Basement Train Layout: Week 242

Sun, Mar 17, 2019 thru Sat, Mar 23, 2019

Sun, Mar 17, 2019

Jordan stopped by and helped me prepare for our Train Days this week...
4-5:30pm 1.5 hrs.

Tomorrow night I'm going to have Rob Fair cut out the bridge supports and install lights on either side of the sidewalk supports. I've cut each light strip to size to make ready for Rob. We'll also need to figure out how to wire this up.
More on that tomorrow.

I also installed a pad for the Control tower. I'll have Dean Hatzis cut out the trim board to make more room for the footprint.

Another project for Dean on Wednesday.
Here I've incorrectly labeled the Interstate Highways.
I flip-flopped I290 and I294.
I290 should be on the left and I294 should be on the right.
I'm going to paint the lines over with brown and start over.

Jordan Osborn helping out a lot tonight and having a good time!

Ready to start over with the new lines.
I'll let the paint dry overnight so I can redraw the lines correctly this time.

Here's Jordan Osborn placing the highways in place so we can get an idea of how it may look.

And finally, Jordan and I put the metal pegs in the four corners to replace the ones that fell out after this car fell off the layout. It did survive after a 40" drop. Very durable stuff.

Mon, Mar 18, 2019

Train Day!

w/Rob Fair and Jordan Osborn

6-7:45pm 1.75 hrs.

Rob Fair prepares the hardboard for bridge supports.

Jordan Osborn provided morale support tonight.

Rob Fair puts things in order at the workbench.

I reattached the fence between the mainlines at Melrose Park and the fence where the taxi cab is supporting in an upright position.
Plus I wanted to finish the triangles on either side.

Glue in place ready for ground foam.

Meanwhile, back at the workbench, Rob Fair meticulously cuts out the bridge support.

While I ballasted the mainline at Melrose Park.

Rob Fair's finished bridge support work.
I may try to use the jig saw on the other supports to see if that would be easier.
We'll see...

Tue, Mar 19, 2019

No train activity today.

Wed, Mar 20, 2019

Train Day!

with Dean Hatzis, Cam Passaglia & Jordan Osborn

4-5:30pm 1.5 hrs

Cameron Passaglia: First assignment:
Clean out the hardened ballast off the mainline tracks at Melrose Park.

Jordan Osborn keeping an eye out on progress today.

Dean Hatzis working on the I290 and I294 overpass just west of Proviso Yard

Jordan Osborn and Cam Passaglia running trains.
Jordan had a mixed freight; while Cam ran the Metra.

Dean Hatzis, the construction worker, but also the engineer on the overpass project.

Cam's Dad, Tony Passaglia, stopped by for a visit.
Cam wanted to show him some night riding on the railroad.
Pretty cool!
I love the "thumbs up" from Cam.