What did you do on your layout today?

Mark Boyce posted:

Mike, I haven't forgotten the Ceiling Central RR photographs.  I hope to get them up this weekend!  

Hi Mark,

My mom died in January and my brother and I are taking care of our dad. We have been working with him to get him driving and somewhat self sufficient. It is a lot of work. Fortunately we sold their house 4-5 years ago and he lives in one of my brothers duplexes. After 8-10 hours of work and a hour with my dad, I am done. 😜

Hang in there Mark, honoring our parents is one of God’s top commandments. We will get time for our trains.

Been testing all turnouts with a couple of PRR T-1 4-4-4-4  engines, which in mechanical reality is a rigid frame 4-10-4 with the middle drivers missing. 

Bottom line, DO NOT USE ATLAS #5 WYES on a long wheel base locomotive.  The T-1 will take a regular Atlas #5 but wants to ride up the rail head of a Atlas  #5 "Y".

I have posted yard restrictions on these loco's.

Last week, a friend gave me nine HO and N scale buildings. Most of them are in perfect condition, and they are high-end, expensive, realistic buildings.

I am surprised to find them uninteresting, with only a couple improving my lay-out.

Does anybody else feel this way about realistic train buildings?

Took a moment to gaze out over the attic layout and reflect on how far it has come. Here is a picture from mid-October compared to one from last night. For those of you with limited space for trains, there is hope!

I only have one mainline. It’s a Dogbone. Discovered I can run two trains on the mainline.

• Hi everyone, i hope your all having a great day! I handed out alot of likes cause I am at the doctor's with the wife. You all sure have been busy! Just a few comments  sorry if I don't comment on you, it a little hard on the phone.
• Elliot,  thanks for all the information!  It's great how everone here is willing to share!
• Paul 2, i sure hope you get your electrical problem figured out! Might have to take some stair treads off to get to the track! Lol
• Kevin, great progress! I wish I was that far, but it's the journey that's the fun part!
• We'll yesterday I got all my toggle switches done and all the TSM's I have installed work great! I thought while I was under the layout I might as well put power to my sidings threw more toggle switchs so I can cut the power whenever I want. The wife is taking me to hobby lobby to buy me some static grass for her park under the airfield. LOL it's ok for her to buy train stuff, but kills her when I do!
• We'll everyone have a great day!

You're welcome Mike. This is a great place to exercise otherwise useless knowledge to help people. We do have our own little world here.

Mike, removing some of the stairs in way down on the list. LOL. Before I did any work I tried running a conventional engine through but that stopped in the same spot as the DCS and Legacy. I made a hole for the plug and then took adhesive and glued it into the facia. While that was drying I added a terminal block to run wires from the tracks to there. Once the glue dried I took the other end of the plug and plugged it in. Took wire and cut it to length connecting it to the plug wires and the terminal blocks under the liftout. Seeing tomorrow is a TCA lunch get together then a Tuesday night crew get together I doubt I'll have anytimne for the layout. But I should have all day Wednesday to work on the wiring problem. Couple of pics...........Paul 2

Guitarmike posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

Mike, I haven't forgotten the Ceiling Central RR photographs.  I hope to get them up this weekend!  

Hi Mark,

My mom died in January and my brother and I are taking care of our dad. We have been working with him to get him driving and somewhat self sufficient. It is a lot of work. Fortunately we sold their house 4-5 years ago and he lives in one of my brothers duplexes. After 8-10 hours of work and a hour with my dad, I am done. 😜

Hang in there Mark, honoring our parents is one of God’s top commandments. We will get time for our trains.

Mike,

Thank you for the encouragement.  Dad has was wanted the house and 4 acres to stay in the family since it has be since 1888.  After 2+ years and no one in the family able to take it on, looks like we will have to sell.  I actually spend more time at the house than visiting my parents at the personal care home and my aunt at another home.  My mother-in-law lives across the road from us.  She is the healthiest of the four, but commands the bulk of the time.  I got back to work in a new part time job after an early retirement and 6 months out of work.  Yes, my wife and I ware whipped every evening!  I did file for social security myself last week, a few years earlier than I had thought I would.

You are so right that honoring our parents is one of God's top commandments; and that is true even more so when our parents are less capable physically and mentally.

