Week 208

Week 208

Sunday, July 22, 2018 thru Saturday, July 28, 2018

Sunday, July 22, 2018

No train activity today.

Monday, July 23, 2018

Train Day with Rob Fair and Jordan Osborn!

We worked from 6pm - 8:15pm (2.25hrs.)

Here's what we did...

Jordan Osborn and I will work on the DCC system components.
Lots to learn...

Rob Fair will continue his work on the Lake Street City Viaduct construction site.
Here he is working on the support beams. We're getting closer to constructing the entire "L" girders.

Rob Fair measuring twice to cut once.

Jordan Osborn keeps up with the paperwork.
You know, there's more than what meets the eye in this train operation.

Here is the deck bridge that will span the tracks that lead to Chicago Terminal.

Rob Fair secured the girders to the end pieces which will then be connected to the "I" beams which will support the bridge over the tracks.

Rob Fair shows his handy work on the base of the "L" tracks which will be over Lake Street.

Another view of the deck bridge with "C" clamps in place.

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Josh Jones and Jordan Osborn came over for about 45 minutes (4:30-5:15pm) to help me run trains on the new DCC system.
I wanted to see if we could really run two trains in different directions.

Check this out...

My two Amigos (Josh Jones & Jordan Osborn) ready to test out the new DCC system.

We first brought out the commuter train westbound from Chicago Terminal.

Length: 00:00:26 sec.

Jordan Osborn and Josh Jones handling the controls at CCT.

Still shot of the next video...

Check out this video of two trains passing each other going in opposite directions.
Yes it can be done in DCC!

Length: 00:00:19 sec.

Upper and lower level trains running.

Length: 00:00:10 sec.

Trains rounding the curve at Melrose Park.

Length: 00:00:23 sec.

Trains meet around the South Power District bend.

Length: 00:00:16 sec.

Lots of videos tonight.
Gives you a pretty good idea of what the DCC system can do now that we couldn't do before.

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Train Day!
with Ed Nelson (Jordan Osborn couldn't make it today).

We continued to test the DCC System

Ed Nelson at the controls of the mainline freight.
We had to clear the mainline to run two commuter trains tonight.

Another view of Ed Nelson at Jump 2 (using a DC throttle to run a DCC controlled train).

There's the freight on it's final approach to Proviso Yard where we'll park this train.

Before Ed left for the day, we did a partial mock up of the CNW Powerhouse right off Lake Street in Chicago.

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Working on the RR...

I worked a bit on the CNW Powerhouse.
Starting to take shape.

Friday, July 27, 2018

Sleepover with Mae, Henry, and Ida...
We went to a movie, went out to eat, came home to play trains, before catching fireflies and then going to bed. Here is what we did with the trains:

Ida Zielke at the controls taking charge of one of the commuter trains.

Henry Zielke running the other Commuter Train.

An overview of tonight's action...

Length: 00:00:24 sec.

Henry starting dancing as he followed his train.

More dance moves...

I tried to capture Henry's dance on video, but I was too late.

I just missed Henry dancing, but here is his exit.

Length: 00:00:20 sec.

Saturday, July 28, 2018
Before we got the day started, Henry came downstairs to run some trains...

I captured Henry running alongside his train again in the monitor.

I kept watching him and he came out on the other side still tracking his train.

Week 207

Week 207

Sunday, July 15, 2018 thru Saturday, July 21, 2018

Sunday, July 15, 2018

Today, I worked on Lake Street.
Mainly putting in the double yellow line and weathering the "asphalt"...

BEFORE

AFTER

A view from the other side...

I also wired up the lights for Union Station and the ceiling lights for the underground station platforms.

Union Station Main Entrance

Underground station platforms

View  from a distance...

I usually don't take flash photos, but I could barely see the city viaduct without it.

Another view of the Union Station night scene.

Monday, July 16, 2018

Train Day with Rob Fair and Jordan Osborn.
We worked from 6-8pm tonight.
Here's what we did...

