What did you do on your layout today?

Added some quick and cheap shelves but they work and free up some space. 

Also ran the Y-3 today 

Mike, I too am glad the young man was able to get Windows working on your PC so you didn't have to buy a new one or pay someone to fix windows!  Maybe you should have Tank inspect the gas tank work.  Sounds like it is right up his alley!

John, The trains running are great!  The diner voice told me I'm hungry!!!

Jack, The Y3 looks super going around the curve.

I have not done anything on the layout myself for a few days.  Too many other things.

BEFORE/AFTER:

Two more portals installed.

BEFORE: nasty looking.

AFTER:

samparfitt posted:

BEFORE/AFTER:

Two more portals installed.

BEFORE: nasty looking.

AFTER:

Holy hell! You must have a monster of a room 

Jack118711 posted:

samparfitt posted:

BEFORE/AFTER:

Two more portals installed.

BEFORE: nasty looking.

AFTER:

Holy hell! You must have a monster of a room 

33'X47': the reason I bought a ranch house!  The ideal would be an executive ranch: 40'X70'.  

Continued work on my new passing siding and finalized the re-location of the coaling tower. I isolated the stretch of track that the B&O 0-8-0 is parked on in the photo and made it a block that I can power on or off.  The coaling tower siding needs ballast and I'm looking to add some sort of structure to the scene as well.

In this photo a PRR Shark powered freight moves from track 4 to track 3 while a pair of B&O SD-9's wait patiently.  A B&O 0-8-0 sits (powered down) on the ready  track and the new coaling tower location is seen.

-RM

Installing additional garden tracks off the turntable in the Engine Terminal.

Glad to have you back Mike! Dave, the trees look great! Paul, the paint for the gorge looks real nice! Sam, the tunnel portals give it a nice finished look, well done. Nice work on the siding Ralph. Jack, the Y3 look great.

Andy

Just got back from al Graziano house and picked up my latest piece he did for me 

Dave, Nice work on the trees! Bet they are going to look wonderful where ever you place them!

Bob, you sure are right about that! I don't even get email yet on my computer just my Phone! LOL The young man is coming back over later to day to fix that!

Sam, you sure do some great work! Just wondering with such a big room and all that wonderful work, When did you start your layout?

Jim, I am glad you got your Coal Tower! But I am sorry about your cows! You know your starting to sound like a dairy farmer then a RR Guy! LOL

Dr. Joe, Thank you Sir! He Fixed my computer and in return I took my tractor over and cleared all the snow from his driveway so he could get closer to the front door and not have to park out by the street!

Mark, Thanks Its funny you say I should take Tank, were just getting ready to leave to the store to mount some signs on the new gas pumps! I hope that's it, between the store, snow and Dr. appointments I am not getting any train room time!

Ralph, the new location along with your layout look Great!

Andy Thanks, It's GREAT to be back! Now I can get motivated once again, after I figure out what to do with my reverse loops! The cars fallowing connected to my engine doesn't like the 054 switchs. It raises the wheels off the track and derails cause they are to tight!

So with my daughter's help this weekend, we completely cleared out the area for the final 2 or 3 modules to complete the main line.    Now I know why it took me so long to get to this job,  way too many cartons on shelving, most of them trains !!    

Building an under table cart today, that should hold roughly 100 freight car boxes, once I get that done and get the wheels mounted,  it will be time to start laying out/fabricating the L girder benchwork for the last 10' x 16' area.

Also got my next order of 1/2 x 1/2 inch Balsa square stock ordered,   27 feet of it in 3 foot sticks, should be enough to make another 27 pine trees ranging from 9 to 15 inches in length.   

Mike G:  Great to have you back !!!  Glad your PC/Laptop got fixed without major headaches/cost. 

Oh, and the crane I bought is PW, a 282 (1957?) so that'll be it's own project: cleaning, refurbishing/rebuilding/whatever it needs.

Lew

I continued my sanding operation. Welcome back Mike G.

