It's Sunday and things are quiet in the neighborhood as well as town. It's 28 F outside. Someone must have thrown the switch from summer to fall. The sun is coming up and setting further toward the South. It's a welcome change. Saturday lunch with my daughter and family. The Saw-zall is in hand an old Rockwell. I can start work on the removing the cling-on's and clear the pathway for the last remaining L Girder and then install the legs. Once the legs are secure my neighbors and I will flip it over. It will then be time for the track gangs to get out and repair the damage. Our illustrious, worn-out maintainer will start work on the wiring. Not looking forward to that but the operational rewards will be awesome. Incidentally the greenish reefers in the Grand Canyon. I bought them cheap enough at Busy Bee in San Bernardino, CA. Last I heard we can't do that anymore. Jim's sister isn't in to trains. Anyway, the mechanical reefers were oversized and out of place...at best. As is much of the older B-mann stuff they put out. They too found their way off the H&P property in a rapid fire succession, sold to a fellow toy train enthusiast. I've been rebuilding this train with Micro-Trains prototype ice hatch reefers, standard passenger cars, standard mail storage cars and Intermountain express reefers and box cars. Okay, I need to get some breakfast, go shopping, and then we will get the Saw-zall out and zip off those leg stub-bins. One last shot of the Grand Canyon as the end of train runs over Dry Gulch Bridge. What we will be seeing in the near future with the Stub end yard. Above: Here the short freight locals, commuter trains and work trains will congregate. You can make out Atlas #4 switches. They are destined to be replaced with Kato's Unitrack switches. The older Atlas switches are Poor Performers. New one's not so bad but I still don't like the automated solenoid attached to the switch. Prefer Kato's approach. That's it for now. The sign in the background actually reads, "No Parking on the tracks." That's for my herd of four pawed critters. More later.
Looks like an interesting undertaking with the new legs and L-girder. When you get back to the electrical and the DCC give me a ring, be glad to help where I can.
Undertaking LOL I've been called the Undertaker. Good one David, good one. You know I will. Now back to the saw-zall. Oh such fun. It's all about the angle of the dangle.
Finally, that dead stop has been overcome and we are moving forward. The former leg remnants as it was last Thursday. Now as of Sunday afternoon. Boring isn't it? Well, at least this part is done. Yep, I see it the bottom one didn't go so well but it didn't have to. I just didn't want to boink my head while this maintainer puts the wires back together. I'm discovering this is going to be more of a problem then I originally thought. Why is each discovery...it just feels normal? On the other end I will need to chisel out the former leg remnants on the other end. In order to install the new ones. Halfway there as of this report. How about those KC Chiefs? Nice game against the Denver Bronco's. Always time for football.
I suppose I was understanding you needed to remove the old leg remnants--like cut off the screws. Looks like you just trimmed the old legs off flush with the frame. I sure made a mountain out of a molehill.... Hey, but it's done and you won't as easily bash your head on the protrusions.
You didn't miss it at all. The ones I trimmed off won't see new legs. I'm moving the legs back and spreading them. Sounds kinky but that's a whoie different something or other to talk about at a different place and time. Pictures when I get the legs on. Glad I'm not like Trent and Allie on You Tube, building my own house. I'd never see it finished. Where this all went wrong. Originally I put the screws in from the outside thinking that would be easier to remove in the event I had to move. That didn't work out so well. I needed to put in risers for the top deck and added another rim around the outside of the original frame. It worked and the risers went in nicely. When a move was determined and the truck parked outside and a schedule to meet. The risers did not come out nicely and they too had to be cut in order to remove the top deck. "Mole Hill," aptly describes what I'm up against to get everything back together. You didn't miss that at all. Today, I will be concentrating on getting the legs installed. I hear tell Jimmy over at Wall Mart is responsible for throwing the outdoor switch from heat to cold. Well, we had a good laugh over it. 21 F this morning. Cold Brrrrrrrrr !!! And outside is where I have to go to use my chop saw. Just finished chiseling out the last leg remnant on the other end of this section. Time now to replace them. Yes!
Progress Rick, progress!!!!! Cool to see it. That saws all sure did make those head bangers a lot less dangerous. I'll also say I like those old Model Power Santa Fe passenger cars. Have a few myself.
