Week 232

Week 232

Sunday, January 6, 2019 thru Saturday, January 12, 2019

Sunday, January 6, 2019

Today I updated my calendar log.

I was a month behind.

If I don't do a better job writing these things down I'll never "catch up".

I also spent some time at the workbench..

I am trying to figure out how to install the EOTD (End of Train Devices) or FRED.
I have two old ones, which I think I will keep the LED lights, but discard the battery units.
I have a blinking yellow LED I will use with the FRED that didn't come with the new purchase.
And finally, I'll shop for a blinking control board at the train show next Sunday.

And I also repaired the light at Melrose Park Station...

I went under the table and found one of the wires had slipped out of the twist cap.

It was an easy fix.
Just had to rewire and reinstall the twist cap.

Monday, January 7, 2019

TRAIN DAY!
w/Rob Fair & Jordan Osborn
6-7:45pm (1.75 hrs.)

We took a quite different route today.
Check this out...

Jordan Osborn getting ready to run some trains.

Rob Fair will be starting the Kedzie Avenue East section build out.
The tower sits too high in this setting.
We will be adjusting the tower down.

Jordan Osborn pulling the Excursion Train into the yard.

Rob Fair adjusts the earth to place the tower at Kedzie Avenue at the proper height.

Hooking up the "Twins" to the Unit Coal Train.

Rob Fair continues his work on the Kedzie Avenue Tower.

Checking out the CNW Unit Coal Train

Length: 00:00:11 sec.

Rob Fair gluing the steps back on.

Jordan Osborn taking care of the paperwork.

UP Coal Train approaching the South Power District

Length: 00:00:25 sec.

UP Unit Coal Train approaching and going through Crossover #3

Length: 00:00:29 sec.

UP Unit Coal Train heading westbound just past Lombard/Oak Park.

Finishing up the crossover at #3.

Rob Fair made great progress tonight.
I'm anxious to see how this turns out...

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

I wanted to get ready for tomorrow's Train Day so I did some work on East Kedzie Avenue Station.
Check this out...

First, I cut out the 2" pink foam board for the top section. Rob Fair already cut the bottom sections yesterday.

Then it was time to glue each section in place.
But first, I had to clean the surface.

Next comes the glue.

Then add the next layer and glue that.

And then the same thing to the next layer and glue that.

And finally the top layer and clamp it down to set through the day.
This should be good to go for the crew this afternoon.

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Train Day!
w/Carlos Baez (1), Dean Hatzis (1.5), Josh Jones (1.5), Ed Nelson (1) & Jordan Osborn (1.5)
We met as a group from 4-5:30pm (1.5 hrs.). Some individuals came late or left early.

It was a great afternoon of getting re-acquainted and to get everyone "caught up" on progress.

The gang is almost all here!
Ed Nelson is still on his way, but it will be the first time since summer we'll be all together again.
WELCOME BACK EVERYONE!
l. to r. Jordan Osborn, Dean Hatzis, Carlos Baez, Josh Jones

Dean Hatzis just coming up after taking a look at the wiring underneath the railroad.
Carlos Baez enjoys the moment as Dean uses the pole to navigate back to the surface.

Josh Jones keeping an eye on the unit coal train running this afternoon.
Jordan takes hands off the throttle to work on his leaking pen.

Josh Jones shows Dean Hatzis some prototype videos taken at Geneva Station.

Welcome Ed Nelson. Notice hes' in a blur? He was avoiding getting in the photo.
Carlos Baez is troubleshooting why the locomotive stalls at the frog in the switch.

More work on the "frog".

Now Josh shares the video with Ed.

Time to call it a day.
Good work men!
l. to r. Ed Nelson, Josh Jones, Jordan Osborn, Dean Hatzis

And finally...

Carlos Baez added decoder and sound to this SD38-2 CNW locomotive.

Since everything worked as planned, he'll finish the second engine this week and we'll pair them up next Wednesday.

Length: 00:00:31 sec.

Thursday, January 10, 2019

No train activity today.

Friday, January 11, 2019

No train activity today.

Saturday, January 12, 2019

Some train activity today.
I had to get some work done today to get ready for the Train Days this week.

Here's a start...

First I sketched out where the downtown roads would go.
W Fulton Street is parallel to Lake Street and then Milwaukee Ave cuts on a diagonal between them.

In this photo you can see the piles of sawdust where I drilled the holes where the perimeter marks show how to cut out the top layer on Wednesday. I did find out that the support 1x4 is not directly under the crossover as I suspected, but is just east of the crossover. We'll need to move that 1x4 support so it is under the tracks.