What did you do on your layout today?

That last pic of the hopper car reminds me of working in the sinter plant in the steel mill.  

JD2035RR posted:

RSJB18 posted:

Happy Monday- grabbed a couple of minutes before work to give my new PRR A5 a quick test run. What a nice engine, runs really smooth. I now have this plus a PRR B6 0-6-0, and another Lionel MPC PRR 0-4-0, that should make a nice set of engines to run together.

Believe it or not, it's the first time the power has been put to the rails in about a month. I realize that is a very sad fact but it is what it is.

 

Great stuff, Bob. Do you run conventionally or some type of command control? 

JD- all conventional in my little world. I have recently bought a couple of older MTH PS-1, 2,  locos, and a couple of Lionel TMCC/ Legacy but they are running conventional. Don't know if I'll take the plunge just yet. The C&O NW-2 on the upper level in the video is Command equipped, and the B6 has railsounds.

Your control panel is looking good.

Bob

PanAm Railways excursion.  Short Videos.

          great looking excursion train Matt...  like it !! 

Did Pan Am really run a railroad? If so they obviously ran it as well as the airline.

RSJB18 posted:

Did Pan Am really run a railroad? If so the obviously ran it as well as the airline.

They are in business right now in NH & ME.  Next time they are working on one of our local RR crossings, I'll take a picture of one of their trucks.   The trucks are the type that run either on Rails or roads.  Check out their website www.panamrailways.com .

"Pan Am entered the rail business in 1981 when the company, then known as Guilford Transportation Industries, purchased the Maine Central Railroad (MEC). In 1983,  GTI purchased the bankrupt Boston & Maine (B&M). In 1998 GTI purchased Pan Am Airways from bankruptcy and revived the airline. In 2006 the railroad was rebranded as Pan Am as well. Today the railroad is more vibrant than ever, succeeding in a region where many rail operators have failed, by making sound investments and a focus on the long term."

mike g. posted:

Lee, Looks GREAT! Side note what Ballast did you use on your layout as I am almost to that point?         

Mike,

I used the Woodland Scenics stuff. It wasn't the uber fine stuff, but the size just a little bigger than that (I think it's the mixed medium grey). It makes for excellent O scale ballast, I think. The finest stuff they make is excellent for gravel for parking lots and gravel driveways, I think.

BTW, thanks for the kind words, and your layout is really coming along!

It has been a few days.  The most I have done was finish up painting the builders plates to display on the wall behind the layout.  I put down 2 coats of gloss clear today and will do one coat of dull coat tomorrow, as I find them too glossy.

I do have one more plate to this set, its the Trust Plate that goes on the tender.  I can not locate it anywhere.  

decoynh posted:

RSJB18 posted:

Did Pan Am really run a railroad? If so the obviously ran it as well as the airline.

They are in business right now in NH & ME.  Next time they are working on one of our local RR crossings, I'll take a picture of one of their trucks.   The trucks are the type that run either on Rails or roads.  Check out their website www.panamrailways.com .

"Pan Am entered the rail business in 1981 when the company, then known as Guilford Transportation Industries, purchased the Maine Central Railroad (MEC). In 1983,  GTI purchased the bankrupt Boston & Maine (B&M). In 1998 GTI purchased Pan Am Airways from bankruptcy and revived the airline. In 2006 the railroad was rebranded as Pan Am as well. Today the railroad is more vibrant than ever, succeeding in a region where many rail operators have failed, by making sound investments and a focus on the long term."

Thanks Matt. I had a guy who worked for me who was a former machinist for PanAm. Very depressing to here him talk about how they all got shafted in the bankruptcy. 

Mike G, wow, that satin finish sure made your layout and room look great. Your layouts coming along just fine, going back a bit to Farmerjohn layout changes, look at the before he started the changes, it’s a large task...I really enjoy seeing Farmerjohns layout as it’s simply amazing...

Mike G.  layout room really looks good, keep up the good work.

Lots of nice pictures from everyone.

