Welcome back to the gateway to the weekend. I hope you all stayed warm this past week, looks like another cold weekend for most of us so maybe we can hide in our workshops and layout rooms. Let's get started. Friday: I'm off early as I worked all my hours early in the week. The last prep for the Amherst show in Springfield Massachusetts is done with the Athearn booth picked up by truck yesterday. All that is left now are a few odds and ends. Once my computer is shut down, I'll turn my attention to the layout. I have a few more Tam Valley servo controllers I need to install before dinner, then I'll spend the evening with the wife and dogs. Saturday: It's been a long week so I'm hoping the dogs let us sleep in a bit. I'll make up some coffee, shuffle upstairs to wake up and fire up a few YouTube videos to get me started. The goal for the day is to work on the three spur tracks, all code 40. I have an idea for shimming the code 40 to 55 and will start working on that whilst listening to podcasts. If my idea is successful, I will lay the three spurs and hopefully have time to install the last of the feeders. Since I will be gone next weekend, I owe my wife a date night. I typically take her to an old haunt of a steakhouse that I enjoy because it hasn't changed since the 1960s. I have however found another steakhouse that has good reviews and thought I would try this one. I hope it works. After an enjoyable dinner it will be back home and to bed. Sunday: If I get the spurs laid and the last of the feeders installed, I can finally get the main bus wire down for both the DCC and DC accessory line. I'll install Anderson Power pole connectors between the two modules so transport will be easier that one large 6-foot layout. Then it will be a matter of installing all those feeder wires onto the bus line. This takes me a bit longer as I test each section before I move to the next, but now is the time to find electrical issues. If I'm successful, I'll have trains running on all tracks and a layout ready for track painting when I get back from Amherst. So how about you? What do you have on the modeling agenda? Let us know. We'll assemble again on Monday the 22nd to see how we have done. Until then, stay warm, be safe and as always... High Greens!
Good morning from snowy and cold Northeast Ohio. I am here sitting in the doctors office while my wife undergoes here physical therapy. When we get home I will continue working on a U23b where I have removed the cast on lift rings and am drilling the holes for the Utah Pacific lift rings also may do some decalling. Then tonight I will have bowling and hope to do well again. Saturday, we have our train club meeting in the morning weather permitting then will be attending a memorial service for one of the directors of the bowling association who died recently. May get some modeling work done on U23b and hopefully get some paint on it. Sunday, have to do the laundry and some general housecleaning before getting to the modeling continuing on my projects. Rick Jesionowski
Good mornin and happy TGIF - from going to be rainy SoCal. Yeah - I'm "sick" again today - and through Tuesday. Whittling down my sick hours. I have 4 weeks to go, to retirement. So, my plans are kind of simple - complete the AT&SF H12-44 and start painting my friends locos. Then -- we'll see as this is also our 42 wedding anniversary weekend Y'all have a great and very safe weekend, Wolf
Happy Friday and good morning all. This weekend will have modeling plus non-modeling things I have to get done. We are finally putting my daughter's house on the market next week. Been getting it ready for about 2 1/2 months now. Tomorrow morning, my oldest daughter and son will meet me there and we are doing some final clean up, touch-up painting, etc. We'll probably be there 2 or 3 hours for that. This is both for hitting the market and the real estate photographer coming there Monday to take the "glitz" photo's for the listing. Nonetheless on the modeling front (which starts today ) Get out my Stewart F7's and review what TCS decoders I want to order. I may plan on about half of them as mobile only decoders and half as "WOW" sound. TBD. Get out the building kits I am combining that will make up the LCL building. Map out the details of joining the sections, etc., and also how I am going to paint the parts. Time permitting, I'll also work on scenery around SL Cabin. Everyone have a great and warm weekend.
Happy Friday all! This weekend (and next) find me away from home for work. I do have most of he day free on Saturday and Sunday this week at least. There is a train show in Plano X this weekend so I'll probably give that a try and hope its a good show. It's going o be cold so not sure how much railfanning I will do but there will be at least some. Brought along a small hobby box with a couple of projects in it that I can work on in the hotel, Have a new Clive Cussler book to keep me occupied as well so I should be able to keep busy and help the time pass quicker. Hope you all have a great weekend!!!!!!!!
