# Buchholz Rail (2011-present)



## Mr.Buchholz

This is the second incarnation of my layout. I started the first one back in 2006 but tore it down and boxed it in 2009. Last year (2011), I brought everything back out, got some new rolling stock and a fresh piece of plywood, and started the current build. I don't take too many pictures, but the following are what I took today:








This is the helicopter tour area. It's about 75% complete at this time. I just added the fencing the other day. Those rocks are limestone from the local park.








My new warehouse and truck. Also new is the police car patrolling that street. There is no contraband in that building, I swear! 








Monument to a track worker that died on my railroad 








An old light tower I bought off eBay a while back. I took it apart, re-wired it, rebuilt it, and added a new light. The tower now runs off it's own power source, separate from the main. It's not finished, as I have to add a cover for the light.

That's all for now. I'll have more in a couple weeks. I'm waiting on some parts and another structure. In the meantime, I am doing some maintenance on my locomotives and such.

-J.


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## Carl

Progress.......helicopter pad, a monument and a light tower. How about a donut shop for the cop car to stop at?


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## Mr.Buchholz

Here are some updated shots of how my layout is progressing.









































-J.


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## joed2323

nice layout. I like the canadian national rolling stock and loco! Im doing the same thing


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## fotoflojoe

RIP... He threw the dice, and lost?
Nice work, looks great!


Mr.Buchholz said:


> Monument to a track worker that died on my railroad


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## tjcruiser

Looks like some important political or business V.I.P. just landed on the helipad!

Fun stuff! Thanks for sharing!

TJ


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## broox

nice work.

what did you make the roads out of?


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## Mr.Buchholz

> RIP... He threw the dice, and lost?
> Nice work, looks great!


I didn't think anyone would ever discover that! LOL



> nice work.
> 
> what did you make the roads out of?


Shingles. They cut well, and look damn good when finished and painted.

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

Progress! A new road under construction!









In my original plan, there was to be no road here, instead I was going to make a small forest. In the last couple days, I decided to go ahead with a new road to put some structures beside, and buffer zone of trees between the helicopter tour area and the new road.

I moved the cylinders to behind the main factory for the time being. Hopefully, I will have the road finished soon, and some trees going in. I have some other ideas for the space planned as well.

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

New pictures of my current progress. One image shows the layout with all the lighting activated. So far so good.

















I'll be going to the train store today so see if there's anything I can add. I still have many projects on this layout to undertake.

-J.


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## Big Ed

Tell me did this building come painted like that?


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## Mr.Buchholz

big ed said:


> Tell me did this building come painted like that?


Yes. I have seen others in the local train store's used shelf like this as well, as well as brand new ones on eBay. I also think it might have been orginally an N-scale warehouse, but I cut out the door a bit larger and made it look like an HO-scale setup. It's pretty cool.

-J.


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## dannyrandomstate

It was said that there is no contra band in that warehouse. Mr. policeman has been sitting there a long time. He either fell asleep, or he's staking the place! 

The layout looks great! I really dig the shingles for roads.


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## Mr.Buchholz

dannyrandomstate said:


> It was said that there is no contra band in that warehouse. Mr. policeman has been sitting there a long time. He either fell asleep, or he's staking the place!
> 
> The layout looks great! I really dig the shingles for roads.


My lone police officer drives around the same block everyday. I think he's overpaid 

Thanks for the kudos! It's still very much a work in progress. I'm working on dirt trails right now, and more areas with rock deposits.

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

Finally finished the dirt road behind my yard! Now I can look at buying yard vehicles!









-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

Overall shot of my progress as of January 10, 2014. I will be focusing on the yard soon.

-J.


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## trains galore

Nice layout!
Did you get the light tower finished?
Also is this dc or dcc?
Thanks for sharing it


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## Mr.Buchholz

trains galore said:


> Nice layout!
> Did you get the light tower finished?
> Also is this dc or dcc?
> Thanks for sharing it


Thanks 

The light tower has not been completed as of yet. It's one of those things where you say, "I'm going to finish that tower...." and then something else gets in the way. LOL.

My layout is DC. If I lived in a house with a basement, I would build a much bigger layout and use DCC.

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

UPDATE: I moved a few weeks ago, and have just begun to set up the board. Only thing is, it needs a complete re-wire before I do anything else. When I have this thing up and running again, I'll post a picture or two.

-J.


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## Big Ed

You have a basement now?


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## Mr.Buchholz

No basement, moved from an apartment into an apartment. Board will be set-up almost the same as before, except with a few modifications.

