So. What project are you working on at the moment?

[EL PARRo]

I'm currently body-mounting couplers on some Athearn heavyweight passenger cars. I've got two done and four more to go. Later this week I plan on getting some new wheelsets for them as well.

[pcarrell]

I'm wiring and laying track.  Tedious work, but it's hard to run trains if you skip this step!

[EL PARRo]

I'll vouch for that!

[Tracklayer]

Well. Let's see here. I'm getting ready to put my AR-15 back into its original M-4 configuration and sell all of the tactical accessories off of it to a friend of mine for about $500. I just bought a new truck and am looking for a tool box to put on it as well as a bug guard and a few other items. I've been wanting to build a life size butler for the front hall entrance for a couple of years now, and though I have the head, hands, old tails tuxedo and all, I still need to build the frame for it. There's a new chick that moved in down the street that I've been trying to figure out a way to meet and ask out. Etc, etc. Oh, you meant train related projects. No, I don't have any of those right now...

Tracklayer

[secondhandmodeler]

I'm trying to make rock out of tiles! 

I'm also trying to decide which buildings to salvage from my childhood layout.

[tomikawaTT]

Having just (Saturday) finished installing the necessary subgrade, I'm now caulking down fan-fold underlayment (10mm foam) for a nine yard stretch of to-be-hidden track.  All of the foam is cut, but the plywood needs some TLC (in the form of cardboard shims) to correct some twists and buckles - even after applying angle iron to correct the worst of the problems.  Next will come a layer of posterboard (combination template and reinforcement) and then the flex - plus wood ties for what will be two hand-laid turnouts.

I use bright white caulk for anchoring foam, and grey caulk for the posterboard, wood ties and flex.

When finished, that will just about double the length of my available run.  (I'm running John Armstrong style; back out of the single-ended yard (to be hidden staging) to end of track, run forward to the other end of the "main," then back to, and into, the yard.  That, plus some reshuffling of consists, constitutes operation on the so-far-built portion of a 1:80 scale layout that will eventually fill a 2-car garage.)

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - in HOj, 1:80 scale on 16.5mm gauge)

[WCfan]

At the moment I'm workin' on a small 4' dorima for some pictures. I have also improved on the quality of my pictures.

My Big project that I'm working on is Super detailing my SW1500. I haven't worked on it because I still need my parts to get in.

[johncolley]

Working on (2) Free-mo modules at present, the third one is already making noises in my head. The first one "Riverbend" is taking forever to landscape, with trees and shrubs galore! The secong one is the north segment of Bieber, CA interchange WP/GN which is 24"x72" and has roadbed and mainline trackage with (2) #9 turnouts installed but not yet operational. Still have to finish wiring before ballasting the main, and add secondary trackage. I hope to have it operational by October.   jc5729 John Colley, Port Townsend, WA

[mondotrains]

I am just finishing up a small project.  I've installed rear view mirrors on around 50 Classic Metal Works and Life-Like trucks that didn't come with the mirrors.  I used needle-nosed pliers to bend common pins, where the head of the pin makes a nice "mirror".  Then I cut off most of the pin and inserted it with CA into holes drilled into the cab doors.  I know the wire of the pin is a little oversize, but the pins with smaller wire have heads that are too small for the mirror, so it is a trade-off.  I'm satisfied with the way they look.

[loathar]

A large mountain and tunnel in the corner of my layout. Hopefully I'll have some pics next week.

[tstage]

I working on assembling and detailing an Alexander Scale Model PRR Flag stop for a friend of mine.  I just finished laying down the 1 x 6 wood plank flooring.  (Sorry, this is an old picture shot last week):

Click to enlarge picture(s)

I painted the interior walls this evening with a 1:3 ratio of earth and reefer white.  (This will give the interior a warmer look, as well as seal the walls.)  The upper peaks of the walls bowed out so badly after painting them that I had to shore them up with blocks of wood and vise clamps.  I'm letting them dry overnight.

I also need to install the painted trim work around the doors and windows and touchup the interior before installing the removable roof.  I still have some exterior work to complete before finishing up the project.  I may attach an exterior light.

Tom

[marknewton]

Detailing and lettering some passenger cars - two Oha35s, an Ohafu33 and an Oha50. When they're done I'll do the same to my two new Meitetsu Moha510s. I'm also going to replace the Kadee clones on the 510s with traction-style link & pin couplers. The type 35s are by Kato, the others by Tomix, all are HOj scale. Typical of Japanese models, they have lots of add-on detail parts, and rub-down transfer sheets for the lettering.

