Weekend Update 12/4/16

[Catt]

@Chris Broughton,

     Nice Z layout.My little Z layout always gets it's fair share of admirers inspite of it's simple layout.It also seems to bring out more and more Z scale modelers in the West Michigan as it seems like I am hearing from those who say "I have a Z layout at home" 

I keep encouraging them to build a small layout and take them to shows.
.

[cbroughton67]

Golden fields of grain up the ying yang ... love it , whatcha use ? And that sky is awesome .

Thanks!

I used 6mm Silflor Autumn static grass with just a little Noch "Summer Blend" mixed in, so it didn't look so monotone.
http://www.sceneryexpress.com/6MM-AUTUMN-STATIC-GRASS/productinfo/SF00634/
http://www.sceneryexpress.com/2MM-6MM-SUMMER-FIELD-STATIC-GRASS-BLEND_17oz50g/productinfo/NH07072/

The backdrop is from Trackside Scenery http://www.tracksidescenery.com/index.php?
I used his backdrops on my N-scale railroad as well. I love the backdrops, and the proprietor is first rate in my experience.
This backdrop is actually N-scale, but can't really tell.

Chris

[peteski]

I used his backdrops on my N-scale railroad as well. I love the backdrops, and the proprietor is first rate in my experience.
This backdrop is actually N-scale, but can't really tell.

Chris

Beautiful job on that layout!
If you think about it, most backdrops aren't really scale-specific. With all the forced perspective, etc., depending on the application, the layout size and depth  the same backdrop can work perfectly well in many different scales. 

[Dave V]

Thanks!

I used 6mm Silflor Autumn static grass with just a little Noch "Summer Blend" mixed in, so it didn't look so monotone.
http://www.sceneryexpress.com/6MM-AUTUMN-STATIC-GRASS/productinfo/SF00634/
http://www.sceneryexpress.com/2MM-6MM-SUMMER-FIELD-STATIC-GRASS-BLEND_17oz50g/productinfo/NH07072/

The backdrop is from Trackside Scenery http://www.tracksidescenery.com/index.php?
I used his backdrops on my N-scale railroad as well. I love the backdrops, and the proprietor is first rate in my experience.
This backdrop is actually N-scale, but can't really tell.

Chris

Those backdrops are beautiful.  I see a lot of potential for a future iteration of the Juniata Division to utilize some of them.  Unfortunately he doesn't have autumn high mountains for my Colorado layout.  The "Western Timberland" series is the wrong season and kind of the wrong terrain for my Colorado Midland layout.  But virtually every other backdrop company has some iteration of snow-capped Rockies with yellow aspen trees.

[nkalanaga]

Especially backdrops that don't have buildings in them.  As long as the foreground trees (or whatever) aren't oversized, a backdrop can be used for almost any scale.

[Cajonpassfan]

While waiting in a long checkout line in our neighborhood Home Depot, I stumbled upon a $9.95 clamp-anywhere, onto-anything, battery powered gooseneck LED light, a Christmas present to self. Love it, it should be especially useful for those pesky, under-the-layout wiring jobs. It just might make it *almost* fun
Merry Christmas... (I am so easy to please ...)
Otto K.

[GaryHinshaw]

While waiting in a long checkout line in our neighborhood Home Depot, I stumbled upon a $9.95 clamp-anywhere, onto-anything, battery powered gooseneck LED light, a Christmas present to self.

I need one!

[unittrain]

Got ballast placed on my bridge module need to glue it down now it has sat for weeks without glue and still in place I'm using Scenic Express ballast. Also picked up two more LL C424s on eBay a Pennsy and another Conrail so I have four units now and I'm planning on using Atlas parts to do three C425s a NH unit an early Conrail PC unit with the CR marking a Conrail Reading unit patch. Works slowing down for the season so will be updating more. Oh yeah bracing for the SD40-2 release as I need Chessie and Conrail units.

[peteski]

While waiting in a long checkout line in our neighborhood Home Depot, I stumbled upon a $9.95 clamp-anywhere, onto-anything, battery powered gooseneck LED light, a Christmas present to self. Love it, it should be especially useful for those pesky, under-the-layout wiring jobs. It just might make it *almost* fun
Merry Christmas... (I am so easy to please ...)
Otto K.

That does look useful (depending on how bright it is).  My solution however is one of many headband lamps out there (sort of like what miners or doctors use).  If you do some research you can find ones that are blindingly bright (good thing that you can't accidentally look at them).    The added bonus is that they are always shining where you are looking (no need to re-point the light to the work areas).  I don't know how I got by without one of those lamps.

[chuck geiger]

See "alien" in WAR OF THE WORLDS

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Av1s_VhL6xo/hqdefault.jpg

[tehachapifan]

See "alien" in WAR OF THE WORLDS

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Av1s_VhL6xo/hqdefault.jpg

That's what I thought of too when I saw it.

[Cajonpassfan]

That does look useful (depending on how bright it is).  My solution however is one of many headband lamps out there (sort of like what miners or doctors use).  If you do some research you can find ones that are blindingly bright (good thing that you can't accidentally look at them).    The added bonus is that they are always shining where you are looking (no need to re-point the light to the work areas).  I don't know how I got by without one of those lamps.

Yea Pete, I have one of those too, but every time I wear it I scare the grandkids and freak out the pets
Oh, and the gooseneck is plenty bright...
Otto

[peteski]

Yea Pete, I have one of those too, but every time I wear it I scare the grandkids and freak out the pets
Otto

You say it like it is a bad thing . . .
 
I get a similar reaction when I wear my Optivisor. It gives a really good "fish eye" look.

I use a single-LED 100 lumens headband lamp. This one: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rayovac-Indestructible-3AAA-100-Lumen-Headlight-DIYHPHL-B/202968174
Yours looks like an older design using 6 discrete standard 5mm LEDs. Is it also blindingly bright? 

[Cajonpassfan]

You say it like it is a bad thing . . .
 
I get a similar reaction when I wear my Optivisor. It gives a really good "fish eye" look.

I use a single-LED 100 lumens headband lamp. This one: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rayovac-Indestructible-3AAA-100-Lumen-Headlight-DIYHPHL-B/202968174
Yours looks like an older design using 6 discrete standard 5mm LEDs. Is it also blindingly bright? 

It toggles between reasonably bright, and blindingly bright at 160 lumens if I remember correctly. As to the Optivisor, my long-departed good friend David Haines's wife used to refer to Optivisors disparagingly as "geek goggles". I love them and use them, but I try to make sure my wife never sees me wearing them. Scaring off the pets is one thing, but...
Otto

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Does Monday count as the weekend? This was my Monday night.