What did you do on your layout today?

Added this building I had Al Graziano make the March continues to the finish of the water area 

Nice! Love the B&O sign...

Mike 

LoadMaster posted:

Nice! Love the B&O sign...

Mike 

That’s from miller engineering 

Thanks for the info. I just checked them out, they have a lot of really nice stuff....

Mike 

Why the wife was watching her Cavs game I got a chance to work on more of the scenery. I added more to the second abutment and the cliff. Still have to do a bit more. Then I glued down the ground turf I had down. Still have to glue down the cinder roadways. Pics.............Paul

Paul- have you checked clearances between the main and that siding? Looks tight to me.

Bob

I actually did something on my layout yesterday!! WHOOHOO!!

The CEO was on a school trip with my son so I had a day to myself. In between cutting the grass and some other chores I was able to build a few of the signals I started on weeks ago. I've got three done plus the prototype that I can probably put to use as well. Need to order more resistors. The kit came with 10 1K's but 20 LED's- guess they figured both would be on at the same time.

Ran trains for a while too and removed the afterburners from my new K-line S2 (wired the motors in series). If you own one...you know. 

Glued the LED's in place

Put the resistors on the board

Set the board on the LED's - lining up all the wires in the correct holes is a PITA

soldered everything and added the wire. I'm using some 4/22 stranded phone wire.

Testing

I tried a couple of methods to cover the back. Settled on a 1/2" styrene tube cut open and wrapped around the back. The top is a few small pieces of flat strip. I sanded the top to match the shape of the tube.

Need to paint to match after all of them are done.

Hopefully I can continue today and then start installing them.

Bob

RSJB18 posted:

Paul- have you checked clearances between the main and that siding? Looks tight to me.

Bob

It all good Bob, as long he only goes one direction with a car sitting there !LOL

John, the bridge is looking very nice! Good job and good luck on your move!

FL9TURBO2, I think the water front is looking amazing! Also that new building sure is sharp! Al really builds some great stuff! Very detailed person!

Paul, everything is looking great! I also really like the cinder roads! Wonderful job on it all !

Bob, the signals look good, I don't think I could do that I would probably melt everything together! But I may try some day!

As for me I just finished the out side of the train room. Got it all sided, finished the roof, trimmed out all the corners. Now all I have to do is call the building inspector to come and sign it off for final!

                                           looks GREAT Mike !!!

                                     trains will be running soon !!! 

                               and a quote from Bob...

take a break today !!!!

                                    have a great day !!!!  

Looks great Mike. very nice job

Now on to the important stuff- TRAINS!

The signals are easy. You can do it!

Thanks guys!

Mike, congratulations on finishing the outside. Now the real fun begins. Mike did you, by chance, allow for an exhaust fan to clear the smoke when your running your trains soon. Bob, it does look close. I put an engine on the curve and it is sitting at the closest point to the car on the siding. This table and the one around the corner will only see this size switcher or the MTH 44 tonner. And I also like your signal project. So this morning I glued the cinder roads. Later this afternoon I'll go back to the cliff and abutment and add more scenery. Pics............Paul

mike g. posted:

As for me I just finished the out side of the train room. Got it all sided, finished the roof, trimmed out all the corners. Now all I have to do is call the building inspector to come and sign it off for final!

NICE!  The T-111 looks clean & neat.  My only recommendation would be to get a few yards of 3/4" gravel and put it about 4" deep and as wide as your overhang.  It will keep the T-11 clean from splash back.  I love spending other peoples money!  Looking forward to the time capsule ceremony.  also, Tank should be in the pictures.  He's a handsome guy.

Changed some trucks on a couple freight cars & put those cars into service, did a total weathering job on one freight car and began weathering two others, created new scene for this coming week's Team Track Tuesday thread, took photos ..... all while running trains.  Had YUGE fun!!!  

FYI - the newly weathered freight car will appear in this week's run of Team Track Tuesday. 

FL9TURBO2, Your buildings for the waterfront look great!  Al did a great job!

Paul, the siding looks great and I like the cinders.

Bob, the signals look nice!  Good job on the soldering!

Mike, the exterior of the building looks great!  

Brian, great looking Hiawatha observation car.

Pat, I always love your scenes!

RSJB18 posted:

 The kit came with 10 1K's but 20 LED's- guess they figured both would be on at the same time.