Johan, the sanding looks great and thank you for welcoming me back!

I fooled around with location of the coaling tower.  Figured it would belong somewhere close to the water tower??   Looks Ok to me.   Will need to wire it up after I get the location figured out. 

Shifted the location of US power and Vetters.  Just a little.  

Bar  I really like that Southern scrap car!   

Mike got to have cows if we want some milk!! LOL   

Lew moving things around is fun! And a lot of work!  I'm kicking around a new idea myself!  

Mark I hear ya! We had a very nice day outside today!  So I did some outdoor stuff I needed to do.  Went to see my dad and cleaned/filled his bird feeders.  Before you know it the humming birds will be back!  Taking their picture is a challenge!

Jim 

Added a County Fair section in the park- made up of some Ertl playsets I got as a kid. Tinkered with my United Nations convoy by adding in a 1:43 scale Solido military ambulance and pack of O-scale soldiers from o-line reproductions. 

Gave a lot of my engines some run time if they hadn't been run in the last 2 weeks. Had been running MTH Amtrak 16" coaches behind an Amtrak AEM-7 so I wanted to see how it'd run behind my Amtrak Williams GP-9(my 2nd engine ever)- the Williams did great but the outer loop consist returned to its original state. Finally, took my 254e Lionel consist off the inner loop and replaced it with an Ives 3250, 2 Ives #63 N.Y.C. & H.R. gondolas, a Flyer 3000 Illini RPO & Fleischmann gondola w/ brakeman's shack. Will post pictures if I get a chance. 

LEW, Looks like a good plan! I cant wait to see it on the layout!

Chris A. Sounds like you and the daughter had quite the job at hand! I am glad you got ER done! LOL I will be contacting you for some help and insight! I am Kind of stuck here!

fl9turbo2 posted:

Just got back from al Graziano house and picked up my latest piece he did for me 

I don't know if its just me but this is just amazing! Way to bring back the old space age! Love it!

Had three guys (two of whom were real life Amtrak crew) over for an op session. A good time was had by all, it seems.

The launch pad scene brings back memories.  I built an Apollo command module, lunar excursion module and the stage that carried the LEM way back before they landed on the moon in ‘69.  My uncle was an aerospace engineer at Cape Canaveral at the time.  My grandma was very interested in the program having a son involved, but she passed away a couple weeks before the first lunar landing.   We never got down to Florida to visit.

Lee, looks like a fun day!!

mike g. posted:

Johan, the sanding looks great and thank you for welcoming me back!

Mike: Thank you.

Johan

carsntrains posted:

I fooled around with location of the coaling tower.  Figured it would belong somewhere close to the water tower??   Looks Ok to me.   Will need to wire it up after I get the location figured out. 

Shifted the location of US power and Vetters.  Just a little.  

Bar  I really like that Southern scrap car!   

Mike got to have cows if we want some milk!! LOL   

Lew moving things around is fun! And a lot of work!  I'm kicking around a new idea myself!  

Mark I hear ya! We had a very nice day outside today!  So I did some outdoor stuff I needed to do.  Went to see my dad and cleaned/filled his bird feeders.  Before you know it the humming birds will be back!  Taking their picture is a challenge!

Jim 

Jim: Thank you.

Johan 

This must have been close to the end. That Dome ran in the Royal Gorge (Summer only in '65) until '66. The Dome then went on the Yampa Mail. Dad probably took this pic at Granby (looks right). I was not on this trip.

Lew

Ran a train...    

Great stuff as usual everyone.
Lee- I never realized your layout was so high off the floor.
Chris A- cleaning up a mess before making a mess has stopped me many times.
Jim- The coaling tower looks good.
Lew- the small changes are going to add some nice operational options. I'm thinking about adding a gantry crane too.
Johan- very nice work, gives a very authentic look. I find I tend to want everything to look perfect when the reality is far from. FL9- the Saturn 5! The greatest rocket ever made. Growing up on Long Island, in Grumman's backyard, the space program was HUGE around here.
Ted- keep 'em running!

