What did you do on your layout today?

Johan, thaty is a great picture with the boxcar. You cannot tell where the real scenery ends and the backdrop starts. Well done.

Bob, your building came out very good. I have a question for you. Where did you get the pic of the old plank flooring from on the computer. That is the type of floor I am looking for to put inside the machine shop.

This afternoon a bit more done. The shed is done and put together. I put a different wash on the paper windows. After that dries I'll see how they look and if not satisfied I'll use a colored pencil to highlight the woindow frames. That only leaves railings for the building and a lofting elevator to add. I went back to the machine shop and glued in the windows on the one side. When they dry I'll glue in the other windows and doors...........Pics...........Paul 2

Don. Thanks for the complement they both should be done by the weekend if my parts come in these are really fun to build

Johan. You out did yourself again with that picture very beautiful

Paul.  your progress never seems to amaze me you’re doing a great job

Hello Everyone,

After almost a year I decided to change the corner hillside again. Elbee wanted in after it was done. To see more pics of the layout and this particular update click the link.

Dave

Layout Progress Thread

Today I received more track I’ve added  20” on both sides now waiting for my turnout and I’ll be ready to landscape 

Got some paint on the wagon and decaled it.  I didn’t like the way they turned out I may buy some replacements 

The top of the plateau got a "little" structure....

I still have to add some backside detail and the top ⅛ of a lower tier &about 3 more steps to reach the "bottom".

Last week I had a certain brand of cervesa in mind for this "Dusk til Dawn" cantina's signage; I have "C"-beer coasters.

. ..  It might just get a good old "Bud" sign until Halloween🤔 (The plateau will be year round; structure swap outs )

Got a few minutes last night to finish the floors.  I added floor joists to the bottom of the second floor too. Not sure if anyone will see them but I'll know they are there.

Paul- look for an email......

Lee- the addition is looking good. Love the RBBB wagon too.

Butch- nice work

Johan- that is a great shot!

Bob

(for some bizarre and unknown reason, these pix posted upside down)

These Glenn L. Martin fly boys are going to be catching some heat for putting a brand new Marlin through its paces over downtown. 

Scott 

B&OFan:  what a great scene. I worked for many years at the Patuxent Naval Air Station on ASW aircraft ( my era was the P-3) but am familiar with Glen Martin (which was sort of local ) and the Marlin was legendary. I also recognize the building with the 4 smokestacks as being near the harbor. 

Thus is a great scene and super work. 

Regards Don McErlean

paul 2 posted:

Johan, thaty is a great picture with the boxcar. You cannot tell where the real scenery ends and the backdrop starts. Well done.

Bob, your building came out very good. I have a question for you. Where did you get the pic of the old plank flooring from on the computer. That is the type of floor I am looking for to put inside the machine shop.

This afternoon a bit more done. The shed is done and put together. I put a different wash on the paper windows. After that dries I'll see how they look and if not satisfied I'll use a colored pencil to highlight the woindow frames. That only leaves railings for the building and a lofting elevator to add. I went back to the machine shop and glued in the windows on the one side. When they dry I'll glue in the other windows and doors...........Pics...........Paul 2

Paul. Thank you. You can send that beautiful building to Finland when it's ready.🤝

Johan

lee drennen posted:

Don. Thanks for the complement they both should be done by the weekend if my parts come in these are really fun to build

Johan. You out did yourself again with that picture very beautiful

Paul.  your progress never seems to amaze me you’re doing a great job

Lee. Thank you. The job was a very easy.

Johan

RSJB18 posted:

Got a few minutes last night to finish the floors.  I added floor joists to the bottom of the second floor too. Not sure if anyone will see them but I'll know they are there.

Paul- look for an email......

Lee- the addition is looking good. Love the RBBB wagon too.

Butch- nice work

Johan- that is a great shot!

Bob

(for some bizarre and unknown reason, these pix posted upside down)

Bob. Thanks.🤝

Johan

lee drennen posted:

Got some paint on the wagon and decaled it.  I didn’t like the way they turned out I may buy some replacements 

Lee,

I think the decaling looks good, but if you want an aged sign look, try this method I developed for weathered/aged sign on building walls.

I scotch tape a piece of tissue paper to a 8.5x11 piece of typing paper (so that it will go through my printer without ripping) and print my sign on it. Brush well diluted Elmer's glue on to the building's side and apply the tissue paper sign, it will settle into the building's (or, in your case, the wagon's) details with a little help of a soft brush. Don't fool  with it after this point, just let it dry. When it does it will look like it was weathered for many years. If ya don't like the result a little water will remove it with no damage.

Just a thought

Don McErlean posted:

B&OFan:  what a great scene. I worked for many years at the Patuxent Naval Air Station on ASW aircraft ( my era was the P-3) but am familiar with Glen Martin (which was sort of local ) and the Marlin was legendary. I also recognize the building with the 4 smokestacks as being near the harbor. 

