What did you do on your layout today?

Dug out my 4 Ives  engines and ran them, first time in a long time. Tomorrow I will clean lube them. They run as smooth as silk. No steamers-just electrics but a steamer is on my list.

Restrung a 6560 crane:

Using #6 bead string from Hobby Lobby:

Works just fine!  Elevation screw for the boom is on order from the Train Tender...

Mitch

Put my old O gauge Ives away and ran my Lionel 254 with  610 & 612 passenger cars. Spent most of my time outside. Started cleaning the leaves and twigs off my G scale track. Won't take much to get it going.  I have a bunched of extra O gauge 3 rail track and just might experiment with it outside. Like a narrow gauge next to the G gauge. Thinking a little paint on the rails to keep some of the rust off. I have extra Standard gauge too !!

WRM, I wanna get some O31 curves for the 253 and consist at some point...

Mitch

I took about thirty (30) color photographs this evening of my Lionel O-gauge layout I have slowly been building for the past 18-months.  I'll have a lot more wiring to do after the track is finalized.  Mitch will like the photo of all the trolleys !!  Anyway, photos have to be checked out and ID'd and a script written to tell you guys what the heck is taking place !  I hope to post them later tomorrow!

Cheers.

KRK

Rearranged track and mock buildings, again!

Brought home a few goodies from York yesterday, a MTH trolley being one of them.  Of course I put it into immediate service and it worked like a jewel!  Runs very smooth and evenly on very low voltage.  This new MTH will now become my first line trolley, thus bumping ( no pun intended )  my Industrial Rail by Atlas O trolley into reserve status.  

I had the neighborhood kids over tonight to see the layout in action.  They all loved the new trolley and were thrilled watching 4 trains run on 3 levels.  They loved seeing photos, on the train room wall, of me at the throttle of a real life GG1 and seeing my scale Williams GG1 #4876!  There is one photo of me sitting in the engineers seat, of the real G, getting the engineers view out the small window of the G  .... as I pointed to that window on the model G.  They were in awe!!  

I let them run the trains and pick out an engine to replace the Y6b whose front pilot truck wheel was having a tracking problem when going over a switch.  The kids unanimously chose a B&O GP 9 to replace the Y6b.  One of their favorite trains in my collection is the EMD Aerotrain.  They love the way it looks!  For that matter so do I!

They had questions about cabooses ... as to how many cabooses did a freight train have?... and was the caboose always at the end of a freight train? .... What is a milk train?  

They really liked my US Army flat cars with artillery loads, truck and jeeps. Another favorite was my tank car train pulled by a FM Trainmaster in Virginian livery.  They also liked seeing the layout with the room lights turned off. That got a big WOW!!  Heres a few video of train on the FSJR in Patsburg!

Nothing like sharing my love of trains, both real and model, with kids!!!  Its a cool thing!!! 

Here are a few more photos of my layout ... The Free State Junction Railway.

Extended the layout with another bump out for additional sidings to serve.

Started wiring all the switches and accessories. I have to extend the wiring on three operating track sections, but everything else should be pretty straight forward.

Got around to installing my first track signal, a Z-Stuff searchlight block . . .

Picked up ZW at an auction.

Cleaned it up and tested it, works great. Even the original cord is in good shape.

trumptrain posted:

Brought home a few goodies from York yesterday, a MTH trolley being one of them.  Of course I put it into immediate service and it worked like a jewel!  Runs very smooth and evenly on very low voltage.  This new MTH will now become my first line trolley, thus bumping ( no pun intended )  my Industrial Rail by Atlas O trolley into reserve status.  

I had the neighborhood kids over tonight to see the layout in action.  They all loved the new trolley and were thrilled watching 4 trains run on 3 levels.  They loved seeing photos, on the train room wall, of me at the throttle of a real life GG1 and seeing my scale Williams GG1 #4876!  There is one photo of me sitting in the engineers seat, of the real G, getting the engineers view out the small window of the G  .... as I pointed to that window on the model G.  They were in awe!!  