Rob Fair and I got the lights back on.
We discovered the original transformer was bad. It was rated 12v 200mA.
The new one is 12v 500mA which makes the lights a lot brighter.
Still not sure if that's what we'll keep, but we'll keep it for a bit.

Rob Fair contemplated our next move on the city viaduct.

Jordan Osborn hanging out at Central Control Tower.

I tried to capture Jan while she was working, but she moves too fast.

Commuter Train approaching Chicago Terminal

Length: 00:00:15 sec.

Arriving Union Station

Length: 00:00:30 sec.

Rob and I continue the work on the city viaduct over Lake Street.
We had to cut the top piece in sections so we could use the ends for good adherence for the side posts.

Jordan Osborn completing some paper work.

Rob Fair taking a break from the city viaduct and doing some track maintenance.
Here he is filing the rough spots off the rails.

Waiting for a train to come by so I took a panoramic video of the layout from my perspective.

Length: 00:00:17 sec.

The UP Unit Coal Train approaching Crossover #3 as I troubleshoot some track problems.

Length: 00:00:33 sec.

More work on support beams.
The top piece had to have the ends cut off to fit where it needs to be.
See next picture.

Here you can see the base pieces Rob has been working on.
He plans to take those home and drill a hole in the middle for the outer support beams.

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Today was a banner day!
I bought DCC for the layout today at B&G Train World Hobbies!!!
Check this out...

I ordered these products online earlier in the week.
Today I picked them up at the store.

Here's the breakdown of the products and purpose for each.
Total cost: $348.07 includes $27.27 for taxes! Yikes!

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Train Day with Ed Nelson and Jordan Osborn
Plan is to work from 4-5pm today.
Cut short for Family gathering at 5pm

I'm pretty sure it has been a month since Ed Nelson has graced our blog pages.
Welcome Back, Ed!

Joined by Jordan Osborn.

We put some trains together for the family session tonight.
This is a mixed freight led by two SD40-2s.

Ed Nelson checking the performance.
So far, so good.
Very nice.

And then there was family time with Neal and Geena and Becca, Alan, & Christian.
So much fun!!!

Neal and daughter, Becca, pointing out the details.

Christian (foreground) and Alan (checking out the monitors) with Neal, Becca and Geena looking on...

Christian? Where's your smile?

Oh, there it is!

Daddy, Becca, and Mommy.

I took this picture for Emily.
See the lichen running in a diagonal line?
Emily brought that back home from upper state WI.
Thanks Emily!

Thursday, July 19, 2018

No train activity today.

Friday, July 20, 2018

Today's Agenda: DCC System Start Up!
Jordan Osborn stopped over and worked from 3-4:30pm.
Here's what happened...

Jordan Osborn displays the newly purchased and ready to be installed DCC Digitrax Zephyr.

First thing to do...
Detach the wire from the transformer to the North/East Power Districts and attach the bus wires to the rest of the layout.

We moved the transformer for the South/West Power Districts and put the Zephyr in its place.
Right in the middle of Central Command Tower.

Here's a final picture of Central Control Tower.
Note the bus wires below on the right side where the engineer's legs would be. 

Well, I got everything wired up according to the Digitrax instructions and it didn't work.

First attempt to install DCC: FAILED!
Oh no!

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Second attempt to install DCC: SUCCESS!
Oh yes!

I did some trouble shooting and here's what I found.
Two booboos

Under the layout at the North Power District I wired up the bus wires incorrectly.
After further review, this is really correct.
I noticed this is really correct.

I changed the terminal blocks anyway.
After I did, the problem still existed.
I even sent Digitrax an email asking for their assistance.

I also changed the wiring I pointed out earlier at the Engineer's desk at CCT.

Here was the REAL problem.
Under the West Power District, the wires were split so I could have one transformer run the South/West Power Districts and the other transformer run the North/East Power Districts.

As I connected the bus wires together, I had the DCC system on and ready to run.
As soon as I connected the black and then the red bus wires, the engine on the track started to run.
What joy!!!

I was so excited.
I'm now DCC ready on my layout!

What a banner day!

Hip Hip Hooray!