What did you do on your layout today?

scale rail posted:

Snap shot of the new rock put in yesterday. Dry brush painting is almost finished and a temp. track for positioning. I have the upper level to fit rock in and a larger lower area that goes to the floor. That will just about finish this huge canyon that is about 18 or 20ft long. All made of molded rock and two large trestles. It includes three mines. This will be the main line and it's about eye level with a mining line below. Both will have overhead wire. I made more molded rock this morning. They should be dry in about two days. Fog is still bad outside. Don

Don, excellent tight work and the results are amazing.  What do you use to adhere the rock faces and what colors for the paint. Really great color contrast with the retaining wall that makes both pop.  Well done.

Jhainer posted:

started some scenery on one side. really don't like the joint compound/paper towel method. so it made me mad so I went out and put a 4 inch lift on my suburban instead. only got the rear done .  I put the stock wheels back on with the 35's I don't think it will be able to pull out of the garage to tall .

I sympathize with what to do when scenic things don't work out.  I don't have better ideas on grout unfortunately. But I am wondering about your reference to soldering in your signature.  Have you overcome that?  I will need to solder one little wire to a command board for an upgrade. I plan to study and experiment a lot before I actually perform it on the board. Have you tried soldering lately?

Aside from that, your layout is looking good. Hope to see more of your progress.  I get inspired and enthused to work on my layout from the posts on this thread.

Pennysnut, First off most of my molds are large and heavy when they are cast. I let them try in the sun for a few days, then they are really light to work with.  The back of the molds are not even and the area that I'm placing them is not even so I glob on lots of joint compound to the back of the mold. It holds the molds to the base and the extra fills any gaps around the edges. Then I stray paint them flat black. When that dries I start dry brushing every lightly with a black and white acrylic mix to get the gray you want. Then again lightly dry brush a little burnt umber, raw sienna, and mix white in sometimes so it's not all one color. You want the black to show in the cracks so  use a light touch. The paint is acrylic other than the black spray can base. Then I very lightly dry brush white just on the edges of the rocks. If you don't like the look just repaint the rock black again and start over. It seems like it's a lot of work but once you get the hang of it, it goes very fast. Don't put the white on tell everything is dry. Hope this helps. Don

Jhainer posted:

started some scenery on one side. really don't like the joint compound/paper towel method. so it made me mad so I went out and put a 4 inch lift on my suburban instead. only got the rear done .  I put the stock wheels back on with the 35's I don't think it will be able to pull out of the garage to tall .

The drawback with using joint compound is that if it gets wet or damp it softens again and can grow mold.  You would be better to try Structolite.  It's the brown coat plaster that goes on before the white coat.  It's more granular than joint compound, but that may be a good thing.  It hardens like any other cement based product but it's much lighter in weight.  

Home Depot sells it in 50 # bags.  

This past week I have taken leave from scenic projects and track cleaning to research and make preparations for a loco upgrade and a modified card operating system.  My car card/waybill research took me to this youtube of a "simple car card system" published in another model rr mag, model rr hobbyist.  Tom Driscoll explains the system for his N scale operations as trains are built, then road switchers take the train to the destinations to drop cars off and pickup other cars.  I won't try to restate the concept in any detail as the vidoe is well done, except to note that it involves treating a type of car (box, flat, gondola etc. with exceptions) as a generic type car as opposed to a specific car by road name and number.

After a lot of thought about operation time and complexities, (there are a lot of complexities!!!) I wrote up a few "train cards" to begin the experiment. I have made up preliminary designs for the cards but nothing worth showing yet.  The more cards and logistics this involves for me, the more I may understand the various operation systems.  It is a puzzle for sure, but fun for me.

Using this system, I am outlining 6 basic scenarios.  I don't have to complete all or any part of a scenario.  I can pause operations with a mere paper clip. At any time I can just run the passenger/mail trains, through freights and even switching trains without formal operations so long as I return the trains to the last spot.

The 6 scenarios will vary.  I call them "Sessions" (S1, S2, S3 . . .) that involve making trains for switching; switching; making trains for through freight; running through freights; making passenger trains; running passenger trains; making fast mail trains; running fast mail trains; running the static oil tank train consist. The freights, passenger, mail and oil tank trains are alternatively run east/west bound to add variety. The operations in each session are identified on specific "Order" cards. My sessions always involve making freight trains for switching and switching. In addition, each session will involve two different "through trains", one EB and one WB.  I have mixed them up as best I can at this point among the following types of trains as well as direction for through freight; through passenger; through mail; through oil tankers.

