Good morning everyone! Looking through the posts and there are a whole lot of good projects going on so keep up the good work! Yesterday I worked on ballasting track and also made this little video:

Thanks and happy railroading!

                                                WPA #1 of 2

                                              All day project.

                             More to think about than MTH closing.

                               Yup, had to make a wider highway, do over.

Sirt great looking bridge, does look old

Proof I am actually working on this project

I had some under-the-hill space to add a spur that comes off the mainline, passes my smoke loader, and then curves under the hill and has sufficient length to store a moderate size train consist.  Instead of having a dead-end tunnel made of rock face, i decided to try doing something simpler: I took a shipping box and cut it down to size to form a tunnel about 10" wide and 8" high, printed and glued a couple scenes of maintenance train facilities, plus a couple LEDs into the roof -- just enough light for a caboose cam to make out the scene as it pulls into the facility.   Decent results for an after-dinner project!  I may play with adding a bit more light (but I'm sure there's a certain point at which it no longer looks believable). Don't hit the fake NS diesel behind you!   

@SIRT posted:

                                                WPA #1 of 2

                                              All day project.

                             More to think about than MTH closing.

 

Wow, great bridge. I have been thinking about something similar to connect my "town" to "transportation center"  (bus, train and subway) .  Jeff

                            

Started on the flat today. I glued up a couple of the prints and cut them out. I'm going to recess the window bays to give the flat some dimension. I need to print one more sheet to use to fill the gap between layers. 

Mock up for review and approval 😉

Absolutely nothing!  Just picked up several engines  Gun Runner John had finished for me so the only thing working on the layout are all the little engineers running their trains all over the place making a lot of noise.  Luv dat sound....for now.   Even turned down, the sound gets old after a half hour or so.   Just nice to have the whisker tracks filled back up.

Steve, the bridge looks fantastic!

Bob, I approve of the mock up if it counts for anything!

Recently I have re-watched some you tubes of old PRR videos and particular focused on the headend cars. I noticed that many of those videos showed what apeared to be B60 express cars ahead of RPO cars. Today I googled that and an OGR thread popped up. "Where were most RPO cars located in the train and did Amtrak use them". Interesting to read. So, this morning I plan to relocate my 2 B60 weaver cars to the front of the train just ahead of the 2 RPOs (one is a dead head to be dropped off at next big town). I'll try to get a photo worthy of an edit to this post.

Edit: I located the MTH RPO at the end of the mail train for drop offf, and left the K-line RPO behind the 2 express cars. The baggage car is assigned as a mail car. I also switched the tank train to the yard for the M1a to take to the next drop off location. I ran the mail train for a while. During this session I decided I need to simplify my through train orders. For another day.

I just realized for the truck I have coming from eBay is something I can't use on my layout. When I jumped at this item, a diecast truck I had no idea anyone made, I thought it was the Autocar heavy hauler trailer they used in World War II. Turns out, it is a M425 or an M426, built by Kenworth and international. This didn't even exist as a prototype until a year after my layout take place.

Dang it.

As many of you here might know already, I'm a stickler for historical accuracy. So, I guess once I get it, I'm going to resell it.

@p51 posted:

I just realized for the truck I have coming from eBay is something I can't use on my layout. When I jumped at this item, a diecast truck I had no idea anyone made, I thought it was the Autocar heavy hauler trailer they used in World War II. Turns out, it is a M425 or an M426, built by Kenworth and international. This didn't even exist as a prototype until a year after my layout take place.

Dang it.

 

As many of you here might know already, I'm a stickler for historical accuracy. So, I guess once I get it, I'm going to resell it.

I've bumped my layout from 1967 to 1971 for that same reason.

Back at the bench a batch of lighted car power supplies were thrown together.  the sample on the left is completed with wiring but still lacking a limiting resistor so that each can be tuned to the correct brightness depending on the LED's used.

I had been itching to outfit these Lionel Classics Rail Chief cars with uniform lighting via LED strings.  The old incandescent bulbs in the vestibules flickered hideously.   Two boards wrapped with insulation tucked neatly inside the front and rear articulating vestibules power 2 cars each.  At some future date these will receive full interiors and clear windows...or so goes the plan.

Bruce

Pennsey nut, It would be very interesting for an around the wall multi photo roll out of your layout.

@Mark Boyce posted:

Steve, the bridge looks fantastic!

Bob, I approve of the mock up if it counts for anything!

Thanks Mark. Long project, over 20 hrs I think?

@sidehack posted:

I am into the next project and pretty much finished with design and started the construction. It will be foam core walls, with clapboard siding attached with a cement block foundation. The windows and doors are being 3D printed.

