What's happening on your layout?

[Mopac Junkie]

Just utilizing the space best I can. No issues there though!

 

[Canalligator]

Good advise! I work in construction and didn't pay a penny for a bunch of 3" foam.

I built most of a 21’x21’ railroad out of the electronics scrap cargotainers at work, and construction roll-offs from building my neighbors’ houses.

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

I managed to get a few things done over the past week or so. With the exception of some light weathering I intend to do on the corrugated metal roof, I finally completed the machine shop on the Old Colorado City section of my layout, and I also spliced in another turnout on the OCC end to provide an alternate exit/entrance for the turntable. I've also been painting in a very large number of trees on the mural on the Cripple Creek end. I'd post some photos, but I've yet to take some new ones.

Finally took some new photos of the machine shop.

It's all done except for some light weathering. It isn't glued down, so I may add an interior and some lighting down the road. The bulb poking out of the plywood is for the office building.
I forgot to take one of the new turnout and the mural, but you can kind of see the mural behind MT 61 in this photo.

 

[BigGRacing]

I forgot to take one of the new turnout and the mural, but you can kind of see the mural behind MT 61 in this photo.

The layout is continuing to grow! Looking great!

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

The layout is continuing to grow! Looking great!

Thanks!

 

[Rico]

I finally got around to hooking up some bi-color LED's in line with my Tortoises last night!
Green shows the routes that the switch is thrown for, the three lights at the crossover to the right look all red in the picture but the center is actually yellow to indicate restricted speed thru diverging.

The toggles and lights to the left indicate occupied tracks in staging.
In this case the train on track two will exit westbound and hold at the crossover while the train on track one will exit stage right as “Snaggle-Puss” would say and cross over to the station at the far right switch.
I have a whiteboard that lists train names, direction, and control type just below the fascia.

 

[PMW]

I finally got around to hooking up some bi-color LED's in line with my Tortoises last night!
Green shows the routes that the switch is thrown for, the three lights at the crossover to the right look all red in the picture but the center is actually yellow to indicate restricted speed thru diverging.

The toggles and lights to the left indicate occupied tracks in staging.
In this case the train on track two will exit westbound and hold at the crossover while the train on track one will exit stage right as “Snaggle-Puss” would say and cross over to the station at the far right switch.
I have a whiteboard that lists train names, direction, and control type just below the fascia.
View attachment 200237

I love that. It looks great

 

[PMW]

Thought I'd share a couple of vids of some switching happening this afternoon in Meridian Yard. Man, I need backdrops (and a million other things)

 

[PMW]

Hmm, here's the other one

 

[Mopac Junkie]

Started my back drop and am making trees.

 

[Mopac Junkie]

Adding some details to the engine house

 

[Colbert]

Started my back drop

Nice work. How did you make it ?

 

[John from Indiana]

I think I posted this on the wrong topic.
I have a lot of my remaining turnouts are close to the layout edges, I was thinking of using Caboose Industries 204 manual turnouts. My top layer of the layout is 2-inch thick pink foam and that is not strong enough to attach a manual turnout of this type. What do you guys use for these types of turnouts to secure them to foam? I was thinking of maybe 0.5 inch thick x 0.75 square wood, dig out a hole in the foam and secure the wood with plaster, and then attach the turnout to that...any thoughts on that.

 

[Mopac Junkie]

Nice work. How did you make it ?

Thanks. Just some cheap Apple Barrel craft paint from Wal Mart. Painted the sky blue, added hills in different colors and layers. I’m working on painting trees on it now.

 

[Mopac Junkie]

I think I posted this on the wrong topic.
I have a lot of my remaining turnouts are close to the layout edges, I was thinking of using Caboose Industries 204 manual turnouts. My top layer of the layout is 2-inch thick pink foam and that is not strong enough to attach a manual turnout of this type. What do you guys use for these types of turnouts to secure them to foam? I was thinking of maybe 0.5 inch thick x 0.75 square wood, dig out a hole in the foam and secure the wood with plaster, and then attach the turnout to that...any thoughts on that.

All of mine are hot glued in place

 

[John from Indiana]

I'm about ready to give up, After 3-4 of not being able to run any trains on my layout (wiring problem) and finally started ripping out wire and finally got trains to run. I started to run a buss wire for the track and installed tortoise switch machine to existing turnouts and I have a dead short again. Tony's Trains Circuit Breakers are flashing and I get continuity across the rails of each rail on a piece of track. I have tried everything to find the short...hooking up a Tortoise switch machine should matter I don't think...I've been trying to find the new short for a 5 days now, almost every track feed is disconnected. Today I will take the 'Rails" feed from my digitrax DB140 and connect it to a 3-foot section of track. I had 5 Tony's circuit breakers hooked up and one was always flashing, I switched the wires from that one to another and same thing. I don't want to start removing pieces of track; but I'm about at my wit's end

 

[Rico]

Yikes, that will drive a guy nuts for sure!
Sounds like you’re going thru things systematically tho, hope you work it out.
I know nothing of the Tony’s CB's, I use the NCE switch8’s with my tortoises.

 

[Colbert]

What's happening on your layout ? Today, absolutely nothing !

 

[Myrastation]

My “layout” is in the planning stage only. I have Christmas presents to finish so my time is spent in my workshop until those are done.

 

[John from Indiana]

I'm about ready to give up, After 3-4 of not being able to run any trains on my layout (wiring problem) and finally started ripping out wire and finally got trains to run. I started to run a buss wire for the track and installed tortoise switch machine to existing turnouts and I have a dead short again. Tony's Trains Circuit Breakers are flashing and I get continuity across the rails of each rail on a piece of track. I have tried everything to find the short...hooking up a Tortoise switch machine should matter I don't think...I've been trying to find the new short for a 5 days now, almost every track feed is disconnected. Today I will take the 'Rails" feed from my digitrax DB140 and connect it to a 3-foot section of track. I had 5 Tony's circuit breakers hooked up and one was always flashing, I switched the wires from that one to another and same thing. I don't want to start removing pieces of track; but I'm about at my wit's end

Using only an OHM meter; I have found (I hope) the start of the problem. All wires are disconnected from the track and I still have a short circuit. Somewhere there is a problem. I think I have found the beginning of the problem; only after another 6 hours of trouble shooting. I am using my OHM meter to find continuity between the rails on any give piece of track...if it reads continuity, that's a problem ( I think ). I have isolated the start and tomorrow I will continue...I only know so many swear words and I have used them all up. Sunday is a new day; but it's also Pizza Day for Joan and me (don't know how many left before surgery)...I get tired (at 80 from climbing under the layout and bouncing up to try a new reading, all for not. It's 4pm here and I'm done for today