What did you do on your layout today?

carsntrains posted:

Kon112H posted:

carsntrains posted 

 

We are all different! And I have seen some amazing Fastrack layouts!!   Sean's trains for one.   BTW I watched your video on FB last night!  Some good looking Southern equipment rolling around!  Does your KONWAY sign not light up??   And does that Southern TOFC have any dates on it that might indicate its era?

Jim

Thanks, funny the other silver trailer cars have dates 55-56. There Lionel PS-4 cars. I feel these cars  where used mid 50s to late 60s . In the 70s you see the double trailer flats.   Trains or classic trains did an article about this in the last year actually.  

The Konway sign is not lighted.  

Kon yeah I went over one at the hobby shop..  kind of in a hurry...  and didn't see a date on it.    So the other cars just like that say 55-56 on them?   Do they also have TTX and Trailer TT Train on them?   

Oh and my brother is an electrician.   I have been wiring layouts (HO) since the mid 70's.  And if you check out Sean's trains you will see he is no slouch in wiring at all!   LOL    I will give you one though.   They put that Fastrack in the starter kits.   You get a couple then you add to it.  Before you know it.... You have a Fastrack layout!   If I knew what I know now before I bought the first piece of Fastrack I would have looked into Gargraves with Ross turnouts.   BUT nobody in my area carries GG or Ross.  One place does carry Fastrack and the other doesn't carry any O stuff.   

Jim 

They Vary actually on the road names . The PRR has PRR markings.  All the build dates are between 1955-1956 or **** close to it. All really nice Lionel cars though.  

carsntrains posted:

And the train kept a GROWIN all night long!!!!!!

Got that green caboose today in the mail! It's a K-Line caboose! Very nice too!

 

Jim

Jim, that entire green train is interesting.  I have seen that first boxcar in another photo of yours, but I can't read what it says.

And a friendly suggestion? Try changing locos with that green loco and tender that is on the third line from the left.

 

lee drennen posted:

 

Konway  I like that southern 40 foot piggyback trailer and that trailer train flat car. Is that a new  Lionel they just came out with?

that car in particular was In 2017 V2 so I got it last fall probably.  All our trailer cars are Lionel PS-4.  If You can scoop them up under $80 you did good.  I got some for less and one slightly used but I’m Really good at finding deals online and in person. 

Jon1443 posted:

All the talk about conventional old school control, I thought I’d throw in my current control box. It’s the same size box that my grandfather ran since the 50’s or so. Last year I rebuilt it with plywood. 

Jon, you're frightening my wife. She's afraid that I'm going to try something like that with my HO trains.

Vincent, it’s worth it if you can have every controller hooked up to something. Until you forget what controls what

Jon1443 posted:

All the talk about conventional old school control, I thought I’d throw in my current control box. It’s the same size box that my grandfather ran since the 50’s or so. Last year I rebuilt it with plywood. 

 Welcome to my laboratory egore. Very nice glad you are keeping the tradition on going that reminds me of a scientific laboratory  experiment 

 Took a few pics of my B-75 Mack on the layout 

Vincent Massi posted:

carsntrains posted:

And the train kept a GROWIN all night long!!!!!!

Got that green caboose today in the mail! It's a K-Line caboose! Very nice too!

 

Jim

Jim, that entire green train is interesting.  I have seen that first boxcar in another photo of yours, but I can't read what it says.

And a friendly suggestion? Try changing locos with that green loco and tender that is on the third line from the left.

The boxcar in front is the Smithsonian Southern boxcar with Southern 1401 on it.  1401 is sitting a bit out of view in that picture pulling Southern boxcars that you can just barely see in the lower right hand corner.  That green engine is a John Deere set that I got at a bargain hunt store for 100 bucks.   So is that Pennsylvania engine sitting next to is.  Southern 4501 is pulling that covered hopper train.   I have some more cabooses coming so they will surely be changed around!   I will try to post a picture of that whole yard here in a bit. 

Kon  Im going to see if the Trailer Train stories show what logos they used and when.   

Jim : ) 

So after dinner there was nothing on TV so I went back down to the basement. I got the other side roughed in along with the small island to divide the river. What is left is the small area between the bridge abutments and at the back of the table. I get that done and I can start to put down the plaster wrap. Pics............Paul

carsntrains posted:

Vincent Massi posted:

carsntrains posted:

And the train kept a GROWIN all night long!!!!!!

