I bought a new HO train set after touring a large model train display in a Mexican mall. I then began serious construction of my "Knights of Atlantis" train lay-out.
So well-hidden that even Superman can't find it, Luthor's Lair towers over Atlantis.
Chris, Your reasoning is along the lines I was thinking it might be. I will have a similar situation on the opposite end of my new layout from the end I started working on. I just used a flat sheet of plywood for the big loop because there is no grade and I want to build a town in the middle and will build up the hillside over the rear of the loop with foam for the hillside town. The other side will have a grade the whole way around the loop and will be more rural scenic with a drop off for the Blackwater River. I will definitely keep your method in mind. I really like it.
Yes lifting plywood was a problem for me even before my knee and slipped disks/sciatic nerve problems. of the last year and a half. I fell on the ice at least 10 years ago and did some rotator cuff damage that I was told was inoperable. I went through a lot of physical therapy for that, and it is pretty good, but heavy lifting puts a strain on it. Ah well, we learn to adapt!! Thank you very much for the detailed explanation and photographs that I saw before, but didn't fully understand what I was looking at.
I created a RR unit sign on Photoshop, using the Insignia I just created. I used a background photo of boards painted in white, then ran ghost lines through the lettering and the Insignia where the board lines would be.
I think it worked pretty well, and could possibly fool the eye of anybody actually looking at it.
One thing's for sure, it doesn't look like your normal model railroad sign where someone just printed it out on white paper. I made the frame out of scale lumber, just needs another hit of dullcote and waiting for the glue to dry before that.
Then, I need to figure out exactly where I want to place it.
P51...very nice how you approached this, it can easily fool the eye
What'd I do? Well.....the Postman dropped off a box from trainz. In the box was a retired Conrail (nee Reading) extended vision Hack:
For me four things have to change before this crummy will be at home on the PER. That brakeman sitting in the cupola must go because we are a present-day [ish] operation and that means a two man crew. PER uses a Hack for it's everyday shove-move from town to interchange as a safe way for the Conductor to ride the rear-end during the trip. He/she stands/sits looking out the right rear-facing window with radio at hand giving the engineer instructions. So no one in the cupola. Also those ladders have to go. For safety all cabooses had their ladders and roof-walks removed late in their careers and again, PER is a present-day operation.
The atomic lights must be scaled down.
That light has to go as there never would be light in a cupola.
So here we go:
First the four screws retaining the body to the frame are removed. The tricky thing is that the platforms must then be removed by sliding them endways. Then the interior can be [gently] removed from the body.
The three lights and the brakeman exposed.
Here we are almost done. The brakeman has had his butt unglued and the center (cupola) light has been removed. For comparison, the left light bulb has been changed out for the lower wattage bulb used in MTH track switch remote controls while the right-hand bulb is stock. Easy way to fix atomic lights, use a dimmer bulb.
Ready for work:
I'll take a nigh-time pic later. Not sure what I'll do about the roof-walks as removing them would require sanding off the bosses they are retained by.
On Edit: Sorry, people. I don't know how I managed to post a duplicate. Fixed.
Matt, The Genset is really cool! I think the reason I like them is that they remind me of a first generation diesel. 
A first generation diesel with state of the art controls! That's a handsome passenger train it is pulling as well.
Lew, Just like a little kid. Get something in the mail and have to immediately tear it apart. 
You made some fast and easy improvements for your more modern era! Looking good!! 
Is that anther PS2 car in front of it???? 
still working on reverse engineering hotel
decoynh posted:Ran a Genset MBTA Commuter/Mail run and then cleaned the main line and the short line.
Really enjoyed the video clips Matt, Thanks for sharing. Nothing like a glimpse of what other people are doing/have done on their layouts
Mark Boyce posted:Matt, The Genset is really cool! I think the reason I like them is that they remind me of a first generation diesel.
Lew, Just like a little kid. Get something in the mail and have to immediately tear it apart.
Mark, the car in front is indeed a PS2....in Chessie Western Maryland livery.
chris a posted:Hi Mark, thanks for asking. There were a couple of reasons I laminated 2 sheets of 1/2 inch plywood together.
This is the curve that is 180 degrees, probably 8'-6" diameter at the center line between the 2 main lines and it's on a 1.5% grade. So I really wanted the most stable, flat sub road bed I could construct. Whenever I join two sections of roadbed together in a butt joint I end up putting all kinds of reinforcement under the joint. I have used lap joints with more success....
