Week 118

Week 118

Sunday, October 30, 2016 - Saturday, November 5, 2016

Sunday, October 30, 2016

I've been working on the rr...

I hooked up the lights and started outlining the white road border lines.

Same street different view.

I glued down the "asphalt".
Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the white foam board base.
Oh well, maybe next time.

Night scene on access road to California Ave/WeGo Yard

Monday, October 31, 2016
Happy Hallowed Eve the night before All Saints Day

After we treated our neighbors I had a few tricks up my sleeve.
Check these out...

Left "fog" lane in place. Center stripes ready for marking.

Center stripes in place.

WAH LAH!
Notice the shoulders also in place.
Still need to glue down.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016
TRAIN DAY!

Present in alphabetical order (hours worked):
Carlos Baez (1.25), Curt Berg (1.75), Dean Hatzis (1.75), Jordan Osborn (1.5), Dave Worley (1.5)

Absent:
Ed Nelson, Josh Jones

Here's what we accomplished...

We had a very special guest tonight! Well, really two.
James Crockett (background) and Dave Worley (foreground)
The rest of the crew left to right...
Carlos Baez, Jordan Osborn, and Dean Hatzis

Carlos Baez and Dave Worley applying a special mixture of glue, water, and isopropyl alcohol.

Dave Worley & Dean Hatzis discussing the latest  news & events.
I wish you could've been there...

Jordan Osborn getting settled in...

Dave Worley (another foreground shot) working in the hole with Carlos Baez working in the background.

Carlos Baez mixing another batch of our glue solution.

This was a really big day.
We actually started looking at some ballast on the track.
Now we're getting into some serious modeling.

The job is finished.
Dave Worley prepares to exit out of the hole.

Checking out the new ballast.

Dave Worley was actually more interested in the ballast than what this picture shows.

Close up of the mainline ballast and the yard ballast.
I think it's looking pretty good.

Week 117

Week 117

Sunday, October 23, 2016 - Saturday, October 29, 2016

Here's the week in review starting with Sunday, October 23, 2016

Sunday, October 23, 2016

I installed the access road to California Ave./WeGo yard.

 Monday, October 24, 2016

TRAIN NIGHT w/Jordan & Rob

Jordan Osborn ready for work.

Jordan Osborn at the controls and getting the paperwork finished.

Rob Fair working on the details of a switch machine.

Rob Fair working on the manual switch machine in Proviso Yard.

Jordan Osborn diligent at his paperwork.

Rob Fair seeing clearly with his headlight.

 Tuesday, October 25, 2016

I added the street lights to the access road.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Train Day!

Present (in alphabetical order):
Carlos Baez, Curt Berg, Ed Nelson, Jordan Osborn (all 1.25)

Absent:
Dean Hatzis, Josh Jones

What we did...

Ed Nelson preparing the surface to glue the foam board base to Western Avenue Build up.

Ed Nelson getting ready...

Ed Nelson & Carlos Baez preparing the surface and the material.

Jordan Osborn doing his paperwork at the controls.

Applying the glue - stinky stuff.

Carlos Baez & Ed Nelson placing weights to hold down the surface to the glue.

Duration: 0.39s
View above the spot light tower.
Jordan Osborn as the engineer.
EB CNW mixed freight.

Week 116

Week 116

Sunday, October 16, 2016 thru Saturday, October 22, 2016

Monday, October 17, 2016

Train Night!

Present (in order of appearance): Curt Berg, Rob Fair, Jordan Osborn

What we did...

Rob Fair works on manual switch machine at Proviso Yard.

Another view.

Photogenic Jordan Osborn at the controls and new work station.

The finished manual switch machine at Proviso Yard.
Nice work, Rob.

I've been wanting to get this project done for a long time.
Finally connected the 2" track to the end of the yard tracks.

Rob Fair now at work at Union Station on the Electronic Switch Machine.
The same one Ed Nelson started last Wednesday.

A closer look at same switch machine.

And still another view.

Jordan getting out some more hand signals. 

