I dressed the armature with very fine sandpaper, and cleaned inside the brush holders on my Grandmas "buried in a dirt floor" Commodore Vanderbilt for the first time since the 80's. It managed to bring that "cruise" throttle setting down even further, to about 55%, of my 100w Marx. 
DMRRC Layout • O Scale - 2-Rail
A local Boys Scout Troop visit the DMRRC, they visit the train room, staging & shop areas and got to run the trains using DCC.
A good time for some fun and learning about model trains. The photos below will tell the story.
Gary
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Support to groups like the Scouts, Big Brothers and Sisters etc is good for the hobby and for the community. 
mike g. posted:p51 posted:I just completed the war memorial for the O scale civil war 12 pounder barrel my father made for me.
Hi Lee, You and your dad do great work together!
Thanks. Dad is the best craftsman I've ever known. This barrel was child's play to him, compared to some of the real 'heavy lifting' artillery projects he's done over a long life.
For example, this 1/6 scale James rifle. He built this on a whim:
And what I consider his master work, a 3/4 scale M1841 6-pounder:
In each case, NO commercial parts were used on either build, with the exception of the barrel for the 3/4 scale 6PDR as he couldn't cast something that large that'd be reliable to shoot*. He cast all the other parts himself. Those aren't wagon wheels, either. Dad loves making spoked wheels, as artillery wheels are different in profile from wagon wheels.
*I grew up crewing this gun at competition artillery shoots. Dad usually took first place at most of them as he's also the best shot I've ever know, with any kind of weapon.
That's very cool Lee! I am glad you took the time to share this with me and the rest of un here on the forum. It shows where you get your attention to detail. I hope to some day get started on my layout and see where it goes. Thanks again!
Well I thought tonight would be a good work night but I hit a small snafu. I was going to put my transformer shelf in and use one TIU instead of two. I was using the fixed posts on both TIU's to run my four mainlines. Everything was running good that way. But when I combined the two I just moved the wires down so one Z4000 had a fixed and variable. Then I added the other Z4000 to the other half of the TIU. I turned the power back on to see what I had and only two lines ran. Those were the ones running through the fixed posts on The TIU. So right now I don't know whether to go back to the two TIU's or try to trouble shot this. I am also going to post this on the DCS forum...........Paul
Well back from vacation and back to the fun of building the layout. Put down foam to quiet the subway level, got both inner and out loops down and fastened as well as the 4 sidings. Also dug out my 3 z-4000's, AIU, TIU. Tomorrow I wire the subway level up and run trains for the first time since last November.
For those wondering the long straights along the right side will be stations and open for viewing. The big curve in the middle will not be seen but it curves around because I plan on putting a gorge with lake on this level and have a trestle bridge cross this for the upper level trains to go across. The left side with the sidings will also be exposed but be more of a open air yard and have no roof over top of it. Depending on available space there may be a station stop over there as well.
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Bryan, I here the Caribbean will never be the same LOL. Hope you had a great time. Nice to see you roll up your sleeves and get back to layout building. Starting to take shape. Now that summer is here and school is over you should make some good strides..................Paul
Welcome back, Bryan! Wow, that was a quick vacation! Seems like you just left yesterday. You started back into the layout with a bang!! Looks good!
Tonight I tried figuring out the DCS through one TIU. Still can't work it out. Two will run conventional and the other two will not. Before when I was using two TIU's through the fixed on each one I could run everything. Well tomorrow in a new day..................Paul
Absolutely Nothin !!!
I've been very busy on the layouts lately. Today, I painted the "new" legs I put on last year, and cleaned up an old "what now" issue...
Sorry, looks like more fun with the new format
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Showed off my Amtrak consist (avec hand-rolled baggage car) at the local NRHS meeting on Thursday evening.
Turns out the locos are oddballs; while the shells are numbered for MPC of the 1970s, the drives are up to date with electronic reverse and digital horn sounds. A mystery which may never be solved. Oh, well! 
Mitch
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Adriatic,
Things are looking up in the mine! That's a great idea and you are pulling it off well! I really like the video also! Excellent job!!
Mitch,
What? No giraffes!! Your Amtrak train looks great!!
M. Mitchell Marmel posted:
Turns out the locos are oddballs; while the shells are numbered for MPC of the 1970s, the drives are up to date with electronic reverse and digital horn sounds. A mystery which may never be solved.
Maybe it was the Giraffes!! 
Adriatic posted:
I've been very busy on the layouts lately. Today, I painted the "new" legs I put on last year, and cleaned up an old "what now" issue.....
Sorry, looks more fun with the new format
Nice video. Nice work. Glad you still have your fingers.
