Week 349

 Sun, Apr 4, 2021 thru Sat, Apr 10, 2021

This Week's Goal Planning

1. More Work with Locomotives 

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

2. Continue work on Clinton Ave. wall sections

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

3. Laying more "asphalt" in the Industrial Park

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

4. Begin work on the upper downtown area Melrose Park

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

5. Begin work on Chicago Terminal Engine Maintenance Shop

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

Sun, Apr 4, 2021

Surprise!
Special Guests:
Michael & Evelyn Ryan stopped by Easter evening!

Mon, Apr 5, 2021

Off work today for Easter...continued on Goal #5...this morning.

Ready to glue in the base layer.

Glue in place...

Base layer now placed over the glue.

Now it's time to glue the top of the
base layer to secure the top coat.

Top coat in place.

Putting the wood in place and ready
to wait for the weights to do their job.

Now we wait for the weights.

These next two pictures happened later today during our Train Day Operations,

but I wanted to put them here in sequence...

Time to paint the platforms

What do you think of the look?
I like it, do you?

Also needed to fill in some "asphalt" in between 

old (on the left) and new (on the right) roadway...

I cut out a strip of "asphalt" to fill the gap.
Then I glued in the piece and attached clear tape over it to hold it in place.
Next I'll put on a weight to let it set overnight.

Before the guys come over tonight I'm going to get some things done this afternoon.

Check this out...

Whoa, a United flight coming in for a landing at O'Hare.

This is the lead plane coming in be-
fore the United flight trailing.

Here is the newest mode of transportation in action...

Length: 00:00:12 sec.

And the trailing plane on its approach to O'Hare

Length: 00:00:10 sec.

I'm going to weather this locomotive.
This is the BEFORE picture.

Video intro to weathering this locomotive

BEFORE

Length: 00:00:23 sec.

Comments about the results

AFTER

Length: 00:00:23 sec.

AFTER
I added the white paint to the stair railings.

Before the guys come over tonight I'm going to prepare for tonight's project

I'm going to have Rob Fair cut a notch in the 👆facia for the road
that goes under the tracks west of the grain elevator.
This is the BEFORE picture...see below for the AFTER picture...

Train Day!

with Rob Fair and Jordan Osborn

6-8pm (2 hours)

First things first.

We waste no time cutting out the notch.

Length: 00:00:18 sec.

Rob Fair cutting out the notch. We had to remove both the facia
and the plexiglass to get the work done.

Jordan Osborn supervising the operation from the Control Tower.

After cutting the notch we can reattach the plexiglass & facia.

The BEFORE picture is right before the Train Day! marker above.
Here is the AFTER picture.

Rob is going to cut a piece of word to fit in this space.

Here he is cutting out the road that goes under the overpass.

Here's what it looks like from ground level before the road and
bridge work is installed.

While Rob worked on the bridge and roadwork, I finished painting the

Chicago Terminal Locomotive Maintenance Facility

(see above for the two photos I took of the progress)

Doesn't look like much right now because all the weights
are on the parts that needed to be glued.

Rob Fair's creative approach for keeping the bridge parts in
place while the glue sets.

Another successful TRAIN DAY! with lots of progress!

Thanks a lot, Jordan and Rob, for your part in making this happen!

Tue, Apr 6, 2021

After removing the weights here's what we have...

Road installed and glued down.
Now I need to install the bridge part.

Another view of the work Rob Fair did last night.

A drone shot of the newly installed bridge and road.

I've installed the other side of the bridge.
The white stuff is the Elmer's glue which will dry clear.

And finally, this is what it looks like from "the notch".

Wed, Apr 7, 2021

Labels attached to the control panel
and the tracks.

What you'll see as  you approach the Locomotive Shop
at the Chicago Terminal

A quick tour of the Chicago Terminal Locomotive Shop

Length: 00:00:27 sec.

Putting the butterfly canopy together to see if this will work.

I put the prototype photo next to the model.
Yes, I think this will work...

Thu, Apr 8, 2021

I got up early this morning and starting working on the butterfly platforms at Chicago Terminal

Locomotive Maintenance Shop

You can see my marks where the footings will be dug and then
poured to hold up the beams that will hold up the butterfly cover.

Later that night...

I'm starting to drill the starter holes for the footings.

All the footings are drilled and ready
for larger drill bit for inserting the pilings.

Laying out the pilings.

A closer view of the pilings before inserting them in the footings.
These pilings include wood pegs 1/2" long.
However, I realized I needed them to be 1/4" longer.
I'll explain in more detail in next paragraph.

I knew the canopy had to be 3/8" higher than originally manufactured. I thought the 1/2" would be long enough, but it wasn't. So, instead of cutting more "sticks" I found a hollow tube I used for the tall lights. The hollow tubes fit perfectly into the plastic tube. Since the footings are 1/4" deep I needed to be 3/8" taller thus I had to cut the new plastic tubes 3/4" in length to make this all work.

New pilings next to starter holes with plastic tubes inserted.

As always happens, every project requires multiple tools...

Pilings stand ready for placement with new plastic tubing inserted in sleeve.

Time to drill out the footings using
a drill bit that will hold the pilings.

You can see I've started to insert the
pilings in the footings.

Before I get too far into this project, I need to prepare for how
I will light up the maintenance shop. First some soldering...

Then installation. I've wired the LED strip and fed them through
the black plastic straw (conduit) for power hookup below the table.

Time to start on the canopy.

Lots of measuring and using CA to secure.

Looking good!

The prototype is in the foreground with the model at the top.

Fri, Apr 9, 2021

My birthday!!

After subbing today I had some time to work on the RR...

I am gluing the canopy sections together.

Adding weights to hold everything in place while the glue sets.

I went back to reinforce the joints with the white styrene supports.

After everything was dry and able to move about, I installed 
the canopy section.

Painted the top and side white.

Another view of the model next to
the prototype.

Cut the leftover 1/2" wood pieces 
in half length-wise to use for supports
of the piping.

Another view of the model with the
prototype.

Final step will be to add the pipes and power the lights.

Hopefully I'll get that done tomorrow...

Sat, Apr 10, 2021

Raining day outside, great train day inside.

Getting ready to cut the plastic tubes to make them look like
metal tubes.

I used the ruler to keep the tubes straight as I let the glue set.

I'm checking for length before cutting pieces to fit what I'm missing.

All four (4) pipes are set in place for glue to cure.

Here's what it looks like with weights in place until the glue sets
overnight.

As I waited for the glue to set I decided to start on Goal #2

This Week's Goal Progress Report

1. More Work with Locomotives 

This Week: Did not trouble shoot why the sound decoder failed for GP50 #53.

Next Week: Move this down the list...

2. Continue work on Clinton Ave. wall sections

This Week: I restarted this goal and began by cutting the trim off the wall sections.

Next Week: Continue fitting the wall sections and then paint and put in place.

3. Laying more "asphalt" in the Industrial Park

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

Next Week: Move this goal down the project list.

4. Begin work on the upper downtown area Melrose Park

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

Next Week: Move this goal down the project list.

5. Begin work on Chicago Terminal Engine Maintenance Shop

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

Next Week: Finish up the details - wire the lights, more pipes, move back wall a bit.