What did you do on your layout today?

What did I do on my layout more of last night instead of today. Started to take all my  rolling stock off my layout.  Though I did run trains for a bit. I am planning on redoing my layout to maybe work better for what area I have. Though some point in the future will be talking down the whole thing and build a bigger maybe better layout, but that is still a quite a ways down the road. I need to clear out my basement before I can even consider starting that.

LEAPINLARRY, nice layout pics. Mike G, you room is turning out great. Mudding is not at the top of my like to do list. Today I decided to work at mortaring. Chris talked me into it. So I started off taking all the flats out to the garage. I set up the band saw to cut off a blade width off all the sides to even them out. Once that was done I layed them out and sprayed them with a sealer coat. Through my own fault I have a couple of gift cards from TOYSRUS which I forgot I had. I am going to cut them into narrow strips for applying the spackling the the bricks. Not sure if I will get to that tonight I want to make sure the sealer is real dry. After that is done I'll start gluing in all the windows. Pics.....Paul

          looking GREAT Paul !! 

They look good Paul!  At least you can get some use out of the plastic cards.  You are putting a lot of effort into these, but they will be nice when done!

Very impressive!

Found a substitute but inferior plastic "stone" sheeting to continue with the foundation on this Carolina water mill kit.  Also got in structure photos that l promised, when l get around to loading them.  Chose dark barn red with white trim as a color for this wooden mill.  Most of others, in photos to be posted, are "stone".

Chris A. Thanks for the kind words! If I have waited for all the help that said they would be here I would still only have a concrete floor! I have done everything but the concrete by myself, some days were good and some days were killer! Yesterday was a little of both, good to have most of it done, but killer on the body! LOL

I Hope that dimmer switch works out for you! All I have to do is buy the track lighting system to go with mine! LOL

Paul, I would have to say it looks like your on the right track! Things are really looking nice, Plus if you have any problems or questions you always have Chris A. to bounce ideas off of! Chris is a wealth of knowledge !

This evening after dinner I sat at the kitchen table and did one flat. Sure takes a long time. I only have thirteen more flats to go. Pics...............Paul

Paul, Looks good!  Yes, I was thinking of the number of flats you have to do any of the tasks on,  Congratulations on your diligence at trimming window openings, painting, and now mortaring! 

Paul, looks good! I feel for you having 13 more to go, but I know you really enjoy it!

Thanks Mark. Mike you are right. I'm a glutten for punishment LOL. Looks like I'll be at the kitchen table today ( not eating all day LOL ). Looks like I finally got a rain day. We'll see how many I can get done today..........Paul

WOW Paul, from what I have been seeing on the news, everyone from the Midwest to the East has been getting tons of rain! Your just getting yours now?

Today I have finished rebuilding 3 tyco billboard reefers and one bachmann caboose to go with my steam era train. The tyco boxcars are amazingly detailed for their build date. The trucks are getting all new walthers turned metal wherlsets and kadee 148s. I find that these older unwanted cars can be modernized and have detail added to the point where they are a lot more realistic and reliable than before.

Paul- the flats look great. I'm sure Mike G would rather do that then the joints in all that fresh sheetrock in his train room

Bob

RSJB18 posted:

Paul- the flats look great. I'm sure Mike G would rather do that then the joints in all that fresh sheetrock in his train room

Bob

One day Bob!

After breakfast I got three more flats done. Pic...........Paul

Well guys, I've got some bad news on a couple of fronts. Might as well start with the worst first. The toe is toast. The doctor took a pair of tweezers and plucked out a piece of bone. He did a follow up x-ray and showed me the one from 5 weeks ago side by side. It was quite obvious that it was going downhill, and there was no chance for recovery, due to infection. That's in spite of massive doses of antibiotics. The damage was too severe. I've had time to wrap my head around this, and it is the logical decision in every way. I'll adapt. In the grand scheme, it won't have a real effect.

For me, the worst part is I'm going to have to stay off it for a month after the surgery. I want to just get in and get it done, because I have things to do on the layout (among other things).

So, the less bad news. Things were going along nicely on Saturday. I had finished gluing the last of the ballast at Shoreham, and started cleaning the track, in the hopes of getting a test run over the whole layout done. Everything was going along great, got out of the big hidden yard, up the helix, around the whole main level, up the hidden hill and back onto the helix, to start the run around the upper level. Got through Frogtown, Midway and East Minneapolis, and was rounding the curve at the end of peninsula two, heading into Shoreham. I'm following along with the cab-1 in hand, even with the back of the train, when I hear a thud. I rushed around the corner to find the locomotive upended sitting atop the track cleaning car, and billowing smoke (not the good kind).

