Week 291

Sunday, February 23, 2020 thru Saturday, February 29, 2020

Key: NTA = No Train Activity

Sunday, February 23, 2020

SPECIAL GUESTS: l. to r. Connie & Warren Kurr and Candy & Jim Breen.

Monday, February 24, 2020

Train Day!

Only me...6-7pm 1 hr.

I'm going to work on the coal loads tonight on my own.
Here you can see the first section is cut out and sits on the arm of the chair.

Now you can see the whole section is removed. I've cut out 9 "loads".

Here are the nine "loads" ready to be trimmed.

What you see here is all the cut out pieces for each load.

And here are the trimmed out "loads".

Cut out loads with trimmed out pieces.

Here are all the loads in place. It's called the "snow loads".

Take a look at the prototype coal loads before painting...

Length: 00:00:27 sec.

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Special Guest:

Mom and Dad came over for dinner tonight.
Dad had to go to the bathroom but Mom stayed to view the train layout at night.
Mom is always impressed with the trains every time she visits.

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Dean Hatzis brought the trim pieces to the maintence building so he could spary paint them black.

Dean paintin the building trim pieces...check out the technique...

Length: 00:00:23 sec.

Cam Passaglia trying to connect the LNWI wifi receiver to the tablet.
Result: another failure.
Next step: A trip to B&G to try it on their Digitrax System.

Dean Hatzis taking out coal loads that need trimming.

We first started painting without the tape and the loads blew all over the place.
Dean came up with this grand idea to hold them down.

Dean's finished product.
All the trim pieces are ready for installation after painting.

More prep work for painting coal loads.

Dean giving instructions to Cam...priceless!

Length: 00:00:29 sec.

A little more instruction...then watch Cam go...

Length: 00:00:30 sec.

Cam on his own...

Length: 00:00:19 sec.

Last project of the night.
Finishing up the first coat of black paint on the coal loads.

Cam Passaglia in action under the careful eye of Dean Hatzis.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

I had a little extra time today to finish up the coal loads.
Check this out...

All painted and ready for the "coal" to be added.

I'll paint each load with the thinned out glue in the container.

Four load painted...

Eleven loads painted and "sprinkled".

All loads with "coal" applied.
I'll take some time for the loads to dry and then come back later to put them in place.

The loads are all gone!
Where are they?

Here they are...in this video...

Length: 00:00:31 sec.

A video view from the ground...

Length: 00:00:20 sec.

Friday, February 28, 2020

Jordan came over to try to figure out the LNWI wifi problem...
Here he is showing the screen shot...

This is the screen shot of the wifi options.

Saturday, February 29, 2020

Leap Year!
NTA

Week 290

Sunday, February 16, 2020 thru Saturday, February 22, 2020

Key: NTA = No Train Activity

Sunday, February, 16, 2020

NTA

Monday, February 17, 2020

Train Day!

w/Rob Fair 6-8pm 2 hrs.

We started the evening taking a walking tour around the layout and making notes on projects that need to get done.
I will make a project list with priorities and assignments.

Then Rob Fair went to the LED lights in the Union Station Terminal to figure out where the circuit gap was located.
We found it!
This is the BEFORE shot.

This is the AFTER shot as Rob connects the gapped wires together.

Here's nother view of the Union Station Terminal with all the lights back on!
Nice work, Rob!!!

I also tried to get the LNWI to work.
Failed again. I will contact the Digitrax Help Desk for next steps.

Meanwhile, Rob moves from fixiing the LED lights in the Terminal to connecting the wires to the cars with lights.

I came up with a new material to use for the base of the coal loads.

Hopefully this will work better.
We'll see.
More to come...

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

 NTA

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

NTA

Thursday, February 20, 2020

NTA

Friday, February 21, 2020

NTA

Saturday, February 22, 2020

NTA

Week 289

Sun, Feb 9, 2020 thru Sat, Feb 15, 2020

Sun, Feb 9, 2020

Rob Fair and I went to visit Steven Fields at his home in Lake of the Hills.

He's the gentleman who came to my Train Show two Sundays ago where I gave him a Kato Metra Engine to install a Mars Lights and decoder (see below for the finished product).

Here's Steve Fields at his workbench - well lit with magnifier on his head. Rob Fair looks on...

I'm standing in the doorway of the second room looking back at the first room.

This is the train yard as you first enter the room.
It is an inverted back drop of a yard in Kansas City MO.

