What did you do on your layout today?

Wired up my lone street light and 394 Beacon tower.  While this is just a temporary set up till the new table is built for me, still having fun with it.   AD

Here are a few models I've finished up lately.  Not at the level, some of you guy's are at, but I'll keep trying.

This was a free paper kit from Clever Models - I think I'll try some more. Still haven't got the hang of the really thin cuts...

A plasticville coaling tower, with some simple weathering

Wooden Gas Station Kit (Actually STARTED this one 10+ years ago)

spent part of the day decaling a tank car for the Gray Chemical Company of Roulette, Pa; a C&PA RR customer

Mark,

Thank you for the kind words.  I appreciate it.  The engine is beautiful.  I really like that it has operating ditch lights too.  My other E8's don't have this.  These are big engines, and I know what you mean about buying something too big for the layout.  I can't run anything larger that 0-54, and that's fine by me, still plenty to chose from. 

John

Finalized my corrugated sheet metal dies to be able to do longer sheets and it works pretty good but may have to go to a larger vise (or handle extension) as it is at it's max.  for the longest sheets.

I can also do V8 cans (the 5.5 oz ones .005 thick)

Also finished making all the parts to start putting the lumber shed together

I ordered some scenery from Scenic Express.

Today, I officially named my outdoor rail line:

- The Other Guy 

Layout pics with the recently resuscitated Minitoys trolley (as well as You-Know-Who):  

The car came sans poles, so I fabricated Lionel-style dummies from brass rod, JB Weld and a couple of machine screws: 

Mini-kittehs meet the real thing: 

Had to straighten one pole after Norma Bates Kitteh noodged the car onto the carpeted floor... 

Mitch 

@M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Layout pics with the recently resuscitated Minitoys trolley (as well as You-Know-Who):  

The car came sans poles, so I fabricated Lionel-style dummies from brass rod, JB Weld and a couple of machine screws: 

Mitch

Seems like you made the right decision to not cannibalize the trolley - looks good. And there is an awful lot of hindsight on the layout today  

Unpacked a used MTH Shay 20-3023-1 Proto-1 (bought at auction) which arrived today and decided to put in a BCR before powering up the engine. Took out the 4 chassis screws on the tender and it won't budge. Any other tender comes apart easily. Before i start taking the sledge to it, any advice from owners on how to coax this little beauty apart? I am dying to run this guy. Cautious, now that I blew a board on another steamer and now need to make an expensive repair.  Nothing like a little crackle and pop with a little smoke thrown in to know you just fried a board.  Thanks ... Jeff  

ScoutingDad, I have a PS2 Shay 20-3192-1.  I just looked it up, and mine is 15 years old already.  It is a great locomotive, but I have not been able to get the tender open.  It is like it has seized tight.  I have not tried hard, but someday I will have to get it open to put in a BCR also.

I soldered these by setting them on the electric stove's burner 

(more soon, I've  been busy painting 🎨)

Well after some gentle tugging the tender separated just fine. It did have the dreaded white battery!  Successful replacement with the BCR.  There is pretty tight spacing further complicated with the tender being attached to the engine. The trickiest part was inserting the connector. Pretty delicate for someone with big fingers. It runs intermittently, will not sound whistle - may need contact cleaning or a little more charge on the BCR. (these are all my own photos - trying to get the hang of posting and replying to posts)

White Battery !!!

BCR in place - mounted to the speaker magnet with dbl faced foam.

Photo of the Shay on the only somewhat finished section of my layout.

Sorry that I have not gotten another video out sooner but I finally did!

Also, if I sound a bit hoarse at the end, sorry. I do not have covid-19, thank God, but my voice was just not having it that night. Thanks again and I hope y'all enjoy it!

Still working on the scenery but this is going to be a centerpiece of the layout!  Almost done with it.

@Trainmaster04 posted:

Sorry that I have not gotten another video out sooner but I finally did!

Also, if I sound a bit hoarse at the end, sorry. I do not have covid-19, thank God, but my voice was just not having it that night. Thanks again and I hope y'all enjoy it!

That was a very nice review of a great building that has special meaning to you and your family!  Right on Track Models did a great job!!

@Mark Boyce posted:

That was a very nice review of a great building that has special meaning to you and your family!  Right on Track Models did a great job!!

Thanks! Yes, they did do a great job on it. If you look up 808 Avenue G Lubbock, Texas you can see the actual building, and comparing the model it turned out very similar to the real thing. I am very happy to preserve a part of my family history. 

@Trainmaster04 posted:

Thanks! Yes, they did do a great job on it. If you look up 808 Avenue G Lubbock, Texas you can see the actual building, and comparing the model it turned out very similar to the real thing. I am very happy to preserve a part of my family history. 

I just did look up the prototype!  Yes indeed, the model is a great replica of the prototype building!  Congratulations!!!

Finally got the track down on the new benchwork.  Now I'm working on wiring, trying to figure out power drops and losses.

@JeffPo posted:

Finally got the track down on the new benchwork.  Now I'm working on wiring, trying to figure out power drops and losses.

