What did you do on your layout today?

mike g. posted:

RSJB18 posted:

decoynh posted:

mike g. posted:

Paul, sounds like a great plan! Cant wait to see it all in place! Couldn't wait on a Menards Brewery so I repoed a building and made my own!

I see a Cottage Industry in your future.  Nice job Mike.  How much will these sell for? i'd like mine customized as Sam Adams!

Wait- if your taking orders Yuengling!

Wait a second guy, I only had one building! and it was a gift

LOL!

 Thanks Mark, I plan to add clouds tonight. And a few other odds and ends. 

Rick. 

Mark Boyce posted:

The conversation about culverts hits home.  I have a hole cut out in my roadbed on my diorama, but haven’t decided how to finish it.  Since all my equipment is steam diesel transition era, I want what would be there in about 1950, meaning it was built well before.  At first I thought concrete culvert pipe.  Then I thought of putting in a box culvert of stone or concrete.  Maybe concrete since the tunnel portal is stone to give some variety.

Here you go Mark.

I see lots of folks painting backdrops.   All of them look good!  What color blue are you guys using?   I see digistew on youtube used Montana sky.  

Jim

carsntrains posted:

I see lots of folks painting backdrops.   All of them look good!  What color blue are you guys using?   I see digistew on youtube used Montana sky.  

Jim

Jim,

I used a $4.00 gallon miss-tint blue from Lowes!!! The paint code is on the can should I need more.

Rick.

RSJB18, That 2-pipe culvert looks really interesting, the whole scene. I've saved the photo for future modeling! Speaking from just my own perspective, Thanks!!

FrankM

Rick Bivins posted:

carsntrains posted:

I see lots of folks painting backdrops.   All of them look good!  What color blue are you guys using?   I see digistew on youtube used Montana sky.  

Jim

Jim,

I used a $4.00 gallon miss-tint blue from Lowes!!! The paint code is on the can should I need more.

Rick.

Cool! The Montana sky is bear and im sure its 5 times that price lol

Jim

Moonson posted:

RSJB18, That 2-pipe culvert looks really interesting, the whole scene. I've saved the photo for future modeling! Speaking from just my own perspective, Thanks!!

FrankM

Me too Frank. Google images is a wonderful thing.

Bob

RSJB18 posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

The conversation about culverts hits home.  I have a hole cut out in my roadbed on my diorama, but haven’t decided how to finish it.  Since all my equipment is steam diesel transition era, I want what would be there in about 1950, meaning it was built well before.  At first I thought concrete culvert pipe.  Then I thought of putting in a box culvert of stone or concrete.  Maybe concrete since the tunnel portal is stone to give some variety.

Here you go Mark.

Bob,  That one looks great!!  It is certainly the right vintage and has some character!

carsntrains posted:

I see lots of folks painting backdrops.   All of them look good!  What color blue are you guys using?   I see digistew on youtube used Montana sky.  

Jim

Here's what I did (I swear.) I went to the paint store and selected a whole range of blue samples, nearly every one they had. Then, I went outside and held them up, one-by-one, to the sky. The one that blended-in with the bright-blue clear sky of that day was what I had mixed and bought and used. Here are examples of the results>>>

FrankM

Mark, here are a couple I found. Bottom pic is sort of interesting with deteriorating concrete. .................Paul

Hey ya'all. Since my last post here, I've made several workings to the 12x10 shelf layout as noted below. Also, I introduced RC jr to menards "O" gauge stuff via text. Two days later, He text's me from his local Menards (Toledo) with a pic of the Morton Salt building saying "Look what I just got for half price", because it was the display model & 15% off day! I said, "Oh, my grandson is gonna love this" & He say's, "No, Dad, This is for YOU!" Dang, I think we can fit it in on the wide portion of the lower level & wire it thru the AIU as a center piece based on preliminary measurements. Here's what I have done;

Started a test version of a backdrop using neon blue poster board (I know it sounds kinda chinsey as opposed to facia), but taking into consideration it's a shelf layout & with multiple grades it seemed more logistical. It not only gives a nice color enhancement with the lcd lighting, hides brackets & some wiring & could be hand painted for ground effect. 

Also, if I decide to change to facia next year, the poster board could be used as a pattern for cutting the angles & grades. So, I'm headed back to Pat Catans for enough to go all the way around. Another test area, the wall in craneville where I have been playing with scenery & ballast, I tried the poster board in black and love it! So, I'm going to do the entire lower level backdrop the same way, giving it a Dark night effect.

