Finished up the snow pack around the parking lot, and added some patches in between the tracks. Am seriously considering making a winter tunnel system in stead of winterizing the one I have.
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Ted,
The snow looks great! Whichever way you go on the tunnel will be interesting!
Mark Boyce posted:RSJB18 posted:paul 2 posted:RSJB18, if I had that view close to me I would take time off from trains to enjoy it too..............Paul
Thanks Paul. It's 5 hours from home but worth the trip.
Lake George N.Y.
BOB
Looks great, Bob! We visited Lake George 5 years ago, and loved it. We were planning a trip this summer, but both my parents were in the hospital, and we just got them into a personal care home, plus my widowed moth-in-law lives across the road and depends on us for most things; so we scraped the idea. I was considering the Trout House this time. We will try again another year.
One of my favorite spots Mark. I just wish it was a little closer to home. A 5 hour drive is a bit much to do all the time. Been coming here since I was a kid with my parents.
Hope all goes well with your family's health issues.
modeltrainsparts posted:Bob, if you get bored over at LG, i'm about 55 miles away - go south to Saratoga and then come 34 miles due west on NYS 29. Visitors always welcome. Email is in my profile page.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJmTzIFKvys
jackson
Thanks for the invite Jackson. Don't think a side trip like this would go over too well with the family but thanks again anyway.
Bob
RSJB18 posted:Mark Boyce posted:RSJB18 posted:paul 2 posted:RSJB18, if I had that view close to me I would take time off from trains to enjoy it too..............Paul
Thanks Paul. It's 5 hours from home but worth the trip.
Lake George N.Y.
BOB
Looks great, Bob! We visited Lake George 5 years ago, and loved it. We were planning a trip this summer, but both my parents were in the hospital, and we just got them into a personal care home, plus my widowed moth-in-law lives across the road and depends on us for most things; so we scraped the idea. I was considering the Trout House this time. We will try again another year.
One of my favorite spots Mark. I just wish it was a little closer to home. A 5 hour drive is a bit much to do all the time. Been coming here since I was a kid with my parents.
Hope all goes well with your family's health issues.
Yes, 5 hours is a long way to do very often. It is about 9 hours for us. A once every few years trip, I hope!
RSJB18 posted:modeltrainsparts posted:Bob, if you get bored over at LG, i'm about 55 miles away - go south to Saratoga and then come 34 miles due west on NYS 29. Visitors always welcome. Email is in my profile page.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJmTzIFKvys
jackson
Thanks for the invite Jackson. Don't think a side trip like this would go over too well with the family but thanks again anyway.
Bob
That is a wonderful video and layout, Jackson!
started figuring out the heights of the different levels on the layout.....
one wall will be 30' of mountainside mainline....many bridges and tunnels....
here is another bridge that will be elsewhere on the layout, can you tell i like bridges.....
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That will be great, Brian!!
modeltrainsparts posted:Moonson,
Anytime your up here in the southern Adirondack - Saratoga region you are more than welcome to apply your talents to my railroad!! Your work is awesome.
Don't tempt me. I do still get around a bit.
Thank You for the enthusiasm!.
FrankM
Yesterday evening, I put out a ‘Bat signal’ email among a few of the local layout owners, for an op session next week (on a week night, as many of the local guys do week night op sessions anyway). I want to get people who’ve never run before there, if I can.
This is in prep for an op session event in the area in October. A local informal group I belong to does two events each year; one is a layout tour at the start of spring, and then at the start of fall they do an event where people sign up to run op sessions on layouts made available, on certain dates. I couldn’t put my layout on the tour this year as it was my Father-In-Law’s 70th birthday, but I was glad that the op session thing won’t conflict with anything… YET.
The only issue I have is that for a small layout, 3 people running can get a little crowded and I have found myself trying to find stuff for the 3rd person to do. 2 people, with me in the room, seems to work well. I’m on the extreme southern edge of the area where the layouts will be available, but I’d think some folks would be coming from south of here, so that might work well for them. A pal of mine has a HO “Plywood Pacific” layout nearby available on the same day. I could imagine a few people might want to run on each of our layouts if the timing works out right for them.
After the email, I cleaned some track and ran a train all the way down the main and back, just because I could…
Stared to work on our grain elevator. So for we have the base cut, mounts put in, and stared to epoxy the pices of PVC pipe together. Only got half of it epoxied togatber as I underestimated how far one small container would get me. Even was able to get T involved and keep his attention.
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spent a little time under the layout doing some wiring repairs. can not find out what i did wrong on some lights and power to some buildings. some day i will get it wright.
Put a couple strips of leds on that station plarform. I think it's almost too bright. Am using the ac accessory side. Would dc be better for them? Not to change the brightness, but sometimes it seems I get 60 cycle flicker.
Answered my own question. Hooked it up to my buck converter set at 8.5vdc(for other accessories) and it's much dimmer down from 12vac.