Me? didn't get much done this weekend. Lot's of Honey-do's . I started tinkering with the WM flatcar and trailer frames. I had to modify the wheel stop to fit the smaller trailers. I found some 1/16" picture wire that I am going to use to make the tie-down cables. No pix but I will take some as I make more progress. Ran trains for a bit too of course. Just got this WM reefer and a sweet WM RS-3. Didn't unpack the engine yet.

I'm toying with removing the switch position indicators from my 5121 switches. They are so big that they are always in the way when I take pictures. 

Lee like Bob said it sure looks like that is a tall layout!  How tall is it?   

Time change sucks....................................................

That is all lol

Jim

RSJB18,  I think I am correct as I say your blue Switcher C&O 624 looks to be the most excellent looking blue switch  I have seen.  All the ones I look over at shows have the "much ran" look and with a high price.  

Mine has a really good "much ran" look but had a decent price at a show several years ago at Lexington at the thoroughbred training center before it burned down.

I do not have as many switchers as you must have but the 624 is my favorite to operate.  Not my best looker but my best engine to operate.

Have a good week!

ToledoEd posted:

ToledoEd posted:

Fixed 2 post-war flat cars: Radar (got the radar antenna to rotate again); Cherry picker car with astronaut...(restrung the the cable and spring on the extension ladder).  Although not to sexy, it's little wins like this in the hobby that are just so satisfying.. 

The N/S caboose leading the Radar car is the new CoupolaCam car...once I get to work right I'm going to record these cars with it.  Like the Terminator, "I'll be back."  By the way, today is Chuck Norris's birthday: 

 

Well, I've successfully recorded a video from the CoupolaCam on my iPhone but I haven't been able to find where the video file is located on my iPhone so I can't download the file?  Anyone know if 1. It's possible to download a recorded video or snapshot, and, 2. if so, how?  Thanks.

Lee- I never realized your layout was so high off the floor.

carsntrains posted:

Lee like Bob said it sure looks like that is a tall layout!  How tall is it?  

The track is just shy of 49" off the floor. Two of the guys at yesterday's op session weren't going to be drafted by the NBA anytime soon.

Notice the guy (an Amtrak engineer) in the grey sweater. He's about my height.

RSJB18 wrote:   "Chris A- cleaning up a mess before making a mess has stopped me many times."

I am still laughing, thanks for that comment !!!   Great thing is that it's like a "whipping" when it was done,  felt a great sense of relief and accomplishment when all the boxes got moved and re-organized.   

Carsntrains:  Coaling tower location looks great, I'd say all the building moves are improvements.   

FL9TURBO:  The NASA rocket launch scene is amazing,  very creative.   

Mike G:   I am around today if you want to talk about your dilemma.....

RSJB18 posted:

Great stuff as usual everyone.
Lee- I never realized your layout was so high off the floor.
Chris A- cleaning up a mess before making a mess has stopped me many times.
Jim- The coaling tower looks good.
Lew- the small changes are going to add some nice operational options. I'm thinking about adding a gantry crane too.
Johan- very nice work, gives a very authentic look. I find I tend to want everything to look perfect when the reality is far from. FL9- the Saturn 5! The greatest rocket ever made. Growing up on Long Island, in Grumman's backyard, the space program was HUGE around here.
Ted- keep 'em running!

Me? didn't get much done this weekend. Lot's of Honey-do's . I started tinkering with the WM flatcar and trailer frames. I had to modify the wheel stop to fit the smaller trailers. I found some 1/16" picture wire that I am going to use to make the tie-down cables. No pix but I will take some as I make more progress. Ran trains for a bit too of course. Just got this WM reefer and a sweet WM RS-3. Didn't unpack the engine yet.

I'm toying with removing the switch position indicators from my 5121 switches. They are so big that they are always in the way when I take pictures. 