My goal here was to create a long continuous downhill/uphill grade, I didn't want any issues with uneven joints, undulations, and I also wanted it to maintain it's level across the width. This is where the 2 layer idea came from, I figured out I could cut repeated sections 42 to 48 inches in length and overlap the joints top and bottom, so the entire 9 foot diameter is essentially one piece, glued, clamped and screwed together. It worked pretty darn well with very little flexing and was easier to elevate and get the grade right on the money without flexing.... I have always wanted to run pretty long trains 25 to 30 car freight trains, and I figured this curve going up a grade had better as near perfect as I could make it if that was going to work without derailments.
When I was installing it, I made supports for both ends and the mid-point as it was easy to figure out the math for 1.5% grade, then I was able to make sure I was on track for that gradient to get me down to the lower level around the last 90 degree turn across the lift gate. With only 3 support points, it was fairly straight forward to keep tweaking it as the grade continues above and below this 180 degree roadbed.
I ended up adding some oak joists under the roadbed once everything checked out, from top to bottom.
The other reason..... I can't really pick up carry large 4 x 8 sheets of 3/4 inch plywood with the rebuilt shoulder... but I can just about manage 1/2 inch
Chris, your roadbed and layout is going to be as stable and solid as a rock the way you are building it. I agree that it is very wise for a layout to have such a good foundation as yours will have. Arnold
geysergazer posted:Mark Boyce posted:Matt, The Genset is really cool! I think the reason I like them is that they remind me of a first generation diesel.
Lew, Just like a little kid. Get something in the mail and have to immediately tear it apart.
Mark, the car in front is indeed a PS2....in Chessie Western Maryland livery.
Chessie Western Maryland is an excellent choice!!
Arnold, thanks. I really have liked the L girder joist bench work method. As I use a lot of exterior grade mahogany at work, I realized about 2 years ago, that I should substitute a 1 x 4 mahogany decking board for the girder... The cost was barely more than 1 x 4 clear pine, I find it here for $1.28 per foot, so a 10 foot girder only cost me $13.00 and it's much stronger and more stable than pine, particularly if I pick the boards with straight grain.... I am not big on having a bunch of legs as I spend alot of time down there rolling around on my home made dolly for wiring etc. I am also not big on having lumber twist, warp and move and screw up my track work.... totally not worth saving a couple of dollars.
Ray, the bay window set is outstanding !!!
Lew great job on the Conrail Caboose, thanks for sharing the details about pulling it apart and changing to different wattage lamps, great ideas.
Ray, That bay window looks tremendous!
I just took a break from working on my second Santa Fe 21" passenger car, the Vista Dome Coach #500 from the 1927040 2-pack, Work is moving very slowly. I finished painting all of the seats with three coats of paint, and added people I painted to the Dome and the lower Lounge area, I installed a pop machine and boy drinking a pop, from Woodland Scenics "Bicycle Buddies" figures. The boy is a little larger scale, but he and the pop machine fill a dead spot in the Lounge area.
I continue to attempt to pair the figures in conversation groups to add interest and tell a story of the people interacting with one another on the train.
I have the lower coach area to finish. It will be sparsely populated because many passengers have chosen the Great Dome or Vista Dome as a place to sit.
My back and shoulders are telling me it is time for a break. Have a good evening.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
Fourth night. Same problem fixed? again? Switch #3 has been the focus of much effort. Last night, I replaced everything except a 6 inch extension added to give more slack in the control wires. The extension was fabbed by a well meaning but tired old man. Today, with a new and improved extension, the original switch has worked throughout the day. Now, with that positive feedback, I modified the upper platform, installed the deck, and laid all remaining track. I tested everything, now a switch covered by the second level is acting sluggish. Two steps forward and one step back. I want to run some trains.
Tomorrow I will replace the original rubber insulated control wires to switch #11. I will not surrender.
Now that my train room is empty and vacuumed, I couldn't wait any longer!!! I picked 1 box at random, and HAD to open it !!
That's a Happy Train Engineer holding his #58 Great Northern snowplow for the 1st time in 38 years! I'm happy again! I couldn't stop at just one, had to do the whole box.
Others are 25000 Lehigh Valley, 8141 Steam & Tender, 2343 Santa Fe & dummy, 58 snowplow, x6014 Baby Ruth, 6464 Sunoco tanker, 3482 Milk car, 6462 NYC Coal, 347000 Penn Coal, & 9303 lumber car.