Ray,

I know you're much further along on this project but I meant to ask you what type of foam board is this(brand, store)?

Dave

I finally completed installing Preiser 65602 Seated People I painted into the Lionel Norfolk Southern "Delaware" Great Dome with Station Sounds.  The next car to detail is the "Lone Star" Business Car from the Union Pacific 2-pack #4.

UPDATE:  The Dining Area in the Business Car encroaches on the walkway aisle of the car.  I am cutting the floor at the walls by scoring the plastic floor with a sharp Excel knife, and then rotating that section 180 degrees.  This will place the Table and chairs inside the Dining Room area.  Plastruct strips will hold the Rotated Floor in place.

Here are a few pictures of the upper Dome Seating area and the Union Pacific Business Car. 

Have a good weekend.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

My layout is quite small for O Gauge (17x18). I started wth a general track plan that was originally published in John Armstrong's Creative Model Railroading book. The layout featured the Milwaukee Road and Avery yard and lots of catenary. I had no interest in any of that, but the yard design gave me a good starting point, size-wise, because I realized it would fit into one corner of the layout rather nicely.

I did the benchwork for an island-type layout and laid my version of Avery yard directly on some 2 inch foam sheet backed by 3/8 inch plywood. I used a technique for screwing down the track I found in a magazine where you Gorilla-glue screw plugs into the foam and then screw into the plugs once the glue dries. This works perfectly and I have since laid a couple hundred feet of track this way--directly onto sheet foam. 

The far end of the yard would exit into a helix going up and also into a big diesel/steam engine servicing terminal. What to do with the near end and how to connect with the engine terminal and helix is where I got hung up. At this point, I had exhausted all my ideas stolen from John Armstrong. Now I was on my own.

It was only last week that my brain cramp came loose and I figured out how to swing the yard exit tracks up and double back across a **** Gate bridge and then S-curve into the top of the helix. And that is where I am. I just pulled some plywood out of the garage that will be cut into helix semi-circles. The helix will be supported by threaded rods. The lowest loop of the Helix has 3 exits: 1) back into the yard from the far end, 2) back toward an open area in between the yard and HG Bridge, and 3) out the other end toward the engine terminal. 

It's all in my head, nothing on paper. Cut-n-try with Gargraves and Ross. But the Helix is Ross 054 sections because I hate bending Gargraves track into 054 and tighter--I always mess it up. I am taking every short cut in the book and "rules?? What rules?" But I did keep grades under 4%. Everything else is fair game.

All the best!

Don Merz

Looking, good everyone! Not much has been happening on the layout but I was able to get an MTH Santa Fe 2-10-4 and have some fun running it around the layout today. If y'all would like to see it I will be doing a live stream today at 12:00 P.M. Central Standard Time and I will probably run it. Thanks and happy railroading!

@Trainmaster04 posted:

Looking, good everyone! Not much has been happening on the layout but I was able to get an MTH Santa Fe 2-10-4 and have some fun running it around the layout today. If y'all would like to see it I will be doing a live stream today at 12:00 P.M. Central Standard Time and I will probably run it. Thanks and happy railroading!

I just tuned in.  Looking great!!

@Mark Boyce posted:

I just tuned in.  Looking great!!

Thanks. Sorry, I had to cut it off shorter then I wanted to but at least I got some trains running! Thanks and happy railroading!

@Trainmaster04 posted:

Thanks. Sorry, I had to cut it off shorter then I wanted to but at least I got some trains running! Thanks and happy railroading!

That's quite alright!  I liked what I saw.  The 2-10-4 ran great!!

@Mark Boyce posted:

That's quite alright!  I liked what I saw.  The 2-10-4 ran great!!

Yes, it is! UPS dropped it off last night so that was its first time to run on my layout. It is a 19-year-old locomotive I would have thought there would be more problems but no. It ran like a champ and I am glad to say it is my first MTH locomotive. (May ye rest in peace.)

Tom Tee;

A few years ago I posted a thread "Not quite a complete redo" and explained my project. I'm not suggesting that you read all my posts. But on the last page of the  thread I posted a schematic of the layout. That may help when viewing my pics. Many thanks for your interest!

And many thanks to all who sent likes.

@luvindemtrains posted:

Ray,

I know you're much further along on this project but I meant to ask you what type of foam board is this(brand, store)?

Dave

Dave, these can be bought at Walmart but I found them for much less at the Dollar Store and just as good for what they are used for. Be sure to keep a lot of new blades for smooth cutting.

My friend Steve Kimble has been working on a river dam for my layout. I originally  built a crude model but when Steve saw it he said he would tweak  it. This dam is on hinges  for access  .