 

Bob. Thanks. I think our layout is not never to ready. Every time when we think the layout is ready, more ideas comes….

Johan

Well, I figured out how to record pics and video on my iPhone through the CoupolaCam Caboose!  Here's a small clip. I like the quality well enough and it's certainly more convenient than mounting a stand alone camera on a car.  Oh, also, this video is, as promised,  showing my 'fixed' Radar car spinning away!

Here's a snapshot:

Decided to watch a few more paint videos so I ran back to Micheals and got a few more things. I think I have all the things to start painting. I'm hoping to get to it later this afternoon and evening. Tomorrow I have a TCA luncheon and a Tuesday night get together but that all depends on jury duty. Called last night and my number wasn't called so I am hoping to at least get by tomorrow. Tried to get excused but they said working on a train layout doesn't count LOL. Pics..............Paul

John d Sewell posted:

RSJB18,  I think I am correct as I say your blue Switcher C&O 624 looks to be the most excellent looking blue switch  I have seen.  All the ones I look over at shows have the "much ran" look and with a high price.  

Mine has a really good "much ran" look but had a decent price at a show several years ago at Lexington at the thoroughbred training center before it burned down.

I do not have as many switchers as you must have but the 624 is my favorite to operate.  Not my best looker but my best engine to operate.

Have a good week!

John- Thanks but it's not an original. The C&O is a Lionel Post War Celebration Series from the 90's. It has command control, magna-traction, pull-more motor, crew talk, electro-couplers, etc. It is very nice and clean and runs great.

This one is an original however. Also a great running engine. Including the e-unit buzzzzzzzz.....

Wells guys I got out the paints and lined up a few and started adding colors. Guys have thrown out many names to call me Rembrant, Piccaso, William Alexander,  Bob Ross and might as well throw one more in from a long time ago, John Nagy. Think he did learn to draw. But back to basics. I started working on the backdrop. Riverbanks are done too. I'll let everything go till tomorrow and then decide if I add more colors. I am still on a learning curve. Pics...........Paul

 A follow up to my tandem trailers. @lee drennen had posted a photo of some stacked trailers recently. I knew I had similar shots from our last construction project a couple of years back. Found them today.

Bob

Paul:  I also wanted to suggest that you could glue shallow relief vegetation to the backdrop especially at ground level where it meets the water in the river.....    Lichen with fine turf and or super leaves attached,  thin/shallow "puff ball trees", even  Scenic Express super trees with the back halfs cut off flush so they don't protrude, then your background painting will provide nice depth of view without you having to be Leonardo DaVinci....   

I know the photo below isn't the water's edge, but the point is it's all shallow vegetation hot glued directly the 1/4 inch luan back board of this module, so no depth between it and the mountains my daughter painted behind them...

paul 2 posted:

Wells guys I got out the paints and lined up a few and started adding colors. Guys have thrown out many names to call me Rembrant, Piccaso, William Alexander,  Bob Ross and might as well throw one more in from a long time ago, John Nagy. Think he did learn to draw. But back to basics. I started working on the backdrop. Riverbanks are done too. I'll let everything go till tomorrow and then decide if I add more colors. I am still on a learning curve. Pics...........Paul

Paul Picasso: Hey, that scene looking better and better. I like also that blue sky, we can always learn something new. This is a great example. 

Johan

chris a posted:

Paul:  I also wanted to suggest that you could glue shallow relief vegetation to the backdrop especially at ground level where it meets the water in the river.....    Lichen with fine turf and or super leaves attached,  thin/shallow "puff ball trees", even  Scenic Express super trees with the back halfs cut off flush so they don't protrude, then your background painting will provide nice depth of view without you having to be Leonardo DaVinci....   

I know the photo below isn't the water's edge, but the point is it's all shallow vegetation hot glued directly the 1/4 inch luan back board of this module, so no depth between it and the mountains my daughter painted behind them...

Chris A. I love that scene, nice colors. Great work. 

Johan