Week 76

Week 76

Missing Carlos and Josh, but the rest of the crew is here tonight!

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Our last session of the year.

I am leaving for Ghana on Sunday for two weeks.

We'll be taking a two week hiatus from the train.

Here's what happened this week at the train crew operations.

 Dean Hatzis replacing the make shift #6 mainline switch with a brand new #6 purchased at the last train show.

 Action shot of Dean in action.

 Ed Nelson at the inspection station.

He has become our main car inspector.

Several more cars went through the shop tonight.

Ed also added lubricate to wheels to aid in the ease for rolling stock.

 One of our camera shots.

I thought it was kinda neat to capture Dean on the screen and in person.

 Close up of the same.

 Jordan Osborn reviewing "the book".

 Jordan's trademark camera greeting while at the controls.

Will anyone be cleaning up all those wires?

The start of the next video.

Checking out the newly installed #6 switch on the mainline.

Westbound UP manifest on route to Iowa.

Length: 1:03

This video shows the test train running over Dean's newly installed mainline switch.

As you will see, no defects whatsoever.

That's great workmanship by a great craftsman.

Notice the attention a running train gets.

Week 75

Week 75

Went to the train show on Sunday, December 13, 2015

Jordon Osborn and Josh Jones went with me.

I traded the left hand #4 Code 83 Switch with a right hand of the same - no problem.

I also bought 10 3' sections of Atlas Code 100 flex track ($33)

From the same vendor I bought a right hand #6 Code 100 switch to replace our failed repaired of the same ($12).

I bought $45 and I spent $45. That was it for the show.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Small Train Crew this week.

Just Dean and me. Here's what happened...

 Dean Hatzis checking the specs of our Metra Repair and Maintenance Shop.

Dean Hatzis cutting some of the parts to check clearances.

So...tonight was mainly a "think tank" about how to kit-bash the Metra Repair and Maintenance Shop. More to come...

Week 74

Week 74

Moving right along.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

We had a minor set back this week during our weekly train crew session.

Dean Hatzis had to miss tonight due to truck problems.

Last week he had trouble starting his truck after leaving the train session.

This week he was getting it fixed.

Carlos Baez had to cover second shift this week due to the current supervior's broken foot.

He'll be missing the next three weeks.

Bummer!

However, Ed Nelson and Jordan Osborn were able to come and here's what we did...

 Ed Nelson was our car inspector today.

He examined over 20 cars on performance standards.

He checked coupler height, air hose compliance, incline roll, and proper adhearance to NMRA wheel gauge standards. 

 Jordan Osborn and I inputted new data into our current database.

Still having troubles with the monitors.

I bought another cable converter, but that didn't work either.

Carlos and I are planning on another time to trouble shoot this problem.

We also figured out what was needed and wanted for purchase at the Train Show this Sunday.

More to come...

Week 73

Week 73

As promised, here are the camera shots I installed...

Sunday, November 29, 2015

 West Power District

Union Station

=====================================================

 South Power District

Western Ave. Global 1 Intermodal yard

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 East Power District

Industrial Park

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North Power District

Proviso Yard looking west

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Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Train Crew Session

Interesting evening.
So good to have everyone back!

Here's what happened...

Ed Nelson, Carlos Baez, Dean Hatzis got right to work.
For some reason, our track began to buckle.
Carlos got out the dremel tool and snipped a bit of track off to make it fit better.

 You can see the track buckle here on the elevated mainline.

 Jordan Osborn oversees the operation.
Carlos Baez prepares the dremel tool.
Here's a video of Carlos in action:

Length .15

 Dean Hatzis repairs one of the mainline switches that feeds from Proviso Yard.
Our conclusion? Buy a new switch.
I will at the next train show, Sun, Dec. 13, 2015

 Jordan Osborn at the controls.

Ed Nelson and Carlos Baez fix another section of buckled track.

 Testing the new and improved track work by running trains.

Carlos Baez making sure the repair is in good order.

By the way, the parts for the monitors came in for the session tonight.
BUT, much to my disappointment, there was no signal.
So no camera shots for the monitors I installed this week.
I'm going to try another option.
Maybe we'll have a solution in a couple of weeks.

