Basement Train Layout: Week 375

Sun, Oct 3, 2021 thru Sat, Oct 9, 2021

Keep moving forward.

This week's progress...

Sun, Oct 3, 2021

A new project hits the books.
Extending the yard and main at Harvard & PRB.
Debris cleared from the tracks.

Debris still on the tracks.

YIKES! Look at all that debris on the tracks.

A view down the line...tracks all in place.

Last time Rob Fair was switching here at PRB this switch didn't have enough room to throw the arm.

I clipped the end and now we're back in business.

Mon, Oct 4, 2021

Train Day!

w/Rob Fair, Milt Feryance, Jordan Osborn

6:30pm-8:00pm 1.5 hrs.

After about 30 minutes of "catching up" we began our Train Session...

Everyone working on their projects...
Rob Fair is working on scenery at the Industrial Park
Milt Feryance is the conductor on Train B525B on the way to PYCNW1
Jordan Osborn is the engineer on that same train.

Checking out Train B525B running WB last 2 laps before heading to PY CNW Track1

Length: 00:00:28 sec.

A keen eye on the train...watching for wheels, trucks, couplers, etc.

Rob Fair doing what he does best - finishing the details - this time at the railroad crossing in the Industrial Park.

The cuts need to be just right so the flanges on the wheels won't get stuck in the "asphalt".

The "asphalt" pieces are now cut and in place ready for adhesive.
Rob also cut out the pink foam for scenery work.
I'll paint this area later this week...

Train B525B reaches destination at PYCNW1,2

Tue, Oct 5, 2021

And now for something completely different.

I love how one thing leads to another and these things weren't even on my project list.

I needed to figure out where to place the cabooses after their runs.

I decided I would store them with their respective locomotives.

Instead of assigning each train to a caboose, I'm going to assign each road engine a caboose.

In order to store the cabooses at the respective Engine Facilities I had to extend a few tracks.

To extend tracks 2 & 3 I will also need to move the building and curve the tracks a bit.

This picture shows the wood I had to add for the base of the new extensions for Tracks 1,2, & 3.

You can see the outline of where the building will be re-placed.
You can also see the outline of where the building used to be located.
The increased distance should hold the caboose that will be added to the engine combination.

In the process of gluing down the new cork bed.

I've added wax paper to the layer between the cork bed and the wood so incase the glue bleeds it won't get stuck on the wood or cork. The dried glue is much easier to pull away from the wax paper.

I also had to add a few inches to the CNW Engine Facility. I'll be gluing these down and setting weights on the top for the glue to set overnight.

Now we wait for the weights.

Wed, Oct 6, 2021

More work on the Engine Facilities...

This was a bit of a challenge...I had to expand Track 6 of CNW Engine Facility but there was a support wall right in the line where the track should go. I had to cut that section out with my jigsaw and a hand saw. But, as you can see, I did it!

I also had to add more cork track bed down at the UP Engine Facility. Because I had to wait for the weights I would also have to wait one more day before finishing this project.

After cutting out the support wall, I had to put down more cork track bed as well as a bit more extension at the CNW Engine Facility. Again, one more day as I wait for the weights overnight.

Thu, Oct 7, 2021

Before our Special Guests come by I need to clean up the Engine Facilities...

I've extended the tracks 3,4,5 & 6 to fit a caboose per Locomotive set.

At the UP Engine Facility I've extended tracks 2,3,4 & 5. I plan on extending track 6 just a little bit more and curving it to form better to track 5.

SPECIAL GUESTS TONIGHT!

Barrett Nelson and his four children...

Kellan, Avery, Cora, & Maeve

Our first order of business was to go over the items I'm donating to the family.
You can see all the "goodies" they'll be taking home with them tonight.

Now it's time to run some trains.
Kellan will run the Commuter Train.
Avery will run the Freight Train.

Barrett points out how to use the monitor to his son, Avery, while his other son, Kellan, engineers the Commuter Train

Length: 00:00:30 sec.

Avery is not camera shy in the least.

One last look at the train operations before we call it a night.

Length: 00:00:20 sec.

I told Barrett and the kids we could run the excursion train next time they come.

I hope they come again soon!

Fri, Oct 8, 2021

After my root canal this morning I worked from 9am to noon on the RR.

Here's what I did...

I had to reconfigure the UP Engine Facility tracks so each Locomotive set would also hold a caboose on the same track.

Notice I also curved Track 6 (where the steam engine sits) a bit to conform to the other tracks in the Engine Facility.

This is what it looks like with all the engine "home".

Another view.

And still another view.

I also had to make some adjustments at the CNW Engine Facility.
I removed the building on the left and extended Track 2...

...which allowed me to bring the building on the left back a bit.

Here you go! All in all I made more space for the CNW Engine Facility to "breathe".

This afternoon I plan to put together these three cabooses.
I think I bought them for $15 at the Great Midwest Train Show years ago.

After passing inspection, here they are ready for their test run.
I found out why they cost only $15...there were parts missing, which I will still need to replace.