What did you do on your layout today?

Happy Halloween  •  The continuing saga, Flat Structures.

Time for Testors Dullcote, doing this out in the garage to keep the offensive smell outside…………….. let try overnight.  If you want to control cost, the big box lumber yards sell, Fixative Spray by Krylon. I still feel Testors Dullcote, works better

Gary

My 2nd attempt at ballasting. Looking much better than the first!! 

Completed assembly of Atlas O #6900 switch tower kit (purchased from OGR member bmartz1991...thanks Brad).

Painted in NYC colors instead of the brown and "yellow" cast into the plastic.

The "Crestwood" sign on the tower is the suburb in St. Louis where I lived in 1957 which is the period that I am modelling on this layout.  There probably was not a switch tower in Crestwood as the only line through the area would have been a bypass branch line from St. Louis out to Kirkwood, Missouri.

A door wasn't shut, a dog got loose and forgetting I can't run, I tried, I fell, then exhausred from it all, I fell asleep under the layout dreaming of better things...but before that, a 70s AHM/Rivarossi model got a good running.

Sorry so short, but this alone is a half hour + of uploading.

Adriatic,

And I thought I had a tough day mowing, raking, and cutting some broken branches.  Rest well!!

Adriatic posted:

A door wasn't shut, a dog got loose and forgetting I can't run, I tried, I fell, then exhausred from it all, I fell asleep under the layout dreaming of better things...but before that, a 70s AHM/Rivarossi model got a good running.

Sorry so short, but this alone is a half hour + of uploading.

What about the dog?

Great Job! I like how it turned out!

I am very slowly and irradically working on this steam coach. Had to remove the Marx bulb socket from the shanghaied power truck to clear the engineer's windshield and front wall. Then had to resolder and tear reverse unit. Tried different wiring for effect on and bypassing reverse unit. Works great but found could lock in one direction.  For next project will need to have two of these Marx chasses reversing in series, with probably just one reverse unit controlling tbe two...anybody done that with Marx?

Test reverse unit, not "tear". Also working on the short horizontal boiler that sticks out of the front of the coach. Brass smoke box front now fits boiler tubing.

   I can't start my lawnmower, but being self propelled, I have "fun" too lol. A rake is out of the question ( that I don't miss. No trees but my neighbors anyhow)

The +135lb "Puppi" is fine, he was recovered about 3 blocks away, saying hello to a frightened stranger (looks scary, but very social, loves a meet & greet ) He was caught  by the party that was guilty of not clicking the screen door shut as he entered. I was outside when my my legs starting doing the thinking. Very minor cement scrapes. Some gymnast still exists in me and I instinctively rolled (somewhat) to land mostly on my side and shoulder. The hydro shock of my internals wasn't fun at all though. I was actually outside turning down a surprise free ticket to my favorite band, Clutch, because any bass shakes my guts like a beating. I felt so bad, and then heard he lost half the cost reselling it too. (I'd take 2 or three folks to a show at the drop of a hat years ago, this was a thank you, but I couldn't even accept it. I can't even take bar db level music longer than 5 minutes (about 90db is my limit, & short term only.)  So my day was only about 4 hours long, and sucked. Except for the train kit from Mike G.....

  The Cannonball is running well enough to focus on adding more detail now. I didn't want to break her more delicate ones prepping for the tighter Super O curves. But yes it looks better with the celestial roof, domes and stack in place (It's really belongs on approx. 42" dia. min. and needed pilot truck mounting mods for the 0-36*) *in another thread

  I need to spend a day hunting photos of Casey Jones's usual engines. He used a unique whistle. Three pipes, each half as long as the next. I don't think it was actually on the 382, I think it was still on the engine before it. But he was running 382 fairly regularly and some accounts say it was his newly assigned regular, so I need to hunt and read more, especially watching photo dates. I'm also hoping the fenders got removed early on so I can skip them, they scrape the wheels and need modding in a tight area.

Regardless, I think this 382 will get his 3note chime, but still I want to shove all the info into my melon so deeply, when I finally forget my own name (likely) , on good days,  I'll still know some facts about the ICRR 382

I'm thinking there ought to be a tug o' war video with one of the Generals soon. Ought to be close too

Finally got all the wires and electrical components removed, sorted and stored for the next layout build.   Hands down the worst part of taking down a layout, especially when your layout was a hack job from a benchwork and wiring perspective.

-Greg

Staggered home from the TCA show with a bunch of standard gauge goodies. Biggest thing was a big box of 15 Standard gauge freight and passenger cars that need cleaning. They are complete and not in bad shape. Cleaning them will keep me busy when the snow flies. Paid an averge of $12/car. Also got a Standrd gauge motor reasonable.  I liked the show, not real crowded but lots of the old stuff I like. Plus there was a good bunch of  AF & Marx, too.  At least 3 parts dealers s I got the boiler front I needed. Some prices were hig but, i think, the were pretty reasonable.  Next show is Dec 11, 2016 so with the Greenberg show in Nov. we will be in good shape.

