Weekend update - July 22, 2007

[Denver Road Doug]

Eric,

I checked out your photos and it's looking good!  Although I've been at it much longer, you are well ahead of me...but I did get a good bit of the roadbed down on my layout this weekend.

[wm3798]

I'm checking in late because I managed to get the around the wall loopy thingerlinger (see my Big and Evil Plan thread) installed and working.  I haven't cut the track for the lift outs yet (and maybe never will... Bwahahaha!!)

Anyhoo, Had a ball running trains in and out of staging, worked a local at North Jct., and sent the Penn Central cars back to the interchange track for the first time ever.  With just a few hours work, I managed to double the car capacity of the layout.

Next I have to put together the underground return loop so the Alpha Jet train can just come and go without changing the car order, other than picking up and setting out blocks at the working yard.  I'm taking the kids to a family reunion in Ohio next weekend, so I'm tapped out for now, but once I get a few other bills paid, (and at least one Bob...) I'll be getting a couple of reversing circuits to handle the wye and the underground loop.  Then I'll have to completely rewrite my train schedule!  Did I mention I love DCC?  A third hand-held is enroute to handle the crews for the ops session August 5.

TrainCat, those signals are just what I'll be needing.  I've gotten a couple of the NJ international ones that are pre-wired, but I haven't done much with them yet.  What I'm really going to need is WM style train order boards.  They're taller, have rectangular heads, and a lunar light way at the top of the mast.  They were also usually two sided.  There's a real live one at the museum in Union Bridge if you need measurments.

Daniel, that 44 tonner blows me away.  The photos are amazing.  I'll keep my eye out for the NScale the story ends up in.

I've got a big week ahead, so I better get some winks in.
Lee

[kiwi_al]

Here's what I've been tinkering with this week. Please excuse my weathering.

Whitcomb 65 ton (Randy's kit - not finished) , Dash 8-40CW and GE Dash 9 all painted and decalled by me  :



 ;D

[keystonecrossings]

So, Lee, do you misbehave around the house so you get sent to Andy's room?

[Skip]

I went to Glen Allen, Va for my monthly operating fix.  All went very well and we moved a lot of freight and mostly on time passenger service.

[atsf_arizona]

Foto Fun 2007 07 23


Little late to the game...

Finally got around to getting with the modern technology of Helicon Focus software.

Here's my first try:



The Helicon Focus software is good stuff! 

Learning curve pretty short - I'm starting to get the hang of how to manually
focus the multiple shots in order to get a good image. 

[wm3798]

Okay, so here's what I did yesterday...
This was around 2 p.m....

As with most things, the heavy construction takes place out in or by the garage.  The three major sections of the new east end track are cut and assembled.

I'm using the old bolt and wing nut trick to provide for solid assembly but easy removal for accessing the closet door.

Here we are around 9 p.m.


The sections are installed and the grade is established.  by 10:30 the track is installed.


BL-2 #81 stands at the ready to test each section as it is assembled.

By 11 p.m. we had trains running across the new line, and for the first time since the layout was started in 2003, I was able to run a train into the staging yard.  Unfortunately, the camera was elsewhere in the house, so the momentous occasion was not recorded.  But this should give you some idea...



Now I can stage a grain train, stone train and a coal train without cluttering up the yard.  Next I have to complete the reverse loop under the peninsula so I can run the Alpha Jets in and out of staging.

Lee

[Mark5]

Nice pix all!

I spent most of the weekend doing restoration work on a bedroom (drywall/plaster/trim/re-wiring/paint/DUST).

While driving on I95 in Balmer I noted some Maryland Midland covered hoppers re-stenciled LECH  - which I assume means they were sold to Lehigh Cement ...

[John]

Lee .. I would remove the closet door ..

[bobcat]

Lee .. I would remove the closet door ..

Or reverse it so it pushes into the closet.

[Bob Bufkin]

Spent most the weekend cleaning out junk.  Found a box of slides.  Looks like more WM stuff from the 70's.  Gotta get it transfered to photos and/or CD.  Any suggestions on who to use for this.  Kinko's?  I'll post to Protophoto when I get this done.

[Zox]

Lee .. I would remove the closet door ..

Replace the door with a curtain--that way you can still hide whatever junk is in the closet, yet still have ready access to it.

[wm3798]

Enough about my closet door.  It took me a good bit of engineering to get that thing cut down to fit the opening, and I'm not taking it out.  And seriously, you don't hang a bifold door to push into a closet. :

You's guys are killin' me.

Lee

[TrainCat2]

TrainCat, those signals are just what I'll be needing.  I've gotten a couple of the NJ international ones that are pre-wired, but I haven't done much with them yet.  What I'm really going to need is WM style train order boards.  They're taller, have rectangular heads, and a lunar light way at the top of the mast.  They were also usually two sided.  There's a real live one at the museum in Union Bridge if you need measurments.

Yo Lee ... If you can get em, I'll etch um.

[cv_acr]

While driving on I95 in Balmer I noted some Maryland Midland covered hoppers re-stenciled LECH  - which I assume means they were sold to Lehigh Cement ...

N&W: Did you mean to say LEHX there? LEHX is the reporting mark for Lehigh Cement. LECH is not a reporting mark for a private owner (doesn't end in X) and I don't see it in any of the lists I checked. It could be a new shortline though.