Week 169

Week 169

Sunday, October 22, 2017 thru Saturday, October 28, 2017

Sunday, October 22, 2017

I continued to work on the alley scene off Kedzie Avenue

Here's the progress I made...

From last week...
I continued with painting the glue to the surface where the weeds would grow.

Next I sprinkled on the Blended Turf.

And then detail weathered the alley.

Monday, October 23, 2017

Train Day with Rob Fair and Jordan Osborn

I couldn't believe how much we accomplished tonight.

Check this out!

Rob Fair working on reconnecting Kedzie Avenue Station.
Will we be able to get this all finished tonight?

Jordan Osborn going over plans for our next Train Show.

Side Bar: What dimensions will be needed for the 294 over pass?
Here's where it will go.

Jordan Osborn at Central Control Tower.

Checking the calendar for correct dates.

Meanwhile, back at Rob Fair's project.
Clamping the walls back together.

Rob Fair has it all together.
Now we need to make sure the lights are working properly.

We had to go back to Week 142 to reference Carlos Baez original work on the lighting of Kedzie Avenue Station.

Oops, I moved. We're working on the building in the upside down mode.

We had to attach the roof first and then the lights.

Now doesn't that look way better?
I'll try to find a similar picture so you can contrast the BEFORE and AFTER shots.

The new and improved Kedzie Avenue Station.
Lights, Camera, Action!

I'm very much satisfied with this outcome.
It's what I was looking for in the correction from the original.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

No train activity today.

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Train Day!
Jordan wanted to stay home with Mom today.
It's okay.

At first I was going to weather the parking lot behind the buildings, so I cleared the lot and filled Western Avenue. I had to take this picture for Jordan so he could see the traffic jam first hand.

After I sent this picture to Jordan, he sent a message back to me, "Awesome"

I decided last minute NOT to weather, instead...
I made today, Kedzie Avenue Day
I have several Google Map shots of Kedzie and I took those pictures along side the model.

Let me know what you think.
Is the tower too tall?

The model is definitely too tall compared to the prototype.
I do like the adjusted building height though.
I think it's just right.
Thanks for all your hard work, Rob Fair!

Still need the chain link fence and the utility poles.

If the track were straight on the model, this would be a great comparison shot.

Another shot where we need the chain link fence and utility poles.

Not sure if I'll put the ads on the overpass.

Brick wall a bit too wide, but I'm not changing it!
We need to add the blue Metra sign.

Tower too high - by one floor.
All we'd need to do is cut out the third floor and I think it would be fine.

Looking west.

Need to make the stairwell darker on the model.

I need to paint the ceiling white.

Thursday, October 26, 2017

HEY CARLOS!
I have an idea about what to put on the south end of the retention pond.
It will match what's on the other side.
What do you think?

Here's the concrete barrier seen from the Elmhurst Train Depot side.

What's on your workbench?

This is what my workbench looked like after I finished the concrete sections shown above.

Friday, October 27, 2017

Only updating the blog today.

Saturday, October 28, 2017

My plan was to drive the Train at Kuipers today.

NOPE! It was cancelled due to weather.

So I worked downstairs before we (Jan, Ben, & me) left for Chicago to see Natalie & James and kids.

Here's what I did this morning...

First, I cut up the paper clips to use for the chain link fence posts.

You can see on the far right the first post is in place.
I will pre-drill the holes with the drilling apparatus shown on the road.

Now the rest of the fence posts are installed.

The chain link fences are 1/2" tall.
I used the edge of the table to make nice clean cuts.

Hard to see from a distance, but the chain link fence is half complete.

Same progress difference view.

Finished.

The blue tape is holding the added piece I will use as a template to cut a new fascia board.
I also cut a template for the board that angles as you keep going around the fascia.

Week 168

Week 168

Sunday, October 15, 2017 thru Saturday, October 21, 2017

Sunday, October 15, 2017

My real treat today was having my three grandkids come and play trains with me!

Back to Front: Mabel, Henry and Ida Zielke

Left to Right: Mabel, Henry, & Ida!

Monday, October 16, 2017

No more Train Day with Rob Fair on Mondays.

HOWEVER, we are moving to Friday nights when our schedules allow.

We will figure our Fridays on a week by week basis.

Oops!
Change of plans.
Mondays will work after all.

Rob stopped by tonight with some other special guests.

Check this out...

Rob Fair and I started out at the access panel in the East Power District.
Rob widdled as I tested the fit.

 We had a grand entrance by...

Length: 00:00:26sec.
Darth Vader's response to Rob Fair who was freaked out as Darth entered the room.
"Forgive me, my master. One day I will come and I will not freak you out ever again."

After the work on the access panel (now waiting for glue to cure) we began weathering the Global 1 terminal concrete.

Our two very special guests: Jordan Osborn and Josh Jones.

Rob Fair continues his work on adding more realism to Global 1.

Making progress.

In the meantime, I added more gray to the street.
Above the viaduct you can see the black street.
In the foreground you can see the new and improved weathered roadway.

The street view of same.

Rob Fair making more progress.

Weathering complete at Global 1.

I liked the results on the other side of the viaduct, so I continued up the hill on the other side.

If you could only hear what we're listening on the iphones.
I also added the weathered look to the access road to California Avenue Metra Maintenance Shed.

Another view of the finished product.
You like?

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

I finished Western Avenue weathering project tonight.
Take a look...

BEFORE...

Spattering of gray mortar mix for a dulling of the pure black "asphalt".
...DURING...

At the Geneva 3rd Street crossing.
...still DURING...

...AFTER

Another view from Geneva 3rd Street crossing.

If I was waiting at the crossing in a truck, here's my view.

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Train DAY!

I checked with Ed Nelson on Sunday and he plans to come today.

No Ed today.
Carlos Baez stopped by as well as Jordan Osborn.
We did a little bit, but mostly just caught up.

Carlos Baez gave us an update on the progress of the water reservoir he's working on at home.

Jordan Osborn and I did some more weathering at Global 1.

Jordan Osborn looking intently at some of his paperwork.

We also added the tire marks for the overhead crane at Global 1.
Note the bucket truck on the left working on the high light.

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Cubs getting beat pretty bad tonight so I thought I'd make some progress on the railroad.

Here's what I did tonight in about 30 minutes.

I mixed some "patching plaster" and filled in some cracks.
Next, I'll paint earth tones and add some ground foam.

Friday, October 20, 2017

I did some work on the alley off Kedzie Avenue tonight.

Finally getting into some scenery.
First, I used some old patching plaster and filled in the ditch by the alley.

Next, I painted the plaster earth-tone brown.

Now ready for the "weeds".
Check out next week's blog (Week 169).

Saturday, October 21, 2017

Train Engineering from 8:30am to 6pm at Kuipers today.