Cheers,

Mark.

[marknewton]

Having just (Saturday) finished installing the necessary subgrade, I'm now caulking down fan-fold underlayment (10mm foam) for a nine yard stretch of to-be-hidden track.  All of the foam is cut, but the plywood needs some TLC (in the form of cardboard shims) to correct some twists and buckles - even after applying angle iron to correct the worst of the problems.  Next will come a layer of posterboard (combination template and reinforcement) and then the flex - plus wood ties for what will be two hand-laid turnouts.

I use bright white caulk for anchoring foam, and grey caulk for the posterboard, wood ties and flex.

When finished, that will just about double the length of my available run.  (I'm running John Armstrong style; back out of the single-ended yard (to be hidden staging) to end of track, run forward to the other end of the "main," then back to, and into, the yard.  That, plus some reshuffling of consists, constitutes operation on the so-far-built portion of a 1:80 scale layout that will eventually fill a 2-car garage.)

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - in HOj, 1:80 scale on 16.5mm gauge)

Chuck, your layout sound intriguing. Have you got a drawing of the trackplan you can post? It doesn't have to be anything flash - a "back of a beer coaster" sketch would do!

Cheers,

Mark.

[Anonymous]

Hammered together 9 Athearn Blue Box Kits. All Boxcars of the Steam Era and perhaps a few AAR's sneaking into the mix.

Spent time in two different stores planning August's shopping expedition and assisting in a very small way a group working on one store layout.

[SD60M]

Im painting an athearn BB Dash-9's horn to match the prototype. Also Weathering my entire fleet, hope to get some pics up soon too.

[csmith9474]

I just finished laying the last bit of track in Presidio tonight. It was for the fuel and oil transfer facility. I am also still playing with my new set af PCM Daylight PA/PB/PAs. That seems like it will never get old!!

[EL PARRo]

Well, I'm done with the couplers on the Athearn passenger cars. They look good. The cars are now slightly closer together than they were before. Not prototypically close, but better than they were. The trucks also seem to be able to move more freely without the couplers mounted to them, so that has lowered my number of derailments. They are still derailing sometimes though, so that I why I plan on getting new wheelsets for them (which is what I believe the problem is).

 

I got six switch machines off of ebay on Saturday, and as soon as they arrive, installing them will be the next project on my list. 

[ford86]

Pictures are to big to host here but these are some of the things on my workbench  (TO forum name is different from this one)  http://members.trainorders.com/afbombers/ 

 

[brothaslide]

I wish I was model railroading but I am doing business planning.  I own my own business and it's a must you have to do every week. 

[cudaken]

 Right now, trying to keep my Heavy Mike from running into my class J.

 Got a Town in a Box today from E-bay. Mainly DMP's and the paint work is just Great! somewhere around 25 buliding and fit my other section of town perfect. But for what ever reason the bulider did not in stall the window glass? 2 down and adding rooms and floors as I go.

 Next, clean the darn track again!

                    Cuda Ken

[jeffers_mz]

Well. Let's see here. I'm getting ready to put my AR-15 back into its original M-4 configuration and sell all of the tactical accessories off of it to a friend of mine for about $500. I just bought a new truck and am looking for a tool box to put on it as well as a bug guard and a few other items. I've been wanting to build a life size butler for the front hall entrance for a couple of years now, and though I have the head, hands, old tails tuxedo and all, I still need to build the frame for it. There's a new chick that moved in down the street that I've been trying to figure out a way to meet and ask out. Etc, etc. Oh, you meant train related projects. No, I don't have any of those right now...

Tracklayer

 

Irons rule, and don't need batteries, but buttstroking with an M4 gets expensive. Stripping FN mags here, replacing springs, bathing them in unleaded and toothbrushing hundred year old cosmoline out back, taking advantage of some fine weather, 7 down, 15 to go. Then another 30 in 5.56, 20s and 30s. Maybe get out to the range tomorrow, and see if clean new springs make the BAR-10 run right. Hope so, can't get anymore Black Hills Blue Box for the DCM anymore so I'm getting the 10 up to match specs.

Grass needs cut, but that's a full time job in the summer, and the garden is looking good. A five foot high wall of bushy tomato plants, at least 6 pea to marble size tomatoes visible, and just plucked my first green pepper yesterday.

