What did you do on your layout today?

Painting.......

I finished the wall panels, roof and water tower. I'm going to work on some wall finishes and floors for the interior next.

Bob

RSJB18 posted:

Painting.......

I finished the wall panels, roof and water tower. I'm going to work on some wall finishes and floors for the interior next.

Bob

Bob. They looking nice.👍

Johan

Bob, nice job on the building. You are getting there.

Johan, great pic.

This afternoon I got the first coat on the walls and roof of the silo building. While that was drying I cut some balsa to go inside the shed on either side of the track. When they dry I can make up some end pieces and then paint them concrete color. Pics.................Paul 2

Thanks Paul. 

You're making good progress too 👍

Paul 2, really cool Silo, your craftsmanship is great, RSJB18 Bob, your hired, I’m impressed with your painting on the wall and other pieces, Mitch, I like your creative build of the uniquely made Diesel with 2 slope back tender bodies, so clever, neat paint scheme, the fortesque is Cool. Lionel SKI, yes, there’s a lot of selections available in 027 trackage, I have over a 110 pieces of the K-line 027 in my helixes. 027 lines up with atlas 0, Ross Custom track with a little shimming one way or another.  I hope everyone has had a great weekend. Happy Railroading 

Mitch. Looks good 

Bob. The buildings look very nice 

John. The track’s looks great 

Paul. Making some great progress 

Today I prepare this area on the layout and semi scratch built a Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus Wagon for my future Circus Train the decals were a little old so the didn’t work out liked I planned.  I’m Now waiting some Wagon Details from Don Mills Models 

Excellent projects everyone!!  There are so many I missed, but I did 'like' them!  

Last week I started putting in brackets to hold the shelf on wall number two.  You can check it out here, if you desire.  

chris a posted:

So keeping decent notes on the concrete aging painting & weathering process and colors really paid off.... 

I have only two steps to go when the washes dry and that's to go back, scrape off some of the gravel to expose layers underneath, scratch some more cracks into the concrete sections and add some shadows.   All in all I am "amazed" at how close it matches the section I did back in 2018, especially since I chose not to remove the other section, and place it on the bench while I did today's painting/stamping/weathering...   The original installed section is on the right under the pine/spruce trees....   Here are some photos.  

First photos are after running the wire wheel and applying the flat white primer as a base coat.

Next the light spray of Camouflage Sand and Khaki paint

Then the almost finished result after stamping the slightly diluted  washes with the different mixes of the 5 colors I listed above.  I put the paints out on a pane of glass in a "circle" and keep a small water cup handy then mix them on the glass and keep stamping till I think I am there.  

Chris:

Your concrete is SPECTACULAR! I am having a real fit simulating concrete. I followed some of what you said about the process in the above posting. But, I am more of a monkey-see, monkey-do kind of guy. If you find time, can you post a full, step-by-step of your process in the OGR Scenery Forum, including photos and comments on each individual step? You have achieved the effect that I have been trying in vain to accomplish. I (and I suspect others too) would be greatly appreciative.

Put some finishing touches on the train and bus stations, along with the Railway Express office!  Searched through the rolling stock inventory for two Atlas Railway Express cars to spot behind the RE office...couldn't yet locate the third one!  Continued to build the mountain wall along the basement wall and apply scenery as I moved down the table!  As the scenery makes its way down the table, I'll be taking more rolling stock out of storage for placement on the sidings and spurs...

Painting the Odds and Ends from five years of work  

Ordered more people for March Madness painting.

Four more Preiser 65602 from Frankarts in Germany to go with seven from Questmark2.  Prices have been steadily climbing all week as US Dollar buys less and less from Germany.

Ordered five more 4802B (48) and five 4806B (50) Seated People from China.  Will use these in my buildings, round houses, out houses and bleachers at "Indian Apple-Less Speedway".  I may have some to sell when all is finished.

