What did you do on your layout today?

Bob,

Semi-Locally I would suggest the New Jersey High Railers. Their yearly Trainfest is this weekend. I went last year and it's definitely worth the visit. Also an opportunity to meet OGR Members.

Chugman posted:

Today I am trying to finish up my Mannhiem Road bridge project.  I painted the sub-structure an aged concrete color and then cut the Masonite for the roadway.  I cut and added the strip wood for the sides of the roadway next.  It is glued up and will get a coat of paint as soon as the glue has dried enough for me to handle it.  I hope to get it painted tonight so it can dry overnight.

When the bridge is done, I want to finish the retaining wall up to the bridge.  I also have some plaster work to do in this area and then this end will be done other than final weathering and extra detailing.  

Art

 

Art your highway is looking just great! cant wait to see it on the layout!

RSJB18 posted:

I think a good bucket list item would be a trip to see all of the amazing layouts of all the guys on this forum. Kind of like seeing a baseball game in every stadium around the country.

Bob

So I started a list;

Minnesota- Elliot

Michigan- Train Room Gary (I never turn down a lunch invite)

Ohio- Brian, Clem, and Paul2

Illinois- Art (Chugman)

Seattle and Pennsylvania- Mike and Mark- I'll bring my tools and we can knock out your layouts in no time. Lee- P51 too while I'm on the west coast.

Maryland- Patrick Trumptrain

Arkansas- M. Mitch.Marmell- I need to meet Fortesque in person

Locally Pat - St. James MRRC , and LI Steamer TMB Train Club, Arnold, Skip and SIRT.

Need to do more research on the dozens of awesome layouts, so many trains so little time

Bob

For those of you who are NMRA members (or wish to join), be advised that the Hudson Berkshire Division of the NMRA will be holding its March monthly meeting here in Johnstown, NY on 3/16/18 featuring a visit to my Not So Great Eastern R.R. Visitors are welcome.

Elliot, its nice to see you moving to the point of bringing your layout to life! I bet your plaster work will look great, just like everything else!

Gary, Its great you are able to spend time with the grandkids! It's times like that you will remember forever!

trainroomgary posted:

Day in the Life of the Train Room with the Grandchildren

Today the grandchildren came over and they spent the day with grandpa. This is our story.

1.   We arrived at Carlton Hobbies in Waterford, Michigan.  The boys ran directly to the train department.

2   This Hobby Shop has two indoor tracks.  Radio controlled cars and slot cars.  We rented two slot cars and one hour of time. The shops owner set the speed power to the tracks, so the cars stay on the track but still ran fast and challenging.

3.  Across the street from the hobby shop, we ate lunch at Culvers.  Great hamburgers. See if their is one near your train room.   https://www.culvers.com/

4.  We had blue and white sprinkles on our frozen custard.  Grandpa had a hamburger and fries. Yes, a Pepsi for my drink.  

5.  Dusting off the dust from the flats before painting.

6.  Picked up a view supplies for this project. The house cyanoacrylate glue & dullcote.

7. Time to relax and run a LionChief Plus locomotive. Great day with grandpa.

Thanks for taking a look: Gary from The Motor City

Gary,

You know how to spend a day with young grandsons!!  Makes me wish I had a grandson!  I never had a son either.

RSJB18 posted:

I think a good bucket list item would be a trip to see all of the amazing layouts of all the guys on this forum. Kind of like seeing a baseball game in every stadium around the country.

Bob

So I started a list;

Minnesota- Elliot

Michigan- Train Room Gary (I never turn down a lunch invite)

Ohio- Brian, Clem, and Paul2

Illinois- Art (Chugman)

Seattle and Pennsylvania- Mike and Mark- I'll bring my tools and we can knock out your layouts in no time. Lee- P51 too while I'm on the west coast.

Maryland- Patrick Trumptrain

Arkansas- M. Mitch.Marmell- I need to meet Fortesque in person

Locally Pat - St. James MRRC , and LI Steamer TMB Train Club, Arnold, Skip and SIRT.

Need to do more research on the dozens of awesome layouts, so many trains so little time

Bob

Bob,

Alright!  Good start!  I am actually only about a 2-hour drive from Paul2!

