Mayor Magoo posted:While trying to light up some buildings using a newly purchased WS lighting hub, I managed to cross-up some other temporary wiring I had and burnt up a Lionel ITAD in the process.
One step forward, two steps back.
WOW Steve, that really sucks! But thanks for sharing, makes the rest of us to look out for what were doing!
Mayor Magoo posted:While trying to light up some buildings using a newly purchased WS lighting hub, I managed to cross-up some other temporary wiring I had and burnt up a Lionel ITAD in the process.
One step forward, two steps back.
Yes and pay attention to light hub and expansion hub!!!! I did a boo boo with one of those. The light hub puts out less power than the expansion hub, but they take the same plug in. Lights really bright then poof no more!
Jim
mike g. posted:Mitch, you are one of the biggest kids at heart I have ever seen! I just love how you have so much fun with the trains and share it with us! Keep being young at heart!
I'll try my best. 
So guys I was thinking about making my airfield one runway and getting rid of the cross runway, but I wanted to get some input from you all! Please let me know what you think! It would give more room for building and such!
The cross runway would be a dandy spot for a couple of hangars!
Mitch
mike g. posted:Matt, I have seen several rural airefields with just grass runways but I will think about it for a little before I go to town cutting. I might keep one side for a helipad!
Mark, I am sorry to hear that your selling off some of your rolling stock! Also the employment situation doesn't sound very good. But I sure am happy for you that you were able to secure the Shay#6! Looks like a nice engine and will look great on your future layout! Best of luck and keep positive!
Thanks for the link of the train tunnel!
Mike, I am an operator, not a collector. I had two good years before the cutback to part time where I had a buyout, pension, and full time employment, so I guess I went a bit wild! 
I was never in a situation like those two years before where I had some extra money every week. I had more engines and rolling stock than I needed for a layout the size of the one I have planned. Everything has gone to good homes, and that makes me happy!
You're welcome on the link. We lived about 20 miles from Cumberland in the early '90s in Keyser, West Virginia. The Western Maryland and B&O both ran through there at one time. Of course with the Chessie System merger and later CSX, a lot of track became redundant.
Just to be clear, it wasn't the WS light hub that caused my ITAD to smoke itself. Rather, it was my own inattention to details, i.e., leaving an exposed wire connection under the layout. That was for some other things I was doing and neglected to clean up.
So far, I do like the WS light hub. No doubt less expensive ways to light up buildings but using Hobby Lobby coupons helps make the components reasonable.
Mayor Magoo posted:Just to be clear, it wasn't the WS light hub that caused my ITAD to smoke itself. Rather, it was my own inattention to details, i.e., leaving an exposed wire connection under the layout. That was for some other things I was doing and neglected to clean up.
So far, I do like the WS light hub. No doubt less expensive ways to light up buildings but using Hobby Lobby coupons helps make the components reasonable.
I really like the WS light hubs, expansion hubs, cars and buildings! Very nice! I also like the Menard's buildings and stuff and how they are now providing good plug together expansions! I actually like the way Menard's stuff plugs together better.. Easier to handle and change!
Jim
Mark Boyce posted:mike g. posted:Matt, I have seen several rural airefields with just grass runways but I will think about it for a little before I go to town cutting. I might keep one side for a helipad!
Mark, I am sorry to hear that your selling off some of your rolling stock! Also the employment situation doesn't sound very good. But I sure am happy for you that you were able to secure the Shay#6! Looks like a nice engine and will look great on your future layout! Best of luck and keep positive!
Mike, I am an operator, not a collector.
You're welcome on the link. We lived about 20 miles from Cumberland in the early '90s in Keyser, West Virginia. The Western Maryland and B&O both ran through there at one time. Of course with the Chessie System merger and later CSX, a lot of track became redundant.
Mark I am a builder, operator, and collector. Maybe not in that order. Right now I'm a thinker.. Trying to figure out where in the world I'm going to put the Vetter sash and door company and two heavy trucks from Menard's!
Glad you can deal with letting things go. I dont do very well with that.
Jim
I ran my new HO UP challenger and took some photos. All of the cars in the consist were picked up at the Worlds Greatest Hobby Show this past weekend along with the locomotive itself. 
Getting near the finish line. The Union Pacific Theater Car is completed. I painted a few Preiser 65602 to fill in my supply to complete the UP Theater Car. The seats needed four coats of paint. The tables took six coats and a pair of pants. The dark gray interior makes sense when compared to the cream interiors of all the other passenger cars.