Glad you mentioned them. I have a fleet of Model Power's Standard Passenger Cars. They are keepers. I made up a Santa Fe work train with their help. They also serve a Santa Fe Commuter Type of train called the Chipewa Chief. Similar to the one that used to run between Los Angeles, out to San Bernardino and for awhile made the circuit on the Redlands Loop. Pulled by a Santa Fe Gp7 with Steam Generator or what used to be called "Boiler". Also with Air Reservoir tanks aka Torpedo Tubes on top to make room for water tanks on the bottom right next to the fuel tank. I think you'll find a picture of it back in this thread. Let me see if I can find another. While I'm looking here is a photo of this section I'm currently upgrading and will be putting legs on. This is during a remodeling project or you can call it construction. Above: The layout finally arrived from my Dad's place and it was time to remodel it. Push out those curves. I'd had it with tight radius curves. In the picture above. You can see some Atlas Slider Switches. Don't be alarmed I learned my lesson about the Common Wire and it is gone. Adding another wire as some have said "They don''t want to do," is no big deal and the operational rewards are amazing. No more. Not going to happen. These sliders serve as Single Pole Single Throw SPST, electrical switches. They are for the Roundhouse and turntable tracks. The blue Atlas transformer is what powers up the turntable and moves it around and around and around. I'm getting dizzy. How be it slowly, pausing with every track it comes to. Not quite what I was looking for. You could get dizzy and I did watching it. The A-turntable made the worst noise... it would growl. You could hear it over the football game in the front room. Rick shut that darn thing off. It's interrupting the TV signal (which was poor to start with). More noise then a party favor. With the flip of a cut off switch aka DPDT I could then power up the tracks and move the engines around. It's right about where the Atlas sliders are the layout started to sag. You can also see a number of test trains out. Can't have any bad track and now is the time to fix it should there be any obvious problems. I found a few. Remember, it's all about track work, track work and did I say track work? Never mind how much fun the trains are to run, uhh-err Operate!! Below is a view looking toward the West. You can see in this picture how I pre-marked everything. I not only marked where I wanted to cut the sub-roadbed but where I wanted to lay the center of the track. I did this with of all things a Yard stick. Drilled holes in it, poked a pencil through them and used it as a circumference. Worked out nicely. These pic's, works to get me motivated and now days that's important. You can also see how I joined pieces of Sub-road bed. Level and smooth transitions is what I was looking for. Tail end of the work train with a Model Power Standard Coach serving as a bunk car. I may have posted this already. My bad if I did. I'm still looking for the Chippewa Chief. There should be a meet with the Southern Pacific Del Monte and Santa Fe's Chippewa Chief already posted here. Although that never happened in the real world of Trains. 28 F this morning. Glad to be living in a warm-able house. My tin can of a shelter in Big Bear Country would have me running around with shoes on, a blanket over my shoulders and the temp., hovering at about 59 F, still cold. Let's see if I can get the legs on this thing.
One more look at the section I'm currently working on. This is how it looked when I was finished laying track. I did post a shot of my Model Power Standard Passenger Cars. I think they are tied in to the rear of a mail train. You can also see my Wreckers and the Wreck trains sitting in the yard. On this occasion they are getting ready to go out and put in a shoe-fly around a wreck. These Wreck Trains at best resemble Barstows Santa Fe Wreck Train. Not an exact replica. What we are missing is a wreck tender and a type of wheel car. Here it is. Model Railroading or Toy Trains (and there is a difference) it is what you want to make it. This has been fun and I managed to get breakfast down. Time to get busy. I hope it warms up outside.
Good news. I'm getting there. Working on it, working on it. Just needed a break. Time to recharge batteries in my small drill motors. More to come.
Oh boy here we go again. George!! Send a guy to school and what does he come home with. Yes, most of the train equipment on my layout is at the Toy Train Level. I admit it. #@%&*! I can't afford the stuff the Model Railroaders are buying nor do the Prototype detailing they get into. But my operations are that of a Railroad, which makes it a Model Railroad. Or not. While Toy Train Enthusiast simply run their trains around and around and around. Humm I'm getting dizzy again. My trains have a purpose. They run and run and run. Only around the layout once and they are back into the hidden staging yard so another train can come out. #4 is headed East bound and there's a high priority through freight, waiting to follow. Not like Amtrak, today. Passenger trains once had a first class status. Greg Mc, another friend of mine will almost always make the same observation and yet his HO or N scale trains, buildings on his layouts are some of the most realistic. You've seen them in my Mini-City. Those are his buildings. Never mind his scenery. His train equipment and operations are on a level all it's own. We had nothing but fun when we went over to his house. Then there's John A. who operates the most realistic train operations I've ever seen. His layout is Freelance and again some amazing structures and working house and street lights. A working fireplace inside the front room of a house down near the main station. Wow!!! His train equipment is absolutely amazing. I don't think I've seen anything anymore realistic or prototype. It was wonderful to have had the privilege to operate his trains. To follow the work orders and manage a schedule. So to George Mc and Greg Mtn, I hold you in high regards for what you've done and the modeling on your layouts. Yes, Toy Trains fits. I didn't say that, did I?? John A. you are in a world above these guys. Yep, I did say that. He isn't alone we have a number of Model Railroaders right here on TB. Lunch!