After starting the 1/50 scale woman, I located 68 more from the 4802B packs I painted. She is not the prime figure in the pack, so there were left-overs. I use three other figures more often.

As the only caregiver for my 93-year old mother, I need something to do in free time when she is sleeping. Our trips out to eat have been curtailed by current world-wide health issues.

Wishing you the best of progress on your railroad.

Sincerely,  John Rowlen

Happy Monday!

I had some time to dry fit the building together last night. I noticed that the wall panels are slightly warped but I will be able to pull them together when I glue it. Discovered that it takes 6 hands to put one of these together too.
Also found a wood plank floor and printed (no- not the 3D kind), a few sheets, then glued them to backer board. I plan to do some floor joists under the second floor but I need to get some more balsa first.

Anyone else think the water tower is too big for the building?

Ran trains for a while too

Hi guys, I know your all asking who is this guy commenting! Sorry I have been away for awhile as I have been busy with other things for the most part.

Chris A. Great job on the signal project and what a wonderful how to on making the concrete walls! Thank you for the photos and information your are so willing to share with the rest of us!

Paul 2, The silos and building for the top are looking wonderful! I love your idea for the track section with the drywall tape! Makes me want to figure out something for the Morton Salt building I have!

Randy, the Union Station is just Amazing looking! Nice work!

Johan, What a wonderful scene!

Lee, Great details on your layout! You sure know how to bring a scene to life!

Lee D, Nice to see the layout growing! The wagon is going to be a nice touch! Nice work!

LIRR, WOW that turned out great! What outstand work!

Bob, Your building is looking great I like the red door! I painted the door on my Coors Brewery Green, I might have to change it to red! LOL I think the water tower looks fine, you can always make it a fire house as they always need lots of water!

Larry, The photos of your layout are just amazing and really shows the enjoyment of model Railroading!

Paul, things are really coming together, Your city scene is looking sharp!

John, You haver more people then most people have in there little towns! I am glad that painting them help you relax!

Well guys as I said I haven't got much done lately. I did find time to finish the placement of all my relocated switch machines. I have also found time to get a little ballasting done, I hope the last where I have to get up on the layout! Yes Lew, I know no photos and it didn't happen. But I didn't think anyone would want to see a silly switch machine and I didn't remember to take photos of my ballast, I will try and remember next time I get out to the train room!

I know its Monday but I still hope everyone has a great day and finds time for there layout and trains! Have fun no matter what you do today!

Bob, I can see where you may say the water tower looks too big, but I think it is fine.  I like the printed flooring!!

This morning I did a second coat on the building and roof. While that was drying I started adding end pieces to pieces in the shed. A few more very small pieces to seal in the ends and I can add the concrete paint. Still have to put windows on the building. Pics......Paul 2

wiring hotel 20+ lights...inside and so far one Miller sign on 1st floor, using the "Buck Converter" step down board for 4.5 V instead of batteries, works great.

Although technically not "on the layout", over last weekend I went ahead and dug into my auction haul I posted about a while back.

One of the things that was a pleasant surprise...the auction was split into hundreds of lots, and many of them were just parts or partial assemblies of cars and engines.  I found out while sorting through everything that 3 of the lots I got were all clearly three different sets of components of some MTH 30-76xxx Husky stack well cars.  And they all added up to 3 complete cars.

So as I was assembling them (just putting trucks on and finding matching containers really), my youngest daughter offered to help.  So I got to sip bourbon while she toiled away at putting those tiny truck retainer screws into place.  

QT with the 8 year old, that's what I did on my layout today!

Paul, That silo complex is looking great!!

Ray, the hotel looks great!

Jeff, She did a great job!

Ran a few trains and created more ozone:

Looking good, Craig!  See model train enthusiasts are helping the environment, one ozone molecule at a time. 

One advantage of a small layout - one small rug is all it takes to soften the floor!

Ray,  spectacular job !!!!   I really like that building, great proportions, the bump outs, the architectural details...  Looks like buildings I see driving through Boston....

