What did you do on your layout today?

Evening guys, as before more wonderful work!

Vincent, sure sounds cool, but no photos.

Dave Ripp, Sorry for the wrong cut, but its always nice to have a day to clean!

Michael, wonderful job on the Quonset Hut! Are those free downloads?

Larry, Your layout is so Amazing that I could spend all day looking at photos of it along with watching any videos of it! Thanks for sharing!

John R. The seat backs truly make a great improvement! Nice work!

Lee, Nice touch! I don't thing the brown tube is that big of a deal, If you ask me I thing it all looks great!

Well guys I did get out to the train room to work on the facia. I was able to get it all up and putty all the nail holes. Tomorrow I hope to get out and sand, clean, then put a clear coat of Polyurethane on it to protect it as time goes along. Here are a couple photos of during and after a little clean up! I hope you all had a great weekend!

I hope everyone doesn't work to hard this coming week!

WOW, Mike, it is amazing, the progress you have made in such a short period of time. I swear, it seems like only a few weeks ago you were still doing the framework for the addition to your house for this...

I love what you've done so far.

Mike, The fascia looks really nice!!

Larry, your fascia looks really good.  In the past, I was always inclined to let the fascia stop at the edge of the scenery, trimming it to the contour of the scenery.  I am liking this more and more.  It helps with clumsy operators (namely me!)  

Lee, That is a great photograph of you and the layout!

Lee and Mark, Thank you very much! I have learned so much from guys like you 2 along with many others from the forum! This is why I like it here so much!

Thanks again!

This was quick build this afternoon. It’s a small storage shed.  Eventually I want to have a construction/manufacturing scene in this part of the layout 

Here is an in progress pic of the card stock model 

Placed on the layout from a few angles

It looks great Michael!

Today I tackled the roof, wanting a corrugated type but a more upscale looking one. So made a model of the type I liked and then made some dies to produce them. I'm pretty happy with how it came out.

This is how I imagined the roof 

and the dies with first run 

I think painted gray or green would look good but the bare metal also would be nice, still haven't decided on the paint scheme for the walls and trim so that would make a difference.

Working on my MTH Premier ATSF Northern project. Got the smokebox front painted and laid down some black on the boiler. 

I made laps on the new third level this evening!  I finished the woodwork and mounted the track.  Too tired to start the electrical, I put on two jumpers and grabbed a Geep.  I made note of some adjustments to be made.  For my next trick, I have an appointment with a hot shower and a waterbed.  Tomorrow I'll go another ten rounds.

Bill, congratulations on the great first run on the top level!  I know you had to wait because of other duties.  Very satisfying!

It just occurred to me that in East Tennessee during the war, you'd have pictures of FDR around. So, I put one up inside the Army Shack, and then this one in the store. It just looked correct, because so many people in the area felt like they owed their lives to the man.

It's a very small detail, barely even worth mentioning, but this is the kind of stuff I am really loving to do. On the sheet of photo paper on which I printed this, I also printed several photographs of granite, and I'm going to be making a photo-realistic path of stepping stones from that. More to come on that project...

Or as was once said,"The man who brought light to dark valleys" in reference to TVA and its impact.

@p51 posted:

It just occurred to me that in East Tennessee during the war, you'd have pictures of FDR around. So, I put one up inside the Army Shack, and then this one in the store. It just looked correct, because so many people in the area felt like they owed their lives to the man.

It's a very small detail, barely even worth mentioning, but this is the kind of stuff I am really loving to do. On the sheet of photo paper on which I printed this, I also printed several photographs of granite, and I'm going to be making a photo-realistic path of stepping stones from that. More to come on that project...

Lee, love the job you are doing with all the details. The satisfaction of doing a project like that is knowing that you did it with the knowledge that you left nothing you deem important undone. Keep that desire and doing these projects will continue to be very satisfying.

Good morning everyone! Looks like everyone is still ever so busy with projects and they are turning out great! Well, I finally got a video done on Menards' strip mall so here it is. 

Not one of my longer product reviews, since the building is simple, but still a great building. Thanks for watching and happy railroading!

Working on the Automotionfx system 

kwisor The Automotionfx is working great!  Two way traffic, and extra lane to switch routes, very interesting!

The newly-arrived space shuttle Atlantis successfully launched a satellite over Lunar Base Nancy yesterday evening. The newly-added mission control tower successfully supervised the launch.

