What did you do on your layout today?

@pennsyfan posted:

Not a very extensive or glamorous job but a necessary one. I installed this magnet early on in the layout construction. It was never used and all it did was cause problems. The WBB steps would hit it. Other cars would derail, especially new passenger cars on the layout. I finally had enough; I took Main 1 out of service and ripped out the track.
Here is Main 1 back in service, handling the backlog.

Nothing worse than having to take track and especially switches apart on a finished layout. The end results are always worth the effort though.

Looks good Bob.

@Mark Boyce posted:

Craig, it seems you have progressed very far in a short amount of time.

thanks, Mark, I appreciate The comment. I've made a number of mistakes and have a lot to learn, but I'm looking forward to the journey. I get quite a bit of pleasure from running the trains and seeing what other members are doing with their layouts.

@RBB&BC posted:

thanks, Mark, I appreciate The comment. I've made a number of mistakes and have a lot to learn, but I'm looking forward to the journey. I get quite a bit of pleasure from running the trains and seeing what other members are doing with their layouts.

Craig, the hobby is a blast and tons to learn  as I think we all are doing here! It is always fun to see the trains moving. Just remember it's all fun and joy until t train stalls where you can't reach it! Lol 😆

yep, had that experience a few times. Mostly with the trolley on one line. I tried to get the speed down sometimes a little bit too slow when it bumps, but it doesn't go. Then I crawl into the center and move it and try to remember not to turn the speed down too much next time.

Hi Guys and gals nothing big today after yesterday's post. I did get some time in the train room I decided to pull out most of my track to make sure I have everything I need as far as track. I think I am goi g to be fine!

The triangle box to the left of all the long track I'd full of 3" fixed and so.e 30" flex track. I guess I will see how things go!

I hope you all have a great weekend and find time to have fun with your trains and layouts! 😉

Nothing too exciting on my layout but my son and I have been working on his floor layout.

I learned I am not good at taking pictures.

@Raptor Rails posted:

Nothing too exciting on my layout but my son and I have been working on his floor layout.

I learned I am not good at taking pictures.

Cool looking layout! You and your son are doing great work!

Thank you Mike G for the kind words. 

He seems happy and I got to stretch my scenery skills a bit.

@Raptor Rails posted:

Nothing too exciting on my layout but my son and I have been working on his floor layout.

I learned I am not good at taking pictures.

Love the baseball field lighting. Very appropriate on Opening Day.

PLAY BALL!

@mike g. posted:

Hi Guys and gals nothing big today after yesterday's post. I did get some time in the train room I decided to pull out most of my track to make sure I have everything I need as far as track. I think I am goi g to be fine!

The triangle box to the left of all the long track I'd full of 3" fixed and so.e 30" flex track. I guess I will see how things go!

I hope you all have a great weekend and find time to have fun with your trains and layouts! 😉

Mike, I like the elevated wood track foundation you're building...you have the makings a great layout...!

@mike g. posted:

Hi Guys and gals nothing big today after yesterday's post. I did get some time in the train room I decided to pull out most of my track to make sure I have everything I need as far as track. I think I am goi g to be fine!

The triangle box to the left of all the long track I'd full of 3" fixed and so.e 30" flex track. I guess I will see how things go!

I hope you all have a great weekend and find time to have fun with your trains and layouts! 😉

hey Mike, it will be exciting to watch your layout take shape.  today I'm going to attempt the population of my Lionel Santa Fe observation car, but I am concerned. I tried to get the top off earlier and had no success.  I carefully pressed at the points indicated by the instructions and Removed the screws from the bottom of the chassis, but no Luck. I am afraid of pressing too hard on the four points  to release the top.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

@Raptor Rails posted:

Nothing too exciting on my layout but my son and I have been working on his floor layout.

I learned I am not good at taking pictures.

I think your pictures are just fine.  what a really cool addition to your layout; love the lights. Do you sell hotdogs and beer? Play ball!

@Capetrainman posted:

Mike, I like the elevated wood track foundation you're building...you have the makings a great layout...!

Thanks Paul! I was able to get out there today and get a little more done. But will post an update tomorrow.

@RSJB18 posted:

Looks good Craig. I've done a couple cars with BEEP seated people. They require some surgery and are a little big but our tracks have 3 rails so......

I agree with Dallas- upgrade the lighting, you won't be disappointed.
This is an MPC RPO coach that I upgraded to pull behind my Lionchief+ Doodlebug. The power regulators are easy to build (I bought them as kits) add a strip of LED's and you're good to go. Lower current draw over the incandescent lamps is a plus too.

