What did you do on your layout today?

mike g. posted:

Coors Light and Pringles! Great together!

Ah yes, Breakfast of Champions!  Shucks, I was at church this morning and missed breakfast.

  LOL...

mike g. posted:

Hi Everyone, I worked on the lift bridge for the layout. Everything comes off the bridge so I wanted to get it right, took me a while and I had to put legs to the floor for support!

        looks AWESOME Mike   can't wait to see trains running across it  !!!

  nmp...                         here is some scenery ideas...

                       maybe fold down landscaping with river...

decoynh posted:

mike g. posted:

Coors Light and Pringles! Great together!

Ah yes, Breakfast of Champions!  Shucks, I was at church this morning and missed breakfast.

You can always have it for Lunch! LOL

briansilvermustang posted:

mike g. posted:

Hi Everyone, I worked on the lift bridge for the layout. Everything comes off the bridge so I wanted to get it right, took me a while and I had to put legs to the floor for support!

        

        looks AWESOME Mike   can't wait to see trains running across it  !!!

 

  nmp...                         here is some scenery ideas...

 

                       maybe fold down landscaping with river...

Thanks for the idea Brian, I will probably build some sort of landscaping but not a river. I have a river on the other side by the mountain.

Finished the Tom Yorke Chinese store/laundry....except for the sign and maybe a boiler room out back, because l think there was a TY kit specifically of a laundry, with a boiler room. The sign was those rub on letters, which almost never work, and must be redone. While waiting on that, l am halfway through an ore tipple kit, with glue drying.

briansilvermustang posted:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brian very nice! Nothing like the CSX my favorite modern railroad. Stealth gray, hockey stick schemes I don’t care I like them all. I was blessed enough to sit in a dash 9 ( like the one above )  at the CSX one day while waiting for billing. I asked the worker there who prepares their commodities  for there trips he said sure that was one awesome day 

jgtrh62 posted:

Some great modeling guys, I really enjoy this thread and others like it where people post photos and descriptions of what they are working on, I've picked up a lot of ideas from you all!

I've been trying to knock out some scenery but broke from that and spent a good part of yesterday chasing down a gremlin in my wiring buss, but I think I finally got it. Here's a short video clip of a loco I finished installing DCC and sound in rolling through the section I'm currently working on.

John,

What do you use to power your layout?

Dave

Found the best use yet for incorporating my transition car

I started to put together the recently acquired Walthers Car Shop. So far, I have finished painting the roof skylights, window frames, walls, and base plate. The walls are all connected together and the roof details are done for the most part. Next step is to start installing windows, rails, and the roof.

Got a sleeper and dinner finished up for the "Golden State" consist I'm building. 4 out of 6 cars are done. Just have the baggage and combine/dorm to finish. 

Mike,  Very nice progress on the layout.  The tilt-up bridge entrance is a great idea.

I am moving slowly on my last four passenger cars.  Perhaps I am "stir crazy", or tired and getting lazy.  It took the entire Sunday to place the 38 people in my Amtrak Observation.  Each person needed some touch-up after grinding the figure to fit at a table or in a chair.  The figures from China needed a second coat of paint.  (You get what you pay for.)  I used a Preiser factory-painted Conductor by the bar.  The Conductor is talking to a few passengers.

Here are the pictures of the open Observation car.  I will assemble the car for trackside photos on another day.  It is 2:00 A.M. Monday morning.  If my photos are out-of-focus, that is the way everything looks at this hour in the early morning.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

"I am moving slowly on my last four passenger cars.  Perhaps I am "stir crazy", or tired and getting lazy.  It took the entire Sunday to place the 38 people in my Amtrak Observation.  Each person needed some touch-up after grinding the figure to fit at a table or in a chair.  The figures from China needed a second coat of paint.  (You get what you pay for.)  I used a Preiser factory-painted Conductor by the bar.  The Conductor is talking to a few passengers."

John- You have done a nice job on those people and cars. Nothing wrong in taking all the time you need to get the results you want.

John, the people in the cars look great!!  Very well done!

NS6770FAN, Sure looks like you have a lot of parts there LOL. Have fun and keep us posted!

LOU1985 Great looking cars! Well done, keep up the wonderful work!

John, first off thank you!

Second, I am truly amazed at your progress and attention to detail! From the shoes to the ties everything looks great! With all this extra work to your people and the attention to the cars them self, Your train will truly come alive!

Hey, Brian, Happy Belated Birthday 🍰!!!  Mine was on the 16th.  I hadn’t  been on this thread for about 13 pages worth.

The past couple of days I’ve had time, cooler temperatures, and no smoky air in my garage to install BCRs in all but 3 of my PS 2 engines that needed to be done.  I should be able to do those 3 today and maybe figure out why the front headlamp is not working in my UP DRGW SD70ACe.

I’ve spent some recently trying to figure out why the Jack Pearce designed LED lighting, installed in a passenger car set that I have, flicker.  In the vista dome car there are 4 individual LEDs, one each side of dome, that are powered by the strip that do not flicker!  I may end up replacing the strips.  

Larry

Larry, it sure is nice that the smoke has cleared a little! Been really bad lately!

             Happy Birthday to you too Larry !!     hope you had a great one !

                                         took a hobo ride into town...

Finished permanently wiring all the stuff in subway station 1; vending machines, ceiling lights, and the best part was I came across some dwarf signals that I didn't even know I had and wired them into the side of the tunnels.  Also went out this weekend and did some damage at Michael's getting supplies for the next project the prison yard. 

Well I managed to find the problem with the DRGW SD70ACe front headlamps.  The spring contacts in the body apparently weren't contacting the board mounted on the frame.  I stretched them a little and cleaned the contact ends and now the lights work fine.  I also installed the BCRs in the last three engines.  Now all 23 of my PS 2 engines have BCRs instead of batteries. 