Kevin, that is a tremendous difference in your attic!  I heartily approve!!!

Paul, I hope the extra wires fixes the problem!  Have a great time tomorrow with both events!!

Working on seated & standing figures for two Baltimore and Ohio passenger cars. MTH - RailKing

1. Remove screws on the bottom of the car.

2, Remove the roof, place your left hand on the left side of the car & your right hand on the right side of the car. Then gently twist your hands in opposite directions and the roof will pop off.

3. Place all the seated figures & standing figures. You may have to cut off their legs just about the angles using a wire cutter and then finish with a cordless Dremel tool. I used Gorilla 100% Silicone Sealant Clear as the adhesive and Amazon figures.

4. Replace the roof, side view.

5. Man looking out the door.

6. The second car is the mail and cargo car. With standing & seated figures.

7. Closeup of the mailroom.

8. Man looking out the mailroom door.

9. Side view of the mail car.

Gary

Elliot, you are right, we do have our own little world here! But man what a great world to live in!

Paul 2, I sure hope this new wire fixes things! I cant wait to see what the final fix is!

Mark, I am glad you can still take care of your parents! But sorry that you might sell there house! Get your girls to make it into a Bed and Breakfast joint! Either way take care you yourself, family , friends! Don't worry God will take care of you!

Gary the people in your cars are looking great!

I didn't get anything done in the train room today as spent way to much time with tubbing and doctor appts for the wife and I. By the time we got home we were both whipped!

Tomorrow has to be better! So there is my bright side for now! LOL

Mike, Bed and Breakfast!  I like it! Now if we could find an attraction in Valencia Pennsylvania that would draw them in!  LOL. Oh, Valencia is not pronounced the way the orange is.  It is Vuh-len-cha.

Put the last dining table in the cook house, and that finishes the kit logging bunk house and scratch built cook house.  Made good progress on this severely bashed Plasticville coaling tower.  Scratched a loading spout and a sanding tower to attach to it.  Found a great picture of a small one on the net and am approximating it.  Need to add hoisting cables and pulleys, and other small details.  Now l don't need to build a 200 ton one.  When finish tower, will photo and post all three.

CoastsideKevin posted:

Took a moment to gaze out over the attic layout and reflect on how far it has come. Here is a picture from mid-October compared to one from last night. For those of you with limited space for trains, there is hope!

Kevin;

I envy you your space, but not your headroom   Having just had my second knee replacement in two years, my knees scream in pain just THINKING about crawling around your layout!!! (which looks like a lot of fun)

briansilvermustang posted:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice early AM shots, just what it’s like when you get to work in the pre-dawn hours.  Cold drizzling rain this AM in NH. About an inch of snow a little north of us.  Yes snow in May. 

Nothing yet but give me a few hours.  Last night however the mad dash to complete this project finally got started and ground to a slow roll immediately.  Due to the size of the bar track it needs, you guessed it, booster drops.  Oh how we long for the days of the little round track with 9 or 10 pieces in the oval and plenty of power to run the locomotive ALL THE WAY around the track, using 24 gauge wire.  At least that's what mine looked like in 1971.  8 curves, 2 straights, 5 cars, 1 locomotive, and two teeny green wires running to a clip from a small black box with a silver lever.  One push upward and off we went.

Not today Myron.  46 track pieces, 18 gauge wire, working too close to the ceiling, pain stakingly cutting small grooves in the Styrofoam with a hot knife attached to a 25 foot extension cord, hooking wires together, digging out ruts to push the mess down into so the track will sit flat on the surface, Gorilla Tape works, and hoping that when I'm done none of my connections will have disconnected.  By the time I'm done, overkill won't even begin to describe this wiring super highway.  I ran a Lion Chief Mikado steam engine as a test case around a portion of the track a few nights ago and it did great until it reached the far turn.  Half way around the curve it stopped and didn't respond to its remote.

Hopefully after I finish wiring the booster drops, that engine and all others will have NOOOOOO problem completing a full circle.  Hopefully by middle of next week I'll finally have those pictures I promised. 

Nice work everyone. 

Train room Gary,  The B&O passenger cars look very good. I like passenger cars that are well detailed.  The details make a big difference on our railroads.  Without them, it is just a toy train running in a circle.

