What did you do on your layout today?

Scouting Dad

Your heavyweights with your Crescent, what brand and series number are they.

And the Engine and tender, what’s the brand maker and series number

thank you for your help !

Replaced an incandescent bulb/holder in my LIONEL PW Northern Pacific F-3 B unit with an LM2596HV buck converter (w/ 22uh choke) and 5W 3528 string LED's (2 sets of 3 LED's) using JST mini-connectors.

Been a little while since I've posted on here, but we've decided to redo the layout to allow two trains to run at the same time. Been slowly working out how to do it and what makes sense with our layout.

Rough draft so far for the "East" section of the layout

@NS1975 posted:

I tried to improve one of the corners of the layout. It was covered with just blended turf as seen in the extreme up right corner under the trees. Now there is a dirt path and what is supposed to be the edge of a parking area, along with some greenery.

Hi, I like how you dressed up the look of your Fastrack. What type/size ballast did you use?  Would enjoy seeing an overall shot or two or a track plan. Great Job!

Thanks, Michael

Speaking of Sealtest, remember these? Dixie cups circa 1960 vanilla or chocolate. Just don't get any on the trains.

Today I decided to try fixing a nagging problem with my K-line Scale K4s. A part of the drive wheel rod connections on one side have been binding. There is brass part that attaches to the side of the shell secured by the flanges of the part and a screw. That part has an arm that secures the ends of two valve gear rods. One end of a rod is secured to a connector on the center drive wheel. After several binding events one of the brass parts suffers bent flanges. After several attemps to fix it I finally removed the brass part and the offending connection rod. I am going to try to find a new brass part. It might even be the same part is on the Lionel remake of the engine. In any event, the loco now operates without binding. Maybe it's time to look for a Legacy K4s.

First attempt at “paving  asphalt”. I am building a trans loading area that is loosely modeled after a local facility near me. The asphalt in the yard where they load and unload is in fairly decent shape, and you can tell it’s been repaved a time or two. But the little road on the ROW to get to it however will beat you to death. It just gets patched over and over. So I attempted to replicate. Going to start putting  Brennan’s chain link around it tonight

@ Jesse ferguson

Jesse: What did you use for the asphalt?

I give the credit to Eric’s trains. It’s just a 1 to 1 mix of white glue and woodland scenics fine ballast “cinders”. He has a great tutorial on YouTube. The only different thing I did was I “paved” a base layer with a 1 to 1 mix of Brennan’s yard ballast and white glue. I let it dry and then “pave” over it with the woodland scenics fine ballast for the final layer. To give it the look of being re paved.

I decalled 2 tenders. Imaginary division of Canadian National. Gotta dull-cote. JohnA

@Jesse ferguson posted:

I give the credit to Eric’s trains. It’s just a 1 to 1 mix of white glue and woodland scenics fine ballast “cinders”. He has a great tutorial on YouTube. The only different thing I did was I “paved” a base layer with a 1 to 1 mix of Brennan’s yard ballast and white glue. I let it dry and then “pave” over it with the woodland scenics fine ballast for the final layer. To give it the look of being re paved.

@Jesse ferguson

Thank you Jesse. They look is superb!

Jesse, Randy is correct, looks outstanding and I should know I paved for many years for the local government! Now I just dream about days gone by!

This week's project.  I was tired of that bridge suspended in mid-air for 15+ years. 

Here is a link to a really good artist on YouTube who provided the technique.  He's really good and straightforward !

Love what you did, Brad!

Thank you, Lee!

Looking at it now in the picture, I kind of wish I had added another layer of foam on the left pier and overshot the baseboard.  Oh, well, maybe in my next lifetime!

@Brad Trout posted:

Thank you, Lee!

Looking at it now in the picture, I kind of wish I had added another layer of foam on the left pier and overshot the baseboard.  Oh, well, maybe in my next lifetime!

It looks great, Brad!

I am starting an attempt to put some flat against-the wall background landscape. I cut some foam shapes and have glued them together.  Next will be a layer of plaster cloth to add texture and some folds along the vertical sides to give more detail interest. Then I plan to paint it to simulate rock, add some turf.  I was thinking some 1-2" trees on parts of the upper ridge line, and taller ones on the lower one to force perspective.

Also added some scenery around Wally's service station. Waiting for a few electrical components to install the sound system for cars stopping in for service.  

