Now that the weather might start too cool off ,how many of you, and how many plans cant wait to get started with the upcomming cool weather?
What are your plans to get done this season?
myself i do have alot
Clearing the basement and starting the layout.
Daughter back to college … hmm … maybe a plan for her bedroom. Gargage already cleaned. Make a plan for that too! Such hard decisions.
I’ve been hiding in the train room (with AC) all summer. Now that the nice weather is here, I’ll be riding my bicycle until it gets too cool, or too dark after work. Plenty of time in the evening for the layout.
The trains can be too addictive at times. We all need to get outside and get more exercise, which will help us be healthier in our later years. My layout is stuck in the 1960’s, but I’m afraid that I’m not able to avoid aging the same way. I’ve got enough “weathering” on me already.
My plan is to finish fixing up the back bedroom, then building my first actual layout! Can’t wait to get started…
For some odd reason, fall and winter just feel like scenery, and building kit time to me. I did spend a lot of time in the basement train room this summer since it was sweltering here in Illinois. Looking forward to the detailing also. Still need to run trains though.
Waiting for the cool weather to un-warp some of my badly laid track in the return loop. This summer was HOT!! Couldn’t do much in the garage, even with the fan going full bore. The weather’s decided to take a break for the next week or so, so I’m going out and do some much-needed layout work just as soon as I have breakfast. Also get some scenery done before the wet season starts, and paint some new brass locos. Usually, I get a lot done on the layout during summer, but this one’s just been too much of a corker, out here in the Valley.
Oh yah, almost forgot: Try and figure out this stupid 7.2 pixel digital camera I think I just wasted $400 on.
Tom [:(]
I hope to have all my track layed, scenery at least half done and all my buildings, most I have yet to purchase and build in place and hopefully have all my loco’s converted to DCC.
I’ll be taking apart my current layout and starting on version 2. I hope to have all the basic track in place by Jan. 1.
install more decoders in engines
Some of us never stopped for the summer. In fact, July and August have been two of our busiest months in recent memory. Here’s what July and August looked like for us:
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Loaded up two trailers, two pickups, an SUV and a box truck and took a 25’ x 50’ portable layout to Cincinnati.
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Set up and ran operating sessions on said layout for a week at the NMRA National Convention in Cinci, then tore it down and packed it back up for the trip home.
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Unloaded the trailers and other vehicles. Reinstalled the racks that hold our other, “display” layout, modules into the trailers.
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Cleaned up the basement the operations layout lives in, installing counter tops in the crew lounge and new storage shelving in the storage space.
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Installed floor outlets while the layout was dismantled.
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Changed the connectors on two dozen modules on the Rails on Wheels display layout (We’ve given up on Cinch-Jones connectors and switched to Anderson Power Poles). Completely rewired several of the modules with 14-gauge buss wiring.
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Installed decoders and lighting in ten more locomotives for club members so we can run entirely DCC at the train show in St. Thomas, Ontario.
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Began what we call “Phase II” of promotional work for our club’s show in November.
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Finished wiring and ballasting the track on the layout we’ve built for the Saline Historical Society at the Saline Depot.
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Displayed/ran that layout at the Saline Depot for their “Depot Days” event the last Saturday in July.
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Loaded up the trailers with the display layout modules and took them to the two-day train show in St. Thomas, Ontario two weekends ago.
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Unpacked the trailers, made some modifications to them, then reloaded them.
Granted, all of that is spread among 4 to 6 guys.
We’re looking forward to getting the operations layout set up again in the next few weeks (it takes 12-16 hours of work, typ
I’m already IN my later years! And well-weathered, too!
My little layout is languishing. It’s probably as finished as it’s going to be and I’m wanting to build a bigger one. Being in my later years, I figure it’s time to start “The Dream Layout”. One thing after another has delayed the start for over a year now. Maybe I’ll write up the story and post it sometime, but for now I’ll just say that the list of pre-layout-building chores grows exponentially with every delay in planning and construction.
Maybe this winter? Oh, to dream…!
Darrell, industriously quiet…for now
I hope to get a couple of things done before Thanksgiving:
- finish building the roadbed on my layout (it’s about 3/4 done)
- finish laying track (about 1/2 done)
- put the decoders stacked up in the drawer into the locos waiting for them
- master my airbrush. [:D]
Interesting how we all handle the summer in different ways. For me, it was a time to paint all exterior doors and jambs, deck, stairs down to beach (wife did those…whew!), and weed and move hoses. Soon, it will be pulling up plants, hardening squash, pruning, roto-tilling and adding fish compost and leaves…aaaaggh. As I type, I am having breakfast after a bit of painting, and wife is upstairs pickling beets.
I won’t get to any layout stuff until after our Canadian Thanksgiving at end-October.
What keeps me pumped is that when BLI ever gets that new edition of the K-4 out, Santa has one with my name on it. [:P]
You live on the beach Crandell ?!!! you lucky fella, I am soooo jealous.
Hopefully over the winter I will have remodelled my new old house and will have trains running on the new layout in there.
Have fun & be safe
Karl.
thought id refre***his thred going in to the winter season guys
Carl
I suppose I’m out of sync with most MRR’s, since I used this past summer to make some MAJOR progress on my Dream Layout while most everybody else was doing ‘outdoors’ stuff. Finished the benchwork, got the track positioned (not permanently fastened/leveled though) and wired, cleaned out all the sawdust and debris. Since school has started again for my kids, I have to focus on that (helping them with homework etc.) and besides, I owe my wife some SERIOUS quality time after 3 months of almost-neglect![B)]
My next chance to continue working on the layout probably won’t be until early January (after the holiday festivities are over) - but who knows, opportunities often have a way of suddenly appearing![:D]