Howdy, everybody. Haven't been by for a couple of weeks - too busy trying to point out (in other threads) that there are less-expensive alternatives to using fixed decoders and DCC power for throwing switches that probably should have manual throws...
Finally, there was one convulsive gasp, a squeaking of long-stationary bearings - and the main L girders made it to the northeast corner of the garage. After a short pause to pump up the air, basic benchwork made the right-angle turn and extended itself almost half way across the garage door (where it will pause until my heart rate returns to normal.) That means that fixed, permanent 'foundation' has reached almost 49% completion. Of course, there's still a LOT of construction to go (joists, two levels of roadbed...) before I can say the layout is approaching the half-completed point. Still, it's progress.
Oops. Just got a pizza call. See ya.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Good morning guys….
I’ll have the BIG breakfast this morning! And a lot of coffee too!
I’ve been up to my eyeballs with work this past week, but did work one morning in the Trainroom on the upper level, off pike staging. I’m almost to the point of getting some track down!
Yesterday I was in Superior WS for the day officiating the YMCA Regional, State Qualifying Meet. In a nutshell, an all day and some of the night affair, being on the road at 0630 and getting back home at 2300.
I was on deck, as the starter, from 1000 to 1900 with a twenty min. lunch break! Then…After the meet we took off for a nice evening meal before heading back home.
To say the least I/m feeling a bit out of gas this morning, but pumping up for skiing this afternoon. Sunny and 25 F. right now, so I’m looking forward to a great ski.
This week isn’t looking so hectic (at least until Thursday and Friday, with two home meets) and so I hope to get some more work done on the staging. I’ll see if I can get a picture or two posted.
Until then….
Good morning. It is too early for spirits, so I will have a hot chocolate.
Mike, Great shots of your space. You knew that I had been studying the fascia idea lately. We have to step into that to do the finishing touches on the stream bed. I have 6 pours and least another bottle to go. I start the pour at the top and it slowly drizzles down stream where it runs off the layout. Never fear, I have something for it to drip on.
MrB, Your bridge deck looks great. How did you make the changes without knocking the painters off?
Sue
Anything is possible if you do not know what you are talking about.
Good morning. Coffee and a bagel with cream cheese for me. Thanks.
Week 3 of this dang cold I picked up. I skipped skiing last weekend, although the girls went up. Sounds like it was pretty cold, and Saturday got icy and windy besides. At my age, I can skip the "survival skiing," and try to get my turns in when the temperature is at least double-digits, and preferably positive double-digits. So, I stayed home and worked on my layout.
Nothing exciting or photo-worthy, but getting the last of the track glued down and mostly ballasted is an accomplishment. I've still got one back corner where the ballast work will have to wait for the scenery to catch up, but the big loop coming around the bend to the Moose Bay Bridge is done, along with the siding that runs off to the engine house, which is currently a car barn for the trolleys. I paved the road, too, and added a pair of crossbucks. I've still got to put some boards down between the rails of the grade crossing, but that can wait a few days.
I'm left with just a finite number of projects. First, I've got to assemble and paint the kit that will become the old house at Clampett Corner. I had grand ideas for the interior, but now that I look at the kit, I can see that the windows are very small, and won't provide much visibility, so I'll scale back my plans. (I still want a goat sticking its head out of a second-story window, though.) Together with its scenery, that will complete one corner. Then, I've got to get the old Vollmer coal loader working, and scenic up that corner. Visibly, that will be the last of the pink foam, and the layout will at least look complete. I've still got at least two more structures, though, one background building for the back edge, and a "swap-out" structure to replace the 50s/60s movie theater when I back-date the layout to the 1930s.
In September, our little girl goes off to college. What happened to our toddler in diapers, anyway? Well, the diapers I can live without, but we'll have to be satisfied with memories of the rest, I guess. I've been promised some extra layout space in the train room once she's away, though, so there's a mixed blessing there. Some parents can't wait until the kids are gone, but I think both of us are happy to have her in the house as long as she wants to stay.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I see it is lunch time, Joe, I'll have your cheesburger basket with a DP. Thanks.
Thought I would drop in and give you an update on the paint markers. I tried them on my N scale track and they work exceptionally well. The only thing with the N track is the felt tip rubs on the spike heads and makes them blunt a little, I would think they would do perfectly on HO track. I had bought several rolls of masking tape to tape off the rails when I weather them. I am really glad I found those markers before I started the process of taping off all my track so I could air brush the rust on them.
