What did you do on your layout today?

briansilvermustang posted:

 

 

 

 

 

SD45?

NS6770Fan posted:

briansilvermustang posted:

 

 

 

 

 

SD45?

       Delaware & Hudson had these...

Ya, those beasts were the Hustle Muscle with the whippy crankshafts. Some railroads experienced broken crankshafts with those big V20s so EMD had to reengineer the blocks to reduce flexing.

Ran trains yesterday afternoon and evening.  Piddled in the train room a bit while the trains ran ... changing out some of the freight cars on the 3 trains running , touched up some scenery and put items back in place on shelves.  Took a few photos and most importantly really enjoyed the time!  I want to weather a Weaver Western Maryland hopper that  I purchased off the Bay a few months ago.  I find the weathering process to be meditative.   Here are a few of my pics from yesterday. 

I really like your latest photos, Patrick. It looks like places on your layout I've not seen before!

Rusty

ALDOVAR: Those LED's look good in your buildings, nice work. I'd thought of doing something like that, run some lights off of a battery pack. I have some street lights from Menards that are powered from a battery pack. I'd seen some tea lights I thought might look okay inside of a building, also.

Rusty

What'd I do? Daylighting that tunnel created scenic opportunity of a different kind: room for more pics.

Stations and stations, eh? 

Also too, Rio Grande Fs and Fs. 

Bottom right, my idling Horsepower and Mulepower photo has a home now.

Photos mine.

Nothing super exciting but something that must be done....I have wired 3 of my switches on the elevated line back to the AIU and programmed into the remote.  Only 8 more to go.  My philosophy now that school is back in session is to try to get 1 done every 2 nights. 

Diverging Clear posted:

I really like your latest photos, Patrick. It looks like places on your layout I've not seen before!

Rusty

Thanks so much Rusty!  Actually I used some different camera angles ( of most the same areas of my layout as I've posted from before )  for most of the photos.  As a kid, I loved viewing various scenes on retail/demo layouts, in department stores and train shops, from different angles.... my imagination totally absorbed in the visual feast before me.  As an adult ( with a little kid inside me )  I find it quite satisfying  to view a scene from different angles  ... doing so allows my imagination to engage with greater depth and appreciation.   

Brian, lotta' different stripes there. 

I assume that as with the Rio Grande the narrow multiple stripes were the earlier scheme and the single wide stripe was the later version, as a labor saving ploy.

Last night while running trains, I re-sceniced my lake scene.  Wanting to hide the plywood/homosote straight edges, I used real stone to give an effect such as you might see around the edge of quarry type lake or pond. I also added in some lichen between some of the stones.  Not sure if I like this outcome so I will sit with it for a few days before making any changes.   I'm sensing that I'll change what I've done with it, however, as I said I'll sit with it for a few days before making a decision.  Here are some before and after shots.  If anyone has any ideas/suggestions, feel free to chime in!  Thanks!  

     looks great Patrick

trumptrain posted:

Last night while running trains, I re-sceniced my lake scene.  Wanting to hide the plywood/homosote straight edges, I used real stone to give an effect such as you might see around the edge of quarry type lake or pond. I also added in some lichen between some of the stones.  Not sure if I like this outcome so I will sit with it for a few days before making any changes.   I'm sensing that I'll change what I've done with it, however, as I said I'll sit with it for a few days before making a decision.  Here are some before and after shots.  If anyone has any ideas/suggestions, feel free to chime in!  Thanks!  

Looking much, much better. Try a few more - smaller - rocks jutting out in one spot so they look LESS like a border. It might be too late, but if you could add a light tan area near part of the shoreline and darken the blue to blue green in the middle then add another coating of "water". That would give it more depth. Looks so much better now.

Worked on the last part of actual rock mountain. Got frame and plaster cloth done. Next is rock molds. Hopefully by end of weekend that will be done. Then comes trying to get the scenery manager ( my wife ) in to paint it then I can finish this mountain. I am so ready for it to be done and can move on. So much to do and so little time. I ain't getting any younger. Plus my right knee is due to be replaced November 18th. Then I will have two replaces knees and can finally walk great again. Can't say enough about Rothman. Dr is fantastic.

I am steadily dismantling and cleaning my entire lay-out. I intend to add the 34" tall switchyard to my lay-out and I have to re-arrange everything to get it to fit. The sheets on my lay-out table are so filthy that I need to wash them anyway. I have scrubbed all my HO tracks with rubbing alcohol and will return them to my site after the sheets are clean.

I couldn't resist adding the elevated switchyard--besides it was in the way on the floor.

The three ground-level supports allow my HO and N trains through. For the record an HO train, without the tracks, is about 2" high.

My wife and kids went up north for the holiday weekend.  This leaves me plenty of time for layout work. 

Today I 'Rusted" my rails.   

A quick spray of Krylon Camo Brow, then the tops wiped down with some mineral sprites on the top of the rails before the paint dried.  When ballasted and weathered it should look really good. 

More work and photos posted later tonight. 

