What did you do on your layout today?

Not  lot of time before I head out to help set up for the TCA train show in Parma tomorrow. 

Mike here is a pic of the soldering gun I am using. I have a larger hand held one that is some where only where I have not a clue, another mystery. I bought this one at Lowes. It was the least expensive one but it does the job for me. 

Went to the basement layout and got out my 65' mill gons. I wanted to put some of the loads that I picked up from Don Kane jr at York. He did a great job on them. I'll be ordering more from him. He makes a lot of different loads.

Mark, I'll have to check what is going on. Possibilty Thursday next week could work. I'll let you know.

So here are some pics...............Paul

Threw sparks  as my caboose entered one of my switches.  I have a separate thread about it and it isn't really a layout yet..just realtrax on the floor...but I felt like being a sheep today.

Frank, That is quite a story.  The photograph looks familiar for sure.  It is good you got your last friend out of the car before he got hurt.  I have said it time and again especially with young drivers.  Most kids live to tell about foolish things they did, but occasionally one doesn't live through it.  I'm certainly glad you and your friends did.

Paul, Don Kane's loads are great!  They look realistic, won't come apart, and always fit like a glove!!  They look great!  Thank you for the consideration.  Have a great Parma!!

Just getting back to working on the layout expansion today.   Nothing to take photos of, but working off the numerous small items on my "to do" list, before I start the framework and roadbed for the next 8 foot section.   

Thaddeus:  Really nice work using the spray foam and low loft batting.  Thanks for sharing the photos...  Like everything else, the more you do, the better your skills and comfort level get, but I really like the results achieved for a first time effort.   On a section I did recently, the foam expanded more than I thought it would, ended up trimming it back with a 1 inch wide, 6 inch long snap off blade, then just put extra scenic materials in that area to hide the scar....  It's pretty forgiving method, you can even cut an area back, and install retaining walls, rock molds after it sets. 

Paul;  Glad to see you're getting all your track wiring soldered in... I have been procrastinating on this chore, but as i am about to start a new 8 foot section, I am motivated to lay out the track wiring and get my soldering done this evening. 

FrankM:  Reading that post was like reading a suspense novel... I was relieved to hear that everyone got out, and got home safe.   I was hoping your friend didn't trapped and seriously injured in the dump door at the bottom of the hopper... 

Lee - Thanks for sharing the Don Mills Models source for the 1/50th scale truck parts, never knew parts like this were available..   

I worked out a plan for my 2018 Christmas layout on SCARM today.  I have all the track parts.  No more details or photographs!  I'll post when I start building.  And you thought I was going to say, Do Not Open Until Christmas!  

Converted two more passenger cars to LED lighting this afternoon.  Since I had some short sections of LEDs left from the first 15 meter roll I did a baggage car with them first.  Should be down now to 10 cars left to do.

Larry

Moonson posted:

jim pastorius posted:

You neverstood on a bridge and looked down in to a real, empty coal hopper car ??   You should try it some day. Check out gondolas, too.

Under this bridge in Pennsylvania...... there has stood a railyard for parked freight cars, ever since I was a curious boy, living nearby. As ever-adventurous adolescents, a couple friends and I used to climb down there and climb up and into the empty hoppers. We'd slide down the insides to the hatches at the bottoms, and either scramble back up the very slippery sides (not wet, but very dusty, rusty, and bruised metal) back to the top edges, or we'd try to slip out the open bottom doors.

On one occasion, as one of those friends and I were about to go thru one of those doors, an engine must have rammed into the long line of those hoppers, far down the tracks, giving the hopper we were partly in and partly out, a heavy jolt and BANG!

I was able to scurry back up one of the ends, inside, but my friend wanted to see if he could get out one of the slightly-opened chutes in time. We screamed at him to abandon that idea and hurry back up an inside-end to us to make our getaway. Bending inward at our waists, we had to reach far into the car for his up-reaching hands, as he was having a terrible time getting traction for his feet.

We finally did get hold of him and dismounted the hopper. Then, we ran like the crazy devils we were out of the yard and back up the hillside, to a local Dairy Queen near the bridge for the comfort of ice-cream and catching our breaths.

That was the last time we ever tried that stunt.

