What did you do on your layout today? (N scale)

[Khaul]

Today I did, well, more ballasting. I am getting quite happy with the results.

 

I left it like that last week.

 

This week I filled the gap behind the gutter.

 

This DE10 found a red signal at the station entrance.

[gavino200]

I finally got my snow plow running. My first Japanese shunter. Can't wait to get more. 

 

[Pauljag900]

 

 

The old mountain that I removed from the old layout and framework for the new one.

looks like I ll have to chop it up and re scenic it,it fits on top ok but everything Is facing the wrong way,so tomorrow I ll start chopping it up and getting it in place on the new framework.

Edited May 13, 2018 by Pauljag900

[railsquid]

Messing around with tunnel scenery. Coaches and locomotive are ancient Tomix and Kato respectively.

 

layout-2018-05-14a by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

layout-2018-05-14b by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

layout-2018-05-14c by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

layout-2018-05-14d by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

layout-2018-05-14e by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

[railsquid]

A bit more messing about in the tunnel area, facilitating some time travel back to the late 1980s or early 1990s.

 

tunnel-azusa-183-series by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

 

 

 

To remind myself I'm actually making some progress, more-or-less the same location in December 2017:

 

tunnel-azusa by Rail Squid, on Flickr

Edited May 16, 2018 by railsquid

[Pauljag900]

 

I love those high cab trains👍😀

[Pauljag900]

 

 

Finished the shrine module today which will sit just in front of the mountain.

appologies to sammy for the cheap cars and buses but will replace Sammy I promise👍😀😂

[gavino200]

Holy crap! Are you working 24/7 on this thing? Nice work!

[Pauljag900]

Ha ha, I have the advantage of no work buddy while I recover from surgery so plenty of time on my hands👍😂😂😀

[JR 500系]

10 hours ago, Pauljag900 said:

 

 

Finished the shrine module today which will sit just in front of the mountain.

appologies to sammy for the cheap cars and buses but will replace Sammy I promise👍😀😂

 

Fantastic scenery! I love it! Yeah Paul you must be the most hardworking member to be constantly working and sharing your layout progress!

 

No worries, but DO get them replaced... while those cars and buses are great as a filler and have lights, the tomytec ones will surely shame them with their details... 

[Pauljag900]

 

placed the shrine module back on the layout and conected the lights up.

[Pauljag900]

 

 

Laid the farm and buildings on the mountain module and now waiting for the wire mesh to arrive

[railsquid]

I hit on a cunning plan to hide the gap between scenery blocks.

 

tree-scenery-2018-05-18 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[bill937ca]

6 minutes ago, railsquid said:

I hit on a cunning plan to hide the gap between scenery blocks.

 

tree-scenery-2018-05-18 by Rail Squid, on Flickr

 

Excellent solution to a common problem.

[Khaul]

I have been working on an experimental diorama. I am almost done with the easy bits:

 

1. Painting the tracks using a brutal mass production approach 😁 The cheap art shop acrylic sticks very well to the rails. Excess paint in the sleepers is easy to take off with cotton bud soaked in isopropyl alcohol. Once the paint is dry I remove it from the top of the rail with a Peco rail cleaner rubber. I also clean the contacts at the ends of the track. 

 

2. Adding track side vegetation, a little crossing (I may add more features later), and catenary posts at the right height.

 

3. Testing for electrical connectivity. All good. The track is a bit unintentionally wonky. Between that and the foam it makes a nice sound when trains go by. Note that I was not satisfied with the length of the diorama so I added another 186mm piece to it. I wish I could thinks better before starting to work, but well, it is just an experiment.

 

I'll tackle the hard part of the experiment soon.

Edited May 21, 2018 by Khaul

[gavino200]

52 minutes ago, Khaul said:

I have been working on an experimental diorama. I am almost done with the easy bits:

 

1. Painting the tracks using a brutal mass production approach 😁 The cheap art shop acrylic sticks very well to the rails. Excess paint in the sleepers is easy to take off with cotton bud soaked in isopropyl alcohol. Once the paint is dry I remove it from the top of the rail with a Peco rail cleaner rubber. I also clean the contacts at the ends of the track. 

 

 

 

2. Adding track side vegetation, a little crossing (I may add more features later), and catenary posts at the right height.

 

 

3. Testing for electrical connectivity. All good. The track is a bit unintentionally wonky. Between that and the foam it makes a nice sound when trains go by. Note that I was not satisfied with the length of the diorama so I added another 186mm piece to it. I wish I could thinks better before starting to work, but well, it is just an experiment.

 

I'll tackle the hard part of the experiment soon.

 

That looks nice. How did you do the grass? Did you use one of those 'static grass' devices?

[Kiha66]

Nothing too exciting, just a load of dishes.

Got a set of used track a few months back, but it was so dusty and dirty I never wanted to use it.  Hopefully some scrubbing will clean it back to like new.

[Khaul]

2 hours ago, gavino200 said:

 

That looks nice. How did you do the grass? Did you use one of those 'static grass' devices?

 

I don't know until now about the static grass devices. I'll take a look at them.

 

I've got three different bags of Noch green fluff plus Kato looking style ballast and something that resembles dirt. I always collect the leftovers in a little bowl. This time I asked one of my sons to mix the leftovers with some new fluff. I just sparkled the mix next to the track trying to cover all the white area. Then I wet the grass with drops of isopropyl alcohol and applied white glue mixed with water. This time the glue mix was too watery so it took ages to dry. My wife said I made a really bad lawn, and that she does not like lawns anyway. I told her that this is supposed to the wild weeds.

[serotta1972]

1 hour ago, Kiha66 said:

Nothing too exciting, just a load of dishes.

Got a set of used track a few months back, but it was so dusty and dirty I never wanted to use it.  Hopefully some scrubbing will clean it back to like new.

 

The uni-joiners are still okay to reuse? I"m still going back and forth whether to use the plate track on the T-Trak modules.

[Kiha66]

6 minutes ago, serotta1972 said:

The uni-joiners are still okay to reuse? I"m still going back and forth whether to use the plate track on the T-Trak modules.

 

One set was already shot, the rest seem to be ok but I'll be doing a test run tomorrow after a quick polish of all the rail surfaces.  I've been debating the same as the plate track is so nice to use on the table top, I kinda want to save then for temporary layouts.  

[Pauljag900]

 

 

Laid the farm

 

Today was a beautifull day,for plastercloth on the mountain.

[Pauljag900]

And after 

 

 

 Next step will be to smoooth out the nooks and crannies and any awkward bits with a bit of all purpose filler then determine what will be rock face,bushy mountain ,roads etc.

 

[buckingham]

Good work.  And you are right , such lovely weather that we are having at the moment - nice to work outside.

[Khaul]

I have taken a deep breath and started the hard part of my experiment.

 

Mmm, the messenger wire fell off here. Rats!

 

We need a bit more tension in the conductor, but not looking too bad.

 

Looking almost good. I'll let the glue dry overnight.

[JR 500系]

Cool! that looks really nice! Do you mind sharing what is the material you use for the wires?