I let them run the trains and pick out an engine to replace the Y6b whose front pilot truck wheel was having a tracking problem when going over a switch.  The kids unanimously chose a B&O GP 9 to replace the Y6b.  One of their favorite trains in my collection is the EMD Aerotrain.  They love the way it looks!  For that matter so do I!

They had questions about cabooses ... as to how many cabooses did a freight train have?... and was the caboose always at the end of a freight train? .... What is a milk train?  

They really liked my US Army flat cars with artillery loads, truck and jeeps. Another favorite was my tank car train pulled by a FM Trainmaster in Virginian livery.  They also liked seeing the layout with the room lights turned off. That got a big WOW!!  Heres a few video of train on the FSJR in Patsburg!

Nothing like sharing my love of trains, both real and model, with kids!!!  Its a cool thing!!! 

 

 

Great videos! Thanks for sharing.

I finally finished this scratch built water tank project, which had been sitting around for a very long time...

Yesterday morning the deco style Std Gauge layout table (the top) came into the house to be put together in situ. Legs are done with priming, and today I started the first coat of gloss black painting. 42" to top of table height is taller than I expected it would be. Have never had a train table at this height.

p51 posted:

I finally finished this scratch built water tank project, which had been sitting around for a very long time...

But where are Billie Jo, Betty Jo and Bobbie Jo? 

Mitch

And their towels. Ok , forget the towels!!!! Lol

Did I say that? 

Mike

keyrouteken posted:

I took about thirty (30) color photographs this evening of my Lionel O-gauge layout I have slowly been building for the past 18-months.  I'll have a lot more wiring to do after the track is finalized.  Mitch will like the photo of all the trolleys !!  Anyway, photos have to be checked out and ID'd and a script written to tell you guys what the heck is taking place !  I hope to post them later tomorrow!

Cheers.

KRK

KEN's Lionel O-gauge Layout

(An Amazement in the Works)

Hi Everybody-- As promised, here are the thirty color photos I took last night (Saturday, April 16th) ... The project does not appear to be beautiful and is highly cluttered, for now ! That will eventually change. Most of the tubular track will have wooden black ties glued between the metal ties. It makes the track look so much better.

There are TWO mainline loops on the lower level. Main 1 and Main 2.... There is an End-to-End loop for local trolleys to operate, known as the "Nicole Loop". Named after the 19-year old young lady who climbed up on top of the layout and installed some of the track for me. She was great ! Cute too ! Going to college to become an RN. Her slightly older brother is going to become an MD. Wow-if the family gets sick--they're all set !!

Anyway, Main 2 is designed to accommodate various operations without interfering with Trolleys. Main 1 (the Outer loop) is designed to accommodate various trains, with an interchange feature employed so Trolleys can share the mainline while a first-class train is held in a holding block.

A Trolley entering the Trolley loop from Main 1 will circle around, re-enter Main 1 in the opposite direction, cross the Hexxllgate Bridge, take a right at the tower, and ride the elevated line around the layout, terminating in the stub-end Trolley terminal, unless the Trolley negotiates track 3 in the Terminal, which continues to a bumper-controlled line.

This line will eventually continue, via a # 313 bascule bridge, to more trackage on the upper fireplace shelf.

Anyway, more info in a short bit !

There are thirty color photos to give you a peek as to what is going on--and I include a description for each photo :

Photo # 0841 Front of layout. Hexxllgate Bridge--elevated stub end trolley terminal.

# 0842 Another view--Hexxllgate Bridge & trolley terminal. Note the construction sign:

"Construction Zone"--Safety First !-- Kuzie Construction Company" (Kuzie is Ken & Suzie combined--clever, huh ?)