I wish I had a basement....LOL

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

It's finally been put back together! I rewired the whole board before I put everything back on it today. Took me about 1/2 hour to rewire, then another hour or so to put it back together and test it. Very happy with the result! Now I can go back to adding to it and running the train whenever I want 

















Instead of four circuits, I put all of the central lighting on one circuit. The lights are a little less bright, but that works better for me. The yard tower is still on an independent circuit.

-J.


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## dsertdog56

Nice pictures! Thanks for sharing!


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## Mr.Buchholz

UPDATES! The hillside I started constructing (below) is finally complete!









I added some shrubbery this afternoon, glued it, and put the whole thing on my layout!









I am also trying to finish my locomotive repaint. Below is a GP40 that orginally had the WESTERN MARYLAND livery, before I busted out my paints and started to change it.









-J.


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## trains galore

Great work:thumbsup:
What paint did you use for the repaint of that loco? Looks great, I should try repainting some of my old ones


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## Mr.Buchholz

trains galore said:


> Great work:thumbsup:
> What paint did you use for the repaint of that loco? Looks great, I should try repainting some of my old ones


Acrylic art paints. I have a wide assortment at my disposal, as well as detail brushes. Sadly, the frequency in which I'm working on other railroad-related projects means I keep pushing off the engine repaint. I'll finish it eventually 

-J.


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## Big Ed

Where is the new hillside located on the RR?
That is on a corner somewhere?
I guess your going to blend in the base somehow like the other hill?
Do you have to add some paint or grass yet too?

Looking good Mr.Buchholz. :smilie_daumenpos:


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## Mr.Buchholz

big ed said:


> Where is the new hillside located on the RR?
> That is on a corner somewhere?
> I guess your going to blend in the base somehow like the other hill?
> Do you have to add some paint or grass yet too?
> 
> Looking good Mr.Buchholz. :smilie_daumenpos:


Yes, it is on the back right corner. I have since constructed two more, with one being nearby. I did some drybrushing on the bases of the hillsides, and will be adding some fake shrubs too. I'll have some pictures later, as I am working on several projects for the railroad at once.

Needless to say, I'm having fun 

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

Progress! Just finished off the two new hillsides with some shrubs, and they looks pretty good! I'm now going to move onto the next project!

















Stay tuned for more!

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

I'm currently redesigning and rebuilding a section of road, and going to be adding some structures soon. When my box of parts from eBay show up and I start building, I'll have some pics to share. I had to switch gears and start repairing an amateur rocket of mine that took some damage a little while back.

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

*Updates!*

Finally have some pics of the progress I've been making! I went to the local model train show yesterday, and found a couple of things. The yellow building is new (I modded it a little), and so are some of the cars. Not all of the new cars can be seen in this pics, however. 








This is the new service road I built. It's the third time I've changed it, and this time for good. Was asphalt, then dirt, now back to asphalt with a shoulder lane for service trucks.








The new yellow building. I had to change the front door. It looked weird before.








Redesigned helicopter pad parking lot, with a new mini-road, trees, and a distressed, burnt out hulk of a building.



-J.


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## mustangcobra94

looking good , like the burnt out building good idea!


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## Mr.Buchholz

mustangcobra94 said:


> looking good , like the burnt out building good idea!


Thanks 

It was an idea I came up with after I rummaged through my box of HO parts. I was going to build a whole structure, but went with the historical burnt out house instead.

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

PROGRESS!!!









































The new water tower that I bought and repainted looks really good now, as does the new hillside I built out of foam for the red/white radio tower.

It's nice to have some time to work on the layout 

-J.


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## dsertdog56

Nice layout! Simple and yet detailed and effective. Enjoy!


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## longbow57ca

Hello my friend I love your small layout it looks very neat and cool great layout with HO trains. I also like the CN on your trains that is very neat too. I also like your home made roads on your layout very good idea my friend. Thanks longbow57ca.


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## trains galore

The helicopter and launchpad look great with the lights! :smilie_daumenpos:
Where did you find them? Or did you scratchbuild the launchpad?
I wouldn't mind trying to find one to put on my layout that's all! 
Thanks!


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## Mr.Buchholz

trains galore said:


> The helicopter and launchpad look great with the lights! :smilie_daumenpos:
> Where did you find them? Or did you scratchbuild the launchpad?
> I wouldn't mind trying to find one to put on my layout that's all!
> Thanks!


The helicopter I bought at the local model train store before I moved, then carefully painted over the words and logos on it. The helipad was scratchbuilt. I used a blank electrical switch plate for the pad, painted it black, bought the 'H' sticker on eBay, then picked some some small light bulbs with wire at a local surplus store. The ramps are made of foam, and the pad's support legs are made of table leg plastic covers, painted black.

