What did you do on your layout today?

@leapinlarry posted:

Mike g., you will be in our prayers for a speedy recovery and hopefully  you will be back to normal as soon as possible. Your layout is so inspirational as you built the room by yourself, and it’s a road to success that few could ever follow. Do what the doctors say, thank you for letting us know your condition as we are here for you and Each Other. God is good. (No work on my layout today, but will soon)

Thanks Everyone, you are all the best. The Doc says I have to be baby sat for the next week or so. That being said Mrs. G and I will be spending alot of time together! Turning out couldn't be a better christmas gift! LOL

Mike, very sorry to hear this. Do as the doctors advise and get back to the trains ASAP.

@mike g

Mike:

I am real sorry to hear about your set back. Here is hoping you will be back in action real soon. They can't keep a good man down.

Mike G - take care of yourself and get better soon.

A short video to enjoy.  Jeff

Started throwing plaster cloth! Crumpled up paper underneath. Soooo easy! Thanks YouTube!

Nice video Jeff. I really like all those well cars! Also thanks!

C M, wonderful job on the mountain!

From KY I too wish you a speedy recover Mike G. 

I know you love Mrs. G and your love grows thicker for her as you cannot fiend for yourself.  And Mrs. G love you too.

We are fortunate that you can use your PC and the keyboard.

I have enjoyed your developments on your layout recently,

lol, from you during the wee morning hours.

Take care!

Mike;

So sorry to hear about your issue... listen to your doctors, listen to your wife (I probably don’t have to tell you that ), and you’ll be back in the train room in no time!!!

Allow me to join in the chorus wishing Mike a speedy recovery! 

Mitch

Mike G - I went through several different makers before settling on the K-Line Worldwide Intermodal cars. Also have 2 Lionel scale cars - detail is very good. I can add 3 more cars to the consist, but my siding is not long enough. Haven't gotten my hands on any Atlas cars as yet to compare.

I like the way the video turned out - I am going to have to shoot more footage with a tighter frame and a steady camera and keep the music going. Now all I will have to add is the Chianti like Fendermain .  Peace ... Jeff 

@mike g. posted:

John, Thanks for sharing the videos of your Sunday night train run~! I agree with Mark, what a wonderful looking layout!

Well yesterday I did not get any train room or train time. Spent the day putting up Christmas lights untill I has a seizure then I spent most of the night at the ER. Wont be any train time for awhile as I have to be watched for at least a week. LOL

I will be here watching everything you all post and learning! That's one thing I love about this forum, even if I cant work on my layout I can spend hours here learning! Thank you all so very much!

Hope you all are safe and having fun!

Take your time and get well ....the trains will always be there for you!

@mike g. posted:

John, Thanks for sharing the videos of your Sunday night train run~! I agree with Mark, what a wonderful looking layout!

Well yesterday I did not get any train room or train time. Spent the day putting up Christmas lights untill I has a seizure then I spent most of the night at the ER. Wont be any train time for awhile as I have to be watched for at least a week. LOL

I will be here watching everything you all post and learning! That's one thing I love about this forum, even if I cant work on my layout I can spend hours here learning! Thank you all so very much!

Hope you all are safe and having fun!

Get well soon, Mike. You've got a whole community pulling for you.

@mike g. posted:

Thanks Everyone, you are all the best. The Doc says I have to be baby sat for the next week or so. That being said Mrs. G and I will be spending alot of time together! Turning out couldn't be a better christmas gift! LOL

Hope you are feeling better soon sir! The trains I'm sure will be happy to have you back and Mrs. G of course!

The WVRR continues to evolve (as it has since (1983).

I recently started adding 2 reversing loops on the upper level. A lot of disruption in trackage, scenery, etc and will take a couple weeks to finish.

I'll post pics at that time.

Have fun

@C_Murley posted:

Started throwing plaster cloth! Crumpled up paper underneath. Soooo easy! Thanks YouTube!

That's a great-looking start. Just be careful--really vigilant--about the crumpled paper "internals" for a couple of reasons: 1) It will decay relatively fast and 2) it could potentially become a haven for unwanted homesteaders. Insects and mice LOVE crumpled up paper. No criticism intended, just a thought.

@ScoutingDad

The video is great. Also, some nice jazz in the background.

