Week 380

 Sun, Nov 7, 2021 thru Sat, Nov 13, 2021

Sun, Nov 7, 2021

Finished up inspecting the cars that needed inspecting for tomorrow's Train Session

5:02-5:43pm 41 min.

Here are 6 of the 16 cars I inspected over the last four days.

Here are the other 10 cars of the 16 I inspected over the last four days.

The tools of the trade when inspecting cars.
Workbench is clear, but needs to be straightened up a bit.

Just two cars are left in the cubbies.
One (1) needs to have the draft gear boxes attached to the body frame - now they are attached to the trucks.
That is "old school" modeling.
The other car is an 85' piggy-back flat car that needs to have the truck lifts attached.

Here are the 16 Inspection Reports that correspond to the 16 cars shown above.

These reports show the 5 trains that will hold the 16 cars once the test run is complete and each car has passed the test. We'll run three laps westbound and three laps eastbound.

Mon, Nov 8, 2021

Train Day!

w/Rob Fair, Milt Feryance, Jordan Osborn

6-8pm 2 hrs.

Running TEST Train and Unit Coal Train tonight...

Meet the "players":

Rob Fair using the throttle as a two-way radio...JK

Jordan Osborn will be our Test Train Engineer tonight and work the control tower.

Milt Feryance will be our Test Train Conductor and supervise the Test Train.
Here he is putting the train together starting at the RIP tracks.

Video of the work at the RIP tracks

Duration: 00:00:17 sec.

RIP cars picked up now it's time to pick up the final six cars at the California Avenue Maintenance Facility.

Unit Coal Train enters mainline from PRB

Duration: 00:00:06 sec.

Test Train Crossover Left hand run

Duration: 00:00:12 sec.

Unit Coal Train thru Proviso Yard

Close-up of Test Train by Oak Park Marion St.

Duration: 00:00:31 sec.

Train Meet - Unit Coal Train & Test Train

Duration: 00:00:30 sec.

Unit Coal Train - highlighting End of Train Device

Duration: 00:00:14 sec.

Close-up of some train action downtown Chicago

Duration: 00:00:09 sec.

Rob Fair switching Melrose Park Power Plant

Jordan Osborn bringing power for EB Test Train

Duration: 00:00:30 sec.

EB Power "Hawk" finishes the crossover

Duration: 00:00:13 sec.

EB Test Train meet while Rob switches the unit coal train

Duration: 00:00:31 sec.

Tue, Nov 9, 2021

Working on the RR.

More work on reclassifying Trains 3A, 5A-5D.

These four sheets show what I need to do to reclassify the cars so that each car number corresponds to the appropriate Train Code.

How the trains are now classified

Train 3A: #1365-#4611532 All cars have roof walkway

Train 5A: #125-#18206 (100-29999) 3-5 digit cars

Train 5B: #30000-#97325 (30000-99999) 5 digit cars only

Train 5C: #113218-#297012 (100000-299999) 6 digit cars only

Train 5D: #304227-#960856 (300000-999999) 6 digit cars only

Train 3A is now classified according to numeric order.

In order to use the chart above, I will need to redo the order as shown on this train order sheet.

Train 5A is currently on PYUP3 (front section of train) and PYUP4 (back section of train).

This report shows how I need to change the order of the cars to match the chart shown above.

The test train is on the mainline (EB Track 2).
Train 5B is on PYCNW1.

Wed, Nov 10, 2021

Train 5B is ready to go EB in the PYCNW yard.
Train 5Bf stands for the front of the train.
5Bb stands for the back of the train.
I'm still deciding if I should say "back" or "rear".
That would change the "b" to a "r".

Train 5A is ready to go WB in PYUP Yard.
Once the power is assigned to this train it will pick up 5Af and pull it out and connect that part of the train to 5Ab to complete the consist.

Tomorrow I plan on finishing the reclassification of cars for Trains 5C and 5D.

Thu, Nov 11, 2021

I finished reclassifying all Mixed Freight cars in Trains 3A, 5A, 5B, 5C & 5D.

Here's 5B (front & back) on tracks 1 & 2 in PYCNW EB.
Train 5Cf is on track 3. This complete train fit on this track so there is no "b".

5Df/b are EB PYCNW tracks 4 & 5 ready for departure as soon as power is assigned.

This is what the trains look like from the sky.
The PYCNW yard is very full (on the right). The next train out will come from this yard.
The PYUP yard has open tracks so the departing EB train from the PYCNW yard will arrive at the PYUP yard track 1.

This perspective shows the open tracks at PYUP - Tracks 1 & 5.
Track 6 on both yards will remain clear for power access and runarounds.

Fri, Nov 12, 2021

More paperwork.

Getting ready for operating session on Monday.

This is my "Train Cars in Consists" report.
I will use this to determine what cars are in each train and then any assignments for DROP (leave a car at a destination) or PICK (retrieve a car from a destination) for particular cars.

The previous sheet was for Mixed Freight Train 5B.
Here's is the same report for Mixed Freight Train 5C.

And finally, for Mixed Freight Train 5D.

I have four Mixed Freight Trains. This is the last one I labeled as 5A.

Sat, Nov 13, 2021

Last bit of paperwork closing out the week.

I wanted to capture these pictures, because this is what I was working with to get the final sheets I finished yesterday.

All four (4) Mixed Freight Trains 5A, 5B, 5C & 5D.

I am now ready for Monday's Operating Session!