It took about an hour to put it all together after the paint dried on the switch plate. The wiring under the table was the pain in the *** part! 

-J.


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## IlliniViking

Love the helicopter pad. Nice touch on a nice layout.


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## Mr.Buchholz

IlliniViking said:


> Love the helicopter pad. Nice touch on a nice layout.


Thanks! Everyone seems to like the helipad  

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

Changed that damn lower corner for the FOURTH time!! One of these days I'll learn to leave it alone. It has a dirt service road now. I swear I'm never happy with this corner for some reason.....









Oh, and my older CN GP40 (pictured) is back on the tracks! It needed cleaning and a minor repair, so I was running my blank GP40 for the last little while. The blank unit can now get it's new paint job started 

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

Finally added some walls to my yard's service circle. I had been playing with the idea for some time now, and decided to do it.









There is more I want to do, but there is a model train show coming up next month, and I want to wait and see what I find there before doing anything else.

-J.


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## /6 matt

Mr.Buchholz said:


> Changed that damn lower corner for the FOURTH time!! One of these days I'll learn to leave it alone. It has a dirt service road now. I swear I'm never happy with this corner for some reason.....
> 
> View attachment 126761
> 
> 
> Oh, and my older CN GP40 (pictured) is back on the tracks! It needed cleaning and a minor repair, so I was running my blank GP40 for the last little while. The blank unit can now get it's new paint job started
> 
> -J.


I think 4th times the charm! looks great.


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## Mr.Buchholz

/6 matt said:


> I think 4th times the charm! looks great.


Thanks. I hope that's the last time I mess with that corner. For some reason, I always end up going back and changing it.

:dunno:

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

Well. It's March, and I've been busy working on my trains and layout, especially since the train show a few weeks back.








I've added some R/R crossing signs to some of my dirt crossings. Finally found the bag that all my signs and things were in, more than a year after moving into my place 








One of the light posts I added at my yard. I got them in a box of HO structure parts, and glued them to a base made of balsa that I painted to match.








One of two small freight platforms I added to the yard. Pavement is a small strip of shingle.








Building I picked up for 4.00 at the train show. Fits perfectly into the top left corner next to my service road.








The other lamp post, a double. Can never have too many of these 

That's all for now. Been busy cleaning my rolling stock and tinkering with some other stuff.

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

I've been scratching my head for the last couple of months trying to figure out what to put in the following empty rectangle near the top of my layout:









It's such a small space, that I didn't want to ruin it with a structure. I even considered a hot dog cart (which would have been a little out of place in an industrial town). 

The other day, while looking for some parts to fabricate something else, I found a half roll of plaster wrap, and got an idea:









I made a small landform, glued some bushes to it, and dry-brushed a foot path with two different colours of paint.

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself 

-J.


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## trains galore

Nice, I like it :thumbsup:

Maybe paint a little brown around the edges or something to blend it in a little with the road for a more gradual transition between the tarmac and the grass.

Or maybe leave it alone!


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## ShaderMike

Mr.Buchholz said:


> I've been scratching my head for the last couple of months trying to figure out what to put in the following empty rectangle near the top of my layout:
> 
> It's such a small space, that I didn't want to ruin it with a structure. I even considered a hot dog cart (which would have been a little out of place in an industrial town).


I've worked in a couple industrial areas, and even in some commercial areas where the tiniest spot is used for a mobile food vendor.

If in your imagination you can see a lot of foot traffic or even road traffic, people will stop for a hot dog.

If you build it, they will come 

Even in my current position, in an office building in Philly, while food carts aren't nearly as ubiquitous as say Manhattan, if there's a free 6x6 area (or less in some cases!) in a heavily trafficked area, there might be a food cart there.

Alternately, you could make it a bit more related to that particular building itself. Perhaps a smoker's nook with a picnic table. (See that one a lot in real life.)

The "desire path" through the bushes is great too


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## Mr.Buchholz

Finally finished this new scene for my railroad, replacing a small hill that never really looked right. This scene started out as a cardboard strip cut to size, with an old tanker car that was broken. Used plaster wrap and acrylic paints to achieve it all. Finished it off with bushes and shrubs and such.

















Took me about four days (at night after work) to make this.

-J.


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## jlc41

I like the way your layout is taken shape, nice work.


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## VegasN

Fun stuff. Nice use of space. Good trackage for a small space. Nicely done!


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## RonthePirate

Love the helipad, that sure looks good with the lights.
Speaking of lights, run a real thin-wired LED down that antenna, and put a red light at the top.
I did that with a tall crane. It doesn't flash, but really gives the tall look to it.


