What did you do on your layout today?

Built the floor of the engine house and test fit the two together. Still a bunch more sanding and shimming to do.

Acquired a new member to the roster. A scarce Lionel 6464-250 Western Pacific boxcar, circa 1966.......

Lou, Looks great!

Lew I ran out and got you some photos! So you wouldn't have to wait till morning! LOL

Mike,

Your layout is doing really well, excellent progress!

Mike, Nice track change!  I’m glad you got the photographs posted.  I’m sure Lew was waiting with baited breath!  LOL

Howard, nice WP 6464!!

 Lou, Nice floor.  The engine house is shaping up 

Mike, a track-plan tweak! Eggcellent! 

(and thanks for the pics )

Working on the renovations of my former catenary poles. A lot of clean up, and getting some updated parts too. These have been in storage since 2005 when I sold the former layout (catenary was not liked by new owner, so stored). I was at my friends house and he asked me if I wanted them back as I was making a new version of the former layout. YES! I will use them again!Today's work included continuation of cleaning of close to 15 years of dirt and dust, gathering broken pieces, cleaning up some rust making clean surfaces for soldering, the bottle of liquid flux and low heat solder arrived this week plus the K&S 1/4 in square tubing for some horozontal replacement arms, a couple of packages of code 100 scale railjoiners, just need some brass tubing for angle bracing, and a couple of new fine solder iron tips. Getting ready for the recovery phase!

Last night i ran my Lionel postwar New Haven EP5 for probably the last time via center rail  track power! 

More advancements into the power above to come.

Leroof

My goals are running two trains separate power.

ZW: Right handle = track power ( diesel, steam loco)

      Left handle= overhead catenary power ( pantograph up electric) 

jgtrh62 posted:

luvindemtrains posted:

Good Morning Fine Model Railroaders,

I finally took the time to weather and detail a few row houses complete with window treatments. The only thing left to do is put some furniture and mats on a few of the porches and add the lighting once they are placed on their respective places on the layout. Until I get a workbench, this area of the layout serves that purpose.

Dave

The houses look excellent, Dave!

John

picked acouple of these up at Lionel Warehouse sale. Like what you have done with weathering

Sounds like a great plan Leroof 

Was supposed to go out tonight for a friend's birthday but they ended up getting the flu. So I stayed in and painted the engine house and its base. Some of the balsa between the tracks warped a little so I'll straighten that out once it dries. 

I have been playing around with basic weathering on some of my rolling stock. Most of this is achieved with simple chalks. Here are a couple of before and after pictures. 

And a hi-cube:

And tonight ai did a quick chalk job (no painting) on a few more hi-cubes:

Then got to enjoy them a bit with my kids, since that’s what it’s all about!

Very nice.  Just bought some different chalk today to start doing same thing 

jjwyatt posted:

Very nice.  Just bought some different chalk today to start doing same thing 

I have been amazed at how quick and easy it is, with the added benefit of being able to wipe it off and start over if you don’t like it - low risk!

This is what I picked up today to start playing around with

jjwyatt posted:

This is what I picked up today to start playing around with

May I ask where you got these and what they are specifically called?

Steve

Today what I did on the layout was learn an important lesson. I have a removable bridge to allow me to get in the middle section. (The boys just duck under)

I needed to move an engine to test something and wasn't paying attention and turned to look at something on my work bench. I hear the breaker pop, train go into shutdown, and turn around to find this.

Lesson 1. Put the bridge back in.
Lesson 2. Keep an eye on the trains
Lesson 3. Put the bridge back in.

Fortunately nothing damaged, maybe pride a bit... but it got stuck on the lip and the the tender and the passenger car behind it held it on the layout. Other than that we set up the train under the Christmas tree.

Rescued Trains posted:

jjwyatt posted:

This is what I picked up today to start playing around with

May I ask where you got these and what they are specifically called?

Steve

Steve took a picture of the label.  Hope this helps

luvindemtrains posted:

 

Great work, Dave, I love this row!