You are very lucky to have such a talented friend, great model

farmerjohn,

The dam will be a nice touch. Please show when it's on the layout.

Dave

@farmerjohn posted:

My friend Steve Kimble has been working on a river dam for my layout. I originally  built a crude model but when Steve saw it he said he would tweak  it. This dam is on hinges  for access  .

Forgive me for finding humor in the situation but...........

Steve says he can model a dam site better than you? 😄

He can obviously model a **** sight better than me!

Bruce

Rotating/Centering the Conference Table in the Lionel Union Pacific Excursion Business Car

The Union Pacific Excursion "Lone Star" Business Car is part of the UP Excursion 2-Pack #4.  The 2-pack also includes the "Harriman" Observation Dome with Seating around the rear half of the car,  Both cars have End-of-Train lights on the rear that are controlled by a switch on the bottom of the cars.

The "Lone Star" Business Car is set up to run at the end of the Excursion train since it has a scale knuckle coupler on the back and no possible way to add the Lionel Kinematic Claw coupler to the rear of the car.  The rear porch does not have the proper space and structure to accommodate the Kinematic Claw Knuckle.

The Lone Star has a nicely detailed interior, but the Conference Table encroaches into the walkway aisle down the side of the car.  It was necessary for me to cut the Conference Area Floor along the walls and rotate it 180 degrees,  Now the table and chairs are centered in the Conference/Dining Space.  The car now looks better as I add passengers to the car.

Look at the pictures to see the steps I took to rotate the Table and chairs into the center of the room.

Have a Happy Father's Day.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

Installed track Lighting in the hall to the train room to show off the new shelving from Snyder that I installed and loaded! NOW I can see what is on the shelves.

Installed my background today.

Great work everyone! I would like to comment on everything, but not using my phone as my computer is not working right. It took me a while to read everything, but wow what great work.

I have done nothing, with all the honey Doo list. I hope to change that this coming week.

Take care and have fun with your layout and trains!

I agree, Mike, Everyone is accomplishing a lot!  I did a bit of track work this week, and took a couple photographs for Lew's benefit.  I intend to post tomorrow.

Have a great week one and all

Happy belated Father's Day!

Continued on the building flat. I have both layers glued together. I had to add a wrap on the columns to cover the bare cardboard on the sides. I plan to put a piece of styrene at the top to simulate a lintel over the windows.
I also made a extra piece of fascia for the roof line. Forgot to take an "after" pic.

I'm back at work today so I can print a few more sheets of roofing that I need to finish up.

Bob

Bob that is turning out very nice

Thanks Ray. Most of it will be blocked by the building in front but I still wanted to make it look as good as possible.

Bob

It has been too long since I posted.  I have had a few minutes here and there, finally taking a couple photographs last evening.  I have moved on to the opposite side of the room laying roadbed and track.  

I did some trimming for the two switches, the left for the passing siding and the right for the spur.  This was necessary to have the switches end before the edge of the main table where it will meet the lift up bridge.

To follow along check my Blackwater Canyon Line topic.

@Mark Boyce posted:

It has been too long since I posted.  I have had a few minutes here and there, finally taking a couple photographs last evening.  I have moved on to the opposite side of the room laying roadbed and track.  

 

I did some trimming for the two switches, the left for the passing siding and the right for the spur.  This was necessary to have the switches end before the edge of the main table where it will meet the lift up bridge.

Looking good Mark, I'm at a standstill right now do to cuts. I'm glad to see you making progress I'll try a few cuts tonight.

To follow along check my Blackwater Canyon Line topic.

Thank you, Dave.  I used an X-Acto saw to make the cuts.  It goes right through the GarGraves and Ross rail pretty quickly, and hardly leaves any burrs to file off.  I tried my Dremel tool with a cut-off wheel like so many modelers do, but I have too much trouble controlling it these days.  I have even reverted to using a hand saw to cut plywood, because I can't seem to control the circular saw even with the rip fence attachment.  I suppose carpal tunnel surgery twice in each hand, a broken right hand 15 years ago, bursitis, tendonitis, and arthritis are taking their toll on me.  Oh well.  I'm not complaining.  I'm trying to encourage anyone with similar troubles to not give up, but carry on and find a way to git er done!    The hand sawing is giving me some needed exercise in my arms.  Fortunately it doesn't take too long on an 11x8 layout.  I can hand saw with either hand more accurately than using the power tools.  Yes, I am ambidextrous.  I can do things equally poorly with either hand!  

Today I got my Canton industrial siding lead tied into the B&O freight yard and finished cutting and gluing down some foam core to finish an access road. 

Bob - nice work on the flat, looking good.

Mark- nice progress on the track laying.

Stay safe,

Scott