Well I guess I'll go and eat, my order of N scale rolling stock should be here any minute, I am looking forward to 21 new Atlas cars of various kinds. Have a good day. Mike
Hi, Mike. Thanks for the beer, and for the heads-up on those Floquil pens. That's a fine-looking layout space you have there!
Mister Beasley, I hope you'll be feeling better soon. Love what you've done with your bridge. (I can't really take any credit for the tie-sliding idea. It was shown to me shortly after Atlas started making flex with plastic ties.)
For the last couple of days I've been pulling rolling stock out of storage and pre-inspecting it, plus servicing locomotives that either went dead-line or have been in storage. With two notable exceptions, all that was required was a general screw-tightening, coupler tuning and lubrication.
On the happy side, two other juice motors (both Bo+Bo, one heavy and one light) are now back in service.
By test-running it on my spiral test fixture, I determined that a Mantua 2-6-6-2 can take the (scale) radius its prototype was designed for - 12"! (The Uintah had a couple of 68 degree curves.) That set the radius for construction of the Tomikawa Tani Tetsudo in stone, 350mm, just under 14". It also means that I can put a 480 degree loop in the hill under the temple compound to get clearance over the JNR in that corner. To keep the roadbed thin enough for adequate clearance I'm going to have to tie a knot in a (nominal) 2 x 4 steel stud. Should be fun!
The dinner bell just rang, so I'm off. See ya,
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Joe, I'll have a cold Bud and set up anyone elece that might drop in.
Mr. B, Didn't I read a thread you posted a while back about wanting to "rust" your rails after they have been ballasted? If you still need info, I was at Hobby Lobby today and found some weathering paint markers made by Floquil. They are like a lot of other paint pens with exception they are in "odd" colors. There is a rust, rail rust, earth, mud and aged concrete to name a few. I have not had a chance to try them yet but it looks like they will work very well to weather the rails. I am going to give it a try after while, If I can do it satisfactory on N scale track, you should be able to do it very well on HO track. They are a little on the pricey side, $7.99 for 3 pens, but if they work like I think they will, it would be worth the money.
Just thought I would drop in and give the info to anyone that might like to have it. Mike
I’ll have a cold one Joe, and set the house too!
Nice work you guys! I really like the space you now have Mike. That should house a goodly amount of trackage!
Mr. B the bridge track looks good…Hope you feel better soon!
I’m still playing with the off pike staging and have to say it’s coming along pretty well.
Of course I am still holding true to “do it the hardest way possible” with matching existing shelving, shelving framework and wall brackets to the pike in the Trainroom and the staging. If it weren’t for having a planner to make custom thicknesses of framing material I would be lost…Or at least given up buy now.
The lower level will be much simpler to construct with nothing in the way…Just match it up to the track level in the Trainroom!
Good morning. Coffee and some bacon and eggs, please, with an English muffin. And did I mention coffee? Thanks.
Mike, I envy your space. I've got the same issue with the angled walls, but you've got so much space overall that it hardly matters. How do you like running in N-scale now that you've made the switch?
I've been knocked out by a cold for the last week. It's one of those where you don't feel too bad, but you can't stop coughing at night, so sleep feels like a real luxury after a few days. I gave in and took Thursday and Friday off from work, but now I've got to wonder about going back in tomorrow.
We had the ultra-cold weather the last few days. Mild pipe freezes, nothing a hair dryer couldn't cure, but I sure hate it when that happens. It's warming up a bit now, and we're in the 3-6 inch forecast band on the Weather Channel.
It was a good chance to do a tedious project, since the Nyquil and Benadryl have conspired to dull my synapses and bring my IQ down to about 42. I was so happy with the results of Chuck's bridge track idea over the trestle that I picked up a 3-foot section of flex, pulled off all of the ties and created another 18 inches of bridge track for the Moose Bay Bridge. I used another ancient piece of tarnished brass flex for guard rails, and I'm just thrilled with the results.
I also got my S1 switcher back. I brought it into my LHS to have sound put in around Halloween. Yeah, it took a long time. Normally, I do my own installations, but this engine has very little space, and I wanted to support my LHS, so I let him do the job. The sound is great. I've still got some tuning to do on the motion, to get it to start up a bit faster. It was the first engine across the new bridge.
