Recent content by 2Tracks

One drop of thinner in the cup of paint?

Something I had been wanting to do for a while now was make a new test track. The first one I had put together with a piece of plywood, that some of the "ply" was buckled up on it, and I laid some really old Atlas brass track on top of that. I made it work for what it was. With the bench work...

I never did care for point rails relying on contact with the stock rail for power, so on the previous layout I soldered the point rails to the stock rails on the bottom. The pink(ish) color is nail polish I painted on the jumpers when I was doing the initial positioning, to mark the roadbed so...

Thru the build of this thing, I was thinking I could find an assistant in getting this thing lifted up, like a gas strut. The top weighs 15.5 pounds, the second stage extension of the slides have some resistance to them, maybe 2 or 3 pounds apiece, for a total of 20-21 pounds. Struts with that...

Wasn't expecting that.......

An awesome fit for my logging line......🤣

Meanwhile, over at the entrance door, a lift up build has been going on. On layout I, I had a simple plywood "T" shape with a couple of plate girder bridges on it. Each end sat on wood blocks that were adjustable, for track alignment. Worked pretty good, except, during weather swings. With...

Thank you Tom. This build has been a challenge! The first layout's challenge was, that was the first layout! The challenge on this one was, the helix build, and, an all metal lift up for the walkthru door. Yes, this helix is a crawl under, it is 52 plus inches across the inside opening, so...

When using fabric for the skirting, is there a difference in material to use, as far as attracting dust, or is that a no concern? Likewise a plastic tarp, any concerns with static electricity?

IDK, sleeping? :D Good morning Smudge....... Good morning every one! Hi Flo....... a cup of deer camp please, French toast with a couple of over easy eggs on the side with sausage patties, thanx! I'm remembering summer this morning, not too railroad related, (although BNSF tracks are in the...

As seen in the above pictures, after painting the peninsula divide, I installed the logging RR bench work. Like the main level, I installed splice plates at the joints. Installing these helped assure evenness between panels and stiffen the bench work. All of the splice plates are 4 inches wide...

Dave, your layout is looking NICE! The rock cut photo is spot on. I like how it puts you at eye level on the track at left. Surface crew did a good job there.....👍

Regulated to use in the juniper trees, this venerable ol tank car now serves as a livestock water holding tank. The watering trough is down on the flat off the left end.

Not knowing your modeling era/style, just throwing this out there....maybe a kit bash, fix the ramp angle, overlay it with strip wood, turn it into a wooden loading dock?

Good day Everybody! While I was working on the main level this summer, I kept the staging bench work out in the shop while the temps are mild, but we're starting to get bigger temp swings now, so I moved it all in the layout room, just setting on the brackets loose, so I can move it around while...