Thus is a great scene and super work. 

Regards Don McErlean

Thanks Don, I wanted to tie in the Martin plant since they were nearby at Middle River. Searched for a civilian Martin 4-0-4 but no luck, so went with the Marlin since it started production in the late 40s.

Scott

The Other Guy posted:

Next up: …  mock up a tunnel covering the sidings, and test some new weather seal ideas.

Tunnels are mocked-up and new weatherseal tested and will work: foam gaskets on the border, compressed by a handful+ of toolbox latches around the perimeter. The plexiglass lids were initially too flimsy and need a frame added for rigidity. Lid frames are undersized by about an inch to give me "play" when setting/removing and, for now Kragle'd to the 'glass (will probably need liquid nails). Altogether, will simplify getting in/out of the box when stuff breaks and save me untold yards of duct tape.

On a lark, printed some homegrown decals for the Menards billboard. Next round will be properly cut to size but, as a proof-of-concept, a home run.

Next up: finish framing out all the plexiglass lids (5 down; 1 to go), put some thought into what the scenics should be, and start wiring buildings with Miller signs/billboards.

- The Other Guy

B&O Fan posted:

Thanks Don, I wanted to tie in the Martin plant since they were nearby at Middle River. Searched for a civilian Martin 4-0-4 but no luck, so went with the Marlin since it started production in the late 40s.

Heh.  My mother's father worked at Martin about that time; she and her family grew up around Essex. 

Mitch 

My March Madness painting plans have changed.  There is no basketball to watch.  No baseball.  I may have to pay a couple of kids to shoot hoops outside my window, but that may be considered a crowd. 

Mom and I are staring at each other.  She is tired of watching me paint, so she is sleeping. 

I am glad I ordered the eleven Preiser 65602 from two stores in Germany two weeks ago, because the only store with five left will no longer ship to the United States as of today.  I am lucky that model railroading is a solitary hobby.

All alone in Cleveland, Ohio.  I will watch trains at Berea Station . . . with my windows rolled up.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

Looks like the web-host changed the image and backgrounds. Rich posted a comment before that OGR didn't make the change. I assume he and the team are talking to crowdstack as I type.

Bob

The new look through me too Bob. Quite different.

Today I added some brown color with a pencil to the windows then glued them all in place. Went back to working on my machine shop but when I went to glue the doors in apparently I must of clean too much off the sides and the doors had nothing to hold on to. So I took some Balsa wood and made trim wood for the inside of the building. Glued them on and then I stained the wood. When it all dries I'll glue the doors in place. Pics.........Paul 2

Paul, That top building for the grain silos looks great!  I wasn't sure of where you were going with it since I don't see these at all out in the countryside.

Software guys are changing the look of everything every so often.  I just go with the flow and get used to it!  

B&O Fan posted:

These Glenn L. Martin fly boys are going to be catching some heat for putting a brand new Marlin through its paces over downtown. 

Scott 

Scott:

The above are GREAT photos. I have admired your layout through your posts. I live in the eastern suburbs of Baltimore City and have a shop in downtown Baltimore. My current home is not far from what used to be the Glenn L. Martin plant. Do you still live in the Baltimore area? If so, I would love to see your layout in person.

Bravo, on your GREAT Baltimore scenery.

paul 2 posted:

The new look through me too Bob. Quite different.

Today I added some brown color with a pencil to the windows then glued them all in place. Went back to working on my machine shop but when I went to glue the doors in apparently I must of clean too much off the sides and the doors had nothing to hold on to. So I took some Balsa wood and made trim wood for the inside of the building. Glued them on and then I stained the wood. When it all dries I'll glue the doors in place. Pics.........Paul 2

That really looks good Paul I like it 

Well I got my Switch today and added it to the layout and I also added some more track. I will probably be adding on for a piggyback yard 

Lee,  Have you thought about a reversing loop around your new table edge, back across the near side of the original loop and to the right on the back of the original loop. (Need a left switch on back loop, a 90-degree cross over, and another left switch immediately before the new switches and track you laid.)

Sincerely, John Rowlen

Check out the thread I just posted in the electrical forum.  I built this:

John Rowlen posted:

Lee,  Have you thought about a reversing loop around your new table edge, back across the near side of the original loop and to the right on the back of the original loop. (Need a left switch on back loop, a 90-degree cross over, and another left switch immediately before the new switches and track you laid.)

Sincerely, John Rowlen

John

after I posted that pic I was thinking how I could connect it back to the original loop thanks for the idea and help I might try that 

I saw my pueblo and I went to paint it black....

.. granite temple, hanging off  adobe shack. 

I had to put it down, not de-face the artifact 

my fingers, legs ,and floor had dried off the neatness track..

