Week 602

Sun, Feb 8, 2026 thru Sat, Feb 14, 2026

Sun, Feb 8, 2026

Super Bowl Sunday

Worked on my Weekly Layout Update YouTube Video

See Week 601 Blog Saturday entry for link

Mon, Feb 9, 2026

Train Day!

w/Rob Fair 6-8pm 2 hrs.

Rob ran a commuter train from Geneva to Chicago.

I started to run a Commuter Train from Chicago to Geneva, but didn't get too far.

Here's a quick summary of our session

Rob's Sequence Train #17 is shown on the Train
Order Board

Since we were both running trains, I wasn't able to
get any videos of the action. Here Rob is bringing
his train into Chicago Terminal (inbound from Geneva)

A look at his train from the terminal - Track 1.

Focus moved to departing passengers.

My Sequence Train #18 shown on the Train Order
Board

I didn't get even 1 lap done before the uncoupling
nightmare began. UGH.

Rob took a picture of me at the work-
bench trying to fix the coupling fiasco.

More to come...

Tue, Feb 10, 2026

No train activity today.

Wed, Feb 11, 2026

Fixing the problem with the commuter car coupling...

Removing the existing coupler to use one that is
non-working and hopefully will stay together.

Here's the coupler I'm going with for this car...

...which will fit into this coupler.

They are not quite even, but I'm gluing them together
so they won't split apart. It will be an interesting test
run once I run these again after the glue dries.

This is how the kinematic couplers look. So even
and the diaphragms look so good - much closer together
than the picture shown above this one.

Thu, Feb 12, 2026

Getting ready for next Monday's Train Session...

...moving locomotives from train consists to

Chicago Terminal Engine Facility

This picture shows all the locomotives latched
up to their perspective consists.

Now I've moved all the locomotives to their perspective
spots at the Chicago Terminal Engine Facility

Here are the consists waiting for Monday's
Train Session. You'll see next week.

And what that same picture looks like from the
other direction.

And finally some shots of the Engine Facility.

I think this picture is my all time favorite so far.

I need to figure out how to cover up the wood so it looks more realistic.

I've got a few areas like this over the layout.

Fri, Feb 13, 2026

Time to clean up the workbench. Organized &
put away all those couplers. Much better. 

Also, added the cutting board the Quilters at church
threw away. Added details to the USPS mail car.

Let's go see what that car looks like on the rr...

...I added the car to the post office scene.

Next project? Assemble the Fox River water tower.

Special Guests:
My lovely daughters, Natalie & Emily.

Sat, Feb 14, 2026

Fun day today.

Lots accomplished. Take a look...

I'm going to "Make a Scene" for the
West Chicago Diamonds.
That angled sidewalk is an ideal spot for railfanning.

Step by Step.
1. Paint the sidewalk

2. Fill in the area.

3. Wet the fill

4. Use a glue mixture and apply the glue

5. Sprinkle on the "turf"

6. Bring in the main character - the reason this
project went to the top of the list.

7. There he is ready to take some railfan pictures.

8. Let's get a closer look at our rail fan.

Here's a picture of the prototype that I am modeling

Last time I took this picture the wood was really obvious.
So I painted the wood and now it's more inconspicuous.

I did the same for the overhead shown here.
I noticed it in my videos and thought I need to tone
that down a bit. I think this is much better.

Same with the other side. Much better.

Here's a picture of my next
project: Electrifying the switch.

I still need to secure a switch controller. I'm going
to ask Rob Fair if he has any extra laying around.

I also screwed these platforms together so we don't
trip over them so easily when we need to get back
here to run trains.

The side walk project took about 30 minutes and this
last section took about 1 hour. Good day!

Click here

to view Weekly Layout Update YouTube Video

Duration: 06:13 min/sec.

Description

What's ON Track this Week?

*Commuter Train 1D coupler fixes *Commuter Train 1D arrives at Chicago Terminal *Review of several small projects *Special Guests: My daughters, Emily & Natalie *Thanks for watching!