Mark Boyce posted:Mitch,
What? No giraffes!! Your Amtrak train looks great!!
Thanks!
suzukovich posted:M. Mitchell Marmel posted:Turns out the locos are oddballs; while the shells are numbered for MPC of the 1970s, the drives are up to date with electronic reverse and digital horn sounds. A mystery which may never be solved.
Maybe it was the Giraffes!!
Hmmmm. AmGiraffes?
Mitch
Mark Boyce posted:Adriatic,
Things are looking up in the mine! That's a great idea and you are pulling it off well! I really like the video also! Excellent job!!
Did you actually see the photo's? It was working, but in the wrong screen size.
Then it wasn't working, so I tried to reload it, and it hasn't worked since . Three attempts but it won't load the same 
I know Lee saw it, from the finger reference.
Adriatic posted:Mark Boyce posted:Adriatic,
Things are looking up in the mine! That's a great idea and you are pulling it off well! I really like the video also! Excellent job!!
Did you actually see the photo's? It was working, but in the wrong screen size.
Then it wasn't working, so I tried to reload it, and it hasn't worked since . Three attempts but it won't load the same
I sure did see it, and on my iPhone to boot!! I saw all the photos, including captions and, what I'll call information pages in between. Very professional looking in my opinion!
OK, I see it again. Still off in screen size though; some text is cropped out for me.
I decided on a slide show, and loading one file, vs loading a bunch of singles. It really wasn't made to impress, but thanks 
Oh I understand it wasn't made to impress, and Lee has told me it is actually easier once you get used to it. Nevertheless, I liked it; so I wanted you to know.
Thanks, but just I slop cheap craft paint and washes around like a kid and hate measuring anymore 
I "match sticks" at best 
Most of my stuff is mostly done as cheap, quick, Fun and easy as I can; i.e., 8yrs to 88 x 8, anyone, any age or income, can hopefully do this, or better.
I have whole pennies tied up in that little project, mostly paint and glue cost 
.
What I don't like about that side of the mine is the cut I did on the foam rock wall and the obvious seams [I'm attempting hiding the seams with "moss"]. I had to stick to vertical vs foam stacks, to quickly clear rails and a hidden wire terminal area. Unseen against a house wall then, so I didn't take the time to cut horizontal streaks for a "shale" look, below the mine portals. I'm going to try working towards "earth brown" patches and steaks of gold, silver, silver glitter, emerald greens, and ruby reds, running horizontally next. Brown especially to "soften" the rock for "easier digging"
....The mine is plateau is a removable "lid" with little glued down, so if that doesn't "work", I'll "pop the top" and re-carve the walls .....someday 
I'll stick to just photos till I can stop the crop
I've been playing with another scratch build for a long time, but I'm not too happy with it.
O.k. for junk I guess, and not done, but I'm "stuck". It's time to toss it, or something needs to be added or removed; its just missing "something" (besides less windows
[and they are straight pairs; bad optics]) ....maybe the smoke stack, or...(gulp
)... rivets? 
"Parts list"- The base evolved. It started on just one set of trucks, and an ultra short frame in mind, then came a giant, cement "pillar" (Block? Dock? Monolith?) (packaging foam), then it spent time loosely sitting on a single EMD-E truck. Then I found my elevation piers and gained some height. Then achieved "super-elevation"..... but then left the wheels off 
The body is shaved wood scrap, fireplace matchstick frame, and the plastic shell from a Stanley tool's package (the roof). A square on/off "slide knob" is the roof's shutter/vent/door? (glued to a Q-tip box panel that slides out) It sits on a soup can, cut as a skirt over a 2.5"dia. x 1/16" tall roller bearing (pan/swing), and assorted large washers for more stability. The "washer bearing" will allow motorizing tinkering. Some triangle brackets from mounting window blinds, were used for the boom's vert. pivot's A-frame, and the boom's upper wire supports are temporaries, with SS wire going between boom, and frame mounted outrigger "wings" (extending out from the slots in the roof), 2" slide type fishing sinkers mounted on stainless wire, counter weighting off the back of "the piece that started it all", by simply looking sort of like a crane's boom, "the tone arm off a 1980's Sansui, linear tracking turntable"...that I broke off 
No more Beatles, Monkeys, or other "noisy" Animals...like Burton or Floyd. No Bowie, N.Young, F. Zappa, Hank Sr. or any other vinyl for a bit. Took out my 8-track in the same accident too (I have a collection of various rare recordings never released to vinyl, cassette, or CD).
(ever notice that "cry emoji" has a bad comb over at the end? )
My "Sansui crane"...."hope I don't get needled"
You can just see the white plastic triangles and sinkers in the window.
