Basement Train Layout: Week 604

Sun, Feb 22, 2026 thru Sat, Feb 28, 2026

Sun, Feb 22, 2026

Special Guests:

Di Fortner & Tommy Pellegrini

Tommy ran the Amtrak Express Train

Di ran the Steam Excursion Train

Posing for a group picture.

Hold on, let's get some train hats!

Perfect!

To see their visit in action, take a look at the Weekly Layout Update Video

in Saturday's entry below:

Mon, Feb 23, 2026

Train Day!

w/Rob Fair 6-8pm 2 hrs.

Jordan Osborn 6:15-7:15pm

Really took a different turn for tonight's activities...

...check this out:

The plan was to have Rob clear the current trains
on the layout. Then we were going to move commuter
cars from Chicago Terminal to the Metra Commuter
Maintenance site at California Avenue.

Rob putting the Amtrak away.

When putting away the Excursion train we found
a dead section of track. That is where the "turn"
happened tonight.

We though adding jumpers around the bad connections
would do the trick. Nope! We had voltage, but no
engine would proceed past this spot in the tracks.

We did some further testing and found we could
add a longer jumper and that would be our answer.
It was! We're back in business!

We moved on from there and decided to work on
switch machines and our next project which will
be to add new switches at the Industrial Park.
If that works well we may proceed to add more
switches at the CNW Engine Facility.

These next pictures I took for our HOA newsletter.

I received a text from the editor asking for pictures of the layout today.

These are the pictures I will send to her.

A scene from downtown Chicago at Fullerton & Milwaukee.

An inbound Commuter Train arrives on Track 7

The Diamonds at West Chicago Tower "J"

Downtown Melrose Park.

Proviso Yard.

Tue, Feb 24, 2026

No train activity today.

Wed, Feb 25, 2026

Look what came in the mail today:

The 6 switch controllers. Now to check out to see
if any or all of my switches work properly.

This evening I picked up Dean Hatzis and we visited Jim Davidson's basement layout.

Check this out...

Tom Stover also attended Jim's Wednesday evening
sessions. That is Jim Davidson on the right.

Jim has quite a fleet of locomotives and rolling stock.

Another view of his Locomotive Shop.

My buddy Dean Hatzis said, "Very impressive!"

The long and expansive Chicago Yard

Another view from the other direction of the
Locomotive Shop.

More of Jim's crew. Dave is a familiar figure.
He also attends Tom Stover's Friday sessions.
The electrician's name is Roy.

Dean especially likes this scene down main street.

Jim is a Vietnam Vet and talked to us a bit
about his experience during the war in Vietnam.

Thu, Feb 26, 2026

Putting those new switch controllers to work...

BEFORE 7:55pm

AFTER 8:25pm

Results:

Each controller worked just fine.

I was able to test all switch machines. All of them worked (7).

The one on the left was missing a part so that one is unusable.

Fri, Feb 27, 2026

Up early this morning to switch out this power pack.
It makes too much noise!

Putting in this back up power pack.

I'm using a floor lamp which makes working down
here like working in the light not in darkness.

Next UP:

Visit to Tom Stover's Elburn IL

I'm running Train 35 EB from Salt Lake City UT to
Grand Junction CO

Meanwhile, Don is doing some switching in the
Denver Yard.

I've finished my route and about to enter Grand Junction
but, before I do I need to fill my water tank located in
the tender of my steam engine.

I'm also filling the coal to prepare the steam engine
for the next assignment.

Break time. Crew Call:
l. to ri. Jon, John, Don, Alan, Jim...

...and one more crew member, Bill.

After Tom's visit, I installed some switch controller
on my basement layout. These will run the switches
in the Industrial Park.

Sat, Feb 28, 2026

Charlie came downstairs today to help me with a
project on the RR. He spotted some cool cars and
wanted to know if he could use them for a short bit
and then return them.