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## VegasN

RonthePirate said:


> Love the helipad, that sure looks good with the lights.
> Speaking of lights, run a real thin-wired LED down that antenna, and put a red light at the top.
> I did that with a tall crane. It doesn't flash, but really gives the tall look to it.


Good idea. It would be nerve racking to try that with N, or to even find a small enough light that can look decent being visible.


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## Mr.Buchholz

VegasN said:


> Fun stuff. Nice use of space. Good trackage for a small space. Nicely done!


Thanks! 

The track plan evolved over time before I started designing the road network, and placement of the buildings. I still have a couple spots that need something, but I'm working on it.

Keep checking back for updates!

-J.


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## VegasN

you know I will......


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## Mr.Buchholz

Update! I spent the whole day (it was rainy and stormy here) constructing a new switch panel. Needless to say, it works! Three of the six switches are connected, one still to come, and the two push button switches are for future expansion.









































I made it out of a plank of poplar, and picked up three of the switches on sale a week or so ago. Three coats of an adhesive water-based paint, some wire and terminals, and voila!

-J.


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## time warp

Neat work, looks nice!


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## VegasN

Looks great. Looking forward, in a way, of trying my hand at one of these....


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## Mr.Buchholz

I finally figured out what to do with this vacant corner:









I remembered I had a spare building somewhere, and modified it to stand up against the scenery wall. Made a little path out of single, and some more pylons for the dirt circle nearby as well.









Not too shabby. I'll do some detail work in the coming months.

-J.


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## time warp

Sometimes those little corner areas can be tough, nice solution.


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## Mr.Buchholz

time warp said:


> Sometimes those little corner areas can be tough, nice solution.


It only took me the better part of a year to figure it out! LOL!

-J.


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## time warp

Keep up the good work! You've got a nice setup there. Something to be proud of.


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## VegasN

Indeed


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## Mr.Buchholz

UPDATE: Been away from the layout for a little while (I don't work on it nearly as much in the summer), but now that we're into October, I'm starting to get stuff together for the cold weather season. 

Picked up a bag of limestone rocks from a local dirt road to use on the layout. I will be cleaning them and gluing some together. I'm also planning some other things, and will hopefully be starting soon. Stay tuned for more.....

-J.


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## time warp

Mr.Buchholz said:


> UPDATE: Been away from the layout for a little while (I don't work on it nearly as much in the summer), but now that we're into October, I'm starting to get stuff together for the cold weather season.
> 
> Picked up a bag of limestone rocks from a local dirt road to use on the layout. I will be cleaning them and gluing some together. I'm also planning some other things, and will hopefully be starting soon. Stay tuned for more.....
> 
> -J.


 I picked up a bag of rocks at a junk store. They are styrofoam pieces that somebody broke up and spray painted Grey, they look surprisingly good and after I arrange them the way I wanted I just Blended in a little bit of lichen Moss and it looks great!

I like your style. You've put together a really nice little Railroad and your workmanship is very nice. Having a logo also makes it seem more real. Please keep us posted!


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## Mr.Buchholz

time warp said:


> I like your style. You've put together a really nice little Railroad and your workmanship is very nice. Having a logo also makes it seem more real. Please keep us posted!


Thank you! I appreciate that very much 

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

So......I have finally decided to renovate a portion of my layout, marked in the red rectangle in the picture that follows:









I have cleared out that area already this morning, and have a plan in place. 

The water tower (A), has been moved to the right near the secondary freight station. The gas dome (B), has been moved to the left, and will have a companion structure (under construction) to it's left. The small park I created (C) is no longer there. It took me a while to realize that I don't really need a park in an industrial town.....I need more industry!

I will have additional pictures when I complete more of this. Most of what I am doing is all laid out on my work desk right now.....LOL

-J.


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## VegasN

Ever evolving hobby. That is one of the things I like about it.


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## Mr.Buchholz

After two days, and many hours spent at my desk constructing, I have come up with my solution for that space:

















I scratch built a pair of gas storage cylinders to go with that bigger storage tank on the right. Used two different sizes of dowel, some balsa for the base, a spare plastic piece, and some electrical wire for the black pipes.

I am very pleased with this area now 

-J.


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## VegasN

Sweet! I agree. That corner looks much more fluid and functional now . Nice job!


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## jlc41

Scratch built is fun and makes you feel good, especially when it comes out like what you did.


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## time warp

Good job, I like it!


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## Mr.Buchholz

Here are two fresh pics of my layout. Not bad for five years of work!

