# 0843 View of double-track mainline. Wood ties improve the appearance.

# 0844 Tracks everywhere ! Sawmill to the left. Elevated trolley line crosses the two mains.

# 0845 Panoramic view ! Hexxllgate Bridge--elevated trolley terminal--major junction-- the towerman controls the action.

# 0846 Trolley junction--the bumper reverses trolley.

# 0847 Panoramic view ! "PRR" train of commuters using MP54 cars, pauses at the tower.

# 0848 View of elevated trolley line looking across the steel truss bridge.

# 0849 Tail end of trolley reverse loop.

# 0850 Wiring clutter ! All wiring done without a diagram. I'm good, huh? (grin)

Middle track will be Operating Car area. RCS and Insulated track sections will allow three operating areas.

# 0851 View of steel truss bridge and "wiring clutter" ...

# 0852 Remote switch controllers.

# 0853 Control panel-- toggle switches--push buttons * ...

*Push buttons will initiate automatic operations of Trolleys.

# 0854 When power is "ON", these two lamps light ! Green light at far left lights when "switch power" is turned on.

# 0855 ZW, KW and LW transformers provide Primary power.

# 0856 My Greyhound Bus Terminal. The 'Marquee' sign is really cool in its operation.

# 0857 Pedestrian crossover is a new addition. Passengers from Bus terminal will walk over to a Trolley stop.

# 0858 Elevated trolley line making the climb.

# 0859 South end of layout. L-R: Elevated trolley line; Main 1; Main 2; Interchange to "Nicole Loop".

# 0860 Fireplace display! ATSF A-B-B-A ALCO units: four motors. (Future terminal)

# 0861 Coming round the bend!

# 0862 One track of elevated trolley terminal was extended to an elevated bumper.

Line to be eventually extended to the fireplace (top shelf) via a # 313 Bascule Bridge.

# 0863 Rear of Greyhound bus terminal. Three buses chosen to remind me of my childhood in Oakland, CA. L-R: Peerless Stages; Greyhound Lines; Trailways...

Fourth vehicle is a "woody" station wagon.

# 0864 Greyhound terminal takes up a lot of real estate.

# 0865 Another view of "Ken's Wonder" !

# 0866 SP 4294 sits on a display track. Business car "Mellenium" sits on display track.

# 0867 Trolley Loop with too much rolling stock in the way.

# 0868 Homemade book case for excess goodies.

# 0869 Steam power at the ready ! Two Hudsons; two Turbines. Two or three others.

# 0870 More power available. 1- ZW; 1- Z; 1-Powermaster; 1- CW 80. Freight and

Passenger stations.

Note: When the installation of wood Ties is completed, and Trees and Plasticville houses are installed, the track areas will be ballasted, and bare plywood and wiring will be covered by Top Soil or suitable Ground Cover. My wife Suzie has an extensive collection of vintage Plasticville. She also has seventeen (17) Trolleys.....

This completes the photographic tour of my current layout construction. As far as knowing a "little" about electricity: I took Electronic classes in high school and college.

I was an E-5 in the Navy. Maintaining communications, radar and countermeasures equipment in the Western Pacific in the 60's... I worked for the telephone company (Ma Bell) in the Switching and Special Services departments for just shy of "50" years, before finally retiring on October 24, 2014. Hopefully, guys, I'll be able to wire an O-gauge

layout !!

Cheers !

Ken Shattock (KRK)

Love them trolleys,  Ken! 

As for me, I did horrible things to a cracked Scout caboose shell and an MPC Penn Central gondola to start fabricating a crane tender out of things I had around the house... 

Mitch

Not much but did put my Lionel 261 on the track and ran it. Spent the day taking RR photos of NS black & white locos with a CSX thrown in. The neatest was a LORAM rail grinder unit working on the Youngstown line through New Brighton. No shower of sparks but lots of smoke and dirt. Trains !!  NS and even CSX ran a whole lot of trains today. From 10AM until 3PM, lots of trains. All kinds-oil, coal, grain and mixed freights. Some crews were friendly.  Too bad there wasn't much variety in the engines.

Not much. Cast 2 more rock faces and poured another water layer.

Coincidentally, I also cast a few rock faces and outcroppings.  This is new territory to me, never having used casting molds and Sculptamold before.   Here's the castings attached to the sub layer.  I'm using house wrap ( Tyvek ) as a base then paint it with a thinned mix of drywall mud to form a solid sub layer when dry.

