Big_Boy_4005 posted:

Thanks Kenny, I remember that topic now, that was a neat table.

Here's a link to your topic. I had put a like on it so I could find it again.

I'm not really looking for a table, but a heavy duty hot wire would be great. I'd like to be able to cut strips of the 2" foam at a 45° angle, so they can be stacked forming a slope without a lot of waste.

Maybe I need to take a step back and rethink my method as it is looking rather impractical.

Elliot, since you are cutting strips and want the 45 angle, and since your bluff is basically linear,  try cutting the strips with your table saw.   Very little waste since one cut will give you two 45 surfaces.   To curve the strips cut slots on the back edge similar to what you did with the plywood used in your helix.  You can then shape and add detail with knife, hot wire, etc.   I bonded my foam with PL 200 from Menards.  Keep the glue to the back edge away from where you will be carving as the glue sets firm.

Dave

Thanks RSJB, I have a similar tool. I'll have to give it a try.

Dave, I thought about the table saw. I'll have to get the sheet cut down to a manageable size first.

Elliot - Looking good so far.  I am rapidly approaching this phase on my layout and appreciate your leading the way.  

Art

Chugman posted:

Elliot - Looking good so far.  I am rapidly approaching this phase on my layout and appreciate your leading the way.  

Art

 

Thanks Art, but I'm not really the pioneer on this.

samparfitt posted:

FYI,

Orders from China came in: from different venders.

Toggles: bought on Jan 3, delivered on Jan 17

People, sitting: bought on Jan 6, delivered on Jan 17.

 From whence came the painted seated figures?  Are they as well-done as the MTH ones in the newer passenger cars, like the NCL?

Kerrigan posted:

samparfitt posted:

FYI,

Orders from China came in: from different venders.

Toggles: bought on Jan 3, delivered on Jan 17

People, sitting: bought on Jan 6, delivered on Jan 17.

 From whence came the painted seated figures?  Are they as well-done as the MTH ones in the newer passenger cars, like the NCL?

Also, if you don't mind me asking what was the price on them?

Mike,

20 bucks for two packs of 50 people, each package.

29 bucks for 30 DPDT toggles.

Kerrigan,

Can't compare, haven't seen MTH.  This are just basic people: good enough for inside passenger cars.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/301844...e=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT  

samparfitt posted:

Mike,

20 bucks for two packs of 50 people, each package.

29 bucks for 30 DPDT toggles.

 

Kerrigan,

Can't compare, haven't seen MTH.  This are just basic people: good enough for inside passenger cars.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/301844...e=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT  

Nice, do you have the link to both, I am going to need both!

toggles:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171746...e=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

As suggested, I started a separate topic pertaining to my catenary build.  You'll find it in the scenery and structures catagory.

Bruce

Here's a link to Bruce's catenary build thread.

Lots of impressive work by you posters. Today I used up some left over hydrocal cloth from my layout redo a while back and bought a little more to finish these inserts. By the weekend I just might see a little color.

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

Thanks RSJB, I have a similar tool. I'll have to give it a try.

Dave, I thought about the table saw. I'll have to get the sheet cut down to a manageable size first.

 Elliot, use the table saw to cut a 4x8 sheet in half, and then continue cutting to a manageable size.  A table saw makes for quick work with not too much mess.   Or do what I did - lucky to have new construction in the area and retrieved 2 & 1 inch styrofoam pieces from construction dumpsters.   Good luck!

Dave

Pingman posted:

Here's a link to Bruce's catenary build thread.

Thanks for posting the link, Carl.  Much appreciated!

Bruce

Kerrigan posted

 From whence came the painted seated figures?  Are they as well-done as the MTH ones in the newer passenger cars, like the NCL?

I have quite a few of both.  The one's currently flooding the market out of China are 1:50 whereas the MTH unpainted figs I bought a few years back are 1:64-ish.  So the MTH figs are just children to the 1:50 figs.  But then the 1:50 figs are small adults or teenagers compared with the traditional Plasticville, Marx, Life-Like, etc. figures we've known for years.

Tonight I took the two backdrops and with a razor knife I cut off all the blue sky on both of them. Now with that done tomorrow  I'll see how I want to piece them together.............Pics...........Paul

I had wanted to get some work done today, but as I was washing the sharpest knife in the kitchen during dinner prep, I sliced my index and middle fingers pretty well. Didn't even know I had done it, til my wife pointed to the blood drops on the table. The index wasn't as bad as the middle.

The good news is it doesn't hurt. I'll know more in the morning when we take the bandages off. I should be good to go with simple band-aids. Maybe the worst thing is typing, as if my fingers weren't fat enough.

Got my 1668 prewar Torpedo up and running for the first time of years.  Picked up a good motor with a bad E-unit on eBay, and an hour or so of mixing and matching bits from the 1668's original motor (has a broken off screw in one driver), the Torpedo was buzzing happily around my layout! 

Mitch

Yikes Elliot, my stomach cramped up and I winced when I read your slicing post. Glad it's not bad. 

Elliot

I tried just about every tool I could get my hands on for fooling with that foam board.

For 2 inch, besides my table saw the jig saw  with a compass or straight edge was my next go to tool for getting it close to the size material I was wanting.

With as much as I had the heat type cutting tools just didn't get it.

Larry

Wow so just over 4 years ago I started this thread.   About 3 years ago my layout came down.  A lot has changed since then.  We welcomed a new baby in our life, my job has changed, and life has been much busier.  I am finally getting around to starting my next layout!

