Week 603

Sun, Feb 15, 2026 thru Sat, Feb 21, 2026

Sun, Feb 15, 2026

Working on Weekly Layout Update YouTube Video

See Week 602 Saturday's Entry for link to view.

Mon, Feb 16, 2026

Train Day!

w/Rob Fair 6-8pm 2 hrs.

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

Rob took a picture of me working on the
Control Box for the new electrified switch.

Jordan getting set up at the Control Tower

Getting some work done on his ipad.

Rob begins the session at the Melrose Park Power
Plant getting a Westbound Unit Coal Train ready
for the trip to the Powder River Basin in Wyoming

From my view behind the elevated track and the
CNW employee stop.

The four new cars attached to the unit coal train
bound for the Powder River Basin.

Rob is the engineer and the conductor on tonight's run.

Rob and I switched the inbound unit coal train into 
the Powder River Basin East Yard.

Next step will be to fill the car loads with coal and then switch those cars to the West Yard to prepare for an Eastbound departure, bound for the Melrose Park Power Plant.

Tue, Feb 17, 2026

No train activity today.

Wed, Feb 18, 2026

Ash Wednesday

No train activity today.

Thu, Feb 19, 2026

I visited Mike Fagel's BN RR Layout in Sugar Grove IL

Layout Builder Darren Ferreter Ely IA

ModelRailroadDreams.com

Darren is the builder of this railroad and the owner
of Model Railroad Dreams. He is currently working
on 16 model railroads across the country.

We talked a lot, but he also works even more.

Mike Fagel's dream was to build a layout depicting
his childhood memories in and around Aurora IL

Darren is working on installing electrical hardware
to a newly installed switch.

Mike has a very nice open-feel model railroad.

Here's a close up of the work Darren was doing as
I visited.

Later today, I worked on MY basement layout...

I recorded my time working on the RR as .5 hrs.

Here's the switch control I installed tonight.

And now this switch is electrified so we can flip
the switch automatically using the controller and
not having to reach over the utility lines to flip
the switch.

To view this switch in action see the Weekly Layout Update in Saturday's entry below:

Fri, Feb 20, 2026

Today I visited Tom Stover's Rio Grande RR.

I started off running the Milk Train.

Starting off the session with the Milk Trains.
I will pick up milk cars along the route today.

Before I finish my assignment I need to top off 
my water tank.

With my assignment complete it's time to put away
my locomotive at the round house.

Meanwhile, back at the Denver Coach Yard an
incoming passenger train approaches.

Engineer Dave brings in the train and begins to
set out the cars.

Break Time. Here's our crew for today.
l. to r. Don, Dave, Tom, Duane, Jim.

We had quite a few treats today. Duane holds up
one of them - Pacskis.

I finished the session working the Peninsula job.

While we were running trains at Tom's, Darren sent us some pictures of the new addition he added to Mike's layout in Sugar Grove IL

Here is Mike's version of a peninsula
on his RR.

After receiving permission from Mike's wife, Darren
put things in motion pretty quick!

This will add additional storage for staging trains
and switching opportunities.

Sat, Feb 21, 2026

Just a little more work done on the RR tonight...

Getting ready to add more switch machines.

No more reaching across the high voltage wires.

I'm even going to try to wire up the crossover.

Getting trains ready for tomorrow's special guest visit.
First, the excursion and then...

...the Amtrak express.

I'll record .5 hrs. for tonight's work.

Click here

to view my Weekly Layout Update YouTube Video

Duration: 13:41 min/sec.

Description

What's ON Track this Week?

*Rob Fair taking Unit Coal Train WB to Powder River Basin

*Electrifying switch machine

*Visit to Mike Fagel's Sugar Grove IL

*Visit to Tom Stover's Elburn IL

*Thanks for watching!