Williams GP30, dull coat applied to trucks and body. Interior motor and wiring blackened

Williams BL2's and MTH RS1

Update on my K-line K4s: After I removed the short faulting rod I ran the engine again forward and reverse several minutes on a stretch of track earlier today, I repeated the test tonight and varied the speed to see if it would bind. It ran well so I made up a shot mail train (PRR B-60, PRR B-70, PRR BM-70 and New Haven B-60) and ran it for a while through the layout. So far, so good. Cheers.

I coated the plaster cloth on the tunnel with thinned joint compound to smooth over the fabric. Nothing photo worthy but I can attest to the fact that it happened.

Bob

@Lirr Fan1 posted:

Hi, I like how you dressed up the look of your Fastrack. What type/size ballast did you use?  Would enjoy seeing an overall shot or two or a track plan. Great Job!

Thanks, Michael

I use a variety of Woodland Scenics products for my ballasts and trackside details.

Added plaster cloth and painted part of the flat background hills today-  should I add trees to both layers , or just to the front?

Before/after pics

Scott - if you are modeling Alaska, shouldn't everything be snow covered and white?  Nice job on the details so far.  Trees do not grow above the tree line, so you should not have trees above about 11,000 feet. Seems to me the back set represent high elevation and rugged terrain unlikely to support trees. The nearer ones look about the same. But certainly on the tunnel portals there should be fairly heavy forestation. just my two pennies since you asked.

Scott,

I like the way to added the plaster to the flat depth mountains.  I have the same sort of shallow depth mountains on one part of my layout and haven't been happy with the look.  I'm going to try that.

Mike

Working on a wall in my train room to display a couple oil cans and torches .  I cut the wall brackets out of a 2X8" on the band saw, they still need to be painted to match the wall.

Can anyone tell me how these torches were used ?

Doug

Continuing touch-up work on the four LIONEL 15" off-set vista domes:  took care of the white stripes on the car shells and plastic ends.  Will tackle the little light green and dark green touch-up needed this week-end.

Reassembled my previously painted NP NCL diner.  I borrowed its plastic car ends and attached them serially to the four cars I'm painting to define the white stripe locations.  Basically, I'd attach the painted car ends then mask the stripe to match the car ends.  Then I'd remove the pre-painted car ends; install the unpainted pieces; and, reattach the tape that I'd pulled back slightly.  Worked pretty well.

Photos soon.

Doug, I would suggest that it’s a smudge pot which was used to keep switches operational during winter storms/freezing conditions.

What did I do on my layout today?  I have two through truss bridges, one an Atlas that another Forum member modified and the other is the Menards, both are single track.  The Atlas needs a bit of gluing since there was minor damage in shipping.  No big deal.  The Menards looks way too tall in comparison, and I had thought of seeing if another Forum member could use it.  Well, cancel that thought.  I was moving it and dropped it on the concrete floor.  It is spare parts now.    I am at least glad it wasn't an engine.  My grip is not what it used to be.  No Lew, I am not posting a photograph in the hopes that since there is no photograph, it didn't happen! 

I did finish setting up some shelves my wife assigned for my use when she was taking her Christmas decorations down.  I was more careful than I was with the bridge.  Now I can have all my engines out between here, the shelves below the layout and a couple on the layout.  I have a couple Menards boxes on the lowest shelf behind the B&O Mike just to try for size.  If I do something similar with wood I could display a number of cars also!!  Also, please note the license plate, cup, and ash tray commemorating the Butler Pullman Standard factory closed in 1982.  Also, the caboose on the Menards box is lettered for Armco Butler Works.

Hey Mark, nice looking trains on the shelves. My basement train layout room is semi neat and organized when I get around to cleaning off the work/project table. I noticed the Baggage/Mail or RPO car on your shelf. It's nicely proportioned. Who made that train set?

Tonight I got around to some layout to dos. I was in Menards to spend a rebate of $20 and bought 3 long pieces of tubular track to place on a 10 foot girder spur. I painted one side of the track earth brown camo and attached it to the girder sections. Then I found a few older cars to put on the track to see how it looked. I ran the local passenger train around the inner loop a few times to make sure the cars cleared the girder supports. I made a couple of rough timber track bumpers for a couple of spur ends.

I built a 4'X4' shelf under a section the layout to hold rolling stock. Ran out of room on the layout for rolling stock storage.