 I am hoping to start taking apart the massive workbench in my mother-in-law’s basement this week.  That will be the start of the layout build.

RSJB18 posted:

I think a good bucket list item would be a trip to see all of the amazing layouts of all the guys on this forum. Kind of like seeing a baseball game in every stadium around the country.

Bob

So I started a list;

Minnesota- Elliot

Michigan- Train Room Gary (I never turn down a lunch invite)

Ohio- Brian, Clem, and Paul2

Illinois- Art (Chugman)

Seattle and Pennsylvania- Mike and Mark- I'll bring my tools and we can knock out your layouts in no time. Lee- P51 too while I'm on the west coast.

Maryland- Patrick Trumptrain

Arkansas- M. Mitch.Marmell- I need to meet Fortesque in person

Locally Pat - St. James MRRC , and LI Steamer TMB Train Club, Arnold, Skip and SIRT.

Need to do more research on the dozens of awesome layouts, so many trains so little time

Bob

Bob, that is a nice offer, but I have to get the room built first! Sure does sound like fun!

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

RSJB18 posted:

I think a good bucket list item would be a trip to see all of the amazing layouts of all the guys on this forum. Kind of like seeing a baseball game in every stadium around the country.

Bob

So I started a list;

Minnesota- Elliot

Michigan- Train Room Gary (I never turn down a lunch invite)

Ohio- Brian, Clem, and Paul2

Illinois- Art (Chugman)

Seattle and Pennsylvania- Mike and Mark- I'll bring my tools and we can knock out your layouts in no time. Lee- P51 too while I'm on the west coast.

Maryland- Patrick Trumptrain

Arkansas- M. Mitch.Marmell- I need to meet Fortesque in person

Locally Pat - St. James MRRC , and LI Steamer TMB Train Club, Arnold, Skip and SIRT.

Need to do more research on the dozens of awesome layouts, so many trains so little time

Bob

Count me in on this bucket list tour of train layouts!

Don't know if I can do it soon, but certainly before I run out of time, which makes it a bucket list thing.

Hope to meet many of you guys at one of the two big train shows at York this year.

if you are in the Delaware area stop by love to be part of your journey

mike g. posted:

RSJB18 posted:

I think a good bucket list item would be a trip to see all of the amazing layouts of all the guys on this forum. Kind of like seeing a baseball game in every stadium around the country.

Bob

So I started a list;

Minnesota- Elliot

Michigan- Train Room Gary (I never turn down a lunch invite)

Ohio- Brian, Clem, and Paul2

Illinois- Art (Chugman)

Seattle and Pennsylvania- Mike and Mark- I'll bring my tools and we can knock out your layouts in no time. Lee- P51 too while I'm on the west coast.

Maryland- Patrick Trumptrain

Arkansas- M. Mitch.Marmell- I need to meet Fortesque in person

Locally Pat - St. James MRRC , and LI Steamer TMB Train Club, Arnold, Skip and SIRT.

Need to do more research on the dozens of awesome layouts, so many trains so little time

Bob

Bob, that is a nice offer, but I have to get the room built first! Sure does sound like fun!

Mike- I've got 30 years experience in construction. I can build more than just layouts

Bob

Adriatic posted:

Reminds me of folks sending cars cross country to be run on another layout. How does Forty feel about tight spaces and postage stamps?

Fortescue insists on a private rail car.  

Adriatic posted:

I'm sorry   It was rude not to invite you directly Mitch 

How do you feel about tight spaces and postage stamps

Are air holes included?  

Mitch 

Bob, I bet you can! But my build is a slow go as I am on a fixed income. That's why its not built yet, I use to work on a crew building custom homes. I built my garage myself, just got help rolling the rafters!

trainroomgary posted:

Day in the Life of the Train Room with the Grandchildren

Today the grandchildren came over and they spent the day with grandpa. This is our story.

1.   We arrived at Carlton Hobbies in Waterford, Michigan.  The boys ran directly to the train department.

2   This Hobby Shop has two indoor tracks.  Radio controlled cars and slot cars.  We rented two slot cars and one hour of time. The shops owner set the speed power to the tracks, so the cars stay on the track but still ran fast and challenging.