RSJB18 posted:

Balshis posted:

RSJB18 posted:

CHRISTMAS TREE IS UP!

MORE TRAINS SOON........

2018

RSJB18, I really like that BL-2.  Their unusual looks really appeal to me.  I wish someone would make one in PRR livery (and yes, I'm aware that the prototype PRR didn't have any).

As for me, no, I haven't done much with the layout itself, apart from righting a few trees that Catzilla knocked over during an unauthorized expedition.  Mostly, I've been running my Lionel 783, which I've been slowly upgrading to 700E configuration,  Most recently, I put a 700E pilot truck on it.

Seems you either love the BL-2 or hate it. Never seen a PRR either but Bangor and Arostook- @BAR GP7 #63 has a beauty,  Monon, and a couple other lines. I have it in the demonstrator paint scheme by MTH that I need to unpack.

EMD designed it to compete with the ALCO RS series but it never caught on. The GEEP soon replaced it.

Bob. Nice looking demonstrator, many years ago i got that on PS1 -version. I really like also a Saratoga & Northcreek -version, they are an ex -BAR locomotives and now on sale.

Johan

mike g. posted:

Lou, Looks great!

Lew I ran out and got you some photos! So you wouldn't have to wait till morning! LOL

Mike- looks like you have room to add a second short spur to store empties. Once you deliver loaded cars to the crane you can pull the empties.  Another short spur to the right could serve another industry.

You could give Lew's Plywood Empire Route a run for his money!

Lou, things are looking great at the service building!

Kevin, nice work on the weathering.

Aldover, Lucky you! You might think about putting in a isolated track section that only gets power when the bridge is in!

Johan, wonderful scene!

Bob, I was thinking about saving that area for buildings, but I also like your idea!

Aldovar

Yes I remember a few that could have been worse, this one could have wiped out the motorcycle factory.

Mark Boyce posted:

Johan, the extra greenery really makes for an even better scene.

Pat, my two bad legs started to hurt more just reading about your trek to the Bowles of Mt Randolph yo recover a derailment!!

Jim, the two engines look great!

Mark, sorry I didn't mean for your legs to begin hurting more.  Adding insult to injury ... I have to crawl back there again today to fix another derailment LOL!!   According to the FRRA inspector on the scene ... the cause of this second derailment was not the same as the prior derailment LOL!   I thank my lucky stars when building the layout I had the foresight to cut an access hole to fix these sort of infrequent ( now 2 derailments within a week ... I hope this is not the beginning of a trend ) mishaps which might happen once every few months. 

mike g. posted:

Lou, things are looking great at the service building!

Kevin, nice work on the weathering.

Aldover, Lucky you! You might think about putting in a isolated track section that only gets power when the bridge is in!

Johan, wonderful scene!

Bob, I was thinking about saving that area for buildings, but I also like your idea!

Mike. Thank you Sir. 🤝

Johan

trumptrain posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

Johan, the extra greenery really makes for an even better scene.

Pat, my two bad legs started to hurt more just reading about your trek to the Bowles of Mt Randolph yo recover a derailment!!

Jim, the two engines look great!

Mark, sorry I didn't mean for your legs to begin hurting more.  Adding insult to injury ... I have to crawl back there again today to fix another derailment LOL!!   According to the FRRA inspector on the scene ... the cause of this second derailment was not the same as the prior derailment LOL!   I thank my lucky stars when building the layout I had the foresight to cut an access hole to fix these sort of infrequent ( now 2 derailments within a week ... I hope this is not the beginning of a trend ) mishaps which might happen once every few months. 

Pat, LOL!  I’m sorry you have to do it again, but glad you provided for access!!!

jjwyatt posted:

Rescued Trains posted:

jjwyatt posted:

This is what I picked up today to start playing around with

May I ask where you got these and what they are specifically called?

Steve

Steve took a picture of the label.  Hope this helps

Thanks for the info.

steve

     Mike, that is a great idea Bob has:     

I can say from experience that the closer your Gantry Crane is to you the easier it will be to operate.  