Well, everyone take care. Drink plenty of fluids. Get plenty of rest. And try to run your trains every day.
Morning all, Joe I'll some scrambled eggs and bacon this morning with my coffee. Thanks.
Sue, My nephew is modeling in N scale due to his lack of space, He seems eager to get some trains running so he and his 6 month son can have some fun together.
I have been steady improving the layout, a little each day. Yesterday I got the bus wire installed and most of the feeders soldered in place. Night before last I put my Athrens SD75M on the loop on the new addition and a few cars. After working out a few bugs, it ran perfectly, I guess my track laying skills are OK for now.
I did manage to get a few pics this morning and thought sence I have been promising, I would share them with you all here at the Barn. I hope you like them.
There is still plenty to do, I have plans for a rock quarry on one end (where the train is) and on the other end will be a town. Best go eat while it is still hot. Mike
Mike,
Great job mentoring your nephew. Is he doing HO or N?
Morning all. Joe I'll have some hot cakes with some polish sausage with my coffee this morning. Thanks.
Mr.B. Thanks for the reply, I must of had a brain lapse, never thought about you doing HO and me in N, I will keep a watch on the joiners when I start laying track.. I do still have the HO set up, sorta, it hasn't ran in almost a year, been staying busy on the N scale. I haven't decided if I will make it work again, I am considering turning it all into N scale, I can get so much more train in a given space than with HO. I am planning on having a Skoot-A-Boot on the N scale as well as some of the other business that I have in HO.
I got my Nephew involved in Model RR'ing, He called a few days ago and said he was almost finished with his bench work, Just a simple 4X8 table the way he talks. He is making all kinds of plans already. I have talked him out of using Bauchman Snap Track and going with Flex track, It is really much cheaper in the long run. I might make a trip to OKC next weekend and give him a few lessons at laying track, I know he is getting antsey to run some trains. I did loan him some of my rolling stock to make it a little more interesting. I am real excited to see him getting so involved.
I will see you all later. I still say I will post some pics, but I have said that before Mike
Just coffee, please, Joe.
MrB, Yes, flooding. First 1 1/2 feet of snow to deal with, as it melts, tons of rain that raised the rivers. All of western Washington was under flood warning. They may open I-5 today or tomorrow. It has been closed since Wednesday. The only way out of the Puget Sound area was by air. No Amtrak either.
Well, off to work.
Geee...
I see I was at the top of the page! I'll buy two rounds, Joe. And a bump for you too!
Yes sir…Thanks for the beer! Just what I need after a long day. Maybe I even need two, and I’ll buy the next round!
Mr. Beasley, the photos look very nice! Great job with the “lobster” boat. I love it.
Sue…Flooding?? I missed something here! I admit that I haven’t seen any TV news for a number of days now, but I do give the local papers a once over. Can’t say I’ve read anything, other than a BIG snow in the Portland area. Best of luck to you and yours!
I was in the Trainroom a bit today working with the off pike staging and think I have most of the details worked out now. I may even get to the point of getting some track down this weekend!!
Good evening, Bar Patrons. Thanks, Mike. Larry will have a Busch Beer, and I will have an Irish Coffee.
I didn't turn the computer on because I was watching for power outages that acompany all the flooding in our area. Looks like my brother may have dodged a bullett, but we don't know about the inlaws yet.
One more work day and we can think trains if we aren't called to do flood cleanup.
Hi, Mike. Good to see you, and thanks for the drink.
In HO, there is a mismatch between the rails with Atlas and Peco Code 100 track. It becomes obvious if you try to use the rail joiners that come with the Peco turnouts. They will not fit over the Atlas rails, so I needed to use Atlas joiners. Of course, that means that the Atlas joiners will be a bit too loose. Without snug joiners, (anyone catch the Shakespearean reference there?) the rails are free to move up and down a bit relative to each other, and a bit side-to-side too. That's going to be a problem if you're coming up to the turnout with flex track going around a curve - it's going to want to straighten out, and may develop a kink. I've got one section which has been nothing but trouble since I put it down. When I finally got the Moose Bay Bridge in place, I ripped out that track and soldered all the joints with the Peco turnout to keep them in place. Problem solved, but it sure was a headache until I realized that the only solution was to pull it all out and do it again right.