You can also gang the two common leads from each LED to one resistor.   That way you would only need 10 resistors for the 20 LEDs.   When I made my signals, I had to use a lower ohm resistor for the red LED as it was not very bright with the resistors supplied.  Unless you are experience that same intensity problem I faced, you could get by with only one.   From your picture, it looks like you are using the same ohm resistor for both the red and the green LED.  In that case ganging the common leads to a single resistor should work just fine and you would only need one resistor for each signal head.    In any case, keep up the good work.

Dave

I've decided to tear down my layout and am in the process of building a new one. Room is 16 by 16 and "u" shaped layout is 14 1/2 by 14 /12. I work in "O" gage traditional lionel track.

Continued the downsizing started a few days ago.  I take a box, go find the car, bring the box and car to my wife who is sitting at a table with soft brush and dust cloth.  She cleans the car and packs it in the box.  What a team!

Dennis

Yesterday, I started trying to fit in some of my operating accessories to see what will work.  The more I fiddled with it, the more I started thinking about FasTrack operating track sections I bought a few years ago, but never used.  Since the yard will be a separate power block, I figured I would just cut a piece of Fastrack to meet the GarGraves.  Here is where I left it to look at another day.

Brian"  Have you noticed that the Milwaukee Road cars on your two photos are different from each other?  The model car, which i believe is an MTH product is a model of a "Skytop Pullman" car.  The lower photo shows one of the "Skytop Parlor" cars.  Both are correct models but the differences are that the 10 Skytop Pullmans were built by the Pullman Company and were used on the Olympian Hiawatha for service between Chicago and Seattle/Tacoma.  When that service was discontinued in 1961, the cars were sold to the Canadian National for service on their trans-continental trains.  The four Skytop Parlors were built by the Milwaukee Road, itself, and were for use between Chicago and Minneapolis on daytime only Hiawatha's.  These were kept in regular use until about 1970, shortly before the advent of Amtrak.  One of those cars, the Cedar Rapids, has been preserved, restored and used for many years behind the #261 Milwaukee Road S-3, Northern for excursion service based in Minneapolis.  K-Line made models of these cars, except that they never understood the difference between the two series of cars and installed compartmented bedrooms in what should correctly be a rotating seat, parlor car.  

 Paul Fischer

darlander posted:

RSJB18 posted:

 The kit came with 10 1K's but 20 LED's- guess they figured both would be on at the same time.

You can also gang the two common leads from each LED to one resistor.   That way you would only need 10 resistors for the 20 LEDs.   When I made my signals, I had to use a lower ohm resistor for the red LED as it was not very bright with the resistors supplied.  Unless you are experience that same intensity problem I faced, you could get by with only one.   From your picture, it looks like you are using the same ohm resistor for both the red and the green LED.  In that case ganging the common leads to a single resistor should work just fine and you would only need one resistor for each signal head.    In any case, keep up the good work.

Dave

AHH HAA!- I have been putting the resistors on the positive side so that would explain the shortage. I'm a high voltage guy- we would never put anything on the common (neutral).

I just ordered more resistors yesterday- I'm sure they will not go to waste.

Thanks

Finished up the last signal that I need for this project. Scoped out their locations on the layout and started planning the wiring. I got a coat of paint on them last night too. No new pix just yet.

Bob

And ... more people. I think my first scene is going to be a parking lot in front of the train station. There isn't a lot of space, but I figure a couple of buses and a car or two will suffice. I have some Arttista parking meters on their way, so they'll go on the "far end" of the lot, and the buses will park right in front. I have the buses ... just need a couple of cars (maybe from CVS). 

I'm reluctant to do too much in way of scenery because I have a feeling that if I can get this shed cleared out before the end of the summer, I may expand a bit sooner than I thought I might. Then again, I'm putting the cart before the horse because I don't even have the whole thing wired up properly yet.

And if anyone knows if anyone makes this hopper in O scale, let me know. I want one. Came across it today, and think it looks really cool.

Deuce posted:

And ... more people. I think my first scene is going to be a parking lot in front of the train station. There isn't a lot of space, but I figure a couple of buses and a car or two will suffice.

Don't forget some cabs.

Ok this is going to be a long one so bear with me! LOL

Paul, thank you ! I have a window in one end and can put a fan in the doorway to force air in and smoke out! Things sure are looking good on your layout!

Thank you Matt, I plan on taking the dirt down and putting in rock, But I wanted to get everything done that needs inspected done so I can move forward with the inside!  I was looking for Tank for the pictures, but he was taking his afternoon nap! LOL

Pat, Looks Great!