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THADDEUS, it is coming along good. What diameter pipe are you using and what length are you making them. I am going to be making a number of elevators. Thanks.............Paul
LEDs... I power all of mine with 12 VDC ac adaptors. We all have a pile of them lying around in drawers from obsolete electronics. Look for those that have 1 amp output or more. Since LEDs drawn 0.02 amps each, you can run quite a few with one adapter. You need to put a current limiter in series with the negative lead and I use the LED calculators available on the web. I also use the AC adaptors from old laptops. They put out enough power to light a whole layout's full of LEDs. I probably have four of them running right now and will add more as I need them. The refinery with its 16 LEDs will get its own adapter. Their regulation seems to be good and the lights don't flicker at all.
Today, my son Chris and I had a good long work session on the city scene in the lower level of our layout. In anticipation of major track replacement, we removed all vehicles and people from the city area. The buildings are the next things that will be removed. We are also taking out all of our Lionel, postwar O-22 remote control switches, several at a time, to go to our repair man Brian Kirsch for servicing and re-installation. One of the switches was under a tunnel. Chris performed the ultimate miracle of extracting the switch from under the tunnel with very little visual to the switch. Much of the surgery he performed was by feel. Among other amazing feats that Chris accomplished on the layout, today's was his third miracle. He is being submitted for Sainthood.
Today I finally got back to the table that had given me so much trouble trying to get it into position. And to think after all that cutting at the other end which was hard to do with the sewer line there all I had to do was cut a bit off the corner of the Masonite at the other end and it would of slid right into place. Thought I had all the bases covered on this one but apparently I am still on a learning curve. Now all I have to do is level the table so that it sits even with the other one and I can run a couple of screws to hold the two together, But here are a few pics..........Paul
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Looks great, Paul! You got it in place and that is all that matters!
Randy Harrison posted:Today, my son Chris and I had a good long work session on the city scene in the lower level of our layout. In anticipation of major track replacement, we removed all vehicles and people from the city area. The buildings are the next things that will be removed. We are also taking out all of our Lionel, postwar O-22 remote control switches, several at a time, to go to our repair man Brian Kirsch for servicing and re-installation. One of the switches was under a tunnel. Chris performed the ultimate miracle of extracting the switch from under the tunnel with very little visual to the switch. Much of the surgery he performed was by feel. Among other amazing feats that Chris accomplished on the layout, today's was his third miracle. He is being submitted for Sainthood.
Let me know when you have completed your layout makeover and I'll be happy to take pictures for you like I did for Carl.
Sounds like this might be a long term project for both of you. Luckily you have Chris available to help you with this project, Randy.
Steve
Some people and circuits both are more sensitive to A.C. cycle peaks, and flicker and pulsing show. Adding capacitance should smooth things.
TedW posted:Put a couple strips of leds on that station plarform. I think it's almost too bright. Am using the ac accessory side. Would dc be better for them? Not to change the brightness, but sometimes it seems I get 60 cycle flicker.
Answered my own question. Hooked it up to my buck converter set at 8.5vdc(for other accessories) and it's much dimmer down from 12vac.
love the look with the lighting very nice job
fl9turbo2 posted:TedW posted:Put a couple strips of leds on that station plarform. I think it's almost too bright. Am using the ac accessory side. Would dc be better for them? Not to change the brightness, but sometimes it seems I get 60 cycle flicker.
Answered my own question. Hooked it up to my buck converter set at 8.5vdc(for other accessories) and it's much dimmer down from 12vac.
love the look with the lighting very nice job
Thank you Sir.
paul 2 posted:Today I finally got back to the table that had given me so much trouble trying to get it into position. And to think after all that cutting at the other end which was hard to do with the sewer line there all I had to do was cut a bit off the corner of the Masonite at the other end and it would of slid right into place. Thought I had all the bases covered on this one but apparently I am still on a learning curve. Now all I have to do is level the table so that it sits even with the other one and I can run a couple of screws to hold the two together, But here are a few pics..........Paul
looking great Paul !! Keep us up with the progress..
paul 2 posted:
I have to ask; what happens when you get derailment in there?
Lee, it is only enclosed under the stairs. If a derailment were to happen I will be able to get to it from either side. Middle track is the mainline. The other will be the yard lead and the black ballasted track is a siding going to a proposed coal mine on the other side of the stairs........Paul
So we started the day with this view
Then we decided to take a ride to see some marble caves in Pottersville, NY.
So were driving up the road to the place and I suddenly see 5 huge NYC Streamliners on the wall of a building and thought they looked familiar.
It was Dunham Studios right in front of me! WOW! We stopped briefly after the cave walk but no one was around. I was hoping to get a peak at the masters work up close but it was not to be today.
They even have a train on the roof of the shop.
Pretty cool stumbling across Clark's place.
Bob
Oh and I found these for Mitch 
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RSJB18 posted:So we started the day with this view
Then we decided to take a ride to see some marble caves in Pottersville, NY.
