What did you do on your layout today?

Jim, nice to see a father and son building a layout together. Great pics of your progress.

Bill, good weathering job on the slag cars.

Mike g, layout is getting there.

Vincent, nice pics.

Today was actually a step forward. I ran over the Menards and picked up 1x4x8' pieces for tables along  with hooks to hang the last of the lighting. I have to throw in a plug for Menards. When I was grabbing the wood I did not have to go through the pile to find good wood. 10 for 10. I also have to get to my engine going again to work on the layout. Byran expects to see some real progress when it is my turn to host the group this fall.  And this afternoon I had another Weaver TOFC sitting at the front door. I was able to score another on the "B". I already had a Roadway but this was a different car number so not a duplicate. Plus this Saturday Stockyard Express will be having their open house in Oberlin Ohio from 10 AM to 4PM.I am hoping to find something out there. Pic.............Paul 2

Lionel 6-11210 Vision Line Challenger #3967 in the "Valley of Bridges".

I took some time to dust off the older Vision Line Challenger #3967 and compare it to the newest Vision Line Challenger #3977.

Tonight I will install one of Gunrunner John's YLB #10500 Batteries for the sound board in the tender of the #3967 Challenger.  The battery helps the Challenger go over my Atlas O switches and Double Cross-over Interlock, providing a few seconds of power to the sound system.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

paul 2 posted:

Jim, nice to see a father and son building a layout together. Great pics of your progress.

 

Thanks Paul.  It has been a fun project so far. 

After the kids went to bed, I installed the switches that will turn the layout on and off, including the overhead lights. 

The RR sign switch will turn the lights on and off.  The bottom "train" switch will turn the track on and off.  

Tomorrow I will stain and install the last of the trim pieces and the layout facade will be complete.  

Ran trains for about a good 10 minutes today ... and yes they were a real GOOD 10 minutes!   Here's a few pics. 

Slow work, but some progress on my river addition.  Think I have the river bottom color to where I can live with it.  Got the small trestles in place with rip rap around the piers and started other scenic details.  Need more trees and other scenery material - going to be in Leesburg and if I have time I'll swing by the Greenberg train show in Chantilly to pick some up.  Might be able to get a pour down on the river in next couple of weeks.

      looks really nice Steve !!

Looks great, can't wait to see it when it's done. 

Bill

Steve, that is really coming together. Once finished it will be one great scene. I don't know what you used for color on the river bottom. When I did my river I used Woodland Scenics Moss Green paint. I opted to use Woodland Scenics Realistic water. What I noticed was when I applied the water it made the river bottom a shade or two darker but I was happy with the outcome............Paul 2

Great job Steve.  I am following with a lot of interest as I will be doing the same in the next few weeks.  

Thanks all. 

Paul, I am using the WS Realistic Water as well.  I had some on hand and just stayed on that path.  The river bottom color is another matter.  First layer is a tan house latex that I had--wanted to seal the river bottom to help prevent leaks.  Then I just mixed up raw umber, with a little black and forest green paints for the bottom.  I mix paint like I cook, a little of this and a little of that and no measuring.  Perhaps not the best way but it's the Magoo way. ;-)

JDEVLEERJR, I am following your build as well.  Looks like you planned yours much better than I as mine is a retrofit.

Today I added three more trucks to the basement layout. Tomorrow, Saturday, heading out to Stockyard Express in Oberlin for their open house. Hope to find something good there. Hate to come home empty handed LOL. Pics.....Paul 2

While I did not get to work on the layout much today, I did paint the supports for the trestle.  

I also received this beautiful water tower in the mail today.  

paul 2 posted:

Today I added three more trucks to the basement layout. Tomorrow, Saturday, heading out to Stockyard Express in Oberlin for their open house. Hope to find something good there. Hate to come home empty handed LOL. Pics.....Paul 2

 

If you can’t find any good deals, you can always fill your hand with a hot dog or two!  We will be up there today too.  

                                        have a great weekend everyone !!!

Small track re-alignment project this morning.  I was afraid that the track was too close to the wall near the top of the curve.  I cut back about 1.5 inches of track to pull it back.  This caused me to have to cut down on the hill.  I will have to re-apply some plaster cloth on the backside.   