Darlander that is great information, thank you for sharing it here so the rest of us are also able to learn from you!

GK, that's quite an undertaking, taking one down for another one to go up! I think the one I will be building will be the last!

Dennis, sounds like a great team! But I am sorry your downsizing!

Mark, you sure have a lot of things to fit in a small place! I sure hope you figure it out so it make you a happy young man!

Bob, WOW you sure got them done fast! I guess you don't want your trains to run into each other! Don't forget pic's!

I took Momma shopping for new plants for the yard! That's what makes her happy, which in turn makes the train room happen! Fair deal from my point of view! I hope everyone has a great day!

Mike,

You are so right.  Now I do have the town that will be on the other end of the layout.  I have some buildings and accessories off to the side for there, and I haven’t decided to use all that are sitting in this town here or switch them out for the other town.  I will have some time to keep looking at it and pondering what to put where.

RSJB18 posted:

Finished up the last signal that I need for this project. Scoped out their locations on the layout and started planning the wiring. I got a coat of paint on them last night too. No new pix just yet.

Bob

Regarding your resistor order, at least they are cheap!!!

Bob, How do you plan to use your signals?   I used mine to indicate switch directions.   They were easy to wire to my Tortise switch machines because they have two internal SPDT switches that can be used to power frogs and/or signals.   Used the same DC power source for the signals as for the switches.   The internal SPDT controls the signal light change.    Anxious to see yours installed.    Dave

Red for divergent alignment.

Green for Straight alignment.

Black wire common (upper right) to appropriate blue wire power feed for the switches.  The two blue parallel wires upper right are the power feeds for the switches.  The blue/white wire is the common ground for both switch machine and signal.   Remember, this is a 6 volt DC source.   LEDs are diodes and direction of DC flow is paramount!

Red wire to the Red LED and green wire to the Green LED.

Dave- I'm using 5121 and 5122 turnouts. Not going to be that complex or realistic. I plan to wire them through a double pole switch that also powers a section of track between both sides of my KW transformer. The signals will be green for one side (ground level) and red for the other (elevated level).

The section of track right in front of the controller is the area I'm doing. The first signal will be on the turnout where the red box car is coming down the hill and will come around to the turnout past the tanker. A total of 4 turnouts.

I will post more pictures as I go.

Looks good Bob! Is that one light that's on one of your new signals? By the red boxcar!

briansilvermustang posted:

Love those Skytop Observation cars!!

Larry

Had a chance to work on the layout tonight. Small stuff. Had to apply a second coat of glue to the ground foam. The first coat didn't quite glue everything down. Then I started to make up the extension of the dock so two cars car sit at the dock. Then I went back and added some ground cover to the dirt path that goes down to the river by the side of the building. Got a lunch again with a bunch of TCA guys so I doubt tomorrow I'll get to the layout because I have to work in the yard when I get back home. Pics................Paul

mike g. posted:

Looks good Bob! Is that one light that's on one of your new signals? By the red boxcar!

No- its the indicator in the switch. I haven't installed any of them yet.

Bob

Looks good Paul! Have a fun time at lunch with the guys! Also don't work to hard in the yard, you need to save your energy for the layout! LOL

Thanks Bob!

PSAP2010 posted:

briansilvermustang posted:

Love those Skytop Observation cars!!

Larry

                                             me too !!

    Amtrak train #7, the westbound Empire Builder, begins its journey to the Pacific Northwest, leaving Chicago Union Station and heading across Canal Street. In tow on the rear are three Milwaukee Road Hiawatha cars.

                                    @1:11    https://youtu.be/yvfKtwxcmGw

briansilvermustang posted:

PSAP2010 posted:

briansilvermustang posted:

Love those Skytop Observation cars!!

Larry

                                             me too !!

    Amtrak train #7, the westbound Empire Builder, begins its journey to the Pacific Northwest, leaving Chicago Union Station and heading across Canal Street. In tow on the rear are three Milwaukee Road Hiawatha cars.

                                    @1:11    https://youtu.be/yvfKtwxcmGw

My favorite observation cars and I don't own one!  Milwaukee Road engines and cars are very attractive.  Maybe one of  these days , I'll get a set to display with a Mil Rd Hudson to drag it.

Got my Texas Special ABBA unit delivered today at work. Rushed home and got it on the layout  along with the passenger cars I already had and sat back and enjoyed.