What did you do on your layout today?

Bob, that looks wonderful! everything so nice and neat! The cold weather will give you a reason along with everyone else on the east coast to stay inside and work on there layouts and play with there trains!

Grand kids always enjoy seeing the trains.

briansilvermustang posted:

Great pictures Brian.

It's an emergency! Five feet of snow and wind chill minus 30 Degrees! Big Berk is a first responder in a hurry pulling 8 coal dump cars, 2 log dump cars and caboose:

trumptrain posted:

Before having quests over this afternoon to view the layout, I worked at tweaking some scenes, making sure operating cars worked, changing out freight cars so that one of the trains looked more colorful ( in the holiday spirit ).  Got the Lionel scale J class off the back spur and out on the main.  I put the Powhatan Arrow cars behind the J to make a nice looking passenger train.  The guests really enjoyed the trains!!  They had lots of great questions and were genuinely interested in the hobby.  

Here's some photos of the trains today.

Pat that looks very good i would love to come over and see all your improvements. at the same time i would like for you and randy to come over and see my trains

i ran some trains and worked on wiring up sidings. it seams that all the trains are working ok for now. tomorrow it looks like i will be headed to the train store to purchase a new engine Southern Cresent Limited. I i have liked that engine for years although most of my engines are B&O, Western Maryland, and Penn.

Uh-oh!  Better get the big hook out!  

Hi Guys - I just completed my Coaldale Train Station and now working on building a mountain/tunnel using the cardboard weave method.  Weaving strips of cardboard is tedious but it does offer a strong support for the plaster cloth that I will apply later.  I'll cover the plaster cloth with sculptomold as a final layer.  Tunnel is a little over 8 ft. long - I have 2 flat surfaces on the mountain that will anchor a light or water tower.  Any ideas or suggestions are welcomed!

Samparfitt, Looks like the grandchildren had a great time!!!

Arnold, I am glad the Berk was the first responder!  It could get the coal out no matter what!  That was a great run and overview of your layout!!

Harleylito posted:

Hi Guys - I just completed my Coaldale Train Station and now working on building a mountain/tunnel using the cardboard weave method.  Weaving strips of cardboard is tedious but it does offer a strong support for the plaster cloth that I will apply later.  I'll cover the plaster cloth with sculptomold as a final layer.  Tunnel is a little over 8 ft. long - I have 2 flat surfaces on the mountain that will anchor a light or water tower.  Any ideas or suggestions are welcomed!

Very nice!

mike g. posted:

Art your wall looks great! But then again your entire layout looks great! What kind of bridge are you going to build?

John, nice video's its always nice to have the kids and grandkids around to play with trains, the young one really get a kick out of it!

Brian, once again a nice set of trains! I hope things are going well with the build and your staying warm! Sherri and Izzy too!

Mike - I am going to build an extension to my highway bridge that crosses my two freight yards.  I want it to look like it continues on on the other side of my walkway or aisle.  Then I can finish up my grain elevator complex area.

Art

ELLIOT, Art and Brian, enjoy watching the progress ( fast progress ) on your layouts.  You are giving me incentive to work faster. Elliot has even got me thinking about tackling wiring which I have been putting on a distant back burner. Harleylito, very nice pics. Especially the 8' tunnel. Are you providing access to the inside in case of derailments???  I think I enjoy this tread the best because of all the different approaches to layout building and scenery. So many good ideas from so many. And so many really nice pics of completed layouts too.....Paul

Chugman posted:

mike g. posted:

Art your wall looks great! But then again your entire layout looks great! What kind of bridge are you going to build?

John, nice video's its always nice to have the kids and grandkids around to play with trains, the young one really get a kick out of it!

Brian, once again a nice set of trains! I hope things are going well with the build and your staying warm! Sherri and Izzy too!

Mike - I am going to build an extension to my highway bridge that crosses my two freight yards.  I want it to look like it continues on on the other side of my walkway or aisle.  Then I can finish up my grain elevator complex area.

Art

Art, sure sounds exciting! Cant wait to see it! I hope you post more pictures!

Haven't done too much lately.  I need to order a few more uncouplers to finish the yard and then move on to the next task.  So in the meantime, we have been running some trains with some of our new rolling stock.

Nice video, I like how the coal train goes behind the Menards American power plant!

                nice looking trains,  like that passenger train !  looks great !!

I didn't get a chance to get downstairs yet today (at dialysis now), so no pics of yesterday's work. I got a couple more sections of fascia hung over on the small helix. Hope Patrick and I can finish it off tomorrow.

Starting in January, I have to turn the bulk of my attention to scenery. I found these photos inspiring this morning, so I ordered a case of 40 rolls of plaster cloth.

