Week 200

Week 200

Sunday, May 27, 2018 thru Saturday, June 2, 2018

Sunday, May 27, 2018
Jordan Osborn stopped over today from 3:30-5pm

Jordan Osborn working on paperwork.
He's updating the trouble-shooting log.

As Jordan worked on the log, I worked on the wires below...

This is a view from the other side.

Jordan Osborn helped me construct the platform for the equipment to run the traffic signals.

Here's the BEFORE picture.
The wires hanging down belong to the four traffic signals.

And here's the AFTER picture.
The traffic controller and transformer will rest on this stand.

And here they are.
I should go back and take a video of the traffic signals in action.

Monday, May 28, 2018

No train activity today.
Happy Memorial Day!

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

No train activity today.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Train Day with Dean Hatzis.
Dean came from 4-5:30pm today.

We did quite a bit tonight.
Take a look...

Dean Hatzis prepares the new base for Monitor #5.

I've removed the monitor to expose the old base.

We took the plywood out to the garage to cut.

Dean does a check fit.

After Dean left at 5:30pm I went back and worked another hour...

I installed the new platform Dean Hatzis cut out.

Then I put the DVD on the stand.

Last week, I put all the Power District maps on clip boards.
However, the buttons for the power switches were in the way.
I needed to reset them so the clip board would fit between the buttons and the transformer.

Here's the move before the clip board is put in place.

And here's the final placement with the clip board in position.

Thursday, May 31, 2018

I did some gluing and some videotaping...
Here you go...

I'm finally going to finish the transition pieces from the sidewalk to the bridge.

Now I'll glue them down, put weight on them and let it sit overnight.

Watch the Traffic Signals at work

Length: 00:00:36 sec.

RED light facing Main Street on N. 19th Ave.

Same location, GREEN light.

Now on Main Street facing N. 19th St. with GREEN light.

Finally, same location, with YELLOW light.

Friday, June 1, 2018

Worked half day today at church and the rest of the day I worked on the basement railroad...
I spent about 1 hour working on Melrose Park grocery store and another hour installing the shelf units at Central Control Tower.

I got tired of looking at the curled roof top of the grocery store.
So today, I did something about it.

This was the rejected roof of the Kedzie Avenue station.

I cut it to shape and reattached the supports.

Placed the new roof in position.
And there you go.
I'll need to add a HVAC unit and vents for rooftop details.

There is the finished product in position.

I also reattached the stairway to the building at the other end of where the grocery store sits.

 Now it's time to work on the shelf units.

Since I had to cut this one to fit, I brought it out to the garage to keep all the sawdust out of the basement.

I tried to use my skill saw, but it kept veering off center.
I changed to the jig saw and everything worked out just fine.

Here's the shelf units in place from this angle.

And also from this angle.

Saturday, June 2, 2018
This weekend we're making good on our Christmas present to the Crockett girls.
We're meeting Natalie at Woodfield shopping mall at 11:30am.

Before leaving I cut some "bricks" for Central Control Tower.
I spent 1 hour working on this project.

I started with these tools.
After the experience with the skill saw yesterday, I scrapped that piece of equipment and used the jig saw the rest of the way.

You can see the sheets of "bricks" laying against Ben's truck and on the garbage can.

After measuring and cutting these are the pieces I'll bring downstairs to put in place.

The garbage can proved to be a poor workbench, so I moved to the table and used this as my work surface.
Much better!

The section I'm working on here is the base boards holding up the "bricks".

I haven't secured it all with finish nails, but here's a good look at what this will look like when it's finished.

The same thing, but just the other side.
I really like how this turned out.

I did go down one more time to take final pictures.
Here they are...

Finished product one side...

...and the other side.

Next up:
The curtain for the front.