3.  Across the street from the hobby shop, we ate lunch at Culvers.  Great hamburgers. See if their is one near your train room.   https://www.culvers.com/

4.  We had blue and white sprinkles on our frozen custard.  Grandpa had a hamburger and fries. Yes, a Pepsi for my drink.  

5.  Dusting off the dust from the flats before painting.

6.  Picked up a view supplies for this project. The house cyanoacrylate glue & dullcote.

7. Time to relax and run a LionChief Plus locomotive. Great day with grandpa.

Thanks for taking a look: Gary from The Motor City

Those boys are getting big. Looks like everyone had a good time especially eating at Culvers.

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Yes, Culver’s looks like a good place to take kids, but is a new one to me.  I see they have some in Columbus and one in Findlay, Ohio.  Either are about 225 from me.  If We travel west from home, I will have to keep an eye out for them!  Thank you, Gary!

Brian, I want one!

Cool Brian....or should I say frost brewed

Guys, I appreciate you putting me on this bucket list but I am a minor league player compared to the others on the list and the ones that are not mentioned on the list yet. Being retired I am home most of the time and anyone is more then welcome to stop. Just call first so I can be decent LOL. Elliot, once again the pace that you are modeling is a "WOW" factor. It's almost like watching time lapse photography but it is being done in real time.  Same with Art. Bryan, thank  God you are back to work, now I can catch up with you LOL. Thanks to you guys that post  photos so we can go back and study them and learn new ideas. Yesterday I had a good train out day. First a luncheon with a bunch of retired TCA guys and then later that evening a Tuesday night get together with the Tuesday night crew. So my cork arrived yesterday and this morning my cattails and Gar Graves items arrived. One note,  you never know how an item will get to you. My cattails and glue should of gotten to me many days ago, usually in one or two days but somehow when it hit Middleburg heights ( OHIO ) it went all the way down to Columbus Ohio instead of coming to Cuyahoga Falls. But as said before water over the dam. I have all my items now. I can now finish the sidings in the back, do the water and pond, finish the freight yard. If there is still time left in the day I can lay out the track work for my brewery. Pics........Paul

Paul, It sure is nice you got all your supplies! But buddy your not getting anything done here! Please post some pictures later! LOL

Paul, Any layout is worth seeing!  We can learn from anyone.  Hopefully I’ll be posting some photographs soon, since I hope to tear down the big workbench at my mother-in-law’s soon.  That will provide a lot of wood to get started.

Well said Mark, every layout has something to learn from!

R.C. posted:

Made a Video last night Featuring new W&LE Power

2 Part Video with Caption's edited in on my you tube channel @13min

WLE Take the Grade pt1-The Drag up Wooster Hill

WLE Take The Grade pt2-The Return trip to Craneville

The video cover's the entire 10 x 12 dbl tier inter-connected shelf layout & features 2 new WLE locomotives (106 is non-powered) added to the fleet over the weekend by RC Jr.

Over the past 2 months the layout has received;

    1 new MTH ABC (Akron Barberton Cluster) SW1500 Switcher (1501 Pusher in video)

    Scratch Built dbl track trestle bridge

    The entire lower tier added with Y Loop & 3 yard tracks

    MTH WiFi Module with multiple devices

    Also on loan from RC Jr is the MTH 999 Empire State Express set

Enjoy!

PS; These MTH GP35's have the canac radio control antenna & sticker on carbody, system's which I installed on the actual units years back!

R. C.,  I finally took the time to watch your videos.  Hooray!!  I have a couple questions.

What is the diameter of the turnback curve at Shreve, I believe it is?  The place the track gang or road crew were working all day.

What material did you use for the shelves?

i guess I have a third question.  I see the shelf brackets you used under the narrow shelves.  They are similar to some on my Ceiling Central RR.  What did you use to support the turnback curve I asked about above?

The engines really work going up Wooster Hill.  I am glad to see the gluten free Cheerios mill as one of the W&LE’s customers!

 Thank you for the videos!!

I have not worked on my small layout since November as I have been waiting to receive my Broadway Limited Imports Operating Water Tower that I pre-ordered back in April.

The water tower was delivered two days ago and I think that it was well worth the wait.  

