What did you do on your layout today?

paul 2 posted:

MIKE G, I will be laying down plaster and ground foam in that spot......Paul

Thought it would be  a good place for a Hobo shack! LOL

Adriatic, the lift works great!

Paul, good to make it right now!

Spent time testing my "Up North" railroads: Alaska and Canadian Pacific, before storing items while I start phase two of my "Valley of Bridges" layout. Waiting for second CP SD90MAC and a powered GP35 to add a CP Rail body shell #5009. Once tested, the winter building resumes.  It will be good to see more signals added and the completion of the upper reverse loop bridge work.

I made another video from track level, going Westbound this time:

  I've had enough of the ore trolley for a bit except for paint and adding more wood foe looks. Motorizing the thing is another project, though the set up seems ideal for limit switches, I want to be" fresh" for it.

  So, tonight I wired and mounted some old led garden lights to a 2x4. I always thought they looked like roofs so I'm going to try and turn them into a passenger platform.

Not bad.....I'll also likely mount them as a shorter plarform with the roofs closer; butted right to each other to see how it looks.

I could use a wider platform or two narrow ones with the track centered betwween them dead center under the lights

....... at least 2" lower will be better too

Interestingly, these l.e.d.s had a dc supply behind them but I've found they are fully rectified lamps.

p51 posted:

I made another video from track level, going Westbound this time:

Very well done!

Lee, the video done in Black and White is a Hit! It really brings out the time period! Great job!

Adriatic, nice use for some garden lights. If you wouldn't have said anything I would have never known! Post more as you go along please!

Happy Veterans Day and Thank you to those who served!

Cold and windy in NY this weekend so after a quick leaf clean up and grass cut I got back inside where its warm yesterday. Way too cold for early November. Hope its not a indication of what winter's going to be like.

Work continues on the engine yard area. I added a couple of lights along the future road. Made them with yellow LED's to simulate low pressure sodium lights. More details to add next.

Bob

Lee- another great video!
Adriatic- the lights look great. The coal hopper is cool too!

Brian- perfect adult beverage conveyance system!

Paul 2- more fine tuning I see. Looking good.

RSJB18 posted:

Happy Veterans Day and Thank you to those who served!

Cold and windy in NY this weekend so after a quick leaf clean up and grass cut I got back inside where its warm yesterday. Way too cold for early November. Hope its not a indication of what winter's going to be like.

Work continues on the engine yard area. I added a couple of lights along the future road. Made them with yellow LED's to simulate low pressure sodium lights. More details to add next.

Bob

Pretty clever Bob, you’re full o surprises!  

Installed some signage on the Rio Grande switching layout several weeks ago. These were printed on normal 8x10 paper using color ink. I scaled the signs down to appropriate O scale size. Glued them onto the fence with normal white glue and then after drying, cut the sign between the pickets of the fence. Finished by putting India ink on the sign and then weathered with chalks. Tried to achieve a painted on look. Enjoy!

Bob, that sure is a wonderful idea for the lights! They almost look molded into them!

Chessie, then signs turned out looking wonderful! Good job!

Ted- gotta keep you guys on your toes

Mike- I didn't have room for separate poles so I took from my electricans handbook and made "wallpacks"

Chessie- Awesome signs!

Thanks guys.

Bob

A new installment in the "Under The Hood" series, wherein once again I wander into "things that God and Lionel Cowan never intended" territory... 

https://ogrforum.com/...out-tender-for-sound

Mitch 

Not too much done today. Decided to go to a small train show in Highland Heights Ohio. Nothing caught my eye. But you never know at what show you may find what you are looking for. This afternoon I painted the cork. Later when dry I'll lay down the track. Tomorrow heading out to another train show in Mansfield Ohio. Pic.............Paul

My K-Line Pennsy GG1 (very smooth running engine) was derailing on an 022 switch track so I adjusted it to eliminate the derailments.

                ran some trains.....

                  had my own little "Switcher Saturday".....

There were a couple of trees on my layout that I never really liked. I think they were made by Woodland Scenics, but they looked like Alder trees with white trunks. The bases weren't bad, but the foliage just didn't really look as good as the trees I got later on. So, the couple of really good trees I got at the Boeing model train show today, and replaced both of them.

In the first photo, it's in the center.

In the other photo, it's the tree directly behind the old man leaning on the cane.

They look tremendously better than the trees they each replaced.

p51 posted:

There were a couple of trees on my way out that I never really liked. I think they were made by Woodland scenic's, but they look like Alder trees with white trunks. The bases weren't bad, but the foliage just didn't really look as good as the trees I got later on. So, I bought a couple of really good trees and a model train show today, and replaced both of them.

In the first photo, it's in the center.

In the other photo, it's the tree directly behind the old man leaning on the cane.

They look tremendously better than the trees they each replaced.

They look great, but the real nice ones can get a little pricey don't you think?

RAN TRAINS!!!! Then went hunting, after dinner, I’m gonna RUN MORE TRAINS!!!!

gandydancer1950 posted:

p51 posted:

They look great, but the real nice ones can get a little pricey don't you think?

 

They are wire armatures with something put on the ends, which I can't identify, but boy did they look good. This is one of the advantages of having a small layout, I can indulge myself with some top end trees here in there.

briansilvermustang posted:

                ran some trains.....

                  had my own little "Switcher Saturday".....

Brian, that sure looks like a wonderful time! I have to ask, when did you start collecting trains? Looks like you have a lot of everything!

Now that all the SSD cards are tested...

it's time to figure out where they need to go on the layout. Yesterday, I printed out my two track plan pages that had the signal locations on them. They are very hard to see at this level of magnification, but they are there, with all of their heads on the masts. You can see them better if you click on the images.