Worked on the korber building flat. Got the sidewalls glued on along with the wood bracing. Placed for the time being where it will be positioned. The open space above it will be filled with another building flat I have plus I ned to get more PVC pipe to make up more silos. Still have to put in all the windows and paint the loading doors or maybe I'll leave them the color they are, put on the roof, and the loading dock. There is always tomorrow. Suppose to be a rain day ( I hope ). Pics.............Paul 2

Spent from 0630 to 1900 at the A&M for the Children's Christmas Trains.  No time or energy for happy snaps,  but a fun time was had by all.   Couple of grabber-related derailments, but no damage done.    

Mitch

I decided to make a chain of command sign for my Railway operating unit, as I have a new Quonset Hut from Menards on the way. The commanding officer is named after my nephew, a real-life former Army captain. He has the same last name as mine, so I used his first initial and middle name. The first sergeant was named after one of my oldest friends, a good pal of mine in Florida and a fellow Model Railroader (who recently has taken huge to 3 rail)...

p51 posted:

I decided to make a chain of command sign for my Railway operating unit, as I have a new Quonset Hut from Menards on the way. The commanding officer is named after my nephew, a real-life former Army captain. He has the same last name as mine, so I used his first initial and middle name.

He doesn't drive a Haunted Tank, does he?   

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haunted_Tank

Mitch 

paul 2 posted:

Worked on the korber building flat. Got the sidewalls glued on along with the wood bracing. Placed for the time being where it will be positioned. The open space above it will be filled with another building flat I have plus I ned to get more PVC pipe to make up more silos. Still have to put in all the windows and paint the loading doors or maybe I'll leave them the color they are, put on the roof, and the loading dock. There is always tomorrow. Suppose to be a rain day ( I hope ). Pics.............Paul 2

 

Looks like good progress, Paul.  Yes they forecast rain all day for us, so I suspect you would get it too!

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

p51 posted:

I decided to make a chain of command sign for my Railway operating unit, as I have a new Quonset Hut from Menards on the way. The commanding officer is named after my nephew, a real-life former Army captain. He has the same last name as mine, so I used his first initial and middle name.

He doesn't drive a Haunted Tank, does he?   

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haunted_Tank

Mitch 

Funny you should say that. I've actually appeared in a DC comic book, as a fictional character, standing right next to the commander of that tank.

My brother's name is Jeb Stuart Bishop. Named after the Confederate Cavalry General. His son, my nephew, is named Jackson Stewart Bishop.

It was a limited series by DC Comics called Sergeant Rock and the lost Battalion, in which the crew of The Haunted tank appear. I assisted the writer and artist with some historical advice, and I was rewarded by appearing in the comic book as an actual character. I don't know whether my brother finds it really cool or if he is insanely jealous that I actually appeared in his favorite comic book of all time, next to the very character he always liked.

I haven’t seen Sgt Rock or the Haunted Tank for.... oh, too many years! 

Back to the layout. I had a session sorting out track pins, UCS and cut-to-fit sections on the O27 door layout, and made some minor track changes to provide a bit more siding space. I’ve ordered a sheet of 3mm closed-cell foam and some 12mm screws and I’ll progress the track fixing now. 

Today I completed the electrical hookup of the LED lighting in the scrapyard area.  The warm white LEDs were purchased from www.pghtrainfanatic.com.  Nick Futules is great to work with and at $1.25 per LED, they comes complete with lead wires and resistors attached for 9volt DC power, you can beat it for the price and ease of instillation.   Also he has a great web site and several videos to capture your interest.  He does a lot of neat things with LED applications.  It’s a great place for inspiration and wonderful ideas.   Check it out!

I have added ground cover and some greenery to this area but need to work on more shrubbery and scrap detail.  I’m also in the process of constructing the outlet road for this area.  

Happy Holidays and cheers to all!   Dave

I have started on the Johnny houses that adjoin the gas station island that is set away from the mill store l have bashed (that building is complete, but we can't have gas fumes and grain dust in proximity!!, so a separate island was required.)

What a wonderful place to live!!!