BACK with a VeNgEaNcE

[Nomad]

Gary, there is nothing wrong with the waybill system or that program that I could find. The program works exactly as stated by the author.( who was a big help when I was setting up the program). Here is the link just in case.
Shenware Waybills

Lets just say it's me that causes the problem.
And those lighted buttons sound like a great idea, in case one of the timers might malfunction.:thumb:

Loren

 

[Gary S.]

Mikey, Kurt, Dean-o, thanks for welcoming me back.

Hmmm.... have I been noticing some of The Gauge members hanging out at MTW?

As for me, I need to take some pics for y'all. Right now, the layout shelves look like a total wreck because I have been working my tail off laying track. The layout is piled with:

rulers, straight edges, rail cutters, knives, glue bottles, pins, cork waste, wire, hammers, screws, solder and iron, flux, blue foam waste, needle nose pliers, pencils, magnets, drinking cups, caulk, spackling, sanding block, putty knife, rags, files, test cars, rail joiners, battery drill and bits, on and on.

It is unbelievable what a mess I can make when I'm hard at it.

 

[Nomad]

Naw, that not unbelievable. Sounds about normal to me.

Loren

 

[Gary S.]

Geez I have been busy at work, but I am still making alot of progress on the layout.

Here is the info for the flyer for the layout tour:

Nov 24, 25 Gary XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX Lane XXXX, TX
HO Scale

1pm-5pm First time on layout tour! My layout represents a short line which switches an industrial area with 2 interchanges, one Santa Fe and one Southern Pacific. The era is loosely based on the 70s. The layout is of the shelf type, with approximately 75 feet of shelves, and around 200 feet of track. It is a point-to-point railroad with emphasis on operations. The industries are large kit bashed structures which butt up against the backdrop as building flats. Most of the buildings are not complete - the structures themselves have been started but lack details and paint. The majority of the track work is completed. Unfortunately I have not started scenery yet. I am using Digitrax DCC Super-Empire Builder for controls. My turn-outs are controlled using pushrods connected to homemade
mechanisms under the layout. My railroad in its current state, would be very interesting to someone who is planning on building their own layout. They would be able to see a layout under construction. The turn-out controls and magnets
would be of interest to someone considering an operation-oriented layout. I certainly will let any visitors operate the trains and try their hand at setting out cars using the uncoupling magnets.

wow I sure have a lot of work to do in the next couple of months.

 

[Nomad]

Great flier, Gary:thumb:. I would like to suggest you put your track plan on the flier too. Or hang a printout on a wall. Make it better for any visitors that would like to operate. I have operated at clubs that didn't have that and it can be pretty frustrating.

Loren

 

[Gary S.]

The info on my layout will be on the "big list" of layouts which will be placed at hobby shops around Houston. There are 85 (!) layouts on the tour, which lasts from the beginning of October to the end of November. Each layout is set for a particular weekend, and they try to do it by area so that visitors can hit several layouts in the same area on the same day.

Your idea of making a large drawing of the layout and tacking it on the wall for visitors to see is a good one. I just hope I have some visitors because I am pretty far down south from Houston.

 

[Nomad]

Don't worry. Gas prices are going down.:thumb:
85 layouts ! But didn't you say you only found 1 club in the area?

Loren

 

[MilesWestern]

Congrats Gary!!

I wish I could be there to visit! It's a bit far from CA to "XXXX, Tx"

 

[steamhead]

Hi Gary...Good to se you back at work (train work...). Sounds like you'll have your hands full from now 'till November. How far south..?? I might brave gas prices and take a run up there, as long as it doesn't mean going INTO Houston.

 

[Gary S.]

Loren: This is the GrEaTeR HoUsToN area which is an area about 80 miles by 80 miles. Pretty huge. So yeah, there are several clubs around and in Houston. However, most of them are just too far for me to drive to. There is one that is only 10 miles from me, with a 50 x 50 building with a huge layout, but I only went there once, just been too busy with my own layout ya know.

Miles: Sorry about the distance. But I'll have to post some photos soon.

Steamhead: Thanks for the encouragement. I'm about 30 miles south of downtown, so that is still a pretty long haul from Brownsville. I wouldn't recommend the drive just to see MY layout, but there are others in the "area" that you could visit, maybe make a day of it. Hmmm... are you coming to the Train Show at the G.R. Brown CC in Houston? November 3rd and 4th I believe? If you are, maybe you could stop by on the way?

 

[Gary S.]

Oh... and it is after midnight, but I am still pounding away on the layout. Just taking a break right now. I got the track put in for the small engine service area. That leaves me with one little spur to do and my trackwork will be C O M P L E T E! ops:

 

[Gary S.]

After I finished laying the track for the loco service area, I threw together one of the structures and added some detail parts inside, all scratchbuilt from various shapes of plastic strips and brass wire and odds and ends.

 

[MilesWestern]

EXCELLENT WORK! I reall link how your interior details and how you're the FIRST person I've known to add the steel superstructure of those popular pikestuff kits. Impressive! I'll be excitied what the future hold in store for your layout.

 

[Nomad]

Nice, Gary. I like it.:thumb:

Loren

 

[Gary S.]

Thanks guys.

I built the foundation out of 1/8" thick floor tile and some plastic strip to go up against the track. Then I glued some "concrete" footings onto that, one at each corner and a few in between to match the metal superstructure inside. The building slides down on the footings and is held snugly in place, but is removable if I want to add more details, lighting, or if I need to clean the track.

I'm real happy with how it turned out. I need to take a couple more photos with a flash so the interior details show up better.

 

[Gary S.]

Photos with flash:

 

[doctorwayne]

Very nicely done, Gary. I like your method of fixing the structure in place, too. :thumb::thumb:

Wayne