Now all I need is the 0.040 Plastruct for the seat backs on my Union Pacific Challenger Dining Car. The rest of the Dining Car is painted. After gluing the seat backs to the floor squares, I will touch up the paint and add People.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
carsntrains posted:Mark Boyce posted:mike g. posted:Matt, I have seen several rural airefields with just grass runways but I will think about it for a little before I go to town cutting. I might keep one side for a helipad!
Mark, I am sorry to hear that your selling off some of your rolling stock! Also the employment situation doesn't sound very good. But I sure am happy for you that you were able to secure the Shay#6! Looks like a nice engine and will look great on your future layout! Best of luck and keep positive!
Mike, I am an operator, not a collector.
You're welcome on the link. We lived about 20 miles from Cumberland in the early '90s in Keyser, West Virginia. The Western Maryland and B&O both ran through there at one time. Of course with the Chessie System merger and later CSX, a lot of track became redundant.
Mark I am a builder, operator, and collector. Maybe not in that order. Right now I'm a thinker.. Trying to figure out where in the world I'm going to put the Vetter sash and door company and two heavy trucks from Menard's!
Glad you can deal with letting things go. I dont do very well with that.
Jim
Jim, I let go of about a dozen HO steam engines and a bunch of freight cars to help pay tuition. I didn't put any of that money into O gauge trains. Maybe since I have been in O gauge only since 2012 it is a bit easier.
Yes I'm a thinker too, but I mostly get smoke instead of ideas! Some of what I sold I thought, Why did I buy that! Other items were harder to deal with, but once done there were no regrets!
Mark Boyce posted:carsntrains posted:Mark Boyce posted:mike g. posted:Matt, I have seen several rural airefields with just grass runways but I will think about it for a little before I go to town cutting. I might keep one side for a helipad!
Mark, I am sorry to hear that your selling off some of your rolling stock! Also the employment situation doesn't sound very good. But I sure am happy for you that you were able to secure the Shay#6! Looks like a nice engine and will look great on your future layout! Best of luck and keep positive!
Mike, I am an operator, not a collector.
You're welcome on the link. We lived about 20 miles from Cumberland in the early '90s in Keyser, West Virginia. The Western Maryland and B&O both ran through there at one time. Of course with the Chessie System merger and later CSX, a lot of track became redundant.
Mark I am a builder, operator, and collector. Maybe not in that order. Right now I'm a thinker.. Trying to figure out where in the world I'm going to put the Vetter sash and door company and two heavy trucks from Menard's!
Glad you can deal with letting things go. I dont do very well with that.
Jim
Jim, I let go of about a dozen HO steam engines and a bunch of freight cars to help pay tuition. I didn't put any of that money into O gauge trains. Maybe since I have been in O gauge only since 2012 it is a bit easier.
Yes I'm a thinker too, but I mostly get smoke instead of ideas! Some of what I sold I thought, Why did I buy that! Other items were harder to deal with, but once done there were no regrets!
OHHH I still have all my HO stuff... Had a guy come and want to buy it all and I told him it aint for sale. Luckily HO doesnt take up nearly as much space. I have 45 or so engines and hundreds of pieces of rolling stock, buildings and quality track/switches. Heck I even have a complete Southern Crescent heavyweight set with engine and a SP Daylight set with GS4 Daylight engine with a helper GS4 black warbaby! My son wonders why I went to O instead of sticking with HO. And I sometimes question that myself. I have an HO set that somehow appeared from nowhere the other day. No idea were it came from. Was in a tub of O gauge boxes??? Not to mention two sets of Bachman On30. One is the complete American set from that mint place that you only got one piece at a time from some outlandish price. I reckon I just like trains! LOL
Jim
carsntrains posted:Mark Boyce posted:carsntrains posted:Mark Boyce posted:mike g. posted:Matt, I have seen several rural airefields with just grass runways but I will think about it for a little before I go to town cutting. I might keep one side for a helipad!
Mark, I am sorry to hear that your selling off some of your rolling stock! Also the employment situation doesn't sound very good. But I sure am happy for you that you were able to secure the Shay#6! Looks like a nice engine and will look great on your future layout! Best of luck and keep positive!
Mike, I am an operator, not a collector.
You're welcome on the link. We lived about 20 miles from Cumberland in the early '90s in Keyser, West Virginia. The Western Maryland and B&O both ran through there at one time. Of course with the Chessie System merger and later CSX, a lot of track became redundant.
Mark I am a builder, operator, and collector. Maybe not in that order. Right now I'm a thinker.. Trying to figure out where in the world I'm going to put the Vetter sash and door company and two heavy trucks from Menard's!