@pennsynut posted:

Hey Mark, nice looking trains on the shelves. My basement train layout room is semi neat and organized when I get around to cleaning off the work/project table. I noticed the Baggage/Mail or RPO car on your shelf. It's nicely proportioned. Who made that train set?

Tonight I got around to some layout to dos. I was in Menards to spend a rebate of $20 and bought 3 long pieces of tubular track to place on a 10 foot girder spur. I painted one side of the track earth brown camo and attached it to the girder sections. Then I found a few older cars to put on the track to see how it looked. I ran the local passenger train around the inner loop a few times to make sure the cars cleared the girder supports. I made a couple of rough timber track bumpers for a couple of spur ends.

Pennsynut, thank you.  The cars are RailKing Western Maryland heavyweights.  I have the RailKing WM PS3 Pacific in front of them.  It makes a very nicely proportioned train.  There is an additional 2 car set and another single car that RailKing made to match.  I saw the whole 7 car consist for sale at York a few years back.  I just have these 4.  I really don’t have room to run a 7 car train.

I’ve been wanting to do this latest project since visiting the Lionel layout in grand central station two years ago.  I kept thinking how I’d approach it but the awning was my biggest stumbling block until two weeks ago when I looked over at my wife’s bathroom vanity (I usual consider this area off limits) and noticed a bottle of facial cleanser/soap. It had the perfect dimensions and curve to be a template for an awning. So I asked permission to repurpose this item and proceeded to cut it up. It looked rather good on the one story Ameritowne building that I bought for this project.  18 gauge copper wire and heavy weight fishing line cut appropriately and glued over the bottle template  made the perfect awning frame. Heavy overspray with white primer and a decal search over the Internet led me to complete this project this morning. It still needs some more weathering over the decals when they dry, but I’m pretty pleased.  I think even Johnny Ramone would be happy.

Here is the photo I tried to copy, which is exactly like the CBGBs I knew from the late 70s -

And here is the Lionel display version in grand central station that started me on this project -

Next up I think I’ll take a stab at Pearl Paint and then Carnegie Deli.  

The awning looks great!!  You did an excellent job modeling that building.  What in the world was the place anyway??

@Mark Boyce posted:

The awning looks great!!  You did an excellent job modeling that building.  What in the world was the place anyway??

Thanks Mark. It was the best underground punk rock club in ny during the 70s to 80s that launched the carreers of a number of great bands like the Ramones, talking heads, iggy pop, blondie, etc. It was quite a fun place.  Next up, I’m going to model the bathroom inside. That’s an inside joke, as the bathroom was notoriously disgusting, even for an underground rock club in the village of NYC at that time,

@Strap Hanger posted:

Thanks Mark. It was the best underground punk rock club in ny during the 70s to 80s that launched the carreers of a number of great bands like the Ramones, talking heads, iggy pop, blondie, etc. It was quite a fun place.  Next up, I’m going to model the bathroom inside. That’s an inside joke, as the bathroom was notoriously disgusting, even for an underground rock club in the village of NYC at that time,

Interesting.  So that's why the two characters out on the sidewalk.  Kind of like The Cave in Liverpool where The Beatles started? 

What a great project Ray. I love it. I never went there but My Fathers Place in Roslyn was a regular stomping ground for us suburbanites 😁

I'd love to do that building one day on a bigger layout. The building was actually not to far from the LIRR Oyster Bay line so it could happen.

Bob

@RSJB18 posted:

What a great project Ray. I love it. I never went there but My Fathers Place in Roslyn was a regular stomping ground for us suburbanites 😁

I'd love to do that building one day on a bigger layout. The building was actually not to far from the LIRR Oyster Bay line so it could happen.

Bob

I went to My Fathers place a few times back in the day.  The best act I caught there was Springsteen. I also caught Sam Kinison doing a comedy act there one late night. It was just me, my two buddies and what seemed like only three other people in the crowd. I grew up in Queens, so the City and the Island were both stomping grounds. Great times!

Ran my PW based, abbreviated (F-3 AB w/ 4 cars) NP NCL on the club layout this AM only to discover my observation car was dark.  Fortunately, the club has a very complete service/repair area, tools, and supplies so I was able to make the necessary wiring repair and put the car back in service.

Got a coat of paint on the plaster cloth. Ground cover and trees are next. Then I have to figure out how to get it set in place.