The bridge track idea was Chuck's. I can't take credit for thinking of it. I was asking on another thread about pre-made bridge track, but no one has that in Code 100, and I couldn't find the Code 83 in stock anywhere, either. Chuck's idea was so obviously the right thing to do that I gave up looking for bridge track and just did it his way. I'll have to get some more shots once it's glued down and ballasted. (On the other hand, I liked it so much that now I've got to do the whole Moose Bay Bridge that way. Which means the bridge has to come out again, so I still can't glue down that loop of track!)
Mike, do you still have your HO layout? Do you still run it? Are you planning on an N-scale Scoot-a-Boot? That's such a great scene. It might be fun having two of them around.
Howdey everyone, Joe set us up with a round if anyone shows up. I am in the track laying stage of my N scale, I thought I had everything I needed, Turnouts, Track, Glue, Roadbed..... Wait a minute,, I forgot to order the roadbed! What a dummy. I got it ordered along with some more flex track, it should be here tommarrow. I was reading where Mr. B said something about Atlas flex track not meeting up with the Peco turnouts, what's the problem? I haven't used any Atlas flex track with the Peco turnouts but have used Model Power flex track with no problems. Mr. B, could you shed some light on this for me? I am having trouble finding Model Power track for some reason or another and am going to be switching to Atlas. Also Mr. B. I like the idea of moving the ties closer together on the track where it will be used on the bridges and trestles. Thanks for the idea.
I guess I will go have another beer and play with my toys some tonight. Take care. Mike
Hello Beer Barn patrons!
I hope you all had a great Christmas and New year.
Mr. B .............. I really liek that photos of the boat under the bridge!
Some of you may be interested in the pictures I posted in my thread pertaining to an amzing G scale layout near Cincinnati. Meanhwhile, I;'ll have one of Mr. B's Strumpets if you do not mind.
Cheers.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Hi, Joe. I think I'll have a Strumpet Light. Still trying to live down the proximity of the refrigerator over the holiday weeks, y'know.
I finished up the decals and details on the lobster boat, after deciding on "Andrea Gail" as the name. The figures on board are Preisers, but the other details like the lines and lobster traps came with the kit.
Here she is, heading in to Lady Bucs for a couple of cold ones.
tomikawaTTIf you've saved the brass rail you can use it for guard rails - just grunge 'em up good, then add a couple of coffee stirrer planks between them and all will be right with your world.
Great idea, Chuck! Since this is 40+ year old brass track, it didn't need much attention in the weathering department:
There is something to be said about sharing the train room with the TV. I've been able to watch football and work on the trains at the same time. Nothing critical, just little things, but it let me enjoy two passions at once, 3 if you count drinking beer!
And so, a great modeling vacation comes to a close. Back to work tomorrow. Good night, all.
Good morning, Joe.
MrB, You are getting some great shots of your pond scene. The details bring it together. I hope that I can keep up. I am procrastinating on pouring my water in the streambed.
Chuck, Has it been cold down your way? Is your garage heated or airconditioned? I heard that you got some snow, too. It is good to hear that you are getting some cars unpacked. Have fun.
Later,
'Morning, Joe. Coffee and toast for me, please,
Mister Beasley, don't you just love it when a plan comes together? Those oversize Atlas ties look just right for bridge ties. If you've saved the brass rail you can use it for guard rails - just grunge 'em up good, then add a couple of coffee stirrer planks between them and all will be right with your world.
Finally got the system off top dead center and did a (very) little work in the layout room. Incentive came from a, "I wonder what's in this box," moment. The answer was - Most of the rolling stock I've been looking for since I moved here!!! You know - the properly numbered cars with Kadee couplers and prepared car cards. So now, at a minimum, I have to make track room on the layout for some, and about five more cassettes for the rest. Plus, now that I've cleared that half of the garage door the space looks awfully bare...
Also present - my three best catenary motors. As soon as I take the time to check them over I'll be able to send the TTT teakettle tank locos back to the end-of-track module and stop smoking up my (virtual) catenary.
Just got a 'Honeydo' call. See ya,
Good morning! I'll just have some coffee today.
Just a couple of days left before I've got to go back to work. I had 2 1/2 weeks off, thanks to use-it-or-lose-it vacation and the standard holiday company shutdown. With bad weather keeping us inside, I got a lot of modelling done.