Glad you can deal with letting things go. I dont do very well with that.
Jim
Jim, I let go of about a dozen HO steam engines and a bunch of freight cars to help pay tuition. I didn't put any of that money into O gauge trains. Maybe since I have been in O gauge only since 2012 it is a bit easier.
Yes I'm a thinker too, but I mostly get smoke instead of ideas! Some of what I sold I thought, Why did I buy that! Other items were harder to deal with, but once done there were no regrets!
OHHH I still have all my HO stuff... Had a guy come and want to buy it all and I told him it aint for sale. Luckily HO doesnt take up nearly as much space. I have 45 or so engines and hundreds of pieces of rolling stock, buildings and quality track/switches. Heck I even have a complete Southern Crescent heavyweight set with engine and a SP Daylight set with GS4 Daylight engine with a helper GS4 black warbaby! My son wonders why I went to O instead of sticking with HO. And I sometimes question that myself. I have an HO set that somehow appeared from nowhere the other day. No idea were it came from. Was in a tub of O gauge boxes??? Not to mention two sets of Bachman On30. One is the complete American set from that mint place that you only got one piece at a time from some outlandish price. I reckon I just like trains! LOL
Jim
Anything can be accomplished, with proper funding.
Estate planning:
A lot of us should be doing this:
I have separate lists for Lionel, HO, cars, wood working shop, etc; I update each year and send the updates to my daughter (the executor).
The attached is from one of our NMRA members.
M. Mitchell Marmel posted:Apples55 posted:When my oldest nephew was very young (he is now a 27 y.o. NYC cop), as the train fan in the family, I would get shanghaied to sit with him and watch Thomas videos... at least George Carlin played Mr. Conductor!!!
I was partial to Ringo as Mr. Conductor.
Hee!
The following comes under the heading of "Had to be done"...
It's like watching two different shows. Ringo has stage presence even in a group setting; and not that Ringo's was awful, but George's narrating was better. The production more polished too.
A couple decades ago I had only "watched" Thomas in passing a few times, without sound, kinda because I saw Ringo. Then I heard George's voice and eventually figured out it was the same show. I figured if they were doing it, it was likely worthwhile, George made the sale though. I didn't really figure out the ties to the books, or that I had some old prints, until about 8 years ago when I stumbled onto those old books at Mom's.
.
WOW, I am out in the train room all day and so much has happened! Great work and conversations from everyone!
I have been working on the control panel and with the help of Chris A. from the forum I ended up with enough switches! The pinstriping isn't the greatest but it will do for now! Next will be the bad part of it, WIRING all the toggles and switches! YUCK! LOL Here are a couple of pictures!
looks GREAT Mike very nice !!
briansilvermustang posted:looks GREAT Mike
Thanks Brian! I hope I can do as good on the wiring! LOL
mike g. posted:WOW, I am out in the train room all day and so much has happened! Great work and conversations from everyone!
I have been working on the control panel and with the help of Chris A. from the forum I ended up with enough switches! The pinstriping isn't the greatest but it will do for now! Next will be the bad part of it, WIRING all the toggles and switches! YUCK! LOL Here are a couple of pictures!
Mike,
Looks good so far. Yes, wiring the toggles can make you decide to use all manual switches and forget the control panel.
The best part of the whole project is that chair!! Wow! I could use a couple of those. 
The one at our desk had a blowout!! It is no crime. It was used at least 10 years ago when we got it. Another for the layout would be dandy!!
Mark Boyce posted:mike g. posted:WOW, I am out in the train room all day and so much has happened! Great work and conversations from everyone!
I have been working on the control panel and with the help of Chris A. from the forum I ended up with enough switches! The pinstriping isn't the greatest but it will do for now! Next will be the bad part of it, WIRING all the toggles and switches! YUCK! LOL Here are a couple of pictures!
Mike,
Looks good so far. Yes, wiring the toggles can make you decide to use all manual switches and forget the control panel.
The best part of the whole project is that chair!!
LOL Thanks Mark, I picked up the chair at a garage sale still in the box for $10!
Mike, Control panel progress looks really good, you are moving right along.
Samparfitt: Thanks for posting the pdf, That was some "get your attention" kind of reading. Not what I wanted to think about tonight, but glad I reviewed the information, there were many good ideas and thoughts presented.
