What did you do on your layout today?

Tonight I weathered another Lionel  PS-4  Piggyback flat and re-drill the holes in the suspension of the Weaver trailer sits to high for my likings did updated it with some Lionel trailer wheels. I Custom painted and Decaled the Weaver trailer about 5 years ago. It’s  crunch time for me to get these projects of my done before the  2nd week of April that’s  when I’ll be Gardening and yard work and stuff and some Fly Fishing 

Preliminary test-fitting of my K-Line S-2 to steeplecab conversion project is a success! 

The shell consists of two slopeback tenders and the cab from a Lionel GE U-boat shell...

Mitch 

A little running on the Waxhaw Division . The Canadian National GE 44 Tonner is visiting and today it has a PRR heavyweight combine in tow. I think it might be a fan trip on the high line. 
check it out

The seven Preiser 65602 Seated People from Germany were delayed today, and they will arrive tomorrow.  I reached into my supply of the China figures and started painting thirty-six of a woman/girl looking to her left.  The China figures need an extra coat of paint so I primed the figures with Tamiya X-15 "Flesh" flat acrylic paint.

This figure is used as a child by grinding down the bottom to lower her next to a taller adult.  I also combine her with a boy with his hand on a table to create two young adults having dinner.  With grey hair and in the company of older adults, she becomes much older.  This 1/50 figure is no longer available from Preiser, either as a blank or factory painted.  This is why I have to buy the China version of the figure.  The China figures take another coat of paint when compared to the Preiser white figures. This 1/50 figure is easy to install at a dining car table.

Yes I am making progress, but I swear the brake must be engaged because I am moving so slowly.

Have a good evening.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

Mitch. Looks pretty good I like it 

Lirr Steam. I like the sound of that engine looks like you had fun

John. They look good I don’t think you’ve slowed down your work on those Figures always amazes me 

We ran trains and hooked up more accessories, it’s certainly an exercise getting under the layout and and back out multiple times....Wow. 

Foam and craft.paint progress

Here I filled in a gap with the skin from inside a "ruined" old paint bottle. The chunks become stones.

I started a structure too. Aztec/ Myan flavor. With the cliff backside, I'm thinking "Dusk til Dawn-ish".... The Twisted Taco?  Maybe just an 1800s saloon front... we'll see.

Hey Mitch, that center window is big enough to allow a giraffe inside!

....partially

Leapin' Larry,  As always, it's a beautiful layout whether the lights are on or off, running at night.  Thanks for the pictures.

Lee,  The trucks look great as usual.  I spotted another flat car. Looking good.

John Rowlen

How and where we make the sausage

Mitch, great idea. That is a great looking steeple cab.

Bob. when you asked what kind of building that was I could of said it was my idea for a automatic smoke fluid filler building but I knew that would not fly LOL. Next time I will not grab the first things for weights to hold something down. 

I started working on the building for the top of the silos. Once the glue dries I can glue the other half to it. While that was drying I put a coat of aluminum on the shed roof. ......Pics............Paul 2

John Rowlen, I counted ~36 figures in the photos.  How many packs of figures do they represent? 

Also, when you refer to figures from Germany and China, are both sources Preiser figures; same sets offered but from different sources; just a bit confused?

Adriatic posted:

Hey Mitch, that center window is big enough to allow a giraffe inside!

....partially

Mitch 

Added a kite-eating tree to the corner of the layout (near an entry door) next to the kids flying their kites.   Now if i could find a scale size charlie brown looking up at it.... 

lee drennen posted:

Mitch. Looks pretty good I like it 

Lirr Steam. I like the sound of that engine looks like you had fun

John. They look good I don’t think you’ve slowed down your work on those Figures always amazes me 

Thank you Lee. The 44tonner is a standard product from Williams by Bachman. Also has a horn and a bell. I thought it runs quite nice for a conventional control engine. I could have set the throttle a bit lower for even slower running. It is a very nice model as well and it comes in several road names. It was fun running it on the Waxhaw division but will br soon returning North. 

Carl,  I have been confused for six years as China vendors sell lower detailed figures that look exactly like the Preiser 65602 and other Preiser figures.

