What did you do on your layout today?

you can still smell the fresh paint on the lead engine of this Norfolk Southern mixed freight as it rolls by at sunset this evening.....

MIKE G, can't spend a boatload at York. Too much on order plus DAD already said no cosigning or extra money LOL.......Paul

paul 2 posted:

MIKE G, can't spend a boatload at York. Too much on order plus DAD already said no cosigning or extra money LOL.......Paul

Wait 'till you get married, you'll just swap out Dad for The Wife within the exact same sentence above...

I ordered these last week forgetting I was going to York on Wednesday. Thanks God it came today It would of sat outside till I got back from York.  I got another sheet of build flats. Pics..............Paul

no Layout as of yet, but don't know where else to post this. Have to keep busy to keep inspired till layout is going. So today I played a little with some helicopters for the layout. I got the flat car and small helicopter from a forum friend and put the 2 together. the bigger Schnook is mine I use to fly before the son got a hold of it. Hope you like what I have done. Just need to order a bigger flat car.

Nice job MIke. Wrong coffee mug. Should of been apackers mug LOL

To Mike G, there is room on your lap, you have to learn how to stack them up. 4 is the limit. Tstark

Paul, I am so sorry but the only green in our house is my military train! LOL

Tstark, you lost me. Not sure I know what you mean!

Mike , I was refering to the grandchildren. I assumed that they were yours. tstark

Nice helos Mike.

mike g. posted:

Just need to order a bigger flat car.

     If you ask me  that flatcar looks to be just about the right size to be a load for that Schnook 

tstark posted:

Mike , I was refering to the grandchildren. I assumed that they were yours. tstark

Oh Ok, yep there all mine! All 4 of them, I am going to have to get the ball rolling soon on a layout or they will be all grown at the rate I am going! LOL

RSJ Thanks, I hope it looks good on a Menards 14 1/2" flat car!

Adriatic you are correct. I think it would be a perfect load for the schnook! It appears to be the right size for the Menards tanks. I will take a picture and post it a little bit later.

Very nice, Mike   - not sure about the rotor chains, though. 

Hi Max, I agree about the rotor chains, I know they should be straps or rope, but I didn't have anything I could come up with.

Adriatic, here is the picture I said I would post with the Schnook and Menards tank.

mike g. posted:

here is the picture I said I would post with the Schnook and Menards tank.

Schook. I like it. Way more acceptable than the nickname we gave the things (keep in mind, I have two less landings in them than I should and I still get a cold chill up my spine every time I see of hear one in flight nearby).

p51 posted:

mike g. posted:

here is the picture I said I would post with the Schnook and Menards tank.

Schook. I like it. Way more acceptable than the nickname we gave the things (keep in mind, I have two less landings in them than I should and I still get a cold chill up my spine every time I see of hear one in flight nearby).

I agree Lee, inside is not the best place to spend some time! But I am happy to say every time I went up in one I came down safely in the same one! LOL

I worked on the benchwork tonight and it currently is about 85% complete! The track is just laying on top right now. Eventually it will go on some roadbed and be ballasted. The new "Eye Level Route" will have a 4 track mainline. I still haven't gotten the O81 for the inner most loop yet. Although you can't tell from the photo, none of the loops connect at the moment ( hence the 15% of benchwork left ). This is a milestone evening though because it marks the first time the ABBBA 12 car El Cap has ran together! Needless to say, it was like Christmas in October  

dobermann posted:

Finished (?) another 2'

Very Nice

BIGJOHN&THEWORK, I love the smell of all that lumber in the morning. It smells like victory!

BigJohn&theWork posted:

I worked on the benchwork tonight and it currently is about 85% complete! The track is just laying on top right now. Eventually it will go on some roadbed and be ballasted. The new "Eye Level Route" will have a 4 track mainline. I still haven't gotten the O81 for the inner most loop yet. Although you can't tell from the photo, none of the loops connect at the moment ( hence the 15% of benchwork left ). This is a milestone evening though because it marks the first time the ABBBA 12 car El Cap has ran together! Needless to say, it was like Christmas in October  

going to be sweet!

While some local friends are in York or on their way home, I am here in NH cleaning track and running a mixed consist.  I wonder who had more fun?

          Matt, sure looks like you're having fun

Hey Matt, I agree with Brian that it sure looks like your having fun! Quick question though, did you paint everything under your city Black and just place the buildings? If so great idea!

BigJohn&theWork posted:

I worked on the benchwork tonight and it currently is about 85% complete! The track is just laying on top right now. Eventually it will go on some roadbed and be ballasted. The new "Eye Level Route" will have a 4 track mainline. I still haven't gotten the O81 for the inner most loop yet. Although you can't tell from the photo, none of the loops connect at the moment ( hence the 15% of benchwork left ). This is a milestone evening though because it marks the first time the ABBBA 12 car El Cap has ran together! Needless to say, it was like Christmas in October  

BigJohn&theWork,

It looks great? And congratulations on your great progress!  The ABBBA and 12 cars must be really impressive in person!  Wow!

mike g. posted:

Hey Matt, I agree with Brian that it sure looks like your having fun! Quick question though, did you paint everything under your city Black and just place the buildings? If so great idea!