I wasn't able to include the radio tower, as it's on the extreme left in both shots.

-J.


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## jlc41

I like it, you did good nice work. Very interesting and eye catching. Lots of things going on.


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## VegasN

Looks very cool. I bet its a lot of fun.....


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## time warp

Nice work! Some go there whole lives and never get half that far. Good for you! Thanks so much for sharing.


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## Gramps

Nicely done, congrats.


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## Mr.Buchholz

Thanks guys! I'm working on two more projects on my desk right now! I'll have pics when both are ready!

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

Another rainy, crappy day led me to tinker at my desk most of the morning. Here's what I did:









Added a wall to the rear of the new gas cylinders, making it look a little more realistic. I mean, we don't want people hopping off of a boxcar and stealing fuel now do we? 









Added a 'concrete' pad underneath these brown storage tanks, and glued them to it. Looks better, and is more solid.









Finished the gas tank and it's platform and added it to the yard's work road. 

-J.


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## time warp

It's always nice to get some detail added, moving more towards things having a purpose. Will there be people as well?


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## Mr.Buchholz

time warp said:


> Will there be people as well?


I've played with the idea of adding people for the last couple of years, but decided I don't want any. I might add some more vehicles yet, if I can find what I want.

-J.


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## time warp

Might be a good idea having no people, goodness knows we have wandering hordes of people on our layout! I find them everywhere, can't tell where they'll show up.:laugh:


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## VegasN

I am chomping at the bit to get some people on my layout. I have a few, but I want the town to look populated.....bustling....


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## jlc41

They do bring the scene to life.


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## VegasN

Oh, I agree 100%


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## Mr.Buchholz

I just can't bring myself to add any people. If anything, I want to add some machinery for the yard, and perhaps a few more vehicles, or a tractor-trailer.

-J.


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## jlc41

That works too, but sooner or later you got to have peeps. It's amazing how it transform the scene.


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## VegasN

You actually don't _*have*_ to have or do anything you don't want. Your railroad, your rules.
I like them, some don't.


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## Mr.Buchholz

VegasN said:


> You actually don't _*have*_ to have or do anything you don't want. Your railroad, your rules.


Well said! :appl:

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

I've been off all this week (second of two vacation weeks), and have been a busy bee. I just finished this homemade lighting rig that hangs over my layout! Now there is proper lighting when I need it! It plugs into an extension cord located under the layout. I was going to wire it to the last switch on my control panel, but I need that for a new circuit (future project).

































-J.


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## VegasN

Nice! I like that light set up. I need to get a light above my layout......


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## Mr.Buchholz

Finally installed a terminal block under my railroad!









I plan to add two more circuits over the winter, and this helps greatly. Picked up the block at an electronics store for only $4.50

-J.


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## VegasN

What does a terminal block do?


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## Mr.Buchholz

VegasN said:


> What does a terminal block do?


Splits main power into several circuits. My main power is now divided into three circuits, meaning that I can now add some more lighting or whatever to my layout. They cost next to nothing, and they come in various sizes and terminal counts, depending on how many circuits you want.

-J.


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## VegasN

So these are what I need to put each section of town on different switches (i.e. downtown on one switch, industrial center on one switch, suburbs on one, etc.)?


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## Mr.Buchholz

VegasN said:


> So these are what I need to put each section of town on different switches (i.e. downtown on one switch, industrial center on one switch, suburbs on one, etc.)?


Yes. Instead of running multiple circuits to a power source and splitting it in a big mess, you use a terminal block. It easily and cleanly splits your main power source. Just wire each circuit to your switches, and that's it.

-J.


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## VegasN

Hmmm?? And where do I find those? Home Depot? Radio Shack?


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## Lemonhawk

For terminal barrier strips try Fry's
http://www.frys.com/search?search_type=regular&sqxts=1&cat=&query_string=terminal+barrier+strips
The Fry's link also shows shorting bars between the barriers.

You can also try Pololu
https://www.pololu.com/
Which I believe is in Las Vegas, they have lots of connector stuff but not barrier strips


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## MtRR75

VegasN said:


> Hmmm?? And where do I find those? Home Depot? Radio Shack?


Radio Shack used to carry them. But a lot of Radio Shacks have closed, including mine. If you still have one, check with them.


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## Mr.Buchholz

VegasN said:


> Hmmm?? And where do I find those? Home Depot? Radio Shack?


Any place that carries electrical and/or electronic supplies should have these. I'm not sure about stores down in the U.S. but I believe I saw them at Harbour Freight Tools the last time I was across the border. 

-J.