Mark, Hope your back is feeling better. I am with you on the parting with stuff, it was a little tough when I first started downsizing the collection, but the more I sold, the easier it got. As a bonus, I am really glad for everything I have parted over the past 14 years, I got a whole bunch more for most of it than if I kept on hoarding stuff that I was never going to make good use of. Now that I am working on the layout with some regularity, I realize how much work I have to do and it really reduces the urge to buy anything else.
I have been, and continue to, work on wiring, UGH!!! Got out the 3rd and 4th 180 Watt Bricks, hooked them up where my Post War ZW's used to be. Realized, before I started re-organizing the existing wiring, I really needed to formalize the final plan for the (4) power districts, so I could get under the table and start moving the track drops to their new positions on all the terminal strips. Anyway, 3 of the 4 power districts are done, easy to read wire labels are applied, 1 power district to go....
I did some home office cleaning and got rid of a lot of old magazines. No need to try and sell. No market.
At some point I am going to dump my catalogs. Perhaps a market for those.
Regarding airfields, I have landed on the grass airfield. I will leave it at “fun”
John
mike g. posted:Mark Boyce posted:mike g. posted:WOW, I am out in the train room all day and so much has happened! Great work and conversations from everyone!
I have been working on the control panel and with the help of Chris A. from the forum I ended up with enough switches! The pinstriping isn't the greatest but it will do for now! Next will be the bad part of it, WIRING all the toggles and switches! YUCK! LOL Here are a couple of pictures!
Mike,
Looks good so far. Yes, wiring the toggles can make you decide to use all manual switches and forget the control panel.
The best part of the whole project is that chair!!
LOL Thanks Mark, I picked up the chair at a garage sale still in the box for $10!
No chairs in my choo choo room!! Standing and walking around only! Really ain't no room for a chair in there..
Watched videos of all the O and G gauge folks at the WGH show this weekend. Lots to see!
Mike that panel looks great! Something I still need to finish. What size wire is coming off of that panel? Looks tiny? Reckon it don't take a very big wire for the switch machines to work. Thing I used 18G and 16G to wire my sidings. 16 from the source and 18 from the switch to the track.
Ive planned my estate also. Everything I own goes to my son. Cars, trains, guns, silver, gold, and knives. My daughter may get all of my Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Valentines day decorations. And will need a semi to haul them lol
Jim
Taking the Union Pacific Theater Car for a test run.
My Plastruct 0.040 plastic for the Dining Car Seat Backs arrives Thursday. Until then I will paint more Preiser 65602 People for the car and for the interiors of buildings on the layout. It is getting cold, and the kitchen table is a nice work area.
Saturday is supposed to be a snowstorm. Tomorrow I will check the snow blower.
Mike, Nice control panel. Keep the chair there. It is perfect for pivoting around to watch the trains circle the layout.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
mike g. posted:WOW, I am out in the train room all day and so much has happened! Great work and conversations from everyone!
I have been working on the control panel and with the help of Chris A. from the forum I ended up with enough switches! The pinstriping isn't the greatest but it will do for now! Next will be the bad part of it, WIRING all the toggles and switches! YUCK! LOL Here are a couple of pictures!
Looks good Mike, but I see one thing missing, a beverage holder!! I wish I were closer.. I don't mind doing wiring at all.. Really like the chair!!!
mike g. posted:Matt, I have seen several rural airefields with just grass runways but I will think about it for a little before I go to town cutting. I might keep one side for a helipad!
Mark, I am sorry to hear that your selling off some of your rolling stock! Also the employment situation doesn't sound very good. But I sure am happy for you that you were able to secure the Shay#6! Looks like a nice engine and will look great on your future layout! Best of luck and keep positive!
Mike a local airfield has one airstrip with nice metal business\office\hangers\maintenace building.
One oddity I wanted to share with you is, say 75 yards passed the end of runway are three beauty holes at the Eagles Trace golf course. All on top of a mountain.
Looks like you might have room to have a few holes near the end of your runway. So you could have on your new layout, runways, fairways, and possibly a driveway! All on your mountain top!
Your controls are awsome!
I enjoy watching the progress.
John d.
John d Sewell posted:Looks like you might have room to have a few holes near the end of your runway. So you could have on your new layout, runways, fairways, and possibly a driveway! All on your mountain top!
mike g. posted:WOW, I am out in the train room all day and so much has happened! Great work and conversations from everyone!
I have been working on the control panel and with the help of Chris A. from the forum I ended up with enough switches! The pinstriping isn't the greatest but it will do for now! Next will be the bad part of it, WIRING all the toggles and switches! YUCK! LOL Here are a couple of pictures!