We told nobody about it.

The things we did as kids!

FrankM

Until now !

Between northside  Pittsburgh and Conway  there are a dozen good bridges over the NS tracks.

Larry, the UP dome cars are looking wonderful! At the rate you are going you will be done in no time!

John, looks like you picked up some winners there! The hoppers are very nice and should make a very nice train!

Brian, another great view inside your wonderful home! Thank you Sir!

Frank, I have to say that is one hell of a story! I know that most of us if not all have done crazy stuff when younger! But WOW! I am sure glad everyone got to go for ice cream!

Paul2, Thank you sir for the picture of the Weller Solder gun! I just want to get something that will do a good job and not be hundreds of dollars! The loads you got look very nice, it give that cars a finished look and will really look great rolling down the track!

jim pastorius posted:

You never stood on a bridge and looked down in to a real, empty coal hopper car ??   You should try it some day. Check out gondolas, too.

Nope!  Most of the hoppers I've seen were full or at grade.  Will have to have a look at some point.   

Latest "Under The Hood" is up!  

https://ogrforum.com/...eam-sp-4449-daylight

Also in the package from @Apples55 was an NYC GP9.  Popped it open, oiled the top bearing and polished the trailing truck boss to improve the grounding.  

Norma Bates Kitteh decided to help me test the reversing circuit by sitting on the tracks...

Mitch 

Mitch, That was a great package from Paul!!  Norma provides a formative roadblock for sure!!

Just switching around the layout.

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Just switching around the layout.

love this scene!

Me, too!

gandydancer1950 posted:

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

Just switching around the layout.

love this scene!

GANDYDANCER1950: Thanks.

Johan

Moonson posted:

Me, too!

FrankM: Thank you very much.

Johan

Works on building lighting and installed Broadway Limited water tower.  Ran trains.

Installed new transformers and started a few buildings

Added these cars to the layout and organize my cabinets I fit my O scale cars and ran my weaver RS -11 with some vintage rail cars 

I have been working on my Wonder Bread Bakery today. I have the basic structure built, have two coats of white paint on the walls, and painted the trailer doors dark gray. 

I have been mocking up the office area on the front with pictures inside and double lights overhead. I am using Woodland Scenics stickup lights so I can control the intensity with the dimmer on the light hub. 

The bakery is on a lift-out section so I am building it at the work bench. I screwed it down to the plywood lift-out after I painted the parking lot and weathered it. Also put grass down while it is on the bench. 

Next I have to finish the office and then make a roof and detail it. Also I want to build some flour silos out of PVC pipe that will sit directly behind the bakery on the rail spur for unloading flour form my covered hoppers.

Other plans are to custom make a WONDER BREAD sign for the roof. I have the large Miller Engineering one, but it too large and too modern for me.

Art

Looks great, Art!  Yes you need a sign!

Painted track !  It was 75F and a very light breeze here in Central Oklahoma today, so I was able to get out the rattlecans & safely spray my last box of Gargraves.   

Frustrated I turned off the live broadcast of UK football versus Missouri tonight and decided to go to my train room to paint the tunnel walls black.  While painting, the Ky Wildcats came from behind to beat the Tigers by one, 15-14.  

Fabulous!

I will always think of this night as I continue to improve on my mountain tunnel.

Go Big Blue!

John d. Sewell, 

We can reach out destinations by two rails, but it takes three rails to make our connections!

Trestle, I Certainly wish that I was thinking ahead as you have.  To spray paint the shiny track as you have would been so great!  Shiny rails are so unreal.

have a great evening!

My wife and I have traveled through your beautiful state!

John d.

Thanks Mark and Mike G. For the nice comments.  

Got two more passenger cars installed with LEDs this afternoon.  Down to, I think, eight left to do. During my installation process I found one car with a bad coupler hinge and another with the coupler missing on one truck which also had both foot steps bent on the same end.  These are two of a five car set I bought on the Trainz auctions earlier this year.  Didn’t notice the problems when I first got the set.  I managed to straighten the steps.  My plan is use both trucks with good couplers on the observation car to replace the defective ones on the other cars.  I won’t be using the observation car in my Milwaukee Road/Union Pacific consist so it won’t matter if it has bum or missing couplers.