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## time warp

I have picked them up at Home Depot before, there are different lengths available. I've seen them labeled as barrier strip also.


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## Mr.Buchholz

Gluing and clamping and painting OH MY!









In other words, I've been rummaging through my parts bin, and have been making half a warehouse for the back of my layout. 

-J.


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## VegasN

Mr.Buchholz said:


> Gluing and clamping and painting OH MY!
> 
> View attachment 248425
> 
> 
> In other words, I've been rummaging through my parts bin, and have been making half a warehouse for the back of my layout.
> 
> -J.


Nice! I love new buildings on the layout! I use a modeling super glue. Bonds pretty much instantly, and if you add the spray activator, it is instant. I do a lot of woodworking, and in that you are clamping and waiting for glue to dry *ALOT*. So I guess I just don't have the patience to do that in my modeling.


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## VegasN

Ok, cool. Thanks for the info guys. I will check out all the places I have available. I do have Home Depot, Harbor Freight, Lowe's, And Radio Shack all within 4 miles of me. But the closest and only real hobby store is 13 miles..........I just don't understand people's priorities....geez.......


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## Mr.Buchholz

Finally had some time to finish the new lighting on the top of the layout! My new buildings are lit up, as well as the mini-station, gas refinery, and the electrical station near the yard!

































-J.


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## time warp

Progress, Progress, Progress!:thumbsup:


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## jlc41

Ah yes, let there be light. Nice I like it.


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## Mr.Buchholz

jlc41 said:


> Ah yes, let there be light. Nice I like it.


Thanks! Now that the lighting is pretty much wrapped up, I'm moving onto detail work, and acquiring some more vehicles.

-J.


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## jlc41

Mr.Buchholz, you may want to look at the new lighted vehicles from Woodland Scenic's. I just ordered 2 to try on my layout.


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## Mr.Buchholz

jlc41 said:


> Mr.Buchholz, you may want to look at the new lighted vehicles from Woodland Scenic's. I just ordered 2 to try on my layout.


I'm not sure if I want lighted vehicles. I like my regular vehicles, and can move them about if I wish. I think I'll stick to what I've been doing for the time being.

-J.


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## jlc41

10-4 that's why I only ordered 2. I have more than 20 vehicles at the present but I am going to need more.


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## VegasN

Looking very good MrBucholz. Love the lighting! I only have two buuildings in Betzville and two in Serenity that are lit. Although, the two in Serenity, will be the only ones lit on that layout. But, many more will be on Betzville,

On a side note, I did have three lit in Betzville, but I left them on all night, now I only have two.


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## time warp

Run your lights in series Vegas, or from the DC side of a spare transformer with the throttle st about half. The bulbs will last much longer


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## VegasN

Actually, the two in Betzville are being powered by a spare transformer, except my throttle is on low. And the two in Serenity are running off the Accessory side of the transformer that is running Serenity.


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## Mr.Buchholz

VegasN said:


> Looking very good MrBucholz. Love the lighting!


Thanks! It's been a lot of work to get the lighting how I want it. I'm not sure if I'm going to add any more, as I have lots of other detail work to do as well. I'll hopefully have some updates soon.

-J.


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## time warp

We have a lot of lights on our layout, my son really enjoys them.


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## VegasN

I think lights, to me, are like people and vehicles, they bring a scene to life. I plan on many more, but all in due time. WAIT! What?? Did I just say that? "In due time"?? Wow.......


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## Mr.Buchholz

Finally finished the mini-factory at the back of the layout by adding steam pipes and a little concrete pad next to it. Pondering some other small things like this, but I will wait until next month's local model train show before I do anything, so I can see if anyone is selling some structure parts and whatnot.

-J.


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## VegasN

Monthly model train shows? Oh how cool is that? Hell, I'd be happy with *ONE* train show. The convention capital of the world, and no train shows.

Love the little building. I forget little details like that sometimes. Always thinking of full buildings........hmmm?? Got a couple small spaces..........


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## time warp

Coming along nicely, J! The busier the setting, the longer the run seems. :thumbsup:


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## Mr.Buchholz

VegasN said:


> Monthly model train shows? Oh how cool is that? Hell, I'd be happy with *ONE* train show. The convention capital of the world, and no train shows.


Actually, it's not monthly. There's the annual one here in town in February, and then another one in a nearby town in May. These are the main two pay visits to.



VegasN said:


> Love the little building. I forget little details like that sometimes. Always thinking of full buildings........hmmm?? Got a couple small spaces..........


Thanks! I'm currently working on custom signage for some of my buildings. I'll have some pics soon.

