Week 591

Sun, Nov 24, 2025 thru Sat, Nov 29, 2025

Sun, Nov 24, 2025

No train activity today.

Mon, Nov 25, 2025

Train Day!

w/Rob Fair 6-8:15pm 1.25 hrs.

Jordan Osborn 6:15-7:15pm 1 hr.

No Marcus tonight

Lots accomplished tonight.

Check this out:

Jordan gets our session started...

We started running the Metra Commuter Train 1A
(Sequence Train #3) and then found a coupler problem
on Sequence Train #4 as we started switching at the
Industrial Park.

When you view the Weekly Layout Video Update
in Saturday's entry you'll see a video of a Commuter
Car derailing on a curve by the forest preserve.
YIKES!

Here's where the car derailed. It was also missing
the coupler & the housing which we couldn't find
in the wreckage. What?

That means only 1 car made it back to Chicago
Terminal from Harvard. The first car fell to the floor
and the second car derailed at the Forest Preserve.
Don't ask me to explain why all this happened 😕

Back to the switching job (Sequence #4) at the
Industrial Park...Rob works on the new coupler
replacement. We were having troubles coupling
onto the cars for switching moves.

We found adding a new coupler with a longer shaft
did the trick. We're back in business!

Then we found another problem! Will it ever end?
I must have forgotten to go back and clean the ballast
from the rails and switches after I ballasted the
Industrial Park. We had a terrible time with car movements.

BUT! We did get the first covered hopper delivered
to the Grain Elevator! Wow that was a long wait!

Rob dropped off the covered hopper and will finish
Sequence Train #4 - dropping off the final 2 cars
at the final two industries.

Backing onto the Industrial Park Transfer Track
(IP TT)

Final two set outs at industries at the Industrial Park

Completing the task, exiting the loconet, shutting 
off the switcher.

Finally, Rob adds a new Kato kinematic coupler to
the Metra Commuter Car that derailed earlier this
evening. Hopefully this will be an improvement.

I wonder if we'll ever find out what happened to the previous coupler and draft gear box?

So peculiar, very strange!

Tue, Nov 26, 2025

No train activity today

Wed, Nov 27, 2025

My Kato order came today!

How it came...

...and the contents.

I replaced the truck and now to repair the stirrups.

More to come...tomorrow.

Thu, Nov 28, 2025

Working on some paperwork changes...

I moved all the commuter car paperwork to a different
three ring binder.

Then I started to tackle the lighting kit for the Kato
commuter cab car

Here are my updated 3 ring binders at the workbench

Here are all the parts for the lighting kit

Step 1 - adhere the reflective tape to the top of the car

There are some things I just can't figure out in the
plans and the drawings. I'm going to see if I can
find a YouTube video on How to Install this kit.  

Fri, Nov 29, 2025

I tried to get some work done at the workbench with the light kit for the Kato Metra Commuter Car.

I couldn't figure it out, but I did find a video with
How To instructions.

With new knowledge gained from the video, I tried
again. But I also failed again because some of the parts
weren't the same as what was shown on the video.
UGH! 😖

Later in the day, Josiah, my grandson, came to visit
and said, "Boppa, I want to see your trains."

Of course we went downstairs right away.

He helped me put on a light show with Josiah
at the controls.

Sat, Nov 30, 2025

 Working on Weekly Update YouTube Video

Click here

to view Short Thanksgiving Week Layout Update video

Duration: 1:27 mins.

Description

What's ON Track this Week? *Sequence Train #3 Metra Commuter Train 1A EB Northwest Line from Harvard *Oops! Front car derails but not much to see (sorry) *Very first covered hopper delivered for the first time to the Grain Elevator *Special Guest: My grandson, Josiah who said, "Boppa, I want to see your trains." We went downstairs immediately and he controlled the light show. *Thanks for watching!