Week 197

Week 197

Sunday, May 6, 2018 thru Saturday, May 12, 2018

Sunday, May 6, 2018

Train Show at DuPage Co. Fairgrounds, Wheaton IL
Entry Fee: $7

Then I bought the following...

As I left the train show I noticed a box of train cars for $5.
This one is in good shape, but doesn't have metal wheels.
It's a great price, plus I have metal wheels sets I can install and we'll be good to go.

I bought this kit that was mostly put together for $45.

Here's the part that was already constructed.
It will go on top of the girder bridge.
I put it under just to see how long it was.

After we got home from the train show, Jordan stopped over and we put some trains in place.

As soon as Jordan Osborn finishes his DQ treat we'll run some trains.

First in place is the Amtrak special with family waiting on the platform.

Next up is the West Line Track 1 train getting ready for departure.
The doors haven't opened yet, but the passengers are eager to board.

We had our neighbors over tonight and I thought for sure we'd be making a visit to the basement to see the layout. Well, that didn't happen. Good thing.

I went downstairs after they left to run some trains and look what happened!!!
GASP!! UGH!!

...with flash.
Engine was pushing cars toward camera.

...without flash.
Same picture, but more shadows.

We're sending the crash team out to investigate this incidence.

Monday, May 7, 2018
No train activity tonight.

Tuesday, May 8, 2018
No train activity tonight either.

Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Train Day!
Attendance: Dean Hatzis (1), Josh Jones (1.75), Jordan Osborn (1.75) and me (1.75)
Ed Nelson called me and said he was taking a pass tonight.
Just not feeling quite right.

Here's what we did tonight...

Dean Hatzis prepares to enlarge the hole to access the screws in case we ever need to remove this base.

Here he is with a 9/16" drill bit to enlarge the holes.
He drilled out 4 holes in total.

Josh Jones in his "what happened here?" look.

Now taking an even closer look.

Jordan Osborn checks over the trouble-shooting log.

Here's the results of Dean's work.

Jordan Osborn and Josh Jones ran some test trains.
All test were successful.
We couldn't recreate the derailment Josh was checking out in the beginning of this day.

Length: 00:00:12 sec.

This is Josh Jones at the crash site location checking all test trains.

We also brought out some additional commuter trains.

Jordan Osborn kept pretty busy tonight running all those trains.

Remember the hopper I bought at the train show on Sunday?
Here Josh Jones is replacing the plastic wheels with metal wheels.

Plastic out, metal in!

Good Day men!

Thursday, May 10, 2018
No train activity today.

Friday, May 11, 2018
No train activity today.

Saturday, May 12, 2018
Just a bit of work done on the layout today.
I spent a little bit of time at Melrose Park today.
Here's what I did...

I filled in the asphalt on the left side of the road by Merchant's Row II.

If you look in the previous picture you can see I used black magic marker to fill in some torn out "asphalt".

This final picture shows the curb side I glued in by the yellow taxi and the row of cars in the Metra parking lot.