Week 388

 Sun, Jan 2, 2022 thru Sat, Jan 8, 2022

Sun, Jan 2, 2022

Jordan and I went to the Great Midwest Train Show at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton IL today. Here's the treasures I found at the Train Show...

I broke down and bought another locomotive.
It was an Athrean CNW SD45 only $80 AND included a decoder.
The dealer even threw in the 85' flat car.

Total Cost Breakdown:
Pacific Fruit Express Refrigerated Box car: $12
Two Falcon Service trailers: $10 each or $20
CNW caboose: $7
Two CNW covered hoppers: $10 each or $20
85' flatcar and CNW SD45: $80 (Jordan paid $20)
Total: $139

Instead of putting these cars through inspection,
I'm going to go through the TEST run first and see how they perform.
If there are "issues" I will put them through inspection.

Here's the Train Order Sheet for tomorrow's TEST run.

I also took some time to rewire the toggle for the isolated track at PRB West End.

After I finished the wiring I tested it out and it failed!

UGH! 

I'm going to ask Rob Fair to take a look tomorrow.

Mon, Jan 3, 2022

Train Day!

w/Rob Fair & Jordan Osborn

6-8pm 2 hrs.

Jordan greets us for the opening of our session tonight.

I am running Train 5D and Jordan is running the Test Train

Duration: 00:00:30 sec.

Rob Fair will be working on the isolated track and toggle switch tonight.

Mission Accomplished!
Thanks Rob, that was a complicated, tedious job!

I didn't even notice, but the bumper has a light on it.
I like it!

Tue, Jan 4, 2022

This morning I was checking my email and received my Trains newsletter.

Right away, I noticed the GP9 shown here is a model I have downstairs.

Check this out.
I downloaded the picture from the Trains Newsletter
(probably illegal - Ywowza) and laid it beside my model.
Pretty cool!

Some minor clean up tonight and some work on the CNW Engine Facility.

Here's Jordan's test train from last night.
Sometime this week I will put these cars where they belong.

Since I'm adding the new locomotive to the SD40-2 (foreground bottom right corner),
I needed to lengthen #2 Track at the CNW Engine Facility.

The two buildings at the CNW Engine Facility used to be next to each other.
After lengthening track #2 it has spread out the buildings and actually makes the engine facility look larger. It also allows the locomotives to be more "in view".

I like the look better.

Wed, Jan 5, 2022

I put away the TEST Train cars tonight...

When I came downstairs and turned on the Command Station, I saw all the engines were lit up at both engine facilities...

Hard to tell in this shot, since the auto flash came on...

This one is also hard to tell since I moved the phone taking the picture...

You can "sort of" tell in this picture all the lights are on at the CNW Engine Facility.

Now it's time to run the new locomotive on the new UT6 throttle.

I've started to sort the cars.
The first three cars are from Train 5C picking up the Green CNW Covered Hopper.

Mission Accomplished.
It's time to go back to the CNW Engine Facility and call it a day.

Going back to Proviso Yard to see what I accomplished.
I added two covered hoppers to the middle of Train 5C.

I also added the UP Pacific Fruit Express car to the middle of Train 5D. 

I ran out of gas, so I will come back tomorrow and finish putting away the locomotive with it's paired locomotive CNW SD40-2 #6928 (patched) CNW Engine Facility Track #2 Power C2.

I will also take a picture of the other car I put away - the 85' piggy-back flat car.

Thu, Jan 6, 2022

A promised picture of Global 2 and the new 85' flat car that passed the Test.

I'm not sure if the car is in the proper location, but you can see it on Track 1 Global 2.

The two Engine Facilities caught my attention tonight
so I thought I'd capture that in a picture.

The Train Order Board is complete.
It took from 11/23/21 (Line 1) thru 1/5/22 (Line 5) to complete the board.
Next step: Clear the board and start over.

Fri, Jan 7, 2022

Before running errands, I want to put the engines back in their resting places.

Here's where the new locomotive will be paired with the CNW SD40-2.
CNW Engine Facility Track 2 Power C2.

Next, I stopped by Rob Fair's home to drop off some supplies.

I also picked up a ground throw packet Rob picked up for me at B&G Train World

Still installing ground throws on the layout.

Sat, Jan 8, 2022

Working on the RR...

I erased last months Train Orders.
This is the start of a whole new series.

Now it is complete except for assigning the Engineers and Conductors.
Power on the right and Train Codes and order on the left.

I had a $15 gift card from giving blood in November.
I had to spend it by Dec 31.
I bought these guys and also some street lights.

Next thing I need to do is bring out the engines assigned to these train sets.
These two are bound for Harvard IL on the NW line.

This lone train set is bound for Geneva on the West Line.
The other West Line Train is at California Avenue Maintenance Facility 
waiting inspection.

I will remove three F40PH Engines from the CT Locomotive Shop... 

Here are the three locomotives ready for departure when the time comes.
With FLASH.

Without FLASH...

And here's the barren Locomotive Shop
now that three locomotives are at the Terminal.

Another view of the Locomotive Shop.
With Flash...

Without Flash.
Which do you prefer?