Very nice work.

Jeff, I'm with Dave!  Your layout looks great!  Congratulations!

Built another paper model from Clever Models.  Not the best build, but I’m working on getting better.

Well I think I finished my rewiring project on the Northport Division.toaday. I had reached a point that I had one more section to connect. Before I did that , I decided to put some power to the layout and run a loco around. Test run  was in conventional mode. So when it reached the section I thought was disconnected I was amazed to see it continue right through, no stop plenty of voltage.

So a closer check of the tracks in this area, revealed a jumper from an djacent track section. Since DCS and TMCC signal was good up to this point, I decided not to undo that jumper but did connect the section to the main feeder I had run into the area. 

What I have on this end of the layout which started out as star wiring is two main runs that have a tie in the middlethrough that track jumper. Voltage is good  no drop, constant speed with dual motored lionel locos in conventional mode, good with dual motored early TMCC locos in command and MTH with DCS , no check track messages. 

Think I will leave it this way and move on to the other side of the layout now. 

I repurposed my mini blue tooth sound system cover/ crate; beginning with a door.  I was going to be a makeshift transfer caboose; but I got to recalling the pastie shacks that used to dot Ñorthern Michigan; some weren't far from makeshift crates; but the pie quality kept you coming back if you were brave enough to stop in the first place.... so much for a coboose I didn't really need. Now I have a small building with no room for it

These are actually ho cab windows, opened a bit.  Slightly larger than the silver side (1/32-1/16)

Don Juan and his competing restaurant aren't done yet

I plan to make it two sided.

I still havelhave to make the "Piping" portion. (googlesgoogle insists that is correct)... 

I also started to make a very small coach car the day before yeaterday, but playing with a glass bulb cover from a floor sconce/ lamp and wood scraps, the resulting shape made me think of a sombrero; so I let it "build it'self" and ended up with this. I think it also looks like a modern 50s deco roof OR a Japanese structure too... we'll see

I had dismissed the glass dome until I also dropped some scrap into nearly this exact position seen here, then it clicked it wasn't going to be a coach. A mini narrow gauge inspired dome car was also a thought. 

I think I need to light it to go further. I want to see if the glass's edge will collect light and "glow"; a feature which I might be able incorporate into a design of some kind.

@Michael Hasty posted:

Built another paper model from Clever Models.  Not the best build, but I’m working on getting better.

Looks great to me. My Dad always said "good from far but far from good" so if you have flaws put them farther away. Really neat looking building either way.

I've seen construction trailers that didn't look that good. I think it's very realistic. 

@Michael Hasty posted:

Built another paper model from Clever Models.  Not the best build, but I’m working on getting better.

Very nice. I've done a few scenic elements with paper prints and found that if you mount the print to thin cardstock or cardboard you can achieve some dimension to the paper. The added rigidity helps keep things straighter too. I realize this was a kit but I'm sure the same would apply. I've also added balsa where appropriate (the platforms and steps), to give the model additional dimension. Balsa helps with interior corners as well.

Bob

I made this wall holder for my Cab 1's out of scrap 1/4" plywood and painted it with the wall color paint.    The wire molding is power to my around the ceiling tracks. 

Made two video game models.  I'll probably build a small retro arcade at some point.  Got the idea from Frizzinbee.

This one I took from my favorite amusement in our rec room.  All seven images on the model were taken from pics of the real one.

Jerry

A Model Train Related Story from Michigan 🚂 Layout Update...

Yesterday it was a cold rainy day in Michigan. I started off the day finishing up a YT video and then published this video called: “Fire Department Box Cars from MTH • Rail-King”

To watch this video, Please click here….

After a long day in the Train Room. Tonight was our Westacress Home Owners Association Food Truck Night. We  skipped lunch so myself & my wife of 40 years went down and got dinner.  We all stayed six feet a part.  We are doing this to help out local businesses. It was fun to see our neighbors and they all call me, The Train Guy.

Over 300 families showed up, and it was well organized and the lines moved fast. We were ask to come by our street address to avoid chaos.

Dine at home, Bon Appétit………

I bring this to your attention because it was a fun way to get out of the train room and you may want to try this where you live. This would be cool for a train club or model train shop. ( I took my mask off for the photo only ).

Still in the Michigan Lockdown. Take care and stay safe. Gary 🚂

Great story supporting our local businesses during these unfortunate times. We all need to do our part just like you. Thanks

@trainroomgary posted:

A Model Train Related Story from Michigan 🚂 Layout Update...

Yesterday it was a cold rainy day in Michigan. I started off the day finishing up a YT video and then published this video called: “Fire Department Box Cars from MTH • Rail-King”

To watch this video, Please click here….

After a long day in the Train Room. Tonight was our Westacress Home Owners Association Food Truck Night. We  skipped lunch so myself & my wife of 40 years went down and got dinner.  We all stayed six feet a part.  We are doing this to help out local businesses. It was fun to see our neighbors and they all call me, The Train Guy.