Harleylito posted:

paul 2 posted:

ELLIOT, Art and Brian, enjoy watching the progress ( fast progress ) on your layouts.  You are giving me incentive to work faster. Elliot has even got me thinking about tackling wiring which I have been putting on a distant back burner. Harleylito, very nice pics. Especially the 8' tunnel. Are you providing access to the inside in case of derailments???  I think I enjoy this tread the best because of all the different approaches to layout building and scenery. So many good ideas from so many. And so many really nice pics of completed layouts too.....Paul

Paul - I have access to the tunnel through 3 openings I cut out on the hard board backing.

Paul

paul 2 posted:

ELLIOT, Art and Brian, enjoy watching the progress ( fast progress ) on your layouts.  You are giving me incentive to work faster. Elliot has even got me thinking about tackling wiring which I have been putting on a distant back burner. Harleylito, very nice pics. Especially the 8' tunnel. Are you providing access to the inside in case of derailments???  I think I enjoy this tread the best because of all the different approaches to layout building and scenery. So many good ideas from so many. And so many really nice pics of completed layouts too.....Paul

Thanks Paul. This is a two way street, because I find your building flats and general scenery work to be both informative and inspiring. God knows my layout needs a ton of it by April.

Mike - I tried the motor on 5V yesterday. Looked really good, slow, smooth and quiet. Throw a pot on that, and a reverse switch, and I'm in business.

Elliot - Two days to go before the end of the year.  Why am I sitting here on the forum when I should be downstairs getting something done.  I just got out of shoveling the driveway so I had better use my energy on the layout.

Cheers, Art

I worked on the back buildings today. I used all I had and it looks like I have to order a few more to finish the area. And I worked on the buildings in the front re gluing a lot of areas. So I think I'll go work on laying out track for one of the freight yards.....Pics

Looks good Paul! I like how you have building in front of the others! Gives it depth!

What I did on my layout last night. Left the train room and went on a business trip to Southern, California to watch the “Holiday Bowl” via my local sport’s hang out. Washington State vs, Michigan State.  Michigan State 42 & Washington State 17.  Cool: go Spartans.

1.  Got back late and found this package at the side door to the train room.  Came via UPS.

2.  Open the package and found work to get done.  Kit bashing for flat structures.

3.  This a panoramic photo of the back drop that I have been working on.  These structures will be used for kit bashing flat structures. The back drop is 24 feet long.

4.  Also in this package. A new product for my layout. 3D to Scale, 55 gallon barrels. They are printed on a 3D printer with a blue plastic.

Hope you find this information helpful and thanks for taking a look: Gary

Longtime readers will recall this:

https://ogrforum.com/...ring-a-bowser-birney

The slot car motor lasted about three years, finally crapping out at the Children's Train display at the A&M Depot a week or so back. 

So, I borrowed the gearbox to get another Birney up and running, seen here with my Hogwarts Express, out for some exercise:

Mitch

Chugman posted:

Elliot - Two days to go before the end of the year.  Why am I sitting here on the forum when I should be downstairs getting something done.  I just got out of shoveling the driveway so I had better use my energy on the layout.

Cheers, Art

Art, I've been getting out of shoveling for years, because the driveway is too big to do by hand or even snowblower. I pay to have it plowed. The downside is he only comes out when there is 2" or more, and so far we haven't had enough in a single snowfall, even though there are about 4 inches out there. Weird for December.

Tomorrow should be a good day on the layout, because Patrick is coming over. I don't expect much on Sunday, watching the Vikings beat the Bears (sorry). Then I have to do my year in review post. Let's just say it has been a very good year on the Twin Cities Central. There could be over 100 photos and some videos too.

WOO HOO 100 pictures and maybe a few videos! I cant wait, sounds like a good time reading, pictures, and a movie about trains in a video form! Cant wait!

There have been huge disruptions in our household since March. One side effect at that time was being able to move the train layout from the dining room table to another room. It took about three months to get things all moved and running, just in time for another disruption 4th of July weekend which required moving not only the layout but all the rest of the stuff in the room to another room at the opposite end of the house. Yesterday, after several furiously busy days of rebuilding a transformer, several 022 switches, moving boxes of stuff, etc.... my grandson and I were able to run the 2055 "Old Bill" and the tender around the outer loop of the layout! It was a short session, as the drawbar kept pitching the tender off some turns, and one of the modified switches kept springing up the center rail. It was a GREAT 10 minutes!!

Chugman posted:

Elliot - Two days to go before the end of the year.  Why am I sitting here on the forum when I should be downstairs getting something done.  I just got out of shoveling the driveway so I had better use my energy on the layout.