Got that green caboose today in the mail! It's a K-Line caboose! Very nice too!

 

Jim

Jim, that entire green train is interesting.  I have seen that first boxcar in another photo of yours, but I can't read what it says.

And a friendly suggestion? Try changing locos with that green loco and tender that is on the third line from the left.

The boxcar in front is the Smithsonian Southern boxcar with Southern 1401 on it.  1401 is sitting a bit out of view in that picture pulling Southern boxcars that you can just barely see in the lower right hand corner.  That green engine is a John Deere set that I got at a bargain hunt store for 100 bucks.   So is that Pennsylvania engine sitting next to is.  Southern 4501 is pulling that covered hopper train.   I have some more cabooses coming so they will surely be changed around!   I will try to post a picture of that whole yard here in a bit. 

Kon I don't think there is much you can do with any track that cant be done with FasTrack.  I have a Dremel also!   And we all should respect the choices of others and not make such statements.   Fastrack has been good for me and a bunch of others.  When they start putting Gargraves in starter sets and carry it in the LHS  I'll give up my Fastrack! LOL   Im going to see if the Trailer Train stories show what logos they used and when.   

Jim : ) 

 

Sorry deleted .

Vincent here are a few more pictures.   First one is the Smithsonian car.  It will match perfectly with the new Southern 125th anniversary car!  

This is 1401 pulling a string of Menards Southern boxcars!  That's about a 14 foot long train.  

Here you can see the two main lines that are to your far right. The inner main is not occupied at this time.  The other 4 are part of what will be the freight yard.  The Pennsy engine is pulling some VERY old 6464 freight cars. 

All are 1401, 4501, and 2401 are LC+ engines and the JD and PA are LC.   

Jim 

Very nice indeed!

I played with the Doppler Loop on my SP Cab Forward through the DCS Wifi Ap.  I have not tried this feature in years, and have never done it through the Ap.  It is, IMHO, easier to use in the Ap.

The effect is pretty cool, even on a small layout.

I also measured the outside loop using the "Measure Route" command.  It is larger than I thought at .28 scale miles in circumference.

Again today the Royal Gorge rolled through Salida. Every Pic on the trainroom walls my dad took and I helped with in the darkroom.

Hi Guys, ITs me Mike G. Sorry I have been gone for awhile. Things have been hectic here, I am still fighting the flu, the store got 26" snow, and the house got 32" of snow. I have been trying to keep things clean here at the store. Then I am informed that I need to shovel the snow off our roof at home because of the snow load. I couldn't even get into the driveway. So I had to go back today and use the tractor to move enough snow to get into the garage. I am so done with SNOW!

There has been no train work, no buying, selling, trading. Just this dam store and my Flu and Sonw!

I would like to say after reading 6 back pages there has been some wonderful work and special days! Jim, happy belated Birthday! Elliot, congrats on the new Breaker! Paul the gorge is looking wonderful! Chris A. you building is growing everytime I see it! Looks Great! Bob, that sure is a sweet little layout thanks for sharing, Everyone else I promis to make it up down the road, but I am whooped and feel like Sh**!  I will try to keep in touch more often.

Jim, I haven't had time to even check the mail! I will let you know!

Good to hear from you Mike. I'm not one to get worried easily, but you had me going this time. I disappear from the forum for days at a time, but if something was really wrong, my wife would let you know. Be careful with all that snow, and welcome back.

Hi Elliot, thanks, I try to get here daily, but this flu and snow has been kicking my butt!

Butch, here at the store we got 26" and at our house we got 32", just to much for this old guy! LOL

carsntrains posted:

Vincent here are a few more pictures.   First one is the Smithsonian car.  It will match perfectly with the new Southern 125th anniversary car!  

 

This is 1401 pulling a string of Menards Southern boxcars!  That's about a 14 foot long train.  

Here you can see the two main lines that are to your far right. The inner main is not occupied at this time.  The other 4 are part of what will be the freight yard.  The Pennsy engine is pulling some VERY old 6464 freight cars. 

All are 1401, 4501, and 2401 are LC+ engines and the JD and PA are LC.   

Jim 

Jim, thank you for the information and the pictures.

