Week 391

 Sun, Jan 23, 2022 thru Sat, Jan 29, 2022

Sun,  Jan 23, 2022

Working on the RR...on a piggy-back 85' flat car...

It pays to keep the instructions.
I have the parts, now I need to figure out how to install them...

Putting the hitches together...

...with the hitch plate.

And then the install.

Put a couple of trailers on the car and since this one is the largest number it will be the lead car going eastbound from track 1 nearest the elevated tracks.

A little more work on the RR more at the Workbench...

Replacing the plastic wheels with metal wheels.

This Train Car will go with Train 5A.
When it's time to run this train we'll pick up this car and have a test run.

Paperwork proceeds and will follow.
The sheet on the left is the Maintenance Log and the Train Cars in Consist is on the right.

One more car - also for Train 5A.
I ran out of time, so only half the inspection was able to be completed.
I'll try to finish up the inspection tomorrow.

Mon, Jan 24, 2022

Train Day!

w/Rob Fair (Jordan Osborn and Milt Feryance still MIA)

6-8pm 2 hrs.

Rob Fair reviews his drawings for the lights at the stub ends of the engine yard tracks.

Our goal is to finish off a section at a time.
Today we're going to concentrate on Powder River Basin.

Before we ballast Rob will fill in the gaps with RR ties.

These are the gaps.

Rob marked the gaps with clumps of sage.

Gaps are filled and glued waiting for the next step...

More gaps filled waiting for the next step...

And finally, this last set of gaps being cared for...

AND NOW, it's time to ballast!

I also finished the inspection of the Shell Chemical Plastics car.
I took off the shell and glued down the weight that was loose inside.

The equipment used for tonight's work.

One last look at Rob's night's work.

While Rob worked at Powder River Basin, I tried to figure out why this engine whines so much.
I couldn't figure it out tonight either.

Nice looking locomotive, too bad it sounds so horrible.

I'll take a video of it soon so you can hear it.

I must warn you it's pretty bad.

Tue, Jan 25, 2022

No train activity today.

Wed, Jan 26, 2022

Actual photo from Trains Cover photo of Powder River Basin

My effort to get the same affect.

Thu, Jan 27, 2022

No train activity today

Fri, Jan 28, 2022

I finished laying the ballast at the Powder River Basin West Yard...

Take a look...

Rob Fair did the dark ballast at the end.

I sprinkled the new ballast over the dark and glued down the middle section.

West Yard fully ballasted.

Sat, Jan 29, 2022

More work at Powder River Basin...

Preparing to put down some ground foam...

Gluing the base...

Ground foam with clumps of foliage to match the environment.

Time to move the Coal Train 2A and prepare
for the return trip to Melrose Park Power Plant.

More switching.

I stopped here to pick up later today or even another day.

Later that day...

Even with a timer on my phone I still moved it during the actual take.
I can't believe it.
Any who - I'm starting to sort the coal cars from the East Yard
to the West Yard to send back to Melrose Park Power Plant.

Only a few more cars to move.

Finished.
Now I'm getting ready to put the train together
for the return trip to Melrose Park Power Plant.

Some switching maneuvers...

                                                            Duration: 00:00:23 sec.

I ran out of time to catch the End Of Train Device

Duration: 00:00:03 sec.

Final Lap for the East Bound Unit Coal Train 2A

Duration: 00:00:38 sec.