 Thank you, Brian for the belated birthday wishes.  Mike G, yes it is really nice to be outside and a not smell or see smoke.   I guess all the smoke from those 130 or so forest fires in British Columbia had to go somewhere. 

Larry

Worked on a All Nations Santa Fe Steel Reefer. Painted ends and top flat black. Going have to order ice hatches and door latches. I have several of these I bought last spring to restore these are a lot of fun if your in to restoration also painted up some box cars and worked on the UP boxcar That is almost finished

Bryan, the subway station looks good.....Paul

Bryan, the subway station looks good.....Paul

Bryan, the subway station looks good.....John

PSAP2010 posted:

Well I managed to find the problem with the DRGW SD70ACe front headlamps.  The spring contacts in the body apparently weren't contacting the board mounted on the frame.  I stretched them a little and cleaned the contact ends and now the lights work fine.  I also installed the BCRs in the last three engines.  Now all 23 of my PS 2 engines have BCRs instead of batteries. 

 Thank you, Brain for the belated birthday wishes.  Mike G, yes it is really nice to be outside and a not smell or see smoke.   I guess all the smoke from those 130 or so forest fires in British Columbia had to go somewhere. 

Larry

Larry, I just saw this.  Yes I have experienced the same problem with those springs.  It was a simple fix, once I discovered it.  I’m glad yours is working again 

I put the Amtrak Observation back together and went to test it.  Everything looks good.  I included some pictures through the windows.

I started the Vista Dome car and have most of the painting of seats finished with two-plus coats of paint.  Areas that showed some bleed-through of the original blue plastic received a third coat of paint.  I am starting placement of people in the Dome tonight.  The main floor will get people tomorrow.  Painting is much easier with the new paint brushes.  When you have the right tools, things work better.

As with all my Lionel 21" Passenger cars, I replaced the silver E-clips with Steel 3/16" E-clips from Home Depot.  The clips hold the trucks to the chassis.  One clip was weak.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

Looks great!  My order of people came today, but I won’t be outfitting any of my cars soon.  I put them with the LEDs I am saving for the cars.

Mark Boyce posted:

PSAP2010 posted:

Well I managed to find the problem with the DRGW SD70ACe front headlamps.  The spring contacts in the body apparently weren't contacting the board mounted on the frame.  I stretched them a little and cleaned the contact ends and now the lights work fine.  I also installed the BCRs in the last three engines.  Now all 23 of my PS 2 engines have BCRs instead of batteries. 

 Thank you, Brain for the belated birthday wishes.  Mike G, yes it is really nice to be outside and a not smell or see smoke.   I guess all the smoke from those 130 or so forest fires in British Columbia had to go somewhere. 

Larry

Larry, I just saw this.  Yes I have experienced the same problem with those springs.  It was a simple fix, once I discovered it.  I’m glad yours is working again 

Thanks, Mark.  It took me awhile to figure it out.  First I checked continuity, then voltage and then suspected the spring contacts.  

Larry

Took a few photos for the Team Track Tuesday thread while running trains tonight.  Had great fun!!

Bryan, that sure looks great!

Lee Nice work on the box cars!

John, looks wonderful! One down and how many  more to go? Keep Up the great work!

So the mail ma came today and dropped off 2 boxes for me from forum Member Larry Sr.! What a great guy!

Before you all get excited wait till the last 3 pictures! But I took out the items to take picture and realized the bench height was to high for me! So after taking pictures I spent the night lowering the bench height and redoing the bridge! I hope you all enjoy!

Mike, I gather Coors is not your favorite beer LOL. Why did you have to change the height??? How high was it....Paul

I started putting down ballast and gravel. Looks more like a layout and less like a green table now.

paul 2 posted:

Mike, I gather Coors is not your favorite beer LOL. Why did you have to change the height??? How high was it....Paul

Morning Paul, the bench was 43" high, I lowered it down to 36" just be cause the wife and I are short in stature us like a lot of you 6' folks on the ease coast! LOL It just felt better for me to work at that height!

Yep Coors Light is all I drink, but I will take any Coors product for the layout!

Stinky1, Looks better then the green grass! Nice job!

mike g. posted:

Bryan, that sure looks great!

Lee Nice work on the box cars!

John, looks wonderful! One down and how many  more

Very nice commercial for your favorite brew!

I hope you don't regret lowering the table when it comes time to do the wiring.  I still have eight buildings and 6 streetlights to wire because my layout  is only 36" off the floor.  Heck, you could have gotten some sheet rocker stilts to work on top.  Oh well, enjoy the Coors & the train.  I hope that you have the RailKing cold train too.  Erics Trains has a video of it.

Mike, How would we have guessed your favorite thirst quencher?  LOL. Larry Sr. Sure fixed you up great!!!

Well now is the time to make a change in layout height.  I’m 5’ 11” and like my layouts higher than the 43” you started with.  Yes to you, Paul 2 and I are in the East.  To us who are West of the Appalachian Mountains, we don’t think of ourselves as Eastern.  LOL.

Stinky1, the work looks great.  I agree with Mike, much better than all grass.

                               and... "always operate trains RESPONSIBLY..."

WOW A couple days away from this thread and passenger cars are filling up, subway's are getting wired, layouts are getting ballast, and there's enough Coors Light on the West Coast to keep Mike happy for a long time.

keep up the great work everyone.

I was able to find a few minutes to finish getting my D&H U-boat running. Gotta love these old MPC units, nice and simple, clean the E-unit and motor and off it went. Just in time to pull the set of Rail King D&H passenger coaches that I bought over the weekend (more pix to follow). 

Bob