S1: "Yard Orders" card  specifies (1.building freights for switching. 2. building freights for through trains, building passenger/mail trains . . .) 

S1: "Switch Orders" card specifies (1. the delivery, hold or transfer of freight cars for industries on my layout. 2. Transfer of passenger/mail consists for road loco. 3. other transfers . . . 

S1: "Road Orders" card specifies (1. direction, number of loops, stops for water, last spot at destination city for through freights, oil tankers and passenger/mail.)

S1: "Start Order-Freight" card specifies the businesses on the layout and the cars initially spotted at each business. 

S1: "Start Order-Through Trains-Engines" card specifies the spots for those.

The idea as expressed my Mr. Driscoll is that each session will begin where the last ended as far as the spots for virtually all the locos and rolling stock except for specific cars. This is because, the system is based on a box car is a box car and a flat is a flat, not a specific road name and numbered car.  The exception eg. might be for meat reefers.  At the end of (S6), the types of freight cars at businesses will be the same as on the S1 start card.  So, a start card is not necessary for each session.

My inspiration is others have commented that moving trains with some idea of operation, no matter how informal, should add interest to running the continual round about. I am still in the develoment stage of this but it is enjoyable so far.   I don't yet have an idea on the time for a session so undoubtedly I will modify the plan. As in life, everything is subject to change.

Thanks Don. Great ideas and explanation.

Got some ballast at the Medina show. Talked with some friends there. Got home and found out the wrong ballast was in the box. So Monday I'll exchange it for the right stuff. Nothing done on the layout. I am waiting for my order of Gar Graves curves to come so I can work on the next section. Little bit it will be game time and hopefully some great commercials........Paul

samparfitt posted:

Seemed like a good time just to 'run trains'  

video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;feature=youtu.be

 

WOW!  That is a great video of great everything.  Layout, scenery, train and realism. Those trees are really nice, and the train moving through that pass is so neat.  Inspires the imagination.

Thanks,

I've got a little 'how to' on the following thread: page down and there are two locations on tree making.

https://ogrforum.com/t...thern-railway?page=6

Had to change out the contact arm on my PW 275W ZW.  What a PIA that is, I am lucky I had a spare, other part was broke and trans running hot....

Marty

I'm ready to start scenery 

Ran some recently acquired rolling stock (RK Pennsy K4, various freight cars and my two most recent gi-raffes, numbers 19 and 20)... 

Mitch

Yesterday, I had my handyman install some of the glenn snyder shelves.  These were badly badly needed as I had too many (YES) trains just sitting in place they should not have been.

I continued adding "character" to my buildings. I haven't figured out my plan for the interior, but it's in the works!!

Still not sure about the awning colors...

I also rearranged my siding for the power company to tie it in to the main at both ends. 

Looks good Mo! You could always take different colored tape and put on the awning till you found the color you like.

I'm not sure if this counts, but since it is all for my layout, I guess it may?

This is the small room I have to work with.  Previously, it had external raceway power (removed, but location shown in blue), you can also see it behind the desk a little bit.  Also, someone had built out a box for what looked like old lines running for the A/C unit, I'm not sure why (in red circle).   

Last night I finished the patching and installed my new lights.

mike g. posted:

Looks good Mo! You could always take different colored tape and put on the awning till you found the color you like.

Thanks Mike,

The yellow is electrical tape. I had all the sections done in it, but that was way too bright. I pulled them off to alternate, then gave them a spray with Dulcote. I was trying to stay with MTH colors. 

Mo985 posted:

mike g. posted:

Looks good Mo! You could always take different colored tape and put on the awning till you found the color you like.

Thanks Mike,

The yellow is electrical tape. I had all the sections done in it, but that was way too bright. I pulled them off to alternate, then gave them a spray with Dulcote. I was trying to stay with MTH colors. 

Mo, I like the idea of staying with MTH colors, you could always add a little whit and blue, or try black and yellow? just a thought!

RSJB18 posted:

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

RSJB18 posted:

Installed the first few street lights. Grabbed a couple of my son's Hummer's for the pictures

Now that the wiring and terminal boards for the layout lighting are done the rest is easy...

The streetlights need, well, decoration... 