Mike, even if you don't have time to say anything, if you just put a like on a post or two, it does two things. First, it updates your last visit to the forum, and second whoever you pick will be able to tell the others you're alive. 

 I did a teardown of my oldest RI&P Generals today. Dissesmbled, brushed flushed, & wiped everything.

  I have little driver cupping starting on one driver and found some roller bracket plastic flashing had been causing the front roller to partially hang in the up position by the roller axle stub. I removed the flashing and it swings smooth now after 40 years.

   The rear roller has a groove started from more pressure, and lots of Super O time (and likely compounded by the engines heavier draw at the better connection).  I'll just swap it with a car's for now.

It was good therapy though as "my hot rod's motor blew"-

 It pooted forth a cloudy stream of putrid magic smoke 6ft long, obscuring the the tender and cars beneath the dimming, pulsing street lamps lining the ceilings edge before creaping to it's last stop ever, where it promptly delivered the final insult of leaving me sitting alone in silence, in a now stinky and pitch black room as the breaker tripped; clack.

 The teardown of that revealed I had yet another dual winding motor's field coil short out. This post war 249 was the first upright motor's coil to give up the ghost since the 70s for me, but "it is always the field" 

  I ran my other General for about an hour or so before I take it apart for cleaning too. I had to check out the ceiling layout just to make sure the track was ok after the hot rod cooked..I don't know why but ...playlist was,.... Into the void, 2000 Light Years from home, Interstellar Overdrive , Surfing With the Alien, Spacegrass, Cygnus X-1 book 1&2, & Ziggy Stardust (naturally following the albums intructions max. volume for best results..the knob was on "11".... and the clock nearly was thers too, so I shut down and sat down.

Shave and a haircut...

...Who's next?

  I did some figure touch up, and threw management a fresh shave's  tanline since old G.R. Unt's mustache grew in.

  I dremeled and hacked away the jackhammer the guy on the right was holding. Rubbery plastic made it tough. The jackhammer motor was converted to a FRED for a while after simply snipping its chisel off and giving it yellow paint and a réd dot. But that suggests the caboose is on it's way out here, and I don't like that.

  Still need to hit the kaki pants with belt & buckle color, maybe a black wash to darken lows/crevasses/ seams.

Mike g - glad to hear you’re OK!!  Careful with all that snow. We missed you. Mark has been carrying the load here in the east.   Stay safe. 

More progress for sawmill area. I decided to make a pump house to sit on the pond edge. I hot glued a foamcore building structure to cover with the roof and siding. I still have to add a light inside and one outside and then plant on area and scenic with junk and ground cover. I also scratched a pipe rack out of some styrene  shapes.

Cutting coffee stir sticks to cover walls

Adding wood grain with Zona saw

All stained with black shoe polish

By putting boards on paper plate, elevating one end allows the stain to be darker on bottom ends of boards when on wall. The wood grain that is added with saw really shows once stained

Now I added paint color onto boards so that some of the bare boards show through( peeling paint )

Here is the pipe rack painted and some weathering powder for rust

Boards glued onto foamboard, strips of black construction paper glued to card stock roofs 

There are two front posts that go under front roof but they will get glued in once it is planted on layout

More photos once it's on the layout

Beautiful little scratch build Al

RSJB18 posted:

Beautiful little scratch build Al

Thank you

mike g. posted:

Hi Elliot, thanks, I try to get here daily, but this flu and snow has been kicking my butt!

Butch, here at the store we got 26" and at our house we got 32", just to much for this old guy! LOL

Welcome back Mike. Glad to see you are alive and well. 32" of snow would kick anyone's butt. WOW
That's more snow then we get in an entire year sometimes. We had a messy inch on Tuesday and now it's gonna be near
60 deg Saturday. Go figure.

Keep warm and get well...THEN BACK IN THE TRAIN ROOM SIR!!!!! 

Bob

paul 2 posted:

CSX AL, your mill project is impressive.

So today I started off with a bang. I started laying in the base foam board but that is on hold because now another quest has started to find out where the heck I put my package of hot melt sticks for the glue gun. Guess for me it never fails when you are a person who just piles up everything and expects to find what you need right away. Pics......Paul

Thanks Paul, Your bridge river project is coming along great. And running out of something like glue sticks never fails.

