@sidehack posted:the roof is on, need to finish wiring lights, add siding and railings
And got rid of the old window AC unit and added a split system head for heat and AC
That a great shed. Great work!
@ScoutingDad posted:Lets try this again
...
That's a ton of great action within that footprint, SD. Great stuff.
- The Other Guy
This afterrnoon I hauled a fast mail with K4s to a block where it had a stop signal. Hauled a 4 car commuter with an E6 Atlantic to a block with a stop signal. Moved 9 tanker with a B6s to a siding. Split a 10 car freight and spotted 8 cars in a staging spur and 2 box cars at an industry along the spur. Pulled a mixed freight to a staging yard to be taken to town business loop where cars will be dropped at various industries and cars collected as ordered for pickup. Parked Decapod near engine shop and spotted Mountain at coal tower for coal and sand. This took about an hour. Next session, I'll work the B6s to complete switch orders in town industries.
Sometime back I made a train order session cards. While it was an interesting exercise I found my sessions quite ambitious and really logistically complicated. I plan to use the same format but reduce the number of car spots and pickups.
Today, I finished a final contact sheet for all the "local" Menards-billboard-compatible images created for my outdoor layout. Will be hanging this on the fence lining the sidewalk, accompanying some "rail history" posters: one (Promontory Summit) I finished today; the other 2, made and hung a few weeks ago.
- The Other Guy
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.... spent some time reinforcing the joints on the O27 tubular track floor loop in my study. The curves are now O42 with O54 transitions, this allows running large locos like the Williams scale Hudson (with its semi-scale pilot wheels) plus seven cars, but this tends to push the track joints apart.
I’ve mitigated this by tying the joints with small cable ties, in pairs at each joint. I saw this suggested in another thread and it seems to work well, although it needs attention to get all the locking blocks in the right alignment
Lots of great work being done!
Ray I love the lumber shed, it really turned out nice!
Other Guy, nice work on the billboards and History papers, They are going to look great on your outdoors layout!
I just had a couple of minutes so I installed a Step down buck convertor for my small crane so it would swing lower speeds!
I hope everyone has a great day and finds time for fun with there layout and trains!
Thanks Rob and Mike for the kind remarks about the lumber shed
Good idea on the Buck Converter
@sidehack posted:Thanks Rob and Mike for the kind remarks about the lumber shed
Good idea on the Buck Converter
Add me in Ray. Great job on the shed. Now you need to load it up.
@RSJB18 posted:Add me in Ray. Great job on the shed. Now you need to load it up.
yes we have cars waiting to unload their freight as soon as I finish wiring the lights an put on OSHA regulated safety rails.....
I uploaded some videos to YouTube - enjoy
I also put a lot of cars and engines away that were sitting in various spots around my basement. This was long long overdue.
John
Hey guys, I finally got to work with the trains for a few minutes, and Mike G. is correct, if we are away from the forum for several days, we get way behind. So, everyone, great work. Sidehack, I like your new structure....Wow. Everyone, have a great rest of the week, stay safe, stay healthy, pray continually. Happy Railroading 
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Sidehack, That shed looks great. Was that a kit build or scratch built. That would go great with our logging / lumber theme.
Well, yesterday we put the 3rd mud coat on & intended to put the finish coat on today, but due to damp / wet weather and slow drying we decided to end here for this trip. Son may keep going with finish coat , sand and paint while i'm gone. Hopefully, next trip, drop ceiling, track lights, and floor go in. Still on schedule to start table construction in Dec.
Time to roll back north.
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@jbmccormick posted:I uploaded some videos to YouTube - enjoy
I also put a lot of cars and engines away that were sitting in various spots around my basement. This was long long overdue.
John
Very Nice John: Love the Layout. How big is it?
@jbmccormick posted:I uploaded some videos to YouTube - enjoy
I also put a lot of cars and engines away that were sitting in various spots around my basement. This was long long overdue.