ScoutingDad, AKA Jeff, thanks for the information on the K-Line worldwide Intermodal cars! I will have to check them out, They sure look sharp on your layout.

Thank you everyone for the well wishes, Its one day at a time. The best part is I have this great forum to read, I even found myself reading it at 3 AM This morning, You folks sure have alot of great information for one to soak in. Thanks again!

Mike_g

All the best from Southern NH. Did you ever get to make your track cleaning car?  Stay well.

@decoynh posted:

Mike_g

All the best from Southern NH. Did you ever get to make your track cleaning car?  Stay well.

Hi Matt, Thank you very much sir!

I did make the track cleaning car, but I want to go back and make it better! I added  weights but I think I want to add some type of adjustment for pressure on the cleaning pad.

Installed an engine shed, added a yard tower and picked up an animated piece today at the shop. Still can’t commit to ground cover and such as I keep changing the track!

Since Thanksgiving I have been enclosing a tunnel on the layout. Doing a dry run on with the Pennsy Wall I found at York last year.

This afternoon I spray painted the Pennsy walls from scenic Express their first coat.
Also sprayed the interior tunnel boards the flat black...

My first major work on layout in nearly three years.

I’m new with adding the work in progress progress. Not as good as Mike g.

Mike’s been an inspiration this year. Although, nothing from Menards found in this work sight...

Chris1985 - I sure understand the moving track around. But - Sometimes ya gotta bite the bullet and lay in the ground cover.

Randy H = thanks for the encouragement. I found myself running the clip in a loop - i found it so relaxing. I was shooting more video last night to run a longer piece and feature a few more of my engines and cars.

Seth,  nothing from Menards found in this work sight...  Just kidding!  Most of Menard's buildings are too large for my small layout, and I didn't have the heart to cut any down.  So, I passed them on to other Forum members who can make better use.  I still have the train shop and the Watkin's Block though.  They fit.  Your Pennsy wall and tunnel area is looking good!!  Better than my carpentry with well seasoned  (repurposed) wood products.

Chris, You have it all...engine house, yard tower, lights, the Polar Express, the Army, looks like a gray NYC Hudson, lots of N&W, UP, and of course Western Maryland, not to mention a car carrier with a Mustang convertible!!  And you even have an extra C&O F-unit to provide lighting for the track gang!!  Wow!!

Me, I've been working on the scaled down Christmas layout now that I got all Mrs. B's Christmas decorations up.  Mike, I did convince her to let me forgo the wreaths on the bedroom windows above the garage.  I can get on the shallow roof at the other end of the house easily, but those windows were triky before my knee and leg problems.   I'll post some photographs of the layout later.  Here is the house on April 19, 2018 as I was ready to leave for the York Meet to give you an idea of what I mean about ladders and hanging junk.  Needless to say, I didn't have to mow grass until May that year.

@Mark Boyce posted:

Me, I've been working on the scaled down Christmas layout now that I got all Mrs. B's Christmas decorations up.  Mike, I did convince her to let me forgo the wreaths on the bedroom windows above the garage.  I can get on the shallow roof at the other end of the house easily, but those windows were triky before my knee and leg problems.  

Mark;

If those windows over the garage are double hung, and if the top sash can be pulled down, you can pull down the sash, get some of those 3M Command hooks and, from inside the house, place one on the outside of the window, hang the wreath on the hook, then raise the window. I’m sure Mrs. B will be so ecstatic that she will allow you to spend all of the time till Christmas playing with your trains... and if you buy that, I have this beautiful bridge in my hometown of Brooklyn for sale

The Razorback Traction Home for Wayward Trains has some new foundlings...

With 1962 postage, yet...

Both locos and transformers have been checked, cleaned and lubed as needed and both are running fine!   

Mitch

Mike g: I've been sporadically posting on other things and neglected this thread. Sorry to read about your situation. Hope you are doing better.

As for what I have done, I have neglected running or modeling for a while but I will get back into the operating sessions or just running without working the card system.

Looks like the rest of the OGR gang is enjoying their trains and that is a good thing. Cheers.

Mitch - Your posts make me smile.  Keep rescuing those old trains.  I hope you still enjoy running the pre-war light green passenger cars that once lived in New Hampshire.