Had a great time at Stockyard express. Seemed like a good crowd. Plus I caught up with a number of the Tuesday night guys. I had ordered a boxcar mon ths ago from Stockyard. It was a  uncataloged State of Maine Box Car with MMA markings instead of numbers. Wel talk about luck. They had another one there so I scooped it up. Pic...Paul 2

It’s Saturday and I thought I would show a picture of part of my ceiling, we added Plexi-Mirror, which shows some of the track on the upper level and allows operators to see the train coming around the layout. Plex-mirror comes in 4 by 8 sheets and can be cut to order, 2 by 4 drop in pieces....Everyone have a fun day.....

Interesting idea, LeapinLarry.

A low-tech solution to an issue many may have addressed with cameras and a screen

LIONELSKI, you nailed it, save a dollar here and there. We got the idea (plexi-mirror) to do this really to see if the turnouts completed their position throws, also to make sure the trains were safe from side swiping near the curved areas in the three track passing sidings.  The upper level has a Y reversing loop so trains can go up to the top level and also turn around to go back down. We have five levels, twin helixes (inside the mountains on each end of the layout)  and trains can actually go from the bottom level and navigate all the way to the top....I plan to set up routes via the TMCC and Cab 2 capabilities via ASC’s.  Happy Railroading 

I see I haven't been here on this topic since Tuesday!!!  I am sure that has been the longest I've been away since I started following it shortly after Jim started it!  Lots of great projects by everyone.  I passed out a lot of 'Likes' again since I would never get comments out to everyone.  

One comment I do have to make.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRIAN!!!! 

I haven't done a thing since Sunday except purchasing a great looking Premier B&O Mikado from one of our young Forum Friends!! He was very honest saying it has a lot of miles on it, has a 5-volt PS2 board, and a chirp in the motor-gear drive.  I can handle all that if it goes South.  So after arrival yesterday, I did a little test running and it is great.  I'll pop the boiler off someday to see where the sound is coming from.  Here is a photograph on the back side of Thomas, West Virginia!

After taking the Pacific Surfliner last month, I have been wanting to get some vintage Amtrak (from the 1980s) on my layout. Found this nice set of old Williams cars on the Intertube and couldn’t pass it up for the price. 

Now, how about motive power? I’m leaning toward F40PH since those are what I remember as a kid on the west coast. Any other suggestions?

Thanks everyone and have a great weekend. 

 I think I am going to go down and renumber all my engines in the DCS remote so they are organized by subway, diesel, and steam.  Hate scrolling through everything and not having them organized. 

Mark, am I seeing an optical illusion, or is this locomotive articulated?

Jdevleerjr posted:

While I did not get to work on the layout much today, I did paint the supports for the trestle.  

I also received this beautiful water tower in the mail today.  

JDEVLEERJR,

Neat tower but it needs some Petticoat Junction girls swimming in it

I actually do run, at times, LTI that has the postwar look, open frame motors and magna-traction.   I fell in love with the Southern Pacific Daylight scheme and am now running a set I put together on Warrenville's upper loop.

A fun no-cost project from my Plasticville junkbox. A store with apartments above, made from 4 different Plasticville kits, now resides in Warrenville.

Vincent Massi posted:

Mark, am I seeing an optical illusion, or is this locomotive articulated?

That locomotive appears to be a B&O Mike, 2-8-2. The locomotive is therefore NOT articulated. It appears that way because it is on a curve. Curves like to fool our all of our eyes! 😉

Did a little more landscaping this morning.

Jdevleerjr posted:

Did a little more landscaping this morning.

 

  

JDEVLEERJR,

Nice progress. One suggestion before you go further, make sure that a larger steamer's cowcatcher does not hit the outcropping on the bottom left of your pic. Run your largest steamer in both directions.

I just discovered this same issue at a completed section of Warrenville when I decided to run my Southern Pacific Daylight 4-8-4  yesterday. A little excavation and re-landscaping was needed to gain clearance.

Lionelski posted:

Jdevleerjr posted:

Did a little more landscaping this morning.

 

  

JDEVLEERJR,

Nice progress. One suggestion before you go further, make sure that a larger steamer's cowcatcher does not hit the outcropping on the bottom left of your pic. Run your largest steamer in both directions.

