Week 272

Week 272

Sunday, October 13, 2019 thru Saturday, October 19, 2019

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Train Show

DuPage Co. Fairgrounds

Wheaton IL

What I found at the Train Show today.

What I paid for what I found at the Train Show today:
Entry Fee: $7
UP Cabooses: $10
5 box cars: $20
1 weathered CNW boxcar: $10
Terminal Strip: $5
2 semi trailers: $10
1 EMP intermodal container: $7
Total Spent: $69

Monday, October 14, 2019

Train Day!

with Rob Fair (6-7:30pm 1.5 hrs.) and Jordan Osborn (6-7pm 1 hr.)

Rob Fair uses the first ever used Continuity Tester to figure out where the switch is faulty.

Jordan Osborn poses for his "peace-out" shot.

More switch testing.

We soldered a feeder wire across the faulty switch and look for the light on the continuity tester.
Success!

Even Jordan Osborn got into checking up close and personal.

Jordan Osborn calls it a night.
Began with "peace" ends with "peace".
Peace Out bro!

Finishing the night with testing power to the switches at the CNW Engine Facility.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

I traveled to B&G Trainworld today and look what I brought home...

The covered 2 bay hopper ($17.10) and the rail joiners ($4.25) plus tax $1.81 equals $23.16

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Train Day!

w/Cam Passaglia (4-5:30pm 1.5 hrs.)

Cam Passaglia was a big help today.
Let's take a look at some of what we accomplished.

The westbound Unit Coal Train passes the eastbound excursion at the raised track at Oak Park Marion Street.

Excursion running behind Unit Coal Train heading Westbound

Length: 00:00:16 sec.

Unit Coal Train heading into Proviso yard Track 1 East Bound

Length: 00:00:15 sec.

I zoomed in on the UP westbound mixed freight after it passes through Proviso Yard.

I'm preparing another long mixed freight for Cam to run eastbound with the westbound UP mixed freight train.
Cam figured out how to MU the two SD38-2 locomotives now preparing to connect to the cars on Track 2.

Two long mixed freights meet at Kedzie - one eastbound the other westbound

Length: 00:00:30 sec.

The overlap continues...

Length: 00:00:30 sec.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

I worked about 1 hour tonight on my Maintenance Spreadsheet classifying the cars I bought on Sunday. Take a look...

I classified these cars and now they wait on the test track waiting for their test run.

Here's my Maintenance Spreadsheet where I track inspections and details for each car on the layout.

Friday, October 18, 2019

NTA

Saturday, October 19, 2019

NTA

Week 271

Sunday, October 6, 2019 thru Saturday, October 12, 2019

Sunday, October 6, 2019

NTA

Monday, October 7, 2019

Train Day!

w/Rob Fair & Jordan Osborn (6-7:30pm 1.5 hrs.)

Jordan Osborn communicates "Peace".

Rob Fair gets ready to trouble shoot Chicago lights.

The far street light was dim.
We replaced the resister and look what happened!
Fixed!

We also replace the resister on Adams St. with the same problem.
Very interesting.

Rob Fair working at the UP Engine Facilities.

Underneath we fastened the feeder wires together and connected them to the bus line with a suitcase connector.

Checking the connections at the CNW Engine Facilities.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

NTA

Wednesday, October 9, 2109

Train Day!

with Jordan Osborn and Cam Passaglia (4-5:30pm 1.5 hrs.)

Jordan Osborn shows his "peace".
Cam Passaglia waving in the background.

Turning our attention to the layout.

Working on the excursion extension.

Cam Passaglia at the Central Control Tower handling the controls.

Testing Track 1 at the UP Engine Facilities.

Cam operating the incoming Metra Commuter

I said, "Who's going to stop this train?"

 Cam answers quickly and succinctly, "Me."

Length: 00:00:31 sec.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

NTA

Friday, October 11, 2109

NTA

Saturday, October 12, 2019

NTA

Week 270

Sunday, September 29, 2019 thru Saturday, October 5, 2019

Sunday, September 29, 2019

NTA
Family time and Bears Game at 3:25pm

Monday, September 30, 2019

Train Day!

Rob Fair with special guest, Faith Fair.

Also Jordan Osborn working from 6-7:30pm 1.5 hours.

My favorite "Can you see?" perspective.
Can you see Faith?

Rob Fair working on the GE AC6000 adding couplers.
Jordan Osborn running Train Simulator game.

Close up of Rob Fair hard at work.

In the meantime, Faith finds ways to build her own empire.

Back at the workbench watching Rob put a spring in the GE AC6000 coupler.

Jordan Osborn checking out specs on the Train Simulator

Jordan Osborn playing the Train Simulator game.
Rob Fair working on the GE AC6000
and Faith Fair checking out the sights.

Length: 00:00:21 sec.

Watching the Intermodal heading west bound through Proviso Yard and beyond.

Length: 00:00:30 sec.

Another view of the west bound Intermodal traveling through Proviso Yard.
Don't be afraid of the very mean look from Jordan Osborn...he's just messing around.

Length: 00:00:27 sec.

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

NTA

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Train Day!
w/Cameron Passaglia from 4-5:30pm 1.5 hrs.

First things first.
Cam Passaglia got the Train Simulator game up and running.

We'll be working under Chicago Downtown today.
We have two faulty signals to replace so we'll work on separating the connected wires underneath today.

Here is Cam hard at work.

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Jan had Bible study tonight so I worked about 1.5 hours on the new traffic signals under Chicago downtown.

Here are the wires for the replacement traffic light with the wires all connected and soldered together.
The black is the liquid to keep them insulated.

Out with the OLD...

Length: 00:00:28 sec.

...In with the NEW.

Length: 00:00:28 sec.

Here's all the wiring ready for solder.
The alligator clips keeps the wires in place until we're ready to solder them together.

Final Product

Length: 00:00:16 sec.

Friday, October 4, 2019

NTA

Saturday, October 5, 2019

NTA

Week 269

Sunday, September 22, 2019 thru Saturday, September 28, 2019

Sunday, September 22, 2019

NTA

Monday, September 23, 2019

Rob Fair was very sick tonight and couldn't make it to Train Day!
I started at the UP Engine Facility and started the process to solder wire feeders to the track.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Here I have everything soldered and tucked away.

Now I'm at the CNW Engine Facility and getting ready to solder the 6 tracks located at that engine facility.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Train Day!

w/Cameron Passaglia and Jordan Osborn (4-6pm 2 hrs.)

After a little snack and a drink Cam gets ready for some action.
Jordan Osborn takes the role of  supervisor for the afternoon.

Cam did a great job securing the white feeders together and then I'll finish up by attaching the final feeder to the bus line.

More under-the-table work by the Cam Man!

The last 40 minutes Cam and Jordan played on the Train Simulator Game.
Here Cam says, "I thought I was running the train."

Sneaky look by Cam, as Jordan focuses on the Train Simulator.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

NTA

Friday, September 27, 2019

Reorganizing my electronics cabinet space.

Cleaned up the desk at the back of the monitors.

Called up the Inventory/Maintenance Log on the workbench computer.

Tonight's guests:
Charlie, Henry, Emily, and Ida Zielke.
Something at the East Power District has their attention.
Hopefully it's a train and not a mouse.

Hey, Charlie, look up!

Thanks Charlie!
Now Mom, look over here.

Can you see Ida in this picture?
Look close and you'll find her face.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Mainly cleaned up today.
Paul Nyenhuis stopped by but I didn't take any pictures.