Week 72

Week 72

Chronological order top to bottom...

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

 Ed Nelson checking for safety clearance at the Lake Street deck bridge.

Not only did the cab cars need to clear the deck girder, but the grab irons (not yet installed) needed to clear also.

 Jordan Osborn working on foam floor for maintenance car ports

(see box of grid mounted on wall - a new feature this week).

 Close up of the car ports for the maintenance shop.

 Back at Union Station.

The track bows out a bit, but not that noticeable.

Another view of Jordan hard at work.

We had a small crew so we finished work a bit early and ran some trains.

Enjoy these videos...

Length .25

West Bound Union Pacific through the South Power District

Length: .43
West Bound UP thru the North Power District.

Had to stop abruptly - great engineering skills by Jordan Osborn -

What happened?

At the .42 mark Jordan yells, "Whoa, whoa, whoa" as the main line train proceeded down the branch line and knocked the two hoppers waiting at the grain elevator off the tracks. Luckily no damaged done to grain elevator or either hopper. Whew! Thanks Jordan!

Friday, November 27, 2015

The camera system arrived this week so I could hardly wait to get things working.

The first thing I did was to mount the monitors.

I asked my brother, Bill, if he had any leftover monitors from an upgrade at work.

He dropped off 5 of them the next week.

I installed two 19" monitors in the center. 

I put another 19" on the left stand. 

He also donated two 17" screens which I will use on the control panel itself.

Back view. 

I still need to make some minor adjustments before this project is complete.

Saturday, November 28, 2015

The next thing I did was to mount the cameras.

Here they are mounted for the various power districts as shown.

 This camera views the West Power District.

Union Station

 This camera views the South Power District.

Western Ave. Global 1

 This camera view the East Power District.

Industrial Park

And finally, this camera views the North Power District.

Proviso Yard looking west.

See Week 73 post for tomorrow's entry for the view from each of the cameras.

Week 71

Week 71

Began

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Jan and I went on a bike ride this afternoon. We rode from Geneva to Wheaton (and back :).

We crossed a bridge over the old EJ&E mainline now CN (Canadian National)

Check out this picture and video...

Notice how the mainline and yard tracks are equidistant to one another.

.24 length

At the end of our ride we rode past the West Chicago Metra Depot (on left out of picture).

Across the tracks are the UP training facilities and JetSert. 

Maybe a modeling opportunity?

Tuesday, November 16, 2015
No pictures, but Josh and Jordan came over to prepare the way for tomorrow's train session.
We put away tools and did a general clean-up.

Wednesday, November 17, 2015
Weekly Train Session

Made some decisions at Union Station.

We decided to have the track end at the end of the framework.
Later we'll come back and add a section to extend the platform.

 Here is Ed Nelson and Dean Hatzis working on some track laying at Union Station.

Working on the details.
The more attention to detail you give now, the better the trains will run later.

Jordan Osborn and I worked on the new camera set-up.
See the new camera just to the left of where Jordan is standing mounted on the floor joist.
Unfortunately I still need to purchase some adapters so the connections can be possible.
Bummer!

Week 70

Week 70

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Weekly Train Session

Attended by (in order of appearance)

Ed Nelson

Curt Berg

Jordan Osborn

Dean Hatzis

Josh Jones

Carlos Baez was under the weather and unable to attend this afternoon.

Here's what happened...

 Dean Hatzis and Ed Nelson began their work laying the track at Union Station.

 In the meantime, Josh Jones and Jordan Osborn work on the East Bound yard throat at Proviso Yard.

 A close up on the detail work at Union Station.

 Another view of the work being done at Union Station.

Last chance to see Josh and Jordan working on the railroad (at least for now).

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Train Show

DuPage County Fair Grounds

Purchased Items:

5 pieces 3' Code 83 flex track $20

2 #4 Code 83 Left Switches $27

2 #4 code 83 Right Switches $6

5 #4 Code 100 Left Switches $5

4 #4 Code 100 Right Switches $10

1 CNW Magnet $2

1 CNW Covered Hopper $15

1 Entry Fee $7

Total Expenditures $92