What did you do on your layout today?

I know this should probably be in some other section, but not sure where. So I will just throw it out there. Anyone have a great method for cutting curves out of a sheet of plywood?

Great picture Lee! I hope you had a blast down there!

paul 2 posted:

Mike, kind words. Hope Bryan reads this....LOL Oh by the way Bryan, when I bring your building you may noticed it was open. I took the liberty of removing the top three floors. If you want them back you know what you have to do. I will put them in a safe space. I only hope being a senior citizen I can remember where I put them......LOL. See you tonight with the partial package......................Paul

I bet he's floored when he see's this

  I hadn't realized the car was already white Mark, lol.  Just trying to make you grin about SOMETHING out of the mess; I know it's gonna eat at you.... "It's only a car"

Lee, cool shots.  I figured you were just busy being trained by her

Adriatic posted:

paul 2 posted:

Mike, kind words. Hope Bryan reads this....LOL Oh by the way Bryan, when I bring your building you may noticed it was open. I took the liberty of removing the top three floors. If you want them back you know what you have to do. I will put them in a safe space. I only hope being a senior citizen I can remember where I put them......LOL. See you tonight with the partial package......................Paul

I bet he's floored when he see's this

  I hadn't realized the car was already white Mark, lol.  Just trying to make you grin about SOMETHING out of the mess; I know it's gonna eat at you.... "It's only a car"

Lee, cool shots.  I figured you were just busy being trained by her

When you have a 15-year old car and 15-year old van, you expect things like this.  I got a grin indeed!!   There it is on the right before either daughter was married, and the driveway was full of cars.  I won't take a photograph of the damaged front today.  I have had that car for 10 years, and it has been my all-time favorite in 46 years of driving.

To put a train theme on it, it has hauled many train treasures, made many trips to Greenberg and two trips to York. 

Curves with a handheld jigsaw: Use a heavy twine,  or wire, pass it thru the base slot, tie or attach a small rod or bolt to stop pull out. Your jigsaw is now a compass.  Drive a nail/screw at the center point and attach the loose end by tying a loose loop and putting it over the centerpoint.  You cut the outer dia. first, then adjust for the inner.

Some guide attachments have a compass point on them as well. For more precise cuts, you can use a strip of raw steel stock  to fit the base slots from Menards or other hardware store, drill a hole for the center point and check your base has the set screw in place.

There are other guides that are basically universal for a jigsaw. Some include them, some don't, but the bases are usually set up for them 

The compass point is often on the fence attachment corner; for storage.

These pieces dont belong together (the steel flat is actually a slim-jim from a vehicle sevice kit) but illustrate the idea.  Most fences are not very long, so steel stock is used.

Wire or stock doesn't stretch much, so is better than twine... but this setup is exacting.  A scrolling blade helps too.  (thinner blade front to rear; for curving)

Butch, thanks for the information! I will check my jig saw and see if I can attach something like that! Would really make for a nice cut!

My pleasure Michael.

Ran trains for just over an hour last night.  I needed the time watching em run to come up with a new Team Track Tuesday scene for today.  I also changed out the J class and replaced it with a C&O  0-8-0 which smokes up quite beautifully!

paul 2 posted:

Mike, kind words. Hope Bryan reads this....LOL Oh by the way Bryan, when I bring your building you may noticed it was open. I took the liberty of removing the top three floors. If you want them back you know what you have to do. I will put them in a safe space. I only hope being a senior citizen I can remember where I put them......LOL. See you tonight with the partial package......................Paul

Ok, fine Paul I will pay for the milk for your cereal.  

Getting my D-190 replica ready for the move to North Carolina.

Have a safe move, Joe!  I hope you enjoy the warmer weather!

Mike,

Maybe I should take my wife along to every swap meet.  Lately I've had good luck finding desirable trains at reasonable prices when she's with me.  

Mark 

I squeezed a few more years out of my old Neon when the insurance co. wrote it off after a minor fender bender.  I purchased the salvage for $100 and sunk some of the claim money into fixing it.  Snake Farm allowed me to re-insure my baby with the understanding that they wouldn't honor any further repair claims if another accident occurred.  That suited me fine since buying another previously loved car at that time was out of the question.

Bruce

Bruce, I'm glad you were able to keep the Neon.  Like my dad always said, that car is worth something only to me.

I did some work on the Christmas layout.  On a rainy/snowy day at the end of the week, I took the green carpet off the foam table, painted it with two coats of latex paint and sprinkled some fake snow on the last coat.  I put the lower level of track on, and since the Hogwarts Express was still out, used it to check reliable running.

Today in between showers at 34 degrees, I used this step platform I brought home from my dad's as a table and Masonite previously painted for another project for half the upper level.  I also used his saber saw.  Much easier cutting than the one I bought over 30 years ago.

I then cut out parts for ten supports for the upper level.  Here is the prototype.  I cut these parts bigger for 6" inside height and 5" inside width.

I'm going to glue them right now before "Season 6 Premier of Oak Island".  My wife has been waiting for it since last winter!!  

I got to weather some more rolling stock today. Here is a before and after picture of one of the cars I’ve done. 

Nice job Wesley!  Is that a Lazy Susan you are using to turn the cars around as you weather??

mike g. posted:

Darlander Dave, Thanks for the information, but the link did not work. I will try again!

Mike, try the link again.   I edited the post.   If it does not work, google: O gauge all weather cabs by Shapeways.   Or: https://www.shapeways.com/prod...scale-diesels-4-pack

Dave

Mark Boyce posted:

Nice job Wesley!  Is that a Lazy Susan you are using to turn the cars around as you weather??

