We are back from the weekend. Now it's time to report on our activities so we can get motivated and plan for the next weekend. Saturday: After setting up the Burlington end of the City Job Friday after work, I had one of my fellow NSBN member and friend over for dinner. We talked trains and then after he left I hurried through my new switch lists to be used over the weekend. I got a late start Saturday morning thanks to ink levels and computer problems that delayed my ability to print out my switch lists, however I was soon having breakfast with my good friend Bill before heading into the show. Bill did not bring his portion of the City Job as he had come down just to sell. The show was busy despite the fact that this was the nicest weekend outdoors since Thanksgiving weekend, nearly five months ago. I was so busy visiting with friends that I was unable to finish my switching for the day. One highlight of the day was speaking to a young man who is attending the local college and speaking with him regarding switching layouts. he has a small 2-foot by 18-foot HO switching layout that is roughly based on Illinois Central. The modelers of his generation have put to use the technology of smart phones and tablets squarely into model railroading. he told me of an app that is for switching layouts and how each function plays a sound, say uncoupling cars, then a countdown begins to allow time for the brakeman to get into position before the locomotive moves again. This young man's friend has added sound decoders to specific areas to the layout so these sounds make operations even more realistic. Perhaps the use of apps with our hobby is just one of the reasons why we are doing better with youth than other hobbies. Find out more at www.traincrew.conrail1285.com for more information. Sunday: I continued the 1960's on the layout and was able to operate as both the CB&Q with the NW2 and the Santa Fe with my heavily modified GP20. The layout ran flawless and really made me appreciate switching in general.There was a pretty good crowd on Sunday too but before we knew it, it was time to pack up. I finished the evening unloading everything, spending time with Lucy, firing up the grill and having a cold one with a brat. A nice comfortable weekend. So how about you? What did you get done this weekend? Let us know. We'll assemble once again on Friday the 27th to start the whole process again. Until then, work safe, have a great week and as always... High Greens!
Spent 2 solid days wiring which was the goal. I now have both mainlines (east/west) fired up and running trains. Also managed to get 3 out of 8 blocks rewired through the current transformers of the detection system. They are operating as well. That's the good news. Once the trains were running around the entire room, I found 3 places where I have some track issues. Mostly where I joined a section of the old Albemarle Division, incorporating it into the new. Will have to pull some track off the road bed and and grind down a "hump" in the homasote I didn't realize I had created where the new meets the old. But, if they're the only issues I have at this point, I'm happy. All in all, pretty productive weekend.
the guy who designed the Train Crew app is a close friend. He's a mid-30's tech geek by day and as his website implies a Conrail modeler through and through. I was at his house for some Bull pucky and T Trak module building Sunday. This is the caboose line in his n scale rendition of York, PA:
Friday is finished up all of my material for trees. I have officially made over 300. Used 24 feet of furnace filter material. Now to evaluate the amount of trees and area to make sure I don’t need any more. Saturday is my off day due to work Sunday I was up early. I laid the road bed for The lead to the turntable. Then I started the process of foliating three batches of trees. Did one batch then took out my unfinished scrap pile that I had put plaster cloth on last week. Added some gray paint then waited for it to dry. Once dry I then glued on my scrap. Used white glue and then once the scrap was in place added some (ok a lot) of CA to that to finish. Once dry I put it in place and added some more scrap to the edges. Loaded two trucks up with scrap as well. Now my scrap yard is complete. Went back and finished the trees. Roughly 100 of them. Now it’s 10 pm. Went back to the train room and laid the track on the road bed glued down in the morning. Monday- realized I made a mistake for wiring purposes on the turntable lead. No gap so I may have to cut a gap to isolate the turntable wiring from the rest of the layout. Since I did two and a half days worth of Work in one now I need to figure out. What to do next. I’m thinking paint the cork and foam to prepare for ballast and scenery.
I did manage to find some time to get started installing some of the Woodland Scenics LED street lamps. An extra hub is needed to connect the remaining street lamps and interior lighting for some of the buildings. They should be in this week, but with a train show in Livingston, I doubt any work will get done as the club layout wants to be operating for public viewing and I have some items that I am hoping to sell that I really don't use any more.
During the weekly shopping trip I walked next door to Hobby Lobby while the wife was buying cat food at Petsmart and purchased some Basswood to start scratch building a small house. I then stopped by Michaels and picked up a clearance craft box. Perfect size to hold a couple engines and a dozen cars. Then it was on to HD to pick up the supplies to build a TTRAK module. On Sunday I checked with mom to see if it was ok that I come over this week to use Dad's old table saw. I don't think she has touched any of his power tools since he passed away last year. I should have a TTRAK module or two ready to scenic by the end of the week.
Tuned up the table saw so that the miter slot, blade and fence are all square to one another and that the blade stands at 90 Deg,. Mine is a small job site saw, so precise adjustment is a challenge, but I think I've got the settings close to perfect. I was cutting some parts for my control panel and found that my cuts were cockeyed. Fortunately only time and low value lumber were wasted.
I got zero train time as I tried to get a little ahead on home chores and work. I went into the hospital today for a few hours. Came home after a CT scan, another cardioversion (successful for the moment, my heart is back in normal rhythm), and the installation of a heart monitor. Reasonably painless, and now I have holes in my arms from three different IVs and a small scar on my chest where they inserted the monitor. In three weeks I go back in for an ablation, which will be an overnight stay. All in all, I'm grateful for modern medicine and the probability that I'll still be vertical tomorrow.
Today continues my weekend. I painted the base of the next section to complete and started my pile of structure kits.
Hopefully, Sir, you also will be inhaling and exhaling on a regular basis. Also be partaking of nourishment.
Working on a project for my D&RGW derrick/wreck train project. This drop deck flat is of unknown origin for the prototype, my HO scale version is an old A-C white metal casting kit, that icluded the side and end sills, the rest was made using Styrene. Scalecoat II paint band some decals, and here we go. I still got a lot of weathering and more details to add. Here is the thread showing the build, including this weekends efforts. http://www.trainboard.com/highball/...-rio-grande-grand-junction-wreck-train.93721/ Thanks for looking.
