What did you do on your layout today?

Well I didnt get anytime out in the train room today, but I did take a few photos of the cars my father in law gave me along with the church my mother in law gave me for the layout. I also have a few photos from our little trip to share.

Trainmaster,I am with Ray, WOW what a long train. But I have to say I really love both BNSF Trains!

Gandydancer, Very cool!

Scoutingdad, Very nice work! Really brings out the beauty of the BNSF engine!

Here are the photos! first up the autos. I hope you all enjoy

!

I hope to have more photos of layout work tomorrow. I hope you all had fun today!

Mike, I'm glad you got back safely!!  Those are nice cars!  Nice photographs of your favorite railroad.

@Mark Boyce posted:

Mike, I'm glad you got back safely!!  Those are nice cars!  Nice photographs of your favorite railroad.

Thanks Mark, the only other railroad we seen along the way was Montana Rail Link, but could never get a photo of it as i was always driving. Passed a couple siding yards but hard to take photos at 80 mph! lol

All,

I  finished  the motor car shed and placed it on the layout at the yard limit sign. The motor car was one I bought from the C&O Historical  Society this summer. The motor car looked like it was laser printed and non functional and needed painted. My work is not as good as the great scenery I’ve witnessed on this forum, but I have fun. The shed is built from mini popsicle sticks from Hobby Lobby .

The shed looks great.

Steve

@RSJB18 posted:

Gives "fast freight" a whole new meaning

Bob

Yes, it does! If I remember correctly that was on 18 volts of power going down the straight, which is roughly 36' long.

Today I worked on two things, first with my dd in Oregon via pics and texts to create a little “fill” scene on my Petite Std. & O Halloween Layout. The area with the autos, particularly in front of them. The space gained ground cover, a parking lot, a pumpkin patch with headstones, kid peeps, and a spooky tree at the front edge. The “Park-In” Theater for this layout was also being worked on today too, albeit separately.  

Had time this weekend to finish wiring track power bus and blocks, before sub-roadbed is installed.  I'm wiring for conventional cab-control with block selectors.  It's a semi-portable layout with 3 sections, so I've avoided star wiring to minimize section jumpers.  Thanks to everyone on the forum for all the great ideas.

I added under layout lighting.  Super bright LED "commercial" Christmas light sets my daughter and I picked up at Home Depot right after Christmas last year for 50% off.  They actually seem to do the trick.  Not sure how their long term performance will be but attached them with Velcro strips from Menards -- so they are easily replaceable -- could add another type of light strip if these don't work out.

I finally finished my first Halloween layout this weekend. Right now, it's a standalone deal, but my original thought was to eventually integrate it into my Christmas layout, as a kind of double-decker type thing. I'd still like to do that some day, but kept things pretty simple this time just to get it going. I built the 4x8 table to accommodate being mounted on two saw horses, and it's split down the middle for easier transport and storage. I enjoyed the project, but I can't see setting it up the same way again in the future. Getting tired of the loop!

The “Park-In” Theater for my Petite Std. & O Halloween Layout is almost done. Lots of coats of primer and chrome and black paint were done today, and the four feet were cut. More painting and glueing in the am- so it will be completely done and on the layout very soon. This is 18 in tall, or 36 ft in Standard Gauge train scale.
 

@Carey TeaRose posted:

The “Park-In” Theater for my Petite Std. & O Halloween Layout is almost done. Lots of coats of primer and chrome and black paint were done today, and the four feet were cut. More painting and glueing in the am- so it will be completely done and on the layout very soon. This is 18 in tall, or 36 ft in Standard Gauge train scale.

How very Art Deco-ish!!! Looks great, but for Halloween, you really need to be showing a Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, or Lon Chaney flick

@Trainmaster04 posted:

Good morning everyone! This weekend I was able to run my MTH PS2 2-10-4, with 48 coal hoppers, on my boss' layout. Thanks for watching/reading and happy railroading!

How fast is that thing going? I think mine is moving pretty good at 50 scale MPH.

Since the video I painted the smokebox front "tarpon gray". Looks much better.

Still sticking individual cedar shingles on this watermill roof...boring!  But the end is in sight!

@Lou1985 posted:

How fast is that thing going? I think mine is moving pretty good at 50 scale MPH.

Since the video I painted the smokebox front "tarpon gray". Looks much better.

I really don't know what the scale mph. Due to I was running the locomotive in conventional. With that said, I would say she was going over 100 mph since the train next to it was going about 75 to 80 mph.

Ran trains for a while yesterday. I unpacked my NYC Sharks that I bought recently on the Forum. Had a New York State of Mind running session.

These are Williams engines, I need to re-wire the powered A unit motors in series. They are jack rabbits in parallel, even at 6V.

Bob

@RSJB18 posted:

Ran trains for a while yesterday. I unpacked my NYC Sharks that I bought recently on the Forum. Had a New York State of Mind running session.

These are Williams engines, I need to re-wire the motors in series.

Bob

Sweet, Bob... gotta love the NYC!!! I can hear Lou Christie crooning “Lightnin's striking again… Lightnin's striking again”

Thanks Paul- I was thinking more Billy Joel but....figured you would zing me for not having the D&H Sharks on the layout yet......