Mike - Glad to hear that you tried it.  The extra weight definitely helps tracking.  One of my first efforts, I used two threaded bolts to apply pressure to the pad.  It contributed to derails in my design.  It needed to be spring loaded.  I have found that but making the pad raise the wheels about a 1/32nd inch works well with weights.  That way the flange is still inside thee rails and the weights over the wheel trucks hold it down.  Good luck.  Think creatively while convalescing.  All the best.

Tunnel - in - a - mountain and adding faces to flock of sheep finding the "Scale" to scratch build a wooden lionel bridge with the grandson..... :-) fun to try, need more skilz.

thanks Mitch

Lot's of great work going on. Must be getting cold out......

So my new to me RS-11 wasn't working quite right. I sorted out a few issues but I couldn't get the lights to work. Since I run conventional, and don't have a Cab-1, I wasn't sure how to get the lights to work. Well I put it on the track last night in Program mode and cycled the power a few times. BINGO- We have light !

Of course I had to run it for a while to make sure all else was good.

RSJB18, Bob, Wow, it’s great to see there’s lights working on your beautiful new diesel, New Haven RS11. That one and the D&H diesel are really cool looking engines. Now, please get a Cab 1L Set up for your layout, you’ll love running in command. You can add one of the new 180 watt Powermasters and run Conventional or Command at the flip of a switch. Be good to yourself, you work hard for your money and this command set is so simple to set up. The pictures posted look so cool.  Merry Christmas Everyone, and Happy Railroading     (Oh Yes, Neat Video)

Thanks Larry- yes a Command system is in my future. I have a few TMCC/ Command engines now and it would be fun to play with all the features.

Bob

@RSJB18 posted:

Thanks Larry- yes a Command system is in my future. I have a few TMCC/ Command engines now and it would be fun to play with all the features.

Bob

Bob, I agree with Larry.  I bought a repaired Cab1 and base from one of our Forum electronics experts for $50 and it is really great being able to run in TMCC.

For Bob (RSJB18), since you are already running a nice layout in conventional mode with ample juice, adding a CAB1L system should be as simple as connecting the command base to your track and plugging it in. A simple on/off switch could be wired in so that you could easily turn off the command base to run your conventional engines--no need to spend the money on a Powermaster. FWIW, I'm running Legacy/TMCC on an old postwar ZW (275 watt) plugged into a power strip (surge protected). The command base is connected to a different wall outlet (also using a protected power strip), and all I have to do is switch off that power strip to run trains in conventional mode.

@RSJB18 posted:

Thanks Larry- yes a Command system is in my future. I have a few TMCC/ Command engines now and it would be fun to play with all the features.

Bob

“Slip sliding away, slip sliding away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip sliding away”

@Apples55 posted:

Mark;

If those windows over the garage are double hung, and if the top sash can be pulled down, you can pull down the sash, get some of those 3M Command hooks and, from inside the house, place one on the outside of the window, hang the wreath on the hook, then raise the window. I’m sure Mrs. B will be so ecstatic that she will allow you to spend all of the time till Christmas playing with your trains... and if you buy that, I have this beautiful bridge in my hometown of Brooklyn for sale

Paul, In my effort to commiserate with Mike, I have lead us off topic.  Yes, they are double hung, and yes we did try Command hooks from the inside.  Since they are double double hung windows, we wanted one wreath in the center, meaning the the Command hook has to be on the aluminum frame between the windows.  The wind pulled them down.  Attaching a Command hook on each window to hold the sides works well from the ladder outside, but it is too hard raising both windows without knocking the wreath off and onto the driveway for another bent wreath.  Those Command hooks hung from the outside lasted 3 or 4 years, but finally fell off this past summer.  Kim's idea, and she was happy with me hanging one from the light over the brick pillar between the two garage doors.  IT balances the one hanging under the living room window so you can see the tree inside.  That's all I needed to hear.    How many times have you sold that bridge you mention. 

@Apples55 posted:

“Slip sliding away, slip sliding away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip sliding away”

Figured you would chime in at some point

Thanks to all for the encouragement......not that I need much.

Now where did I put my credit card.

@Apples55 posted:

“Slip sliding away, slip sliding away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip sliding away”

Paul, Excellent analogy of what happens to us all!!