Black base coloring is just so boring 

(just be glad you can't hear me; it lasts for hours sometimes )

Morning guys, everyone is doing such great work its hard to keep up! Paul, your silo build it really coming together! I like how your building turned out with the paper windows!

Lee your addition to your layout is going to add a lot of fun down the road, looking good!

I haven't done much, but am slowly getting the ballast down. Wish I had a ballast car and not a plastic cup and paint brush, but it is what it is! Yesterday I put some gray ballast down and realized it was on the siding track for my crane, so I have to vacuum it up, glad I figured it out before I put the glue to it! LOL

This morning I hope to get the black ballast down and clean the rest of the track where I put the glue down.

I hope everyone has a great Friday and gets some time for there trains and layouts!

Thanks Mike can’t wIt for the fun to begin 

A quiet day at home painting people.  I ordered more brushes and paint to mix my custom pastels in blue, green, pink, yellow and violet.  Have three shades of grey coming for men's suits too.

Checking on my China and Germany seated people blanks orders and things don't appear to be moving.  The German seller of the Preiser 65602 delayed shipping five days.  Feedback is in German, but it looks like the four packs are still in Germany.

Back to painting. Have a good weekend.

John Rowlen

Not a lot of time spent but I did managed to get the doors glued in on the building that only leaves the big doors and roof to add.  And thanks to Bob ( RSJB18 ) showing me a site to get a pic of flooring I was able to rattle off a few sheets. Now I am asking for opinons. I am pretty certain that is the way I am going to glue them down. So how does it look as an older wooden floor...Pics......Thanks Paul 2

Paul, I think the floor looks good for an older floor.  There is enough variation in color as you would expect.  It will look great looking in the windows!

Made some freight for the hook crane to load and marked them so the boys could deliver it.

Morning guys! There has been a lot going on here and some wonderful work! You all do a great service by sharing your work with the rest of us! It gives one a chance to broaden there minds!

John, Your people are looking great! But I am worried about what you are going to do if you run out of people! How will you relax?

Paul 2, Your building is looking wonderful and the floor looks perfect! I also like the site that Bob shared!

Ed, way to think out of the box! It is a great way to keep the boys interested in trains and something they just might carry with them the rest of there life!

Yesterday I was able to get a little more ballasting done and poured a concrete floor around where my crane with be located. This morning I plan to get out there and clean the groves for the wheels and do some more ballasting. I am trying to get as much done as I can before the next lumber package arrives today!

I know the layout is a mess, but its hard to keep it clean when it also serves as your work bench some of the time also! It will get cleaned up some day! LOL

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

John. The figs look great as always the freight coming  from China is almost at a stand still most of the Containers I haul come from China and the BNSF looked like a Ghost town yesterday with just a hand full of containers. Things  are not looking good in the Over Seas Container world right now I’ve been hauling containers for over 20yrs never seen it this bad. 

Paul. The door looks good as well as the building

Ed. I like that idea with those clips

Mike.  your layout is really shaping up  and looking the part 

As for me maybe I can tidy up the first part of the layout so I can move on to the new. 

Hi all

Paul- the floor looks good. Fits with the age of the building perfectly. Happy to share my source with you guys.
Lee- Before you know it the yards will be overflowing. Going to take a while to catch up. The new section of track looks great.
John- more people painting. Time to find some classic movies to watch.
Mike- a layout under construction is always a mess. No apologies necessary.
Ed- great idea. Hope the boys don't drop that crate on the livestock.

Painted the ceiling of the main floor for the building white yesterday. Hope to continue on my building today. Nothing else to do but stay home and play.....

Bob

@lee drennen

The clips work well because when you open up the arms, the magnet cranes can grab them too. The other side of the layout has one. 

@RSJB18

Only happened once or twice. The livestock on the train set go through all kinds of trials and trips. 

@mike g.

Thanks! That is my hope.

Paul2, I'm a big fan of printed surfaces and the floor patterns is a nice addition to the interior of the building.  My only thought, you might want to print it in a smaller scale, the boards look to be about 2' wide in scale.  Wood floors are normally constructed of boards between 2-6" in real scale.   I don't mean to be a nit-picker, but you asked, and I note that you consistently strive for scale and realism.  Reprinting the floor would be a simple thing to adjust.   

Cheers, Dave

Dave,  that's why I asked for opinions. When I laid the print down I knew I was looking at about 2 feet wide. But not being a tech savy person how would I go about making the planks smaller. Thanks Paul 2

But not being a tech savy person how would I go about making the planks smaller. Thanks Paul 2

Paul, my friend , send me the link to the site where you got the flooring.  Since the schools are closed for the next 3 weeks at least, I have lots of time so I can shrink them to the appropriate size and print them out on card stock for you.  As for myself I have lined up lots of train projects to get done over the next 21 days now.