They are next

Bob

Got the inspiration for doing this from another thread and am pleased with the results. Removed the MTH open pilot and front coupler from my E6 and installed a Lionel closed pilot with a home made adapter plate. Took a few tries to get close enough on the home color mix for me to be satisfied but I like the end result.

Stay Safe,

Scott

@RSJB18 posted:

Thanks Paul- I was think more Billy Joel but....figured you would zing me for not having the D&H Sharks on the layout

yet......

They are next

Bob

Bob... would I “zing” you??? Moi??? Oh... that’s right... never mind!!!

@B&O Fan posted:

,

Very well done!   Really like the profile of the E6.   Looks great!!

Cheers, Dave

Last coats of paint done this morning. Crown moulding section glued to the ‘frame’, Three more feet glued on. It’s on the layout!

Bob, I am glad to see you back running trains and not having to work on buildings for a little while!

Scott, very impressive work!

Carey, Looks great, I really love the drive in!

Well folks I did get out to the train room today and started working on the right corner behind where the town will be going. Learned a great lesson, finish the outside work before moving inwards! I had  to remove everything from the town as not to break anything. I wanted to add a road up to the mountain as it didnt make sense that there was no way to get up there with a car, but they were already on top. Here is a photo of before and a couple after. I still have to make some rock molds and retaining walls before moving on.

I hope everyone has a great week and fun with there layout! Might be Friday before I get back to the layout.

Revised a couple of remote holders, sure I could have used a red solo cup but now I can access the function buttons while it's in the holder or not.

I did some work on my engine house area.  You can see it here on my Blackwater Canyon Line topic.

@darlander posted:

Very well done!   Really like the profile of the E6.   Looks great!!

Cheers, Dave

Thanks Dave, took a while to complete as the stripes were giving me fits. Ended up cutting my tape down to 1/16th" wide to get it done.

Keep Well, Scott

Worked on my "shop" ( converted from a downstairs laundry room),  put in a test/programming track & got out my DCS "Commander" that I have never tried, pretty cool.  Kinda DCS-lite, enables the Z4000 - via the handheld - to act like a TIU by having it remotely control track voltage, & limited features. 

I have been clearing the layout to do more construction.  Boxing passenger car sets and engines to protect them during construction.

John Rowlen

Getting close to having my camping scene done.  I'm struggling with scenery but hopefully learning as time goes on.

@Toro5xi posted:

Getting close to having my camping scene done.  I'm struggling with scenery but hopefully learning as time goes on.

If that is what you consider a struggle, I'd say you are winning the battle. Very nice!

Bob

Got the newest  lionel big boy with big boy on smoke box and love it.  one question, why did they put on grates and the grate wheels.  They are not on the oil conversion, also why is the tender flat black,  the tender on the videos of 4014 is the one off 3985 and is glossy just like the engine.

@RSJB18 posted:

If that is what you consider a struggle, I'd say you are winning the battle. Very nice!

Bob

Thanks Bob.  Really enjoying working on the layout.  It’s sure gives me a new appreciation for the incredible workmanship I see on here.

@Toro5xi posted:

Thanks Bob.  Really enjoying working on the layout.  It’s sure gives me a new appreciation for the incredible workmanship I see on here.

I agree with Bob, you are doing a very nice job!!

Always finding something to do on the WVRR. This was a 2 day "building back" project made with pieces from my Plasticville junk box. Before and after pics below:

Looks good John!

I got out to the train room this morning@3:30 am just to try and get some work done. Got some more retaining wall made and painted, but still have more to do. Sorry no photos as I forgot before I had to leave. I will get some tomorrow.

I hope everyone is doing well and having fun with there layout!

@mike g. posted:

Looks good John!

I got out to the train room this morning@3:30 am just to try and get some work done. Got some more retaining wall made and painted, but still have more to do. Sorry no photos as I forgot before I had to leave. I will get some tomorrow.

I hope everyone is doing well and having fun with there layout!

Thanks Mike. 3:30AM? I sometimes "get lost in the trainroom" (quoting Mrs. 'Ski) but rarely beyond 12:30AM.

Looking forward to your pics.

Oh , Thank you much for your service protecting out great country!

John, I didn't stay up that late, I got up at 3 when the wife goes to work cause sometimes it's my only free time to work on the layout. It's a good thing it's well insulated to reduce noise.

Mike, Here I thought you got up early because you got used to it in the Marines.  I worked with a guy once who got up early like that because he got used to it during 20+ years in the Air Force.  Me, I can be up at any time anymore with this silly sciatic nerve.

The CORRECT size O curves arrived today. I had ordered a circle of 8, in O-31, and was sent 8 O-42.

Yay, these are now on the Halloween layout proper, and wired up. Loaded the MTH O engine with Proto Smoke fluid and gave it a test run. This baby smokes sooo much it filled the Foyer, and I had to open the front door for ventilation!

Missing only one piece of the Layout puzzle, still waiting for a Halloween station I ordered.

Carey. Youre Halloween layout is really neat. Do you do a Christmas layout as well.