What did you do on your layout today?

Dave, thanks for the tip about the Lake Superior Railroad Museum videos.  I enjoyed many of them today.

I spent most of my morning yesterday wiring up a crossing gate, uncoupling units and just running some trains on my American Flyer layout. This afternoon while watching the virtual NASCAR race at my home track of Dover, DE I took apart this transformer car and cleaned it up. I haven't given it a bath yet but it should clean up well. The only thing it needs is the insulators on the top and coupler springs. It was in a box of stuff given to me by a bandleader I work for. It had a 1948 2020 turbine set in it and several accessories. It's all just dirty and needs serviced. It's been a good learning tool for my repair skills. 

That's lots of great projects, train running, and prototype video everyone!!! 

I finally have something to post from the last few days.  Here are the photographs, but you can find an extensive description here on my Blackwater Canyon Line topic.

The last couple of afternoons I spent putting on the conspicuity striping on the other six MTH wood chip gondolas.  The first two I had done sometime ago.  I then used the wood fines (like saw dust) from the back bottom interior of the pellet stove to create more realistic wood chip loads for the gondolas.  Glued the wood chips to the plastic molded MTH load using wood glue.  They turned out pretty good.  

Larry 

May the 4th be with you!

The sun was shining all weekend so no time was spent indoors for me. I did grab a few minutes last night to start building some kits I bought from Tichy Trains for the new factory area on the layout.

Got a set of 8 pallets and a jib crane. The pallets were a piece of cake but the crane has some tiny parts. Thank god its O scale and not N

I use the blue tape to hold one side of the piece in place which during assembly but it releases the parts easily when done.

I took a break from painting the interior of the B&O 611 Steam Excursion Vista Dome.

Here is the Canadian Pacific "Canadian" pulling three of the 611 Steam Excursion private cars that have been completed.

Have a great week.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

JOHN ROWLEN, this must be my lucky day, you are working on train interiors just like I have on the agenda to do.  QUESTION:  Where did you get the passenger seating areas, did you purchase them or make them yourself, either way I must know, the work is fantastic.  I'm planning on doing something very similar to a bunch of postwar passenger cars that I have.  I have a need to know.   Thanks - MARSHELANGELO

Greg, 

The Lionel 21" passenger cars come with two sections of interior seating (based on the type of car) that are screwed to the metal chassis.  I have been able to buy the coach interior pieces from Lionel parts in the past.  The seats are molded onto the floor of the two sections. At the end of the coach sections are bathrooms with sinks and toilets.

The 21" passenger cars I have detailed had the plastic seats and room walls.  Some of the interiors I had to modify to fit properly, but everything was provided in the car by Lionel. Maybe it is time for Lionel to offer an interior kit for older passenger cars.

Good luck with your project.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

After waiting 2 weeks for some 054 curves I did a quick mock up to see how they fit. The crossovers will go to a future yard. The pieces aren't together just thrown on one end of the table it looks like they are closer to he edge than I thought maybe 2.5 inches each side. The inner loop is 042 I had hoped to combine 054 & 042 to make it 048 but it looks to tight. The table is 63 inches wide by 235 inches long. I still have to get sound deadening material before I can lay track.

Dave:  Your end points look too close.  Passing cars with their overhang might touch, although it is hard to tell from the picture.  I had the same problem with my layout although it was 0-27 trying to fit inside 0-31.  A potential easy solution if you have a problem is to move the spacing of the cross over one straight section to the left increasing the distance between the two curves.  That puts the curvature of your outer loop somewhat to the right of the curvature of your inner loop and gives you some additional clearance. 

Looks good thought, I certainly wish i had the width to use larger radii.

Don McErlean

@Dave Ripp. posted:

After waiting 2 weeks for some 054 curves I did a quick mock up to see how they fit. The crossovers will go to a future yard. The pieces aren't together just thrown on one end of the table it looks like they are closer to he edge than I thought maybe 2.5 inches each side. The inner loop is 042 I had hoped to combine 054 & 042 to make it 048 but it looks to tight. The table is 63 inches wide by 235 inches long. I still have to get sound deadening material before I can lay track.

 

Your O54 curve is wider than your table.