CSX Al posted:

paul 2 posted:

CSX AL, your mill project is impressive.

So today I started off with a bang. I started laying in the base foam board but that is on hold because now another quest has started to find out where the heck I put my package of hot melt sticks for the glue gun. Guess for me it never fails when you are a person who just piles up everything and expects to find what you need right away. Pics......Paul

Thanks Paul, Your bridge river project is coming along great. And running out of something like glue sticks never fails.

Same here Paul- nice work.

You are not alone- if I had all the time back that I spend looking for missing tools, supplies, etc., I'd be able to live two lives
Nothing more frustrating then knowing you have something that you need and can't find.....

Bob

lee drennen posted:

Took a few pics of my B-75 Mack on the layout 

                                    very NICE Lee !!!

mike g. posted:

Im sure you will get your track soon enough! LOL

Here are a few pictures of the Jig I have been working on!

Mike, why the clear plastic?   I made a simple jig to help locate the mounting screw positions using the template that comes with the Tortoise machines.   Once you locate the position of the track switch and have drilled the hole for the spring wire (BTW, I used a heavier gauge spring wire, the one from Tortoise is better suited for HO switches), I inserted the pencil stub up through the hole and hammer tap the finish nails to mark the location for the mounting screws.   I also drilled pilot holes using an appropriate sized bit.   Putting the two side screws in place made it easy to position the Tortoise machine and spring wire (the two screws held it in place).   It was then easy to add the other two side screws to securing the switch machine.   I assume you have full access for under mounting these switch machines.

You will be happy with the Tortoise switch machines.  In my opinion, they provide the best action and have the advantage of controlling track power as well as signal lights. 

Here is a link for my signal light construction:
https://ogrforum.com/...29#57038617457314629

https://ogrforum.com/...28#63513879906494628

https://ogrforum.com/...55#60557904315642755

Good luck with your track and switch instillation.   We have been on the Gulf Coast for a couple of weeks - needed a respite from the snow and cold.   Back home now and trying to get caught up will all the progress and posts.  

Cheers, Dave

paul 2 posted:

I must of looked for 45 minutes for glue sticks in the basement. I finally gave up and headed up to the attic to look. 10 minutes into looking up there I found a package of them. I was back in business. So after a late lunch I have managed to get the one side of the gorge roughed in. Tomorrow I hope to get the other half done. Then I can worked on the small island to separate the upper falls into two. Pics.............Paul

Great feature Paul!   Anxious to see it complete as I'm sure it will be an interesting scene!

Cheers,  Dave

briansilvermustang posted:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great pictures, Brian. And I had noticed something about PRR cabooses some time ago: the cupola is always in the center, and there are no side windows under the cupola.

I'm sure there are exceptions, but they ARE exceptions.

Happy Valentines day folks!  WIFE sent ME some candy via FedEx...   WOW ...  

Mike glad you made a comeback@!  I was lucky and seen your area on the Weather Channel so I had a good idea what was going on!  That was one heck of a snow storm!!!   Hope you get over the flue soon!! UGGGG

Watched a Lionel video explaining more about the LC+2.0.  If these are all they claim them to be, they are going to be AWESOME!  

Dave thats a cool gizmo you made there for mounting those switch motors!  

Jim

Oh and I just checked.  My 6 pack of Southern 9 panel hoppers are being delivered today!! WOO HOO!

Well, this morning the boss had me vacuum under the carpet layout...... our faithful Labrador, Bumper, surveys the new found carpet space...... and I am sure, well, hoping that when the conductor arrives for a day with Papa, the new layout, will emerge.......  and That’s what I did on the layout today, oh and I bought another boxcar that I had to have.... does it match anything I got going?? (Does it HAVE to?) oh um, it’s for the grandson..... Mitch..... a G-Raff!!

It took more than two weeks to find tires for my 1931 Rolls Royce. Then I had to use a razor knife to cut them in half, as they were too thick. And then my smart intelligent wife repainted it, and here it is!

          my Valentine's treat from Marci....   mmmmm..... 

                         a homemade brownie, Oreo, chocolate chip surprise...         

Hi Guys, I don't have a lot of time, I have to get back out and finish clearing the drive way! But I thought I would share a few pictures so you guys know what I am dealing with! I hope everyone has a great day and be safe out there or in the train room Elliot! LOL