Paul,  the grain elevator is really progressing nicely... 

Bob,  I liked the comment about needing 6 hands....  Seems like a bunch of the Korber kit walls and some of the Ameritowne walls warp...  It's a pain the you know what,  I usually end up cutting up some oak or birch and clamping and epoxying them to the backs of the walls to straighten them.   Not fun though.   As far was the water tank, it might be just a little too large, but it's close... I have had great luck finding HO scale water tanks at small local train shows, and I don't think I have ever had to pay more than $2 for one.....  Just keep your eyes open, I probably walked by the HO tables for years before I realized I could find water and other industrial tanks there for short money that I could use for building and roof details. 

Randy Harrison,  I just started work today.... I will try to put something together for the scenery forum....   I am thinking what I really need to do is set up the video camera on the tripod and just do a section .... It's kind of hard to describe.    Once I get through the next 2 weeks I might have some train time.  

Chris, Thanks....... this was designed to look like a hotel in Springfield Ma. the Hotel Charles next to the railroad station and overlooking the elevated tracks and next to the "Arch" the stone bridge that goes across Main St. This section burned down around 1968 but the multiple story addition still exists. This is a postcard I was able to get a hold of for reference. Notice the elevated stone section on the right with steam loco. It was first built as the Cooley Hotel.

Thanks for all the likes on my building folks!

I think I'll live with the water tower for now. Good idea Chris to look for HO accessories.
Ray- that building is a beauty. Can't wait to see it on the layout lit up.
Paul- the silos look good. Neat trick with the shed for the opening in the floor too.

Anybody else notice we blew through page 900 in 2 days?????

Renumbered my 2nd Williams scale PC GG1. I used a highly scientific and detailed procedure to decide on the number "4897" - I looked on the decal sheet and these numbers fell in sequence.  Bingo!

Getting there, most inside LEDS in, not so pretty from this side 

While waiting on my parts I thought I would start another Circus Wagon  

sidehack posted:

Getting there, most inside LEDS in, not so pretty from this side 

...but when you turn it around, lol.

Great work Ray! This structure will most definitely make a statement on your layout. I must learn how to do this.

Dave

Thanks Donald, it's easy all you need is time

Operation: Steeplecab is complete!  

Complete writeup will be posted over the next few days.   

Mitch

                  that turned out great Mitch      really nice !!    LIKE IT !

Bravo Mitch! Great job!

Very sharp Mitch 

Sad news Mitch: https://news.yahoo.com/rare-wh...chers-091457698.html

Here’s some progress I made before going to bed last night 

Mitch - What a great engine...super job its impossible to really tell where or how it originated.  Great Work!

Lee - that second wagon is really shaping up...at this rate the circus will be selling tickets soon. OBTW one of the more recent Kalmbach books had a good article on how the circus moved by rail.  It had pictures all the way back to the horse drawn circus wagon era like your wagons.  It also had some interesting data on the support structure the Circus needed on the RR side with folks checking siding length, clearances, proximity to an area where the show could be held, etc 

Regards, Don McErlean

Yesterday was the monthly lunch with the TCA group. After the lunch we were given a tour of the old train station in ELyria. The city took it over and did a great job of restoring it to the original way it looked. After that we headed to Uncle Ray's trains. I found some Gargraves track bumpers plus a few day before I got another Weaver woodchip hopper.

This morning I painted the Balsa wood in the shed concrete. Then for windows on the silos I decided to use some old paper windows I got many, many years from the late Fred Dole. I just put a wash of black on them. After they dry I'll see if I might add a wash of another color to them. Pics.................Paul 2 

BarGP7#63 :  What a great picture and a fabulous background!  Hard to tell, is this taken outside or is that a background picture?  Super pic.

Don

Don McErlean posted:

BarGP7#63 :  What a great picture and a fabulous background!  Hard to tell, is this taken outside or is that a background picture?  Super pic.

Don

Don. Thank you very much. It's a background. 👍 Johan