Bob

Thanks for providing these great pictures on how you installed the lighting. It looks like a really good idea and it may not be as difficult as I thought it would be. I have a few cars where the lighting is not even and this might be a good solution.

@Dallas Joseph posted:

Craig , (  RBB&BC )  alsoon GRJs LED light module kits there is a potentiometer for adjusting the brightness of the LEDs.  💡... ☀️...🌗...🌘...

thanks for the heads up on that information. The lights on my Burlington Zephyr have been problematic; they are very dull when running at 12 or 13 Volts.  Maybe replacing them with LEDs and the potentiometer might be a real good solution to getting brighter lights and lower voltage. Thanks again for the info.

I ran some in the morning, then in the afternoon, I used the old shelves I had taken down and repurposed them in the garage to make a junk rack for serious projects. I find when the are in boxes I just forget about them. So 28 bronze junkers on the wall in the garage. Boy I sure need the space the boxes were couttering up. Planning to put up another shelf in the garage to help out some more and then hopefully getting around to thinning the heard somewhat. Sorry for the poor light. But nothing special here, just proof I did something constructive!

@RBB&BC posted:

hey Mike, it will be exciting to watch your layout take shape.  today I'm going to attempt the population of my Lionel Santa Fe observation car, but I am concerned. I tried to get the top off earlier and had no success.  I carefully pressed at the points indicated by the instructions and Removed the screws from the bottom of the chassis, but no Luck. I am afraid of pressing too hard on the four points  to release the top.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Craig- I'm not familiar with these particular cars but do the instructions call for pressing the 4 windows to release the car from the body? If so then get 4 popsicle sticks and file a chissel point on them. Insert the sticks in the 4 windows and press the car down on the bench.
The MPC coach I modified comes apart the same way.

I also recall a method where you twist the car slightly by holding it from both ends and twisting in opposite directions causing the roof to release from the body. This may have been for MTH cars but I don't remember exactly.

@Dennis Holler posted:

I ran some in the morning, then in the afternoon, I used the old shelves I had taken down and repurposed them in the garage to make a junk rack for serious projects. I find when the are in boxes I just forget about them. So 28 bronze junkers on the wall in the garage. Boy I sure need the space the boxes were couttering up. Planning to put up another shelf in the garage to help out some more and then hopefully getting around to thinning the heard somewhat. Sorry for the poor light. But nothing special here, just proof I did something constructive!

Wow Dennis you are going to be busy into your ages to come! 😉

I plan to place these fine folks on the layout today to clear the dining room table until the next painting project in a couple of weeks...:

@Capetrainman posted:

I plan to place these fine folks on the layout today to clear the dining room table until the next painting project in a couple of weeks...:

Nice Paul, looks like a great group of people!

@mike g. posted:

Nice Paul, looks like a great group of people!

Thank you, Mike...they seem like a happy group...must be a reflection of the '50's spirit...!

Afternoon folks the weather afford me train room time! I was almost able to get all the subroadbed finished on the right side of the layout. I have the upper outer corner to finish up , then it will be back to the left side.

Here are a couple photos for your enjoyment.

I know it looks steep, but the grade downis around 3%. I would have got more done but the little curve section between the 2 loops at the top of the yard table kicked my butt! Lol

Hope you all have had a great weekend and have found time to have fun with your trains and layouts! 😀

@RBB&BC posted:

thanks for the heads up on that information. The lights on my Burlington Zephyr have been problematic; they are very dull when running at 12 or 13 Volts.  Maybe replacing them with LEDs and the potentiometer might be a real good solution to getting brighter lights and lower voltage. Thanks again for the info.

And the nice thing about having as many LEDs on the layout Craig is that there is going to be more reliable power for your  locomotives and other accesories.

Have fun sir.

@Capetrainman posted:

I plan to place these fine folks on the layout today to clear the dining room table until the next painting project in a couple of weeks...:

Nice fine detail Paul, much better than some pre painted ones.

Gene

I added this Altoona Model Works Servicing Plant. I just have to finish the handrails and then it’s done.

@poconotrain posted:

I added this Altoona Model Works Servicing Plant. I just have to finish the handrails and then it’s done.

Nice work, looks really good!

@mike g. posted:

Afternoon folks the weather afford me train room time! I was almost able to get all the subroadbed finished on the right side of the layout. I have the upper outer corner to finish up , then it will be back to the left side.

Here are a couple photos for your enjoyment.

I know it looks steep, but the grade downis around 3%. I would have got more done but the little curve section between the 2 loops at the top of the yard table kicked my butt! Lol

Hope you all have had a great weekend and have found time to have fun with your trains and layouts! 😀

Looking good Mike.