So were driving up the road to the place and I suddenly see 5 huge NYC Streamliners on the wall of a building and thought they looked familiar.
It was Dunham Studios right in front of me! WOW! We stopped briefly after the cave walk but no one was around. I was hoping to get a peak at the masters work up close but it was not to be today.
They even have a train on the roof of the shop.
Pretty cool stumbling across Clark's place.
Bob
Bob,
When we were at Lake George in 2012, we went to the Cave above Potterville, and my wife said we could stop at Clarke's on the way back. Well, I pulled in at 4:59, and they closed at 5, so I didn't see anything.
I am not able to see any of your photos, so I still have seen nothing!! LOL
Mark Boyce posted:RSJB18 posted:So we started the day with this view
Then we decided to take a ride to see some marble caves in Pottersville, NY.
So were driving up the road to the place and I suddenly see 5 huge NYC Streamliners on the wall of a building and thought they looked familiar.
It was Dunham Studios right in front of me! WOW! We stopped briefly after the cave walk but no one was around. I was hoping to get a peak at the masters work up close but it was not to be today.
They even have a train on the roof of the shop.
Pretty cool stumbling across Clark's place.
Bob
Bob,
When we were at Lake George in 2012, we went to the Cave above Potterville, and my wife said we could stop at Clarke's on the way back. Well, I pulled in at 4:59, and they closed at 5, so I didn't see anything.
I am not able to see any of your photos, so I still have seen nothing!! LOL
I will have to repost the photos later Mark.
I see them on my page so I'm not sure what happened.
Bob
Thank you, Bob! These things happen. 
Today, we worked on the rebuilt Bowser Turntable. We have the PTC 3 Programmable Turntable Controller for track selection and for several years, it's been hard to stay adamant when pulling a large articulated Locomotive onto the bridge. My engineering friends brought some really good support angle iron and we now have a very good hold with the electric step motor brake made by PTC 3 NYRS and it holds tight...Wow, it's all about friends in the hobby...
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Hi there guys, I have been a slacker on the layout this summer but have been looking in now and then.
I saw leaves falling today from some of the trees so I will be shifting from yard to layout sooner than I may like.
Keep up the nice work and thanks for all the ideas!
That's some scary wiring under that turntable...
Yes trainman, that's a scary wiring job indeed, and soon to be neatend up..It does work, the system is fun to run now...Thanks for the comment...Very observant.
RSJB18 posted:Mark Boyce posted:RSJB18 posted:So we started the day with this view
Then we decided to take a ride to see some marble caves in Pottersville, NY.
So were driving up the road to the place and I suddenly see 5 huge NYC Streamliners on the wall of a building and thought they looked familiar.
It was Dunham Studios right in front of me! WOW! We stopped briefly after the cave walk but no one was around. I was hoping to get a peak at the masters work up close but it was not to be today.
They even have a train on the roof of the shop.
Pretty cool stumbling across Clark's place.
Bob
Bob,
When we were at Lake George in 2012, we went to the Cave above Potterville, and my wife said we could stop at Clarke's on the way back. Well, I pulled in at 4:59, and they closed at 5, so I didn't see anything.
I am not able to see any of your photos, so I still have seen nothing!! LOL
I will have to repost the photos later Mark.
I see them on my page so I'm not sure what happened.
Bob
Repost of the photos.
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leapinlarry posted:Yes trainman, that's a scary wiring job indeed, and soon to be neatend up..It does work, the system is fun to run now...Thanks for the comment...Very observant.
I'm an advocate of neat wiring, always have been, but I wouldn't want anyone to see my temporary setups! LOL
Bob,
Now I see the photographs!! Great one of the Lake!! I did not see the 5 NYC front ends five years ago! Very impressive!!! Thank you!!!
I know from what I speak. This is the wiring in my control panel. It's all labeled on both ends so it's traceable...hopefully. It's what happens when you have 6 wires from each toggle (36 of them) and three from each Z-stuff switch machine (26 of those) all leading to the terminal strips. I made a mistake and hinged the panel at the bottom below the cross member so it tends to grab the wires when I close it up. I have to put in a long dowel to hold the wires above that level so it closes flat. Instead, I should have hinged the panel at the top of the cross-member. Oh well... live and learn.
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paul 2 posted:Today I finally got back to the table that had given me so much trouble trying to get it into position. And to think after all that cutting at the other end which was hard to do with the sewer line there all I had to do was cut a bit off the corner of the Masonite at the other end and it would of slid right into place. Thought I had all the bases covered on this one but apparently I am still on a learning curve. Now all I have to do is level the table so that it sits even with the other one and I can run a couple of screws to hold the two together, But here are a few pics..........Paul
Hey there Paul, I know I am a day late, but that's ok cause I am also a Dollar short! LOL I think things are looking great, Please keep up the great work and keep the post coming!
