the layouts  pictured on the Forum- finished and others in progress.  Enjoy them more than the magazine reviews which are so often over done.  Bought a ceramic house yesterday, sort of a Taiwan knock-0ff of Dept 56, and has Santa going down the chimney. My Xmas decoration for this year. Also bought a Western Pacific silver boxcar with a yellow feather by Lionel -#19259 but think I will trade it off. It is NIB but doesn't really fit my layout.

Jim,

   Pictures please, of  the new purchases!  Especially of the Ceramic house with Santa!  My wife will want to add this to her Ceramic Christmas village for sure.  Please advise as to where you purchased this Ceramic building with Santa going down the chimney.

PCRR/Dave

worked on the lighting and building arrangement on mine today.  got the busbars all up and wiring went well for the AC buildings and now working on the DC (LED) ones. waiting for the walwarts!  buying foam to start my mountains and raised portions of the layout to create the realistic slopes and such.  lake and park will be started.  time is running out... lol.!  ive changed the building since this photo... haha

Looks good Chris!  You look like you have to make the most of the space you have.  Mine is about the same size and is in the middle of conversion from year round to Christmas scenery.  I have to get some photos up myself.  Before and after.  Guess I was out your way at Brady's on Saturday.  Signed up to get the Lionel National Train day car, and picked up a couple of things for the Christmas layout.