# Building the ONCRR



## papa3rail

*All the images that were once here are gone so I've spent the last few weeks editing to bring things up to date.*

I love threads that show how people have gone about building their layouts. I am too far along to start re-posting everything I've done from the beginning, one image at a time (over 900 images) instead I’ve made several videos using the images in a somewhat chronological order. This format will cover the entire build without using so much page space.
My layout doesn’t really fit into any particular category. I had intended that the Layout would be populated with the massive D56 collection my wife and I have. Then I started perusing the train forums and saw all these really cool kit and scratch built scale models and I was hooked. I love scale modeling and my trains are scale for the most part, so I relegated the D56 to the back drop.

The layout is 20 x 13 with Atlas track and switches. It was designed using AutoCAD software. I run Lionel, Atlas and K Line TMCC and Lionel Legacy Locomotives I have nothing against MTH I just prefer to deal with only one control system. I have rolling stock from all the major manufacturers but, the majority is MTH Premier.

The layout is located in what was once the formal living and dining rooms so it's the first thing you see when you walk in the front door.(yes I married well)
I began work on the layout in March of 2007. Here is my original track plan.










This is the final version of the benchwork. 









I hated the fact that trains couldn't run through the depot so that changed pretty early on in the build.I added the two Bridges giving me a Y coming out of the platforms and a reversing loop. 

I have two levels of track I had intended to have a track to connect both levels but there just isn't enough room for it. The fist level is 45 inches up from the floor and has two freight loops and a yard. 









The second level is 52 inches up from the floor, it is comprised of two passenger loops and a multi-track depot area with covered passenger platforms with an open service platform between them.The station is designed but I have not stated the build as of yet. 









If ever there was a spaghetti bowl layout this is it.
I've made 17 videos of the construction images, after I get them all posted I'll put up a link to a Photobucket album with all the images if anyone wants a longer look.


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## DennyM

Your layout is coming along nicely.


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## MichaelE

That is fantastic benchwork. Good job, and I like your trackplan. I just got mine to the point of being able to run a train last night...if I had one to run.

I had about as much luck with 1x4's at Menard's. I had to go through a pile of them too to get something straight enough to work with. All 36 of them.

Looking forward to more progress.


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## PatKn

I looks like it will be something special when it's finished. It's not unusual to need to make changes after running on a layout for awhile. In that way the time it is taking is an advantage. You get to try it out before finalizing it. Thanks for sharing and please continue to post updates. Perhaps this thread will become an incentive to work on it more often.


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## empire builder

papa3rail/MichaelE try a real lumber yard it costs more but then its a better grade than the so called big box stores whenever I need good straight lumber that is where I go to my local real lumber supplier they also stock homasote.
just saying is all sure beats going into cart loads of cracked bent twisted junk the box stores sell.

and I like your layoutpapa3rail looks like it will be a fun layout to opreate


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## Wood

Very interesting 3rail. I like the L-girder style bench work. It offers better opportunity to modify and rearrange plus it's easier to create elevations. My question for you is access. Do you have to duck under to enter the interior of the layout or do you have an opening through which you can access the areas? Could you post another view showing your walking space and command center?


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## papa3rail

One day about 2 years in to the project I busted my head for the last time on the duck under access and the corner roll out was born.


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## papa3rail

Just to clarify I'm posting what has occurred on the layout between March 2007 and today.


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## mikew

An amazing set up - thanks for posting the build on here


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## papa3rail

Well at this point in the project its early February 2010 almost 3 years since I started. I’m focusing on getting the outside of the layout finished to get rid of the construction area look when you come in the front door which in turn will make the landlady happy. Well I’m feeling pretty good about how things are going a sure sign something is about to go wrong.

I am certain that the Murphy’s Law of model railroading is as follows.

Your trains will run flawlessly when ever you are alone .It’s when you have visitors that they will suddenly stop working.
If you have a spot on your layout where you can not reach the track that is the spot where your trains will always derail or mysteriously stop.

I get a call from a friend who wants to come by and check my progress. Well he looks it over gives his approval and says let’s run some trains. The roll out has been pushed aside for a couple of weeks while I have been working on the stone walls so I push it into place and it wont close all the way I am a whole rail off on my alignment and can’t figure out why.

After a week or so of pushing, pulling, filing, sanding, head scratching, kicking things and screaming expletives at the train Gods I decide the alignment guides are the problem. I’m not sure if the force of closing them is causing them to move forward in the opening which in turn is not allowing the rollout to go all the way in to it’s stopping point or if the wood structure is moving. Whatever the problem is I’m sure simplifying things is the answer.

Another problem with the rollout is the straight axle wheels not sure where my head was at when I came up with that one but it needs to have swivel wheels on it and it will roll into place much easier.

I decided a simple ledge that will allow the plywood on the rollout to rest at the same level as the plywood on either side of the opening is the place to start. With that done I remove the axles and wheels from the rollout set it in place and put the swivel wheels on the rollout. As I did with the axels and wheels I made the front pair shorter so when it is pulled out it tilts forward keeping the baseboard from dragging on the floor when you move it around.


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## Vincent

Papa3Rail, those are great pictures and they have given me some good ideas for improving my own lay-out

But I don't understand why you were unable to reverse direction on a three-rail system.


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## seayakbill

WOW, super nice, looks like a lot of hours invested so far.

Bill


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## papa3rail

All the images formerly on this thread are now in several videos


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## papa3rail

updating


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## tjcruiser

Wow! Fantastic fabrication details throughout. YES, your toolmaker / machinist skills are shining!

TJ


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## Spence

What a great looking professional build. :appl::appl:


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## Fabforrest

“But I don't understand why you were unable to reverse direction on a three-rail system.”

I think it lack of reversing loops in the original design. 

This is some great looking stuff.


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## papa3rail

Vincent said:


> But I don't understand why you were unable to reverse direction on a three-rail system.


Sorry should have been clearer I mean reversing loops to change the direction the train is traveling not run backwards.


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## papa3rail

Thanks for the kind words Gentlemen.


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## Wood

Yup, it sure is impressive work. 3rail this is great, thanks for sharing your story.


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## Guest

Thanks for taking us back to the beginning, Papa. Your layout is almost the same size as mine. My layout is 10'9" x 20'4" but I opted for an E shape so I didn't need a duck under or lift out. I like your plan a lot. You have more trains running in about the same space.


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## Lehigh74

Wow. Everything about your layout is super impressive. The track plan is great…love way you incorporated the reversing loops and sidings. The use of a French Cleat for the glass frame is brilliant. Got me thinking of some place I can use that idea. Interesting that you had to go thru so much pine to get the good stuff. That’s true for most lumber these days, but Home Depot has Radiata Select clear pine and almost every piece is straight. Not cheap, but it is beautiful wood.


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## 89Suburban

Nice work!


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## Guest

Very impressive work, Papa. Thanks for taking us on this journey of your layout build. Please keep us informed as you continue to make progress. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## PatKn

Really fun read. The layout is progressing nicely and I'm hooked on your story. 

Pat

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## papa3rail

First let make thank everyone for their kind comments. I hope you find the thread enjoyable and I'm happy to be able to contribute to this great forum.

The Million Dollar Backdrop

I call it that because with out a doubt it's the most expensive per square foot part of the layout. I'm sure Brian can attest to that fact. We have a large collection(by my standards not by Brian's)of D56 Christmas in the City buildings. For the backdrop I tried to select later model releases because they have improved their product a lot through the years.They also had to fit on an 11" deep shelf with a street and sidewalk.

From the beginning I wasn't really happy with the D56 buildings against the sky blue walls. I thought it would look better if I put up a skyline silhouette behind them. Well I kicked around a few ideas and decided the lower portion of the panels would have the look of an elevated freeway with tunnel portals everywhere I had streets. I also wanted a ledge at the top of the elevated roadway that I could stick building facades into to give the whole backdrop more depth.

The first panels I drew the skyline had a more scale look to it but it just had a saw tooth kind of look so I went bigger. It is all kind of done in reverse perspective with the d56 buildings being smaller than scale, then the scale building facades and the silhouette being larger than scale but I’m happy with the way it looks.These panels were cut from 1/4 " MDF with a CNC router.





That brings my nine month layout building season to a close for 2011 and after the Christmas season I headed into 2012 with a bang.

My plan for this corner was a multi-tiered scene with some type of hill or mountain on top, but my first order of business was to cut some openings in the floor of the tunnel to be able to clean the track. Due to some poor aim with the hand drill and the index finger precision measuring method I managed to run the drill right through a section of track.

Well now I am forced to strip the thing down to the track level which involved peeling up the roadway that was covering the screws that hold the plywood in place. I was able to put in a nice access hole that follows the edge of the track so I did make the best of a bad situation.

