Week 298

Sunday, April 12, 2020 thru Saturday, April 18, 2020

Sunday, April 12, 2020

Resurrection Sunday!

I made another video tonight.

This time it's for Christian, Alan, & Becca.

Season 1 Episode 3

Click Here for YouTube Video

Length: 10:05 min.

I also tried to get the LNWI WiFi interface to work again.

Here are some screen shots of the items not working...

Here you can see the Dtx1-LnServer_1259-7 is shown (on the top line) but the signal strength says, "Not in range".
I couldn't get it to connect no matter what I tried.

In this particular picture you can see I tried to give it a passcode for entry.
As you can see, this didn't work either.

I took this picture to show that there's NO WAY the unit could be out of range.
The tablet on the left is less than 2 feet from the LNWI WiFi interface on the right.
I just can't figure it out.

And finally, some good news from tonight.
I did get my birthday gift from Chrissa & Jordan to work.
This is the Digitrax throttle that works just fine.
This will be a great addition when we want to run 4 trains at once. 

Monday, April 13, 2020

Tonight I want to work on some switches that came apart.

This is one of two switches in the newly installed crossover (B3A2).
I'm going to attach that gray piece and try to glue that to the tab with the hole in it connected to the switch.

These two switches are leads to Chicago Terminal.
A4 & B4
A4 is badly burned out. One of my operators kept their finger on the push button too long and burned out the motor.
UGH!

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

More work on switches tonight...

The gray plate didn't work so I tried another technique.
You can't see it here, but see the picture below for the close-up.

Here are the two switches at Chicago Terminal leads.
I'm still working on getting them re-connected.

Jan helped me throw the switches so I could watch them operate.

Take a look...

Length: 00:00:29 sec.

Instead of the gray plate, I used a similar piece you can see to the right, but flipped it over so it would fit the switch shaft better.
In the video above you can watch it operate.
It works pretty good.

Here's progress on the Chicago Terminal lead switches.
Still not happy with how these operate.
Hopefully I'll get them reconfigured and working properly tomorrow.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

I'm still working on the two switches that are the lead switches to the Chicago Terminal (A4 & B4).

And this is the final switch machine and attachement for B3 (of A2) crossover.

Thursday, April 16, 2020

The Switch machines in action. Watch how they operate...

Length: 00:00:16
 sec.

Finally the lead switches to Chicago Terminal either switched out or re-connected.
It was a bit tedious, but very fun, all the same.

One more look at the B3 crossover switch with  A2.

Friday, April 17, 2020

Today, while I was grilling dinner, I cut the 16.5" boards that I will use as shelf ends on the table legs.
Just one picture of the finished product:

You can see the additional 16.5" leg 1x4 I cut while I was grilling dinner tonight.

Saturday, April 18, 2020

I was able to get quite a bit done today.
Really three major projects.
Project 1. Finished dismantling the old Union Station base.
Project 2. Finished the leg construction for the two tables Dean Hatzis is making for Powder River Basin.
Project 3. Finished custom making the chain link posts to finish the fence around Global 1.

PROJECT 1

Final deconstruction of my old Union Station base.

This was one of the corner stones of my INFINITY layout at 407 Park Avenue.

After I finished exposing the screw heads it's time to remove the plywood from the 2x4s.

Plywood gone, now to stack the 2x4s.

2x4s stacked now to sweep up and get ready to start constructing the table legs...

PROJECT 2

Constructing the legs to the two tables for the Powder River Basin.

Dean Hatzis is making the table tops, so when he finishes I will be ready for final installation. 

One of four sets completed.

Half way there...

DONE!

PROJECT 3

Custom work on the posts for the chain link fence around Global 1

This is the original box I used for the first round of fence around Global 1.
I wanted to expand the fence farther but ran out of fence posts.
So I had to custom make additional poles.
That's the goal of Project 3 today.

If you look closely you can see the predrilled holes in the "concrete" around the remaining perimeter of Global 1.

I compared the size of a small paper clip and the large paper clip.
The large paper clip was a better fit for the pre-drilled holes.
In this picture I've already cut up two paperclips.

I went ahead and installed the first 11 posts I custom made for this project.

Here you can see the steps involved.
Step 1: The hardest part...was to unbend the paper clip and make it as straight as possible.
Step 2: Cut the metal in lengths of 3.5cm which is 4 sections per clip.
Step 3: Bend the top at an undetermined angle..close enough.

Here are the remaining posts ready for final installation.

And here you go.
All set for the metal fence to be carefully attached...for another day.