In one 24 hour period, I collected 79 emails from this topic, 2 whole pages. Wow! This has to be the number one topic on the best O gauge Forum there is! Jim Devleer really came up with a winner 6 years ago! Too bad he is so busy with family and work to get on here much! Well, he is right to spend time with his family; work? ehh
I will have to catch up tomorrow!
Chris, you're not going to say anything about that magnificent articulated mallet?
chris a posted:Andy, Thanks very much for all the details. I weathered my Ross/Gargraves with the same Camouflage Dark Flat Brown. Due to cost concerns, I elected to go the landscaping yard and got 5 gallon pails of crushed granite that I sift through screens to get the right size ballast. Like you I have been tinting the glue/water/alcohol mix to tone down the blueish tint to the natural granite stone.
It's too late for me to make the switch to Brennan's ballast at this point, but the photos you provided along with some that I have taken while travelling in the local area will help. I am definitely getting closer.
The photo below shows what my ballasted track looks like "before" and then "after" a quick final pass with the airbrush. The upper level in front of the factory is After, the lower main line isn't done yet.
I wouldn't sweat the lack of an airbrush, I waited 10 years to buy one, and while I use it, it's like once every 1 to 2 months.
Chris, using real stone is what i did about 25 years ago before much was available in O scale ballast. About 10 miles from me was a rock crushing plant that supplied CSX. I got stone dust from them ($5 to the yardman for each of 2 trips total cost) and washed and sifted it to size. Then screened it to size. Filled 100 coffee cans of the stuff. Held it in place with 25% white glue/75% water; it's held up fine.
Hey Vince, It's a B&O EM-1 that I purchased from a fellow forum member several years ago. He sent it Mike Reagan and had it completely gone through and upgraded to Railsounds 5.0. So while it's the TMCC version this one has noticeably clearer sound, upgraded smoke unit and 4 chuffs per revolution. It's definitely one of my favorite engines.
Lee, really nice flat car and refrigerated trailer. Is the trailer the latest release from Lionel ?
MODELTRAINPARTS: Great photos and excellent trackwork, thanks for your comments. This scene is outstanding.
Chris, your track and ballast work are excellent! The paint job is top notch, not to mention the beautiful engine and scene to match!
Andy
Lee, the TOFC is a nice bit of work, well done!
Andy
Chris a and Modeltrainparts. You guys rock. Great scenes.
Tonight after dinner went back down an got some more accomplished. Got one side all cut out but still have to cut off the other side. I opened up the rest of the fascia. So maybe tomorrow I can get the bridge abutments in and start laying out the gorge. Pics.................Paul
Jon1443 posted:First time poster here....
Every year I put up a new layout for Christmas and usually leave it up until the end of January. The past few nights I keep looking at it, not wanting to take it down yet. But I think I just might start tonight
Maybe its just time to add more holidays to the mix? Is it the operating, the decorating, or just seeing it there that's driving your thoughts? The combo?
St. Patty's, St. Valentine's, and Easter could occupy you till spring. Even Patriotic and Halloween layouts are fun, full of red, white, & blue and monsters. It need not be as elaborate, just a test of your attractions so you might act accordingly. Box the winter stuff as usual and pick up some less wintery town items and your about set really.
Even downsize if you must, but trains are only seasonal if you insist on it, and layout space only appears if you insist on it as well. How much room & where, should be the comprise, not so much if 
Look, 3 eggs and I have a minimalist's Easter layout "slash" industrial site, half the size of a card table.(hand bent, but so what if yours is 6"-1ft or so bigger). A buck in easter hay and some candy and I was done, lol. Not a basement layout, or my only small one, but fun, & runs when I feel it.
$5 at the dollar store for Shamrocks or Hearts and you have an excuse to leave it up for a bit
(I've led you to some water, you have to decide if you're thirsty Hoss 
.)
Paul, that benchwork is shaping up very nicely. Great job.
Andy
j. constible posted:Big_Boy_4005 posted:Well, I haven't even been downstairs yet today, but I just spent a lot of money on trains. I called Charlie Ro and placed my pre-order for the new Lionel catalog. Four more engines, the oil train, a bunch of tank car 3 packs, some hoppers, and the UP excursion set expansion 2 pack. List was over 5K. Pre-order knocks that down quite a bit.
Enjoy the prewar stuff with a little new stuff sprinkled in
Man I'm glad I'm not that tillerman. "Can't figure out why I always have a headache."