If your building a layout or planning to build one I share these little disasters with you because you will crash and burn occasionally. It happens to everybody so just pick yourself up dust yourself off and jump back in.


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## Guest

Silhouette backdrops, great idea for your layout, Papa. Your progress reports are amazing.

We have several layout builds underway on the MTF and they all are really fun to follow.

I have said for a long time, *the talent that resides on the MTF is the best in the hobby.*


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## DennyM

I would have to say outstanding Papa.


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## Scotie

Love the backdrops. They work well in spite of being "in reverse" as you say. Our eyes-brain don't always record veridically but interpret what we see which is why I believe so many "not fully to scale" layouts impress us so.
Your progress reports are enjoyable and inspiring.


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## papa3rail

I love winter themed train layouts but did not want to undertake doing my entire layout that way so I made this corner of the backdrop Christmas Mountain


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## Guest

Christmas Corner, great idea. Like the steps.


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## papa3rail

updating


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## Fabforrest

You certainly have developed some interesting techniques and spectacular results.


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## Guest

Very impressive, Papa.


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## Vincent

"The Lionel train store is the only piece that isn't Christmas in the city but how could I resist. "

Actually, electric trains around the Christmas tree are the ONLY Christmas custom that originated in the US. So go ahead and put your Lionel train store in the Christmas scene.


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## papa3rail

updating


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## papa3rail

I've been so busy working on these posts that I missed some of your comments so again let me say thank you for your kind words.There is no more appreciated praise than a pat on the back from your peers.


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## Scotie

Fantastic job overall on this layout. Love to read the ongoing (in retrospect story). Your Christmas in the City section is just gorgeous.


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## papa3rail

Scotie said:


> Fantastic job overall on this layout. Love to read the ongoing (in retrospect story). Your Christmas in the City section is just gorgeous.


Thanks Scotie


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## Nikola

Unbelievable. I especially like the work you did on the stations.


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## papa3rail

I saw a lot of folks doing some really nice builds with Bar Mills model kits so I thought I would give it a whirl.I built Papa's Smokin' Pig BBQ shack using the Swanson's Lunch Stand kit.

This kit is nicely done and goes together fairly easy and fast.
The stud walls and trim pieces have an adhesive backing and are easily applied to the walls and doors.I did run across a couple of pieces that were too short for the space they were supposed to fill but I was able to get what I needed from the scrap.

The pieces are featherlight so I used painters tape to stick them on a box for painting.

The interior is not part of the kit







I get most of my interior details from places like

Berkshire Valley Models
Berkshire Valley Models

and Model Tech Studios
Model Tech Studios LLC - Powered by Network Solutions.

or I make them myself.The smokers and the cooler were made by Andre back when he was known as "The Brass Master"

The Light Poles I make myself the lights are from

Locomotive Joe
Locomotive Joe Handcrafted G Scale & O Scale Lamps & More


My first true scratch build was C.G Conrad's Farm Fresh Market It's named after my wife's grandfather her family were farmers in Coshocton and Holmes Counties in Ohio.When we were a young married couple we used to spend weekends down on the farm and me being in my early twenties and feeling ever so manly would get up at 4am and help C.G. with his chores.

That old man would wear me out.He did more work before breakfast than most people do all day.He was his own Mechanic,Carpenter and Plumber along with all the other work that a family farm entails.






Now i'm not perceived by my family and friends too be a patient man,so my wife was amazed that I sat down at the dining room table one night and painted tiny little stripes on tiny little watermelons.


Once I had finished the ground cover for the BBQ shack and the produce market it gave me abort 3 square feet of finished layout only 257 more to go.


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## papa3rail

I roughed out this piece back in 2010 and it sat in the corner staring at me for two years knowing full well I did not have the skill set to turn it into the piece that I had imagined.










My intentions for this corner has always been to make a scene reflecting a few of my favorite places in Northeast Ohio.

There are three in particular,Nelson's Ledges,Hocking Hills, and Virginia Kendall State Parks.I camped and hiked at these places as a scout and picnicked and hiked there with my family as a child and later with my wife in the early days of our marriage.

Fast forward to 2012 and I'm really thinking I should just get Roger to do this, then one day my wife asks me if I'm ever going to finish that piece in the corner.Well I explained to her my apprehension over getting it to come out like I wanted and low and behold the train god's smiled on me when she said why don't you just get Roger to do it.

I have to say that having a friend that is one of the premier layout builders in the country is a double edged sword.I mean you just can't throw anything up on the layout and say wahtcha think huh, you have to be on your game,but when I want something real eye catching, a real top notch scene, it's Roger to the rescue.







So with that off my plate it's on to the lake and the lower level track.


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## Nikola

Wow. Amazing. I love the details such as the flyers on the telephone pole. Really, really nice.


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## Fabforrest

You are reaching a ways back in time with this narrative. Do we have a finished layout to look forward to?


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## papa3rail

Fabforrest said:


> You are reaching a ways back in time with this narrative. Do we have a finished layout to look forward to?


Forrest my friend that's a question my darling wife asks on occasion,but i'm afraid the end is a ways off I'm just trying to bring everyone here up to speed with where i'm at now with the layout.


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## papa3rail

I decided to go with Magic Water from Unreal Details to fill the lake. At $120.00 for 96 oz. I'm was contemplating putting an island in the middle to displace some of the water area. At the time as was looking at around 2 square feet and 1/2 to 1 inch deep.

I looked at a lot of model lakes and many people seem to go with blue water well I'm on the water about 30 days a year and most of the water I see is brownish green so that's what I went with.

I tinted the MW with a drop of green and a drop of brown ink to every 32 ounces I mixed up. The MW is a 2 part resin with a 2 to 1 ratio. I was quite pleased with the product, it mixed easily and didn’t have much odor.

They claim the MW won’t bubble but they didn’t count on some fool covering his entire lake bed with coarse sand. The grain size is roughly 1/32 and it trapped a lot of air. I blew on them, poked them with a pin, used a hair dryer but the bubbles just kept coming. I got rid of all them on the shore line where you can see the bottom and didn’t worry about the middle of the lake since it will have several more layers on top of the first layer.

Knowing what I know now I would have poured the first layer much shallower or even painted on a thick first coat .The MW did leech up into the sand on the shoreline and I had know problems with bubbles after the first pour.

They said not to pour any deeper than a ½ an inch but I only poured about an 1/8 inch at a time adding fish to the top of each proceeding layer after it was set but is still tacky. They said it takes approximately 24 hours for the product to cure depending on the conditions. I waited 48 hours between each pour although it seemed like it was pretty well cured after about 36. I mixed 32 ounces for each layer. After pouring 3 layers I was only half way to the top of the spillway, since I only ordered the 96 ounce kit I had to order another 96 ounce kit and hope that it would finish the job.

If I was doing this again I would leave the center of the lake bed very shallow since I painted it black and dark green to simulate depth and I would have saved myself a lot of money. MW is a nice product but is a bit pricey but not really anymore so than the other water products I looked at.

When the water level reached about a 1/4 inch from the top of the spillway I put my boat in as the motor extended a 1/4 inch below the hull.At first I tried setting the boat on a couple of 1/4 inch blocks and gluing the motor to the surface of the lake but the CA glue had a strange reaction to the stuff it took forever to dry and never really got hard it was set but was kind of pliable like the Magic Water.I was able to prop the bow up at the level I needed it to be with some wood.

You can see the last of my fish stuck to the waters surface in this next image.I had originally planned to tie the boat to the dock but it covered all the fish I had put in the water and kind of cluttered up the dock scene so I opted to tie it to one of the stumps instead.

The plants beside the dock and along the shore are a scenic express briar patch I cut into pieces and glued to the lake surface so they would appear to be growing out of the water along the shore.

I glued some strands of moss to the surface to look like Hydrilla .

After I poured the last of my second 96 ounce Magic Water kit the water came dead even with the top of the spillway. I was hoping it would crest it and leave a light coating on the falls and in the stream bed.It has taken two 96 ounce kits done in six separate pours to get this far so I had to pick up an 18 ounce kit to finish it off.This worked out great it put about a 1/16 final coat on top that I could stick my canoes into and coated the spillway with only a few drops of waste off the edge.

The plexiglass came away clean as a whistle. The silicon sealer worked great it separated easily from the plexiglass and peeled right off the back of the lake.

That brings us to mid October 2012 and time for my fall fishing extravaganza when I get back from my fall trip it's time to jump into the Christmas decorating.


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## kstrains

Papa, your work on your layout is incredible work and craftsmanship! I just started to read your thread this evening from the beginning and there is so much to take in! Your Christmas corner with snow covered ledges on the walls and the hand carved stairs going up to the church is spectacular. Thank you for sharing all the steps you have taken over the years in building your layout. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## papa3rail

kstrains said:


> Papa, your work on your layout is incredible work and craftsmanship! I just started to read your thread this evening from the beginning and there is so much to take in! Your Christmas corner with snow covered ledges on the walls and the hand carved stairs going up to the church is spectacular. Thank you for sharing all the steps you have taken over the years in building your layout.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Thanks, glad your enjoying the thread.