Awwwww Rick my friend... <smdh>... I agree...there are some great...awesome layouts out there. Jim Reising's and DarylK's come to mind. There are guys who run all day and all night 'operations'....and have tons of fun doing it. There are guys...like me who run their trains at 'scale speed'....round and round their layouts. I even do lots of switching in Lucky penny Yard. Yes...I agree with all these observations. But in the end...when we turn on the lights and fire up our layouts...we are ALL still playing with 'Toy Trains'...
Yes we are friends but don't expect me to totally agree. There is a difference and there is a problem here. Now...quit shaking your head. Something to think about. Attitude, it's all about attitude not altitude. A friend of mine went over to an operations layout and began to operate his local, like one of his...Toy Trains. He picked up the cars to uncouple them and when making switching moves shoved them hard breaking couplers. The alleged toys he was playing with. They are expensive solid brass, most with custom paint jobs and lettering. Many with carefully placed detailing that can easily break off and weathering done with chalk. When he picked them up he was leaving his finger prints on the cars. Not acceptable. It didn't take long for the owner of the Model Railroad to deny him any further rights to operate on his layout. Saying, you aren't showing my trains the respect they need. He responded, "They're just toys." Not at the price the owner was paying. Prompting the question, "Can I or those who are operating said trains afford to replace them?" I look at it this way. Play with my trains and you can treat them like toys...to a point. Most did not come cheaply. None are brass, but I do have some with custom paint jobs and others that have breakable parts added to them. Bring your kids over (that would be grand-kids) and there will be strict rules for them to follow. Needless to say my cheapest stuff will be out on the layout. For most of us our Toy Trains are not Tonka Toys and can break way to easily. Even the cheapest toy train stuff is more expensive then I can afford at this point. Replacement cost is not an option. So I want to protect what I have so I can enjoy them to the end. Whatever that might be. No wonder most of us are Lone Wolves. I won't win this argument. I never do. Not laughing my @$$ off. NEWS: The L girder now extends the full length of the second section. It's in the form of a cross. One leg is secured. Tomorrow should see it with all legs in place and it should be easier to wrap up.
Rick...its never an 'argument'. I just Respectfully disagree with you sometimes. my friend. BTW...I agree with your above observations. Respect my stuff and we will get along fine. I 'had' a good friend who didnt respect me nor any of my 'stuff'. Like I said...he 'was' a friend You and I will get along like long lost brothers when we finally meet IRL....LOL
Good to hear legs are coming soon. Like you, I have a lot of photos. Like thousands... I usually don't know if one's been posted recently, so I repost sometimes. I'm certainly not complaining! Also like you, my trains are an investment. While not the sort of investment my kids can go to college on, they represent a lot of money, and thus need to be treated with some respect and care. I hear you 100% in that.
I agree with Hemi on all our trains being an investment of sorts and treating them well. My opinion here is worth less than that shinny copper thing on George's yard name sign but just for fun, here it is. Rick, you and George are sort of both right. We do indeed have toy trains. They are scaled down replicas and it's how we use them that is the difference, doing the roundy round thing (which I do a lot) is playing with toy trains. Trying to replicate operations is model railroading with toy trains. Now where is that rock I crawled out from under …...
George, I feel a kinship already. You can know I will treat your train equipment, like anyone else's, including mine. Like Solid Gold. Lot's to do today. Anxious to get going on the last legs implants. 28 F., this morning. I understand that down in Big Bear Country it's colder. It's high fire season in California. Some of the worst fires on record have occurred in October. There tends to be what they call Santa Ana winds and without a rainy season the forests and brush lands are tender dry. Well I need to get some breakfast. The feline colony got their morning breakfast of Salmon. Added L-Lysine to their food. Seems to help the older ones ward off the common cold, flu and bronchial issues. Back later with pictures.