-J.


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## Chops124

Sweet and simple. Well focused. As a former Ontarian (Ancaster),this layout 
strikes a chord with me. Loved it. Like statue- very clever. Please post more!!
Looks like I am late comer to this thread...


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## VegasN

Chops124 said:


> Sweet and simple. Well focused. As a former Ontarian (Ancaster),this layout
> strikes a chord with me. Loved it. Like statue- very clever. Please post more!!
> Looks like I am late comer to this thread...


Better late than never. Yeah, this thread is fun to watch. I like his use of space and details.


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## Mr.Buchholz

Chops124 said:


> Sweet and simple. Well focused. As a former Ontarian (Ancaster),this layout
> strikes a chord with me. Loved it. Like statue- very clever. Please post more!!
> Looks like I am late comer to this thread...


Thanks! I'll have more when time allows. Yesterday happened to be my day off, and I had little to do other than sit at my desk and work on train stuff 

I'll have more pics and progress soon. Working on some detail projects on the railroad at the moment.

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

Here are some new shots of my layout, all in black and white. Enjoy!

























































-J.


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## time warp

Nice shots J! I like the black and white - nice touch.


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## VegasN

Oh you beat me to it.......three steps ahead of me there Mr. B. I was thinking of doing my steam locomotive pics in B&W.....seeing the results of yours, I will certainly do it now. They look great! Nice pics. Good thinking showing them in B&W.....

I want a helipad now!! That is WAY cool!!


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## VegasN

Just went back and looked again......dude......that helipad is SIC!!!!!


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## RonthePirate

The B & W is dynamite, and so is the eyeball level of the camera.
Nothing makes a model look more real than bringing it to that level.

Coincidental: I have a camera I used strictly for B & W. It's an Agfa Isolette 1. German made from the 50's. 
I just put it up for sale on Fleabay today. Then I see this.
You gave me second thoughts there, Mr.Buchholz.
(Anybody need a camera? I'll give you a break)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/282395771371?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649


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## VegasN

RonthePirate said:


> The B & W is dynamite, and so is the eyeball level of the camera.
> Nothing makes a model look more real than bringing it to that level.
> 
> Coincidental: I have a camera I used strictly for B & W. It's an Agfa Isolette 1. German made from the 50's.
> I just put it up for sale on Fleabay today. Then I see this.
> You gave me second thoughts there, Mr.Buchholz.
> (Anybody need a camera? I'll give you a break)
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/282395771371?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649


The camera is in great shape. I, however, don't need one, but I sure hope someone grabs that well cared for antique.


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## Mark VerMurlen

Nice pictures. I too like the "in the scene" point of view. I'm going to have to try that myself.

Mark


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## time warp

Mr. B's layout is always interesting to see, I couldn't work that neatly if my life depended on it.


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## Mr.Buchholz

VegasN said:


> Oh you beat me to it.......three steps ahead of me there Mr. B. I was thinking of doing my steam locomotive pics in B&W.....seeing the results of yours, I will certainly do it now. They look great! Nice pics. Good thinking showing them in B&W.....
> 
> I want a helipad now!! That is WAY cool!!


The B&W was an idea that popped into my head. Add to the fact that my camera is newer and much smaller than my old one. Made it easy to place it at 'street level'.

Everyone seems to love the helipad 

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

time warp said:


> Mr. B's layout is always interesting to see, I couldn't work that neatly if my life depended on it.


Thank you very much! 

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

Picked up a couple of things from the Midland Train Show last weekend. First was the signal bridge that I put in my yard. I already had one, but for three bucks, I couldn't resist it.

The second thing I bought is this awesome CN big rig that I have been trying to find for some time. Brand new ones are overpriced, but I found this one in like-new condition for 12 bucks!









I might post some pics of some detail work in the next little while, time permitting of course. 

-J.


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## VegasN

Time permitting? Oh, I think he'll let you work on your layout.


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## time warp

Nice find, keep us posted!


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## Mr.Buchholz

New fuel storage tank (scratch built) in the yard. Still working on some detail projects. More to follow....









-J.


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## VegasN

Simple solution, but looks great!!


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## time warp

Works for me!


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## Mr.Buchholz




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## VegasN

Looks awesome! Love the night runs.....good lighting.


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## jlc41

Very nice, clean with lots of detail, well done.


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## Mr.Buchholz

So.....I've gone and changed that silly lower corner of the layout, AGAIN. Fifth time is a charm methinks. I don't usually do a lot of railroad stuff in the summer, but the weather outside has been weird this year.