Thanks guys for the kind words.

Mike - the black under the buildings is black foam board available at Michaels or Hobby Lobby.  The sidewalks are printed cobblestone over foam poster board.  The stone walls are also printed stack stone over foam board or other materials.

I'd say running trains and sleeping in your own bed win!

Very nice Matt.

Bob

Thanks for the information Matt, I know I will be able to use it down the road! This is what is so nice about this forum, people more then willing to help and share the information, how too's, heck even there jokes! 

Antique Car Show Today!

Got a few nice things for the layout. Scale telephone poles for my street, another wood chip hopper and Weaver trailer on flat, wood chip loads from Don Kane and a bunch of Ross switches which will come in the mail. Steve didn't have prewired in the ones I wanted but once they come I can start fitting them into place. And after seeing the new Lionel Niagara I think I am going to bit the bullet and buy one. Pics.............Paul

 Mike,   I've used bread ties; and yellow garbage bag ties , or the white paper twist ties colored by highlighter and Sharpie. Paper ones have a nice "tattered" look IMO; with a good buckle, I like them best.

  This is a zip strip with the end mangled in vice grips to look more like a loose strap with freys. The zip strip's buckle can be painted and used with twist ties; and /or even trimmed. Just because it's the right shape, half the work is done.

Here is my chopper on the USMC submarine flat ... I've had it since I was a kid. (The Navy sub was lost at sea!     ... a flood wiped out much of what I had  

In the process of installing relays and non-derailing on the three turnouts on the new upper level.  Gad, what a lot of wires to hook up to accomplish powering the off-hand rails so the lights don't blink!!  14+ wires ... power drops for track and turnout, etc ... taking both of us 3-4 hours per turnout with wire labels, etc.

And of course in testing we discovered the non-derailing isolated track sections are a couple of inches too short if the train is moving at a good clip.  Time to "tune" with a cutting wheel and solder plug.

Matt. great car show!

Paul, you sure did find some nice stuff there, but if you would have asked dad for a front on your allowance you could have got more!

Adriatic, thanks for the heads up!

Kerrigan, I feel your pain, I hate wiring! LOL

paul 2 posted:

Got a few nice things for the layout. Scale telephone poles for my street, another wood chip hopper and Weaver trailer on flat, wood chip loads from Don Kane and a bunch of Ross switches which will come in the mail. Steve didn't have prewired in the ones I wanted but once they come I can start fitting them into place. And after seeing the new Lionel Niagara I think I am going to bit the bullet and buy one. Pics.............Paul

Who makes the poles?

paul 2 posted:

Got a few nice things for the layout. Scale telephone poles for my street, another wood chip hopper and Weaver trailer on flat, wood chip loads from Don Kane and a bunch of Ross switches which will come in the mail. Steve didn't have prewired in the ones I wanted but once they come I can start fitting them into place. And after seeing the new Lionel Niagara I think I am going to bit the bullet and buy one. Pics.............Paul

Paul,

That looks like a great bunch of items.  Don Kane loads are the best!  It was good to meet you at York!

DOBERMANN, Lionel makes the poles. These are unlighted. Charles Ro had them for 20 dollars....... Mark it was nice to meet you in person too. And by the looks of it you did good at your first York..........Paul

paul 2 posted:

DOBERMANN, Lionel makes the poles. These are unlighted. Charles Ro had them for 20 dollars....... Mark it was nice to meet you in person too. And by the looks of it you did good at your first York..........Paul

Thank you, Paul!!  Yes, but it is a good think I had a few items I planned to sell this fall to offset part of the purchases!  LOL

Started putting together my warehouse scene along the back wall of the layout. Added the three Todd Architecture shadow boxes I picked up at York during the week, the Lionel 40' trailers I picked up from Grzyboski's a couple of weeks ago, and some foam "asphalt". I've ordered some LED's to light the buildings which I hope will come in this week. (FYI... if you ever order any of the Todd shadow boxes, I highly recommend getting the magnetic stripes they offer to secure the boxes to the layout - they work beautifully). Have to lay some additional asphalt and put in some lane markers. Then I have to run the Vision Line Big Boy to check the clearances. Definitely think I'll be investing in some more shadow boxes.

Tonight, I cleaned the track, changed the car cards to correctly reflect the purpose of the sidings. I also arranged the cars so I know where all going to wind up at. Then I placed the fake switch stands so everyone will know which turnout is which from the fascia pulls.
I think everything is ready for the op sessions on Saturday.
https://m.facebook.com/Olympia...oaders-186688141513/

I also took some shots for the heck of it:

I had to put the big layout on hold while I finish the 2017 Halloween layout.

Track is down, cleaned and screwed down. next the ground cover and buildings.

trains run good.