The finished electronic switch machine at Union Station.
Nice work, again, Rob!

Wednesday, October 19, 2016
TRAIN DAY!

It was a first today!

No one showed up.
:(
Dean Hatzis gave me a call to let me know he couldn't come, but I didn't hear from anyone else until 5:15pm when Jordan called and said he couldn't make it.

It didn't stop me from working on the RR.

Here's what I did during the session this afternoon.

I finished opening the inside rail gap at Western Avenue.
I also glued on the road in the foreground.
The sidewalk base (white foam board) is also secured in place.

I reworked the Union Station switch that Rob Fair worked on Monday (picture on left).
I turned the switch machine around 180 degrees and reset the switch (picture on right).
I'm anxious to see what Rob Fair thinks about this new set up.

Why did I do this?
One of the reasons I reset the switch machine (picture on right) is to keep the electrical contacts closer to the wire feeds under the table. The wires under the table won't need to be as long as would be needed in left picture above.

Make sense?

Week 115

Week 115

Sunday, October 9, 2016 through Saturday, October 15, 2016

Sunday, October 9, 2016

TRAIN SHOW

DuPage County Fair Grounds

Wheaton IL

Present:

Curt, Jordan, & Josh

Here's what I purchased at the train show today...

Total Spent: $25

Breakdown:

2 packs of #146 Couplers (extended shaft) for Commuter Cars $10

Note: The third packet I already purchased at B&G earlier this year

33" Metal Wheel Sets (12) $10

Note: I was missing the metal wheels sets. I called the seller and I'm going to TRAIN NIGHT at his home in North Aurora on Wednesday. Sweet!

2 Intermodal containers $5 

Note: regular cost of these containers are between $10-12. That's a 75% savings!

What a deal!

Monday, October 10, 2016
TRAIN NIGHT!

Present:
Curt Berg, Rob Fair, Jordan Osborn

Jordan Osborn ran a test train. Especially checking the red Santa Fe Double Plug Box Car.

Rob Fair worked on the new switch to the UP Engine Facility now located at the east end of Proviso Yard.

What's on your Workbench this week?

Since I bought the new couplers, I need to get ready to install them.

Rob Fair making the cut for the new switch.

Here's the new switch now installed.

This is the red Santa Fe double plug door box car we tested tonight.

Here's a picture of the test train going down Proviso Yard.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016
TRAIN DAY!

Present (in order of appearance):
Curt Berg, Ed Nelson, Jordan Osborn, Dean Hatzis

Absent:
Josh Jones, Carlos Baez

Here's what went down...

Dean Hatzis observing the Metra Commuter Train.

Ed Nelson works on Electronic Switch Machine at Union Station.

Dean Hatzis still eyeing the Metra Commuter.

Jordan Osborn at the controls has taken on a new position.
He also is our note taker for each session.

Dean Hatzis laying the street to track sections at Western Avenue

Ed Nelson making progress at Union Station.

Duration: .17s

Duration: .25s

Friday, October 14, 2016
I'm going to Kuipers Family Farm to the Kuipers Farmview RR to be their engineer this afternoon.
This morning I spent some time in the basement doing...

 I installed the new #146 couplers in all the Walther's Commuter Cars/Cabs.
I didn't install any in the Kato Cars since those didn't seem to cause any problems.

 Here's a closeup of the new extended shanks installed on the Walther's Commuter Cars/Cabs.

 The three Metra Trains ready for their test run.

Now have a look at the workbench.
What's on your workbench this week?

Ready for the next project.

This evening Jordan Osborn and Josh Jones stopped by and ran 1.5 test trains.
Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures.

Saturday, October 15, 2016
This evening my grandkids, Elijah, Kathren, and Josh finished testing the .5 of train #2.
We found some errors along the route, but were able to fix them as we went.
Hopefully we've worked out most of the bugs.
Notice I said, "Most", not "All". You just never know.

Again, no pictures!
Not making a good habit here.

Tomorrow is the start of Week 116.
Making some great progress.
Keep in touch!