I am currently in the process of working on the scenery around the new tower at this corner of my layout so the photos and video attached do not show the final installation.

The (somewhat poor quality) video has only one set of dialog but the tower plays recordings of several different sets of comments on a random basis.

Hmorgan125,

That water tank was well worth the wait!  I really like it!  Your scenery by it looks great too!!

I think you might regret this statement

 Being retired I am home most of the time and anyone is more then welcome to stop.

So I take it you removed the Bryan not welcome sign from your side door.  lol 

My Mannhiem Road bridge was finished last night and traffic started on it right away this morning.  A trucker and a car got on it before it has been striped or road signs put up.   Greyhound is anxious to start using it to get to the downtown Chicago bus terminal beside my Union Station.  Streets and Sand dept has road work to do before it officially opens too.

There are Illinois State Police on both sides so this could get interesting.  I better hurry up and completely finish this area.

Art

It looks like somebody didn't get the road barriers up?   I wonder who will get thrown under the bus for that?  I have to go to lunch with my train buddies.

Art

Wow!!  Art, it looks great!  Now if only we could get PennDOT to work like that, we would really have something!  LOL   (Apologies to any PennDOT employees; we in the telecom business could definitely take a lesson from Art!!)

HMorgan125 posted:

I have not worked on my small layout since November as I have been waiting to receive my Broadway Limited Imports Operating Water Tower that I pre-ordered back in April.

The water tower was delivered two days ago and I think that it was well worth the wait.  

I am currently in the process of working on the scenery around the new tower at this corner of my layout so the photos and video attached do not show the final installation.

The (somewhat poor quality) video has only one set of dialog but the tower plays recordings of several different sets of comments on a random basis.

 

Nice pictures and video!   I also have one on the way from Trainworld.com !  Got the unlettered brown weathered one.   Glad you like  yours!!!  Hope mine is here today or tomorrow!  

Jim

Chugman posted:

My Mannhiem Road bridge was finished last night and traffic started on it right away this morning.  A trucker and a car got on it before it has been striped or road signs put up.   Greyhound is anxious to start using it to get to the downtown Chicago bus terminal beside my Union Station.  Streets and Sand dept has road work to do before it officially opens too.

There are Illinois State Police on both sides so this could get interesting.  I better hurry up and completely finish this area.

Art

great work!

Great work!!!

                                            some lunch time train running...

Art- the bridge looks great. If the troopers are there they should be able to control the traffic.

Bob

trainroomgary posted:

Day in the Life of the Train Room with the Grandchildren

Today the grandchildren came over and they spent the day with grandpa. This is our story.

Thanks for taking a look: Gary from The Motor City

Gary - That's a great look into a day you'll never forget.  These days go by fast.  Our grandson is 14 and our granddaughter is 11.  They both like trains, but their friends and sports are in the vanguard now.

Chugman posted:

It looks like somebody didn't get the road barriers up?   I wonder who will get thrown under the bus for that?  I have to go to lunch with my train buddies.

Art

Art - I like the way your highway goes through a wall.  The troopers are in their cars having coffee, instead of directing traffic in a construction zone.

Worked on cleaning track this morning and then ran trains.  I still have a lot of work to do in the yard area, but sometimes I think better when the trains are moving.

Track cleaning...............

A Freight is just passing through.........

My version of the "Downeaster" pulling into Exeter in SENH...........

Great job on the bridge, Art. The Troopers are probably why everyone is driving in the right lane and (I assume) going slow. 

Matt!  Very cool layout and nice videos!   Bad season for Coppertone?? LOL   

Jim

The videos are great Matt. Hope you are defrosting a little bit. We are up in the 40's here on Long Island today. A regular heat wave!

Bob

RSJB18 posted:

The videos are great Matt. Hope you are defrosting a little bit. We are up in the 40's here on Long Island today. A regular heat wave!

Bob

Bob - We are defrosting slowly.  Today it got up to 38f.  Yesterday it was over 40f.  Expect rain by Friday night.  

Jim -  We found out the hard way that reflected glare from the snow/ice can give sunburn to unprotected skin.  With the wind that we have experienced, we find that SPF50+ helps a lot.  So I guess my little billboard can keep pushing CopperTone!