The before pic: (Foam rockface/hillside)









The after pic: (Dirt shoulder with boulders and foliage)









I think this will be the last change. It turned out better than I thought, and looks more realistic than that silly foam hill.

-J.


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## Gramps

Nice improvement. The road looks like a roof shingle, I did the same thing.


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## jlc41

Much better, I like it.


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## time warp

Nothing on my layout ever looks that neat.


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## Mr.Buchholz

Gramps said:


> The road looks like a roof shingle, I did the same thing.


Yah. All my roads are shingles. I still have a bag of shingle chunks I keep around should I want to improve a road or two.

-J.


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## Bob88

Nice video, your layout looks great. I like your crossing gates, I keep meaning to get some but keep forgetting.


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## Mr.Buchholz

Weather has been kind of blah all day, so I went under my layout and converted one of my 6V secondary power sources to a 9V, and cleaned up the wiring a little as well.









That little shelf I installed a while back normally had two 6V batteries on it, where two separate circuits connected to. Due to the cost of 6V batteries, I'm removing them and using 9V batteries instead, wiring in the harnesses where alligator clips used to be. They'll also take up less space, so I can add another terminal block using that shelf space.

-J.


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## time warp

What's the battery power for?


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## Nikola

Mr.Buchholz said:


> Here are some new shots of my layout, all in black and white. Enjoy!


Something about the B&W photos makes it seem even more realistic. Very nice!


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## Mr.Buchholz

time warp said:


> What's the battery power for?


My yard tower runs off the battery. Always has. I like to keep it that way 

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

Went to spend some time running my trains this morning (haven't run them in a while), and encountered all kinds of electrical problems! I just finished spending the last hour and a half taking tracks apart, re-wiring connections, re-routing some lines, and inspecting everything else!

As much as I love model trains, sometimes I get frustrated as hell when something happens. Didn't get mad this time. More confused than anything else. At least I solved the problems for the meantime. I think I'm going to have to buy a new powered curve re-railer. The old one is starting to do weird things.....

-J.


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## time warp

Once in a while when the humidity is high our layout will act up a little, but it always straightens up after some running. It's the nature of the beast.


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## santafealltheway

time warp said:


> Once in a while when the humidity is high our layout will act up a little, but it always straightens up after some running. It's the nature of the beast.


yup.

darn that humidity!

it really messes with one of my door bridges.


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## Mr.Buchholz

Well. I still have no idea what happened, but everything is fine now. Went and bought a new powered re-railer to replace the old one. Voltmeter says everything is all right, so that's good. Still might replace some circuits when the weather turns colder.

-J.


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## time warp

Mr.Buchholz said:


> Well. I still have no idea what happened, but everything is fine now. Went and bought a new powered re-railer to replace the old one. Voltmeter says everything is all right, so that's good. Still might replace some circuits when the weather turns colder.
> 
> -J.


Was just fighting something like that myself, J. I have an AA set of diesels on right now that run great, but every time around the trailing unit would cut out going past Cramden station, just past the crossover. Normally I can just slide a joiner or two a bit and all is well again, but this time I was having trouble conquering it.
Turned out to be ONE dirty wheel tread on the trailing unit. But why did it manifest itself in only one spot in the trackwork? I have 3 sets of crossovers and it didn't skip a beat anywhere else. Who knows?:dunno:
Glad you got yours fixed, keep em rolling!:thumbsup:


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## Mr.Buchholz

time warp said:


> Glad you got yours fixed, keep em rolling!:thumbsup:


Thanks, TW. Once the cold weather starts settling in, I'm going to spend some time at my desk servicing the locos, as well as the rolling stock. I'm already looking at one or two axle changes, and some routine loco maintenance.

I might even re-wire another portion of the layout. Not sure yet.

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

Well.....winter is here, and it's Boxing Day today as well. Nothing to do but sit here and work on my railroad again 









Starting to repaint some of my structures a bit, or touch up some wear and tear. The tower here is getting green and tan paint around the base to help it fit in a bit better with it's surroundings.

Also, had ANOTHER circuit short out, so I've been under my table rewiring a section of the main segment. I'll have more updates in the coming weeks, as I have some time off next week, and will be working away on my trains! 

-J.


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## Mr.Buchholz

I have several days off in a row right now, so I've been in my train room figuring out what else to work on. For now, I completed the repainting of the control tower, finished a new fuel storage container, and am pondering a change to my battery shelf, which I just finished converting to 9V auxiliary. 6V batteries are way bigger and cost more than $11.00, while 9V batteries are closer to $2.00 or $3.00, depending on the brand.

























I'll have more updates at some point, so stay tuned!

-J.


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