@Oman posted:

Your O54 curve is wider than your table.

They're on the table and not tight yet with no overhang. Perhaps I'm a little wider either way I'll make it work.

@Dave Ripp. posted:

There on the table and not tight yet with no overhang. Perhaps I'm a little wider either way I'll make it work.

Dave, Your photograph does show it will work.  I had to play around with different sizes of FlexTrack to get it to fit on my 4x7 Christmas layout.  I had a little tension on the joints, but trains ran fine.

John Rowlen, thanks a million, that’s all I needed to hear; I’m gonna start on my 1st project very soon, I’ve already converted a postwar F3 to TMCC via ERR, I’m gonna airbrush the F3 and gather the passenger cars for the consist, so I just gotta locate a recent model passenger car (Texas Special passengers) with similar interiors and dimensions, contact Lionel and go from there. Thank you, I now have a source. You’ve given me the first step to a path that I was definitely going to take but now I have the direction. Thank you again.      GREG - MARSHELANGELO 

@marshelangelo posted:...I’ve already converted a postwar F3 to TMCC via EER, ...      GREG - MARSHELANGELO 

 

Greg: I am intrigued by your conversion of a postwar locomotive to TMCC via EER. What is EER? Can you point us in the direction of the procedure to accomplish such or post a detailed, step-by-step process for us? I have several locomotives that would benefit from such a conversion.

Thank you.

Hey Randy, thanks for catching my typing oversight.  I actually meant ERR as in Electric RR components that are sold by Sunset 3rd Rail.

Worked on painting the homosote. Got a deal on mistint paint and forgot some white was on the roller edge. I think it worked in my favor to give an asphalt effect lol. 

I took a quick look to see if I can shorten the width on the 90s. This will bring the curves in 3 inches total 1.5 per side. I will cut them at the joint on the bottom and solder in a jumper. I cut a straight track just to make sure it would work, I hope to pick up some sound deadening material this weekend so I can figure out my track plan. Thanks to those who replied as a second opinion or perspective can sometimes help.

@Dave Ripp. posted:

I took a quick look to see if I can shorten the width on the 90s. This will bring the curves in 3 inches total 1.5 per side. I will cut them at the joint on the bottom and solder in a jumper. I cut a straight track just to make sure it would work, I hope to pick up some sound deadening material this weekend so I can figure out my track plan. Thanks to those who replied as a second opinion or perspective can sometimes help.

Nice work on the track. I’ve always wanted to use at least one crossover of any degree on a layout but I haven’t figured it out yet. This is a good idea you have here

Well, its hump day so here is another video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mmwo0WZvNo

Hope you enjoy it and stay safe!

@Berkshirelover726 posted:

Nice work on the track. I’ve always wanted to use at least one crossover of any degree on a layout but I haven’t figured it out yet. This is a good idea you have here

Thanks,Since I'm a looper at heart it helps give the appearance that mt small world goes somewhere else. I can also add a switching area similar to a time saver  long ways at the end making the table a large T shape.

@Trainmaster04 posted:

Well, its hump day so here is another video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mmwo0WZvNo

Hope you enjoy it and stay safe!

Is there a reason you choose to post a link rather than embed your videos? 

@Pingman posted:

Is there a reason you choose to post a link rather than embed your videos? 

It is much easier to post the link instead of embedding it into the post. Sorry I haven't figured out all of the features on making a post so I do it this way.

@Trainmaster04 posted:

It is much easier to post the link instead of embedding it into the post. Sorry I haven't figured out all of the features on making a post so I do it this way.

Just use this icon in the tool bar instead if insert link.

@RSJB18 posted:

Just use this icon in the tool bar instead if insert link.

Thanks! I will definitely use this for my next video post. Also, are there any tutorials, made by the forum, on how to do most of the stuff such as this? Or is it just by word of mouth?

@Trainmaster04 posted:

Thanks! I will definitely use this for my next video post. Also, are there any tutorials, made by the forum, on how to do most of the stuff such as this? Or is it just by word of mouth?

I'm not sure. Most of what I know has been by trial and error or experience with other parts of the inter-web world.