Good news,  The Lionel dealer has agreed to refund my money for the new B&O GP9 #3419 that Lionel Service damaged when replacing a bad truck. The engine body shell was perfect when it went to Lionel Service, and came back missing the original front Lift Bar. A thinner unpainted replacement lift bar was poorly glued to the front of the engine. I don't understand why my engines get nicked up when going to Lionel for warranty work.  I am still waiting for the Refund Check from Lionel for my new CSX F40PH #9999 that was destroyed over three trips back to Lionel for service. All the body mount posts were broken.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

@trainroomgary 

Hey Gary, look close at the left hand corner, and the gap at the roofline corner. I don't think you are 100% seated & the roof looks to possibly be hung up from seating right there and may be flexed/stressed/etc.

Adriatic posted:

@trainroomgary 

Hey Gary, look close at the left hand corner, and the gap at the roofline corner. I don't think you are 100% seated & the roof looks to possibly be hung up from seating right there and may be flexed/stressed/etc.

Hi Adriatic: Thanks for the tip....

Gary

Good morning everyone!

Mark, I am sure you could find something to do with the old house, maybe rent it? 

Johan, great looking car and what a wonderful scene!

John R. I am so sorry your going threw some much trouble with your engines! But I am sure glad that your Lionel dealer has stepped up to take care of you! I hope MOM is doing well!

So yesterday after work I came home and did a little work in the train room. I was trying to figure out my building placements on the siding and I really wanted to have the Morton salt building along the very back. SO I did a little kit bashing and was able to move the silo from the back to the top which gave me a little room after cutting a small square section out for the duct work. Please forgive me Mark the Menards guy! I really like the building and knew where I really really wanted it!  It was a real PIA to get the grass off of the bottom of the silo legs but I got it and went out this morning at 4AM and repainted it so it will be dry when I get home from work!

Here are a couple pictures. give me your thoughts!

Yee Ha~! It's hump day!  Everyone have a great day, its almost the weekend! LOL

mike g. posted:

Good morning everyone!

Mark, I am sure you could find something to do with the old house, maybe rent it? 

Johan, great looking car and what a wonderful scene!

John R. I am so sorry your going threw some much trouble with your engines! But I am sure glad that your Lionel dealer has stepped up to take care of you! I hope MOM is doing well!

So yesterday after work I came home and did a little work in the train room. I was trying to figure out my building placements on the siding and I really wanted to have the Morton salt building along the very back. SO I did a little kit bashing and was able to move the silo from the back to the top which gave me a little room after cutting a small square section out for the duct work. Please forgive me Mark the Menards guy! I really like the building and knew where I really really wanted it!  It was a real PIA to get the grass off of the bottom of the silo legs but I got it and went out this morning at 4AM and repainted it so it will be dry when I get home from work!

Here are a couple pictures. give me your thoughts!

Yee Ha~! It's hump day!  Everyone have a great day, its almost the weekend! LOL

Good evening Mike & guys. Thank you Sir. Your layout looking better and better. I can pack my weathering set and visit your layout when you sleep. After you wake up, you said what a .... who has weathered my Morton Salt building? 

😂🤝😞

Johan

After mulling over the pros and cons I began installing an atlas double slip switch in place of 2 GG  right hand turnouts.  The complexity of the double slip should add a fascinating point of interest.  A third right hand turnout directly connected to it is also being upgraded with an atlas #5.  As of this morning everything is levelled and fastened down. Next comes the installation and wiring of under the table switch machines along with the special electrical connections needed to reverse polarity on closer rails.  Only then can testing begin to determine if each engine in the roster can negotiate the turnout without incident.  Fingers crossed!

Bruce

Mike,  The kit bashing of the Morton Salt building looks great.  I call this "puzzle work" as you try to get all the pieces in the correct place: tracks, buildings, and retaining walls on hillsides for adequate clearances.

Mom is eager for me to downsize my Lionel collection. She sees the new engines are nothing but headaches. I have had to return the last six new engines to dealers.  Kristen at Lionel Service assured me that Lionel is not Targeting my repairs. They are having items coming back for a second time from other buyers.

I hope to run the layout today as I gather some trains to list on Ebay.  I'll post some pictures.