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## PatKn

Papa, very interesting and informative thread. We all can learn something from your experiences. Thanks for the post.


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## papa3rail

updating


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## papa3rail

PatKn said:


> Papa, very interesting and informative thread. We all can learn something from your experiences. Thanks for the post.


Thanks Pat


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## Thephile

WOW, Great layout


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## papa3rail

For the floor /deck of the Beer and Bait shop.I used scale 2x6 it was a very slow and tedious process but It came out looking pretty good.

My original plan was to do all four walls complete, interior and exterior and then assemble the building. Then I learned unprimed clapboard siding curls up like a toilet paper roll when you use ink wash on it. Luckily I was able to clamp the front and back walls to the piers and get them glued on flat.I opted to paint the end walls. I’ve also learned that building stairways, doors and windows from scratch will test the patience of the best of us.

I incorporated a couple of Miller Engineering window signs into this project.

Wasn't sure I would like the two color scheme but I think it works.

I held off on installing this end of the building until I finished the interior.

Made the stack of beer cases to try and hide the wires from the window signs when peering in from outside.

Bit by bit I started buying and embellishing or making and adding the interior components.

At this point I was just about ready to call the interior to the Beer & Bait store finished just a few more details to go.

It was finally time to get a roof on the bait shop.It's not that I couldn't think of anything else to ad I just didn't know where I'd put it.

I needed the roof to be detachable so i built the substructure to slip down on top of the upright poles


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## papa3rail

updating


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## Guest

This is a great thread, Papa. Following your build is interesting and informative. I love your attention to detail. I've seen these scenes before but not how they came together.


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## papa3rail

Country Joe said:


> This is a great thread, Papa. Following your build is interesting and informative. I love your attention to detail. I've seen these scenes before but not how they came together.


Thanks Joe
How goes the progress on the Alma & Jupiter Bay Railway


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## Spence

Tremendous build. Great job on the scenery. :appl:


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## Guest

papa3rail said:


> Thanks Joe
> How goes the progress on the Alma & Jupiter Bay Railway


I paved the area around the freight platform today. It's not finished. This is it right now.


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## papa3rail

The Engine Shed and Machine Shop
Built the foundation and floor the actual buildings will be a ways down the road.


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## Fabforrest

There is a full magazine’s worth of articles here.


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## Nikola

So nice. I especially like your jigs, guides and templates. And that Wile E. Coyote tunnel! Superb.


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## Magic

Some truly amazing craftsmanship.
Superb workmanship and attention to detail.
Great imagination in all aspects. 
Really enjoying this build.

Magic


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## Booly15

Please keep this thread going I feel like a sponge trying to soak it all in.


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## papa3rail

Thanks to Country Joe, Spence, Forrest ,Nikola and Magic for your comments.

You may have also noticed that I didn’t put a pit in the Engine shed floor. I mean if a guy is going to make a rack full of fishing poles for a bait shop why would he omit such a key feature of an engine repair facility. For the most part the omission is due to the location of the shed, one track is outside of the table framework so I didn’t feel good about poking a hole in the plywood at that spot and the other track while inside of the frame work is over top my main electrical wiring path, likewise I wasn’t too thrilled at the prospect of 10 or more inches of unsupported center rail. I pondered the options and decided at the end of the day it would have a locomotive parked over top of it so it’s a detail I can live without.

I tend to pick and choose my levels of realism bearing in mind I have a ceramic Christmas village for a backdrop and a third rail running down the middle of my track. Beauty after all is in the eye of the beholder .You won’t see a lot of weathering details on my layout, although I’m quite impressed with the level of realism some folks achieve with it, it’s just not for me. This layout is my perfect little world. If I want to see the weather worn trashed up world there is one right outside my front door. In Papa’s world people paint their houses, wash their cars, pick up their trash and keep their trains shinning like diamonds.

Well as 2014 was drawing to a close I had one last thing to tend to. I set up a tree on the layout that is decorated in train themed ornaments. Well it always sat on the lower deck where the freight yard is now located.

The fix
Made this at work and it's worked perfectly since Christmas of 2014.


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## papa3rail

Booly15 said:


> Please keep this thread going I feel like a sponge trying to soak it all in.


Thanks Booly


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## Spence

As I've said before; your scenery work is amazing. :thumbsup:


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## papa3rail

While all that foam work was going on I was looking for some trees preferably 8 to 12 inches tall.Well they were going for $18 to $20 for a pair of 8 to 9 inchers and I needed about two dozen for starters so that was out of the question. Well one day I hit the jackpot on Ebay A guy had seven boxes of six 2 each small, medium and large Department 56 bare branch white birch trees that were yellowed from water damage.Don't remember what I paid but it was a steal.






This is just an assortment of various scenic elements I've used.
If you have any questions about any of the details like the Magic Water or the Blue Foam and the sealer or anything feel free to ask.


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## Nikola

You are doing things I have always thought about, like the borer holes in the rock. Wonderful.

You know, a 5 axis CNC mill could produce a ready to use layout section ready to go. Roadbed, rock walls, topology, even building foundations or cores. Just whittle large blocks of foam.


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## papa3rail

Nikola said:


> You are doing things I have always thought about, like the borer holes in the rock. Wonderful.
> 
> You know, a 5 axis CNC mill could produce a ready to use layout section ready to go. Roadbed, rock walls, topology, even building foundations or cores. Just whittle large blocks of foam.


Ain't technology grand.


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## Guest

Unique fix for the Christmas Tree. Beautifully decorated tree as well.


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## Lehigh74

I like the vines on the tunnel portal. It would be interesting to hear how that was done. 

Actually, I like just about everything you have done.


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## DennyM

Papa, your photos are fantastic. Your layout and the work you're doing is.....also fantastic.


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## papa3rail

Real estate for building projects is minimal on my layout so I need to make every inch count .

The Plan

I like naming businesses on the layout after family and friends so the plan is to build Mike's Texaco,Donna's Frosty Mug a rootbeer stand and a tavern Called Mac's by the Trac's in this space.

Mac's will be located in the space between the street and the tracks coming out of the tunnel.

I'm going to start with the root beer stand.

My inspiration's for this build are a seasonal stand that's been in operation in my home town for decades.










And this little gem I found in Huntington West Virginia a couple years back. Loved the rotating mug on the roof.






This has twelve sides (a dodecagon) I wanted to have a side perpendicular to each parking space,yes I'm kind hung up on symmetry.

I think you could easily do this with a round building by gluing vertical wood strips to a section of PVC pipe.


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## papa3rail

Passenger Train Collector said:


> Unique fix for the Christmas Tree. Beautifully decorated tree as well.


Thanks Brian



DennyM said:


> Papa, your photos are fantastic. Your layout and the work you're doing is.....also fantastic.


Much appreciated Denny



Lehigh74 said:


> I like the vines on the tunnel portal. It would be interesting to hear how that was done.
> 
> Actually, I like just about everything you have done.


Thanks Bob,the vines are from Scenic Express they're called Leaf Flake Foliage from Silflor.

http://www.sceneryexpress.com/Leaf-Foliage/products/1246/

I just cut them in strips and glue them on.


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## Volphin

Ok, I've been following this thread, and after I picked my jaw up off the ground, all I can say is what an outstanding job this layout has become! It has led me to materials and techniques that I would never have thought of in a million years! Thanks Papa for the continued posts and the sharing of your journey. MANY model railroaders will benefit from your experiences and insights in the future... including myself! Thank you for sharing your labors with us!


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## Fabforrest

that dodecahedron is da bomb.

who is donna?


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## papa3rail

Fabforrest said:


> that dodecahedron is da bomb.
> 
> who is donna?


Thanks Forrest
Early on in this thread I talked about marrying well,she didn't, she's the gal with a 20 x 13 layout inside her front door.


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## papa3rail

Volphin said:


> Ok, I've been following this thread, and after I picked my jaw up off the ground, all I can say is what an outstanding job this layout has become! It has led me to materials and techniques that I would never have thought of in a million years! Thanks Papa for the continued posts and the sharing of your journey. MANY model railroaders will benefit from your experiences and insights in the future... including myself! Thank you for sharing your labors with us!


I'm thrilled that folks are enjoying the thread.
I have to ask is a Volphin a Miami fan that lives in Tennessee?


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## DennyM

Volphin said:


> Ok, I've been following this thread, and after I picked my jaw up off the ground, all I can say is what an outstanding job this layout has become! It has led me to materials and techniques that I would never have thought of in a million years! Thanks Papa for the continued posts and the sharing of your journey. MANY model railroaders will benefit from your experiences and insights in the future... including myself! Thank you for sharing your labors with us!


