Are you ready for another, what!? Hold on, someone is knocking on my door.....Oh no, you again? Old Man winter? What? I thought you went away you cranky ole' geezer! Well the uninvited "guest" is back and he is grumpy. Good thing we are model railroad guys and we can enjoy our hobby indoors! Saturday: For me, more work. I have the last bits of two BNSF Heritage locomotives to finish as well as paint to finish up my buddies O scale monstrosities. I also hope to go to my not so local hobby shop and pick up the last (for now) Tam Valley turnout controller and a decoder. Sunday: It's really the only day I truly have off anymore, so I plan to get ready for next weekend's March operations meet at my place by working up a switchlist, fixing some troublesome track and installing the last (again for now) Tam Valley servo turnout controller. Inglenook work continues. Unfortunately it will be too cold to paint the track so I'll turn my attention to installing more turnout controllers. Fortunately, there are only two. If I have time, and now we are really into the realm of science fiction here, I'll finish one of the Butler buildings I built last fall. It still needs a roof and some internal bracing. Our first show is in just two weeks away.....YIKES! Train show season is upon us. So how about you? What do you have planned in the train shop for this return to winter weekend? Let us know. We'll assemble once again on Monday the 13th to see how well we all did. Until then, have a great weekend, stay warm and... High Greens!
I've got a couple of videos to edit for my Youtube channel. We have obligations Sunday of an adult social nature so there won't be time for much else.
Saturday is going to be chock full. The student team I'm mentoring has a rocket launch, trying to get in as many flights as possible. They hope to do several test flights before making two qualification flights for the National Finals. I have to leave at 1pm to take my wife to the airport, as she's headed to warm and dry Arizona for a couple of weeks to visit our daughter and granddaughter. I don't have definite plans for Sunday, but there are still a couple of backdrop flats to set in place, a new structure to place, and several others that need to be finished up and detailed.
Besides adjusting my plane's prop governor, I would like to complete some tunnel work I started today. I ballasted the track and would like to get the tunnel liner and above hillside put in place.
It's truly shocking. I have four new locomotives and the go ahead to start building benchwork for a new "dogbone" layout. In fact, leaving for Home Depot right now to buy all the wood my heart desires. It'll be two 4X4 wings with a 2X8 foot connector between the two wings. I think it will be amazing. I'll be covering the benchwork with 2" foam board. Oh yea, also 25 sections of flextrack arrived today. Unfortunately, the cork and the joiners are still in limbo - here's hoping they get here tomorrow! Wish me luck!
Well since I'm visiting my daughter in GA. and she lives about 20 minutes from Trainmaster l suppose that my "modeling" will be more like shopping!! Time to spend the gift card that I received for Christmas.
I caught a nasty bug a few days ago. Still feeling like crud -- so, the layout will have to wait. Ya'll have a great weekend, Wolf
Finalizing my understanding of my 4th type of turnout switch device this weekend. [Trying to utilize the Caboose Industries where my tethered throttle takes me and then ultimately Tortoise to beyond arms reach due to Atlas pin failure] #1 Caboose Industries Ground Throw non powered frog- frog powered through PC board. Check! #2 Caboose Industries Ground Throw with connectors Code 55 - frog powered. Check! #3 Atlas 2065 under table switch machine Code 55. Check. except that the Atlas steel pin will not move points with a table depth of more than 1/2". Atlas claims up to 2" but their steel pin is far to weak to come close to working properly. Table depth with foam and road bed is 1 1/8" and fails. I had even purchased NCE Snap Its for the Atlas that I will probably have to sell now. #4 Circuitron Tortoise; just learning all aspects of wiring 1, 8 power to motor-2 and 3 track, 4 frog. 1 and 8 will be hooked up to NCE 524154 Switch-It Mk2. I am afraid I will have to replace all of the Atlas under table due to failure of pin depth over 1/2" with Circuitron-quite costly but seems much more reliable.