Tips and hints around here have helped with more than just RR modeling too

@RSJB18 posted:

I'm not sure. Most of what I know has been by trial and error or experience with other parts of the inter-web world.

Tips and hints around here have helped with more than just RR modeling too

Thanks again and I hope you have a great day.

I found these Atlas 054 switches I cut down over 22 years ago to make a yard with 4" track centers. Good thing I saved them- they will go onto my planned staging yard. 

Geno

Lionel 611 Steam Excursion B&O private car "Moonlight Dome" interior wall edges show through two windows.

The lower level bathroom walls edges show on the left side of two square windows.  I decided to take an Excel Knife and score along the floor to loosen the wall and bend it into an acceptable position.

I also cut the other left wall and glued it to the desk in the rear seating area.  This created a shelf that I painted white and use as a toilet tank for the left bathroom.

There is no toilet, so I painted a white line on the underside of the man who will be sitting on an imaginary toilet. (It does have a white tank for him to rest against.)  I painted the floor white under the man to give an illusion of the toilet's shape.  From the window, it looks like the toilet is there.

I also added an additional female figure in front of the large Lounge window that needed another person.  The car is now acceptable and ready to close and run with the three other 611 Steam Excursion private cars I have finished.  The last private car, the N&W "Pohattan Arrow" Coach is the next car to detail.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

@marshelangelo posted:

Hey Randy, thanks for catching my typing oversight.  I actually meant ERR as in Electric RR components that are sold by Sunset 3rd Rail.

The purpose was not to correct an error, but to try to get a description of how you installed the ERR components and made the work with postwar, Pullmore motors.

Still FOAMING. Hope to lay some track soon.

Finished up a Sherman on a flatcar.

@Oman posted:

Still FOAMING. Hope to lay some track soon.

Keith,  Your layout is looking great!  It is so great looking, I am wondering why mine looks so...um...well...different.  

I have had some time with the cold weather to work on my layout.  Here are some photographs.  Please check my Blackwater Canyon Line topic for more details.

@Mark Boyce posted:

Keith,  Your layout is looking great!  It is so great looking, I am wondering why mine looks so...um...well...different.  

I have had some time with the cold weather to work on my layout.  Here are some photographs.  Please check my Blackwater Canyon Line topic for more details.

 

Mark

You're doing well also. I've followed your posts. One thing we have in common, is taking years to get it off the ground (no pun intended).

Each of us has a different approach. All that matters is the end result and neither of us are done.

Keith, you are quite right.  Hopefully slow and steady will work for us both!

@luvindemtrains posted:

Ray,

Sometimes we get so caught up with different projects on the layout we forget to just sit back and admire our work and RUN TRAINS! You have done a lot great work recently and owe it to yourself to sit back and admire the fruits of your labor. I have made it a point to do that in the last few months. Especially since most of my engines and rolling stock are in the boxes. Gotta get electric through them and this couldn't be a better time to do it. Enjoy!

Dave

Dave, 

Agree must run them, I do get caught up in projects so it is great to run them for a while and just catch up on fixing or updating the little things.

However I've been wanting to put in a lumber yard so did some designing and building a computer model of a shed I like and am now printing the framework on the 3D printer.

One of the few Walther's O-scale building kits was a similar lumber building, and office. 

Great work Gents!

Put the ballast down on the new siding and added some weeds under the loading dock. The jib boom is all assembled. I have to paint it and rig the pulleys and chain.

Bob

@Mike CT posted:

One of the few Walther's O-scale building kits was a similar lumber building, and office. 

 

That is a nice looking kit and when done mine will look similar, although I'm not sure about the office structure as I would like a combination office and barrel construction company but not sure how to pull that off yet.

I am printing the pieces now, this shows how it is going together before gluing with all alignment pins in place.

Tinkering with the electrics.

- swapped a pin in the Centre Rail, to create a “dead block” to prevent locos over-running the switch after using the reversing loop, or if the switch is set to the central sidings.

- wired a dwarf ground signal to show red or green to indicate the status of the two switches into the central sidings. One positive from the dead block, one from the sidings, so now it shows red or green to oncoming trains on the main loop. 

- fitted a switch to control the coal loader