I agree 100%.


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## Volphin

papa3rail said:


> I'm thrilled that folks are enjoying the thread.
> I have to ask is a Volphin a Miami fan that lives in Tennessee?


You would be correct Papa. 
However, that last 15 lackluster seasons have tempered my enthusiasm for the team(s).


----------



## papa3rail

Volphin said:


> You would be correct Papa.
> However, that last 15 lackluster seasons have tempered my enthusiasm for the team(s).


You want to talk lackluster I'm a Browns fan
Thank goodness I have my Buckeyes to root for.


----------



## Volphin

papa3rail said:


> You want to talk lackluster I'm a Browns fan


My condolences sir. :laugh:
May the draft be good to them!


----------



## Vincent

papa3rail said:


> You want to talk lackluster I'm a Browns fan
> .


You'll get no sympathy from me. I'm a Philadelphia Phillies phan.


----------



## Guest

You're doing a great job Papa. You're packing a lot into a small space and I think it will look fabulous when it's done. I like Donna's a lot. It's looking good already.

I'm a NY Jets and NY Mets fan. I'm cautiously optimistic for both teams this year.


----------



## papa3rail

Now that we are in the here and now with this thread posting will go a lot slower. I'm working a bunch of hours currently plus a couple hours after work making pieces for this project.

Got my motor and root beer mugs this week. The motor is 12V AC 5 rpm, perfect for this application. Bought it on Amazon for $11.00

I got the mugs from a Gal on Etsy, she had little beer mugs with beer and foam on top.I contacted he about doing a couple with root beer and brown foam,I think she knocked it out of the park.
I purchased two(in case plan B comes into play) at $10.00 each. My original plan was to paint the mug like the one in the video but I like the look of these just as they are.


----------



## Guest

The root beer mugs look fabulous. This is a fun project to follow.


----------



## Booly15

Vincent said:


> You'll get no sympathy from me. I'm a Philadelphia Phillies phan.


Islanders here, they do documentaries on how badly things have gone for this organization.


----------



## DennyM

Those root beer mugs reminds me of A&W. The first time I ever had a chilidog with a frosty mug of A&W Root Beer was back in the 60s before they built the interstates and A&W's were roadside with pretty girls bringing you tray to your car..well it was my fathers car.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

A&W was one of my favorite stops in my high school years, it was right down the street from the school. Had many a lunch there.


----------



## papa3rail

updating


----------



## PatKn

Papa, The building is looking great. I love the Root Beer Mugs. The interior is shaping up nicely. I thought it strange that you went to the trouble of putting a doorway in the wall in the rear of the structure where nobody can see it. 
(Yankee fan - I'm always optimistic  )


----------



## TexasSP

Glad I opened this thread, some seriously cool stuff going on hear including a lot of interesting techniques.

I really like that root beer stand idea. Good way to use unconventional designs to fill different spaces. Good to see unsymmetrical thought going on, not always easy for my brain to do although it enjoys the results.


----------



## papa3rail

TexasSP said:


> Glad I opened this thread, some seriously cool stuff going on hear including a lot of interesting techniques.
> 
> I really like that root beer stand idea. Good way to use unconventional designs to fill different spaces. Good to see unsymmetrical thought going on, not always easy for my brain to do although it enjoys the results.


Thanks TexasSP



PatKn said:


> Papa, The building is looking great. I love the Root Beer Mugs. The interior is shaping up nicely. I thought it strange that you went to the trouble of putting a doorway in the wall in the rear of the structure where nobody can see it.
> (Yankee fan - I'm always optimistic  )


Thanks Pat, you'll really scratch your head after I add the closed door and the restroom fixtures.My Wife always says _"but nobody can see it "_ my response _"but I know it's there"_.

Actually Pat it's my _modus operandi_ detailed interiors. I wanted to do something that would make my builds unique. Unconventional yes but I do unconventional well.


----------



## Guest

The interior details are fabulous, Papa. It's OK if they are hard to see. It's fun when a visitor discovers some detail and you hear, "Hey, look at this!"


----------



## DennyM

Those interior details are fantastic.


----------



## PatKn

I love the interior details, Papa. I was admiring them on your previous posts.
Joe, I wasn't commenting on the hard to see details but the impossible to see details. 
Either way, they're great. 

Pat

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


----------



## Vincent

Papa3rail, the interiors are very well-done. I hadn't thought of using removable roofs to give more opportunity for good craftsmanship.


----------



## papa3rail

Country Joe said:


> The interior details are fabulous, Papa. It's OK if they are hard to see. It's fun when a visitor discovers some detail and you hear, "Hey, look at this!"





DennyM said:


> Those interior details are fantastic.





PatKn said:


> I love the interior details, Papa. I was admiring them on your previous posts.
> Joe, I wasn't commenting on the hard to see details but the impossible to see details.
> Either way, they're great.
> 
> Pat


Thanks guys.

Pats right there are impossible to see details in some of my buildings.Maybe I should start mounting these up in the rafters.


----------



## Guest

PatKn said:


> I love the interior details, Papa. I was admiring them on your previous posts.
> Joe, I wasn't commenting on the hard to see details but the impossible to see details.
> Either way, they're great.
> 
> Pat
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


I hear you Pat. I wouldn't bother with impossible to see details. A removable roof can make them visible but I still don't think I would bother. Too much work for too little payoff.


----------



## Lee Willis

I love it. Wonderful, intricate model. Just great.


----------



## papa3rail

Country Joe said:


> Too much work for too little payoff.


_"One man's pleasure is another man's pain"_

I'm spending the kids inheritance now Joe, but these things will be worth a fortune when I'm dead and gone.


----------



## papa3rail

Lee Willis said:


> I love it. Wonderful, intricate model. Just great.


Thanks Lee


----------



## Guest

So nice to have Papa as part of the MTF. With superb modelers like him, we just get better and better.


----------



## Guest

papa3rail said:


> _"One man's pleasure is another man's pain"_
> 
> I'm spending the kids inheritance now Joe, but these things will be worth a fortune when I'm dead and gone.


The saying I use is, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." We're all different and that makes life interesting.

Ideally your money will run out the day you die. The kids can sell your house and trains for their inheritance. :laugh:


----------



## papa3rail

Passenger Train Collector said:


> So nice to have Papa as part of the MTF. With superb modelers like him, we just get better and better.


Thanks Brian, proud to be a member of such a fine community.


----------



## Lee Willis

Passenger Train Collector said:


> So nice to have Papa as part of the MTF. With superb modelers like him, we just get better and better.


I agree. I often think that my model railroading layout is basically an excuse to undertake interesting modeling projects. Regardless, I love to watch/see/learn how others do involved projects like these. Wonderful!!!


----------



## Slowhands

As others have mentioned, this is a fantastic thread you started. I just found it today. My jaw is sore from being unhinged for 11 pages, and my ears a bit too from boss suggesting I do some work... There is so much that you have done in little spaces, the details you've included, the precision in your methods, etc., you've opened my eyes to thinking about doing things on my little 4'x8' world that I never even considered possible.
The flow of your pictures, your comments / narration of the steps to each section are among the best I've come across, and I highly commend you for the effort you put into taking the pictures along the way and then posting this thread. Wow. Just Wow.


----------



## papa3rail

Thanks Lee and Slowhands, I appreciate your comments.


----------



## papa3rail

updating


----------



## Guest

I love the clock and menu board. Excellent work Papa.


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## Wood

Another great detail technique. Maybe I can figure out a way to print some of these pages and save them as directions.


----------



## DennyM

It just keeps getting better Papa.


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## Guest

Yet another interesting project.


----------



## papa3rail

Thanks guys.


----------



## Fabforrest

Looking great!


----------



## Nikola

Are the roof rafters laser CNC cut?


----------



## Wood

Wow, You have excellent engineering and cuts on this project. I do make the assumption you individually cut all of these pieces.


----------



## Guest

The rafters look great Papa.


----------



## DennyM

Wow that is very cool Papa. I have no skill for that what so ever. I would probably go through an entire tree before I got it right.


----------



## papa3rail

Fabforrest said:


> Looking great!





Nikola said:


> Are the roof rafters laser CNC cut?





Wood said:


> Wow, You have excellent engineering and cuts on this project. I do make the assumption you individually cut all of these pieces.





Country Joe said:


> The rafters look great Papa.





DennyM said:


> Wow that is very cool Papa. I have no skill for that what so ever. I would probably go through an entire tree before I got it right.


Thanks guys you may be giving me more credit than I deserve.
I'm no wizard with a x-acto knife although I'm fairly proficient with one.
I prefer to use the tools of my trade ,tools that I'm extremely comfortable with.
95% of the pieces for this build where cut out on my CNC milling machine I have precision cad drawings for each component that I use to program the pieces on the mill.

