We know that all too well here. We also have a saying about the two seasons in Montana- July and winter. Check this out: http://montanakids.com/facts_and_figures/climate/Temperature_Extremes.htm Cloudy here right now. Not supposed to be, until Friday. Something odd happened, as that has completely changed in just a couple of hours.....
Was planning on running the GP40's and the K27 this morning. In hopes of rechecking some of the track adjustments made recently. Well, after closing my eyes briefly, while laying in bed, checking Email etc...I woke up about 3 hours later! Not gonna make it out front today! Should be ale to tomorrow, since I have a quarterly A1C blood test at the Dr in the morning. Not gonna make it out today, as I'm gonna go back to sleep in a few minutes! Messed up my day, again! Nothing new.
After my Dr visit this morning, and affect other errands a bit later, I decided to pull out the K27 and cars. Ended up with an 8 car narrow gauge train. The one troublesome turnout caused me all sorts of trouble yet. But, after several small modifications, I finally got the switch to work slick as can be! With NO trouble of any sort! Even though track is anything but smooth or level, the narrow gauge cars I ran, gave me no trouble at all. Now, it's just a matter of lifting track, removing granite, and reballasting/leveling my track. Once I get most of that complete, again, I can start planning my back yard expansion. With 2" or less of wet snow, or 2-3" of powder snow, I shouldn't have too many problems with setting up and running a plow extra! Or the K, with caboose, since it's got the snow plow added. Could be interesting as the rest of the year goes.
Great news to hear youhave reliable running again! It bring a lot of joy into the hobby when you can run them and let them go, and they stay going, right?
Not yet. I may run more tomorrow. Will get a few photos then. Had too much stuff to drag in and out as it was. Didn't feel like getting camera. Was starting to hurt quite a bit by then anyway.
Been test running only. Trying to find out where the bad spots are! Pulled out the GP40's today, for a little while. Troublesome turnout worked perfectly! Found a low spot on another cure, that was a derail source. And yet another curve, with reverse superelevation! A couple quick fixes there, and things were good to go. Some running cut short, as it looked as if it was going to try raining. Also stopped short and helped Mom with placing more bricks in the front. Adding more terraced area to the front. Think once I pull up my track and reballast, I'll be good for photos and/or video of the action I decide on!!
Was able to get about 1/3 of my track re ballasted today. Before I pretty much ran out of granite! Might pick up a load of granite Tuesday. But, it's also supposed to rain most/all day, so a granite run may not happen. Once I got as far as I could get, I somehow ended up helping my folks finish putting in a brick patio in front. Now, like my folks, I can hardly move!! Then again, my own health isn't helping much in the way of movement! The less I move, the less I hurt! Oh well, train time coming in about a week, with luck! Now, I can start making plans on how to get trains to the back yard and return. A siding or two in front, possible switching in back, with small town also possible. Gotta see what the folks say about that first. Mom seemed to like the idea though. Gonna have to wait and see I guess.
Hope to, soon. Might try for an AM attempt this week, weather permitting. May just drag out power supply and Goose #6 for a brief run. Instead of dragging out the Beeps or the K and cars! Too much work there!! Maybe a quick video of the Goose in action too. Although, no sound. That's an additional $300± that I don't have right now. Not that important at this time either. Bigger train over weekend, when I have more time, and energy to set up!!
There will be NO photo ops in the AM, as I was hoping. Supposed to get some decent rain overnight tonight and through out the day tomorrow. Have .42" rain at this time. By tomorrow night, we're going to have about 1.05", from what I was told anyway. Believe it when I see it. Not gonna complain much, since the rain is desperately needed!! If it ain't white, and I gotta shovel it, I'll be happy! :teeth: Photos in the AM one day this week, weather permitting, or next weekend. Whichever comes first!
Been a while since any sort of update!! Well, since weather was decent this afternoon, I took time and set up a narrow gauge train and ran for a couple hours. The K27, 3 drop bottom gons, a tank and a reefer. Ran until reefer started derailing all the time. Pulled it, ran until the tank started doing the same thing. Ended up running the gons the rest of the time. Eventually turned the train around, running in the opposite direction. But, the locomotive didn't like that!! Picked at least one track joint and jumped on a rather badly kinked curve. Looks like it was stepped on or equivalent, at one time. Needs replacing. A bit of work on the switches again. Have a couple more that need adjustment to keep points in proper place!! The GP40's, last time I ran those, ran great!! Used them to push the snow plow last time. A few derailments, mainly because I never swept tree leaves, twigs etc...from track! So, plow was getting hung up in that stuff. Pics from this afternoon, once I get them checked out and decide which ones I want.
Accucraft or Bachmann K and cars? I had a customer who got so tired of the Accucraft doing that he yanked all the trucks and put Bachmann (1:22.5) trucks under everything. My small outdoor railroad.....all the track is screwed to plates, which are screwed to posts. 20 years next month, and we just don't have derailments. Llagas 215 and 250.
Just harassing Keith a little bit. That's one reason I put up a six foot fence, to the amazement of some neighbors. At that time I was daydreaming about an outdoor empire, until health derailed the idea. Although it won't stop a determined animal, it does stop large dogs, and many cats. Plus we also have coyotes, bears, deer, an occasional moose, skunk, raccoons, a rare skunk bear (wolverine) and even the wolves are now coming into town. I'd have been encountering damage all the time.
To answer a few of the questions: 1. Bachmann K, with AMS/Accucraft cars. Some changed over to KD couplers. Seems like the trucks do not have enough side to side or end to end movement in them so they don't follow uneven track very well. Have thought about installing new wheels, with slightly larger flanges. I've also considered the ladder roadbed method. Could use someone close by, to help go that route, if someone was close, and willing to help! 2. Damaged curve may have been stepped on, or backed over, by me, while the track was pulled from service. Piled it all in the garage under my truck! Shouldn't be too hard to pull that section and replace. Think the joint causing trouble needs a quick hit with a file to smooth it out slightly. 3. Only animals that walk on/around my track are squirrels, rabbits and raccoons. But, I'm also realizing I have a wicked S curve, involving a turnout, that may have to be redesigned, yet again. That area is pieced together in a way that's bound to cause more trouble later! And it just doesn't look right as a train passes through that section. I find it interesting though, that equipment runs fine in a CCW direction! But, as soon as I change to a CW direction, I start having problems. Not sure about the GP40's and 40' cars, since I have not tried that yet. I figure, IF the narrow gauge stuff runs with no derailments, the rest of my equipment should run just fine! Narrow gauge is perfect for locating any/every possible bad section of the railroad.