As seen in that photo, I painted the shelf underside in preparation for that. here's the wide area I hope the Morton salt will fit into once it gets here.

Also, the 5 amp re-settable breakers made it from china. I installed them along with some buss & wiring improvements; a breaker on each of the 3 track circuits  & 1 on Acc circuit fed with a brick. They so far, they function perfectly, but I did notice that I have to knock the track circuit down with the AIU before re-setting as they cause the units to restart in conventional mode. This is probably for the best anyway so as not to re set under load.

Needed something to keep me out of the mower shop for another month anyway ( getting some warm days in between cold spells) & this should do it without breaking the bank.

carsntrains posted:

Rick Bivins posted:

carsntrains posted:

I see lots of folks painting backdrops.   All of them look good!  What color blue are you guys using?   I see digistew on youtube used Montana sky.  

Jim

Jim,

I used a $4.00 gallon miss-tint blue from Lowes!!! The paint code is on the can should I need more.

Rick.

Cool! The Montana sky is bear and im sure its 5 times that price lol

Jim

I'm a big fan of the miss-tint shelf. Every single trip to Home Depot or Lowe's I check. I grab just about any blue or earth tone they have.  I usually get small buckets for 3-5 bucks. 

I think that classifies as a #Scrounge. Would you agree @M. Mitchell Marmel?

Mark Boyce posted:

RSJB18 posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

The conversation about culverts hits home.  I have a hole cut out in my roadbed on my diorama, but haven’t decided how to finish it.  Since all my equipment is steam diesel transition era, I want what would be there in about 1950, meaning it was built well before.  At first I thought concrete culvert pipe.  Then I thought of putting in a box culvert of stone or concrete.  Maybe concrete since the tunnel portal is stone to give some variety.

Here you go Mark.

Bob,  That one looks great!!  It is certainly the right vintage and has some character!

just the right mix of weeds, muck, and trash

paul 2 posted:

Mark, here are a couple I found. Bottom pic is sort of interesting with deteriorating concrete. .................Paul

 

The bottom one is interesting with the broken concrete.  The top one is similar to what I first had in mind after discarding the simple pipe idea.  Thank you, Paul!

Nothing !!  All packed away.

RSJB18 posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

The conversation about culverts hits home.  I have a hole cut out in my roadbed on my diorama, but haven’t decided how to finish it.  Since all my equipment is steam diesel transition era, I want what would be there in about 1950, meaning it was built well before.  At first I thought concrete culvert pipe.  Then I thought of putting in a box culvert of stone or concrete.  Maybe concrete since the tunnel portal is stone to give some variety.

Here you go Mark.

The perfect solution including the old tire, weeds and mud flats.   For what it's worth, my vote is yes!

Dave

carsntrains posted:

I see lots of folks painting backdrops.   All of them look good!  What color blue are you guys using?   I see digistew on youtube used Montana sky.  

Jim

I used cloud pattern wallpaper for my background. Two rolls of the cheap stuff covered it all!

jim pastorius posted:

Nothing !!  All packed away.

                             what, no trains...

 JDJr,

   Installed the new PCRR DCS HHRC Holder on the Layout Power Station that Mike G Custom Made and had delivered to me.  

PCRR/Dave

gandydancer1950 posted:

carsntrains posted:

I see lots of folks painting backdrops.   All of them look good!  What color blue are you guys using?   I see digistew on youtube used Montana sky.  

Jim

I used cloud pattern wallpaper for my background. Two rolls of the cheap stuff covered it all!

I just went to the paint store and picked a shade that looked like a clear blue sky to me. Don't worry about the name found on the paint chip, every brand has different names anyway. It's really all about the pigment formula. Most if not all paint stores, have a color matching device. You could bring in a photo, and they could match to that for your own custom color.

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

 JDJr,

   Installed the new PCRR DCS HHRC Holder on the Layout Power Station that Mike G Custom Made and had delivered to me.  

PCRR/Dave

Dave- Very nice. I had a sneak peak last week. 

great work Mike!

Bob

Had just a little bit of time today and tried out laying some plaster cloth for the first time.  Should be able to smooth out some of the bumps with some plaster, or whatever I decide to use.  

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

 JDJr,

   Installed the new PCRR DCS HHRC Holder on the Layout Power Station that Mike G Custom Made and had delivered to me.  

PCRR/Dave

Looks great!  Good job, Mike!

                              NICE job Mike,  looks GREAT !!! 

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

 JDJr,

   Installed the new PCRR DCS HHRC Holder on the Layout Power Station that Mike G Custom Made and had delivered to me.  