My train tools.






























The next three photos were taken when I was making the signs on the foot bridge between Bob's and Sarah Lake.
































I thought about making a video with my phone when I was cutting out the rafters yesterday but I really didn't think anyone would be interested.


----------



## PatKn

Wow! Nice job, Papa. Its nice that you have access to all that machinery and the talent to use it. The project looks great.


----------



## papa3rail

Thanks Pat


----------



## Guest

Now that is what I call a work shop.


----------



## papa3rail

Brian, I'm lucky that I still enjoy my work after so many years.I also have the added bonus of working for people that don't mind me using the equipment to work on my layout.


----------



## papa3rail

updating


----------



## highvoltage

papa3rail said:


> ...I'm going to try this for the roof,it's printed on 400 grit sand paper...


Could you post some details on how you did that?


----------



## papa3rail

highvoltage said:


> Could you post some details on how you did that?


I have the luxury of having AutoCAD on my home and office computers so along with the linked calculator in my post it was pretty easy to accomplish.You should be able to achieve the same thing with a good old draftsmen's compass.

If anyone is truly serious about making a conical roof for a project PM me and I'll see if I can help you out.


----------



## Guest

*If anyone is truly serious about making a conical roof for a project PM me and I'll see if I can help you out.*

Nice gesture, Papa. What makes us the best forum.


----------



## DennyM

Sounds like a great weekend. Can't go wrong with BBQ. Congratulations to your grandson. Enjoy your train day.


----------



## papa3rail

DennyM said:


> Sounds like a great weekend. Can't go wrong with BBQ. Congratulations to your grandson. Enjoy your train day.


Thanks Denny


----------



## papa3rail

updating


----------



## Magic

The mug and decal work looks great, you sure do some fabulous work Papa.

Magic


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## PatKn

The hut looks great, Papa. The mug gets a little lost with the brown brick background. The smooth roof looks good but a tiled roof would look better.


----------



## Guest

The roof does look flat but may be less noticeable when the scene is fully developed with figures and details.


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## Guest

I think some texture on the roof would make it look magnificent. Otherwise, it is beautiful.


----------



## Spence

Great looking building. You certainly have great modelling skills. :appl::appl:


----------



## Vincent

After watching your video, I sure could go for a cold root beer right now.


----------



## Wood

Excellent work. Just add some servers in the cafe, put some girls on roller skates outside and you've got it.....


----------



## papa3rail

Thanks,Magic ,Pat, Joe, Brian, Spence, Vincent and Wood.


----------



## Guest

How about replicating a metal roof, Papa. Might be easier and look just as good if not better than shingles.


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## RonthePirate

Hey, Papa, I got an idea: get some really fine n scale ballast.
Paint the roof grey and dip it in the ballast.
You would have a old style rock roof.
Real popular out west here, back in the 60's.


----------



## DennyM

That looks great Papa. I wish there was a place like that in town.


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## Mark Boyce

I just came upon this topic, Papa3rail! Excellent work to be sure! You have shown us some techniques I have not seen before. Thank you very much!! I will keep following your excellent build!


----------



## highvoltage

RonthePirate said:


> Hey, Papa, I got an idea: get some really fine n scale ballast.
> Paint the roof grey and dip it in the ballast.
> You would have a old style rock roof.
> Real popular out west here, back in the 60's.


That works for a flat roof. But for an inclined roof, not so much.


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## papa3rail

Denny and Mark thanks for your kind comments.


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## Mark Boyce

I think that section of shingles looks great! The "metal" roof would look great too if you weathered it well. I know, you are like me and like to have your models look fairly pristine like the towns and railroads are very prosperous. So maybe convincing weathering would be too much.


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## Guest

*Go with the metal roof.* After all, your clientele in the Dallas area is definitely upscale.


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## Guest

Papa, I think the shingles look great and would make a very interesting roof.

A metal roof would also look fabulous and be easier to do.

Whichever you go with will make an excellent model.


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## papa3rail

Thanks guys,the Dallas area is definitely upscale Brian but I'm just a good ol'boy from Northeast Ohio.In the end the Boss Lady will get the final call on this one.


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## papa3rail

Not a lot of progress to show.

I work for an oil well perforater charge manufacturer and right now business is booming(no pun intended). Up until about 18 months ago for the most part I worked a 4 ten hour day Monday through Thursday work week. Friday was train day and life was good. Recently I'm working 50 to 60 hours a week. At 4 months shy of turning 60 those kind of hours not only make Papa a dull boy but a cranky one too.I can however dry the tears with the extra Benjamins.

I kept the UPS guy busy this week, lots of goodies for the stand. As you can see by the package of shingles what Mama's choice was. So no metal roof, sorry Brian.










Picked up some convertibles for the stand. Seems a shame to buy vehicle passengers and put'em in a hard top.

This from the guy who's building a bathroom that can't be seen.










Made and purchased some more detail parts some need a bit of paint and I bought some bruhsed silver pin stripe tape for the barrel rings.


----------



## Guest

Your wife is a priority, Papa. But you should have given me a chance to convince her.


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## Guest

Your wife does have a priority, Papa. But, you should have given me the opportunity to convince her that the metal roof would have been best.


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## Mark Boyce

Papa, I'm just two years older than you, and I think I would just die if I was working 50 to 60 hours a week these days!  Make sure you get plenty of rest!!!

The cars and detail parts are excellent, as is your wife's choice of shingles.

Remember, a bathroom should not be seen!


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## Vincent

Nice-lookin' set of cars there.

PS. I retired to Mexico when I was 52.


----------



## Lee Willis

I keep trying to retire, but fail. It seems to be one of those things, like finishing sheetrock walls, that I'm just not good at doing.


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## PatKn

I think the shingles will look best. (Sorry Brian). I used to work 60 hour weeks regularly. I'll be 66 in a couple of weeks and i just can't do that anymore. But I'm planning to retire in September and work pretty much straight 40 hour weeks. (What can they do? Fire me.  )


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## Guest

You bought some nice stuff Papa. I love Arttista people.

I retired at 64 1/2. I was good up to about 61 or 62. After that I did my job but lost my enthusiasm. I just didn't have the energy any more. I knew it was time to retire.


----------



## papa3rail

Thanks Guys.



Mark Boyce said:


> Papa, I'm just two years older than you, and I think I would just die if I was working 50 to 60 hours a week these days!  Make sure you get plenty of rest!!!


My job is pretty easy these days.I get paid hourly not salary so all that OT is at time and a half.I do a lot of design work and trouble shooting. The most strenuous thing I do is set-up a piece of steel on the CNC mill or the EDM machine, punch a few buttons and go back to my computer while the machines do their thing.

As far as retirement goes they have already offered to let me work 30 hours a week with full benefits anytime after I reach 62.At that time I'll have 6 weeks paid vacation. We have very good insurance, medical, prescription, dental and vision.I only live six miles from the shop and I still love doing what I do so I'm not all that eager to retire.


----------



## Scotie

If you love the work and its not overwhelming you probably should keep at it. I worked into my 70's when they offered a buyout I couldn't refuse. My father loved his work but retired against much advise and did miss it when it was too late to go back.


----------



## Vincent

I worked my last 14 years in a paper mill, and I hated it. They did treat me well, though. I found out about retiring to Mexico, and I retired 1t age 52. I am now 65.


----------



## papa3rail

updating


----------



## Fabforrest

Don’t think you need to worry about weathering. It looks fantastic. The interior is over the top.


----------



## Vincent

Looks very realistic.


----------



## DennyM

Fabforrest said:


> Don’t think you need to worry about weathering. It looks fantastic. The interior is over the top.


What Forrest said.


----------



## Lehigh74

The roof looks great. So does the interior. I don't think I have ever seen an interior so well detailed.


----------



## Wood

Lehigh74 said:


> The roof looks great. So does the interior. I don't think I have ever seen an interior so well detailed.



I am with Lehigh on this. The interior detail is amazing. Accurate layout, all the equipment, food and excellent menu board. Dave you have set the board very high. Great stuff. 

I saved the pic for future work I will do.


----------



## Guest

The roof and interior look fabulous. The detail is incredible. Outstanding work.


----------



## Spence

"WHEW", just beautiful. :appl::appl:


----------



## Guest

Looks good, Papa. But I still like the metal roof approach.


----------



## PatKn

The roof and interior look fantastic. 

Pat

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


----------



## papa3rail

Forrest, Vincent, Denny, Bob, Wood, Joe, Spence, Brian, and Pat, Thanks for the encouraging words guys I really do appreciate it.
Dave



Passenger Train Collector said:


> Looks good, Papa. But I still like the metal roof approach.


Brian those 12 metal rods that saved my bacon on this project are just for you.


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

That's an amazing job, I hope you're going to light the interior so you can see all that great detail!


