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I got roads to cut in yet. Don't know if i want pavement or sand.
I ran out of Plaster cloth so i ordered more but will take awhile to get here. I can't do much more on the mine till i get plaster, so i work on models. I have four more buildings to build yet. shots below,Smoke
been working on the second tower for the mine head frame. I got the first building which is a ramp that takes cars up to a spot where the cars dump there load into the N scale hoppers. I ran into a issue where the little hopper mine cars are almost double or so from the first tower. Not sure why. I like the bigger cars. So i am going to play a trick to the layout with the small cars on the back side and the big cars up towards the front. Maybe i can get away with that. Shot below
I switched plans and instead of piecing the top together, i went and got a couple of pieces that are 4 foot long and ready to cover the track for the Hayden Jct.It looks way better I got the front side and the room side done and i am planning to get the back side today. It means climbing the tunnel under the layout to get there. I get that part done and all i have left is wiring the track and turnouts. Shots below, Smokey
Smoke, on the back edge of the tunnel, could you cut the top to leave it open to reach and build up a view block in front of it to camouflage the track so you wouldn't have to crawl under? Or am I misunderstanding about having to crawl under?
The crawl under is temp as i have the layout away from the wall. Not a issue. I am getting to where i can shove it back to the wall. Its close to being mainly done. The middle area is the big hole where i am thinking of putting a small airport in. I want to find a small hospital, one story and small enough to place a helo pad in, Across the road from the fire dept and smelter complex. I want to find a small strip mall that could handle say 6 stores in it. I need a elementary school and a small high school. those are the biggest things on my mind for the layout.
Glad to hear on the crawling, my days of doing that are either far over or better have been an earthquake!
You know a lot of the smaller local Urgent Cares now have the helo pads for emergency dispatch.
If the schools aren't real close to the front there's an outfit called Outland on ebay that sells 3d printed school buses for $5, I have been real pleased with their autos on my layout.
Cool, I will check it out. Starting to make a list. Guess we shall see how this works out. I am getting real close to running trains around from one side to the other. I have a couple of wires needed to be connected before i run them. I hate crawling under the layout to get to the other side. I get the last of the plaster done and the wiring done and i will be ready to clean up the track and run trains!
pretty much everything else is done. Wiring and cleaning track is pretty much whats left. Biggest thing is when you are stuck with a set length of wire from a turnout ya got to extend the length that slows me down so much. I was using my ole trusty wire strippers, and was having issues with striping the wire. Went to my favorite tool store and picked up a couple of different cutters so it should make my work easier. I have been buying new tools as i needed them and i have pretty much replaced most with new or newer tools my other half is giving me the old evil eye because i have spent over 3000.00 bucks on the rr or tools and other supplys like brushes and things like that. three months and it don't take long to drain the piggybank!! It should last a long time. Like DeaconKC said climbing under the layout and doing things under the layout ain't fun. He must be getting old like me. Can't believe i turn 74 this September. Well coffee break is done so back to work. Some shots below, Smoke
I've had two neck and one lower back surgery. I have that fun most of the time. Most of my time is sitting and building models. watching movies or being on this computer. And playing taxi service. The trains is what keeps me alive. Walking and swimming are kinda out of my area of doing. I used to swim a lot, but my legs are not up to it anymore. Yard work isn't a thing for me so i pay for grass cutting. I am glad i have my Veterans benefits. They won't try anymore surgery. Last one was 10 years ago. So i putter around here with the hobby i chose and do whatever i can. I wish i could move back to San Manuel but my lungs cannot handle the 5000+ height from sea level. As it was i had Oxygen till this year and I still have it at night. My lungs were damaged in the surgery, and its taken almost 10 years to get where i am now. I live at 1000 feet and thats my limit pretty much. Doctors said i should move to a more sea level area. I have a nephew that owns this house and another one that lives with us. We are doing baby-sitting with him. Hes not doing well his own self. So i am committed to watching him and having cheap rent till something happens.