I keep telling myself, I can't unpack any more until I get 1st Table built! Hope I can hold out that long LOL!
Murphy's Law got me. After gluing people on the Santa Fe Dome Chairs, I found that they were all too high in the seats. I had to pry them off the seats with an Exacto knife and grind 1/8 inch more from the bottoms of the seated figures. I had to stop grinding at the point where any more grinding would cause the legs to fall off.
The Santa Fe Dome Coach roof is very low, similar to the Wabash Vista Domes. The UP Domes have much more clearance. I will grind 1/8 inch off the top of the walls on the lower level to allow the Dome Floor to drop downward and give even more clearance in the Upper Vista Dome. I had to do this with all of my Wabash Vista Domes. I worked all night to correct the error and am ready for bed at 5:00 A.M.
Tomorrow/today I will add a few more Preiser 65602 Seated People to the lower coach area of the Santa Fe Vista Dome #500, part of the 1927040 2-pack.
Have a good day.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
Mark Boyce posted:Ray, That bay window looks tremendous!
Thanks Mark and Chris, right now printing off the second of three of the window units, this time I reduced the number of pieces that make up the each unit from 12 to 5, for less gluing and better fit. Also making up jigs for fit and gluing purposes.
John Rowlen posted:Murphy's Law got me. After gluing people on the Santa Fe Dome Chairs, I found that they were all too high in the seats. I had to pry them off the seats with an Exacto knife and grind 1/8 inch more from the bottoms of the seated figures. I had to stop grinding at the point where any more grinding would cause the legs to fall off.
The Santa Fe Dome Coach roof is very low, similar to the Wabash Vista Domes. The UP Domes have much more clearance. I will grind 1/8 inch off the top of the walls on the lower level to allow the Dome Floor to drop downward and give even more clearance in the Upper Vista Dome. I had to do this with all of my Wabash Vista Domes. I worked all night to correct the error and am ready for bed at 5:00 A.M.
Tomorrow/today I will add a few more Preiser 65602 Seated People to the lower coach area of the Santa Fe Vista Dome #500, part of the 1927040 2-pack.
Have a good day.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
John I've been down that road with drivers some times no legs and one arm for steering, at least they can park wherever they want
sidehack posted:John Rowlen posted:Murphy's Law got me. After gluing people on the Santa Fe Dome Chairs, I found that they were all too high in the seats. I had to pry them off the seats with an Exacto knife and grind 1/8 inch more from the bottoms of the seated figures. I had to stop grinding at the point where any more grinding would cause the legs to fall off.
The Santa Fe Dome Coach roof is very low, similar to the Wabash Vista Domes. The UP Domes have much more clearance. I will grind 1/8 inch off the top of the walls on the lower level to allow the Dome Floor to drop downward and give even more clearance in the Upper Vista Dome. I had to do this with all of my Wabash Vista Domes. I worked all night to correct the error and am ready for bed at 5:00 A.M.
Tomorrow/today I will add a few more Preiser 65602 Seated People to the lower coach area of the Santa Fe Vista Dome #500, part of the 1927040 2-pack.
Have a good day.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
John I've been down that road with drivers some times no legs and one arm for steering, at least they can park wherever they want
Me too 
Bill and John, I feel for you both!!! You work hard on something and find you have to go back and do it again or do something more you didn't think of.
John, Your passengers are the most realistically posed I have ever seen. It seems everyone is alive and excited to be on the train. No sleeping commuters on your trains!!
ToyFreak, 38 years!! What a long wait! Yes I agree you will have a mess on your hands and no place to build the train table.
I can relate. Two nights ago, we heard a crashing sound, and I coundn't find what caused it. I didn't even notice it all day yesterday, but my wife found it by accident. I bought some custom painted backdrops from a Forum member probably 4 years ago. Some may recall I started building a layout in an 11x11 room in the basement our older daughter vacated when she got married in 2016. Then in 2017, my wife suggested I expand into the family room because with both daughters married, the room wasn't being used except for storage. Well, back to the crash. I have had cut pieces of the backdrop to size for one wall and had them sitting on the benchwork frame an inch below the table top. Well they fell over after 2 years in that position. 
I didn't think of taking a photograph then, but here it is now to show what a train room can get to look like. I told my wife that is the trouble I get for buying too much stuff when I was still working, and haven't gotten to it yet.
Bob, Thank you for the Like. Make sure you go back and check the photograph I just added.
WOW Mark. 