I just discovered this same issue at a completed section of Warrenville when I decided to run my Southern Pacific Daylight 4-8-4  yesterday. A little excavation and re-landscaping was needed to gain clearance.

I see what you mean.  The track was actually just sitting there and not aligned in its proper spot.  Once I moved the track to where it belongs, there is plenty of clearance all around.  

Lionelski posted:

Jdevleerjr posted:

While I did not get to work on the layout much today, I did paint the supports for the trestle.  

I also received this beautiful water tower in the mail today.  

JDEVLEERJR,

Neat tower but it needs some Petticoat Junction girls swimming in it

I might put a figure or two up there, but because my layout will be based in the winter with lots of snow, there will be no one swimming up there!

I put a YLB 10500 Fast re-charging battery in my Lionel Allegheny #1604 to support the sound system in the tender when it goes over my Atlas O #5 switches.  The tender trucks are mounted on hollow tubes that allow wires to run through them to the tender boards inside.  There was no extra room through the tubes to the pick-up roller below, so I spliced the YLB red power wire to the grey wire from the front pick-up roller inside the tender. The sounds stay on now as the engine goes over all switches. Thanks, Gunrunner John.  The YLB Battery allows me to run my Lionel steam engines on Atlas O switches.

As I put the Lionel 6-82768 Allegheny on the track, another fiber washer fell out of the engine. The engine returned from Lionel Service and drags/slows between Speed Steps 22 through 100.  At speed step "125" I was able to get the engine to run at normal speeds as whatever is binding the engine broke free.  When I slow the engine to speed step 80, the engine drags again until it slows to speed step 22.  I wonder how many more fiber washers have to fall out of the engine until it runs properly.  Right now, the Lionel 6-82768 Allegheny #1604 is a $2,000.00 paper weight.

While I had the Allegheny moving at speed step 90, I took a video of it and the 11210 Vision Line Challenger #3967.

Note the two Road Signals change as the Allegheny passes the Saw Mill and the Tunnel Entrance. The Saw Mill Signal is cable wired to the Tunnel Signal. The Tunnel Signal is in the Timed mode, not yet cable wired to the Girder Bridge Signal at the exit of the Tunnel.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

Vincent Massi posted:

Mark, am I seeing an optical illusion, or is this locomotive articulated?

Yes that is a bad angle.  It is a 2-8-2. I only had power on that one section of track to see what it would do, and with a lamp on the built in book shelves across the aisle, I left it there for the light.  I’ll get a better photograph up soon!

Next year after the knee replacement and hopefully the sciatic damage hurts less I want to put in better lighting.  The small portion of the layout I have built so far isn’t in the way for that.

NS6770Fan posted:

Vincent Massi posted:

Mark, am I seeing an optical illusion, or is this locomotive articulated?

That locomotive appears to be a B&O Mike, 2-8-2. The locomotive is therefore NOT articulated. It appears that way because it is on a curve. Curves like to fool our all of our eyes! 😉

Yes indeed!  It is an optical delusion!  LOL I’ll get a better photograph soon.  Thank you 6770!!  :-)

John Warren, That's a nice job on the 5 and 10 with the apartment above.

Jim, the cut with the track aligned looks great!

John Rowlen, The Allegheny looks and sounds great!  I'm so sad you are having so much trouble with it!  There are some other great looking engines there as well.

I moved the B&O 2-8-2 a little to let the sunlight and lamp illuminate it!   Many thanks to the suggestions RalphM messaged me about lubricating it well and seeing if that quiets the chirp sound.  I'll let you know how that turns out.

This is the spot where the earlier lighter and later darker lazy man's ballast come together.  I'll get that portion on the right done to match what is on the left.  It is also the spot where I will be able to take apart layout sections when if and when we move.

Mark Boyce posted:

John Warren, That's a nice job on the 5 and 10 with the apartment above...……...

Thanks Mark.

By the way, my friends call me 'Ski

Lionelski posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

John Warren, That's a nice job on the 5 and 10 with the apartment above...……...

Thanks Mark.

By the way, my friends call me 'Ski

 

Ski it is!  

Thank you!

Mark,  The layout bench work is looking good.  Have fun building.  

Sincerely, John Rowlen