Week 156

Week 156

Sunday, July 23, 2017 thru Saturday, July 29, 2017

Sunday, July 23, 2017

I worked a bit on ballasting starting where we left off on Wednesday...

You can see where I've started filling in the ballast in the middle of Track 1.

Adding more ballast to both tracks.

Then mixing the glue with isopropyl alcohol and we have extended our ballast to 3rd Street Geneva.

Monday, July 24, 2017

Rob Fair, Jordan Osborn and myself worked tonight from 5:30-7pm.

FYI...Rob Fair will be on vacation next Monday.

Rob Fair is going to continue with our ballast project up to the crossover just before Geneva Station.

Cool picture.
Jordan Osborn taking an overview of the project from his post at the Central Control Tower.

I'm all over the place.
Drawing in the retention pond.
This will be a project soon coming.

Rob Fair continues on his ballasting ways.
He does a great job!
A very fine eye for detail.
That's Rob!

Meanwhile, I spent some time at Proviso Yard mounting some unmounted switch machines.

Rob Fair putting in some finishing touches to the middle run off section.

Jordan Osborn takes great pictures.
He was a bit tired tonight, but his pictures sure don't show it!

Some intricate work on the switch stands at East Proviso Yard.

Another switch stand I had to manipulate at East Proviso Yard.
I used the plastic underneath so it wouldn't adhere to the cork.
If the CA sticks to the plastic I'll just cut off the extra plastic and use it as part of the switch stand.

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

No Activity Today.

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Train DAY!

Dean Hatzis came by today to check out his project.
Jordan Osborn joined us for about one hour from 4-5pm.

Dean Hatzis is getting the lay of the land for his "at home" project.

Dean Hatzis will be taking the prototype photos with him and kitbash a model that will look great!
He's working on the California Avenue Metra Maintenance Facility.

Unfortunately, Jordan Osborn had to be very patient - actually got a bit bored as Dean and I discussed Dean's "at home" project. Thanks for hanging around with us, Jordan. You're a real railroader.

Thursday, July 27, 2017

No train activity today.

Friday, July 28, 2017

Jan and I went downtown Chicago to visit Jan's sister Sue and her husband, John

Saturday, July 29, 2017
Spent the day in Chicago.

Week 155

Week 155

Sunday, July 16, 2017 thru Saturday, July 22, 2017

Sunday, July 16, 2017

No train activity today.

Monday, July 17, 2017

Rob Fair and Jordan Osborn came over today at 5:30pm and stayed until just after 7pm.

Our goal was to finish the lights at Elmhurst Station.

Here's what we accomplished...

Rob Fair, says, "Watch your step. I've got you covered."

Jordan Osborn says, "I'm ok with that."

Length: 00:00:36s

Jordan is talking about the recent water tower construction on Red Gate Road and Rt. 25.

I just found my Fox River Water Tower I've been missing ever since the move three years ago.

UGH!

Rob Fair decided he needed a hair blower 'cause he just couldn't do a thing with his hair.
Really he tried to use it to shrink wrap a wire connection.
It didn't get hot enough.

Here's the attempt to shrink wrap the wire connection.
The hair dryer was a bust.

We decided to put the four LED lights with resisters on one side of the terminal block.

Then we connected the (-) black wires and gave it a test run.

Here you can see the black wires all connected.

We made sure the positive (+) side was red and we tested the lights.
Doesn't that look great?

Rob Fair cleaning up for the night.

One last look before we leave for the evening.
Next time I'll get the room more dark to make it stand out better.

We met our goal and finished what we came to do.

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Tonight I went downstairs and put the station in its place.

Here are some pictures of the finished product at night.
I do need to do one more thing. Frost the windows.
But, that, my friend, is for another day.

Here's what we have for today...

Elmhurst Station is set in place and ready for final photo shoot.

It's on a slight angle due to the sky horizon.

Looking down Western Avenue from the Kedzie Avenue Station stop.

I like this view of Kedzie in the foreground and the skinny building on Western Avenue and now Elmhurst Station to the left of the bridge.

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Train Day!

YES! Carlos, Ed, Jordan, and me 4-5:30pm

Here's what we did...

Ed Nelson & Carlos Baez prepare the surface for our next project.

Can you tell what they're up to?

If you guessed, "Ballasting" then you're right!

Great progress tonight!
Way to go MEN!

Meanwhile, back at the Central Control Tower, Jordan Osborn keeps things moving.

Finishing touches on tonight's ballasting project

Looks great!

Candid shot!

Note the picture on the monitor behind Jordan is me taking this picture of Jordan Osborn.

Thursday, July 20, 2017

No train activity today.

Friday, July 21, 2017

No train activity today.

Saturday, July 22, 2017

No train activity today.

Week 154

Week 154

Sunday, July 9, 2017 thru Saturday, July 15, 2017

This week is VBS week at church so we won't be having our regular Monday and Wednesday Train Crew meetings. Instead, I'll continue work alone on Elmhurst Station when I am able.

Here are some updates...

Monday, July 10, 2017

As we continue the work at the base of Elmhurst Station we now note the sidewalks are painted and installed.

Checking to be sure the station still fits into the base.
And it does!

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

More progress at the Elmhurst Station...

Before moving forward, I had to trim down the station platform brace because it was too high.
See the white strip near the tracks?

I re-stained the platform brace, and then began to wire the station lights.

Next, I drilled the hole for the light wires.

Also drilled the holes for the platform light poles.

Lamp Posts installed and waiting for electrical hookups.

Friday, July 14, 2017
More progress at Elmhurst Station...

I wired up the station platform light this morning.

Dimming the lights above to make the street lights shine brighter.

Lights off, platform lights on!

Now on to the station lights inside.

Saturday, July 15, 2017
What's on your workbench this week?

The outside platform lights are one, now I'm working on the inside lights at Elmhurst Station.

I don't what a pure white no resister look.

This photo is with 910 ohlms.

And this is what we're going for...1000 ohlms resister.

I asked Rob Fair to bring his soldering tools and we'll hook them up and install the station on Monday night, Week 155.