John
John:
The videos and your scenery are SUPERB! Thank you for sharing.
Boomer - nice idea on the cab holders.
Lancer - really like that lift bridge. We're planning on incorporating a lift bridge on our layout, but won't know len dims till we get farther along & verify ceiling clearance etc. Where'd you get that bridge from.
Scouting Dad, 9 x 13 - that layout seems much bigger than that and esp w only 2.5 grades. Is that correct 9x13??
@leapinlarry posted:Hey guys, I finally got to work with the trains for a few minutes, and Mike G. is correct, if we are away from the forum for several days, we get way behind. So, everyone, great work. Sidehack, I like your new structure....Wow. Everyone, have a great rest of the week, stay safe, stay healthy, pray continually. Happy Railroading
Great layout, could never do marketing today like those "vintage" posters. What is your mermaid's name?
@TomSuperO posted:Boomer - nice idea on the cab holders.
Lancer - really like that lift bridge. We're planning on incorporating a lift bridge on our layout, but won't know len dims till we get farther along & verify ceiling clearance etc. Where'd you get that bridge from.
Scouting Dad, 9 x 13 - that layout seems much bigger than that and esp w only 2.5 grades. Is that correct 9x13??
TSO - I wish I had a couple more feet in any direction. It really is 9x13. Getting the grades moderate was a real challenge - that is where SCARM was a huge help. The key is anywhere one is going down another is going up - so over ten feet I have a vertical change of 3 inches in one direction - 6 inch clearance both ways. I was trying for 2.5 to 2.8 grades and probably have one short section pushing 3%. My SCARM drawing is not entirely correct as I would adjust sections as I was building and making sure there were no "kinks" or odd grade changes. Of course that means both of my big loops have no flat sections except where the cross over is. Put a car on the tracks and it will roll on its own down hill.
5 X 24 = 120 + 24 = 144
Now the uphill climb begins. Here are three of the five Preiser 65602 Unpainted Seated People 24-packs almost ready to remove from the sprues. Can't paint the hair with the figures stuck on the sprue. All need shoes, Some need ties and sweaters.
The figures now get individual attention to reach the rough finished level, Final inspection makes them perfect before I put them in the passenger cars.
UPDATEL I did a sixth pack of 24 for the sixth Norfolk Southern Coach. Waiting on the arrival of the NS 4-pack. These cars should take the rest of the month to finish.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
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I'm not sure if he is playing it too safe, or taking a risk ....🤔
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My mock-up using baggage/mail K-line version for a more accurate car. I really like the ggd version that I missed out on. It's too much work that I don't have the skills to do. But it was fun to experiment.
I was looking at the prr rolling stock design drawing website. Lots of versions there.
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@ScoutingDad posted:TSO - I wish I had a couple more feet in any direction. It really is 9x13. Getting the grades moderate was a real challenge - that is where SCARM was a huge help. The key is anywhere one is going down another is going up - so over ten feet I have a vertical change of 3 inches in one direction - 6 inch clearance both ways. I was trying for 2.5 to 2.8 grades and probably have one short section pushing 3%. My SCARM drawing is not entirely correct as I would adjust sections as I was building and making sure there were no "kinks" or odd grade changes. Of course that means both of my big loops have no flat sections except where the cross over is. Put a car on the tracks and it will roll on its own down hill.
SD. I feel your pain. The 8x7 L i have squeezed into apt is kinda giving me fits. I am trying to keep grades under 2.5 but i may not have a choice. I was wondering about clearances too so all that will have to be figured out. Love your idea.
I temporarily moved a small shelf beneath one edge of the newly built train table to assist with the ongoing logistics of layout construction.
@TomSuperO posted:Sidehack, That shed looks great. Was that a kit build or scratch built. That would go great with our logging / lumber theme.
