What did you do on your layout today?

Ironbound

I got a smile out of that. It's just 2" Extruded Polystyrofoam, chopped up with a cat's paw then the grinder puts the lines in it . The paint color is just a latex base coat so the other colors and ground covers ie grass dirt ect will have something to adhere to. It's really not complicated and it's very light in weight. I'm actually trying to copy as best I can PatrickH method of how he made them.

Larry

I fixed the Culvert unloader. A pin broke on the motor housing.

Recovering from knee replacement  but today I posted a help notice for future work. The train will run this year, as will I

This has turned into a Great Post!!

I think the only way Im gonna get done,

what I want to get done, is rip into it.

I need to take the old board I take to shows

apart and build a new one. The old one is 20 something,

owes me nothing and was originaly made from scarp

lumber.

I think if I take all the track OFF, that will get me started.

I spent four hours under the layout, on my knees with my head stuck up inside a "mountain" building an O-27 tinplate track loop that "turns around" 'Streets vehicles on my mainstreet when they get to the end of downtown.

I decided to do a little woodworking on my layout.  I finished up my turntable section by making a magnetic door to conceal the underneath portion of the layout.  It gets rid of the unsightly open space and gives me hidden storage room.

BEFORE

AFTER

Nice work Pete

All the cleaning that Patrick and I did last Monday paid off today, when my wife and I hosted the entire family (6 adults and 4 kids). The train covered nearly a third of a real mile, doing 3 flawless laps of the loop. Some had not seen the layout in over two years, others only 6 months. I think the adults were even more impressed than the kids.

I did manage to complete a small project that will come in handy going forward. I built a small extension cord that has an outlet controlled by a dimmer switch. Specifically, this is for my single speed Dremel. Now I have to try it out with the little circular saw blades. I plan to use it to cut Gargraves ties so I can install uncouplers. I'll share that process with everyone when I get going on it again.

I made a monumental decision today, after stewing over it for the better part of a year. I ordered a dozen Tortoise switch machines. It's time to make this layout start living up to its potential!

Appreciate the compliment, Ironbound.   The panel is birch plywood that I stained.  i was happy with the way the birch took the stain.  I applied polyurethane to bring out the highlights.

Pete

I just played trains with the polar express set around the tree today!

Worked on a road through my city scene and built a few pallets for the dairy.  Hope to get all the roads put into place by the end of the week.

We had Vintage Day at the club open house today. All postwar or prewar trains on the layout. I ran a 1503WS set for awhile until the E-unit or something on the 2055 shorted out. Great thing is I know it will be an easy fix. The older folks comment on how they had this train or that when they were a kid. The kids always have a fun time running the coal loader, milk car, or ice station. There is also a gantry crane though it is too high up for the younger kids to run.

Two new flat cars loaded!

I installed a remote control switch in my second level. Now the track connection between the second and third levels can be made.

Elliott:

Your layout videos are GREAT!!! Keep up the good work and keep us posted as to your progress.

Ok, I'll be the laugh of the day. It was very nice here today in NE TN with snow on the surrounding mountains and the valley so sunny. I decided to fire up the Weber grill and turn on the sixties oldie Goldie's music and GRILL about 8 pounds of dirt for my layout that I dug up and sifted in early summer. I know , go ahead a take you best shot hee hee.... Oh and yes, at the end I opened a top on a nice cold Coors Light.

Still having fun!.

How long did you cook it? I'd like to do the same thing with desert sand eventually.

I reworked my grade up the mountain - I had previously reworked my mountain, raising it about 3/4 inches.   Took a while to get back to the grade.   The new mountain is foam, and supports an On30 oval.  I am using Woodland Scenics inclines and risers.   Works great.

Dave

I probably did about 30 to 40 minute plus on each batch until in was very very dry. Dry is what I was trying to accomplish. Even though I dried it when sifted in the sun 6 months ago, it was no comparison to heating it like this. You could see the moisture from steam and dark color (wet) when I started.

And, it's been in a climate controlled room since I did that last summer over 6 months ago???

Wow, that's interesting, I would have expected it to be dry. Thanks for the reply.

