ModelRailroadForums.com is a free
Model Railroad Discussion Forum and
photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.
Slow night tonight on the railroad. The mainline has been ripped up and so traffic and business are kind of slow, waiting for new material to come in as construction on the new double track mainline will start to take place, hence the stack of track to the left of Callico's Creamery.
However there was a small amount of work to do tonight. The crew had an order to spot an empty refrigerator car at Sun Valley Food Service for loading after pulling some empty covered hoppers out of the frozen foods plant. So the white Conrail Refrigerator box car was spotted for loading. Then we had to drop off an empty box car at the cross dock facility for loading a couple trailers of stamped out lawn mower decks from MTD were picked up and are going to be loaded onto a box car for shipping. Waiting for Callico's Creamery (Ice Cream Manufacturer) to call for a switch out. Then a string of empty auto parts box cars sits at Ford Motor Company Central Stamping. Somehow the pool got screwed up and a Norfolk and Western car ended up in the Conrail car pool. That was Friday night on my railroad.
-
IMG_4751.jpeg
655.3 KB
· Views: 208
-
IMG_4750.jpeg
898.6 KB
· Views: 206
-
IMG_4749.jpeg
833.6 KB
· Views: 213
-
IMG_4748.jpeg
688.5 KB
· Views: 214
-
IMG_4752.jpeg
845.9 KB
· Views: 211
Just some boring stuff today. Finished gluing the roadbed for the mainline and continued hooking up feeders.
More track laying tomorrow and Monday back to work

... to earn more train money



starting my last layout...
This module uses all manual turnout control.
It will be the center section with the DCC command station in front(left)
Those are #8 turnouts for a crossover, others are #6.
Northern Pacific history enthusiast
A couple old time box cars I weathered
I don't do a lot of weathering, but I think the trucks turned out nicely. These are old Roundhouse kits.
Dave LASM
I'm at that age when my elderly parents plus my own changing situation consume much of my free time (of which there is not a lot). However, I was happy to continue with the mainline today. Hopefully finish tomorrow
Unlike my first effort, I did not use Anyrail software to design and am winging it. Had some fun today planning how some of my new industries will be placed.
A long way to go but I have some confidence this layout will be fun for operations... my favorite part of model railroading
I'm making rocks. This has intimidated me for the longest and this is one of the easiest things that I've done on my railroad.
-
IMG_2890.jpg
536.7 KB
· Views: 151
-
IMG_2864.jpg
619 KB
· Views: 166
-
IMG_2879.jpg
472.4 KB
· Views: 150
I'm making rocks. This has intimidated me for the longest and this is one of the easiest things that I've done on my railroad.
Right?!?!?

So simple & easy. They look great!!
Northern Pacific history enthusiast
Spent a few hours in the train shed, made 7 trees, landscape the entire hill and placed them...
and organized a couple boxes of people, animals, and details.
Did not get around to running trains, but I was able to do some major cleaning up--
Makes running much more enjoyable to me
Dave LASM
On the “purchasing” thread, I told of buying lumber for the next section of my road. Well I’ve built that section:
My build process has been to complete sections as I go, at least to operating track on plywood. It spreads out the cost, and lets me operate trains as I build. But I’m having second thoughts on that. I may just go ahead and build the benchwork for sections 7, 8 and 9, and add track as my budget allows. I’d like to have the road ready for Ops Around the Clock in October, and a surge of builds would help on that.
Section 7 will be especially interesting, as it is the one section where I’ll be building a frame and using risers to change elevation.
And here’s section 7 frame. The largest opening will be left open, behind a vision block, for service access. I’ve tacked the risers in their approximate positions. First plywood is ready to cut. Overall size is about 7 by 5+ feet.
-
image.jpg
922.6 KB
· Views: 139
Northern Pacific history enthusiast
I built a bunch of trees, supposed to be Jack Pines, common in drier sites, sandy soils like those around Grantsburg WI
Here they are, installed on the layout:
Thanks for looking,
Dave LASM
Proudly modeling the CM, MT & SL in HO Scale
After a bit of a hiatus, I have some new action to report. Some of it has been there for a short time and I just got around to taking photos, and some of it is just within the past month or so.
First up is some wildlife that I added around the layout.
I stuck the deer on little finished bases, since they don't stand on their own very well and I plan on moving them around every so often.
Next up is a new mining spur that I spliced into the Cripple Creek/Victor yards. I have a zoomed out shot showing it crossing CO67 in Victor, the little are of exposed foam had a house there that I removed for the spur and an ore bin I plan to build. I also scratch-built the trestle for it over Poverty Gulch, and lastly, I have a photo of a gold mine cutaway scene that I'm building under the site for the ore bin.
I've made some more progress but not very much. The mainline is done and I've started the arrival departure tracks for the yard.
On top of everything else on my plate I bought a new truck. I had to take all the tools and materials out of my old one and all that crap is in the train room until I get new tool boxes on the new truck. Makes it too hard to work on the layout

. I've ordered the new boxes and hopefully they'll be installed no later than next week

Northern Pacific history enthusiast
Off and on rain all day, so made progress in the train shed, started up using up the last of my 50# bag of hydrocal, was able to clean out that paraphernalia and get a couple small projects done, too
First I needed to finish off the Sandstone quarry wall:
got it painted as well:
Then needed to make an addition on this hill for a gravel extraction scene:
One of my favorite things about this medium is how fast it sets up, in less than a half an hour I have a stone hard surface, ready to paint
Always a good feeling for me to get some materials used up and cleaned up, the big steam shovel and a dump truck, a few people will go here
Thanks for looking!! Dave LASM
On my latest added section, I scratch-built this concrete bridge. I added a cable conduit and Tichy iron pipe railings.
-
image.jpg
1.1 MB
· Views: 140
Excellent modelling by everyone. Well done.
On my latest added section, I scratch-built this concrete bridge. I added a cable conduit and Tichy iron pipe railings.
The conduit and railings are a nice touches.
Some of the locomotives are in the process of being painted blue. They will be freight engines. Awaiting nameplates which seem to be taking an eternity to arrive.
Some of the locomotives are in the process of being painted blue. They will be freight engines. Awaiting nameplates which seem to be taking an eternity to arrive.
View attachment 232748
Blue is your favorite color? Me too.
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website
(Learn More Here)