Well, yesterday we put the 3rd mud coat on & intended to put the finish coat on today, but due to damp / wet weather and slow drying we decided to end here for this trip. Son may keep going with finish coat , sand and paint while i'm gone. Hopefully, next trip, drop ceiling, track lights, and floor go in. Still on schedule to start table construction in Dec.
Time to roll back north.
Thanks Tom, it is scratch built all the way but I designed it (and of course used other's ideas that I liked) then made all the parts on a 3D printer except for a little wood and the sheet metal for the roof which I made dies on the printer to stamp aluminum blanks into corrugated metal sheets. If you go back here you will see pictures as I went along.
This is my original CAD design 
and the railings are removable for moving the lumber.
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I added a small extension to the end of my layout to give some needed space to allow more scenery. I made the mistake of pushing my track plan too far to the edge at first and I have wanted to correct the issue for a while now. 
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@NS1975 posted:I added a small extension to the end of my layout to give some needed space to allow more scenery. I made the mistake of pushing my track plan to far to the edge at first and I have wanted to correct the issue for a while now.
What a difference and great scenery also. Nice job blending the old with new it looks like it was worth the wait.
@NS1975 posted:I added a small extension to the end of my layout to give some needed space to allow more scenery. I made the mistake of pushing my track plan to far to the edge at first and I have wanted to correct the issue for a while now.
You did a great job adding that support and the scenery! It looks absolutely seamless. A great improvement!
@NS1975 posted:I added a small extension to the end of my layout to give some needed space to allow more scenery. I made the mistake of pushing my track plan to far to the edge at first and I have wanted to correct the issue for a while now.
Nice modeling - well done!
Looks great, I love the cabin.
@NS1975: Great job and super job blending the scenery. I have one dimension, the short side on one end, of my layout where I could expand a small amount. I made the same mistake as you, put the tracks down too close to the edge and could use some scenic effects to make the loop more realistic (i.e. give the RR a reason to turn). This method of yours might work for me too. Great idea
Don
And so it begins NS1975, this is how the never ending expansions of Warrenville began, small. Not enough room to make it bigger over time you might say? I said the same but a wall removal, gutting a closet, and later cutting another closet (that was in my way) in half changed that.
Your layout looks great, have lots of fun with it.
Lionelski: You forgot...MOVING TO A BIGGER HOUSE! 
Don
@Don McErlean posted:Lionelski: You forgot...MOVING TO A BIGGER HOUSE!
Don
Don, no need to move.
Me and a friend of mine are splitting the cost of a basement stretcher, but they are on backorder due to the shutdown. This should give each of us an advertised push/stretch of "up to an additional 10-15 feet" without disturbing landscaping or the upper floor configuration.
There are 2 versions, manual and hydraulic, we have our order in for the manual version, the hydraulic one is just too expensive.
I'll just have to remove paneling from two opposite walls so that it can push directly on the poured concrete foundation. But that is no big deal.
As a side note, they caution about attempting to use it on a block wall foundation. As you can only do a single stretch per basement, when we are finished we'll list it on the Buy & Sell section of this forum.
Wow what a deal. Can’t wait till you list it!! Live in Tx so many basement at moment. Am digging hole in backyard to initiate my stretch!!
Regards. Don
Above should read. ...”so NO basement at this time”. Fat fingers small phone and spell check did me in.
Don
@Don McErlean posted:Above should read. ...”so NO basement at this time”. Fat fingers small phone and spell check did me in.
Don
Thats the story of my life
Covered last platform table got track down. 
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I need to put a reverse somewhere in double loop. I will post scram later. I m going to get a beer and get in the pool
@ROB O GAUGE KID posted:I need to put a reverse somewhere in double loop. I will post scram later. I m going to get a beer and get in the pool
With the siding coming off in the foreground, doesn't that give you the reversing loop? What I want to know is how high do the trains fly when the recliner opens and hits the track from below? Of course you may no longer be able to reach them so it may not be an issue. Enjoy the pool and da beer in which ever order you choose.
