Week 144

Week 144

Sunday, April 30, 2017 thru Saturday, May 6, 2017

Sunday, April 30, 2017
I want to put up the street lights on Western Avenue next.

In order to get that accomplished I need to finish the sidewalks.

Here's the progress made tonight...

The picture on the left is the pre-paint picture.
The picture on the right is the post-paint picture.
Do you like it?

The picture on the left is the pre-paint picture.
The picture on the right is the post-paint picture.
Do you like it?

I also did some work on the sidewalk that goes down under the tracks running by the skinny building first. I didn't take pictures tonight, but I will take some tomorrow night when Rob and Jordan stop by for Train Night!

Monday, May 1, 2017
Train Night with Rob & Jordan and Special Guest, Josh Jones.

Josh entered playing the theme to Star Wars.

What an entry!

Here's what we did tonight...
Not sure why, but I sure was video happy tonight...
As you will see in tonight's blog.

Josh Jones executing the role of conductor in our operating session tonight.
I was the dispatcher and Jordan the engineer.

Action video of Josh Jones doing his job.

Length: 00:00:14s

Jordan Osborn at the controls.

Jordan Osborn giving his hand signals.

Another view of Josh Jones doing his job.

Meanwhile, Rob Fair, works on the railings at Kedzie Avenue Center Platform stairwell.

Looks pretty good, wouldn't you say?

Rob had to do some very keen detail work to adhere the other side of the railings. 

Meanwhile, back on the mainline, Jordan and Josh are running the track cleaning car and testing the side clearances on all signal bridges.

Here's the video of the same scene from above.

Length: 00:00:35s

I tried to capture some of the detailed work Rob was doing...

Look closely.
Rob is attaching a small plate below to secure the railing post.

Here's a video of some of that detailed work.

Length: 00:00:40s

And the finished product.
Look closely and you will see the plate with the small hole placed on the right side of the top of the stairwell.
Do you see it?

Another video of Rob in action.

Length: 00:00:25s

Close up of Rob Fair gluing down the railings.

Of course, another video of the same...

Length: 00:00:29s

And just before Rob left he finished gluing down the stone wall.
Thanks Rob!!!

Rob Fair gluing down the top of the stone wall.

And now, adding the light to secure the hold.

And yes, one last video of the same...

Length: 00:00:40
Not sure why this video is showing sideways.
When I view using the Windows Media is shows right side up.
Oh well, I guess you'll just need to look at this sideways.

Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Train Day!

Ed Nelson stopped by today.
Jordan Osborn was under the weather.

Ed and I ran two trains.
A Metra outbound Chicago to Geneva.

I took some interesting pictures of our second train.
A 30 car unit coal train with two SD38-2 leading the way.

Check these out...

Conductor Ed Nelson checking his train.
See the two locomotives on the far side?
He's checking the rear to be sure all is aok.
This is the 30 car unit coal train.

Here's another shot via the monitor of Ed watching his train.

Unit Coal Train entering the West Power District.

The South Power District is in "night scene" as the unit train pulls by the Geneva Commuter consist.

And here's the Dispather's Daily Log.
The last two entries are the two train Ed and I ran tonight.
It's official.
Ed is "in the books".

Saturday, May 6, 2017
I had the day off today so I did some work on the railroad.

My MAIN GOAL was to install the Metra Geneva Station.

Here's what I accomplished...

This is the view from the bottom with the main angle secured and the overhang clamped and ready to secure.

The rest of the pictures will be from this vantage point.
Here I'm getting ready to screw down the overhang.

Now that the base is complete it's time to lay the "asphalt".

I've cut the three areas.
Parking lot flanks the station platform.

Once I cut the "asphalt" pieces, it's time to glue it down.

I'll clamp it down while drying and come back later tonight for some more progress.

"Asphalt" all set and in place.
Now let's put the station where it belongs.

While we're at it, let's take a night shot.

I have one more thing to do at Geneva Station.
I will need to install inside lights for the station.
Maybe tomorrow.

After Geneva Station was placed, I went back to Kedzie Avenue and glued in the two vertical posts on the far side.
After that sets overnight, I'll put on the horizontal bars.
But that's for another day...

In fact, you'll need to go to Week 145 to see the rest of the story...