It has been ages since I last posted. Too busy with other adventures. My two grand kids planned to visit beginning of August so I cleaned the rollers on the consolidation and pulled my track cleaner car around 6 times.  Had a great time as the kids watched a few trains.  We were finishing the last run when the train just stopped for no apparent reason.  I figured it might be the usual dirty rollers.  Today, I cleaned the rollers on my M1a and she ran great pulling 16 cars on 2% grade.  Then I fired up the K4s and hauled a 5 car fast mail for a while until the local 4 car commuter headed by the E6 steamer was scheduled to arrive.  It was great to see the tracks, scenery, and trains and hear the bells, whistles and chuffs.  Great to catch up on some posts now and then.  Until then . . . 

So I added a new Menards Army Hospital and a Woodland Scenics American Flag pole with LED spotlight. I just need to get a few Army soldiers to go with it.

NS1975 posted:

So I added a new Menards Army Hospital and a Woodland Scenics American Flag pole with LED spotlight. I just need to get a few Army soldiers to go with it.

Man, where did you get that fantastic green Coca-Cola truck?

Vincent Massi posted:

NS1975 posted:

So I added a new Menards Army Hospital and a Woodland Scenics American Flag pole with LED spotlight. I just need to get a few Army soldiers to go with it.

Man, where did you get that fantastic green Coca-Cola truck?

It is an Atlas model I got from a hobby shop in Columbia, SC a few years ago.

Paul, your right the center has gotten smaller! I forgot to leave room for roads so I had to add a little! LOL Hey by the way nice TOFC!

Lew, Great evolution story, thing sure look great at your place!

JD, Thanks for the nice words and explaining  all the gauges!

Brian, cool pictures! I didn't know FORD hauled coal! LOL

Matt, couple of wonderful little videos! Thanks for sharing!

Lee, Thanks for the information and the kind words!

Larry, Thanks you sir! Also thank you for sharing Farmerjohns layout pictures!

Rick R. Thank you very much!

Pennsynut, sure sounds like you had a great time with the grandkids! Soak it all in while they are still into trains!

NS1975, Great addition!

Everyone is doing such wonderful work its hard to keep up, But I do my best to try and her here daily if not a couple of times a day. It is such a great place to learn! Thank you all!

2 more short videos from my PanAm Railways Business Train excursion.

"Pan Am Railways is North America's largest regional railroad system. PAR's routes stretch from Saint John, New Brunswick to New York's Capital District.

PAR consists of the Springfield Terminal (ST) and Pan Am Southern (PAS). A haulage agreement with the Irving family of railroads extends ST's reach into Northern Maine and New Brunswick. The combined system, including haulage rights, totals approximately 1700 route-miles. PAR's connections include all four eastern Class I systems (CN, CP, CSX, NS) as well as over 20 regional and short line railroads. Primary commodities handled include grain, coal, sand and gravel, food products, lumber, paper and pulp, chemicals and plastics, petroleum, processed minerals, metals, scrap metal, finished automobiles and intermodal trailers and containers."

Brian, once again wonderful photos!

Matt, great little videos of your layout!

So last night the guy in the big brown truck brought me two Rosa 072 Y's.  So at 5 am this morning I had to check things out. I had to router out a little moresearch then a 1/16th so they would line up. I think it will work great. Here are a couple pictures.

         thanks Mike !!    your layout is looking great

Mike G, your layout looks great, Matt, nice videos and great layout. Thanks for posting the videos...So cool...Everyone have a great Wednesday....

I put the layout back up in the garage today, hopefully for the last time.  Me and my son did more plaster cloth.  We will let it dry for a day or two and then lay the track and paint the plaster cloth and all foam a nice shade of white.   I will add woodlands scenic snow to to the top of the paint.

I try and have a train surprise for the boys most mornings. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Tonight I finally got around to lighting the lift bridge. In my hometown of Ashtabula they lit our Bascule bridge up with led lights so that it glows at night. (Don't have pics of it at night to post but if you search Ashtabula lift bridge online you can find it)

I found some cheap led string lights and strung them around so that it looks like the one at home.

Not much in the train department,  but I am in the process of restoring a Corgi Mercedes Pullman for a chum of mine... 

Quick hint:  If you cover the casting in hot water and add three tablespoons of Drano (or pure lye, if you can get it), the paint comes right off.   Also works for removing the chrome plating from plastic parts without harming the plastic!  

Mitch

Aldovar posted:

I try and have a train surprise for the boys most mornings. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Tonight I finally got around to lighting the lift bridge. In my hometown of Ashtabula they lit our Bascule bridge up with led lights so that it glows at night. (Don't have pics of it at night to post but if you search Ashtabula lift bridge online you can find it)

I found some cheap led string lights and strung them around so that it looks like the one at home.