Over 300 families showed up, and it was well organized and the lines moved fast. We were ask to come by our street address to avoid chaos.

Dine at home, Bon Appétit………

I bring this to your attention because it was a fun way to get out of the train room and you may want to try this where you live. This would be cool for a train club or model train shop. ( I took my mask off for the photo only ).

Still in the Michigan Lockdown. Take care and stay safe. Gary 🚂

Gary, I love your train videos and taste in food. And also that you wear a mask. My wife makes one, and I think she has some train fabric! I'll post a picture!

Have not run trains for a long time. But a couple of days ago I ran a train pulled by an MTH decapod (ERR installed) and encountered a place where the engine just stopped. I remembered that I always had a problem with that loco at that spot. I cleaned the track and wheels and rollers. Still stopped. Other locos sometimes stopped as well if they were not moving quickly. I checked the continuity and no problem. I pushed down on the tracks and found the continuity problem. It appears that when a heavy loco traveled over the place where two tracks connected, the track dipped just enough to cause the power interruption. I installed a narrow thin shim under each track and that fixed a long time perplexing problem. I celebrated by running the decapod freight through for several laps, then a fast mail train and finally a local  commuter train. Cheers.

Two things that I am working on today.  

First, I am looking at adding some graffiti to my layout in a few places, building and bridge piers etc.  Is there any place you recommend to download an image to be able to print it?

Second I have a new engine that is a MTH dummy and I am having a problem keeping the coupler staying shut.  It's a new engine that has the tack at the bottom.  I am open to suggestions.

John

Well I have been wanting to do this for a while now and decided today was the day. I picked up an inexpensive sports camera about 6 months ago and was going to use it as a dash cam, but it is so small it easily tapes to a car and has a remote to start and stop. Might even have streaming - has a wireless connection. Anyway here is a link to the video - hope it works. The layout has been a work in progress for about the last 2 years. This is the 5th version and the last - for now - I keep getting ideas on what would look better and be interesting running. Its mostly Ross track and switches with a little Gargraves thrown into the mix. (I have and like Atlas, but mixing the three did not work well - they tend not to play nice together.)  I can run 3 separate main lines or 1 interconnected line which is how this video was made. The outer loop is minimum 072 with 080 and 088 preforms thrown in. Long story on how I was going to have 042 minimum to run most passenger cars and ended up revising the whole layout to be able to run an MTH Burlington Zephyr.  Having grown up in the Chicago area close to the Proviso Yards, I've seen almost all the Flags run through the area. So I plan to focus on BNSF and CN and many of the merged/purchased flags. Of course I could not pass up the SP DayLight nor the Southern Crescent Limited and a Pennsylvania GG1.  Hope you enjoy the video. BTW - the town area will eventually span an entire corner and have a model of Chicago's Union Station (traditional version) sited above a three track terminal - one dedicated to a CTA elevated line. Unfortunately  due to space issues all three lines had to have movable sections for access. (never build a layout at 32 inches to the deck -- lesson learned) The MTH trestle is mounted on a 1x4 on a hinge so it can swing out. The next section is a lift out and the last is a lift swing attached to a piece of thinwall pipe - that was an experiment - works fine swinging in. Of course if anything derails I have to dive under all three sections - one of these days I may not be able to get back up.

  https://drive.google.com/file/...yLx/view?usp=sharing 

ScoutingDad:  Great video, clear picture and excellent view.  Thanks what a great idea!  Super

Respectfully

Don

ScoutingDad, Wow!  You fit a lot in a 9x13 layout space!  My layout is taking up 8x11 and the widest curves I have are 054.  A little more space really makes a difference.  I like your trackwork and different levels with roughed in scenery.

Thanks Mark, I was all over this forum looking for ideas as well as many others on the net - my thanks to all the posters. My aha moment was understanding vertical space meant down as well as up - 5th rebuild. In my video the Ross crossover is my zero vertical. It allows me to have the clearance at the tunnel of about 6.5 inches without having grades more than 2.5 percent up and down. My only cars that will not clear are the MTH double stacks - about a 1/4 inch off. I'll fix that in the next layout.  But to be honest I really like the K-line and Lionel scale containers. No they are not quite "scale" but they look better than the MTH "monsters" and the "S" scale Lionel 027 versions.  I did use SCARM software to figure out grades and layout. But when building, I made adjustments so its not quite what I layed out, but a big help. 

To all the other railroaders out there, I really enjoy seeing what you all are doing. From traditional post war Lionel to the high railers. Nice to know we can all enjoy the hobby in ways that suit our interests, available space and money. I don't even know where to put the tin plate and pre-war gear. 

My best to all you out there. Stay healthy and keep railroading.  Jeff 

But there is never enough space   ; )

Wow after seeing that hamburger and fries I'm jelious.  After 3 years in just now getting ready to eat any red meat. A crazy thing called alpha gall caused by a tick or chigger bite can cause a lot of problems.  Take care and don't get bit so you can have a steak or hamburger. Its been 3 years for me. Enjoy.