Week 498

Sun, Feb 11, 2024 thru Sat, Feb 17, 2024

Sun, Feb 11, 2024

Look what came in the mail today...

Amazon delivery

What was inside?
It was an HD Video Converter.
HDMI to RCA.

Hopefully this will fix our monitor problems at Central Control Tower

More coming your way tomorrow...

Mon, Feb 12, 2024

Train Day!

w/Rob Fair 6-8pm 2 hrs.

Jordan Osborn 6-7:30pm 1.5 hrs.

Marcus Thorsen 6:30-7:15pm .75 hrs.

Here's what we did...

Jordan tried to get the cameras working again.
Unfortunately we weren't able to figure it out.

Rob is going to glue in the platforms at the CNW
Engine Facility. Here he is clearing out the tracks.

Marcus stopped by with a new locomotive he
negotiated with some youth at the Valley MRR Club.

It was DCC compliant - no sound. Nice running.

Rob well on his way to completing this project tonight.

Marcus taking some measurements to complete
the wall at the CNW Engine Facility.

Mission Accomplished!

Nice work Rob.

Now I will paint these platforms and eventually get the lights wired up.

Tue, Feb 13, 2024

Let's get to work on the platforms at CNW Engine Facility.

Here we go...

Platforms secured last night by Rob Fair.
Now we're ready for painting project.

First platform complete.

Second platform complete.

We are on our way...

More tomorrow.

Wed, Feb 14, 2024

I also ordered another adapter for a VGA monitor. 

Look what came today...

I need to bring the monitor from church. It was
Jan Griffin's which she donated. I hope this works.

Now to show you the updates on the CNW Engine Facility platform project...

Three platforms now complete.

Now four platforms are complete.

Add a fifth platform to the finish list.

Project complete. All platforms painted.

Now add the buildings.

And now for something completely different...

I added the ID tags for the WB Unit Coal Train 2A.
This is for the rear of the train.

These taps show the middle of the train.

And this section of the train on Track 1 is the front 
of WB Unit Coal Train 2A.

Thu, Feb 15, 2024

No train activity today.

Fri, Feb 16, 2024

Lots of train activity today!

First (1st)...I mounted the train puzzle

Pulled it off the table so I could glue down the Masonite board

Glue in place.

Now puzzle in place.

Next up?

I'll show you where I'll be mounting the puzzle downstairs in the train room.

Second (2nd) train thing today?

My daughter, Natalie, came from Chicago via Metra.

Check this out...

Adding a third track through Geneva.

Temporary station platform while they work on the
new depots on the south side of the tracks.

The Geneva train station is on the other side of the tracks about 500 ft. on the right.

Check out the Weekly Layout Update for a video of this event.

Third (3rd) train thing happened in the basement

Working on the CNW Engine Facility

check this out...

Drilling hole for Main Engine shop light

Insert plastic tube which acts like conduit.

I glued two pieces of LED lights back to back...

...so they would light up both sides of the bay.

Here's what it looks like looking from the outside.

I definitely need to do some weathering.
It looks very "plastic".

This is from the other end of the shed.

This is how building two started.

Drilled out hole.

Insert straw aka conduit.

Cleaned off the sawdust.

This is how a clamped the two LED plates together.

Insert the light on top of the straw.

Take some pictures from both ends.

Looking good!

Now to add lighting to the engine shop office.

But first, I need to glue in the two cork pieces you see on the left.

I will do that tomorrow...

Sat, Feb 17, 2024

More work on the train layout...

Drilling holes for the offices.

Tools of the trade...

Struggling with the lighting, but also making progress.

Some surprises along the way too...as you will see.

Here's where I mounted the train puzzle.

I got the lights working in one of the engine sheds.

After reconfiguring the wiring I had a couple of 
very pleasant surprise. The Bellwood station lights
are back ON!

The street that approached the station.

Also, the Oak Park Marion St. platform lights
came back on! YES!

Here's a look at the Engine shed with the lights in 
the office and the lights in the work area.

And now to work on the Weekly update...

Click here

to view Weekly Layout Update

Season 2024 Blog 498

Duration: 04:19 mins.