Mitch

LOL

I'm looking for the blushing gi-raffs   

Got an email from gar graves that my track just shipped today so until that gets here on Wednesday I just ran some trains tonight and looked for stuff I know I have but can't remember where I put it. Tomorrow morning heading to Menards to pick up my tanks. I was hoping that the other things I ordered would of gotten there but such was not the case.............Paul

This morning I glued some grass and gravel on the painted foam in my problem corner. I have to spray it with wet water and then diluted glue tomorrow.  I also installed an ERR cruise commander M in my K-line B6. I just have to solder one wire to the R2CL and hopefully it will work. Details are on my thread in the electrical forum if you are curious. My first install and it was quite difficult.  

Great day working on railroad! I have a new helper!

Saturday I installed the ledge cleats to the walls, so the counter tops could be fastened to it. Our first task of the day was to add two support brackets, which we lag bolted to the studs.

Here's the left section loosely set in place.

This is Scott (forum name Miggy) already laying down on the job. He fits right in. I have a knack for capturing my helpers in compromising positions.

Actually, what he was doing down there was attaching the clamps to the seam.

Using an Allen wrench, he tightened the clamps, pulling the two pieces together.

Nature abhors a vacuum. Corollary: new counter space must be filled. In reality I set Scott up to start a project of his own.

He added lead wires to all of the uncoupler magnets, as the first phase of the installation process.

While he was working on that, I was busy marking exact locations for magnet placement over at Hiawatha. I added some glue to the two ties that had to be cut to make room for the coil.

I installed most of the magnets over at Red Wing many years ago. The worst part of that process was cutting the ties. Thanks to modern technology, there is a new tool that makes quick, clean work of that task.

Here we see the ties cut and the rail segment rough cut. I still need to get the Dremel and clean up the ends. Once that is done, I need to drill a hole for the wire, add GarGraves pins to both rail ends and drop in the magnet, crimping the rail over the pins. Then simply repeat 70 more times.

pennsynut posted:

This morning I glued some grass and gravel on the painted foam in my problem corner. I have to spray it with wet water and then diluted glue tomorrow.  I also installed an ERR cruise commander M in my K-line B6. I just have to solder one wire to the R2CL and hopefully it will work. Details are on my thread in the electrical forum if you are curious. My first install and it was quite difficult.  

I am curious about the ERR, I will have to take a look.  Though my 40+ year career has been in electronics (I just work in Engineering doing documentation now) I always find the first time I do something difficult.

Last  night I created this scene on one of my team tracks.

As you can see working on the Auto Rack area.

Nice work and great looking there Poconotrain!

Nice looking!  Where did you get the automobile ramp?   It is gorgeous!

Eliot,

Like your dispatcher corner.  Very professional looking.   Can I hire you to do our Kitchen over?    VBG

poconotrain posted:

Amtrak Autotrain Station, Lorton Va.

Randy T posted:

Eliot,

Like your dispatcher corner.  Very professional looking.   Can I hire you to do our Kitchen over?    VBG

Thanks Randy, but sorry. Two kitchens in one lifetime is enough for me.

The Automobile ramp is scratch built by a friend,got it for Christmas 2 years ago 

Earlier this evening, I framed up some original paperwork from the ET&WNC and hung it up in the layout room. I then put some other stuff along one of the other walls too, all related to the railroad.

FYI, below the RR herald (made by Stoddard Art) is a 1943 ET&WNC timetable, and then a 1943 train order flimsy (next to a ET&WNC employee timecard in the same frame) and at the bottom is a 1880s ET&WNC stock certificate. All these items are originals.

Scratch building a freight platform to go between a couple of sidings. Loosely based it on Lionel's Truck loading dock.

Did some green stuff last couple of days. Need to finish some trees to enhance the scene.

The paint shop was open today,

ALCO re-builds from prime to first coat of color and bridges in Cast blast.

Want to do Alaska decals with a yellow stripe.

After months of experimentation,  I've perfected my FastTrack brakeman actuator!

Whether this means a chorus line of brakemen in the future, well... COULD BE! 

Mitch

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

After months of experimentation,  I've perfected my FastTrack brakeman actuator!

 

Whether this means a chorus line of brakemen in the future, well... COULD BE! 

Mitch

Mitch,

They are blue!  They would go right with the Gi-raffes!!  

If so, I have a couple brakeman cars I can donate to the cause!  Let me know!

Mark Boyce posted:

Mitch,

They are blue!  They would go right with the Gi-raffes!!  

If so, I have a couple brakeman cars I can donate to the cause!  Let me know!

Mixed consist?  Gi-raffe-brakeman-gi-raffe-brakeman!  I love it!  You're on!  Drop me an email, please!   

Mitch