Thanks Mark! Yes it is. Makes it a lot easier to do. Don’t have to touch the car!

Bruce, the wife and use to go together, then one year she had a great idea to take the 3 grandkids. We'll what a suprise when we were told that were going to have a 4th grandkid , just happens to be the last time we took the grandkids without there parents! Lol

It's been a year and a half since I've seen majority of my trains. We bought a 100 old and have been redoing it. I  still have a few jobs on the list but I was able to finish the basement from new wire on up. Today I got to unpack some of my long lost friends . Now I need to get the track plans figured out. Here are a few pics of the room. It is messy but feels good to have my own cave back. Nick T.

Looks like you have a good start, Nick!!

Mark Boyce posted:

Looks like you have a good start, Nick!!

Yep, this winter will be more relaxing. I do have 4 large lights to put up, but other than that the track plan will be the most difficult for me. I have some plans drawn up I just need to post them on the track plan area. The guys over there are good at advice on plans. 

So I started a small side project that I could work on at the bench...  Had bought this K Line O Scale Santa Fe caboose some time back..... After locating a bunch of prototype photos on  line, decided it was time to take it apart, lower it, paint the interior, paint the ladders, steps, brake wheels, grab irons and tool box to better represent how the prototypes looked.   Still have to weather the sides,  the trucks are close to being done, I have one coat of weathered wash on the roof. 

Yes, the steps aren't straight, because I haven't screwed everything back together yet.... I'll probably lift the body, ladders and stairs off one more time for the clear coating.   The first photo is how it was delivered with silver ladders, silver grab irons, black under body accessories.  

Nick, that sounds like good plans.

Chris, the caboose looks great!

It's all being held down by gravity only right now, but I think it may work.  

Mark,   Looks good, I like it....  

Mark Boyce posted:

 

When you have a 15-year old car and 15-year old van, you expect things like this.  I got a grin indeed!!   There it is on the right before either daughter was married, and the driveway was full of cars.  I won't take a photograph of the damaged front today.  I have had that car for 10 years, and it has been my all-time favorite in 46 years of driving.

To put a train theme on it, it has hauled many train treasures, made many trips to Greenberg and two trips to York. 

Well, Mark, to keep it in the train vein... you could suggest that it is a prototype for a new, smaller Menard’s parking garage... 

I like your thinking, Paul!  But we need both boy friends, now sons-in-law’s cars.  That was interesting!!

Chris, the Caboose looks great like Mark said!

Mark your second level looks wonderful! I think its going to look nicely and work really well!

          Looking good Nick

From the size of your engines the you must have redone a room much larger than we see in your photos. And the set of knuckles setting with the UP hopper, are those loaded too!  

Enjoy yourself Nick!😊

John d.

Mark Boyce posted:

Nick, that sounds like good plans.

Chris, the caboose looks great!

It's all being held down by gravity only right now, but I think it may work.  

Still say the use of vinyl railing is brilliant.  A perfect basic structure that allows for further detailing if desired.  Plenty of bridge variations of the deck or through types could be added on top too...or just leave as is for a simplicity that doesn't distract from the main subject.

I'm going to have a look for this stuff at the local building centers.  I'll have need for it on the layout eventually.

Bruce

I think I am done with the Santa Fe Caboose, time to clear coat it once more, pull the masking for the windows, and move on.   Managed to get this weathering done with 2 diluted craft paint acrylic washes, and some pan pastel weathering pastels....    Oh yeah,  I have to fix the back door that I broke the hinge pin off last night, bummer.....   

brwebster posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

Nick, that sounds like good plans.

Chris, the caboose looks great!

It's all being held down by gravity only right now, but I think it may work.  

Still say the use of vinyl railing is brilliant.  A perfect basic structure that allows for further detailing if desired.  Plenty of bridge variations of the deck or through types could be added on top too...or just leave as is for a simplicity that doesn't distract from the main subject.

I'm going to have a look for this stuff at the local building centers.  I'll have need for it on the layout eventually.

Bruce

Thank you Bruce.  I was thinking of a more spindly look, but didn't want to put much money into a Christmas Display.  Then I remembered these leftovers.  I think I am just going to use the Polar Express girder bridge and leave the rest as is.  Time is a factor.  Also, on a permanent layout, I would paint the supports to look like concrete, but for Christmas, I'm going to leave them white and may decorate them if I think of something.

These were bought over 10 years ago, and I just have the open bag but no documentation.  There are probably new products out there by now anyway.

Chris, the caboose looks terrific!

Chris, Wonderful job on the Caboose! One day way down the road I will give weathering a try, but right now that is very low on my list of things to do!

Chris, nice weathering job on the caboose.

Mike, your layout is starting to take shape. Your making goood progress.

Mark, I like your Christmas layout. Simple to make. Keep posting pics of your progress. The way you did it reminds me in a way of the set Lionel did back in the fifties/sixties of the Super O on top and the HO underneath. See you Saturday at Perkins.

This morning I cleaned the insdie of the passenger car shells with alcohol ( not the kind for consumption ) but I have to get out and do more leaves but the cars are ready for the light strips. Maybe later this afternoon...................Paul

Paul, you go get them leaves! I cant wait to see your new cars on the track!

Paul, Thank you.  I think I recall seeing pictures of the Lionel Super O on top and HO on bottom.  I'm going to try to get some of these leaves that were still wet Monday, since they will pick them up tomorrow.  I'll look forward to seeing you at Perkins' too!!