Mark Boyce posted:Gerhardt, the shelves look great! I need to do something similar. I am building my layout in the old family room, which has 8” or 9” wide shelves on the wall where I am building my two level turnback loops. I have bumped them with my shoulder. Oh my wife is ready for church. I’ll try to add a photograph later.
Mark, I would remove the shelves, have a backdrop on the wall where the shelves were, and make my reverse loops a little wider. LOL, Arnold
gandydancer1950 posted:
Difficult, (for me), shallow layout corner nearing completion.......
Great scenes and buildings, etc. Are many of them card stock and if so, please share your source! Thanks!
Cheers, Dave
Mike, I'm sorry for all the added expense and aggravation. Yes, take your advice and honor the day of rest and listen to Brian' suggestion!
Lew, the mirror was a good idea.
Arnold, yes that was the initial plan, then I realized the built in book shelves under the windows made it hard to have the reverse loop, so I decided to make a walkway beside the wall and along the bookcase and windows, which cover the middle 8 of the total 12 feet. We discussed the issue at length on my signature topic. Here is the photograph of the area. I do like getting in around since this is where my two turnback loops are stacked and with scenery will be pretty high. My wife has a place in mind for her decorations; we have just been doing other things. I do think narrow shelves like Gerhardt put in will work well in this area.
darlander posted:gandydancer1950 posted:
Great scenes and buildings, etc. Are many of them card stock and if so, please share your source! Thanks!
Cheers, Dave
Dave, several are from a source called Clever Models, others are scratchbuilt using photos off the internet and cobbled together. One source I use is Pintrest. Hope this helps and thanks for asking.
Thanks to the schematic of Marx wiring posted here, l rewired to running one Marx #999 chassis after removing its reverse unit (should have diagrammed its wiring). I devised a connection between two, which works well (the chasses race together around an O-27 oval, tilting on curves. But only the front one reverses. Will have to figure out how to wire the second unit to the front reverse unit, which works well, or go to electronic for both. Then comes the boiler...bash together two #999's, or build up from styrene or brass tubing? Have brass Vanderbilt tender will convert to coal and use.
Happy 72nd to my good friend Paul2. If I would have known it was so close to your birthday I would have saved the bridge unveiling till today. Instead I bring you the present of good news 1/2 of the elevated line is completely wired and I can run 2 routes now including the double D bridge crossings. Well off to lunch and then back at for the afternoon work session.
The CP photographs are good, Brian.
Happy birthday, Paul!!
Bryan, that is good news you got half the wiring done!!
Brian, I did have a good Sunday as I got my tractor fixed and running so I hope to get some side work soon. I did not get any train room time On Sunday, but I did get a little today! Thanks for the great photo's yesterday and today!
Lew, the Mirror is a great idea! I would have never seen it if you wouldn't have said something. It looks like you have a great start on your new control panel. Just remember its what is fun for you to run, so build it for your pleasure!
LEE, Running trains is what its all about. But producing and providing such great photo's of your layout as you do is just plain wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
Mark, Thank you Sir! To many things to do to take time to rest if I ever want to get back to trains! Maybe I will be able to rest next Sunday!
Paul, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Well as you can all tell I didn't get any train room time yesterday. But after going shopping with the wife, taking Tank to the vet for his Yearly check up I was able to get into the train room and finished rewiring my control Panel. Now all the switch's work like they are intended. I like Lew need to get some bi-color Led lights for the control panel, and down the rood some table signals!
Well Tomorrow is Tuesday, back to work day so here I am again no train room tomorrow LOL. Anyways I really hope you all have a great Tuesday and have some fun!
darlander posted:mike g. posted:Moring everyone and Happy Tuesday! So lets start with the good news I did my last Hyperbaric Treatment yesterday! Was getting old and after 40 days in a row I am glad to have that done! Next Doctor appointment is 6 months if nothing else comes up!
So yesterday when I got home I was able to finish putting all the 6" addition around my layout and added a little more by the airfield to make room for my Grayhound bus station. Here are a couple pictures.
Here is something I would like to get some input from you all. Even though I really like the airfield, the wife and I were talking last night and thought it might be better suited with a mountain with a lake or something. So if you all wouldn't mind chiming in and give me your thoughts!
Its Tuesday which is a good thing cause it means we made it past Monday! So with that in mind I hope everyone has a great day and please have some FUN!
Glad to hear that your treatment cycle is complete!
Regarding the airfield verse mountain question: I would build the mountain and put the airfield on the summit. You could still have a lake or stream and waterfall as part of the design as it appears that you have plenty of area in that corner.
Cheers, Dave
Mike, I like the idea from darlander. After all trains and planes are all about transportation. Or should it be, trainsportation and planes.
check out out the airport atop a mountain in Huntington, WV, a train town. Also the airport stop a mountain in Charleston WV.