While I was at dialysis, I made all of these chicken scratches to try and efficiently group the signals geographically and logically.

Today, I translated those notes into this table. It took a lot of juggling because each SSD card controls 12 LED's, and I didn't want a bunch of unused ones on any card if I could help it. It turned out about as well as I could have hoped. If you can see column K says "EXTRAS". Those are the unmatched circuits. One card has 3 and another has 7, but some of the latter may get used yet.

There are four C/MRI nodes, A thru D. I built this panel today. These are most of the circuits for node A. I'll be hanging this on the wall under the layout, then comes the easy part, WIRING. What's really neat about all this is everything is in multiples of 8. The C/MRI output cards consist of 3 ports with 8 bits each for a total of 24 per card. It just so happens that the SSD's need 2 output bits per circuit, with 12 circuits per card for a total of 24, MAGIC! Three Cat5 cables will connect the output card to the inputs of the SSD. More Cat5's will come off the SSD outputs and go straight to the signals and the individual LED's. Gotta go to Menards and get another 1000' spool.

I also assembled my Plasticville signal bridges. I like gluing them together before mounting my signals, because the snap fit is rather flimsy.

 Changed out six trucks on a 3 pak of tuscan red arrow heavyweights.  Opened the box and all the sideframes were in pieces like they were made of hydrocal.  Six wheel black trucks.  Also made a couple black modules from blue ones with the help of the thread GRJ started 5 years ago today.  Now I have 3 separate modules for cab 2, base, and all engine data.  Thx Gunrunner.     free-black-modules-for-legacy

Looks great, Elliot!  It's neat you can do some chicken scratching during dialysis.  I mean, you can keep your mind off the treatment and be productive.  As you know, I know dialysis is quite time consuming and not fun.

Thanks Mark, stewing over that stuff really takes my mind to its happy place, and the time just flies. Then when I get home, I'm making better use of that time too.

Matt Makens posted:RAN TRAINS!!!! Then went hunting, after dinner, I’m gonna RUN MORE TRAINS!!!!

  If you would stop blowing that *#$% traiin whistle out there like it's some kind of call you might still be in the woods processing

...assuming you shoot well enough to walk over to it anyhow

   I ran the trolley and cleaned track that was very dirty from inactivity. Since I was on a ladder and bored, I pulled the track screws on half that shelf layout too . I can't utilize it well and planned to take it down at some point anyhow, so now as soon as I procure a new track box one line comes down, and I lay track in the basement again....after I purge some more basement mess.

Got this beauty in the mail. Love the old odd looking diesels 

Jack, That is a nice one.  Speaking of odd looking diesels, I was just checking out an MTH ProtoSound Western Maryland BL-2 that I upgraded to PS-3.  I bought it from a Forum member thinking it would be a long time if ever that they released a new Western Maryland BL-2 since it is considered by most fans to be ugly.  So what did they do?  Next catalog had a PS-3 version!!!  Well, I still saved some money with the old BL-2 and the upgrade kit over a new PS-3 model, but it was a lot of work.  I consider it a success, though there is one small feature that isn't working.  I'm clearing off the workbench for other projects now and revisit the BL-2 later after researching the issue.  The other BL-2 is a non-powered version that the seller included in the deal.  

Sweet.... Chinese turkeys! 

Vanishing Chinese turkeys at that! 

The dog does all the work, she’s a Chinese Turkey finding machine. 

douger posted:

ToledoEd posted:

I finished installing lights on a station platform I ordered at York.  Jim Robinson, Bridgeboss did a super  job building it. 

I installed 2 LEDs.

Here's  the final product:

and how it appears on the layout...trolley stop feeds the train station.  And yes, you can see that the Ghostbusters just arrived at the hotel...

What buildings did you use in your picture? 

DOUGER,

there are a variety of MTH (Station) and Lionel  buildings (Hotel and houses). This pic may  help.  Sorry,  I don't have the actual model names or numbers.

Matt Makens posted:

The dog does all the work, she’s a Chinese Turkey finding machine. 

What do you do with all the corpses?

I turn them into these

Thecrest goes in in the trash very unceremoniously 

Matt- one awesome hunting dog!

Elliot- My brain hurts sometimes after reading your posts.

Ted- Nice fix on the heavyweights.

Mark- I like the BL-2, don't know why its not more popular.

ToledoEd- very nice stair tower.

Through my own fault a change of plans. Last night I ask the CEO if I went later to the train show in Mansfield would she like to go and we could stop after and have dinner down there. She jumped on that right away. Now I am wondering if she just said yes so she could monitor my purchases or she liked the idea of going out for dinner. LOL. So that gave me the morning to do a bit. I screwed the track down and then decided to plaster the open area. I had a bit left over so I put some down around the Morton Salt building. Oh yeah, one more thing. MIKE G in response to your question about a dishwasher I included a pic of my new one LOL. Pics............Paul

hello Mike, in my 53 years, there are only a few where I didn't either buy or receive a train.

                                 I still have my 1st train, now 52 years old....

                                   this Santa Fe engine and 4 passenger cars.....

       still have all my HO trains also. just recently sold most of my N gauge trains......

paul 2 posted:

Through my own fault a change of plans. Last night I ask the CEO if I went later to the train show in Mansfield would she like to go and we could stop after and have dinner down there. She jumped on that right away. Now I am wondering if she just said yes so she could monitor my purchases or she liked the idea of going out for dinner. LOL. So that gave me the morning to do a bit. I screwed the track down and then decided to plaster the open area. I had a bit left over so I put some down around the Morton Salt building. Oh yeah, one more thing. MIKE G in response to your question about a dishwasher I included a pic of my new one LOL. Pics............Paul

LOL Paul that is just priceless! Great job on that one, You win! LOL