Week 256

Week 256

Sunday, June 23, 2019 thru Saturday, June 29, 2019

Sunday, June 23, 2019

Today I took one hour out of my schedule and reworked the RIP tracks.

Here's what I did...

First, I had to remove the Snap Switch which is a 18 degree radius.
Too much!

Removing the Snap Switch and installing the #6 right hand primary switch off the mainline will move all the tracks to the left.

I had to move the secondary switch closer to the main.

Next, I added the tertiary switch.

Then I had to line up the switches to the RIP repair shop and the holding test track under the bridge.

Same picture different view.

Here's the view from the mainline.

Adding the ground throws to their new locations.

Finished product.

Same picture different view.

Monday, June 24, 2019

Train Day!

with Rob Fair and Jordan Osborn

6-7:30pm 1.5 hrs.

Rob Fair will work on the Union Station lighting project.

Jordan Osborn will main the control tower and offer assistance as needed.

Rob Fair getting into the guts of Union Station.

Jordan Osborn and I worked on re-gluing some items to the condominium skyscraper.

Showing off the lights, oh oh, can't see with the flash.
Take it again without the flash.

OK, here you go.
Without the flash.

And from the front of Union Station.

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

NTA

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Action footage of the unit coal train.

Length: 00:00:30 sec.

The Unit Coal train curing through the West and South Power Districts.

Cam Passaglia and Jordan Osborn having fun running trains.

Thursday, June 27, 2019

Widening the mainline track at Oak Park Marion St. / Lombard Stations Stop

Since the new station platform was too large for the existing mainline track, I needed to extend the mainline a bit.
First thing to do was to put another layer of cork on the outside of the track.
Here the clamps are securing the cork to the glue for overnight setting.

Another perspective - opposite direction.
Tomorrow I'll take another picture with the clamps removed and the extension shown more clearly.

Friday, Jnne 28, 2019

More work on Oak Park / Lombard station stop and widening the mainlines to make room for the new station platform.

I had to extend the outer mainline and add a piece track to make it happen.
See tomorrow's blog entry.

Saturday, June 29, 2019

Finishing 3 day Project:

After adding the mainline cork now it's time to put in the track extension.

At first, I thought all I thought I needed was about this much more space.

However, after testing the clearance, I needed to spread the mainline a bit more...

...so this is the piece I had to install to make the clearance work.

Here's the test car in place.
The commuter coach was also used as a test car (out of sight).

Week 255

Week 255

Sunday, June 16, 2019 thru Saturday, June 22, 2019

Sunday, June 16, 2019

Special Guest: Terry McLoughlin

Terry McLoughlin stopped by to look at some plants and as he was here he stopped to see the train too.
He said, "I'm impressed."

Monday, June 17, 2019

Train Day!

with Jordan Osborn and Cameron Passaglia

5:30-6:45pm 1.25 hrs.

Jordan Osborn and Cam Passaglia getting ready to run some locomotives in preparation for the Train Show in July.

I had some time to paint the ground throws the divergent color, red.

We tried to get the excursion train on the mainline but we had too many distractions tonight to make that successful.

Brothers, Paul & Julius Zuehlke, stopped by to deliver their boyhood trains in five containers.
To me it's like Christmas in June!

We finished off the night with not much progress.
Lots of phone time tonight.

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

NTA

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

SPECIAL GUEST: Josiah Crockett

Josiah helped me go through the boxes donated by the Zuelhke boys.

Josiah sat so quietly going through the train cars and locomotives.

Then he began putting the HO tracks together.
Not an easy task.

The oval is just about finished.

He even got the train on the track and could push it along without derailing.
Another not so easy task to do.

Josiah in action...driving train and stopping to let the people on/off.

Length: 00:00:27 sec.

Thursday, June 20, 2019

NTA

Friday, June 21, 2019

Two of these buildings come from the Zuehlke brothers.

Saturday, June 22, 2019

I organized all the buildings in different categories.
Commercial, Residential, Industrial, etc.

Getting ready to put the wedding train away at Kuipers Farmview RR.
This is the back of the train looking toward the depot.

The front of the train looking toward the depot from the other direction.