I had left a fan and some building flats on the track, forgetting that they were on the main. I'm 99% sure what the source of the smoke was, without even opening up the engine. I have seen this once before. Even though the layout has over current protection, it won't protect from an over current situation INSIDE the engine! The source of the smoke was the wires inside. I had burned the insulation off them. The wires are too small to handle the full track current, when the wheels and rollers are directly shorted. It's no problem under normal circumstances, because the wires are rated for the motor load.

The solution is to put polyfuses with about a 2 amp rating in line with BOTH rollers. It's a lot of work, but so is rewiring an engine. Sucks, because I really liked that engine. It was a nice Atlas. Maybe that's a project for when my foot is healing.

This is where I was standing when it happened.

I put the smoldering locomotive on the concrete floor, just in case.

I grabbed another Atlas to pull the train. Maybe I can continue the run later today. Visitors coming on Saturday.

In the lower right are the building flats I ran into, but there's another reason for this picture. I had to touch up the blue paint around the seams of the backdrop. For some reason, it had faded. Additionally, Patrick had gone back and refilled them with some clear caulk when they had cracked, and it just wasn't as pretty as it could be.

More backdrop touch up. The only evidence is there's a little paint on the ceiling. Patrick isn't that messy of a painter, but it isn't going to matter in the end when I install my valance.

I've got a plan to make this hole less obnoxious. I get to it soon.

The ballast and the backdrop all the way down Shoreham.

Don’t know if I should have hit Like Elliot, but it means I care!  I’m sorry about the toe.  Is this the big toe?  My father in law lost all but his big toe, and did okay once healed!  I’m praying for you and your surgery!

Sorry about the engine too

Elliot, so sorry to hear the bad news about the toe. When is your surgery???. Once you have it done do you have to stay off your feet completely for a month or will you still be able to get around??  On the lesser note sorry your engine took a dump. Electronics make everything so real until your zap the electronics then the nightmare sets in. From the pics you got a lot more done. Keep us posted. Once you have your surgery I hope you have a very speedy recovery...............Paul

Elliot, hope things move quickly on resolving your toe situation so you can get back to working on the layout !    take care and good luck with things...         

               get well soon,   track, ballast and layout looking GREAT !!

Sorry Elliot, I just could not click the "Like Reply" this time!   The layout is looking great.   Here's to a speed resolve of your toe issue!

Elliot,   Very sorry to hear the bad news on the toe.   Really admire your positive attitude about the whole situation.   I suppose this is one of those situations where you, and your doctor want to get the surgery done as soon as possible so the infection doesn't spread any further ?  Take care of yourself.    Chris 

briansilvermustang posted:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking great!

          thank you Pete !

Got three more flats done this afternoon. Only 11 more to go LOL. Done for the day I am going to reward myself with a steak on the grill LOL. Pic.....Paul

Thanks guys! I consider you my friends even though we haven't met IRL. I should be meeting some of you soon, when we take our trip in September. That's another huge reason to get it done. The trip will be a lot more enjoyable without having to worry about that.

Mark - I didn't take your like the wrong way at all. I view likes beyond the literal sense. They are also a signal that a person has read a post, and possibly replied. Both true here. Yeah, it's the left big toe. Least it's not my driving foot. That would suck more. Ever the optimist, right?

Paul - I don't know when the surgery is yet. I promise it won't be before the 7th. If the cards fall right, it'll be the following week. That'll be the soonest. Mobility remains to be seen, the concern is to not tear the stitches out. They'll probably be in for 3 weeks. I'm already scheming on layout projects that can be done at the workbench, all I have to do is get there. I've got lots of ideas. I guess I was really planning ahead when I had a stair lift installed last year. Haven't really ridden it much yet. We've given more rides to visitors and inanimate objects, than I've taken myself. That's about to change. I don't think I fried the electronics, just the wires. That can be another project for my down time.

Brian- Thanks, there really is a lot to do before the convention. I'll just add, lose toe and sit on butt for a month to my list. Might as well have a sense of humor about it. Trust me, it's better than my cancer diagnosis 11 years ago. That crap messed with my head for 5 years.

Dave - Like I said to Mark, it's OK to hit the like button, even if the post isn't all rosy. At least speaking for myself, I understand. As you can see, I really have no secrets. Maybe you can come up after my month long time out. There will be plenty to do.

Chris - Thanks, it just doesn't pay to be all glum about this. I tried that once, it's less fun. Yeah, I want to get it done, but next week is not good as I have long standing commitments. The following week is wide open, and that's what I want to shoot for.

Thank you for the update, Elliot!!  Your attitude is encouraging!

Sorry to hear the bad news Elliot. At least you can get this behind you and move on. Your attitude is amazing and is an inspiration to all of us. Keep up the good work and it will help pass the time. Sorry about the loco too. With a layout as big as yours it's not hard to miss something.