Cheers, Art

Art, Stinking snow removal cuts into layout time!!    We are getting too old to be wasting energy on snow!!!  

paul 2 posted:

I worked on the back buildings today. I used all I had and it looks like I have to order a few more to finish the area. And I worked on the buildings in the front re gluing a lot of areas. So I think I'll go work on laying out track for one of the freight yards.....Pics

Paul City, Ohio is looking like a vibrant metropolis!!!

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

Chugman posted:

Elliot - Two days to go before the end of the year.  Why am I sitting here on the forum when I should be downstairs getting something done.  I just got out of shoveling the driveway so I had better use my energy on the layout.

Cheers, Art

Art, I've been getting out of shoveling for years, because the driveway is too big to do by hand or even snowblower. I pay to have it plowed. The downside is he only comes out when there is 2" or more, and so far we haven't had enough in a single snowfall, even though there are about 4 inches out there. Weird for December.

Tomorrow should be a good day on the layout, because Patrick is coming over. I don't expect much on Sunday, watching the Vikings beat the Bears (sorry). Then I have to do my year in review post. Let's just say it has been a very good year on the Twin Cities Central. There could be over 100 photos and some videos too.

That is like watching the Steelers beat the Browns in Pittsburgh!  Why bother watching???    Looking forward to the photographs!

Mark Boyce posted:

Chugman posted:

Elliot - Two days to go before the end of the year.  Why am I sitting here on the forum when I should be downstairs getting something done.  I just got out of shoveling the driveway so I had better use my energy on the layout.

Cheers, Art

Art, Stinking snow removal cuts into layout time!!    We are getting too old to be wasting energy on snow!!!  

I just get the tractor out if it gets that bad! LOL No shoveling here! WHY? Cause I am to old for that Cr**!

mike g. posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

Chugman posted:

Elliot - Two days to go before the end of the year.  Why am I sitting here on the forum when I should be downstairs getting something done.  I just got out of shoveling the driveway so I had better use my energy on the layout.

Cheers, Art

Art, Stinking snow removal cuts into layout time!!    We are getting too old to be wasting energy on snow!!!  

I just get the tractor out if it gets that bad! LOL No shoveling here! WHY? Cause I am to old for that Cr**!

I would do that too, Mike; but I’m too old fashioned (cheap) to get a tractor!  I do have a small snow blower my father-in-law left us when he passed.  Our inheritance!  LOL

Elliot, Mark, Paul, Mike,- shoveling snow builds character and......BOY DO I HAVE CHARACTER

I think we are all characters!!  ;-)

Mark Boyce posted:

I think we are all characters!!  ;-)

LMAO...

Mitch - have you ever tried using a can motor from an electric drill??  At my old place I took apart two 12 volt drills  which had nice can motors in them with nice gear boxes to reduce speed. Never used them, then ditched them when I moved.

Done for the night. I was moving along at a pretty good pace when I heard the cellar door open and a soft voice said time to call it a night and come upstairs and watch TV with me. I stopped working and came to post before I watch TV with the wife (CEO of the railroad ). I managed to get most of the cork down for the one freight yard. It may not be prototypical but I wanted to use up switches I had laying around first before ordering anymore. I should be able to finish laying the cork tomorrow. Pics...........Paul

jim pastorius posted:

Mitch - have you ever tried using a can motor from an electric drill??  At my old place I took apart two 12 volt drills  which had nice can motors in them with nice gear boxes to reduce speed. Never used them, then ditched them when I moved.

Ectually, I have a perfectly good Polar Express motor with a lunched gear on it.  I'm gonna try pulling the gear and using that... ;-) 

Mitch 

Mark Boyce posted:

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

Chugman posted:

Elliot - Two days to go before the end of the year.  Why am I sitting here on the forum when I should be downstairs getting something done.  I just got out of shoveling the driveway so I had better use my energy on the layout.

Cheers, Art

Art, I've been getting out of shoveling for years, because the driveway is too big to do by hand or even snowblower. I pay to have it plowed. The downside is he only comes out when there is 2" or more, and so far we haven't had enough in a single snowfall, even though there are about 4 inches out there. Weird for December.

Tomorrow should be a good day on the layout, because Patrick is coming over. I don't expect much on Sunday, watching the Vikings beat the Bears (sorry). Then I have to do my year in review post. Let's just say it has been a very good year on the Twin Cities Central. There could be over 100 photos and some videos too.

That is like watching the Steelers beat the Browns in Pittsburgh!  Why bother watching???    Looking forward to the photographs!

Because I'm a sucker Mark. They have broken my heart so many times over the years, but I keep going back for emotional abuse. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

It's fun to think of the possibility of being the first team to play a Super Bowl at home... Losing a record fifth, not so much.