Only a little bit of train running. It was train show weekend. Saturday was the TCA division show in Parma Ohio and today was the show in Medina Ohio. Found nothing Saturday but got a number of more bags of ballast from Brummy's today............Paul

Laid more whisker tracks around the turntable with the wife.  Now that Kyrian is "retired" she has decided to help with the continuing construction of the CL&W!  The family that lays track together stays together, if they survive the experience ... lol!

The continuing saga, Flat Structures.

Painting the bricks with White Wash, Acrylic Paint, sold at big box art stores. Paint the white wash on with a regular brush, 50% white / 50% water. Used a foam brush to remove the excess paint, leaving paint in the mortar joints.

Gary

Finally got around to landscaping the turntable pit. Still need to add some more weeds and weather the walls. Also finished all the detail assembly on the bridge, just need to weather that as well. 

Looks great Ben, TT would be nice but they take up a lot of room and $.

Thanks Mike. Yes it does take up a lot of $, but space wise I'm surprised by how much I was able to fit in a 4' x 10' area. 18 whisker tracks, with 3 separate access tracks. My yard itself is a tracklayers nightmare! The roundhouse takes up more space than I had hoped but it fits my space well. 

Ben, do you have a distance picture of the yard with the TT and round house? I sure would like to see!

Here you go Mike. There's also a 2-stall engine shed with a track on each side to the left, the main yard access track left of the shed, then further left a 5-track yard. Past the roundhouse there is a designated steam service area, a caboose track and 2 tracks that run above my workbench so I can switch the reverse facing yard tracks. 

Ben Snyder posted:

Here you go Mike. There's also a 2-stall engine shed with a track on each side to the left, the main yard access track left of the shed, then further left a 5-track yard. Past the roundhouse there is a designated steam service area, a caboose track and 2 tracks that run above my workbench so I can switch the reverse facing yard tracks. 

Ben, That looks great! You mind me asking how long you have been doing this? I hope to get 1/4 of that some day!

Bad football (Browns) allowed me time to put the last 2 levels on my prison scene together.  Now time to watch some a real sporting event....GO TRIBE.

mike g. posted:

Ben Snyder posted:

Here you go Mike. There's also a 2-stall engine shed with a track on each side to the left, the main yard access track left of the shed, then further left a 5-track yard. Past the roundhouse there is a designated steam service area, a caboose track and 2 tracks that run above my workbench so I can switch the reverse facing yard tracks. 

Ben, That looks great! You mind me asking how long you have been doing this? I hope to get 1/4 of that some day!

Mike, I've only been back in the hobby about 6 years now, with this particular layout going on 4 years since I bought this house. Really only about 2.5 years on this project as I lost interest when track was unavailable. Now I have just ordered my last few switches to completes the yard. I spend more of my time modeling than operating, my OCD sweats the little details and how things appear. All my equipment is converted to Kadee couplers and my diesel fleet is getting fixed pilots one by one. I have no idea what I'm doing with the scenery aspect but this forum has given me tons of ideas. The layout itself is 26' x 26' around the room on 4 different levels. Recently I just began doing my own Protosounds 2/3 conversions to keep my operating system all MTH as my layout gave all kinds of anomalies while using both mth and Lionel. 

Running Some Trains And Layout Tour

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfCZxcoKVAs

Bryan in Ohio posted:

Bad football (Browns) allowed me time to put the last 2 levels on my prison scene together.  Now time to watch some a real sporting event....GO TRIBE.

Bryan, VERY IMPRESSIVE!

Nothing, worked on outdoor lights. Can't wait to get back to the layout. I'm sick of making molds for the canyon so I'm going to clear the area for my town and work on it for a while. Don

Ben, I have yet to build my layout, but I have been switching all my rolling stock to Kadee's, and have been putting fixed pilots on also. I have a few Proto 1 engines I need to upgrade, some day. But as for now I am just doing things that are free to me most of the time trying to save to build a 12' x 24' train room. I hope this spring, as its to wet here now.

Bryan, the two extra floors made the difference. Makes that corner of the layout stand out better and you got more room for extra prisoners from the ever increasing red light district.............Paul

Ben Snyder posted:

Here you go Mike. There's also a 2-stall engine shed with a track on each side to the left, the main yard access track left of the shed, then further left a 5-track yard. Past the roundhouse there is a designated steam service area, a caboose track and 2 tracks that run above my workbench so I can switch the reverse facing yard tracks. 

Ben, nice layout, but I noticed something that caught my eye, where did you find that Chessie round plate near the door? That is really, really cool.

Well, it's only a first step but the carpet RR is officially gone; making room for the real layout.  Lumber purchased and cut today.  On our way.

Ron, 

Are you keeping the same plan/theme, or do you have something new in mind?

Devils night in Detroit....

The after bar party found its way to my house. ? I didn't go there or anything. A few folks were in the neighborhood, and brought more folks. And guess what, the girls wanted to run the trains; that's why they came by. So I cleared most of the progmess that had gathered from using the layout as the shop and test track on the Cannonball, flipped the power on.

  The 382 was ready from testing it and I directed one young lady to the correct thottle, she was the conductor of the train of girls, and a returning operator ready to run. But anyhow I simply say Casey's and she understood.