Years ago when i was building my railroad, i used washed sand (available in various grades/colors) from my local gravel company. i dried it in small batches in a 250+ deg. oven for over an hour for each batch. Used those cheap throw away roasting pans to cook it in, and stirred it while "cooking". You would be surprised what can live in that stuff for months without any apparent food or water. While we all strive for realism and a life like appearance on our model R.R.'s, i don't think we want them that life like.

jackson

Got another road put into place and ordered some pinstriping tape to create striping on the roads.  I also got one of the building in my city scene wire.  This is the third day this week I've gotten to work on the layout, it's been a while since I been able to get this much time to work on it.

Thanks Randy, with Patrick's help things have been moving right along. Matt will be back in a couple weeks then we'll really make some progress.

Patrick was over Friday, and we worked on a few projects. I turned him loose to work on the backdrops, where he filled holes, sanded and primed, in preparation for paint.

While he was doing that, I cut and assembled this series of pipes into a rack to hold materials like piano wire and dowels.


Then he helped me install the rack.

When that was done we started to install an 8' light fixture under one section of the layout. We didn't quite finish that, so we'll get it done Monday.

Did some mountain painting and getting a little closer to playing with ballast, dirt, grass and trees. One tiny step at a time.

Took a few pictures.

ol' 999 rattlin' the diamond just days before Christmas...

Sometimes, cars breakdown during the holiday rush...

Busy day Got all subway level lights done.  Cut wood and attached for 2nd level. Cut foam for 2nd level and started laying out track for 2 outside main lines.

Over the past few days I have been running 0 gauge live steam.  I have seven methylated spirits fired locomotives, ranging from a 1926 Bing to a 1968 Auld.  there is something special about locos that are powered by real steam.   Not just a matter of turning  a switch, but preparation is needed.  Lubrication of moving parts with steam oil,  checking that wicks are in good condition, putting the right amount of hot water in the boiler, lighting the wicks, raising steam and away it goes!  These are simple oscillating cylinder locos, sometimes called `piddlers` because they might deposit drops of water here and there, but not enough to matter!    Good fun!

A little Christmas present to myself, I picked up this Weaver hopper for $12 shipped on eBay (perhaps the low price due to the mismatched truck?  I'll fix that later):

So after getting home from work I spent a few hours weathering it, then about another hour using pliers to break small pieces of real anthracite coal into slightly smaller pieces of real anthracite coal to make the load.  My great grandfather was a real coalcracker, I don't think this quite qualifies!

I'd just leave the two different trucks ... have seen that before on a car ... be pretty cool, a "different" car ...

I ran my latest aquisition, a Lionel Pennsy Hudson 626. The engine runs great and the sound effects are so real!

I haven't done any real work on the layout lately but that will all change after tomorrow.  I am waiting on my Christmas gift from the wife, a sliding miter saw.  I will be using it to make a facia around the front of the layout then installing skirting.  It will give the layout a much more finished look and less of a construction zone!

Ran trains, then dug up some old photographs of railroads in Michigan iron range, early 1900's. found really neat picture of a seven train meet at Durand Michigan station. Guess I better get some frames.

Clem

I would love to see those photos!

I, also, would love to see those photos. Can you scan them and post them?

Happy Holidays!!!

This week I began planning a new wiring diagram for the inner loop of the Free State Junction Railway.  Ran my new set of Lionel B&O RDCs ( from the Fun Dementia Era :-) 

Ran trains on the Mountain Division of the FSJRR.  My plans are to really get some work done on the layout in the next week and a half since I'm off during that time.

Thanksgiving weekend I built/created a layout at The Damon Foreman Music Academy in Glenwood, Md.  It is a 4 by 8 ft layout with 2 loops of track.  I mentioned this in a recent post.  Folks have really enjoyed seeing this layout in action.  It is located in the waiting room next to a picture window and it is a crowd stopper when the trains are running.  Folks on the sidewalk, young and old, stop and guack as the train run. Quite a few folks come in and look at the layout up close to check out details.  

Attached is a brief movie clip and some photos. Enjoy!  PS I bought the snow blanket from Harrison Trains LLC in White Marsh Maryland ( They are on the web... great folks to deal with too ) I also used Woodland Scenics snow on the roads.

I will have more to report as this week unfolds.  Until then MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Cheers!

I like to share, but don't have a scanner or printer. Randy wants to see them also.

Clem

If you have a cellphone with a camera or just a digital camera, why not take pictures and post those?

The Pinstriping tape I order last we showed up yesterday, so while my wife was out shopping with the 5 year old and the 2 year old was napping I was able to start lining one of the streets.  I hope to have the streets line by this weekend and I will post some pictures at that time.

James