Very cool bridge, Ed.

73 de WK6V (Kevin)

Very small steps. Finished putting up the midnight blue fabric on the walls of the west end of the layout. Pretty hot in the attic today.

Got out my very first engine from when I was a kid, my 2023 UP Alco AA set and pulled some cars into the station. My dad got it for me at the Pleasanton train swap in about 1978. Good memories, and at 91 he is still enjoying it with me (after a long break). Recently had the engine fully serviced and it is still one of the smoothest runners I have.

Brian - You will always get a like from me when you display your Amtrak or Alaska RR items.  During the summer,I'm not looking every day, so I'm glad I caught this one.

Thanks Brian!, Vey cool Amtrak Photos! You and Marci thinking about taking Izzy on a train trip? LOL

Larry, thank you sir! I just love seeing photos of your amazing layout! Never gets DULL!

Jim, Nice work and its a big plus that you have your son working along side you!

Ed, The bridge looks great! Nice Job!

Mitch, looks like a fun project! Also thank you for sharing the information on the Drano!

Kevin, things are looking good in the Attic! Its nice your dad still enjoys trains with you!

Well this morning I got up, went out and laid the cork for the Y's and painted them, when the paint dries I will set everything in place so I can work on the lift out section so I can stop crawling under! LOL

Its Friday JR, so everyone get ready for the up coming weekend and please have some FUN today!

While I really didn't construct these today, I did place them on the layout. Sanding towers and utility shed based on an article in an old publication, Model Trains, from the 50's. Made from Plastruct and Evergreen styrene pieces. The cylinders were sawn from under-the-sink pvc drain pipe. Prototype stood in Roper Yard, Utah.

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Not much in the train department,  but I am in the process of restoring a Corgi Mercedes Pullman for a chum of mine... 

Quick hint:  If you cover the casting in hot water and add three tablespoons of Drano (or pure lye, if you can get it), the paint comes right off.   Also works for removing the chrome plating from plastic parts without harming the plastic!  

Mitch

Thanks Mitch for the very useful "Quick hint"!!  

Cheers, Dave

After finishing my Slag dump,  I decided to weather a few MTH Slag cars I have.  Tell me what you think.  I might just start a new thread using the "show and tell" method. 

Bill

                                     My only N gauge train runs great, but it was hard to reach the tracks for cleaning. I disassembled the track today and moved it to a better location. Then I discovered that one of the N gauge straight tracks I bought was missing a connecting pin, so I can't turn the circle into an oval. And of course I had to re-arrange a whole lot of stuff to get it to fit.

PS. Want a real challenge? Assemble N gauge tracks smoothly.

        they look really good Bill,  turned out great !!

       can't wait to see them out on your slag dump,  gonna look great !!!

It's a fairly simple system.  Just 2 to 4 steps depending on how involved you want to get.  Can be done in one day. Look for a new thread from me explaining the technique. 

Bill

briansilvermustang posted:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These look great, Brian. After a recent trip on the Pacific Surfliner, I'm now wanting to add some Amtrak to my layout.

A couple more intermodal updates and that'll be enough for a while.  The MTH CR TOFC on the right originally came with two 20' trailers.  I recently scored an Atlas Conrail 45' pines trailer and knew where it had to go. I removed the undercarriages from the 20' trailers and now I've got two 20' containers instead. 

Ralph M posted:

A couple more intermodal updates and that'll be enough for a while.  The MTH CR TOFC on the right originally came with two 20' trailers.  I recently scored an Atlas Conrail 45' pines trailer and knew where it had to go. I removed the undercarriages from the 20' trailers and now I've got two 20' containers instead. 

Your layout looks super! Nice work. 

third rail posted:

After finishing my Slag dump,  I decided to weather a few MTH Slag cars I have.  Tell me what you think.  I might just start a new thread using the "show and tell" method. 

Wonderful Bill!  Yes, please share your method!

Cheers, Dave

We started laying track today.  Everything is cut and ready for paint.  Found a can of Krylon Camo Brown that I already owned.   

We also cut some 2x4s for the pillars to hold the track on the bridge.  These will be temporary as I plan to construct a full trestle in the future.