Week 322

 Sun, Sep. 27, 2020 thru Sat, Oct. 3, 2020

This Week's Goals

1. Finish trouble-shooting green traffic lights in downtown Chicago

2. Trouble shoot locomotive derailment near Kedzie Avenue

3. Finish installing yellow overhead traffic signals on Lake Street.

Sun, Sep. 27, 2020

Special Guests:

Charlie & Ida Zielke

Charlie plays with Thomas the Train Engine.

Video of Charlie in action...

Length: 00:00:26 sec.

Mon, Sep. 28, 2020

Train Day!

with Rob Fair & Jordan Osborn

6-7:45pm 1.75 hrs.

Lots accomplished.

Take a look...

Rob Fair getting a close-up look at the trouble area.

Jordan Osborn at the controls.

Taking a lap around the layout.

Video of Jordan taking the train on an overland route.

Length: 00:00:30 sec.

Rob Fair works on making the RR straighter.

The trucks on the train were navigating this part
of the track very roughly.

Hopefully this will solve our problem.

Goal #2 Complete!

Now it's time to finish the green traffic lights
in downtown Chicago.

While Rob Fair works on the traffic lights, I'll
work on adding the yellow overhead traffic light
here at Lake Street. (This is Goal #3)

Rob Fair and team celebrate our accomplishment!

Length: 00:00:07 sec.

Jordan does a jig!

All green lights on and working properly.

Very nice work, Rob Fair!!!

Goal #1 DONE, Complete, Finished!

Tue, Sep. 29, 2020

No train activity today.

Wed, Sep. 30, 2020

No train activity today.

Thu, Oct. 1, 2020

Tonight I will finish Goal #3.

Let's see what that looks like...

It took me a while to get the plastic straw down the
opening for the wire to pass through the layout.
I used some liquid soap and got it to go through okay.

Jordan Osborn stopped by but didn't feel too useful,
so we stopped operations and headed over to his house
to watch some of his video games.

After my visit with Jordan I came back
to finish the yellow traffic signals.
You can see the yellow traffic signal
in the top part of the picture.
At the bottom of the picture are
my tools and solder equipment
to connect the wires together.

Here you can see the east side signal at
Lake Street is installed.

These videos show the working traffic signals.

After installing I was surprised by the results.

Check this out...

Length: 00:00:14 sec.

Here's a look at the east end of Lake Street

Length: 00:00:28 sec.

And here's a look at the west end of Lake Street

Length: 00:00:09 sec.

Fri, Oct. 2, 2020

After subbing today I came home and found a surprise in the mailbox. 

I could hardly wait to install what came in the mail.

Check this out...

A #6 Left hand Atlas Code 100 Nickel Silver turnout.

This will "pave" the way to the Powder River Basin.

A view from Powder River Basin heading back to
the layout.

And now for the really BIG show!

Our first run into the Powder River Basin

Check out these next three videos...

Length: 00:00:21 sec.

Second line of cars into Powder River Basin:

Length: 00:00:23 sec.

And finally, the last batch of cars to load PRB coal.

Length: 00:00:23 sec.

After filling the cars with coal, 

they are now ready for the return trip east 

to the power plant in Melrose Park.

Length: 00:00:22 sec.

One final view before we move out for
our return trip east to the Melrose Park
power plant.

Sat, Oct. 3, 2020

No train activity today.

We visited James & Natalie in the city...