Week 254

Week 254

Sunday, June 9, 2019 thru Saturday, June 15, 2019

Sunday, June 9, 2019

Jordan Osborn stopped by today from 2-3:30pm 1.5 hrs to help me wire up the overpass lights...

Jordan Osborn gives the "thumbs-up" signal on the completed project.

Checking the connections to make sure the lights work.

Night scene.

 Later I had 30 minutes to work on some minor details.

Installing lights for the buildings on Milwaukee Avenue in North Chicago.

Disguising the indoor station lights.

Another view of the station lights.
Looks like I need to adjust the roof a bit.

How I plan to disguise the lights in the Milwaukee Avenue buildings.

Monday, June 10, 2019

Train Day!
w/Rob Fair 6-7:30pm

Rob Fair getting ready to finish the streets, sidewalks, curbs & gutters in downtown Chicago.

Rob sets the street sections in place.

Then the sidewalks.

Marking the streets for correct fit.

Applying the adhesive for the final section.

After finishing the streets, sidewalks, curbs & gutters we went to the bus stop to finish attaching the sections.

Applying the adhesive, section by section.

Just about finished.
Only two more sections to go.

After Rob left for the evening, James and Josiah stopped by the house.
Where did Josiah want to go first?
Train!

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Josiah came over yesterday and as soon as I got home from work he said, "Trains? Downstairs?"
So guess what we did?

Josiah is so careful.
He plays with his trains, but when my trains go by, he patiently waits as it passes.

I sent this blog to Natalie and she showed it to Josiah. Here's her quote:

Natalie Crockett

Awww! I love it! He waits patiently for the trains to go by and then plays with his trains 🥰I showed Josiah too and he recognized rob! He said rob fixing trains!

Thanks boppa!!!

And then he goes right on playing with his trains.

Look at the collection of cars and engines he collects from the drawers where I keep old train cars and engines.

While Josiah played, he let me wire up this light at the landing going to the basement.
No more going downstairs in the dark.
I hooked it up to the light switch.
No more changing batteries every month.

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Train Day!
w/Jordan Osborn 4-5:30pm 1.5 hrs.
Cam couldn't make it tonight.

Getting ready to start our session.

The goal tonight will be to install perimeter buildings as well as the Post Office and Union Station.

The square block for the Post Office and Union Station.

Two perimeter buildings in place.
I still need to paint them and build two more.

The Post Office and Union Station in place.
Now we'll cut out a pattern for the asphalt alley.

We cut some cardstock to use as a pattern to cut out the "asphalt".

Here are the card stock patterns and the "asphalt" pieces that I will cut to pattern.

We had to make a few minor adjustments, but for the most part, it went in pretty well.

We cut to fit and now we'll lay down the adhesive.

Look closely and you can see the white glue in place.

Another view of the white glue.

The next step was to put in the "asphalt" and then to put in blocks and weights to hold overnight.
Tomorrow I'll take a picture of the weights and then take them off and show you the finished product.
I'm pretty sure we'll like it.

Thursday, June 13, 2019

As promised here are the pictures of the weights in place and then the finished product follows:

Weights in place.
View looking south.

Wights in place.
View looking north.

Finished product.

Finished product.

Later that same day...

Working a bit on the RR downtown Chicago tonight.

I'm not sure this process will work, but I'm glueing the edges and hopefully this will serve two purposes:
1. Fill the gaps where the building the the ground meet.
2. Keep the buildings in place when I need to work on wiring when lifting the hatch.

In some places I put quite a bit of glue in place.

I also repaired some of the joints where the glue failed to adhere.
Hopefully after I remove the blue tape the joints will remain in tact.

Friday, June 14, 2019

NTA

Saturday, June 15, 2019

I have the day off today, so I'm hoping to get a lot accomplished today.

I'm gluing down the base of the Post Office.

Roughing up the streets & sidewalks.

A look at Chicago downtown

Length: 00:00:46 Sec.

Another view of the rough up job.

Another look at Chicago downtown.

Length: 00:00:30 sec.

Added people to the front of Union Station.

Another view of the front entrance of Union Station.