 

Trainwise, knocking out details in areas of the layout that are about to get hard to reach, due to a staging and mainline expansion. Ballast on those sections mostly done, about a foot of double track main to go, and even that's all done but gravel and glue. Seven trees to replant, adding one layer of clear styrofoam glue to the waterfalls about every three days, so it has time to cure and won't create bubbles, then I'm ready to pour water, detail that, finish the free span of the trestle, and then the expansion begins. All the members for the benchwork are cut, (and taking up valuable real estate), still need to stain the legs and braces, and get two matching casters from the hardware store. Need to design and cut pieces for a frame to hold a PC and another for a subwoofer too, they both hang from the benchwork, so it will roll, with only one power line running off layout.

Curves on the two new mainlines will be 22 to 24 inch, finally allowing me to see how my BLI 2-10-4 pulls the new Rivarossi heavyweights, assuming I can drop the lights and people in them sometime soon.

 

Long list, it's a process, not an objective. I sneak in some "track testing" now and then too.

 

:-)

 

[pastorbob]

From the present until the first weekend in August, I am "spiffing", which means getting the railroad in the basement ready for a Mid-Cont./Turkey Creek Div. meeting and open house in KC.  I like open houses as they force me to keep things picked up and repaired.  So I am testing and checking to "green up" the scenery, make sure all the turnouts do,  checking to see that the DCC does, that most diesels are "dust free" and running, and general "spiffing".

 Also trying to get the garden railroad cleared up from all the rain. 

In my spare time, I work.

 

Bob 

 

[MisterBeasley]

I'm just finishing up the turntable project.  I've got to tweak the alignment of some of the tracks, but mostly there's just scenery in the area to do.  I put in a road next to the TT, but it needs some gravel shoulders and guard rails to keep teenagers from driving off the road and into the pit.  (My own daughter goes for her license on Saturday, so that's on my mind.)

After that, I might work on the shopping district, Saint Anne Street.  There's a proposed trolley line that might get run through there, so I've got some Environmental Impact studies to prepare before I can really get started on that.  The old King Coal loading facility needs some work on the solenoids that open and shut the chutes, and then some scenic work around the building and its siding.  Or, I might put in the siding to Strumpet's Brewery.  I might put in the structure for Strumpet's Brewery, too, to give the siding a reason for being there.

[Beach Bill]

For the garden, I'm building a Garden Texture dual water tank, and I'm likely 40% done.  Fitting dowel to smoothly represent pipe joints is not a fast-moving part of the project.   I'm also trying to figure out when to go to the farm supply store to get some "chicken grit" to start ballasting.

For the HO, track-laying will continue on a slow pace.  I did find some nice old Shinohara Code 70 items at the train show in Timonium about two weeks ago, and that will ease that process.

I have also finally made the jump to getting a digital camera (Canon EOS XTi), and have a world of things to learn there.   Life is good.

Bill

[wjstix]

I'm painting the basement walls with "Dry-Lok" or whatever you call it, a white water sealer. It's basically a precaution, haven't had trouble with water in the new basement. Fortunately my wife likes to paint so she's done quite a bit of the painting. Also experimenting with track, painting ties  etc. to see how it looks, what colors work best.

[Cox 47]

I am working on a small coal mine kitbashed from parts from Walthers Red River mine and a hand car set out in my yard....Cox 47

[Dallas Model Works]

...to decide which buildings to salvage from my childhood layout.

I'm currently adding lots and lots of trees with an emphasis on SuperTrees at the moment.

Salvaging buildings from my childhood layout has been ongoing for years. It's probably not the best use of time but, ah, the nostalgia!

[John Busby]

Hi EL PARRo

My latest modeling project is a bit weird and for the other railway.

I am scratch building I.M. Slack Magical Supplies Emporium this is a Warhammer Fantasy meets Model Railways kind of structure built to a nominal (very) 16mm scale for the large scale line.

regards John

[simon1966]

I am in the process of building JL Innovatives Picorelli's Ice cream parlor.

I am going for a peeling paint slightly dilapidated look.

I am putting together a photo sequence as I construct this model.  You can follow along if you want on my Picture Trail site at  http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=16755888&uid=3608462

 

 

[Pruitt]

Installing backdrop support framing for the lower deck near Glenrock. This involves setting the exact height and width of the upper deck benchwork, so the coved corner near the helix will arrive flush with the front edge of the upper deck (to simplify splicing the backdrop into the helix cover later).

then will come backdrop installation itself.