Gene Anstine
modeltrainsparts posted:chris a posted:Andy, Thanks very much for all the details. I weathered my Ross/Gargraves with the same Camouflage Dark Flat Brown. Due to cost concerns, I elected to go the landscaping yard and got 5 gallon pails of crushed granite that I sift through screens to get the right size ballast. Like you I have been tinting the glue/water/alcohol mix to tone down the blueish tint to the natural granite stone.
It's too late for me to make the switch to Brennan's ballast at this point, but the photos you provided along with some that I have taken while travelling in the local area will help. I am definitely getting closer.
The photo below shows what my ballasted track looks like "before" and then "after" a quick final pass with the airbrush. The upper level in front of the factory is After, the lower main line isn't done yet.
I wouldn't sweat the lack of an airbrush, I waited 10 years to buy one, and while I use it, it's like once every 1 to 2 months.
Chris, using real stone is what i did about 25 years ago before much was available in O scale ballast. About 10 miles from me was a rock crushing plant that supplied CSX. I got stone dust from them ($5 to the yardman for each of 2 trips total cost) and washed and sifted it to size. Then screened it to size. Filled 100 coffee cans of the stuff. Held it in place with 25% white glue/75% water; it's held up fine.
Chris
I really like that last pic with the vehicles. That’s the smart way to get ballast I used to deliver crusher parts to a quarry near me that supplies the UP Rail with ballast and other companies smaller rock. The truckers would dump some of the fine rock off at a pull over site off the highway away from there and got some of it I just have to sift it now
chris a posted:
Hey Vince, It's a B&O EM-1 that I purchased from a fellow forum member several years ago. He sent it Mike Reagan and had it completely gone through and upgraded to Railsounds 5.0. So while it's the TMCC version this one has noticeably clearer sound, upgraded smoke unit and 4 chuffs per revolution. It's definitely one of my favorite engines.
Lee, really nice flat car and refrigerated trailer. Is the trailer the latest release from Lionel ?
MODELTRAINPARTS: Great photos and excellent trackwork, thanks for your comments. This scene is outstanding.
Yes
I really like them some people don’t because its a little short but I don’t care it looks good to me. Here it is Hooked to a Revell honest John Kenworth of mine
Brian, in addition to being great photos, they have given me ideas for improving my own lay-out.
I assume the rainbow is painted (realistic enough that I'm not sure), but how did you get the steam in the first photo?
An Easter lay-out. With real candy.
Adriatic, I think that you are an undiscovered genius.
Lee, Your doing the right thing! Grab all the space you can while the offer is still on the table! Also wonderful job on the flatcar and trailer!
John, great little video and a very nice looking layout!
Mark, don't feel bad, I was gone 3-4 days and came back to 387 emails! LOL Took everything I had just to read threw them!
Modeltrainparts, what a great looking layout!
Paul, Looking good! I cant wait to see the next step in your gorge!
Gene, I wish I could have been a Tillerman! My father-in-Law was one for a while before he got promoted in the Seattle fire. He said he loved it!
Brian, I too like the new pictures! Well done!
Well the Hot Toddy did nothing for my flu, but it sure warmed my heart! LOL I am going to pack up a few things to day to send to some nice friends and then relax. The wife and I have to go down to the store tonight to do more Order stocking and then work all weekend cause our employees worked our shift while were sick. The nice thing is we have an apartment attached to the back of the store so no driving! I wil be watching on my tablet and checking in! I hope everyone has a great weekend!
My record was just under 200 total notifications in one day (179?) I think I replied like 70+ times. I can't cover half of what I used to on Windows with this Android(or any of my older ones). My posting is also way down because of it too. At times, I have to fight predictive text and spell-wreck often enough to type each post twice; and about two or three times most days, what I write doesn't post at all, and I loose the text too. Mostly I just move on. I do like to try to respond though, so if I leave you hanging, just let me know; mail is ok.
Adriatic posted:My record was just under 200 total notifications in one day (179?) I think I replied like 70+ times. I can't cover half of what I used to on Windows with this Android(or any of my older ones). My posting is also way down because of it too. At times, I have to fight predictive text and spell-wreck often enough to type each post twice; and about two or three times most days, what I write doesn't post at all, and I loose the text too. Mostly I just move on. I do like to try to respond though, so if I leave you hanging, just let me know; mail is ok.
UGGG and thats why I dont like to use either of my tablets to view or comment on OGR.. Desktop computers only!!! LOL
Paul I'm highly anticipating seeing what you end up with there!! The nameless gorge is a great way to have a bridge with no hills to climb or descend : ) Maybe you can name it dead mans gorge? Skull gully? A gorge named George? LOL I see lots of videos and every area of the layout has got to have a name.
Expecting a caboose to be delivered today (thanks Mitch) and have a Lionel Southern bunkhouse car on he way too!
