Week 279

Week 279

Sunday, December 1, 2019 thru Saturday, December 7, 2019

Sunday, December 1, 2019

NTA

Monday, December 2, 2019

Train Day!
with Rob Fair & Jordan Osborn (6-7:30pm 1.5 hrs.)

This was one of my most frustrating days on the RR.

You'll be able to tell by how many pictures I took of tonight's progress...

I knew it was going to be a bad night when we took so much time just trying to figure out what was causing our problem.

After lots of testing, we did figure out it could be a bad switch.
However, we're not positive it was a bad switch until we change it out and find out if that does indeed fix our problem.

Our problem?
The passenger coaches and cabs sort out the rails everytime the trucks traverse across switch B1.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Updating the Blog

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Thank goodness, my joy for the hobby returned after a disappointing session on Monday night.
Thanks, Rob, for the research you did on crossovers and switches.
Hopefully we can make progress next Monday.

For tonight, joy returned by just running trains.
Cam did a great job running trains from 1 to 3 trains.

We start off with an intermodal leaving Proviso Yard westbound...Track 1.

Length: 00:00:18 sec.

Another look at the Intermodal train moving westbound on Track 1.

Cam checks the switches to make sure they're in line.

Cam making sure everything is safe at the 3rd Street Geneva crossing.

The next video is the intermodal running westbound under the I294 I290 overpass.

Length: 00:00:26 sec.

Now we're adding Train #2.
A westbound Metra departing Chicago Terminal.
It will be on the same track as the Intermodal - westbound - Track 1.

Cam at the controls keeping track of both trains: Intermodal and Metra Communter both westbound Track 1.

Now we've added the CNW Coal Train...3 trains running at the same time.
The CNW Coal Train will run eastbound - Track 2.

Length: 00:00:29 sec.

Three trains on the mainline.
Westbound Intermodal Proviso Yard
Westbound Metra Commuter elevated track 1
Eastbound CNW Coal Train entering Proviso Yard...Track 2.

Three Trains running together.

CNW Unit Coal Train dragging behind.

Length: 00:00:26 sec.

Another look at the three trains running together...

Length: 00:00:08 sec.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Updating Blog

Friday, December 6, 2019

I subbed today but had some time to work on the RR this afternoon...

Project Gut the ATSF Caboose.
I'm going to remove the "guts" and insert a blinking red LED.
You can see the AA battery at the upper left corner which was soldered to the circuit.
With FLASH.

Same picture without FLASH.

Progress: I replaced the AA battery with a button battery. You can see the capacitor and circuit board (which was wasted) nearby.

I tried to reconnect the capacitro and circuit board but couldn't get it to work.

That's when I decided to add a blinking red EOT device.

Everything installed and passed inspections.
I put in a new coupler and new metal wheel sets.

A video of the working eot device.

Length: 00:00:09 sec.

What was added to the caboose?

Length: 00:00:31 sec.

And finally, the caboose on the spur...

Length: 00:00:16 sec.

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Still working on EOT devices...
And now...the Unit Coal Train...

Here's my next project:
EOT Device on the Unit Coal Train.

Connecting the LED wires to the blinking module to the battery with switch.

All connected and tucked away.
I'll need to get a coal load in this care to disguise the "guts".

Here's the working EOT device...

Length: 00:00:18 sec.

And here it is on the mainline...

Length: 00:00:21 sec.

I took this picture to capture the wiring and then I'll make a schematic based on this picture.

And now...for my next project.
EOT device on the Intermodal train set.