A new dimension is being added to the Turtle Creek Central based off the coast of Washington State on San Juan Island. The electrified line is being built from the entrance to the port of Friday Harbor and will run to the Macie Moly Mine. Current construction runs from the port track lead to the bridge at Blue Creek. The next phase of construction will begin with the crossing of Blue Creek and will leave the mainline to run on the mine spur through the canyon to the mine yard. Contracts have been let for an electrical substation to power the line. Shot of the canyon area. 100_0387-1 by John Moore posted Aug 5, 2020 at 1:00 PM Where the current construction ends. 100_0388-2 by John Moore posted Aug 5, 2020 at 1:00 PM The current termination of electrification at the port lead. 100_0389-3 by John Moore posted Aug 5, 2020 at 1:00 PM Considerations are under way to extend electrification to the engine service area and to the ore loading facility at pier two in the port. Future operations will have the exchange of power in the Village and exchange of empties and loads for now. A two car electric was purchased from Bandai of Japan to provide passenger service to the mine and it will run four round trips daily. 100_0360-6 by John Moore posted Jul 24, 2020 at 4:49 PM A pair of steeple cabs were purchased from Bandai and are awaiting outfitting by Kato of Japan. 10340366 by John Moore posted Feb 27, 2019 at 9:16 AM And a contract has just been let for Tomix of Japan to build the electrical substation to power the electrified portion of the line. 4543736042235-1__45188.1586239703-5 by John Moore posted Aug 5, 2020 at 2:14 PM
Well I ordered the electrical sub station from Japan a couple of hours ago. I have one as part of my port power plant already on the layout. 100_0392-7 by John Moore posted Aug 5, 2020 at 4:42 PM Cost me $12 and some change. Would you believe that the same one on Amazon is $122. I hate to think about Ebay. The substation is going to be cut down and reconfigured to fit in the mine area.
I had a wild and crazy thought if I should decide to electrify all of the trackage. That is to take existing power and convert to electrics by installing a rooftop pantagraph. Get rid of the exhaust stacks on the 44 tonners and install a pantagraph. Cheaper than buying new power and mechanisms. The proposed 44 ton electric or electric hybrid if I leave the exhaust stacks on. 100_0393-7 by John Moore posted Aug 5, 2020 at 11:53 PM
Well all work on repairing the scenic work around the catenary mast came to a screeching halt as the repairs to the turnout to the car float took priority. The turnout has been repaired and reinstalled and this morning the base layer of scenic material was applied to fill in the gap where the turnout was removed. Once again the use of a water based adhesive to set up my scenic materials paid for itself in just needing to wet it down then remove it. 100_0394-1 by John Moore posted Aug 6, 2020 at 1:29 PM Now the area is once again filled in and dried enough to vacuum up the excess. I have to reinstalled the grade crossing ramps then apply a fine coat of cinder ballast which I am using for asphalt for the road.
Well received word that my power substation ordered from Tomix out of Japan has shipped and will be here next week. The substation has a slightly larger foot print than what I have available space so a cut down will occur. I could just use the transformers part but I want the control house included thus the cut down. I will document the cut down in case anyone else wants to use this substation. 4543736042235-1__45188.1586239703-5 by John Moore posted Aug 5, 2020 at 2:14 PM
Just got in the mail my red Kato pantagraphs that will be mounted on my black steeple cabs in the next day or so. 100_0397-2 by John Moore posted Aug 7, 2020 at 5:58 PM
Decided not to wait so the pantagrahs are mounted. A bit of paint flecked off so I will touch up the sides later. 100_0399-4 by John Moore posted Aug 7, 2020 at 7:34 PM
I have always been enamored of electrics since my GN modeling days but there were few choices back then. Roll forward 30 years and I know have choices. When I purchased the steeple cabs they came in a set with a passenger cab car that could be modeled as electric or diesel electric included. I have decided to convert the two units into electric freight locos having more than enough passenger units. I have the mechanisms the roofs for them, just needing to order pantagraphs They are going to be loosely modeled after the Japanese two unit electrics. So all the parts are laid out and ready to go. 100_0400-1 by John Moore posted Aug 8, 2020 at 7:06 PM
Got the windows and doors filled in with .015 styrene strip last night on the loco sides. And this morning did some filling of small areas with Testor's contour putty. Later this afternoon will sand down. I created the small upper windows by simply not filling in part of the front door windows. 100_0403-2 by John Moore posted Aug 9, 2020 at 10:49 AM Also last night I cut apart some plastic vents from my parts box that will go on the sides. 100_0405-1 by John Moore posted Aug 9, 2020 at 10:49 AM Not striving for an exact copy of the locos featured in the video but just close. They are export models and built to the Turtle Creek specifications.
