p51 posted:M. Mitchell Marmel posted:pics from the middle of the 100 mile traffic jam on I-40 on Thursday...
What's the story there? I Googled it but couldn't find anything that talked about this...
Basically, a westbound SUV decided to play "Dukes of Hazzard" with a couple eastbound semis. I was stuck there for going on six hours...
Mitch
mike g. posted:paul 2 posted:Today I got my 1 X 4's cut and screwed to the plywood. I decided to paint the sides as I did with the rest of the tables. So when it is dry I can run my centerlines and glue down some cork roadbed later today after dinner. Pic...........Paul
Looking good Paul! I see your already getting the Christmas stuff out!
So he does! Mike, you don't miss anything!!
M. Mitchell Marmel posted:p51 posted:M. Mitchell Marmel posted:pics from the middle of the 100 mile traffic jam on I-40 on Thursday...
What's the story there? I Googled it but couldn't find anything that talked about this...
Basically, a westbound SUV decided to play "Dukes of Hazzard" with a couple eastbound semis. I was stuck there for going on six hours...
Mitch
paul 2 posted:Today I got my 1 X 4's cut and screwed to the plywood. I decided to paint the sides as I did with the rest of the tables. So when it is dry I can run my centerlines and glue down some cork roadbed later today after dinner. Pic...........Paul
Looking GREAT Paul !!! 
p51 posted:gandydancer1950 posted:Kerrigan posted:We moved 200+ train boxes from under one section of the layout to another to gain access to string the rest of the upper level turnout control wires. What a huge PIA!! WAY TOO MANY BOXES ... and trains .... 20 times more than can fit on the layout at any one time. Have to STOP buying trains!!!
stopping buying trains is like trying to eat just one potato chip!
I guess that's a 'collector v/s operator' issue, as I had no problems stopping with the locomotives and cars I needed to run my layout.
Sure, every now and then something cool comes a' calling, but when you have a layout with no interchange possible another railroad, I'd think even if you did a totally freelance concept, you start looking at cool new stuff and think, "that'd be cool, but I can't use it for anything..."
The closest I ever came to that once my layout was done was to get the Bachmann Whitcomb 50-tonner diesel, and only then as I knew the Army bought several of them in the year I model...
And we limit our purchases to railroads which ran in the Northwest ... never would have thought there would be so many made by the 3-rail companies. Geeze, how many NP Zs can one fit into the whisker tracks?!? I NEED MORE Engine Terminal tracks!! Oh oh, that would mean adding more tracks to the already too-many-tracks layout!
Mark Boyce posted:Nice Carpet Central!! I can set up the carpet central, but the little dog doesn't like me running it. That is why I built the table top in one of our married daughter's old rooms. My wife is convinced she doesn't like the headlight, because she waits for it to come around, then nudges the loco off the track. I need to try pulling the bulb out this Christmas and see if she is right.
It's amazing how our pets react to our trains.
The HO in the background is one of my oldest trains. It's a Rivarossi NYC Hudson. I got it from Santa when I was 8. I only run it at Christmas now.
Thanks Mark.
M. Mitchell Marmel posted:p51 posted:M. Mitchell Marmel posted:pics from the middle of the 100 mile traffic jam on I-40 on Thursday...
What's the story there? I Googled it but couldn't find anything that talked about this...
Basically, a westbound SUV decided to play "Dukes of Hazzard" with a couple eastbound semis. I was stuck there for going on six hours...
Mitch
6 HOURS! OUCH!
Wonder what the other drivers thought when you put Fortesque on the roof and started taking pictures.
Oh BTW- I thought Gi-raffes were silent?????
gandydancer1950 posted:TedW posted:Put the mountain back on the layout and ran trains to check clearances. And changed out the static display of sunset passenger cars for a few Superchief stainless. Have started the waterfall on some plastic coated paper, but I don't really know what I'm doing, so who knows what will come of it.
wonderful layout!
Thank you 
shelving up in another room, more train storage, will load them up tonight.....
and ran some trains....
low clearance ahead......
going to get a little bit of steam engine help up the hill....
she'll be coming around the mountain.......
Canadian Pacific coming through.....
p51 posted:I just added a few cheap bird figures I bought off eBay from China, cost about a buck for half a dozen of them. I think they look pretty decent where they are now, and it's a nice little detail.
And you can't have birds without the poop!
