Week 173

Week 173

Sunday, November 19, 2017 thru Saturday, November 25, 2017

Sunday, November 19, 2017

No train activity today

Monday, November 20, 2017

Train Day with Rob Fair and Jordan Osborn
5:30-7pm
Good work tonight men, check this out...

Let's start with a video for a change...
We discovered a flaw in the track at Kedzie Avenue.

Length: 00:00:15sec.
The UP AC6000 would derail at the switch.
Rob Fair applied the rail gauge and found it was to tight.
Once corrected, that seemed to take care of the problem.

A look at Kedzie Avenue station from the stairwell.

This video shows a nice panoramic view going backwards as the train goes forward.

Length: 00:00:30sec.

Nice video of the AC6000 coming towards you as the train follows behind.

Length: 00:00:27sec.

After Rob Fair checked out the derailment (see video above) he moved into the power box and inserted the cables from the alley utility poles.

Here's the finished product.

Kedzie Avenue with walls secured.
They used to curl up at the bottom.

Now Rob Fair begins weathering the parking lot behind the Western Avenue "skinny building".

Meanwhile, back at the Central Control Tower, Jordan Osborn finishes up some much needed paperwork. 

Always checking the data twice.

Progress on the parking lot weathering.

First application.
Note the station platforms are still dark black.

Nice video of the Metra Commuter train approaching and passing Kedzie Avenue Station.

Length: 00:00:11sec.

Rob Fair continues to work the weathering into the parking lot.

Moving onto the station platforms.

Hitting the details.

Kedzie Avenue awaits weathering...

A different perspective of Rob's work.

Now Kedzie Avenue has been hit.

Nice work, Rob.

Very nice.

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

No train activity today.

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

No train activity today.

Thursday, November 23, 2017
Happy Thanksgiving!

Couldn't sleep tonight, so I wandered downstairs and...

...finished laying out the street sections around Union Station.

I also installed some lights inside and out.
Maybe I'll try to wire them up tomorrow to see how they look.
See you then!

Friday, November 24, 2017

Updated spreadsheet to match blog.
DONE!
YES!

Since I worked on Union Station last night, I had to keep going a little bit more...

Ben helped me lift this section up and over the commuter terminal tracks.

The columns are 3.5" tall and only temporary.

Here's a view from the end of the station stop.
You can see from this angle the columns are way too thick.

Saturday, November 25, 2017

Funny how you get something in your head and can't let it loose.
Well, I'm on a Union Station binge.

Check out these progressive shots.

First, What's on your workbench this week?

You guessed it! Union Station is on my workbench this week.
It all started the other night when I couldn't sleep and I put together the street sections.

A couple of days ago I installed the 12V LED lights.
Here, I'm getting ready to solder the black and red wires separately of course :)

I'm pretty sure this shows the black wires soldered together.

And now the red wires are soldered together.
The one white is really a read.
The two leads go off the table.

I used a 9V transformer and checked to make sure the lights work.
Yes they do!

Then I turned over the station and checked the lighting on the workbench.
One side...

...and then the other side.

Then I put Union Station in place where it will go on the layout and did a test show.
Not bad. I like it!

Same setting, different look.
I may want to add some up lights in the front.
Street lights will be added and give some more lighting in front, but uplights would make it "pop".

And finally a bird's eye view from the rear.