----------



## DennyM

gunrunnerjohn said:


> That's an amazing job, I hope you're going to light the interior so you can see all that great detail!


Is there a LED that has a florescent light effect?


----------



## papa3rail

gunrunnerjohn said:


> That's an amazing job, I hope you're going to light the interior so you can see all that great detail!


Thanks John ,going to be a bunch of lights on this project,interior, lighted sign on roof, a couple of cars in the parking lot with their lights on and I want to shine a couple of lights on the motorized mug on the roof.


----------



## papa3rail

DennyM said:


> Is there a LED that has a florescent light effect?


I don't now about LED but Miller Engineering has these.

https://www.microstru.com/Flourescents.html


----------



## gunrunnerjohn

DennyM said:


> Is there a LED that has a florescent light effect?


Sure, plain bright white LED's have the same color temperature as most florescent bulbs.


----------



## Guest

This discussion is why we have it so good at the MTF. Some of the best modelers in the O-Gauge community who know how to "do it" and share much with all of us in the most friendly manner. Does not exist to this extent anywhere else.


----------



## DennyM

That would look really cool. It makes me think of roadside hamburger places or food trucks that you could see for miles at night.


----------



## papa3rail

There is a guy around here that's been tossing things here there and everywhere on the layout for months now. It took the poor slob two hours to find some recently purchased lighting yesterday morning,so I yanked him up by his shirt collar and made him clean up his mess.It took half the day yesterday and several hour this morning but finally everything is back where it belongs.Since I could actually see the lower(freight level) again. I moved all the loose freight into the yard so I can clean the track and maybe tomorrow get all four mains running again.


----------



## Wood

Dave, Are you using 1/8" MDF for your streets and pinstriping for you lines? I like the nice curve at the sidewalk corners.


----------



## papa3rail

Wood said:


> Dave, Are you using 1/8" MDF for your streets and pinstriping for you lines? I like the nice curve at the sidewalk corners.


Wood,they're made from what Loews calls1/8 Tempered Hardboard, my Pops always called it Masonite. It's smooth on one side rough textured on the other.
I cut them out on the mill so I could get those nice clean sidewalk corners.
The stripes were made by first painting the road then I covered it with painters, tape,then I printed the lines out on a big shipping label and stuck it to the painters tape then cut out the stripes with a Xacto knife and painted them.
I tried it first without the painters tape and somewhere around here is a street with a shipping label permanently stuck to it.:laugh:
I have some pin stripping tape I'm going to try on the Root beer stand parking lot.I went through all that work on the streets because of my railroad crossing.


----------



## Mark Boyce

Dave,
Your roads look great! Yes Masonite is the name I have always heard, and still use even though the stores may use a different name. Back to the roads, I like your technique! 

Oh yes, that guy who messed things up in your train room. I think he has been here too. I am normally very organized, but with so much going on, I sometimes forget where I put something.


----------



## Vincent

Papa3rail, you are an inspiration to me.

My wife, on the other hand, wishes I would stop reading your posts.


----------



## Wood

Thanks Dave, That's a pretty big job with all the masking and cutting. It looks great. You will like the pinstriping. It is much easier. Mine has been down for about 7 years with no delamination. I also found some excellent stick on O gauge railroad crossing images that are made of material like the pinstripping. Check eBay.


----------



## PatKn

Nice looking roads, Dave. 

Pat

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


----------



## papa3rail

Mark,Vincent and Pat, thanks guys I appreciate the kind words.



Wood said:


> You will like the pinstriping. It is much easier. Mine has been down for about 7 years with no delamination. I also found some excellent stick on O gauge railroad crossing images that are made of material like the pinstripping. Check eBay.


Hey Wood, you ever try the pin striping tape on 3M no skid tape.All the streets on my backdrop are made from it.They may be a bit to rough for the pin stripping application that stuffs about like 80 grit sandpaper.


----------



## papa3rail

Been working on lighting and signs for the stand lately. I also have a couple of vehicles that I'm fitting with headlights and tail lights.

All the lights are from Evan Designs.I'm using two 3mm warm white lights for the interior.I've sanded off the round tip to spread out the light pattern a bit.










The billboard light fixture is from Locomotive Joe it comes with an incandescent light that I have replaced with a warm white LED chip.










To light the mug I'm using a cool white chip LED mounted in the peak of the roof aimed up at the bottom center of the mug.










I need to move the billboard light out a bit before I glue it in place but all in all it's looking pretty good.


----------



## Wood

That is one cool build. Love the Frosty mug. Congrats!!!!


----------



## Spence

That looks fantastic. :appl::appl:


----------



## PatKn

The stand turned out fantastic. 

Pat

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## Mark Boyce

Excellent!


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## Guest

It looks fabulous, Dave! There is so much to see in this little building.


----------



## DennyM

Outstanding Papa.


----------



## papa3rail

Wood,Spence,Pat,Mark,Joe and Denny, Thanks guys I appreciate your feedback I've been having a lot of fun with this project.


----------



## papa3rail

updating


----------



## Vincent

Papa3rail writes "I've decided these will be one way streets because I can think of no simple way to stripe these roads at this point in the game."

1) Lincoln Boulevard in Philadelphia used to be eight lanes (I think) with no dividing lines ANYWHERE.

2) Years ago, I would have joked that cars only drive one way--but now I live in Mexico.


----------



## Guest

Meridian, Dave.


----------



## Lehigh74

papa3rail said:


> I've decided these will be one way streets because I can think of no simple way to stripe these roads at this point in the game.


 I've used these on Elmer's foam board. I'm pretty sure I remember testing it on 80 grit sandpaper as well, but haven't gotten around to striping my streets made from the sandpaper.

https://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/Item/C1292/page/1


----------



## PatKn

Now that's a block of foam.


----------



## papa3rail

Passenger Train Collector said:


> Meridian, Dave.


Thanks Brian, the local Home Depot has them I'm going to grab a few after work and check them out.



Lehigh74 said:


> I've used these on Elmer's foam board. I'm pretty sure I remember testing it on 80 grit sandpaper as well, but haven't gotten around to striping my streets made from the sandpaper.


Thanks for the heads up Bob ,my biggest problem at this point is I'd have to crawl on top of track to apply it.


----------



## Guest

Get the frosted bulbs, Dave.


----------



## papa3rail

Finished the two vehicles that will have their lights on at the stand.The focus will be on the tail lights, had a hard time finding vehicles that would lend themselves easily to the modification. 

The 57 Ranchero was easily drilled out front and rear. Because of the bed I did have to get a bit creative with the wiring on the tail lights.




























The 55 T-Bird was easily drilled out for the headlights but if I had drilled out the tail lights I would have lost some chrome detail on the fins.



















Luckily there were holes in the casting and I was able to glue the lights up against the lens on the inside. They're not as bright as the ones on the Ranchero but they'll work well enough.


----------



## Spence

The lighted cars look good Papa. :thumbsup:


----------



## Wood

Someday that project will be on my workbench. 

Dave it looks great. 

I have some thoughts. I assume it is 12v DC and you used a connector to power up the lights. Why didn't you use some 30 or 32 gauge wire and solder/shrink wrap the connections. The cables appear very large. Most will be hidden under the car but it might have been helpful on the Ranchero.


----------



## Guest

Lighted vehicle really help to add interest to any layout.


----------



## PatKn

Looks real good, Dave. 

Pat

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


----------



## papa3rail

Wood said:


> Someday that project will be on my workbench.
> 
> Dave it looks great.
> 
> I have some thoughts. I assume it is 12v DC and you used a connector to power up the lights. Why didn't you use some 30 or 32 gauge wire and solder/shrink wrap the connections. The cables appear very large. Most will be hidden under the car but it might have been helpful on the Ranchero.




Wood the lights are 9-12 volt AC from Evan designs they come ready to use.










The wiring will drop through holes in the foam base and the table top.Directly below each car.










The lights in the Ranchero are a kit so there are only two leads for the headlights and two for the tail lights.The T-Bird is done with individual lights so there are two leads for each bulb.I group them together hot and neutral and solder and shrink wrap them to a 20 AWG lead.I'm not sure what wire size the lights come with from ED ,is there one called hair :laugh: because they are pretty small.I'm using the AWG 20 because I have miles of it.










I'm just using large diameter pieces of heat shrink tubing like conduit to keep things a bit neater under the table.


----------



## DennyM

Very cool Papa.


----------



## papa3rail

Spence, Wood, Brian, Pat and Denny, Thanks guys.


----------



## Guest

The vehicles look great, Dave. The lights add so much as does the couple in the T-Bird.


----------



## papa3rail

Country Joe said:


> The vehicles look great, Dave. The lights add so much as does the couple in the T-Bird.


Thanks Joe


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## papa3rail

updating


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## Guest

Now that's the spirit, Dave. Back from vacation and back to work on the layout. Looking good.


