Week 348

 Sun, Mar 28, 2021 thru Sat, Apr 3, 2021

This Week's Goal Planning

1. More Work with Locomotives 

This Week: Restart and finish decoder installation on the GP50 #53

2. Continue work on Clinton Ave. wall sections

This Week: We'll see, depends how much I get done on Goal #1...

3. Laying more "asphalt" in the Industrial Park

This Week: We'll see, depends how much I get done on Goal #1

4. Begin work on the upper downtown area Melrose Park

This Week: We'll see how much I work on Goal #1 before moving to goals 2-4.

Sun, Mar 28, 2021

Lots of work done on operations paperwork and updating the blog.

Mon, Mar 29, 2021

Train Day!

w/Rob Fair and Jordan Osborn

6-8pm 2 hours

Rob Fair preparing the surface for a new UP5.
I will use this to switch Global 1 trains.

As soon as Ben drops off the jig saw, we'll finish this project.
See video below...

Jordan Osborn prepares the paperwork for tonight's work.

Rob Fair moves over to the Power Plant to remove the warped rails.

Here you can see one strip is gone.
Rob is working on the second line.

Rob Fair in action...using the jig saw.

Length: 00:00:15 sec.

We added another project tonight.
Isolating the tracks at the engine section of Chicago Terminal.

Rob also installed the switches which
we'll use to turn the tracks on & off.

I went back to the Power Plant to 
finish installing the replacement track.
The new track is the inside track shown
on the left of this picture.

Tue, Mar 30, 2021

Natalie, Josiah & Lissette are visiting today.

No time for trains...just lots of grandkid time!

Wed, Mar 31, 2021

Remember the tracks we took out
on Monday? Well, I'm going to
replace them today.

Track 2 replaced. Track 1 is far right.
Track 2 is next to the left. Now
it's time for Track 3.

Track 3 replaced. I reused the ballast
I removed. After the ballast dries
out, I think it will secure itself again.

And since I'm not going to use a lot of water I think the porous ties won't absorb the water

which warped ties and moved the rails inward. We'll check and see if this works.

Thu, Apr 1, 2021

Dad's birthday today, celebrated with dinner and now some time for trains...

So far so good on laying the new used track.
Tonight I cleaned the rails after all the ballasting was complete.

Fri, Apr 2, 2021

Moving into a new project not on our project list.

Chicago Terminal Engine Facility

Check this out...

Step 1:
Drill the holes for the wires.

Step 2:
Insert the wires.

Step 3:
Solder the wire leads to the track.

Step 4:
Attach the other end of the orange
wires to the switch case.

Once again, every project requires
many tools.

Install the wall.

A view from the other side of the terminal.

Sat, Apr 3, 2021

Final day of the week.

Let's finish STRONG!

Now it's time to hook up the wires.

Here are the feeder wires all soldered together.
8 for the Chicago Terminal tracks and one for the feeder.

Here are the feeder wires connected to the bus wires.

And now! It's time to cut the platforms.

The base platforms are cut out and
tested for fit before securing with glue.

Here are the top pieces cut out for
fit and waiting for final installation.

See Week 349 for project completion.

This Week's Goal Progress Report

1. More Work with Locomotives 

This Week: No progress because I started working on Goal #5 instead.

Next Week: Trouble shoot why the sound decoder failed for GP50 #53.

2. Continue work on Clinton Ave. wall sections

This Week: We'll see, depends how much I get done on Goal #1...

Next Week: I'd like to try to get this project back on track.

3. Laying more "asphalt" in the Industrial Park

This Week: We'll see, depends how much I get done on Goal #1

Next Week: Project ON HOLD until other projects are completed.

4. Begin work on the upper downtown area Melrose Park

This Week: We'll see how much I work on Goal #1 before moving to goals 2-4.

Next Week: Project details ON HOLD until we finish up other priority projects.

5. Begin work on Chicago Terminal Engine Maintenance Shop

This Week: Finish installing wires to switch plate and then start platform construction

Next Week: Finish this project - move up priority list.