Then I reversed and rerailed a Berkshire just in time for the Polar Express comment that I expected. Too bad it landed in front of freight, lit passenger cars would have went better with her, but she merrily moved the throttle as I told her it was basically a non cartoon version...Two down.  

   Double heading the Generals into position for a four coach run on the elevated level; I step back and another throttle turns..."What?..Oh, It's a Berkshire, Kanawha",.."Spell it???      

    Hands free now, satisfied the trains are ok, nothing on the tracks, no derails, I'm looking around now and every phone is out, camera on, or thumbs flying on screens to follow as I'm spelling aloud (though I can see some phone word bars offering it early,lol.)  I smiled and sat down to talk for about 25 minutes till __ __ __*__ __ __  jumped the track and I saw "it was time". So I graciously excused them by gesturing that I needed to do something to take care of the 382. No throttle they wandered to seating quickly to talk just as I figured they were ready too. I got things set again let them loop a minute, shut them down one at a time to ease the ambience and avoid a shocking silence and rejoined the group.

   An almost perfect, totally random and unannounced "choo-chew the fat" at 1:30am till 3am Devils Night Detroit Style.....Happy Halloween!

 And you know *Casey's Cannonball is the one that jumped in the curve right.

 

wrawroacx posted:

Ben Snyder posted:

Here you go Mike. There's also a 2-stall engine shed with a track on each side to the left, the main yard access track left of the shed, then further left a 5-track yard. Past the roundhouse there is a designated steam service area, a caboose track and 2 tracks that run above my workbench so I can switch the reverse facing yard tracks. 

Ben, nice layout, but I noticed something that caught my eye, where did you find that Chessie round plate near the door? That is really, really cool.

Good eye Tom, that is actually a vintage Chessie frisbee, found on eBay. Thanks for the compliment. 

Devils Night Detroit...still, At 5 am I hear my trains. Investigation ensues. It's ok, he lives here. The 382 is barrelling along..."Smooth" ....."King Creeper" ..."too shiney" ..."I like". I got to watch my layout being used again. Before he shut down the final lights he hit every #90 on the panel once or twice, clicked everything off and said "Lionel had the coolest button ever made". I said "Yep G'night" and we went to our rooms.. Interesting night. ...(good morning )

Adriatic posted:

Devils night in Detroit....

The after bar party found its way to my house. ? I didn't go there or anything. A few folks were in the neighborhood, and brought more folks. And guess what, the girls wanted to run the trains; that's why they came by. So I cleared most of the progmess that had gathered from using the layout as the shop and test track on the Cannonball, flipped the power on.

  The 382 was ready from testing it and I directed one young lady to the correct thottle, she was the conductor of the train of girls, and a returning operator ready to run. But anyhow I simply say Casey's and she understood.

Then I reversed and rerailed a Berkshire just in time for the Polar Express comment that I expected. Too bad it landed in front of freight, lit passenger cars would have went better with her, but she merrily moved the throttle as I told her it was basically a non cartoon version...Two down.  

   Double heading the Generals into position for a four coach run on the elevated level; I step back and another throttle turns..."What?..Oh, It's a Berkshire, Kanawha",.."Spell it???      

    Hands free now, satisfied the trains are ok, nothing on the tracks, no derails, I'm looking around now and every phone is out, camera on, or thumbs flying on screens to follow as I'm spelling aloud (though I can see some phone word bars offering it early,lol.)  I smiled and sat down to talk for about 25 minutes till __ __ __*__ __ __  jumped the track and I saw "it was time". So I graciously excused them by gesturing that I needed to do something to take care of the 382. No throttle they wandered to seating quickly to talk just as I figured they were ready too. I got things set again let them loop a minute, shut them down one at a time to ease the ambience and avoid a shocking silence and rejoined the group.

   An almost perfect, totally random and unannounced "choo-chew the fat" at 1:30am till 3am Devils Night Detroit Style.....Happy Halloween!

 And you know *Casey's Cannonball is the one that jumped in the curve right.

 

Sounds like a fun night. I hope you can get Casey under control and keep him on line!

Installed more whisker tracks around the turntable for "the BIG locomotives"

CL&W is starting to get toward it's "final form" with the upper grade (in the background) and it's roadbed is in the works.

What a great layout!!!!!   WOW

We've actually come up with a slightly different plan after the boss gave us some new restrictions in the room.  I'm no SCARM expert so these pics are not the greatest but I hope they will give an idea of what we are starting with.  Unlike the very detailed planners on this forum, who I envy, we are a bit more free form so things might change as we learn as we go along.  We've got a couple pop ups in the plan that we will have to scenic over/around.  Thanks for asking.

 

Spent a goodly portion of the afternoon going over the 6 standard gauge passenger cars i bought yesterday. All were dirty and there were some missing parts. One was an Ives so I set it aside until later.  I ended up with  3 pretty good functioning cars and two shells that I stripped of trucks,  couplers and steps.  Anyone interested in the shells just drop me a line.  Did take the brass piece off the rear ob the observation car to put it on the car I had as a kid. That has been broken for years.  Enjoyed the work, fun to bring the stuff back.