Do MOW crews pull a caboose?? If so I need two or three more!
Jim
Jim I think MOW crews can do anything they like! LOL
Paul, Here's a photo of what we call: "Christopher's Canyon". My son and I originally built this module in 2004 on our layout in Maine. First Photo Below....Seems like a previous life now...
Second Photo shows it where it is installed today.
very NICE Chris !!
Chris, you and your son do great work together!
Powered up the layout last night briefly. Let my PS-1 H10-44 charge up and gave it a couple of laps around. The BCR works fine and the PS-1 sounds are nice. I also discovered that the volume was turned all the way down. Couldn't understand why I had no sound the other day.
Bob
RSJB18 posted:Powered up the layout last night briefly. Let my PS-1 H10-44 charge up and gave it a couple of laps around. The BCR works fine and the PS-1 sounds are nice. I also discovered the other day that the volume was turned all the way down. Couldn't understand why I had no sound the other day.
Bob
LOL you know Bob, sometimes I have the same problem. But the first thing I check is my hearing aids!
LOL!
Chris a, thanks for the info again on how you did your walls. After rumaging through my stuff I didn't have all those colors so I just worked with what I had. The canyon you and your son did together looks very good. Unfortunately for me I have to keep the gorge area small because that is a crawl under to the plumbing behind the table.
Jim, once I get the gorge in and stand back and look at it I'll be able to name it. Of course if I make too many mistakes doing it it will probably have a name I cannot mention here LOL.
This morning I got the other side cut. I attached the abutments to the othe side. After lunch I hope to get in the other abutments. We shall see. Told the wife I'll take her out for supper considering for the past couple of nights I have been hunkering down in the basement LOL. Pics..................Paul
So far..... I've cut up a MARX caboose and kinda accidentally bought two engines off the bay. I think I'll put down the laptop, put new batteries in my crane, and load scrap cars. You know, cause no more trouble.
Paul, its looking good! Coming right along, Next thing you know you will be running trains across them!
Bill, it ok to make mistakes every now and then! LOL
mike g. posted:Paul, its looking good! Coming right along, Next thing you know you will be running trains across them!
Bill, it ok to make mistakes every now and then! LOL
Im glad its ok to make mistakes. I may make a few on ebay here in a bit lol
Paul that will be one gorgeous gorge! LOL
Chris yours is cool too!
Bill what did you accidentally buy?? : )
2 more hours and I'm free again! Till morning. Its 74 degrees here! I want to be outside!
Jim
Jim, what your you getting on the bay?
Oh and just so you know its 32 degrees here now and calling for 8-12" of snow starting tomorrow morning!
Ran both trains last night, then started taking down the Christmas stuff. A permanent layout encompassing all the holidays is in my future, but I usually use the spring and summer to repair and plan for next year.
Here in Texas it was mid-70's yesterday and 35 right now with a possibility of sleet tomorrow
mike g. posted:Jim, what your you getting on the bay?
Oh and just so you know its 32 degrees here now and calling for 8-12" of snow starting tomorrow morning!
Mike I am getting another caboose or two! Its going to turn off cold here after today. Its nearly 80!
Be careful in all that snow. Maybe you should go and shack up in the apartment over the store!!!
Jim
Making progress on my factory build. Finished painting the frame and plastic pieces. Still have floors and roof to make/install, lighting, footings and any other finishing touches I can think of.
very nice Mayor ! looking GREAT !!
Chris, those are two nice photos. But can someone explain why that "State of Maine" boxcar keeps popping up on various photos and forums?
Chris, the before and after you and your son did looks great in both places! Paul, the walls and benchwork are really moving along, and they look great! Steve, the factory looks fantastic!
Andy
Looking good Mayor ! We may be miles apart, but we're working on very similar projects.... I decided to take some in progress photos of the brick wall weathering..... All 9 (2-story walls) have been primed red oxide, then 2 different brick colors added, (Lackawanna Maroon, and Rust), then sealed with dullcoat (Krylon Brand).... Now three have the mortar work done, if anyone hasn't tried adding multiple brick colors, I figured it would be worthwhile to show what it looks like between steps.
Unfortunately, I am working on the kitchen island and the overhead lights make it difficult to get a good balanced photo, the mortar lines aren't nearly as prominent as the camera is showing them.
Paul - : The gorge project is looking great !!
Vince, I think it's the unique Red/White/Blue paint scheme on the State of Maine Boxcars, I liked it from the first time I saw one in the 60's.
Brian & Andy, thanks for kind words on the canyon project. Yes I am really glad I built the frame as an independent module that I could move and incorporate in a future layout.
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