Week 582

Sun, Sep 21, 2025 thru Sat, Sep 27, 2025

Sun, Sep 21, 2025

Published Weekly Layout Update on YouTube

To view this video go back to Saturday's entry on Blog 581

Mon, Sep 22, 2025

Train Day!

Field Trip with Rob Fair & Marcus Thorsen

We picked up Marcus at his home...

Marcus was commissioned to do a 22' diorama of
Normandy for a museum in Europe.

After our field trip, I dropped off Marcus and Rob and I went to the basement to work on the new decoder installation on the locomotive Chris Osborn bought and brought a couple of weeks ago.

The old decoder board is next to the locomotive with
the new one in the green wrapper.

Rob installing the new board

We stalled here because the light wires are too short.
I will extend those wires later this week...

More to come...

Tue, Sep 23, 2025

Finished installing decoder into #8501 CNW C40-8 locomotive

First test run worked HOWEVER the other light
did not work. I used the original light because the
lead wires were longer than the light that came with
the locomotive.

After adding wire leads to the new light and reinstalling
I was able to test the locomotive. Both lights now work
and it runs beautifully!

To see this locomotive in action check out the weekly update video in Saturday's entry.

Wed, Sep 24, 2025

Up early to work on the new locomotive decoder install

#8501 CNW C40-8

Checking the new headlights/number boards.

Also checking the back lights/number boards.

I need to figure out how to reattach the chain

The red motor wire kept getting stuck when I tried
to put on the shell so I trimmed the wire and reattached
so there wouldn't be any slack in the wire.
That did the trick!

Wire reattached using a homemade hook.

I'm not sure how far down this is supposed to hang.
I'll check some prototype photos to check what this
should look like.

Finally installed the couplers in the final steps of
finishing this project.

Checking the lights, the coupler...

...and the chain.

This morning I was working on this project for 
30 minutes. This afternoon I put in another 37 minutes.

Thu, Sep 25, 2025

I found some more files to add to the new binder

The new binder is getting pretty full

I also brought these mats from
church that are no longer being used

This one is an existing mat

And this is one more mat

Fri, Sep 26, 2025

I used the Command Station DCS 51 to change the
decoder from factory installed "03" to Engine #8501

That took about 18 minutes.

Next thing to do today?
Clean up the workbench! That has been WAY overdue!

I still need to file away these new loco sheets

Into the burgeoning 3 ring binder

I'm getting the workbench ready for my next project:
Installing the new decoder in my old C40-8 loco.

Those two projects took a total of 59 minutes.

Okay, time to settle in and get this new decoder installed

Sat, Sep 27, 2025

Click here

to view Weekly Layout Update YouTube Video

Duration: 04:38 mins.

Description

What's On Track this Week? *Rob Fair at the workbench *Decoder Installation *Next Project on the cleaned up Workbench *Thanks for Watching!