Cumberland, Maryland airport, which is really in Ridgley, West Virginia also!!
I spent the night oiling and running some more of my Lionel 86' boxcars. The cars improved in performance over the past three days. I can even back up a string of eight cars moving at a crawl on my O-72 curves. I could not do this three days ago.
A string of 14 cars moving forward is the limit before couplers start opening from the weight. Perhaps twelve would be a better number to allow greater speeds forward. The cars are getting better as the oil works into the kinematic plate assembly and the spring stretches I took inventory today and discovered a total of 32 Lionel 86' Boxcars. My Atlas O inventory is current, but the Lionel was not regularly updated. I will work on another dozen cars later in the week.
The LaBelle 107 Oil improves the car's performance with time as it coats the stamped metal kinematic parts.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
Today, by way of testing the waters I heated up the soldering pencil and installed two on-off-on momentary toggle switches to actuate two Fastrack track switches. I promptly ordered enough stuff to do away with the stock Lionel remote controls and thereby control all functions except throttle from the control panel. It feels both more natural and more intuitive.
Lew
Watched the Petrolia Turn on it's way out of town:
Lew
Law, that’s I good run out of Petrolia!
Mark, that's the longest train you'll see on the Plywood Empire Route: 10 cars. That grade up out of Chicora heading towards Butler limits tonnage for even a burly SW1500 
Lew
Boy, somebody's gonna' catch H. Not ten minutes after the Petrolia Turn rolled by:
The Royal Gorge blasted out of that tunnel! He must be on that slow-freight's block. If the Varnish gets stuck by a lowly way freight the conductor will no doubt be.....peckish.
Lew
Woah Lew! Sharp crack passenger train!
Hey Y'all,
Great work guys. I've been running my new (to me) switch engine every day (thanks Pat). Today was unseasonably cool. Prime weather to rework the south-end yards. First, I placed all my rolling stock in a safe place. Then, I took up three sidings. Next up was an inspired moment, I used the empty space to access the western incline and added two more track clamp-ons. While I was replacing the sidings, again the light bulb came on. I shuffled track sections and switches until I had four sidings. Time to test. Siding one, problem one. My favorite boxcar would not be pushed through switch three. All other cars would push through. I didn't mess with switch three. I think I took the easy way out. I put weight in the boxcar. I was tired, so I put several pieces of scrap wood inside, took photos, and called it a day. Let's see what tomorrow brings.
Like my new and improved logo?
John D, & Mark, I am still thinking about the Mountain and airport, I just haven't had much time in the train room lately.
John, Nice train, man those are some huge Box cars!
Brian, cool photos! I really like the shot out the window!
Lew, sounds good, Have fun soldering all the new switches! Good looking trains coming out the mountain, I hope the second one didn't catch up with the first!
Bill sounds like a lot of work. A little extra weight isn't a bad thing, as long as it makes things better!
Well not train room yesterday and none today as the CEO has me building a fence in my spare time before work. I hope to have that task done before the weekend. That should give me some time for the train room! I hope!
Well its Hump Day, so everyone go out and have some fun!
a great day out yesterday ! looks good the rest of the week too
Get ready for a strange post:
Both these tracks are HO, but the one on the left has taller rails.
Over a year ago, I bought this plastic, battery-powered train set because the locomotive looked pretty sharp. I quit using it because it kept jumping the track. I decided to get rid of it today, but out of curiosity I tried the loco on the tall-railed HO track (which I didn't have back then).
It works.
briansilvermustang posted:
a great day out yesterday ! looks good the rest of the week too
Wish the NH stood for New Hampshire and NOT New Haven! Very nice in any case.
Beautiful photos, Brian! Thank you!
Where to post? It's not cool yet. What is cool is what I'm going to do with them. Ever move a building? I will move the Bald Rock Mountain Railroad 90 degrees clockwise and two feet south. I did not see the problem until it rained. The run-off floods my radio room porch. High voltage and high water do not play nice. I will do this with the aid of only my wife. The dogs will be ready to call 911 if needed. Boy, I haven't said this in 40 years, "Hold my beer. Y'all watch this."
Wrong position
$4.71 
Bill, I never moved one, but I jacked up and leveled a building about the size of your train shed by myself; in my younger days I might add!
I hope all goes well!!
Conrail Big Blue and 22 86' Boxcars
Working on adding more 86' Boxcars to the Conrail Big Blue SD70 MAC #4133 and 4138. After extensively oiling the kinematic couplers and wheel axles, the 86' boxcars are behaving better. It has taken several days to get the cars working smoothly.
John Rowlen
Odenville Bill posted:Where to post? It's not cool yet. What is cool is what I'm going to do with them. Ever move a building? I will move the Bald Rock Mountain Railroad 90 degrees clockwise and two feet south. I did not see the problem until it rained. The run-off floods my radio room porch. High voltage and high water do not play nice. I will do this with the aid of only my wife. The dogs will be ready to call 911 if needed. Boy, I haven't said this in 40 years, "Hold my beer. Y'all watch this."