Your modeling skills are terrific!
gandydancer1950 posted:p51 posted:
Your modeling skills are terrific!
Thank you very much. I make a point to look at everything and think, "Is this how it'd have appeared in real life?" and go with my answer to that question. I put in scattered 'bird poop' after I realized I had a place where birds would likely be, but no signs of them. My wife thinks I went overboard with the marks signs on this roof, though. She might be right, but I was recently on an angled business roof and saw a lot more than this, up there.
RSJB18 posted:M. Mitchell Marmel posted:p51 posted:M. Mitchell Marmel posted:pics from the middle of the 100 mile traffic jam on I-40 on Thursday...
What's the story there? I Googled it but couldn't find anything that talked about this...
Basically, a westbound SUV decided to play "Dukes of Hazzard" with a couple eastbound semis. I was stuck there for going on six hours...
Mitch
6 HOURS! OUCH!
Wonder what the other drivers thought when you put Fortesque on the roof and started taking pictures.
Oh BTW- I thought Gi-raffes were silent?????
I couldn't quite put a FINGER on the joke there
At least he didnt hoove it out of there.... "Going Home" 
Today I decided to add a few cross braces to the lift out section. Flipped it over and laid the track back down to trace the center lines and the dimensions of the crossover and switch plus draw lines for the curves. I got a bit of cork down and after dinner I'll head back down to finish the cork on the lift out section. Pics of the progress.........Paul
I really enjoy this part of building layouts, Paul.
Are you going to cut the tracks with a Dremel once they are laid?
MaxSouthOz posted:I really enjoy this part of building layouts, Paul.
Are you going to cut the tracks with a Dremel once they are laid?
I think you should get Ted to cut them
I hear he de-burrles them too
p51 posted:I just added a few cheap bird figures I bought off eBay from China, cost about a buck for half a dozen of them. I think they look pretty decent where they are now, and it's a nice little detail.
And you can't have birds without the poop!
Jeez-a- Weez...you're pretty far along with your layout if the birdies are landing on it. Nice!
Adriatic posted:MaxSouthOz posted:I really enjoy this part of building layouts, Paul.
Are you going to cut the tracks with a Dremel once they are laid?
I think you should get Ted to cut them
I hear he de-burrles them too
No problem. 
paul 2 posted:Today I decided to add a few cross braces to the lift out section. Flipped it over and laid the track back down to trace the center lines and the dimensions of the crossover and switch plus draw lines for the curves. I got a bit of cork down and after dinner I'll head back down to finish the cork on the lift out section. Pics of the progress.........Paul
You Da man Paul! The cork looks great and so does the laundry! I have some that needs done here! LOL I really want to thank you for sharing as it is a learning tool for me! Thanks again!
It all looks great, Paul!
Ted, yes I think we can handle that. Ride the exercise bike and cut wood at the same time.
the search has now officially started.......
talking SG track work (pins, lockons, etc) with gents on Fb regarding set up of my newest items to arrive on the TeaRose Railroad (TRRR):
Max, once I get the track screwed down I'll be using my Dremel to cut the track. I was able to find larger cutting blades so I can pretty much cut straight through. MIKE G, I hope I can get this done before I have to do laundry again so I won't have to crawl on the floor to get to the washer LOL. But tonight after dinner I got the rest of the cork down. Tomorrow I can pull the nails out and paint the cork and later in the day start putting track down. Pic.....Paul
finished putting up and filling up some more shelves last night......
and ran some trains.....
paul 2 posted:Max, once I get the track screwed down I'll be using my Dremel to cut the track. I was able to find larger cutting blades so I can pretty much cut straight through. MIKE G, I hope I can get this done before I have to do laundry again so I won't have to crawl on the floor to get to the washer LOL. But tonight after dinner I got the rest of the cork down. Tomorrow I can pull the nails out and paint the cork and later in the day start putting track down. Pic.....Paul
Paul I really like fallowing your work! Most of all I like how you are using every inch possible in your basement! I hope you left a little room on your desk for working on projects!
Mike, all the years I have been in the hobby I have never had or made a bench area to work on stuff. It has always been my lap or the dining room table.............Paul
briansilvermustang posted:
finished putting up and filling up some more shelves last night......
and ran some trains.....
