What did you do on your layout today?

Have not done much layout wise but I was able to get this video done. Thanks and happy railroading!

TM,  Am I imagining it or is the whistle on your EM-1 the same one as on the VL and Legacy Big Boys??  Been watching your video above and some Youtube videos on the VL Big Boy. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2ap0c6DWCM

Excellent review TM !!

@RickM46 posted:

TM,  Am I imagining it or is the whistle on your EM-1 the same one as on the VL and Legacy Big Boys??  Been watching your video above and some Youtube videos on the VL Big Boy. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2ap0c6DWCM

Excellent review TM !!

Thanks for the nice comment and no you are not imagining things. Lionel did use the VL BB in this variation of the EM-1. There is a slight difference between the two, the VL BB being clear and crisp, but both are primarily the same. I think why there is a difference is because the VL BB has a speaker in the locomotive whereas, the EM-1 only has two in the tender.

On my Petite Standard & O Gauge Halloween Layout today: The two original AF blue double lamps I purchased from NWL got set and wired up, I changed the white globe bulbs for clear ones. The two Lemax SpookyTown buildings are now lit and working.

Morning folks, well yesterday I was able to get out to the train room and get my retaining wall finished and into place. Also I was able to patch the old access hole for the old switch motor for the upper switch. Today I hope to get some spray foam and fill in behind my retaining wall on the lower area to level it out all the way to the retain wall. Here are a couple photos.

I was going to go with a lighter tan color for the wall but the CEO liked the darker color so that's what I get! LOL

I hope everyone has a great Friday and weekend. Also I hope you all find time for your layout and trains! But most of all I hope your all having fun!

Looks good Mike! Gotta keep the CEO happy

Bob

Mike g, you ask about the base on the building. I had some scrap pieces of Masonite sitting around so I randomly traced around the building and then after cutting it out I beveled the edges.  I glued the building down to the base. Yesterday I glued down ground foam. Later today I am going to add some grass tuffs and small shrubs around the building. Also I am going to darken the edges up with earth color.........................Pics..................Paul 2

Mike, If you ask for the CEO's opinion, you have to go with it!! 

@DL&W Pete posted:

Looking forward to seeing these installed. 30 years ago I bought metal tubing, grain of wheat bulbs and cut up a soda can for shades. Made 20 of them, I still have them for HO. Our street lights are now all L.E.D, you need sunglasses at night now.

ok Pete I replaced a couple of my 1st design with these new ones, shown are the cool white,  I also have some warm white that I will be testing.

Hi guys, thanks for the likes!

Paul2, thank you for the information about the base on your building! It looks great!

Ray, the lights turned out looking outstanding!

Well I did get out to the train room today. I was able to get the spray foam down and painted my rock out crop. I think its ok for my first try. I also got some of my cooked dirt down and hope to get some grass down tomorrow. I also hope to get started on some wooden portholes. Here are a couple photos from today.

Mike, great job on the retaining wall

@sidehack posted:

ok Pete I replaced a couple of my 1st design with these new ones, shown are the cool white,  I also have some warm white that I will be testing.

They really light up the scene....I like it...

Well folks I had another productive day in the train room. I was able to get 2 portholes built, some grass down and 3 houses put back in place. I hope to have a productive day tomorrow also! Here are a couple photos

!

Oh and I forgot, I planted some trees too!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Mike, the portal looks great, and I do like the snowy hillside.  I am still toying with the idea of adding some snow to the enginehouse area to suggest early snow on the mountain since the backdrop has fall leaves.  It was certainly like that when we lived at the bottom and I worked at the top of the Allegheny Mountain!

@Mark Boyce posted:

Mike, the portal looks great, and I do like the snowy hillside.  I am still toying with the idea of adding some snow to the enginehouse area to suggest early snow on the mountain since the backdrop has fall leaves.  It was certainly like that when we lived at the bottom and I worked at the top of the Allegheny Mountain!

Thanks Mark, if I can ever work out a good plan I would still like to find a place for my scratch built airfield also!

Well folks do to day light savings and moving the clock back it is now 1:28AM. Thanks to my dog Tank I am wide awake and getting ready to head to the train room to get an early start on whatever I do! LOL I hope to have some progress photos later today probably before my mid day nap!

I hope you all have  great Sunday and enjoy time with family and friends! Also please try to find time for your layout and trains!

Nice work guys. Had to catch up on your work. I like that wood portal Mike. It is just the right contrast to the rock wall and green and white on the hill. Meanwhile , I'm still moving freights and passenger cars around to their locations for operating session no. 2 so I can repeat that session. Experiencing stalling problems with one of the B6s engines so I have to diagnose whether it's just dirty wheels/rollers, dirty track or both. But I'm back working in the train room.