Wrong position
$4.71
Bill, I assume runoff from the [left side in the picture] roof of the train-room is the problem? Could you simply install a gutter to control that water?
BTW, I really like your solution to obtaining layout space. Lots of women do similar to get space for a sewing room. Before moving to our present house where we do have room for both a train-room and a sewing-room we considered your solution.
Lew
Hi All- not been doing much lately. Been lurking around and passing out tons of "likes".
My credit card still works though and I took advantage of the Menards deal for the free Mustang GT with a $20.00 purchase. So I added a New Haven box car to the fleet.
I have the Hummer that they offered last year. They offer quality products at reasonable prices.
Everyone keep up the good work. I will contribute again soon.
Bob
Mornin' Y'all,
Lew, after the first rain, I started shopping in my garage for a rain gutter like solution. After very few hot summer days, I discovered it got hot fast with the door facing east. A quarter turn right solves both problems and I can share the porch between the buildings. We found the Add-A-Building solution shortly after we married. As soon as I got my amateur radio station working in a spare bedroom, a 10' x 16' building came up the mountain and the radios moved again.
"What ever you do, don't throw me in the brier patch"
Bill
warning: non train related photo attached (real small)
Bill, that is a pretty serious Rig right there. 
Ham, I assume? Looks like you can hit nearly every band.
Ya, being able to use the porch for both rooms is a definite plus.
Lew
Lookit' what the Postman just left for me: control-panel wiring supplies! Switches, bi-color LEDs and current-limiting resistors for the LEDs. Gotta' go fire up the soldering pencil.
BBL.
Lew
Mike g, Same boat as you no train time lately. Can't get ahead on the outdoor work. Mike I don't think I have reached 100 Weaver TOFC cars yet but I think I have 70 now. I'll have to round them up to count them. They are stored all over the place LOL.
Brian, keep those pics coming of canadian engines.
Mark, you have a reprieve. Took my whip to the whip store but they said I wore it down keeping Byran moving. So I had to order a new one and it is going to take weeks to get it.
Bryan, your elevated section is the icing on the layout. Ingenious idea to hide the wires. Once you get all your scenery done it will be time to photgraph it for the magazine.
I have not had any train time for awhile now. But I did managed to book hotel for the 50Th birthday celebration at the NJHR's in October after york. Also ordered a 50Th anniversery OGR shirt. And a few days ago I was able to get some more trucks from Diecast Direct for a nice price. I think the next tiome they offer the trucks I'll just have to buy more at one time. So pics of those.................Paul 2
Vote #3 for no train time recently. Have tried to save Sunday afternoons for train time but the Saturday projects bleed over. I did manage to paint A piece of track last w/e with a forum-suggested Rustoleum Camo Flat Brown color. I think that’s the color I like for track, just a case or 2 of track to go & switches.
Vincent Massi posted:Get ready for a strange post:
Both these tracks are HO, but the one on the left has taller rails.
Over a year ago, I bought this plastic, battery-powered train set because the locomotive looked pretty sharp. I quit using it because it kept jumping the track. I decided to get rid of it today, but out of curiosity I tried the loco on the tall-railed HO track (which I didn't have back then).
It works.
The track on the left is Bachmann Nickel Silver Snap-Track and is code 80 or 100. The stuff on the right may be a type of Code 55 or 70.
Another vote for no work done lately other than some minor testing for a new control method of the switches and accessories. The wife and I had a busy summer but it looks like things have calmed down and I can get back to working. 5 months til Christmas so hopefully the new layout is done by then.
" Brian, keep those pics coming of canadian engines."
Bill, the 90-degree spin makes a lot of sense. so it will help on 90-degree days!! Your ham radio outfit is impressive!
Brian, thinking Canadian, I'm seeing CN rolling stock on the B&LE and not just an occasional engine. It has been a few years since CN purchased the B&LE, but they are finally appearing.
Paul, My timing was excellent, then. I just brought my wife home from the hospital after her second total knee replacement. There hasn't been time for the layout, and won't be much for a while considering we both have to start back on PT next week. The trucks look great!!
Lew, do you have that panel wired yet? You have all the fixin's!!
On Edit: Mark, just done now!
Did some wiring:
Assembled the bits and:
Control Panel! No track schematic.
Track elevation on the Plywood Empire Route is 36.5" off the floor so just right for sitting in a chair and having the trains be a little below eye level. As such you really want to put your legs under the table and get right up close to operations. A control panel large enough to have a track diagram would prevent putting one's legs under the layout. Hence the skinny version seen here (4"H X 20"W). It works nicely.
Lew
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