Train99 Forum

Discussion Boards => Layouts => Topic started by: pjdog350 on November 16, 2020, 07:43:18 AM

Title: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: pjdog350 on November 16, 2020, 07:43:18 AM
I have a small layout in my three car garage. Mostly post war stuff. I do have modern engines also. I love my 2016 Lionel Mikado. It pulls like a Mack truck. And will pull very slowly.

Every time I try to post a picture it always tells me it's to large. So I thought I'd just put a youtube link of my layout. This is my smallest garage layout I've ever had. In 2012 I had 4 4X8 sheets of plywood. But now it's just 2 sheets. I'm almost always out in the garage early in the morning before my wife gets up.

https://youtu.be/k1E2zRTXZX8

Jack
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: Terry on November 16, 2020, 11:23:50 AM
Here's information about posting photos:

https://www.train99.com/forum/index.php?topic=26.0

I'll add a youtube button later this week to make it easier to share videos.
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: starfire700 on December 03, 2020, 09:38:27 AM
Nice action on your layout. Locos moving at realistic speed and lots of smoke chuffing. 
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: early0electric on December 03, 2020, 08:21:50 PM
Nice industrial look. "L" shaped layouts are great!
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: pjdog350 on December 28, 2020, 05:25:49 AM
This is a video of the first O Gauge layout I had when I got to Florida in 2012. Just a simple flat layout. Three 4X8 sheets of plywood side by side. Indoor outdoor carpet. MTH realtrax.

https://youtu.be/UxkV_K0P7l4
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: pjdog350 on December 31, 2020, 07:35:50 AM
I ran the Orange & Gray Lionel 1700 plus the Yellow & Brown Lionel 1700 streamliner's this morning. The light in the power unit of the Yellow & Brown seems to be struggling. I think maybe the ground is having a problem? Or could be a wrong bulb?

These little streamliner's are sure fun. Glad I found these while being at home and hopefully safe.

https://youtu.be/RUKGRaRKjZ4
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: early0electric on December 31, 2020, 03:29:28 PM
Very Nice! Yeah, we all hope we're safe.
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: starfire700 on January 02, 2021, 04:43:04 AM
New paint can cause a ground problem. Also, There is sometimes a copper strip mounted with the light bracket, that helps with the ground.
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: pjdog350 on January 02, 2021, 09:46:56 AM
I'll check that out Starfire. I'm thinking it's the bulb cause when I give in allot of power it lights up well?
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: pjdog350 on January 08, 2021, 08:11:05 AM
Ran the 726 this morning. It's got the wrong tender. It's a diecast 224E tender I think. Has 4 wheel trucks rather than 6 wheel trucks.

I also have the Lionel lionchief Hudson. But I'm legal cause the star of the show is the 726!

https://youtu.be/D1Praf0I5yc

Also ran the 671 Turbine. It's a good puller.

https://youtu.be/LK5KXYaW7LY

Tried to run the 1700's but they kept stopping. I cleaned the track and it got better but still they would stop sometimes. I guess there's something I don't understand about prewar. Maybe that's why it's hard to find a 1700 with an E-Unit. If I could lock out the e-unit they would be running fine, maybe?
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: CNJRR on January 08, 2021, 09:19:43 AM
Nice, the last video, are you working the throttle or are they speeding up and slowing down by themselves?
What the tractor trailer parked back there? A K Wopper?
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: pjdog350 on January 08, 2021, 09:30:52 AM
Howdy CNJRR - The postwar and prewar trains have problems with speed as the table is not level. The floor drops on it’s way to the garage door. So they are going down hill. When going along the wall it’s up hill so the slow down. Modern locomotives maintain there speed but not so for the older trains. I don’t dare run the 1700’s along the wall to the door as they really take off. Scary?

I guess sense I was always running modern I really never noticed the level of the layout. I could level it but I’m working train right now. Probably will never level it?
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: pjdog350 on January 09, 2021, 05:19:20 AM
I leveled the layout table this morning. Makes a big difference. I don't know why I put up with that for 7 years? Thanks for the wake up CNJRR. I guess working on the trains was more fun to me. I love repairing and restoring old trains. Everything on my layout was rusting junk when I got it. Now I have removed the rust and put good paint on everything. A good feeling. Some people want it just as it was, some like them like new? Different strokes for different folks?

A year ago i was driving back from the doctors on highway 19. A real old Dodge pickup went by me that looked like it would fall apart. But it had all new stuff underneath. Then I noticed a the smooth sound of the motor. These guy who was very old had completely rebuild this truck but left the outside as it was. This thing was a beautiful truck. I really wanted to own it. Truck had a California plate on it and 2 very old people in it. A bumper sticker in the back window said. Being old is not for sissies! It was a great truck. I loved it! So maybe not repainting is a good thing?
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: CNJRR on January 10, 2021, 03:08:02 PM
I thought it was nice the way it was.
It automatically slowed down for the curve, then hammered down the countryside. :)

Brought my Old Peterbilt tractor to a truck show/race a Raceway Park, NJ. A drag strip.
For the truck show/races.
I parked down the end of the line along side a few buddies that where there and took a nap.
We were down by the finish lights, to us that was the best spot even though the burnout starting line was far away.

As I was sleeping an old guy with a flatbed tow truck pulled in with an old rack truck with a tarp on it.
This guy had installed a rocket engine of some kind on it! When he started it up my head almost went through the sleeper top!
LOUD.

