Week 465

 Sun, Jun 25, 2023 thru Sat, Jul 1, 2023

Sun, Jun 25, 2023

No pictures today, but I finished the EB Commuter Train 1C from Geneva to Chicago

Mon, Jun 26, 2023

Train Day!

w/Rob Fair & Marcus Thorsen

6-8pm 2 hrs.

Marcus brought some farm animals to enhance
the scenery on the layout.

Checking for clarity in a prayer book by D.L. Moody.

Rob Fair getting ready for our session.

Marcus placed the telephone poles in logical sequence.

Rob begins the session.
His job tonight will move the full coal loads from the 
East Yard to the West Yard.

Meanwhile, back at Proviso Yard, Marcus continues
to attach the new wall partitions.

He is adding trim pieces here.

Rob prepares to start moving cars.

Checking paperwork and getting things in order.

We're on the move!

Marcus brought some more switches.
These two will need to be replaced by the ones
shown on the top of this photo.

Meanwhile, back at Proviso, Marcus gets a ground
level view of the wall partitions. It looks quite different
at the different angles.

Rob completes the mission.
All cars now located properly
at the West Yard ready for
departure to Melrose Park
Power Plant.

Tue, Jun 27, 2023

This morning I updated the paperwork for Sat, Sun, Mon Train Operations.

I also added David & PJ Morlock to the Engineer Logged Minutes Report.

Tonight I put in the new switch at the UP Engine Facility.

BEFORE
I'm going to remove this straight piece of track...

Straight piece of track removed...

Switch added.

Then I need to rewire the feeder wires.

Feeder wires soldered to the rail sides.

Mission Accomplished tonight!

Wed, Jun 28, 2023

More track work, this time at the Powder Rive Basin - East Yard

Marcus brought over some used HO Scale switches.
Here they are overlaid on the ones that need to be replaced.

Removing the initial switches.

Laying out and installing the "new" switches.

Thu, Jun 29, 2023

Today I helped Rob Fair move a used water softener out of his basement. 

Since we were in his basement, I took some pictures of his layout.

Rob's layout is similar to mine. It is a dog-bone style
with two loops on either side.

He models the PRR. This side includes Horseshoe
Curve. The inside is the town where his family lived growing up.

Looking down the layout from the other loop.
The room on the other end is a bathroom with a very
cool wall. See next picture.

When you're sitting on the throne, this
is what you see on the wall in front of you.

Pretty ingenious!

Nice work, Rob!

Fri, Jun 30, 2023

Producing Monthly Layout Update today...

Click here to view Jun 2023 Layout Update Video

😀BUT, I did a little track work on the switches at the Powder River Basin East Yard

Installing new switches and cutting new yard leads.

Close up of inserting small track pieces shorter than
the piece tracks available for purchase from Atlas. 

Sat, Jul 1, 2023

More work on the switches at Powder River Basin East Yard...

The two switches are in and attached to the yard tracks.

Now it's time to install the ground throws.

Really hard to see the small hole I need to drill in the
ground throw rod. But this magnifying glass did the trick.
Also, note all the tools needed for this project.

Both ground throws installed on both switches.

Checking their operations.

Painting the main line green with the guard rail installed.

Painting the divergent line RED with the other guard rails installed.

Another project successfully completed.

I also ran two locomotives over the new switches to make sure there was not stopping or derailing.

Result: SUCCESS!

😀