Bob

@Capetrainman posted:

I plan to place these fine folks on the layout today to clear the dining room table until the next painting project in a couple of weeks...:

Nicely done!

Peter

@mike g. posted:

Afternoon folks the weather afford me train room time! I was almost able to get all the subroadbed finished on the right side of the layout. I have the upper outer corner to finish up , then it will be back to the left side.

Here are a couple photos for your enjoyment.

I know it looks steep, but the grade downis around 3%. I would have got more done but the little curve section between the 2 loops at the top of the yard table kicked my butt! Lol

Hope you all have had a great weekend and have found time to have fun with your trains and layouts! 😀

Nicely done!

Peter

@poconotrain posted:

I added this Altoona Model Works Servicing Plant. I just have to finish the handrails and then it’s done.

Nicely done!

Peter

@RSJB18 posted:

Looking good Mike.

Bob

Thanks Bob and @Putnam Division Peter for the nice compliment.

@Genemed posted:

Nice fine detail Paul, much better than some pre painted ones.

Gene

Thanks, Gene...

@Putnam Division posted:

Nicely done!

Peter

Thanks, Peter...

Over the last 15 days I finished installing all of the track and roadbed for my new 7 X 21 foot layout.   This last bit of installation work involved the refinery and missile railcar base areas of the layout.  The point to point track for a tourist trolley ride is in place at the far end just needs to be screwed down tomorrow after I finish installing screws in the missile railcar yard's trackage.

Here's the siding and stub track for the refinery area.  I checked my train inventory the other day and found I have 18 Sunoco tank cars, so there's some unit train operating possibilities for the refinery trackage.  I have a "cat cracker", three Colber oil wells, three storage tanks and a Sunoco "neon" sign to go in the refinery area. 

Here's the missile railcar base yard area.

Here's a sort of "aerial" view with all the track and roadbed installed on the layout.  The area at the near end of the layout will be the "tourist trap" area of the beachside town in which the layout is set.

The next task, which will take some time, will be running the track wiring from the various power clips to the MTH terminal block for the related inner or outer loop.  When I'm done with that task, I have a couple of people coming to help who offered to build some slide-in-slide-out shelves under the layout to hold the transformers and other items which will make maintenance easier.

looking forward to seeing your trains run on that great layout. I like Your sidings, That is something I have to work on. anytime I have had a derailing in the past. It was on Lionel fastrack switches. I'm gonna have to figure that one out.

@RSJB18 posted:

Nothing worse than having to take track and especially switches apart on a finished layout. The end results are always worth the effort though.

Looks good Bob.

That looks like a superO uncoupler.

@mike g. posted:

Afternoon folks the weather afford me train room time! I was almost able to get all the subroadbed finished on the right side of the layout. I have the upper outer corner to finish up , then it will be back to the left side.

Here are a couple photos for your enjoyment.

I know it looks steep, but the grade downis around 3%. I would have got more done but the little curve section between the 2 loops at the top of the yard table kicked my butt! Lol

Hope you all have had a great weekend and have found time to have fun with your trains and layouts! 😀

hey Mike, looks like you've got a real interesting design going there. It's going to be fun to watch it develop.

@Pat Shediack posted:

Over the last 15 days I finished installing all of the track and roadbed for my new 7 X 21 foot layout.   This last bit of installation work involved the refinery and missile railcar base areas of the layout.  The point to point track for a tourist trolley ride is in place at the far end just needs to be screwed down tomorrow after I finish installing screws in the missile railcar yard's trackage.

Here's the siding and stub track for the refinery area.  I checked my train inventory the other day and found I have 18 Sunoco tank cars, so there's some unit train operating possibilities for the refinery trackage.  I have a "cat cracker", three Colber oil wells, three storage tanks and a Sunoco "neon" sign to go in the refinery area.

Here's the missile railcar base yard area.

Here's a sort of "aerial" view with all the track and roadbed installed on the layout.  The area at the near end of the layout will be the "tourist trap" area of the beachside town in which the layout is set.

The next task, which will take some time, will be running the track wiring from the various power clips to the MTH terminal block for the related inner or outer loop.  When I'm done with that task, I have a couple of people coming to help who offered to build some slide-in-slide-out shelves under the layout to hold the transformers and other items which will make maintenance easier.

Hi Pat sure is looking good, some say this is the best part of the build. For me your next step is my least favorite.  Keep up the great work and I will be fallowing along!

@RBB&BC posted:

hey Mike, looks like you've got a real interesting design going there. It's going to be fun to watch it develop.

Hi Craig thanks for the kind words! It would be a lot easier to tell how thing go if it wasn't such a mess!

well, Mike, in  my experience most masterpieces start out as a mess. Creativity is usually not neat and orderly.