Test range trains today

Re-wired my new to me Williams NYC Shark powered A unit, in series. Cleaned and lubed as necessary. I also had to glue a broken horn back on the roof of the dummy A.
Williams made some great stuff.

Bob

Williams “red box” brass shark units!

traditional sized.

I remember that they were brass imports.

Hey Bob, they look great on your layout!

Yesterday I got this reefer from Muffin. Today went back to working on the machine shop. I darken up the edge around the building and then I started adding grass tuffs and a couple of smaller bushes around the building. I'll let the glue set up on those and tomorrow see if I want to add any more shrubery.........Pics............Paul 2

Boo is enjoying the trains, she is sitting on my stool. I am lucky so far, she has not tried to jump up onto the platform.

Mike g., I really like that retaining wall, a great idea, and the tunnel portals look great, the colors look so realistic, Sidehack, wow, the street lights are so clever, neat idea, great lights, Paul 2: I like that machine shop, so cool, also the new box car, nice work, RSJB18 m Bob, wow, those NYC shark nose diesels look right at home on your beautiful layout, massive looking, DL&W Pete, cool video, nice layout, impressive, Kwisor, nice video, neat layout, Wow... Everyone, have a great weekend, Happy Railroading Everyone

A great afternoon for the being in the train room, cold & rainy outside.  So today was a wiring day, the 120V kind.  Finished installing my dimmable LED track lights & requisite dimmer switch.  Also wired in an outlet for the lighted display cabinet my wife "donated" to the train room.  I enjoy wiring, it's so logical, it either works or it doesn't.  The 2nd pic is the "dimmed" version.

No pics of things- BUT I did lots of thinking and ‘’out loud’ talking with a train friend, and exploring online, as well as looking at what I already have- regarding what I may want and don’t want to put on my Petite Christmas Layout.

And that’s how good things begin Carey.

Framed a two page Lionel ad from the November 1949 issue of Boys Life magazine for the train room...

Well next to the layout. I built shelves today. I had never really planned on it but I've run out of on layout equipment storage space. I don't like to keep things in boxes so up went shelves. Just some standards, brackets, concrete anchors, and pine boards from Menards. The whole setup should hold about 1800lbs. Little excessive for train use but should hold up fine. I'm in trouble if I run out of shelf space. This is the only good spot for shelves in my basement.....

@Lou1985 posted:

“I had never really planned on it but I've run out of on layout equipment storage space“…

I believe that is the definition of the slippery slope

@Apples55 posted:

I believe that is the definition of the slippery slope

Been there....done that......I'm at the bottom looking up

@RSJB18 posted:

Been there....done that......I'm at the bottom looking up

I think NOT, Bob. Numerous scientific studies as well as volumes of anecdotal evidence have made it crystal clear that the bottom of the slippery slope has yet to be found (seems to me that there are a couple of Sharks missing from that photo - time for some new shelves???).

Yeah, come on Bob!

Well, it’s not that I did anything on my layout but the stone masons did. I’ve read that every layout needs a good foundation so...

After 8 months away from the project, I finally had time to do more on my scratch-built Union Station. It now has lights. Click on this link to the Scenery and structures forum and scroll to the bottom to see more photos. https://ogrforum.com/...ess-update-1-29-2020

Mike and Paul- current photos of my shelves and the Arnold Hoarshack Memorial Storage Facility. Plus what's on the layout at the moment.

Slip Slidin' Away......🤪🤪🤪

@RSJB18 posted:

Mike and Paul- current photos of my shelves and the Arnold Hoarshack Memorial Storage Facility. Plus what's on the layout at the moment.

Slip Slidin' Away......🤪🤪🤪

Sorry... based on your buying habits, you definitely need more storage.

Signed;

Epstein’s Mother

Evening y'all,

I placed two new to me girder bridges on my layout.  I scored the bridges for $10.00.   I moved them around until I felt satisfied.

Bill

Lou and Bob, Nice storage shelves.  Paul is right about the slippery slope I'm afraid.  I need to put up some shelves myself, but wall space is at a premium.

Bill, Very nice bridges for $10.  Living in Western Pennsylvania, I always like seeing US Steel!

Monday, I made a trip to get two Ross switches I need to finish the track laying on my layout.  They are replacing two second hand GarGraves switches that I am not happy with.  I could probably get the GarGraves to work better, but of course they are in the locations that require the longest reach, and are tough to get a good eye on to see what's going on.  You can check out the latest here Blackwater Canyon Line.

Finally finished installing my back drop. I am ready to continue the scenery work.

I'm currently re-thinking my switch lists for op sessions for when we eventually are able to get back to that.

Meanwhile, I took a bunch of photos for the heck of it: