Week 472

 Sun, Aug 13, 2023 thru Sat, Aug 19, 2023

Sun, Aug 13, 2023

I connected some unconnected wires and now all are lit!

Back to the workbench to work on the stairs.

DONE!
Mission Accomplished!

Another view.

Mon, Aug 14, 2023

Train Day!

w/Rob Fair 6-8pm 2 hrs.

Rob Fair begins the night cutting out patterns for
the platforms at the UP Engine Facility.

I am working on the stair case to the Employee stop
at the CNW Engine Facility.

Another view.
I still need to remove the original people and replace
with Locomotive Maintenance workers.

Rob making great progress on the
UP Engine Facility platform patterns.

A look down the line at the guard rails above the
concrete walls.

Looking down the opposite direction from the other end.

Last cut of the night...

I'm going to work on the CNW Engine
Facility light poles, so I'm removing
the locomotives from their stalls.

Last move of the night.

Tue, Aug 15, 2023

More working on the RR...

First job of the night, is to label the pieces Rob
cut out last night.

Next job is to glue the base of these lamp posts in place
so each lamp is the same height.

Next I will slip the wires through the plastic tube
which I will use as the "concrete" base for each post.

After inserting the posts, it's time to glue these in place.
As you can see they are very crooked. I need some help.

I use these tubes to hold the lamp posts
in place while the glue sets for 24 hours.

Another view.

And still another view.

And finally, the final view.

Wed, Aug 16, 2023

Securing the next row...

Row 1 is in and all set.
Row 2 is in but not set yet.

Each pole needs a little help to stay
in place while the glue sets in place.

Another pic with the poles all lined up.

Row 1 all lined up.

Row 2 all lined up, nice and straight.

I called Marcus today and he told me there's no blood clot in his leg, just an infection. He's on antibiotics and expects to be back on Monday for Train Day!

Thu, Aug 17, 2023

More work installing lamp post at CNW Engine Facility

These next 7 lamp posts are going in tonight.

The first four go here.
The GP9 covers the fourth opening.

The next three go here.

I've glued the bases and now we'll
support the lamp posts while the glue sets.

I had to reglue this one in the set I
installed yesterday.

Now it's time to secure the next three.

While I put in the last three and will wait for the glue
to set on the previous four, I will glue the bases
of these last 6 lamp posts which I will show you
where those are located at the CNW Engine Facility...

These are the last three lamp posts
ready for glue.

And here are the last 6 locations for
the last 6 lamp posts drying at the workbench.

Setting the three lamps from the first
picture I showed in tonight's blog.

And here are the lamp posts in their
respective bases ready to be glued
tomorrow night.

Fri, Aug 18, 2023

Brother Bill's birthday today!

I'm a man possessed...I can't stop installing the lamp posts in the engine facilities...

I have these last 6 lamb posts to secure in place.

Glue now setting with supports to keep
them in place.

Last row in place and now we wait.

Take a look down the previously poured lamp posts.
Not bad. Maybe just a little adjustment needed.

Checking the lines to make sure they're straight.

I spent another 1/2 hour adding to the cut platforms at the UP Engine Facility.

I labeled them from bottom to top, left to right.

Same picture view at night.

Sat, Aug 19, 2023

My wife Jan's birthday today!

Today I have a surprise and jumping into another section of the Engine Facility Project...

Check this out...

This picture shows the patterns ready to cut out the
bases for each section.

Before making progress at the CNW
Engine Facility I had to remove the 
Track markers. You can see them 
dismantled in the distance.

I'm always looking for lights on the layout
so I went to ACE to buy some flash lights.

I'll use this black on for the Powder River Basin.

The Silver one will be at the
Dispatcher's station.

The red one will be for the
CNW Engine Facility and the
Melrose Park Power Plant.

Let's get cutting. First step: Trace the pattern onto
the cork material.

Cut out each section with notches for the lamp posts.

I use the ruler for the next section so I could keep
the curve section in relation to each section.

Tracing the pattern onto the cork material.

Writing out the labels.

Ready to cut out.

All cut out with notches.

The F section is in place with the pattern on top.
The E section base plates are in place
without the pattern on top.
I need to trim some of the pieces a bit more.

There we go, much better.