You have been busy! Time to get your knee healed and get to work. I haven't seen that room since you moved into the bigger room.
And I though I had bought a lot of stuff......
Bob, Yes a knee replacement, two slipped disks and damaged sciatic nerve, and carpal tunnel surgery in each hand for the second time have made layout building drag on and on and on...... LOL
Went from this:
To this... “Oh the humanity”! 
TedW.
Ouch!
I know how you feel, my standard gauge is back in the display case until next Christmas season
Those are some great figures John. Too bad they will be somewhat hard to see inside the passenger cars.
Ray and John, I've cut up a lot of people to fit into automobiles on the layout. Why is it that most of the 1960's vehicles offered are convertibles requiring this? What do you guys do with the removed legs, I have a bunch of them
Ted, It is always sad to take down a beautiful piece of work!
OUCH Ted! Sad to see to see it go. That was a beautiful Christmas layout.
So.....does this mean you are starting on a new permanent layout and getting the trains off the floor????
Lionelski posted:Those are some great figures John. Too bad they will be somewhat hard to see inside the passenger cars.
Ray and John, I've cut up a lot of people to fit into automobiles on the layout. Why is it that most of the 1960's vehicles offered are convertibles requiring this? What do you guys do with the removed legs, I have a bunch of them
build a wall that doesn't go all the way down to the ground and set up the legs behind it, will look like you have a lot of people back there. I think I've seen someone do this before.
sidehack posted:Lionelski posted:Those are some great figures John. Too bad they will be somewhat hard to see inside the passenger cars.
Ray and John, I've cut up a lot of people to fit into automobiles on the layout. Why is it that most of the 1960's vehicles offered are convertibles requiring this? What do you guys do with the removed legs, I have a bunch of them
build a wall that doesn't go all the way down to the ground and set up the legs behind it, will look like you have a lot of people back there. I think I've seen someone do this before.
This afternoon I will be standing in a long line waiting to pay my property tax. And I will spend my time wondering "Was Ray joking?"
I finished the detailing of the second Lionel Santa Fe 21" passenger car of 9, the Vista Dome #500 that comes in the 1927040 2-pack. I lowered the people in the Dome Seats last night and began trimming 3/8 of an inch off the lower walls under the Dome Floor. This will allow me to lower the Vista Dome Floor more for a better appearance in the Dome.
There are pictures of the grinding process and some of the finished lower Coach area. After the glue and paint fully dry, I will assemble the car and pull it in front of the Great Dome for a test run. The people in the Dome may be able to be lowered more after I get two longer screws to keep the Dome Floor positioned under the Dome.
I will need a shower to remove the grinding debris from my hair and clothes. When I laid down last night I kept discovering little bits of plastic poking me through the night.
Have a good day.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
Looking great, John! yes, I hate those little bits of plastic as well!
Another day at the wall, no not that one, this jig I made really helps corral all the pieces ready for clean up and glue
(I use a hot gun to blow off all the spider webs)
Now on to the brick work
John Rowlen posted:
There are pictures of the grinding process and some of the finished lower Coach area. After the glue and paint fully dry, I will assemble the car and pull it in front of the Great Dome for a test run. The people in the Dome may be able to be lowered more after I get two longer screws to keep the Dome Floor positioned under the Dome.
John, the posing and painting of the folks, especially in the dome, is extraordinary.
I highlighted a portion of your text and request that you describe the use of screws to secure the dome "floor"-- better still would be a photo of the shell with dome floor installed.
Thanks, again, for the photos and descriptions--they are a treat.
I've reached that awful part of the year where I'm torn between leaving the Christmas layout up because it looks so great and I love seeing it in the living room as opposed to tearing it down so I can restart work on it and make it better
I finished this Colorado Midland boxcar kit, after problem of finding three rail coupler archbars for it. Now have box, gon, and hopper ready to photo, if l can't find other CM cars squirreled away. There is another boxcar kit in NG&SLG, but it is $140!!, seriously, so....will have to scratchbuild a caboose. And see if any CM engines can be bashed from something.
Hi guys
we are back on the Waxhaw division for a while. The MTH USRA mikado which failed in service on the Waxhaw disjoin has returned after major shopping which includes an upgrade to Proto Sound 3, A postwar celebration series Southern ABA set has been assigned to the division and should go into revenue service shortly. Finally , a LionChief plus B&M RS3 and a Bachman Canadian National 44Tonner are visiting the division for some fan trips. We will have some photos shortly.
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