over a week ago i was having issues like all summer so far. Here in Texas, everyone fights allergies here in the summer months. Mine has turned into a inner ear infection. I am taking all kinds of meds i can't spell for a sickness i can't spell so i haven't done anything. I loose my balance pretty easy. Things are not fun right now. I remind myself it looks like Red Skeleton when he did the drunk scenes. The layout is now the electrical issue work and i hate electrical issues. I have 12 electric leads for power to the track. I also have a separate power pack that powers the turnouts on the layout. Thats 11 of them. I numbered all of them so i could figure out which one is at what switch. Here is where it gets weird. turnouts 1-5 work perfect! 6-11 will not work at all. So i got some probing to do to fix that issue.i tried to split the stack into the that isn't helping so i got to try and figure out what is wrong. always something on the railroad. Laters, Smokey
Still fighting the cold but i did make out whats with the turnouts. I found a broken wire and that was a easy fix so turnouts work. I got other stuff to work on but i am not interested in standing or getting onto the back side to probe electrical issues right now. The track is dirty and that being cleaned will most likely clear up most of the issues and then i can work on fixing any others that still stand out. it may be a few more days till i post again. Nothing much else is happening on the layout. This cold takes over as my latest job. Its almost two weeks now. I just can't seem to kick this one. Anyway, see you later, smoke
Thanks. i am slowly opening up boxes to find what i don't need, find what i need or something i will never use. Sounds like fun huh? I have been buying a crate and loading it with something left over that basically never ever use so i am making trash. what happens is the crate gets kinda full so i buy another crate. This has been happening for around 4-5 years and what i end up with is 6 or so crates that i have no way of seeing into them and they hold just leftover pieces of junk. Junk breeds Junk. I have just throw-ed it under the layout. I have emptied out 4 crates and now have two left. I went thru the first one and realized i found a crate that needs a jack to move out from under the layout. Its full of photo Albums i forgot about. Debs family and mine. Our kids and that was a nice ride down memory lane. The other is full of stuff i may or not use again. I just might have another empty crate.
I am in ordering mode for August. I need lights and switches and some kind of panel to mount the switches on. Nothing over say 14 volts. I think the power supply says 13.6 vdc. I am going to light some of the buildings on this layout for nighttime use if it is required. I cannot tell if they did the mine at night or not. I am not getting much info on that. its getting harder to find out what was or wasn't used or needed. I will light the buildings up on the layout. My idea. I am also needing roads and a runway for this part of the layout. Am checking it out now.
I have the plaster to remold the mountain where the mine is. Got the roads and i am going to use that to also make a runway. For the lighting, I plan to use the Woodland scenics Just plug lighting system. They have everything needed for the lighting i need. will be pricey but worth it.
Well. I got about 85 % of the stuff i ordered. Still missing the street lights and the other switches for the power. I got the hangers and two airplanes. I am going to have to get the layout up and away from the wall. Not going to be fun but will be required so i can drill the right holes for wiring and to make the lighting work. I have to wait for that wiring stuff to come in. Meanwhile i have the airplanes and hanger to finish or build and that is fun too!! I will get some shots after they are finished. Now i have something to do. Fun times again.
It took awhile,, but everything is in. Not sure i need anything else right now, But i can get it if i need. I got lights and switches for lighting. I am working on the airplanes and when not doing that, I have been working on one of the 7 engines i have. I have 4 running so far. three i am working on. I know one is a lost cause. the other two may come back... not sure. I may have to get another engine to get things moving. will see. anyway, i am slowly getting things done. its coming together slowly i like it. Will get some pictures together soon. Smoke
I got 5 engines running now. I know they never had a FP7a on the Smarrco but i am going to use it as it is pretty new and runs great. Its a Kato model. So I got 2 BLI NW-2'S to run. Have a 44 ton switcher than is a Bachmann that runs pretty good as well. I also got a S-2 that is a great runner. So i have 5 engines total and am trying to work on the RS-2's. I have one that hit the floor and screwed up the dcc chip. I saw smoke and glowing red when i put it back on the track. Its a total dead solder. The other the chip is screwing around. It will light the front light and run forwards. when i want reverse the front light stays on and engine won't move. So i think it had a bad dcc chip in it as well. Need to figure out what will work in them. Thats where i am right now. More fun...