Really like your passenger car display. What year & maker is the full dome ?Amtrak? car (second shelf from the top)? It would be popular here in New England with the look alike Patriots logo. After last night's Patriot loss 42-27 to KC, I'm not so sure. LOL
thanks, Matt, that is a MTH Wesrtern Pacific heritage car, do not know the year though....
Thanks Brian. I'll keep anele out for it on OGR. Won't last long at local shows.
Today I started off by painting the cork. I was going to do the track next but decided instead to put down some plaster. With the plaster I am trying something a bit different. I have been using Gypsolite from Scenic Express. On the other table I just applied it to the plywood. But after a short period of time once it had dried it started to flake away from the edge of the table. So with this batch I decided to wet the plywood with water and then apply the plaster. I'll see if this will work to bond the plaster to the wood better. When all this is dry I'll color the plaster and lay down the ballast. then I lay down track. Pics...........Paul
Finished mounting electrical switches on my lower yard control panel. Now comes wiring the switches to the tracks and turnouts.
paul 2 posted:Today I started off by painting the cork. I was going to do the track next but decided instead to put down some plaster. With the plaster I am trying something a bit different. I have been using Gypsolite from Scenic Express. On the other table I just applied it to the plywood. But after a short period of time once it had dried it started to flake away from the edge of the table. So with this batch I decided to wet the plywood with water and then apply the plaster. I'll see if this will work to bond the plaster to the wood better. When all this is dry I'll color the plaster and lay down the ballast. then I lay down track. Pics...........Paul
Looking great Paul !!
getting ready to expand the layout outdoors........ need to get from here........
......to there.......LOL......
paul 2 posted:Today I started off by painting the cork. I was going to do the track next but decided instead to put down some plaster. With the plaster I am trying something a bit different. I have been using Gypsolite from Scenic Express. On the other table I just applied it to the plywood. But after a short period of time once it had dried it started to flake away from the edge of the table. So with this batch I decided to wet the plywood with water and then apply the plaster. I'll see if this will work to bond the plaster to the wood better. When all this is dry I'll color the plaster and lay down the ballast. then I lay down track. Pics...........Paul
Looks great Paul, just an idea if the plaster does flake off try a little test section and put down some elmers glue first. I did that with a lot of concrete I was doing where it got really thin and it stayed like a rock!
Mike, thanks for that idea. I never thought of that. I will have plenty more edges to do so that is what I will do the next time...............Paul
nothing very big today I just had some time with my grandson running trains. Making plans in my mind for r what I will do tomorrow. Wiring for sure.
I had been doing more wiring the last few days, and now have all the switches working again after the control panel move. I changed the wire going over the door for the #1 turnout and got it working, then chased down the problem with the #5 turnout. That one was simply a splice that had come undone on the power leg.
I also did some high voltage wiring the other day. I have two light switches that turn the layout on, one for track power, and the other for everything else. Each was supposed to be on its own 20A circuit, but I had been running it all off one. So I introduced the new circuit, but in the process, I created a problem, and the breaker has popped a couple times back at the panel. I have one outlet that needed to be moved to the new circuit. The trouble was I only had a single neutral wire in the conduit. Unfortunately, both circuits are on the same phase. I guess I have a couple options. I could either plug the track power into the other phase, and do a shared neutral, or I could add a second neutral and solve the problem that way. I'll figure it out.
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I didn't go downstairs today, but it wasn't a day without trains. I was invited to an operating session on an HO layout. My operations guru Gary had helped create this layout. Sadly, the guy who owned it passed away, but his widow has kept the layout for now. So this is kind of the farewell tour. There will probably be a couple more sessions before she pulls the plug. Gary has fallen in love with my layout, and it's pretty clear why. My layout reminds him of this layout, because it covers much of the same ground, with some differences.
It has been 30+ years since I have operated. I felt rather intimidated. My one advantage was that I recognized the track plan because it was so similar to mine. This was the real deal, with a dispatcher, radios, a fast clock and train orders. I had never operated in such a large and formal setting. I followed one of the guys around as he ran a train, asking a bunch of questions, including some as basic as how the DigiTrax throttles worked. Then they "threw me out of the boat" and gave me my own train. I didn't really pay any attention to the clock, I was just worried about not screwing up. After that, I ran a couple more trains, and by the end, I was getting kind of comfortable. I made some mistakes, including running a switch and running my train beyond its clearance, but I didn't kill anyone, so it was a good day.
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