Have a good day.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

I've only puttered around the last few days. I made some improvements on the Archie Harrison Supercomputer (an empty computer case that I have turned into a giant supercomputer that towers over my lay-out).

I assembled two simple Lego structures that came with my two dead rail trains.

I finished assembling all but one of the model buildings someone gave me.

Mike g, I like what you did with the morton salt building and looks like you have been getting more done on the layout.

Elliot, nice to hear your son is moving back. More quality time together. So it sounds like the open house went better then anticipated. As you get more and more done especially with the scenery the layout will blow people's minds and they'll walk away with a good feeling and spread the word even more about your layout.

Johan, I think that would be a great idea if you would start making house calls to do our wethering for us.

JGTRH62, I think those Lionel scale boxcars are the best thing going. Nice job adding the Kadee's

Morning was outside work again but after lunch I had a chance to go down and start working on the wiring problem. I flipped a coin to see if I would start with power or ground. Power won out so after I tied in the wires I turned on the transformer so see if I solved my problem. Luck was not with me so after dinner I'll do the ground. I still have to clean the track just in case that was my problem all along. Pics............Paul 2

paul 2 posted:

Mike g, I like what you did with the morton salt building and looks like you have been getting more done on the layout.

Elliot, nice to hear your son is moving back. More quality time together. So it sounds like the open house went better then anticipated. As you get more and more done especially with the scenery the layout will blow people's minds and they'll walk away with a good feeling and spread the word even more about your layout.

Johan, I think that would be a great idea if you would start making house calls to do our wethering for us.

JGTRH62, I think those Lionel scale boxcars are the best thing going. Nice job adding the Kadee's

Morning was outside work again but after lunch I had a chance to go down and start working on the wiring problem. I flipped a coin to see if I would start with power or ground. Power won out so after I tied in the wires I turned on the transformer so see if I solved my problem. Luck was not with me so after dinner I'll do the ground. I still have to clean the track just in case that was my problem all along. Pics............Paul 2

Paul. Thank you very much. The weathering service is a my dream job and stay, because i live here in Finland. 🌏

Johan

Paul, you were brave enough to drive out here. I'm waiting for everyone else to bite. Nothin' but crickets in my email for the picnic so far. Wake up guys!

Added small details to bashed Plasticville coaling tower, and began to scratch a small shovel-loading sand house to stand next to it.

Guys a lot going on everything is looking great lots of nice builds on Rolling stock and the layouts are getting done. Great pics as always Brian. If I can get caught up on this grass cutting and get this garden in maybe I can start my 4x8 section. I did move some vehicles around. 

Lee, your scenes with vehicles are always so interesting. I just bit on two 1951 semis I found on diecast direct for a decent price. Can't wait to see if I did the right thing. They are 1/43.

Elliot, Shirley and I will be doing the Menards show once again. So we will again be a hop, skip and a jump from you guys. Any of you forum members should think about seeing Elliot's layout it is well worth any drive to see. Heck  we drove 750 miles to see it. Not all in one though. So send Elliot that email to see it.

Johan, thanks for thje information on that state of maine boxcar. I actually found one the next day and got it in the mail today. Great looking car.

After geting the car I took the wife out for dinner and then decided wait till tomorrow to tackle the wiring again. Here's a pic of the boxcar. I was surprised to find one considering it was released in the 2011 MTH volume 2 .......Paul 2

Bought a Weaver piggyback! Always wanted one and was surprised to see one for sale for $30

Evening everyone, I hope you all had a great day!

Brian, Great Chessie Pictures! You sure know how to catch them all in the best pose! LOL I am glad you like the change to the Morton Building!

John, that Santa Fe Auto Parts car sure is one sharp looking car! I just might have to get one down the road some day!

Johan, Thank you sir! Your Always welcome here and who knows maybe one day I will get back to Europe! 

John R, Thank you sir! I agree it is a puzzle game! Sometimes it takes a few try's to get things to fit! I am sorry that your down sizing, but I guess we all will one day!

Paul 2, Thank you also! Not really getting a lot done just little things here and there! I sure hope the ground wire or the cleaning fix your power problem! 

LEE D. You sure have a cool looking layout with some great vehicles! I could look at it all day, very cool!