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## Guest

Very nice work, Dave. The signs look fabulous.


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## PatKn

Looking real good, Dave.


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## papa3rail

Brian,Joe and Pat, Thanks guys.


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## papa3rail

updating


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## PatKn

Dave, Both scenes are turning out nice. Thanks for sharing. I've never worked with that foam.


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## DennyM

It's coming along nicely.


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## Wood

Dave, You are giving us lots of trade secrets and techniques here. Nice work and thanks for sharing.


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## Guest

Excellent progress Dave. Both scenes are looking very good.


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## Vincent

Dave, I keep getting good ideas from your threads.


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## Lee Willis

VEry cool. thanks. I make street signs exactly the same way. 

Like the idea with the foam. Difficult to cut big pieces, but nice to work with in a pre-fab sort of way. Smart.


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## papa3rail

Thanks for the kind words guys,I appreciate your comments.


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## empire builder

papa3rail I always enjoy seeing what you have been doing. I like the root beer stand I don't suppose the mugs are cold n frosty as well?


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## papa3rail

empire builder said:


> papa3rail I always enjoy seeing what you have been doing. I like the root beer stand I don't suppose the mugs are cold n frosty as well?


Thanks EB, I have to look through all the Doll House sites to see what kind of mugs I can find.


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## papa3rail

updating


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## Volphin

Holy Cow! Looking great sir! :appl::appl::appl:


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## Wood

Dave, By the way the foam cuts it appears to be low density, however it does not crumble. I use a high density foam, which is much harder to shape then what you are using. Where did you get it? 

Great techniques. Thanks for the excellent step by step on this project.


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## papa3rail

Thanks Volphin


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## Guest

Super project, Dave. I have enjoyed following your progress. Still prefer the metal roof affect.


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## papa3rail

updating


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## PatKn

Looks fantastic, Dave. Thanks for sharing your methods.


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## Guest

The base is looking really good, Dave. Thanks for the video. That foam is really easy to work with.


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## papa3rail

Thanks Pat and Joe for your kind comments I appreciate them greatly.


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## Guest

The trees look great, Dave. Thanks for the tutorial. You explained your tree building method really well.


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## Magic

Dave thanks for the tutorial. 
I have a bunch of trees to build and will try that Super 77 glue.

Magic


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## PatKn

Thanks Dave. I'll have to try that at my club. That method creates nice looking trees. 

Pat

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## papa3rail

Joe,Magic & Pat thanks guys hope you found it useful.


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## Wood

Thank you Dave.  Sorry to be late in responding, busy, busy week. The trees look great. The technique is tried and true. Appreciate your follow up.


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## Volphin

Congrats on the Browns brother! You need an open Bud Light machine on the layout!  :appl::appl:


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## Guest

I agree, terrific tree project, Dave. Looks like you started with D56 trees?


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## papa3rail

Passenger Train Collector said:


> I agree, terrific tree project, Dave. Looks like you started with D56 trees?


You are correct sir, I bought a boat load of them that were water damaged for next to nothing a couple of years ago.They make great looking nice sized trees with not a whole lot of effort.


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## papa3rail

Volphin said:


> Congrats on the Browns brother! You need an open Bud Light machine on the layout!  :appl::appl:


Thanks Volphin,I was on cloud nine.We are having are master bath remodeled so I have been working from 2am till until 10 to noon depending on when my son has to be at work.I was just about to shut the TV off when Baker came in the game after that I couldn't quit watching.Needless to say I haven't had much sleep in the last 15 hours but it was worth it to see the Brownies finally shake of the shackles of disparity.Go Browns Go Bucks


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## Traindiesel

Finally had some time to sit and read the entire thread. Dave, absolutely sensational layout build! Thank you for sharing. There are quite a few of your processes that I added to my ongoing scenery Word document. Love your attention to detail, the station platforms, the trees, the Root Beer stand, and on and on. The Root Beer stand interior has me wanting a cheeseburger and a Hires!

Looking forward to the continued progress.


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## DennyM

For me it would be a Chile dog and a frosty mug of A&W root beer. A foot long Chile dog would be better. 😁


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## papa3rail

Traindiesel said:


> Finally had some time to sit and read the entire thread. Dave, absolutely sensational layout build! Thank you for sharing. There are quite a few of your processes that I added to my ongoing scenery Word document. Love your attention to detail, the station platforms, the trees, the Root Beer stand, and on and on. The Root Beer stand interior has me wanting a cheeseburger and a Hires!
> 
> Looking forward to the continued progress.


Thanks Brian


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## papa3rail

Finally getting my little bits coming in from across the pond.

Here's my first tray.


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## PatKn

Wow Dave. Did you have to paint those or did thy come painted?


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## papa3rail

PatKn said:


> Wow Dave. Did you have to paint those or did thy come painted?


The hot dogs came just as you see them. I printed out the napkins.The trays and brackets I did with a 3D printer.The mugs come empty I painted the inside filled them with model glue and painted the head on top.

I just emailed the girl that made the hotdogs to see if she would be interested in making me some cheeseburgers fries and onion rings.


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## Guest

Excellent, Dave. Good show.


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## Guest

That is way cool, Dave. Little details like that add so much to a layout.


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## papa3rail

Thanks Brian & Joe.

Here is a link for Hot Dogs,Jasmin does fantastic work I'm having her make some Hamburgers and fries for me next.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MedievalMiniatures


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## Guest

Thanks for the link, Dave. I bookmarked it for future use.


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## Wood

papa3rail said:


> The hot dogs came just as you see them. I printed out the napkins.The trays and brackets I did with a 3D printer.The mugs come empty I painted the inside filled them with model glue and painted the head on top.
> 
> I just emailed the girl that made the hotdogs to see if she would be interested in making me some cheeseburgers fries and onion rings.


Dave, I have been a little preoccupied these last few weeks and just saw you post. Your details are incredible and add tremendously to your work.

Thank you for posting the link. Interesting items. Looking forward to reviewing the site.


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## papa3rail

Wood said:


> Dave, I have been a little preoccupied these last few weeks and just saw you post. Your details are incredible and add tremendously to your work.
> 
> Thank you for posting the link. Interesting items. Looking forward to reviewing the site.


Thanks Wood and Joe,Jasmine will also do custom work and she's very reasonably priced.


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## papa3rail

updating


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## Guest

Excellent scenery Dave. The billboard was a great idea. I also like the pine trees. They give a lot of visual and vertical interest to the scene. :thumbsup:


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## papa3rail

updating


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## Guest

Looks very good, Dave. I like your idea of using stone blocks to contain the ballast. I not a big fan of gluing ballast down.


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## Spence

Excellent scenery work. :appl:


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## Vincent

Hmmm. A shelf on the wall with buildings. That would be a good way to expand my lay-out.

Uhm, Honey! PapaJohn3Rail would like to talk to you!


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## Guest

Lots of progress, Dave. Excellent job.


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## PatKn

Looks great, Dave.


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## papa3rail

Joe,Spence, Vince, Brian and Pat thanks guys your comments are much appreciated.


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## papa3rail

updating


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## Lehigh74

Looks great Dave. Donna's place is busy. Food must be good there.


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## Fabforrest

It’s the root beer!


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## DennyM

It looks fantastic. Most definitely the root beer and the chilidogs.


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## Guest

Wonderful job, Dave. Terrific piece of modeling. You prove the fact that the MTF has the best out there in O-Gauge land.


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## Magic

What a fabulous scene. Such great detail, even to the hot dogs.
Reminds me of the countless hours I spent in Bob's Big Boy drive ins.

Magic


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## Guest

Outstanding scene, Dave! Truly outstanding!


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## Nikola

The lighting makes it. Really nice!


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## PatKn

Fantastic job Dave. Thanks for posting.

Pat

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## papa3rail

Thanks guys I appreciate your comments this was a fun build.After the Holidays I'll start another just not sure what just yet.


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## Wood

Dave, I've been behind a little on the forum and just got caught up on your thread. Nice work and thanks for all the tips you included with your production. Learning lots of new ideas is great for all of us. 

Kind of miss the roller skates for the pretty waitresses.


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## papa3rail

My normal 3 month hiatus from layout building ran a bit longer this season. I store a lot of Christmas decorations under the layout so in the process of taking things down and boxing them up I took the opportunity to move everything to the spare room so I could give the area under the layout a good vacuuming and to check all my wiring. Rule #1 of layout building DON’T burn down the house.

I’m also following Brian’s lead and changing all the bulbs in my Backdrop D56 buildings to LEDs. I have 57 buildings in all so I’ll be going from nearly 400 watts drawing 3.33 amps down to 40 watts drawing .333 amps while it's nothing that will amount to a huge savings on the electric bill the extremely long life and drastically reduced heat output of the LEDs makes it well worth the effort.I’m using Emotionlite warm white C7 LEDs they are rated at 50 lumens output and have a life expectancy of 23 years at 3 hours a day usage. 