A video of the beginning of the layout in the first room...

Length: 00:00:31 sec.

Now moving into the second room...

Length: 00:00:22 sec.

Taking a closer look at the grade crossing...listen closely...interesting information.

Length: 00:00:22 sec.

An even closer look at the working crossing gates...

Length: 00:00:19 sec.

A closeup of the cement truck. The next video shows a live shot of the cement truck animation.
Nice head lights!

Another look at the scenery in the first room...including the cement truck animation...

Length: 00:00:22 sec.

Check this out...it's a snow plow. Watch what it can do...

I would bet  you've never seen anything like this before!

I sure haven't until today!

Length: 00:00:30 sec.

Watch closely for the rotary snow blades to move...very cool!

Length: 00:00:29 sec.

I was so impressed with Steve's workbench.
I had to take another picture.

Watch this video of LED lights blinking to look like revolving beacon light.

Length: 00:00:17 sec.

And now, see the same light installed as a beacon on the top of an engine.

Length: 00:00:12 sec.

NOW, back at home with my new Metra engine.

It feels like a have a brand new engine with new decoder, Mars Light and all tuned up Ready to GO!

Check out the new features coming at you...

Length: 00:00:16 sec.

Another surprise when I got home!

See the AC6000 on the right?

Well, it ran with sound using 03 as the decoder code.

Sweet! Thank YOU, Steve!!!

Now the Metra engine running in reverse - note bright red back up lights.

I also kept the Mars Light going.

Length: 00:00:17 sec.

Same engine, same direction, no Mars Light.

Length: 00:00:04 sec.

Final picture of the night.
Back up lights showing big bright and red (although in this picture the lights look white).
Hard to tell - looks better in person (the lights are actually big bright and RED).

Mon, Feb 10, 2020

Train Day!

w/Rob Fair and Jordan Osborn

6-7:30pm 1.5 hrs.

Tonight, we're going to tackle the problem with the lights not coming on in the north downtown area.
Rob Fair taking a close look.

Jordan Osborn at the controls.
Hidee Ho Neighbor!

Rob Fair making sure the wires are connected properly.

SPECIAL GUEST!

Chris Osborn, Jordan's Dad!

ANOTHER SPECIAL GUEST!

Faith Fair at the workbench on her tablet.

The Intermodal train heading up the incline

Length: 00:00:32 sec.

Oncoming intermodal train...

Length: 00:00:04 sec.

UP Intermodal led by AC6000 comin'atcha...

Length: 00:00:24 sec.

Chris Osborn inspecting the Intermodal train.

Chris Osborn and son, Jordan, calling it a night.
See you again, Wednesday for our next Train Day!

After Chris and Jordan left for supper, Rob Fair and I figured out why the downtown lights didn't work. There was a comedy of errors that we figured out.
Tomorrow I will make some quick adjustments and we should be good to go.
See you tomorrow!

Tue, Feb 11, 2020

I'm back!
Success! 
Check this out...

Hey Rob!
This video shows what I did to fix the problem...

Length: 00:00:26 sec.

Now you can see both phone jacks are installed and secured.
I tested the lights and found everything was how it should be.

Here's the north side of downtown Chicago which we couldn't get to work last night.

And here's a look at the south Chicago downtown area.
Weird perspective with the base being on the angle like it is...

Wed, Feb 12, 2020

Train Day!

w/Jordan Osborn and his Dad, Chris Osborn & Dean Hatzis

4-5:30pm

We started our session figuring out how to paint the building.
I bought some matte finish off-white and white semi-gloss spray paint.

As Jordan drove the train, Dean checked for clearance on the top and sides of the new maintenance shed.

Chillin' at the Controls: Chris & Jordan Osborn - Father & Son.

We came up with a plan to score the building in vertical grooves and then paint with semi-gloss white to simulate metal panels.

Chris brought gifts for the layout.
Telephone poles, white picket fences, and three cars.

Here are the three cars out of the package ready to be placed on the layout.

Here is their first placement, but not their last.
They will move around the layout.

Thu, Feb 13, 2020

Another look at the work done yesterday.

Just a quick look at our progress from yesterday...

Length: 00:00:03 sec.

Friday, February 14, 2020

No Train Activity Today

Sat, Feb

 15, 2020

Jordan and I headed to B&G and on our way we were first in line for this NS oil train heading north...

Length: 00:00:14 sec.