The 4802B China set has eight of the girl, plus eight of five other figures.  The thirty-six figures I pictured come from four 4802B packs and two 4806B packs that I purchased on Ebay.  The 4806B has two of 25 different figures that includes two of the girl.  Take a look at these two items on Ebay for pictures of what is included.  Look under "Seated People" in the O-gauge heading.  The facial and eye details are not as crisp on the China figures. The China figures need an extra coat of paint, in my opinion.

The China figures look similar to Preiser figures, but are not manufactured or packaged by Preiser.  That is why I purchased seven more Preiser 65602 from Quaestmark2 in Germany on Ebay.  When you start with quality and detailed figures, the results are noticeable.

The figures in the 4802B pack are 1/50 and no longer available from Preiser.  That is why I buy these China figures.  The 4806B figures are similar to Preiser 65602 figures.  I prefer the original Preiser 65602 even though it costs more money.  My time is valuable and I want the best possible outcome.  I believe I have painted 180 Preiser 65602 24-packs so far.  That is my best guess. I have also painted 12 4802B packs of 48 Seated Figures. I am 104 shy of 5,000 figures that I painted.  This is an educated guess.  I have not been saving the 180 empty boxes.  The people are in my passenger cars or boxes of spare painted people not yet placed in a passenger car.

Have a good evening.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

Mitch - You win in my book for the most innovative use for Lionel slope back tenders, since they are awful behind most of the steamers That is really a cool idea .

LEAPINLARRY - Your layout continues to be really impressive, thanks for the new pictures

LIRRSteamer - I agree I have the 44 tonner as well in Southern Colors (My Leonardtown and Savannah is in Southern territory today although it was originally the Central of Georgia) the motor sounds are good and it goes over my 0-27 switches without the usual hesitation of short wheelbase loco's.

Have a good day everyone

Don

ScottV posted:

Added a kite-eating tree to the corner of the layout (near an entry door) next to the kids flying their kites.   Now if i could find a scale size charlie brown looking up at it.... 

That is funny! 

ScottV posted:

Added a kite-eating tree to the corner of the layout (near an entry door) next to the kids flying their kites.   Now if i could find a scale size charlie brown looking up at it.... 

Aarrgg, you beat me to it  (oh well, )

The key to a good "Charlie" is that yellow and black sawtooth shirt pattern. (I used to own one, a fun fav until it died in an " under the hood" vacation excursion.)  You could put it on Vin Diesel and you'd still have "Charlie".

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Preliminary test-fitting of my K-Line S-2 to steeplecab conversion project is a success! 

The shell consists of two slopeback tenders and the cab from a Lionel GE U-boat shell...

Mitch 

Shouldn’t you be using electrical tape to secure that pantograph???  

Apples55 posted:

Shouldn’t you be using electrical tape to secure that pantograph???  

Oh, all right. 

Happy?   

Mitch 

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Apples55 posted:

Shouldn’t you be using electrical tape to secure that pantograph???  

Oh, all right. 

Happy?   

Mitch 

Much better... I thought I was going to have to report you to OSHA. I’m surprised the Shop Steward let that slide!!!

lee drennen posted

and some Fly Fishing 

I know I'm going slightly off topic here, but heck yeah! 😀

Morning guys, 398 emails later and here I am. Lots of great work being done by all. I just wanted to drop in while I had a minute and say hi and that I have been sneaking out to the train room early mornings to try and get something done.

I was able to work on the switch motor relocation and only have one more to move. Then I can get to ballasting the outer loop and work my way to the center of the room.

I hope everyone has a great Thursday and finds time for there layout and trains!

John, 5000 people!  That’s way more than we have in my town in NH.
I watched 2 trains come through town yesterday. I was at Jones’ General Store right next to the tracks. The first was the “Downeaster” passenger headed north to Maine. The second, about 10 minutes later, was a long freight headed south toward Massachusetts with many flats loaded with wood products, a few tank cars & boxcars mixed in. NO inter-modal!  I guess not too many ships going to or coming from China. 
Still training the new conductor so I have not been working trains. Lucy is doing fine. She learned to use the basement stairs yesterday. Doors to the train area are closed for now. 

