Week 383

 Sun, Nov 28, 2021 thru Sat, Dec 4, 2021

Sun, Nov 28, 2021

Working on the RR...

I figured out a way to wire up the lights. I will use the valances to attach a metal strip to solder the (+) to one side and the (-) to the other. I think that should work just fine!

I don't like the clear orange look so I'm going to paint the one side a metal silver color.

That looks a lot better, don't you think?

Here are the valances in place.

Other side...

Now to figure out how to attach the wires.

A closeup of the soldered wire to the metal bar which will provide the power to the LED lights.
I will use the red for (+).

And here is the orange wire attached to the other valance I'll use for (-).

This project will take a few more days, unless Rob gets it done tomorrow. We'll see...

Mon, Nov 29, 2021

I got up early this morning and did some work on Oak Park Marion St./Lombard station...

I soldered the two metal bars together at the center point.

This shot is a little clearer than the first.

I also put up a "wall" in case the coal train car wants to jump the tracks again.
This should prevent the car from hitting the concrete floor.

Train Day!

w/Jordan Osborn

6:15-8:15pm 2 hrs.

Milt and Rob couldn't make it tonight.

We started tonight off with some selfies...

WAIT!
Where are the trains in the background?
All I see are the ceiling rafters.

That's a little bit better, but I still can't see the trains.

All right, that should do it.

Jordan will take the Excursion Train 4A out on the mainline tonight.

Pulling the Power B6 from the UP Engine Facility Track 5.

Getting ready to hook up the excursion coaches

Duration: 00:00:29 sec.

Pulling out WB Excursion Train 4A

Duration: 00:00:30 sec.

Power B6 Steam CB&Q 2-10-2 does a runaround

Duration: 00:00:30 sec.

Finally ready for departure

Duration: 00:00:31 sec.

A rare shot of Jordan out in the field helping with maintenance.
Here he is getting the Intermodal train ready for departure onto the mainline.

Intermodal Train 2B heading WB Track 1

Duration: 00:00:14 sec.

Approaching Proviso Yard  on the mainline - Part 1

Duration: 00:00:30 sec.

Running through Proviso Yard on the mainline - Part 2

Duration: 00:00:30 sec.

Passing Geneva Station - Part 1

Duration: 00:00:36 sec.

Passing Geneva Station - Part 2

Duration: 00:00:29 sec.

End of the line - call it a day

Duration: 00:00:32 sec.

Whew! Full Day!

Lots of fun tonight - very few derailments and mishaps - even for the intermodal train which had been a regular occurrence up to tonight.

Tue, Nov 30, 2021

Installing lights at Oak Park Marion St./Lombard station

The first of 5 lights installed.

A view from trackside.

Dang! The focus is on the tracks not on the hook I installed to hold the light wires in place.

Well, this is better. It shows the loop that holds the wires in place.
Hopefully the glue will hold and I'll check in the morning to make sure it set.

Wed, Dec 1, 2021

I got up extra early this morning and did some work on the RR...

5:30-5:45am 15 min.

I finished the lights over the station signs.

Nice and bright. Should stand out in the crowd.

Now to work on installing the lights on the other end of the station platform.
I will install two on each end and one in the middle.
I use the piece of foam to hold the light wires while I solder them in place.

Close up of the staple I bent to shape into a bracket to hold up the light fixture.

My Goal today is to finish the lights at the Oak Park Marion St./Lombard station.

And I did! Check this out from 6:30-7pm 30 min.

Trackside view of the lights over the station signage.

Overhead view of the wiring of 4 of the 5 lights. Two on the left, one in the middle and 1 of 2 on the right. 

I didn't want the wiring to show through the glass ceiling so I painted the roof silver.

I think that will work, don't you?

Not so clear on a foggy night.

Really disappointed that this shot didn't show up better. It looked great on my phone after I took the picture. Oh well, that's what you get when you use sub-par equipment.

Hey! This is the picture I was talking about in the previous picture caption.
It's still not as crisp as I'd like, but this is much better than the other. Would you agree?

An interesting thing happened with the lighting tonight.

The 2 lights on the left were very bright and the three lights on the right were dim.

Why?

I figured it out.

The "bridge" I soldered on the (+) side was inefficient.

I took a short piece of wire and trimmed both ends. I soldered this wire to connect both metal strips.

After I finished the soldering I turned on the power and everything was well-lit!

YES!

Thu, Dec 2, 2021

I finished connecting the new station LED lights to the mobile light switch at the Control Tower

Check out these action videos...

"Hey, Everybody! I got the lights working!"

Duration: 00:00:29 sec.

Watch how the lights dim when I shut them off

Duration: 00:00:11 sec.

One last look...

Fri, Dec 3, 2021

No Train Activity today.

Sat, Dec 4, 2021

I asked Jordan to stop by today to finish putting away the Excursion Train 4A

Jordan at the controls ready to take the Excursion Train 4A back home.

Excursion Train 4A entering the Proviso Yard Union Pacific (PYUP) side for it's final approach.

We dropped off the coach cars.

Then, in the new tradition, we coupled the caboose to the locomotive and brought it back to the Engine Facility for storage.