I did a scene with a short trestle over a stream a while back. It came out well, but I wanted to use bridge track over the trestle. I posed the question on Layouts and Layout Building, and I believe it was Chuck that came up with the idea of making my own bridge track by removing the spacers between the ties of a piece of flex-track. Well, it worked out perfectly:
I have some old brass flex track sitting around, so I took the ties from that and trimmed them. Then, I simply slid them on. Thanks, Chuck. Nobody makes code 100 bridge track, and other sizes weren't in stock anywhere.
Once I got the water done in Moose Bay, I decided to replace the sloppy trackwork approaching it. I got rid of all the kinks and dips, and now the trains all run smoothly. I ran my BLI Hudson pulling a short freight at full speed round and round without a problem. I also re-did the short run into the engine house, getting rid of the derailment problems I'd been living with for too long there, too.
Well, Happy New Year once again to all.
Happy Holidays to all….And, I wish you the very best for 2009!
I had been hoping to run some trains on Christmas day with my brother and nephews, but we got busy with all the other festivities and NEVER even got to the Trainroom.
OTOH, on the Sun. after Christmas I was able to actually do some operation! A fellow modeler from town came out and we ran some trains. With out a lot of the trackage (nothing on the lower level and only one “point” on one of the point to point routes on the upper) in place it’s a bit hard, but we did run a local peddler and the Sawyer Lumber Shay with a string of skeletons loaded with bolts. It was a good time and the operation, or lack there of, has stimulated me to get going on the remaining benchwork!
I also discovered that my Climax “died” over the summer! It ran very poorly before quitting all together! I’m bummed as it is a very nice loco. At this point it has been sent off to Bachmann!
Yesterday I spent time putting away locos and rolling stock, getting ready for some major carpentry. I hope to be able to finish off the west wall and a transition corner between the east wall and the peninsula of the lower level….We will see.
Mr. Beasley, as usual, your work is looking very impressive.
Mike, keep those digits in place! And out of harms way!
Again, Happy New Year to one and all.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Sorry to hear about your mishap, Mike. Hope it'll heal up without any complications. Reminds me that I once saw one of those, "Buy it NOW!" ads for a, "Carpenter's hand protector," which proved to be a glove made of something like chain mail. Only saw it once, so I guess that it was something less than a thundering success. I suspect that, like you, most carpenters would be more concerned about dulling their saws...
Mr B, that is one fine body of water! I can almost smell the kelp - and I'd like to have a nickel for every boat similar to yours I saw in the waters around the Northeast Bronx (City Island/Orchard Beach.) Did it make me homesick? For NorEasters???
Sue, listening to one of those, "Top 500," countdowns is rather like watching A Fistful of Dollars for the umpteenth time. You know how it's going to end...
Don't know how happy it will be, but I've already been informed that my New Year will be a little more prosperous. Something to do with a Cost of Living increase...
Just got called to New Year's Dinner - maguro sashimi. Yum...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in Septmeber, 1964)
And of course, Stairway to Heaven wins.
I can't believe that I stayed up until midnight.
Happy New Year. We still have a while to go here, but I am sure lots of you are already celebrating.
MrB, Your rocks turned out great. I can't wait to see a closeup of Miss Penny.
Mike, Sorry about the sawblade encounter. Hope that you heal quickly.
Back to the 999 count down of rock hits.
Thanks, Garry! May I buy you a Strumpet IPA? As we say in Moose Bay, "Nothing goes down like a Strumpet."
I finished up the water in Moose Bay, at least for now. This has been one of the longest-planned features of my layout, and now that it's sort-of done, it's kind of a weird feeling. I've got to get some more photos - the first ones I took didn't come out quite right. But, now the bridge is back in, and I can run trains around the loop again. I've still got some trackwork to do. There's a low trestle further down the line that needs bridge track, and this whole area has always been touchy because of the way the Atlas an Peco rails don't quite fit together. Finally, though, I can attach the track permanently and get it all working just right.
Snow on the ground, snow in the air and snow in the forecast here outside of Boston. We had been planning on going downtown to "First Night," the annual New Years celebration, but I don't thing driving is going to be a good idea tonight.
Well, Happy New Year to you all. If you're out, watch out for the loonies on the road, and stay warm and dry whichever way you choose to celebrate.
OK, I've got a better shot:
Happy New Year to all of you in the beer barn!