I picked up a rock face mold, much like the type DOBERMAN is using, to line tunnel entrances.  With Sculptamold, it sets up within 20-30 minutes and is still flexible enough to conform to the curved tunnel walls.  The completed tunnel section here is still damp.

Bruce

Looks good. Maybe I'll try sculptamold since resin is a pain.

I set aside the afternoon to get the grass done for the center section of the layout. So the scenery is finally underway. I'll have this thing looking like a layout should, well inside the 2 years since it was still a pile of lumber and flex track.

I put down paint the color of the soil where I'm modeling, put down various ground foam and ballast for gravel, them sprayed the heck out of it with Micro Mark water/glue mix to solidify it all. Just blew some air across the surface and nothing moved.

I've waited so long for this day to come, where my layout actually look like a layout should, it really made me stop and stare. I've been looking forward to this moment for over a decade.

Ran trains some this morning.  Made up new freight trains for the inner and outer loop mainlines.

Slow progress on the Steam Era Structures Linoleum Factory!

Not on my indoor O gauge layout but cleaned up the winter debris and ran some trains on my garden railway today.  Felt good being out in the sun.

Oh, did I mention replacing some cornice trim on the house, cutting the grass, alittle nap time...... .  .   .    .     .    

 You guys have some great layouts. I installed a 048 remote switch that I forgot I had. I was going through some switch boxes and there it was. The original switch was a 036 manual. I had to make some minor adjustments to the track, but it works.

Legs attached on the art deco style Std. Gauge layout table I am creating with my fiance' Tom.

Carey TeaRose posted:

Legs attached on the art deco style Std. Gauge layout table I am creating with my fiance' Tom.

 

 

 

Carey - Tom is a lucky guy!!!

Ran trains for about 10 minutes while getting dressed for work this morning.  Thats all the train time for today unfortunately 

Sent a couple of unreliable switches off to tinman.  I have 4 pre fifty switches in the layout that work perfectly.  It is the stuff from the 90's that is unreliable.  Had hand surgery last week and one armed wiring is just not working out.  

Ramp made from a wedge of foam, covered in caulk, latex paint, ground foam and ballast, with end beams of coffee stirrers and dowels died with ink.
Cost maybe two dollars total, I guess...

I saw this done by someone else and managed to get it working.

Have not done anything since I got back from York. After working on the yard this past couple of days getting caught up I can go and run some trains this afternoon. Tonight is the Tuesday night crew get together. Tomorrow I plan on an extended train work day.....................Paul

For my deco style Std Gauge layout table, the top is in four pieces fitted together. the center is 4'x8', with 9' pieces surrounding it. The four additional pieces got glued up to the main pieces, the short sides yesterday.

More bracing right next to the table legs will be happening next.

After that, then the four marble corner pieces will be sent with Tom to work to get cut. They are now 12"x12", and will end being 9"x11".

I'll be starting to look at different wood stains for the poplar top.

Love the idea Lee! Looks great!

mike g. posted:

Love the idea Lee! Looks great!

Thanks, it took very little effort. I cut the pink foam with a heat cutter, them smeared caulk over the top to get the smooth look right. The boards were amazingly easy and took less than 5 minutes total (I made an extra one at the same time, just in case another is needed elsewhere later). I had less than 25 cents into the wood and stain, the ground cover and ballast was probably the most costly part. I have maybe 15-20 minutes in it total. I think I'll be putting similar structures at the end of most of my spurs now that I see how it looks...

I would have to say it was a well spent 15-20 minutes. I have everything but the layout to build one of them. Please show more when you get them installed!

Still working on my endless canyon. Have about 20 feet done including the ghost town but still have about 8 or so feet more to go. It reaches 7 ft. tall and most of it goes to the floor. The upper main line and a short line, both electric. Three mines are serviced by the short line. Not sure how many hundreds of pounds of plaster I've used. There will be blue seamless wall behind the canyon with clouds. Don