Added a couple of scenic details

Camping

Wildlife in mountain top

thank you mark boyce for the coments

kevin

@kwisor posted:

Working on the Automotionfx system 

Extremely cool!!!

Jerry

Another fine day in the train room.  I ran a spare Type VW output to "level three."  I remembered the insulated track pins in the rise from the second level.  The new level needs a couple more power drops.  I fine tuned the height of two uprights.  I ran both LC+ and conventional with no problems.  Tomorrow I will wire the two new switches and connect Illumination voltage (10.5 vac) to the covered bridge.  Maybe I will run trains on both lines too.

Rain on a metal roof is making me sleepy.

Say goodnight Gracie.

I'm working on a sign post for a prewar Texaco sign.

I bent up several coat hangars looking for something sturdy, and this was the best shape I could get.

Gonna trim it up with a Dremel later

@p51 posted:

I'm working on a sign post for a prewar Texaco sign.

I bent up several coat hangars looking for something sturdy, and this was the best shape I could get.

Gonna trim it up with a Dremel later

Looks great! Now you need to put some bullet holes in the sign.

Trainmaster04, thanks for the wonderful review!

Kwiser, Very cool and will look great on your layout, but I have to say its out of my price range for now!

Jushavnfun, Wonderful scene!

Lee, Looks like its going to b e a perfect match! Nice work as usual!

Well yesterday I got all the sanding done on my facia and went to polyurethane it but my stuff that had been around for a while had jelled up. So after some Auto repairs this morning I plan on buying some new Poly and get it on later today so I can install all my toggle switches. Then I am going to have to make some new labels.

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

@Lou1985 posted:

Working on my MTH Premier ATSF Northern project. Got the smokebox front painted and laid down some black on the boiler. 

 

Nice looking work, Lou! Anxious to see the final product!

@Trainmaster04 posted:

Looks great! Now you need to put some bullet holes in the sign.

Nah, through the 30s until WW2, some of the locals in the Blue Ridge were just barely existing above starving. People didn't waste bullets (usually fired from muzzle loaders) on something like a sign...

I wish I could put some holes into it, but I'm all about what it historically correct or plausible.

I started detailing the Alaska Dome Dining Car last night.

When I opened the car, I found several surprises.

1.  This Dome Car has a table arrangement for dining in the lower rear of the car.  Of all my 21" Lionel passenger cars, this is the first time I encountered this floor arrangement.

2,  The normal ramp down and up in the side passing aisle is not low enough by an eighth of an inch.  This depth difference means that their is a scale 30-inch drop into the recessed Lounge area and dish washing area.  There are NO STAIRS from the aisle ramp to the lower areas,  I will have to make stairs for these two rooms.

3.  The Lower lounge has two posts molded into the lounge floor that serve NO PURPOSE, other than obstructing where a person would sit.  I had to take needle nose pliers and break the posts from the Lounge floor.

4.  The kitchen area is two parts: An upper cooking area and the dishwashing and clean-up area on the lower recessed floor.

5.  The dome Seats are the traditional seats used in all Lionel 21-inch Dome Cars.  I will keep the seats at the manufactured height because the Alaska Dome is the high Dome similar to the Union Pacific Dome Cars.

6.  The round dining tables are molded into the table base with no space for diners legs and feet.  I will have to carefully grind the figures to flush-up to the round tabkes.  I did not paint the table bases because they are ugly and I want them to disappear into the floor plastic color.

I will now begin the grinding and placement of people in the lower levels.  This will be a challenge because the figures must butt-up to the tables with no gaps.  Wish me luck.

Note: I placed the pictures in reverse order of construction.

Have a good week.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

@GeoPeg posted:

Nice looking work, Lou! Anxious to see the final product!

Thanks! Still working on it but I'll update shortly.

We now have two operating rail lines at Lunar Base Nancy. The aliens continue to be friendly and are not interfering with construction work on the Lunar surface..

@John Rowlen posted:

I started detailing the Alaska Dome Dining Car last night.

When I opened the car, I found several surprises.

1.  This Dome Car has a table arrangement for dining in the lower rear of the car.  Of all my 21" Lionel passenger cars, this is the first time I encountered this floor arrangement.