Bob

Paul, your like an assembly line! Things are looking good, keep er going!

Elliot, I am sorry to hear about the big toe! But do agree its a hell of a lot better then the cancer thing! I hope you will have help while your sitting around to help keep the dream moving forward! As far as the engine goes, If you need another one I bet you could ask Briansilvermustang for a spare, I think he could find one  sitting around! LOL

Elliot to bad about the toe but being a diabetic it could have been a lot worse. you do stay busy to bad about the engine going poof but with luck only the wires took the hit it still looks good!

the layout looks really nice amazing what ballast glue and a lot of hard work can do to enhance an already outstanding layout. I'm waiting for the day you post a video of the dispatcher board working and trains running with the computer setup you plan on installing to detect trains and so on.

take care am sure your better half will spoil you the next month !

Brian, sorry to hear about your toe. My thoughts are with you, buddy. You seem to have a good attitude about it.  Hang in there.

Built and weathered the retaining wall behind the service station...   Had a senior moment and built the first one "mirror image" as the jig is set up to build them face down !!!    Took out 3 shades of gray and weathered the service station roof, then sealed it and weathered it with india ink and 91% alcohol.....  and decided after watching some youtube videos to take a stab at weathering a die-cast truck that I have been wanting to weather for some time now....  The technique the individual used was really easy and straight forward.   I chose not to strip all the paint off, but other wise I followed his steps...  Dull coat the vehicle, very thin coats sprayed from 15 to 20 inches away so the finish is rough....weather light to moderately with rusty pastels, repeat same steps about 3 to 4 times, or until you've reached the level of surface rust you're looking for ...  it was amazingly easy, especially not having to strip it first.    I did rough it up with some 180 grit sandpaper....  

That retaining wall is superb. Very realistic!!

Chris, you have a gift for buildings and scenery. Looks good. Brian, in your last pics the Northern Pacific in two tone green is one of my favorites. Mike, how is the mudding going and did you get to last two sheets of drywall up. Mark have you gotten in any layout time. Today I had to cut the grass. Let it go as long as I could. I only had a chance to do one flat but somehow it finally hit me. I was using old charge cards to apply the spackling. Each one was taking a long time because I was only working with two different sizes. This huge 3 watt lightbulb went off in my head to make up some tapered pieces. That did the trick and now the time to do wach flat is shorter. Pics............Paul

Elliott sorry to hear about your toe.  I hope you have a speedy recovery.

Brian, great pictures! I know one day I will start making nice pictures like that! Heck by then they might even have a camera I can work! LOL

Chris, your wall looks Great! Please don't laugh at me but it took me a while to figure out what truck you were talking about! DUH!! It looks like it has been sitting out forever! Nice work all around!

Paul, even one flat is better then none! great idea about different sizes for your credit cards! As far as the mudding is going, I had to work the last couple days down at the store. But I have to get my butt in gear cause the daughter and 4 kids are going to take over my train room for a week as a hotel for the 4th plus some days, so there will be no working in it. 

Tomorrow I have to finish the sheetrock, start taping and mudding the seams, move all my train stuff to a safe location from the grandkids if I still want something in one piece when they leave! But Hey what are dad's for! LOL

ModelTrainsparts:  Thanks,  Once I built the jig it made making these a breeze....  I just cut up some 3/16" inch plywood scraps, about 1.75 inches wide,  anchored them to a base, leaving gaps for 1/4 x 1/4 inch stock ( 1 ft. x 1 ft in O scale).   The same jig enabled me to make the support trusses for the Coal Mine Tipple loader I built last year....  I attached a photo of the jig  below as well as the trusses I built with the same jig....  It works well for trusses and retaining walls.     I don't have a photo of it but I made a similar and easy to cut jig to hold (1/16" stock) joists in place on their edge to make decking, or I suppose it would make roof rafters...  Just use a fine tooth 7 1/4 inch Frued 60 tooth blade in a 10 inch table saw, the blade thickness is just about perfect and don't cut any deeper than 1/8 inch grooves on 3/16" centers. 

Paul,  thanks for the positive feedback... Good news, is that these model building skills aren't some miracle gift..... When I look back at what I was doing 2, 5 , 10 and 15 years ago, it's clear that with practice, a bunch of trial and error, sometimes lots of errors,  and perseverance, and some time doing some research .....  modeling skills like any other learned skill definitely improves.  Glad to hear about the Ah, Ah moment about cutting up more cards to make tools of different sizes and shapes to apply and remove the spackling. 

Mike G:    Trust me, I am not laughing at you !!!  I was pretty embarrassed when I took my first retaining wall to the layout only to find out it was built backwards.   Here's some photos of what one can accomplish with a simple plywood jig....