Last night I cleared out all the boxes, track, wood, etc from my layout room and prepped the walls for paint.  This afternoon I will be painting the walls a nice gray called "Gray Clouds".  Tomorrow and over the next week I will be painting dark clouds along the horizon to simulate a typical winter day here in Michigan.

Pictures to be posted this week along with a new thread of my layout progress!  

Good to see you back here Jim. We've been keeping your topic warm for you. Alan Arnold was asking about where you were last year. I pointed him to some of your last posts and told him that you hadn't given up on trains, but that life was just getting in the way.

So are you using the same space that we had discussed?  Did you ever settle on a track plan? Anxious to see the pictures!

Jim,

So glad to see you back!!  Your topic has passed the test of time; and I am reminded of you each time I see your photo.  I know how it goes with having to put trains on the shelf for a while while raising a family.  Our last daughter to get married left me a train room that we are working on a design to fill it with a layout.  

New O Gauge Layout in Under 144 Square Feet

I look forward to seeing what you have come up with in your time away!!

Dave and Larry, you've talked me into it, the table saw it is. I'll rip the sheet in half first, then tilt the blade and rip the strips. Once the basic form is built up, I'll use the oscillating saw to do the final shaping. Sounds like a plan!

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

I had wanted to get some work done today, but as I was washing the sharpest knife in the kitchen during dinner prep, I sliced my index and middle fingers pretty well. Didn't even know I had done it, til my wife pointed to the blood drops on the table. The index wasn't as bad as the middle.

The good news is it doesn't hurt. I'll know more in the morning when we take the bandages off. I should be good to go with simple band-aids. Maybe the worst thing is typing, as if my fingers weren't fat enough.

Wow that sucks Elliot, I did the same thing Monday night while washing dishes! LOL Just the index finger but it hurt like Hell, guess I am just a whimp, LOL

paul 2 posted:

Tonight I took the two backdrops and with a razor knife I cut off all the blue sky on both of them. Now with that done tomorrow  I'll see how I want to piece them together.............Pics...........Paul

Paul, they look like they will work out very nice! cant wait to see them on the wall!

mike g. posted:

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

I had wanted to get some work done today, but as I was washing the sharpest knife in the kitchen during dinner prep, I sliced my index and middle fingers pretty well. Didn't even know I had done it, til my wife pointed to the blood drops on the table. The index wasn't as bad as the middle.

The good news is it doesn't hurt. I'll know more in the morning when we take the bandages off. I should be good to go with simple band-aids. Maybe the worst thing is typing, as if my fingers weren't fat enough.

Wow that sucks Elliot, I did the same thing Monday night while washing dishes! LOL Just the index finger but it hurt like Hell, guess I am just a whimp, LOL

Thanks Mike, you're not a wimp. Part of the reason it doesn't hurt is because I don't have a lot of feeling in my fingers to start with, neuropathy. Got to assess the damage this morning, and clean up the mess. The index isn't too bad. The middle has a bit of a chunk missing. A couple fresh band-aids have me covered. Back on the job later today.

Glad to hear that Elliot!!

Was heading to the basement to work on the back drops but I got interrupted because USPS dropped of my latest Weaver TOFC. Of course I had to get it put of the box. Now to work on the backdrop. Pic of new car..........Paul

I finished detailing a new Atlas O Amtrak Dining Car and ran it on the layout.  I ran out of white paint and ordered some on-line because all my local hobby stores have closed in the last year, or do not handle Testors flat acrylic paint.

Boxed up five new Legacy engines: 2 Allegheny, 2 GG1, and a Heisler to go to Lionel Service.

John, The dining car is looking good!  Sorry you need help on the engines!

Tested my newly acquired 224E engine.

Replaced my nice 224E (sold years back) with a high grade one to match the 2224W i kept that also is very nice. In the listing it was said that there was a problem with the e-unit and did not run .

After receiving it the other day i was impressed at its condition everything is original even all the screws look like new on it , the USA made light bulb and the drum for the e-unit i had to replace.

Its my guess it was run very little from the looks of the engine and its insides and e-unit quit then shelved.

Now it runs and runs like a top pulling the 2224w tender and prewar freight cars.

I consider myself lucky to have bought such a splendid looking all original engine.

I looked at the two backdrops I cut last night leaning them against the wall. And after studying them a bit more I decided to cut them up and rearrange them. I think this worked out better. Hope so because I glued them into place already. Pics of the way it turned out. First pic is of the two backdrops one in front of the other before I cut them up................Paul

Turned out looking very nice Paul!

Looks great, Paul.

Art

Changed a locomotive on the inner loop freight train.  Changed out some freight cars.  Ran trains.  Lost track of time.  Had fun!!!!!!!

I purchased and cut 5 sheets of plywood and 4 sheets of homasote.

Insulated 3 yard tracks into 4 blocks each track to store additional engines.

Before:

FYI,

I used those Chinese made DPDT toggles for this project and they are sensitive on the center off: one little nudge of the toggle while in the 'center,off'  position will move it to 'on' in either direction.  This is OK since, for my case, as I'm only using one side so I can push the toggle all the way to the opposite end.  (you get what you pay for, if you're lucky).

No way would I use them for the rated 115 volts but 15 volts is good.

Radio shack has some good quality ones at 4 bucks each.  Not sure about other brands.  I had a lot of DPDT from 20 years ago but ran out and those were high quality.  Should be able to find good ones at train shows for a reasonable price.

Sam , thanks for the heads up on the switches!

Well after over 40 years of trucking and 3 weeks of retirement I finally got started with layout scenery. I bought a ballast king last year and used it today. Great tool, did 40 feet of track and glued it in about 3 hours. Looks great. On to the next 40. Life's good.