2,  The normal ramp down and up in the side passing aisle is not low enough by an eighth of an inch.  This depth difference means that their is a scale 30-inch drop into the recessed Lounge area and prep kitchen.  The are NO STAIRS from the aisle ramp to the lower areas,  I will have to make stairs for these two rooms.

3.  The Lower lounge has two posts molded into the lounge floor that serve NO PURPOSE, other than obstructing where a person would sit.  I had to take needle nose pliers and break the posts from the Lounge floor.

4.  The kitchen area is two parts: An upper cooking area and the serving prep area on the lower recessed floor.

5.  The dome Seats are the traditional seats used in all Lionel 21: Dome Cars.  I will keep the seats at the manufactured height because the Alaska Dome is the high Dome similar to the Union Pacific Dome Cars.

6.  The round dining tables are molded into the table base with no space for diners legs and feet.  I will have to carefully grind the figures to flush-up to the round tabkes.  I did not paint the table bases because they are ugly and I want them to disappear into the floor plastic color.

I will now begin the grinding and placement of people in the lower levels.  This will be a challenge because the figures must butt-up to the tables with no gaps.  Wish me luck.

John,

I have always found it interesting how things like this are designed, with little or no regard to how real little people would navigate them.

This evening I completed the freight switch order except for spotting 2 reefers at the ice house because of a bad car order. (Bad car order on my rr can means any transgression like forgetting to drop the 2 reefers)

Next time I run, I will spot 2 reefers at the ice house and work the through train orders. 

I was pondering how to frame the Texaco signs on to the pole, as the real one used turnbuckles or metal brackets.

I used a grinder bit  to cut off the ends  of a bent wire coat hanger , thinking how I was going to attach the sign into the center.  Then, as I was throwing away a soda can it just hit me has an epiphany.

I cut the shape out the side of a Doctor Pepper can, glued it in place with ACC, and spray painted the whole thing black. 

I can't believe how fast the paint dried, and the dull coat. Just glued the signs into place, and test fit it onto the layout. I'm going to lower the pole quite a bit, but for now I'm just going to let it sit until it's good and dry.

Then, I'll do some weathering on it, with dry brushing and maybe a very light wash on the tops of the signs.

The Texaco sign looks great, Lee.

   Nothing, had to weather a customers cars ...

It's hard work playing with trains.  I took a break every other hour.  I made several adjustments to level three.  I adjusted the incline as well.  I started thinking about wiring two more switches when my light bulb came on and told me to pull up the West yards.  It helped to have a place to sit on the layout.  The switches are working with temporary wiring.  I changed the steam yards from 4 spurs to three.  They are longer and straight.  I added a spur to the third level with the now spare switch.  I have a few days work ahead but I can see it will be a good change.

Wow, this went fast once I realize how to make the sign Pole:

Did some work on my Premier ATSF Northern project. Painted the cab interior green and did some detail painting on the backhead.

The sign looks great, Lee, also the exterior-interior details of the gas station, too! Great modeling skills by you, thank you for sharing!

Rusty

The imaginative work displayed here still manages to inspire us who are yet to begin scenic endeavors.  I had begun the process quite some time ago but realized major readjustment to the track plan was necessary before continuing.  Can't wait for the day when the layout becomes populated....with no socially distanced citizens.

Now that track construction is generally finalized and most all is supplied with power I spent the last few days taking care of operational issues.  A combination of Atlas and Gargraves switches can cause just a few electrical head scratchers.  Quite a bit of running is involved in the process and already the improvements over the old wiring is evident.  What used to cause Legacy engines to choke is no more.  Armed with confidence, tying in DCS brought more joy and I'm reading tens on almost the entire 300'+ system.

Bruce

Completed phase 1 of automating my AMC/ARC Gantry crane. I enjoy spinning the cab and lowering and raising the magnet, but I've been antsy to also have it move along the track.  I finally got all the pieces to work, and now I'm in the process of making it permanent and pretty. In one video you'll see a covering over the spindle that automates the crane. I intend to make that a bit more 'industrial'.  Steps up to it, a railing some scattered 'stuff' and a figure or two. I'm considering adding a lighted welder, but that's down the road. I'm also going to build a shack to cover the motor that runs the whole thing.  I'm using a 3000pm motor that's connected through a board that allows me to vary the voltage and provides a switch that changes polarity and stops voltage to the motor.  Enjoy. Oh, the spindle rod is 12".  I can move the Gantry though about 11"