Basement Train Layout: Week 441

Sun, Jan 8, 2023 thru Sat, Jan 14, 2023

Sun, Jan 8, 2023

I went to the Train Show in Wheaton with Rob Fair today.

We were looking for only two RR cars.

One car needed to have a number between 297012 and 1 000 000

and the other

with a number between 97325 and 100 000.

I found the latter but not the former.

Here it is...

You may not be able to tell in this picture, but the
car is missing both couplers and has plastic wheel sets.

I was looking for a car with numbers between 97325 and 100 000

and I found it. The car number is 97547. Perfect!

Now we're off to the Elmhurst Model RR Club...

Here are some pictures and videos from our visit...

Getting ready for our tour. Jordan & Rob converse...

Jordan offers his expertise on operations.

This wall is the longest stretch of the layout.

A mixed manifest freight train

Duration: 00:00.12 sec.

Their outdoor theatre

Duration: 00:00.05 sec.

I took the previous two videos with my new phone and guess what?

The videos don't display in my blog. UGH! No more tries with the new phone...

Back at home at the workbench.

It's time to work on the new car I just bought at the Train Show...

As you can see - no couplers.

First thing to do is to find the right screws to fit and
a cover for the draft gear box that will hold everything in place.

Mission accomplished!

Now I just need to replace the plastic wheel sets with metal wheel sets.

I put this car through a routine inspection.
If this car passes the test run, we will have a new
revenue-generating car on the layout.

Here is the new car in place.
I needed this car to protect the tank car which
is now located in the 2nd position on the train.
The gondola car will serve as the buffer car
for the locomotives.

Finally, I moved all the decoder-bound locomotives
to the table near the workbench where Rob will work tomorrow.

Mon, Jan 9, 2023

Train Day!

w/Rob Fair & Jordan Osborn

6-8pm 2 hrs.

Rob Fair works at the workbench installing six (6)
decoders into six (6) locomotives.

Jordan and I worked at the Control Tower where
we programmed and entered data into JMRI.

Here are 5 of the six locomotives we've converted
from DC to DCC.

Rob finishes up the last decoder in the last locomotive.

These are the first two locomotives we finished.

Rob uses the mainline to test out the decoder responses.

Reading the manuals so we get it all right.

Tue, Jan 10, 2023

Finished printing out the missing educational materials to file...

This completes the three courses I have ready for
coursework for 4 students per session.

Wed, Jan 11, 2023

Tonight I asked Rob if I could figure out how to put the locomotives we've been working on back together again. He said it was pretty easy so thought I could do it. Let's give it a try...

I'll start with the CNW C44-9W locomotives.

Back together again.
Now I need to put them through inspection.

Ready to return to the CNW Engine Facility.

Another view of these nice looking locomotives.

From 150 feet.

On to the next set - the SD60Ms of the UP.

Another picture of the CNW C44-9W with inspection
paperwork shown.

My final photo of the night. This was taken by my
new phone camera and downloaded from Google Photos

I don't think the new phone takes better pictures than my old phone so I'm just going to continue taking pictures using my old phone. So there.

Mission Accomplished!

Duration: 00:00.31 sec.

One more thing to do...tomorrow

Duration: 00:00.13 sec.

Thu, Jan 12, 2023

Tonight I finished making sure the six (6) locomotives were disconnected from MUs and able to run independently. I also made a worksheet to track which locomotives are matched and MU'ed together.

Here's the form I created for this task...