Neatly done Mike. Unfortunately, I opted to locate my switch controls on the fascia close to the switches so I do not have the luxury of sitting in a comfy chair Lucky You! Your train room is really taking shape! Very neat power station - Well done! Dave
Nothing. Completed it and the scenery last week and assembled the package for NMRA AP judging and got that done last Sat. Merit Award and 1 more AP Certificate to go on the wall.
Chris, its great that you were able to 3 out of the 4 done! Make sure you take breaks so you don't tighten up! I have the feeling I will be spending a good amount of time under the layout wiring all the switches ! How do you make your wire labels?
Jim, thanks! I have a 500' roll if phone wire that was given to me so I plan on using that to I go from the panel to the switches. As for the power to the sidings I plan on using 16G wire from the control panel to the track sections.
John, the UP Theater car turned out looking great! As for the chair, I plan on keeping it as I want to build a slideout in the train room so I can work on cars there instead of in the garage!
Woodson, Thank you Sir! I will work on that beverage holder! The chair is great and for $10 I cant part with it! Heck even my wife wanted it for her She Shed! LOL
John D. Thanks for the input. I think I am going to cut it down to one runway so I can have more area for roads building and other things!
Mitch, Might not be to much! The people have to get up there some way! LOL
Hi Dave, thank you! If I had facia I would have probably put them there, but I don't want to put that up till the end of wiring!
Must be Monday ! Great pictures Brian! You have more verity of engines than anyone I know! You are one lucky man!
Chris, Thank you for the well wishes on the back. I leave in a few minutes for the steroid injection. I agree, when I am working on a layout I don't think much about buying. When I bought the most was before our last daughter moved out, and I didn't have room for a layout.
John, the theater car looks great.
Mitch, your comment reminds me of an observation. I have heard it said in Pittsburgh why do you drive on the partway and park on the driveway? Of course, during rush hour sometimes people do park on the parkway.
Dave, Your fascia with switches looks great!
Brian, Nice photos again!
MWB, Congratulations on the award!! I know it takes a lot of work/fun to earn them.
Mike. The slide out work bench is a great idea. Make it a roll out with power outlets and test track that can be moved around the room where needed. A tool drawer would be nice too. And a beer frig. A cupboard for chips and snacks. Maybe a grill. Can't forget a coffee pot. Cup hooks too.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
Wow, John! With all those necessary accessories, you forgot to tell Mike to put a motor on it so he can move it around!!
John Rowlen posted:Mike. The slide out work bench is a great idea. Make it a roll out with power outlets and test track that can be moved around the room where needed. A tool drawer would be nice too. And a beer frig. A cupboard for chips and snacks. Maybe a grill. Can't forget a coffee pot. Cup hooks too.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
John, I was thinking like a desk slide out connected to the bottom of the bench work! I have 12 outlets in my 12 x 24 train room so I think I have enough of them. But here is what I also have just on the other side of the door in the garage. I have a beer fridge, coffee maker, cabinet full of chips and snacks, a bathroom, heat, TV, (I also have a TV in the train room) . Sorry no grill inside! LOL
Mark as for the motor, when we moved my mom she had a motorized chair that I have under the layout bench, we as kids pitched in together and bought her a new one! If I were to use that my wife would kill me! Her dad has 2 of them and he sits in it all day! He even uses it to run down to the local tavern! LOL
P.S. I forgot, I also have internet in the train room! LOL
Mike...........looking good
Mark, hope the shots give you relief.
Been working on replacing drywall screws. I am glad the package of Gar Graves screws came Monday. I still haven't found my second bag of screws. Past few days I got the liftout screws replaced. Today I started at the Morton Salt replacing screws. No more for today. Got a Tuesday night crew get topgether. Pics............Paul
Looking good Paul! Have fun tonight with the crew!
Mike, Mark suggests you out a motor on it. A small Hemi block? I am serious about half of the things I suggested. You'll just have to figure which half that is. …. Coffee Pot or Beer Frig? Both?
Join in. Add more items to Mike's Work Table.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
Seriously, replacing the drywall screws with the GG #4's is a major improvement in the look of your track work (and the layout as a whole) and well worth the effort IMO.
Pingman posted:HUGE IMPROVEMENT, PAUL!!!
Seriously, replacing the drywall screws with the GG #4's is a major improvement in the look of your track work (and the layout as a whole) and well worth the effort IMO.
Same here Paul. My eye was always drawn to the DWS but was reluctant to say anything. Your RR your rules you know. Looks much better. Have fun with the train crew tonight.
Bob
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