Larry

John d Sewell posted:

Trestle, I Certainly wish that I was thinking ahead as you have.  To spray paint the shiny track as you have would been so great!  Shiny rails are so unreal.

have a great evening!

My wife and I have traveled through your beautiful state!

John d.

Hey John,  since I am "layout-less" at the moment and the trains are packed for our relocation, all I could think of was to paint some track.   Thanks for your kind words regarding Oklahoma, it is a very diverse state;  rivers & woods to high plains deserts, and many, many interesting RR footprints.

Johan, another great pic.

Art, nice looking building. 

I did the Parma show today. Didn't sell anything but had a great time with friends. When I got home my order from Mr Muffan for Korber flats was sitting by the front door. Have to pick up my passenger cars tomorrow. But Monday hope to start on the flats so I can finish the brwery area. Also here is a pic of the finished Observation car.  I will still have to do the lighting  and the sillouettes when I get them home. Pics............Paul

I found this parts only building bag to be used to expand the North Pole buildings in my Polar express Xmas layout. I was surprised to see the words Town Hall rather than Independence Hall on the tower. Reminds me that you just never know what you will find at train meets.

Art, I have to agree with Mark as I do most of the time, Its coming along nicely and looks great!

Trestleking, sounds like a good way to send the day!

Paul2, I am glad you had fun at the show. But with all the packages MR. Brown leaves for you, you sure have a lot of work ahead of you! Have fun and make sure you post more pictures as you go!

Art- great job on the Wonder Bread building. Growing up on Long Island, Entenmann's was king. My grandmother lived near the big plant in Bay Shore for many years. The whole town smelled like crumb cake . If I ever have the room I would love to model it.

Nice flats Paul.

Great find Jim M- never know what will come out of a grab bag.

Trestleking- painting track, dreaming of the next layout on a beautiful day. Works for me!

John- Glad your Cats came back for the win.

Lee D- more nice shots of your growing empire

Love to see some photos of those cars Larry.

Me? fiddled with a few small things yesterday. I've decided that I want to build some pull out storage shelves under the layout to store cars and loco's. I hate putting them in plastic totes and digging for what I want to run. I wind up with way too much rolling stock on the layout and suffer from grid lock . A larger layout is not in the cards just yet so I gotta live within the confines of my current real estate. The suggestion of more shelves on the walls was not met with great enthusiasm by the CEO either. I would probably gain room under the layout if I could discard the plastic totes too. My layout is 42" off the floor so I can probably get 4 drawers high by 3 car widths, should be good for now. The under mount kitchen drawer glides will allow me to maximize the width of the drawers too. Off to the drawing board!

Bob

Thanks Bob and to all who left “likes” this week for me you guys are the greatest 

Art here’s  a pic of me unloading at the old Wonder Bread warehouse in St. Louis a couple years ago  The docks were all enclosed and it was very hard to back in you had to stop traffic and back in off the busy street 

Bob, good luck on the drawers! Sounds like a great plan!

Thanks Mike- If I build them I'll post pix.

Lee- not an easy maneuver going into a dark warehouse from the bright sun.

RSJB18 posted:

Art- great job on the Wonder Bread building. Growing up on Long Island, Entenmann's was king. My grandmother lived near the big plant in Bay Shore for many years. The whole town smelled like crumb cake . If I ever have the room I would love to model it.

Bob

Sorry Bob, but in Brooklyn (which is on Long Island in spite of what most folks from Nassau and Suffolk say), Entenmann’s was a Johnny-come-lately. Now THIS would make a nice, colorful addition to your layout...

Brooklyn may be on Long Island but don't expect anyone from Brooklyn to say they live on Long Island 😁

After some electric & scenery works, just run my Alco HH660 around the layout.

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

After some electric & scenery works, just run my Alco HH660 around the layout.

Awesome!

All this bakery talk got me to reminiscing.  We took a field trip to Braun's Bakery in Pittsburgh back in the early '60s.  My mother bought their bread wrapped like in the picture.  I remember these thermometers for sure.  Pronounced "Bronze Taun Tok Bread" in Pittsburgheese.  

Got back from Al Granzano picked up the final pieces of my power plant