Okay, first before I pose my question I have a confession. My RR has been virtually untouched during the spring and summer. There, I said it. Spent the time at the cottage most of the summer and it was a beautiful time in northern Michigan.
Now, it’s fall and, as much as it pains me to say this, winter is coming so I will be retiring to the basement and doing more work on the RR. Right now the plans are to clean everything, add more structures to the town of Michigamme, finish some scenery, attached the background, finish up some trackwork, add the little town of Elmer’s Crossing in memory of my dad and, of course, run the trains.
So my question is, what do you have planned for your RR in the colder months?
well, a year and a half-two years ago I tore apart my mini HO layout wiht the idea of expanding it just a little.
Just enough to make it a better layout, and get rid of the 15"R inner oval in favor of an 18"R inner oval.
But that is as far as I have gotten, the tear apart part.
Then there was the track shortage, my hobby fund shortage, a new furnace to be installed {cost}, etc.
It is ALSO in the “black hole”, a room where everything we don’t know what to do with goes {we have no basement and the shed s full} SO getting to it may be a real chore. I need to first reoganize the stuff in the room too. Maybe get a set of shelves or two to go in there too. Dunno, but it is amazing the “Schtuff” we accumulate. It is to the point we now just seem to throw things in and hope they land safely without breaking something.!
Then I though about tearing it down completely and do just a module. Smaller, less space, etc. BUT I like to run trains and roundy-rounders doesn’t bother me I can enjoy for about an hour.
I HOPE this winter, to get that room organized, and decide firmly waht to do about the layout…maybe even defect to N scale! {Oh, the horrors!} I could build a 2.5 x 4.5 N scale layout and be happy! {ithink}. I DO have old N scale stuff so not a biggy for costs.
I also have been toying with the idea {for a long time} of Z scale mini layout! Even made a “shopping list” and email to myself for future referrence. THAT I need money for.
Yes, fall has arrived, we are at peak colors up here in God’s Country! The sailboat has been craned from the water and soon the trailer will be winterized and shut down for the winter.
I am presently building a Drover’s Caboose from a MDC kit, repainted and marked for my short-line, the Peep River Logging and Mining RR. After this is done, I plan to put together a little 54 inch wing span Aeronca Champion, to replace the one I totaled in early September. Then, I think I will likely go back to model railroading in full force. What I will be doing, is anyone guess, as I approach the hobby from the point of view of doing that which I find fun to do at that particular moment! I don’t attach goals to my hobby, other than the goal being to enjoy myself, as that is what hobbies are for.
Now that fall is here I do plan on spending more time on the layout. The bench work is done, most of the track is down and my DCC system seems to be working great. I was told to run my layout the way it is for a few months just in case I have any track problems. So far so good. I’ve got a lot of buildings to build and scenery to do so that will take up most of my time.
Looks like I’m pretty much the same as the rest of you guys. Through the summer I’ve done virtually no work on the layout at all. But with the days getting colder & shorter now here in the north country, it’s time to get cracking again. Been stockpiling supplies all summer.
Yesterday I cut in the banks of the Aroostook River on the foam board base & got a coating of flex-paste put down onto it. Next step is to landscape both banks & lay the roadbed & track of the CP line that runs along one bank, behind the main street of town. Then it’s laying & marking out structure locations & the street for downtown Fort Fairfield & constructing the bridge over the river. Have several structure kits stockpiled for the downtown. Some will be built straight from the box & some kitbashed into as accurate representations of mid 1950’s Fort Fairfield businesses. And of course, paving the street & detailing.
Have several rolling stock kits & 3 passenger car kits to build as well as some modifications & new paint job on a Doodlebug, converting it from a NYC to Bangor & Aroostook #5. Those are good projects to do while landscaping & scenery is setting & drying. Lots to do which will keep me busy through the long winter days & nights.
I’ve been fortunate to have time to work on the layout this summer. Made lots of progress on the Cascade Branch extension, added some track to facilitate switching at Durango, Dove Creek and Rockwood, and finished lots of small projects, too. A particular focus have been repeated campaigns to add reliability by checking turnouts for proper throw, coupler and truck inspections and tune-up, etc. Also nearly completed the switchover to LED strip lighting, which means things are always sunny and cool when operating in Little Colorado – except when we want to run the night trains. Then it’s just cool.[;)]
For fall my big plan is establishing a weekly ops session, most likely on Tuesday evenings (but not settled yet.) Drop me a PM if you’re in the area and want to participate.