Found room for one more photo:

Young gazer at a favorite venue: in the vestibule with the top half-door open. Best way to ride a train.

Who needed that tunnel anyway? 

Just laid down the first coat of white paint on the layout.  It is just a base layer and I still have to detail paint the rock faces and other details.  My last coat will receive a snow covering of Woodland Scenics Snow.  This will take awhile as I need to lay the track, roads, get final placement of all buildings and do ballast.

modeltrainparts - Jackson - Thanks for taking the time to examine and give feedback to my lake scene.  I like all of your ideas!  It's probably too late to add the extra coats of water, however I will take some small stones and place them as you suggest.  Again many thanks!  

Patrick, I think adding smaller stones is the right way to go.  If nothing is glued down as yet you can try different variations.  Maybe throw in some bits of vegetation in the rocks.

For me, more river: I put down two pours of WS Realistic Water, planned for 3 originally but 2 looked good enough.  Added Modge Podge for ripple effect, think I got the bubbles out this time.

Still more scenic details to add plus add the lake/access cover.

Morning guys, I have handed out a boat load of likes as I am a little tired this morning from working in the yard yesterday. We had 17 trees taken down and today will be clean up day, if I am lucky it will all be cleaned up by the end of the day, I then have to work all weekend so there will be no train time this weekend for me. But I wanted to say you are all doing some amazing work and I truly enjoy coming here to see all  your work!

I hope everyone has a great weekend and find time to have fun! I will be checking in here and there but probably wont comment till next week!

I like all the work that your all doing and please keep posting as that is how new folks like me learn!

Mike

Take it easy with that tree cleanup. We all tend to push a little too hard and sometimes it results in pain, sooner or later. Just remember we aren't teenagers anymore.

Brian, I see what you did there. Lotta' red, white&blue for a holiday weekend.

Bruce Jacobsen posted:

Finished the cables on the suspension bridge and test fit it on the table.

Looks like the Mario Cuomo (formerly Tappan Zee) Bridge crossing the Hudson River near Tarrytown, NY.

Very modern looking bridge and will look great on a layout with very modern looking trains.

I did not finish until after midnight, so I did something today.  I completed the upgrade of my control panel.  It took 2 1/2 hours to connect everything.  With only a lighted caboose on the track, I tested everything.  It all works!  I intentionally tripped my circuit breakers too.  I added my switch engine and a box car,and run a few laps.  I went to bed with a good feeling of accomplishment.  Today I will do light yard work.  It's cool out.  I will run some trains when the outdoor temperature gets over 85.

Bill

Lit up

You know its been a long time between running sessions when you find this on your layout

Gotta get a new cleaning lady.....

Been a busy summer, I hope to get some train time soon.

Bob

Finished up the woodwork on the facade.   I had not completed the left side due to needing to install the switches.   I just have to put some stain on it tonight and it will be complete. 

Jim, nice work on your layout.

Mike g, its okay to take a break with all the outdoor work you have been doing. I am right along side of you. Just when I think I am caught up and think I have time for the layout another outdoor project comes along.

Patrick, you stage great scenes and your shore line came out good.

Steve, the river came out great. Especially the color of the riverbed. Also good job on the trestles.

Bill, it's been interesting watching you build the control panel. Great idea.

Bob, don't clean. It adds character to the scene. You always see cobwebs around lights in the real world........Paul 2

Bob,

I hope you use only scale spiders for your layout.

Bill

paul 2 posted:

Jim, nice work on your layout.

Mike g, its okay to take a break with all the outdoor work you have been doing. I am right along side of you. Just when I think I am caught up and think I have time for the layout another outdoor project comes along.

Patrick, you stage great scenes and your shore line came out good.

Steve, the river came out great. Especially the color of the riverbed. Also good job on the trestles.

Bill, it's been interesting watching you build the control panel. Great idea.

Bob, don't clean. It adds character to the scene. You always see cobwebs around lights in the real world........Paul 2

I'd hate to see the size of the spider if this were 1:1 scale.

I also sprayed the rock faces and river sides a nice shade of brown.   Tonight I will do the river bed with a camo gree

RSJB18 posted:

You know its been a long time between running sessions when you find this on your layout

Gotta get a new cleaning lady.....

Been a busy summer, I hope to get some train time soon.

Bob

Wow, Bob... I see you’ve got a jump start on decorating the layout for Halloween  

Odenville Bill posted:

Bob,

I hope you use only scale spiders for your layout.

Unlike these, right Bill?

Re-sodded Yankee Stadium:

Arnold

Very nice Arnold. The grounds crew deserves a cold one and a seat at the next game.

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Re-sodded Yankee Stadium:

Arnold

Arnold:

I love your baseball scene. The new turf looks GREAT! Does your Yankee Stadium also have a Monument Park? Also, is that Dimaggio at bat?

Did a little more painting for the landscaping this morning.  I am heading to Great Lakes Hobbies to pick up some woodland scenics  snow this morning.  On a previous layout I sprinkled it on using a flour sifter and then misted a white glue/water mixture on it.

I also test fitted the hobo campground.