PCRR/Dave

I need something like that to hold my LC and LC+ controllers

Jim

carsntrains posted:

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

 JDJr,

   Installed the new PCRR DCS HHRC Holder on the Layout Power Station that Mike G Custom Made and had delivered to me.  

PCRR/Dave

I need something like that to hold my LC and LC+ controllers

Jim

I created something a little more simple for mine.

          hello MODELTRAINPARTS,  can you post some more photos of your layout please...

R.C. posted:

Hey ya'all. Since my last post here, I've made several workings to the 12x10 shelf layout as noted below. Also, I introduced RC jr to menards "O" gauge stuff via text. Two days later, He text's me from his local Menards (Toledo) with a pic of the Morton Salt building saying "Look what I just got for half price", because it was the display model & 15% off day! I said, "Oh, my grandson is gonna love this" & He say's, "No, Dad, This is for YOU!" Dang, I think we can fit it in on the wide portion of the lower level & wire it thru the AIU as a center piece based on preliminary measurements. Here's what I have done;

Started a test version of a backdrop using neon blue poster board (I know it sounds kinda chinsey as opposed to facia), but taking into consideration it's a shelf layout & with multiple grades it seemed more logistical. It not only gives a nice color enhancement with the lcd lighting, hides brackets & some wiring & could be hand painted for ground effect. 

Also, if I decide to change to facia next year, the poster board could be used as a pattern for cutting the angles & grades. So, I'm headed back to Pat Catans for enough to go all the way around. Another test area, the wall in craneville where I have been playing with scenery & ballast, I tried the poster board in black and love it! So, I'm going to do the entire lower level backdrop the same way, giving it a Dark night effect.

As seen in that photo, I painted the shelf underside in preparation for that. here's the wide area I hope the Morton salt will fit into once it gets here.

Also, the 5 amp re-settable breakers made it from china. I installed them along with some buss & wiring improvements; a breaker on each of the 3 track circuits  & 1 on Acc circuit fed with a brick. They so far, they function perfectly, but I did notice that I have to knock the track circuit down with the AIU before re-setting as they cause the units to restart in conventional mode. This is probably for the best anyway so as not to re set under load.

Needed something to keep me out of the mower shop for another month anyway ( getting some warm days in between cold spells) & this should do it without breaking the bank.

It looks good R.C.  I need something for a background on my Ceiling Central RR to enhance the look of the trains.

                                           NO  TRAINS ...     better call me a...

                                                           TRAINBULANCE !!!

RSJB18 posted:

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

 JDJr,

   Installed the new PCRR DCS HHRC Holder on the Layout Power Station that Mike G Custom Made and had delivered to me.  

PCRR/Dave

Dave- Very nice. I had a sneak peak last week. 

great work Mike!

Bob

Thanks Bob! I like mine too! Just no picture on it!

briansilvermustang posted:

                              NICE job Mike,  looks GREAT !!! 

Thanks Brian!

Brian,

I have a different sign posted in my layout room!

People still ignore it, though!

After a downer day. I've been working on the railroad!!! YAY!!!!                                                                      Added straights in the corners to make the loop bigger!  Made a good difference to the layout!  Moved the dead end spur I had on the outside to the inside and moved stuff around until I could make it a pass through siding instead of a spur!  I really like how it came out and was able to put my covered platforms between the tracks!

The ole Wabash Cannonball just barely fit on the siding !!!  I have room to add one more siding to that side of the layout.  Unless I decide to use that side as a yard instead of a station.   Very pleased with how it turned out! 

Jim : )

briansilvermustang posted:

     

          hello MODELTRAINPARTS,  can you post some more photos of your layout please...

Brian, Here are few although my digital camera skills are poor at best. I miss my old Leica and Kodachrome.

mike g. posted:

RSJB18 posted:

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

 JDJr,

   Installed the new PCRR DCS HHRC Holder on the Layout Power Station that Mike G Custom Made and had delivered to me.  

PCRR/Dave

Dave- Very nice. I had a sneak peak last week. 

great work Mike!

Bob

Thanks Bob! I like mine too! Just no picture on it!

How about this.

modeltrainsparts posted:

briansilvermustang posted:

     

          hello MODELTRAINPARTS,  can you post some more photos of your layout please...

Brian, Here are few although my digital camera skills are poor at best. I miss my old Leica and Kodachrome.

Have I seen your layout on YOUTUBE???  

Jim 

Yes Jim,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJmTzIFKvys

My friend Mark made this several years ago.