Elliot, here is a picture for you cause your not getting any. Its the finished Kit bash of the Morton building, I repainted the silo and stand, the piping coming from it. So now all I have to di is wire it up and get track to go threw it! LOL

Everyone have a great Thursday AKA PREFRIDAY! 

Paul. I hope you win they might just work I know Patrick some how makes those 1/43 scale semis look small and blend right in. Thanks for the complement glad you enjoy looking at it 

Jack. What a steel! Glad you got it for a cheap price those are getting hard to find. I think Paul has the market cornered on them 

Mike. Thanks for the complement that mean a lot coming from you and Paul thanks 

briansilvermustang posted:

  

 

Nice pics, Brian. Gotta love The Standard Railroad of the World!!!

paul 2 posted:

Lee, your scenes with vehicles are always so interesting. I just bit on two 1951 semis I found on diecast direct for a decent price. Can't wait to see if I did the right thing. They are 1/43.

Elliot, Shirley and I will be doing the Menards show once again. So we will again be a hop, skip and a jump from you guys. Any of you forum members should think about seeing Elliot's layout it is well worth any drive to see. Heck  we drove 750 miles to see it. Not all in one though. So send Elliot that email to see it.

Johan, thanks for thje information on that state of maine boxcar. I actually found one the next day and got it in the mail today. Great looking car.

After geting the car I took the wife out for dinner and then decided wait till tomorrow to tackle the wiring again. Here's a pic of the boxcar. I was surprised to find one considering it was released in the 2011 MTH volume 2 .......Paul 2

Paul. Thank you. I am glad you found that car.

Johan

Started laying out location of first structure on layout. 

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

Sure Mike, it's pretty simple really. I bought a gallon of a color called potting soil, but you could just take a picture of a rail into the paint store and get it matched, or you could just pick a nice dark brown from the chip rack.

Some guys buy rattle cans to paint their rail, but I wouldn't want to use those in the train room, and just went with Latex. That's OK if you paint before you lay, but once it's down, I think the latex route is better. Beside, you can get any shade, and aren't limited to what comes in a can. There is one drawback to latex, and that is, it doesn't like to stick to the bare metal very well, and scratches off easily if you aren't careful.

To apply it, I just use the cheapest external mix air brush. You can pick one up on eBay for around $10 or a little less. Then you thin the paint to about the consistency of cream, and blast away. 

Remember, everything that doesn't go on the rail, goes in the air, and lands on everything! I took an old desk fan, and an old box and a new furnace filter. Then I cut out the bottom of the box and had the fan blow into it, placing the filter on the other end to catch the over spray. It really helps keep the dust down.

It may take a couple coats to cover properly. Just let it dry between coats. I like to scrape the paint off the blackened center rail, making it black again. It's a little more work, but I like the look. I use a piece of Masonite to scrape the tops of the rail clean.

You shouldn't need anything close to a gallon for your layout. By the time you get it thinned, a quart should be plenty, but you'll need a larger container to hold it with all the extra water.

Hey Elliot,

 I have used latex paint that I had color matched to get a concrete color on my old trolley line, I also mix a shade of brown with plaster when doing scenery work. I hate to see white showing through. 

Instead of a cheap air brush I wonder if you could use a spray bottle? It would keep the dust down.

BAR GP7 #63 posted:

paul 2 posted:

Lee, your scenes with vehicles are always so interesting. I just bit on two 1951 semis I found on diecast direct for a decent price. Can't wait to see if I did the right thing. They are 1/43.

Elliot, Shirley and I will be doing the Menards show once again. So we will again be a hop, skip and a jump from you guys. Any of you forum members should think about seeing Elliot's layout it is well worth any drive to see. Heck  we drove 750 miles to see it. Not all in one though. So send Elliot that email to see it.

Johan, thanks for thje information on that state of maine boxcar. I actually found one the next day and got it in the mail today. Great looking car.

After geting the car I took the wife out for dinner and then decided wait till tomorrow to tackle the wiring again. Here's a pic of the boxcar. I was surprised to find one considering it was released in the 2011 MTH volume 2 .......Paul 2

Paul. Thank you. I am glad you found that car.

Johan

Very nice Paul. Must have been karma that you found one so quickly.

Bob