Well that old guy finally got to run and we prayed for him that his old truck would hold together.
With a big burst of flame he flew down the track on fire, went by us at the finish line the speed of light.
He ran it once more and broke something but it was something to see.
I didn't take pictures back  then, I wish I did.

My Old cabover Pete 1977, 350 big block Cummins. 13 speed. 352 Model, all leather interior, Cherrywood steering wheel.  8)
Picture was taken in 1999 ish.


 
 



Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: pjdog350 on January 10, 2021, 04:13:09 PM
Sweet Truck.

My grand father was a semi truck driver. He had a small trucking company in Collingswood NJ. The had probably 20 semi’s. I loved trucks. Every Friday night I’d stay a his house and we would get up at 6:00 AM and go to a dinner for breakfast. The high light of the day was I got to pick the tractor we would go in. My favorite was a Mack cab over (green). He had one that had solid rubber tires and was chain drive. I didn’t like it back then but sure would love to have it today. No pictures. Lost all those when he and grand mother died. They kept all this on there property.
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: CNJRR on January 11, 2021, 08:42:19 AM
What was the name of the company?
I might have know him, for 5 years I delivered Hess diesel and #2 oil all over NJ.
The tanker here needs a bath, it is a tanker from the 60's. I was delivering 7200 gals of #2 heating oil.
Back then #2 was diesel, the difference was the tax money. Same oil in the summer, in the winter they blended the diesel with kerosene.

This picture was took at a now apartment building in Asbury Park, it sits high above the Atlantic ocean which is right in front of it.
It is a very old place, back when the Blue Comet brought in vacationers from all over and took them to the Jersey shore.
It used to be just for the vacationers way back when.

 
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: pjdog350 on January 11, 2021, 09:02:44 AM
Ray Rice. I can’t remember when he passed. In the early 1960’s.

We had a vacation home in brigantine NJ.
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: CNJRR on January 13, 2021, 01:38:19 PM
OK, don't ring a bell.
Vacation home?  :) in NJ?

Should be the other way around, people from up here may have a vacation homes in Florida, the other way around from you. ;D

I couldn't take living down there all year, too humid. Too much like jungle weather. And I would have to get used to fishing with Alligators. :)
And I like the 4 seasons we have.
Here all I got to keep an eye out for is Black bears while fishing. Most of them will run away from you.
Not so for the alligator.

Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: pjdog350 on January 16, 2021, 11:37:03 AM
Trying to get the new Lionel 259E working has got me stressed out. Nothing seems to be working out. Thought I'd take a break for it.

I decided I'd repair my Lionel postwar 675 smoke unit. It worked real well the last time I ran it. maybe a year ago but this week it's dead?
last night and early this morning I put a liquid smoke unit in it. Now the 726, 671 & 675 are all liquid smokers and working very well.

https://youtu.be/oeH1bTBzc1s
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: CNJRR on January 18, 2021, 11:52:25 AM
Nice video. (thumbsup)  :)

I like the walk around, and the locomotive yard mounted on the side.
And the shelves. And trains. and the JD, A nice space. Jealous. :)

Now PARK THE CAR OUTSIDE.
Look at all the room you will have. :)

They smoke nice, run great too.
Still slows in that one spot?
But I like it, as it is slowing down for the curve automatically.
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: pjdog350 on January 18, 2021, 02:04:13 PM
There is a voltage drop in that curve. The outside track does not have that. I think it’s a problem with the MTH track. I would have to put a feeder line on each side of the weak Tracy connection.
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: pjdog350 on January 19, 2021, 10:33:19 AM
Thought I'd run the Chrome & red 1700's today. Lionel 1700's are great and affordable. Fun to restore.

https://youtu.be/1VR2F9wbfl4
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: CNJRR on January 20, 2021, 07:07:02 AM
Thought I'd run the Chrome & red 1700's today. Lionel 1700's are great and affordable. Fun to restore.

https://youtu.be/1VR2F9wbfl4

Don't they go any faster? Ha Ha Ha  ;D
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: pjdog350 on January 20, 2021, 07:33:51 AM
Yes  they do go allot faster
Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: CNJRR on January 20, 2021, 03:12:13 PM
My outside loop is close to the edge. I still have to put some kind of guard rail in yet.
But I never run as fast as you did in the video. Your trains hold to your rail good.
I am using tube track. a lot of o/27, I should change it to O.

Title: Re: My L shaped O gauge layout in garage
Post by: pjdog350 on January 20, 2021, 03:52:46 PM
I wish I had used Lionel tube track in O gauge. At the time I had allot of it. 054, 042 & o31 curves. But one of my kids ask for track. I had given her two complete Lionel train sets (Post War). They built a layout in there basement. I called her the other day and ask if she had any left over. She sold everything. trains & track. I was not happy. This is my middle girl. I have three girls and one boy. Her kids are now in the service and not interested in trains anymore. I told her she would be sorry she had gotten rid og them. When her kids have kids they will want them.

I then called my youngest daughter and told her NOT to sell her trains. She has some very good postwar I gave her. 225e complete set, 226E, 229 complete set and more. She said sense they where mine she would never sell them. I said thanks for that.

Sense I had given away my Lionel tube track I used my old MTH realtrax. Which I like but sometimes the connector under the track fail and that's always a take up the track and repair. I hate that.