Good morning everyone, Good progress is being made on the propane dealer and I will be continuing that though the weekend. It made even get close to being finished, we'll see. Have a great weekend whatever you are doing.
Greetings from a wonderfully snowy McLean VA. Friday through Suday Priority; Putter. Maybe this will include: Final painting Partial constrution of Mystrium Mine Mountain. Should be achievable. Enjoy
New spurs and wiring. Good goals. U23b sounds interesting. Forty-two years of wedded bliss! I like LCL buildings. All my LCL is done through the freight house. Train show and railfanning. Posted pics on the propane dealer look sharp. Mountain building sounds like a plan. Yesterday, I installed the first production model of the new turnout design. It was challenging as the allotted space was 5/16'' by 5/16". Seems like this will be the allowed space going forward. The tracks are on half inch centers. I relisted the previous pic of the new design to show what design changes have been made by comparing the installed turnout with the test built one. In the new pic we see (overlooking the roof of a boxcar) a coal hopper adjacent to the turnout. The switch rod has two targets (which are warped) mounted. I am not happy with this, and I have an idea for an improvement. Support ties are brown. Small lugs are seen either side of the lower switch rod. When the rod is moved toward the track a "guide wedge" slides into position and directs the railcars retainer rod to the side. The rust-colored area beyond the turnout is the frog. I am not happy with it and I am thinking of a new design for it. Just six more to put in and it will be good to go (I hope). Have another wonderful weekend.
Anyone remember the N scale Trainworx D&RGW welded side caboose kits? I squirrelled 3 kits away years ago, and will plan to build them in the next 2 weeks. https://www.trainboard.com/highball...he-trucks-cos-i-lowered-the-ride-height.7274/
Here in the lowlands of far NW Washington state, we are in the middle of our seemingly annual snow event. Several inches came down Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. A few more inches Thursday. Now it is above freezing with rain falling. As I mentioned, this seems to happen about once a year. Largely brings the community to a halt as we are poorly equipped to deal with it. Had a checkup on Wednesday morning and the doctor says I can start lifting and stretching again if I work my way back gradually. In the meantime, I have been working on train projects. Since I got the laser back together earlier this week, I have been making progress on the disc drivers for UP 2295. For the rest of today and Saturday I will attempt the following: Cut, assemble and prime the final version of drivers. Draw an outline of 2295's engine to guide boiler and dome design. Adjust the boiler drawing as needed. Sunday we will have brunch with my son. Then it is off to the mother-in-law's house to help with medical appointments and domestic chores. I will check back in from there on Monday to let you know how it went. Stay safe,
We got a little bit more snow here today, needed up working late so just getting to this. Tomorrow I hope to sleep in a bit, shovel anything that built up overnight, and run out in the AM to grab a couple of pieces of lumber and foamboard to finish the last portion of the peninsula, and adding a foam base. I should be able to get that done Saturday-or get close. Sunday we may go visit friends or I might have some time to figure out the next steps for the fascia and backdrop. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Work interferes this weekend. Will see if I have enough energy to do anything. Cleaned the workbench and am set to go.....
I'm trying to begin, actually have already, working on The C&L Layout 2024 and Beyond version. Stripping it down to the bare, are almost, 2' x 4' base. Hoping this time I actually stay focused, over time, and actually try to do a better job. I will say the fact that I now have the new lighting helps a ton. Even though I will be moving it OFF the table at times to work on it in in other areas, including possible the garage in Spring, maybe It began a few days ago, and since it's so darn Cold here and the Snow and Ice is horrible here in the South, seemed like a good idea. Time will tell. Come on Monday or Tuesday when this stuff is suppose to go away and the temperatures rise, I hope. I like the name, The C&L Layout & Beyond. Might start a new thread with that name?
Cold weather has put a halt to my plans for experimentation for puffball trees. I'd like to complete the spray paint steps outside. So, I'll watch some football and read some railroad books. Meanwhile, we've had trouble with our household water, including a failed water heater expansion tank, inability to set the pressure regulator valve afterward and some leaks. I tried to work it myself, but threw in the towel and had a plumber take over. Ends up that my old water pressure valve had gone bad, reading 18 PSI without even being connected! All is well now and I'm working to insulate the new plumbing in the crawl space. Temperatures to be in the teens for several nights here.
