Hello friends. It's been a while since I posted anything but it's been a busy fall. Retired Sept 30. Wife retired 2 weeks later. We packed up and moved from Florida to Michigan at the end of October. Been getting settled in ever since. Ordered my benchwork and that should be here in 2 weeks. Also ordered all my track that I will need to build the new layout. Got most of it this weekend. The rest will be here this coming week. One disappointment though. I ordered a glass top work table that will roll under the layout.

It has been 20 weeks since I finished dismantling the layout in Flin Flon, and about 8 weeks since we moved into our new home here in Emo. This is the first weekend I have had time to work on model railroading again. 

A couple of weeks ago, reading the Proto Throttle thread and contemplating the experiences that I’ve had and advice I’ve received over a couple of years, I finally decided to pull the trigger on upgrading my DCC system to meet the new demands I expect to put on it this year.

Facebook Page of my layout.  Let me now if the link works.  Thanks!

https://www.facebook.com/141854396295857/photos/pcb.307724256375536/307724089708886/?type=3&theater

Model a concrete egded platform with asfalt/tarmak surface using Styrofoam. Detailed guide DIY explaining how to get a realistic result.
 

No sure how much this topic has had devoted to this but it strikes me that the typical closed boxcar is a great resonance chamber, my thoughts are to simply put some sort of stuffing into space to "kill" the sound waves and potentially help quieten the unwanted noises. I've posted some images below of before and after. 

Here is the video up date for November 2017 hope you enjoy it.

Mike

The penultimate structure to be added to the model Great Western Loveland yard is the wet hopper used to unload beet cars, usually hopper cars or drop bottom gondolas.  Since there are no commercial HO model kits even remotely similar, I needed to challenge myself and scratch build it.  The comments below show the process and the current status.

It’s Birthday time coming around and my son appears to want to see me get back in the shop by sending me some new (used) books for inspiration. A journal post by Rene Gourley has me inspired to get down to practicing more and these books are filled with projects and instruction. 

I would be interested in hearing from others with experience fabricating parts for locomotives or rolling stock. My time is so limited for working on the layout that this may take a while to get in the estimated 20 hours required to learn my way around the equipment. 

I have owned & used lasers for more than 10 years. The business I was supplying closed. So now I can devote more into HO structures. I have completed quite a few, but sold them at swap meets, donated some to a local club, but now for myself. 

No layout this time. This is something I wanted to do for quite awhile.