The removable roof's overhang grips the gutter line frame rails. I planned on melting that excess bit of forward roof overhang then bending it up and painting it as a torch cut from the removal of the rest of the beam.
I haven't decided on a smokestacks placement yet.
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What did I do today? I upgraded my TIU to version 5.0 then I added the DCS wifi interface. I am now operating with the DCS wifi app on my iPad. It is fantastic!
Was running my 2025 around the layout, since Norma Bates Kitteh was sitting there expectantly waiting for a train to run. At the first puff of smoke, though, Norma sneezed violently and hopped off the train table. Guess she doesn't like Lionel smoke fluid...
Mitch
The excavation crews were working from both ends on one of two final tunnels when their shovels from opposing ends struck about midway. Much to the surprise of some, when the gypson earth was cleared away final survey checking confirmed that the projected right a way grade way was dead-on flat and level.
Now construction can begin on setting another turntable which will serve the end of two different branchlines in a hidden staging room.
I am gluing this real metal corrugated siding on this grain elevator old kit model....slow process....and, I do not trust the glue for long term holding...
Got the subway lines wired and ran some trains on them. Might not seem like much but haven't been able to run anything since November because of the rebuild so this was really a cool day.
Good for you Bryan. That has to feel good to run trains after so long and that sweet smell of ozone that goes along with it. By the way in that one pic is that my almost Z4000 transformer. LOL..................Paul
Adding the black foam base for my roads and started on the crossings where possible. This will be covered by a thin coat of tinted Durham's water putty when finished. I need to order the remaining buildings for my town and install the sidewalks before completing all of the roads due to my existing space limitations. Slow process, however, I have been pleased with the work to date.
Howard
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Looks good. I'm about to start adding roads and crossings as well. Thanks for posting gives me incentive and inspiration. I wasn't aware of using Durhams water putty.
Set up the WiFi units on the club layout so the guys can paly with it and see if they like it. I like it and find it much better than the remote but im not sure how the older guys will feel. We shall see. I also swapped out the Z4000 that blew yesterday for a loaner from my bench til I get it fixed. Looks liek I blew 3 fets on the board.
I added some flashing red beacons to my Korber Power Plant.
Neal Jeter
Revamping my Std. gauge layout: after much deliberation, I decided to NOT do an upper circle of track on a glass circle on piers. Looking at the logistics of having a double mainline on the table.
With snagging a 116 station and a 129B terrace very recently on the evilBay, my placement of structures and figures are in a state of flux, until the new pieces get here.
Working on a new YouTube video for upload, which follows my Lionel NYC S-2 electric locomotive no. 125. Hopefully will be up in not too long.
The Boss at The DMRRC, gave me some home work. Make about 20 concrete bumpers for the staging room in the basement. Below are some photos. They were made on a table saw from basswood. Used acrylic paint mixed with Behr Floor Finish Sand, #970. Looking for a plan "B" - If you have any ideas. Please post on this thread.
2 Rail • "O" Gauge Scale
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Adriatic posted:I'll stick to just photos till I can stop the crop
I've been playing with another scratch build for a long time, but I'm not too happy with it.
O.k. for junk I guess, and not done, but I'm "stuck". It's time to toss it, or something needs to be added or removed; its just missing "something" (besides less windows
"Parts list"- The base evolved. It started on just one set of trucks, and an ultra short frame in mind, then came a giant, cement "pillar" (Block? Dock?
The body is shaved wood scrap, fireplace matchstick frame, and the plastic shell from a Stanley tool's package (the roof). A square on/off "slide knob" is the roof's shutter/vent/door?
No more Beatles, Monkeys, or other "noisy" Animals...like Burton or Floyd. No Bowie, N.Young, F. Zappa, Hank Sr. or any other vinyl for a bit. Took out my 8-track in the same accident too (I have a collection of various rare recordings never released to vinyl, cassette, or CD). Well that's obviously a go to jail offense. Sharks can be just like a bull in a china shop. Good thing you caught the shark and put him in its place. Although dead he still looks like he is laughing.
(ever notice that "cry emoji" has a bad comb over at the end?
My "Sansui crane"...."hope I don't get needled"
You can just see the white plastic triangles and sinkers in the window.
The removable roof's overhang grips the gutter line frame rails. I planned on melting that excess bit of forward roof overhang then bending it up and painting it as a torch cut from the removal of the rest of the beam.
I haven't decided on a smokestacks placement yet.
With a little body filler, sanding, and painting it. It could come out rather nice. Don't sell yourself short.
Lot of cool work be done. finshed the SD24s earlier in the week and Just completed another kadee upgrade yesterday. (Lionel U30C) . Plan to up date thread later today.
https://ogrforum.com/t...40#60417098730478240
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