Im pretty much in the boat as you fellas, no work in the warm summer months but now as the leaves start to turn and the days get shorter and cooler ( I do love the smell of fall though, especially on a cool night when somebody has their wood stove going ) I usually have a list of things to do for the winter but this year I dont. I am pretty much finished my layout and all major scenery areas. I have be toying around the idea of redoing some areas or just start to detail the heck out of it.
Actually last night during the football game with clipboard in hand I started to go scene to scene making note of what detail items I would need to bring a scene to life. I may continue that for a week or two and then send a order in to walthers and what they don’t stock I may scrath build. That is one good thing with having a almost completed layout as you can take your time and do small things. The only downside for me is I love to build scenery.
So that might be my winter project for the most part along with weathering of rolling stock, but that is a always ongoing thing,maybe get some freight car kits at the various train shows in the winter and just start doing detail work.
A year and a half ago I removed a troublesome Electrofrog switch on my N scale layout to replace it with an insulfrog type. Laid the new switch in place but didn’t connect it in. No work since then. Got involved building T-Trak modules for my club, built four corners for the club, 14 feet of modules for other club members and 24 feet of modules for myself including an 8 foot yard. Last year I ripped out my kitchen along with a couple of walls and I’ve been living with a temporary kitchen since. Still have sheetrocking to do. Cabinets coming in 2 weeks. I’ve got several shows to set up layouts at in the next few weeks. So probably no layout work til after the new year.
I have played with layout some but like most everyone else, between home projects and doing other things my layout has not seen much love this summer. I do plan on giving it a good cleaning, level out my staging yard, finish up a switch stand, replace a couple electric throws if the Atlas ones ever come in stock my LHS and I have couple buildings I need to finish up.
I am finally at a point where I have the time and resources to start my dream layout. I plan on doing an HO scale layout based loosely on the B&O Shenadoah division which runs from Harper’s Ferry, WV to Staunton, VA. I plan on traversing the old right of way, or remains of the right of way, to photograph scenes that I would like to incorporate into my layout. I want the layout to be set in the 1920s so I will need find some Sanborn maps for track layout and industries. I have a copy of the B&O form 6 published in 1929 which will be helpful. I will also visit the library in the B&O museum to dig up more info.
After I collect the photos, maps and info, I will spend the next several months drawing up track plans. Then I am off to 84 Lumber.
I spent most of the summer in the basement as it was a lot cooler down there.
I had to do the typical summer stuff Mowing, etc. but with the hot weather I would much rather be in the cool basement.
I also kept up my OPs Session every 2 weeks on Thursday nights just as I do through the Fall, Winter and Spring.
The only reason I built the layout was to run the trains with a crew!
Scenery is coming along and will now be more of it with the colder weather as I don’t have to MOW any more!!! I can use that time to work on the Layout!
I will continue working on an expansion of my layout. Work has been very slow with many non-model-railroad interruptions. Hope to have more time for the layout in the weeks ahead.
My modeling did slow a bit over the summer due to being able to use my right hand enough to enjoy my second passion-fishing.
My fall/winter plans is continue to lightly weather my cars and finish changing out wheels sets from plastic to metal on my club cars and to stay warm.
Since it’s fall, it’s harder to find time to do modeling.
Right now, I’m hurrying to finish installing a Tsunami decoder in a Penn Line I1 before my railroad club’s Open House (search RSME in upcoming events). Hopefully I will have headlight and taillight installed, and an 8-pin socket wired in the next week and a half, and then I’ll be able to spend a few days programming the decoder.
I’ve already made adjustments the valve gear so that it runs smoothly, and I did a test headlight installation in a Penn Line E6.
After the Tsunami is in the I1 and the Open House is over, I’ll be able to relax and focus on weathering the locomotive.
Harold, like you my layout has remained pretty much dormant this summer and like most everyone else I enjoyed the summer. This was my first summer that I had free since 2010 since I when back to school for my Bachelors degree, now that I graduated I have a lot more free time. I’m hoping within the next couple of weeks to have all my track laid so I can paint it before the weather turns too cold. My plan is to start building the scenery this winter and hopefully get a big jump on it. In between working on scenery I would like to get some of the structures built also.
well, unfortunately the “BN’s” funding has been cut effectively until a further date… This coupled with a track shortage has lead a temporary abandonment of the railroad, with only a handful of locomotives remaining in service while the rest wait their turn to start running again… [sigh]
