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+--- Thread: Charlie b's layout (/showthread.php?tid=2463)
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 11-26-2010
tomustang Wrote:Thanks Tom.Charlie B Wrote:my layout....
Yep just damn, I know I haven't commented in here alot and well the reason is damn! Saying your progress is bad-a** every time you post another image would be too repetitive. I love the progress, love the concepts, love you can go all out more than most of us can with that size. Kudos to all your work
I started a layout in 1984 at my other house. It is in a 17X28 foot room and the minimum radius curve is 36 inches. When I lost my job in 1994 and got the job running the railroad we just couldn't afford to drive the 75 miles one way, not to mention the 4 hours a day we would have commuting. I put one of my kids in the house to keep it occupied or I would not have been able to insure it. That was going to be my last layout.
(It is still in tact and runable although far from finished, and won't be now)I spent the first 10 years of my life along the Bayard branch of the PRR, then the next 5 along the Pittsburgh/Chicago mainline, then another year and a half living about 300 feet from the Bayard again. I guess that explains why I am a PRR nut, but I'm not going to follow any hard set rules. I hate rules so I will run what I want, when I want it.
I have a lot of friends that were my volunteers at the Kiski Junction, and I hope to have them over at least 2 times a year to operate.
Other than the dogs I am fortunate that I have no other vices to take my money. I quit smoking 2 years ago, and the few beers I drink wouldn't keep an HO scale brewery in operation.
I like running long trains at times, and I like the idea of running helpers too. I'm looking forward to the scenery.
I don't wish to be the envy of anyone, I just want to share what I have. This has been a life long dream.
Thanks for all the interest and all of the input from all of you, and lets just say, Merry Christmas to all.
Charlie
Re: Charlie b's layout - cn nutbar - 11-26-2010
Hi Charlie---your layout is proof that dreams can come true---it's also an inspiration for modellers like myself who dream of one day having our own layout
Re: Charlie b's layout - Gary S - 11-26-2010
Hey Charlie, I enjoyed your reply to Tom - enjoyed the brief life history and your perspective. Great to see you enjoying the hobby so much.
So did y'all get snow?
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 11-26-2010
Hi Gary, No Snow, in fact other than being bitter cold it was a beautiful sunny day.
Charlie
Re: Charlie b's layout - Gary S - 11-26-2010
Get this... yesterday and the day before we had temps in the high 70s low 80s. Tonight we are supposed to hit 33 degrees! Talk about a change!
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 12-02-2010
Hi all
A little work on the branch lines , some shoulder work and ballasting. I have 34 feet of 4 track main to finish putting down stone but I have to screen some more. I have about 40 pounds of the simulated cinder left for the branches.
I also stapled some screen to reinforce where the hard shell will be. I'm going to use the old methods in a few places, and foam in others.
Been bitter cold here the past couple of days, with snow on the ground, though not much, The dogs are loving it.
Charlie
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 12-07-2010
I was able to finish putting down the ballast on the mainline today. It will take a couple of days to dry, then I'll clean the tops of the ties a little better, then I'll probably slow down until the Christmas season is over. There are a lot of little elves that want to see the trains run so I will keep everything runable until the First.
I have lots of building repairs that need done. I bought lots of assembled buildings from an older fellow that was giving up the hobby a couple of years ago and many of them need to be cleaned and some repair work to many of the glue joints.
I also have 10 or 12 more old P2K locomotives that need new axle gears. Many of them need all 4 replaced. I bought 100 gears, and I wonder if I'll have enough. I even found one Athearn unit with a split gear (the gear is the same).
Charlie
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 12-12-2010
I had to break the boredom today, so I tuned up a pair of old Athearn F7 units, cleaned and lubed everything. These units are 30 years old, and they run great once again, and these two are pretty quiet. I do need to do some exterior cleaning and straightening of the antennas.
Charlie
Re: Charlie b's layout - nachoman - 12-12-2010
I'm still lovin' that 4-track main!
Re: Charlie b's layout - Gary S - 12-12-2010
Good to see the ol' Athearns run again. What have you been up to lately besides running trains?
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 12-12-2010
Gary S Wrote:Good to see the ol' Athearns run again. What have you been up to lately besides running trains?I haven't actually been running them much. I'm ready to start some scenery, but not really in the right mode yet. I've been repairing some damage on some of the pre-assembled buildings I have acquired, and I have been replacing axle gears on my 4 axle Life-Like early P2K's, and I even found that my 4 axle Athearn units have the same cracked gears. I bought 12 packages of gears a couple of years ago, they come 6 in a package, and I don't know if I will have enough.
My mother gave me some money for my birthday, said she wanted me to buy something for the layout that would remind me of her after she goes. She is an avid coffee lover, so I got the Miller Engineering H&C coffee sign, and it is one great addition to the layout.
We had quite a few of the animated signs around Pittsburgh in the 50's so it will fit right in.
And, of course I have to keep things running because all the little elves come to see the choo choos.
Keep warm.
Charlie
Re: Charlie b's layout - Gary S - 12-12-2010
Very cool, great sign, and something for Mom.
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 12-15-2010
It was very cold here yesterday so I turned up the heat and started some work on the hard shell scenery. I don't know if anyone but me does it this way any more, but I will use it on a lot of the smaller areas on the pike.
I used to use the windshield washing paper towels like you find at service stations to wash your car windows, but not having access to these I thought I would try Scott Shop Towels, the kind that you buy in a roll to use as rags. They are a little more expensive, but I found they are very easy to mold.
I used Dura-Bond 45 for the plaster medium, and thank you Drwayne for this tip. The combination is very easy to work with.
I started with some rolled/balled newspaper to provide support under the small areas that needed it and I have foam insulation under the bigger sections as well as some areas that are supported with screen.
I spread the Dura-bond on the backside of the towels, then applied them to the area, then spread the durabond on the other side. After this has set I will add more plaster for more dimension to the areas.
Charlie
Re: Charlie b's layout - Charlie B - 12-17-2010
A little more hard shell work today, I am really enjoying not having to leave the house in this lousy weather. Man it has been cold here, we have been setting record lows for 2 weeks.
We have been lucky with the snow as we have only had a total of about 12 inches so far this winter, but just north of us they have had almost 48 inches so far, and 54 for the whole winter is normal. We have just been out of the lake effect bands.
Charlie
Re: Charlie b's layout - Ralph - 12-18-2010
Great to see those mountains taking shape Charlie! I also like the Atheran Pennsy power pictured above!