Matt, 

5,000 is actually 4,896, but I am opening seven more Preiser 65602 Seated People 24-packs for March Madness painting.  When the whistle or buzzer sounds, I look up and watch the replay.  I will get there yet. 

Did I mention that I detailed 180 Walthers HO passenger cars and added Walthers LED lighting kits before I switched back to O-gauge six years ago.  I sold some of my duplicate HO sets on Ebay.  As I look at a few unpainted HO Seated People that I still have, I know why my eyes give me problems. 

It could also be from watching my printing presses as they flashed newly printed sheets into the receiving stack, checking the quality of the printing.  Or maybe the light table with its bright fluorescent back lighting, or the Itek plate burning machine.  I am lucky I don't need glasses for the close work when I paint.  But I can't see clearly down the street.  It is very difficult to see who is waving to me.  I just wave back.

Have a good day.

John Rowlen

Another small step has been completed on my Union Station project. The entire building has been primed in white and a final finish coat has been selected (see the 3rd photo of the painted test panel)

Randy that is an impressive union Station!

Mark Boyce posted:

Randy that is an impressive union Station!

Mark:

Thanks for the kind words. It has been a lot of fun planning it and building it. It will have an interior that should be visible through the big windows and doors, LED lighting in the ticket office and on the ceiling as well as a hinged roof that can be opened for a full view of the interior from above. There is much more to do, but, I look forward to each work session as I can get to them.

I added some Custom Rolling stock that I got done today  

The steeplecab progresses.  Will do a writeup at some point... 

Mitch 

The steeplecab is pretty slick, Mitch!!!

I'm glad there are no cliffs around Paul's house because he would definitely be jumping from one after my latest project on the module.  I was trying to figure out a way to add smoke for my car wreck scene.  I tried some heating element but it wasn't really working and I was having a heck of a time trying to figure out how to mount it under the module.  So I figured why not try a little incense in an old prescription bottle.  I glued and screwed the lid to the underside of the module so that way I can just take the prescription bottle off anytime I need to refill the incense.  Put a small piece of ceramic and copper tube so no heat transfer to the plastic when the incense is burning.  Got it all put together and I think it will be a big hit at the shows. 

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

The steeplecab progresses.  Will do a writeup at some point... 

Mitch 

Mitch that is so neat great work 

Bryan, that is pretty slick!  Very good idea!!  

However, I think Paul will survive!  ;-)

I was going make this a twin to my other Post War NYC but I decided last week to make it a B&O instead I’ve go one side done I’ll finish this up tomorrow evening 

There's no telling how many pages I've missed....  Life got busy here, but I have managed to squeeze a bunch of hours into the signalling project during the past 3 weeks.    Got 14 of the 22 signals wired installed and working.....  8 more to go !!  I am thankful I wired the main relay panel on the workbench and tested it before I mounted it on hinges under the layout...  At least it swings down 90 degrees so if I have issues,   I don't have to be laying down on the creeper working upside down.     And yes I do have one intermittent gremlin I am chasing down,  Arrrghh!!!!!

Managed to complete the conversion of the plasticville signal bridge with 4 brass signal heads, 2 for each direction, and after a bunch of cutting and soldering, converted an MTH cantilevered signal bridge so that I could mount the brass NJ Internation B&O style color position light heads using the factory MTH signal head plug housings.   

Chris A, 

Very nice work on the signals.  The layout is progressing nicely.  It would not be model railroading without gremlins.  Good luck with the remaining signals.

John Rowlen

Apples55 posted:

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Apples55 posted:

Shouldn’t you be using electrical tape to secure that pantograph???  

Oh, all right. 

Happy?   

Mitch 

Much better... I thought I was going to have to report you to OSHA. I’m surprised the Shop Steward let that slide!!!

wow mitch, I don't think I would survive in your mind for 5 mins

Thanks for posting photos of your B&O F unit, Lee. I've wanted to do up a F unit in this same scheme, lets me see how nice it will look!

Rusty