The buildings on my backdrop are on a shelf 5 feet above the floor, the upper level of track is 52 inches above the floor and the lower level is 45 inches.Some of the buildings are as close as 28 inches from the front edge of the lower level others as far as 60 inches so changing bulbs is no small task on some of my buildings.










I use the original D56 cords that came with the buildings.I've drilled an 1 1/2 inch hole under each building using a hole saw.










The newer buildings all have the hole for the light located in the bottom of the building,on the older buildings they are located in the back wall.This is creating an instalation problem on some of the buildings that have a shallow depth that came with a round bulb as opposed to the standard D56 bulb.The C7 LEDs are 2.1 inches long and the round bulb is only 1.6 so the search is on to find a shorter LED for those buildings.


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## Guest

Good luck with this project, Dave. With the LEDs you may never have to change these bulbs again.


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## Guest

You will be very happy with the bulb replacement to LED's, Dave. Almost a year now, on no failures. With over 200 buildings on the layout, I am also sure we saved some bucks with the electric bill. It was such a good move for us and I am sure it will be for you.


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## papa3rail

Well lets bring this thing back to life.


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## papa3rail

After a three year hiatus I'm back at it. my next build a 50's style Texaco station.












A new tool in my toolbox, I now have access to a laser.I'll be building this one out of 1/8 MDF.


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## Lee Willis

A Texaco station. Very cool!!! I have thought about getting one of those laser cutters for 1/8 inch MDF. Which one do you use? Do you use software or tempatel guides/ for its cutting (or manually guided? would that even work)


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## Millstonemike

Very nice. Is that a '59 Impala in the lower left corner of the vid? My family had one when I was a tot, albeit a hard top.


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## papa3rail

Lee Willis said:


> A Texaco station. Very cool!!! I have thought about getting one of those laser cutters for 1/8 inch MDF. Which one do you use? Do you use software or tempatel guides/ for its cutting (or manually guided? would that even work)


My boss has a wood shop on site at work with every wood working tool imaginable including a CNC router and a small laser,I think the laser's work area is 24" x 32". He does all the work I just provide the material and make the drawings in AutoCAD. Then I save the DWG file as a DXF file on a flash drive. DXF is a type of vector file used to program CNC machinery. He downloads it and uses the machines software to create the program.










the detail is pretty amazing although it took him a few tries to get this grate in the gas station floor.










The openings are only .100 squares.


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## papa3rail

Millstonemike said:


> Very nice. Is that a '59 Impala in the lower left corner of the vid? My family had one when I was a tot, albeit a hard top.


Mike, I believe so but I have added lights so the wiring keeps me from picking it up to read the bottom.


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## Lehigh74

It's a 59. The 60 had the same horizontal tail fins, but with three round taillights instead of one teardrop shaped light.


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## SF Gal

Pretty interesting layout you have there, thanks for coming back and reviving your thread here on the forum.
If you had not posted, I would have never seen your stuff....cool beans!
Thanks for sharing...subscribed!


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## Millstonemike

papa3rail said:


> After a three year hiatus I'm back at it. my next build a 50's style Texaco station..


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## papa3rail

Making some more progress ,got all the panels primed, wanted a light colored primer ,used KILZ the smell lingered forever.









I'm finished for the most part on the base and the building slab, the car lift will be animated when I'm done. Like the look of the floor tiles but I'll need to do the final laminate using photo setting to get the black darker.










Working on some pumps from interaction hobbies, they have a heftier look than the 40's style white metal pumps from Berkshire Valley.Several steps to making these, I'm about 1/2 way there but I think they're are going to look pretty good when finished.


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## Millstonemike

My hats off to you ... designed and built from scratch.

I paint outside the garage - all rattle cans smell up the house. I'll immediately move the piece(s) inside to avoid foreign objects landing on the wet paint. And cover smaller pieces with a carboard box (save those old PC printer boxes  ). It only takes a bit of forethought to have the final "resting" place ready to receive the freshly painted parts.


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## papa3rail

Thanks Mike,I paint in the garage also or in the driveway but the Texas wind has be relentless lately It's blowing like it thinks I'm going fishing.


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## Millstonemike

papa3rail said:


> Thanks Mike,I paint in the garage also or in the driveway but the Texas wind has be relentless lately It's blowing like it thinks I'm going fishing.


Since I moved near the beach, a few miles from the Atlantic, painting days are far and few between because of the wind. I was out this morning before it kicked up on a dfferent project.

I was painting two straight curtain rods, the simple kind to hold a scarf. I bought the Rustoleum "stone" textured paint for a decorator look. And the rougher finish would help hold the scarves in place. The entire can didn't finish one side of the two rods before it was empty. Virtually all carrier with little "paint". Never again.


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## papa3rail

This thread is a mess all the images that were once here are gone so I've spent the last few weeks editing to bring things up to date.
I am too far along to start re-posting everything I've done from the beginning, one image at a time (over 900 images) instead I’ve made several videos using the images in a somewhat chronological order. This format will cover the entire build without using so much page space. I'm about 1/2 way through page 6,but the forum software will only let me edit 10 posts every 7 days but I'm getting there. I've been working on the Texaco build as well as the layout in general soon I'll post where I'm at with those projects.


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## papa3rail

So here is the state of the layout as of 6/26/22. 



















This is the spot where the Pennsy Lines depot in Canton Ohio circa 1915 to 1965 will go. 









These next 5 images show the approximately 30 feet of open area between the lower and upper track levels I need to close in, that area will includes three tunnel portals. I have two 7 inch by 8 foot pieces of tempered hardboard that will make a good bit of concrete wall and since I have pretty much run the course on the stone walls that's probably a good way to go. 













































Need the background silhouette for this section.









Possible site for an Ice House and Icing Platform. 










Mostly finished area a rare thing.









The yard has room on the left for a tower and maybe a work shed and a lot of ballast work everywhere else. 









A couple more pieces of real estate to work with. I have a 12 x 24 space opposite the Texaco planned for a Blues Bar. I would also like to squeeze another tree stand in this area, I have a 5 ft tree I decorate with Shiny Brite retro ornaments reminiscent of my parents trees in the sixties when I was growing up. 


















So there you have it I plan to start filling in between the two track levels while I'm doing the Texaco build.


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## papa3rail

My focus right now is closing in all the open spaces between the two track levels. Have a good start on the backside of the Platforms ,the hard pat is done just some finish work and paint left to do.These are removable so I can access all the wiring under the platforms. Think I'll cover the screw heads with removable railroad herald placards.


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## seayakbill

Really a super nice layout. When you start building the Canton passenger station please post some photos.

Bill


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## papa3rail

seayakbill said:


> Really a super nice layout. When you start building the Canton passenger station please post some photos.
> 
> Bill


Thanks Bill It will be my biggest challenge so I'm trying to hone my skills on some smaller builds.
Dave


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## papa3rail

Some more progress on the Texaco build.















Windows and doors painted and installed.


















Glued up all the walls but the Garage door side and working on interior pieces.
Interiors can be a huge pain, but I LOVE IT.


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## papa3rail

I meticulously laid out the Texaco sign letters backwards on tape so all I had to do was put some glue on and strategically place them on the building.











Yet in my brilliance I still managed to get them an inch off center.Best laid plans.


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## Millstonemike

papa3rail said:


> I meticulously laid out the Texaco sign letters backwards on tape so all I had to do was put some glue on and strategically place them on the building. ...
> Yet in my brilliance I still managed to get them an inch off center. Best laid plans.


Put a small logo on the right edge of the façade and the Texaco lettering will become "centered". I've been using chain drugstores' photo facilities to print images for my layout. $0.40 for a 4" x 6" print usually ready the same day from my local store after an online upload. The second pic, is a video screen grab (extremely poor quality) from my customized Marx crane. The third image is the 4" x 6" jpeg image I uploaded online to RiteAid's photo processing department. But what I'm finding is that their photo processing system always resizes my image a bit according to their metrics. It even ignored a 4" x 6" border on my last pic and resized it. My next attempt will be a direct upload in the store where you can crop, and resize the image at the photo kiosk. Hopefully it will print in the exact size I intended.


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## Magic

The station looks great but the cars are fabulous.  
Mike has a good idea with the logo, should look pretty good.

Magic


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## papa3rail

Thanks for your suggestions Mike, but it's unlikely that anyone will even notice the sign location and once the awning is added it will have a dfferent look any way. I also have some prototypical red stars that I can add if I feel the sign location seems unbalanced as for right now it looks good to me but Thanks for your ideas.


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## papa3rail

Thanks Magic your comments are appreciated.


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## seayakbill

Layout looks terrific.

Bill


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