The sanding is done and decided on a dark blue with the yellow ends. 100_0408-4 by John Moore posted Aug 9, 2020 at 1:44 PM A number of Bandia kits come with several roof options and this is the electric one in the photo. The cab plow pilots will get a dark gray. Those are pilots I added. Now waiting on the first coat to dry before a 2nd is applied.
Lightened up the blue considerably and attached the vents on the side. 100_0411-1 by John Moore posted Aug 10, 2020 at 6:29 AM Next up is to mill down the raised glass window inserts to eliminate the filled in windows and decal. A set of pantagraphs has been ordered from Japan. Tomix since I cannot find the Kato ones.
Well decaled and sprayed with a matte clear enamel which still leaves it to shiny. Both units together give a 69 foot unit loco. 100_0427-3 by John Moore posted Aug 10, 2020 at 8:44 PM 100_0425-4 by John Moore posted Aug 10, 2020 at 8:44 PM Ordered some Tamiya dull coat and still have to apply couplers and drawbar. plus mechanism and pantagraphs.
Painted the truck sides on the mechanisms a dark gray and added air tanks to the B ends of the roofs. Now determining where to place a set of air horns on each end with a working pantagraph placed on the roof. 100_0432-6 by John Moore posted Aug 11, 2020 at 2:39 PM
Wrapping up this project for awhile while parts come in. Fitted some dummy pantagraphs to the roofs and got two 3 chime airhorns added to each cab section plus airtanks on the rear roofs. It has been fun converting these two passenger cabs to electric freight cabs and Bandai has become my new go to for kit bashing parts. So far I have bashed these plus a set of DD-51s into a cow calf combo and a wire car. Besides the wire car my electrics now include this set of freight motors, a set of steeple cabs, and a 2 unit passenger with cab at either end. 100_0433-7 by John Moore posted Aug 11, 2020 at 4:26 PM 100_0434-8 by John Moore posted Aug 11, 2020 at 4:26 PM The Bandai supply though seems to be drying up. whether due to covid or other things I do not know. My Tomix power substation is due to arrive tomorrow so I have something else to keep me busy while hiding at home from the rising covid total.
The electrification marches forward with the receipt of the Tomix power station this afternoon from Japan via DHL. Took about a week and a half to get this. First order of business will be to find the base plate and place it where I want the substation to determine if any cut down is needed. I am keeping the control house because this is the main station for the electrified district and as such it would be manned. Another substation is already on the layout in the port area next to the power house. For the first one I went through a dealer here. Not only was this station cheaper but delivery from Japan was faster. 100_0436-1 by John Moore posted Aug 12, 2020 at 4:08 PM And a quick fitting of the base I need to do a small cut down. 100_0437-2 by John Moore posted Aug 12, 2020 at 4:32 PM
The trim down of the base plate has occurred and the control building is mounted. The section that I cut off is laying on the rails. One set of pylons is going outside on the opposite side of the track as the current feed to the catenary. That is the section that I cut off and that part will be trimmed down and used as the base for the pylons. 100_0438-3 by John Moore posted Aug 12, 2020 at 7:08 PM
Fortunately in this power substation kit there are a couple of extra parts and I am using them to create the feed tower for the catenary. And if you examine closely the substation has a number of under ground cable ways that feed through the facility. Taking my cue from that the cables that feed the catenary are under the tracks from the power station and then climb the interior of the masts to finally connect to the catenary. Using the extra parts plus a set of bases that were meant for a bridge or stream crossing that were unused in the catenary base mounting set I have managed to get the feed masts high enough. The feed mast will be up against the base of the cliff below the mine. 100_0439-1 by John Moore posted Aug 13, 2020 at 9:43 AM
I finished the power substation this evening all except for making and installing some flood lights. Also put the finishing touches on the power feed tower that goes next to the track. It is sitting behind the power station. The instructions are in Japanese which I had no problem following. I even have warning signs on the fence. 100_0442-3 by John Moore posted Aug 13, 2020 at 7:29 PM 100_0443-4 by John Moore posted Aug 13, 2020 at 7:33 PM Next on my to do list is creation of another electric freight loco from another Bandai cab car. This one will be a single unit with front and rear cabs.
Well I have nixed the idea to do a single double cab loco and instead an doing another two unit electric freight unit. Since last night I have been filling windows and doors again and puttying. Just applied the first coat of paint this afternoon. Slightly different roof and slightly different sides. This pretty much uses up my supply of Bandai sides. 100_0445-1 by John Moore posted Aug 14, 2020 at 3:39 PM
Through with with creating electric locos for now. The collection on display. 100_0453-1 by John Moore posted Aug 16, 2020 at 9:53 AM Now time to use the rainy weather break to install the power substation.
