ATSF Los Angeles Division, circa 1949

[chuck geiger]

Thanks guys, I do appreciate your comments.
Below, pics of another hot train going up Cajon Pass: a GFX (Green Fruit Express) with cars for Chicago and beyond. Erie fast freight was the preferred way of getting California produce from Chicago to the eastern markets...
I do need to get more scenery done to get rid of the "snow"..
Fun stuff

Geez Otto this is the best ever...Captain Ted should be jealous.

[Cajonpassfan]

Thanks guys, I do appreciate the comments. I'm getting ready for a "pre-op session" December 3rd, and finding lots of things to fix before then. Meanwhile, we had a nice run session Saturday on my "other railroad" if you follow this thread, my friend's PCL II lines. After thirty months of construction, I got to run my only HO engine, an early BLI ATSF 3800 class 2-10-2 over the whole layout. I sure wish BLI would do one in N scale; I could use a bunch of them!
Fun stuff,
Otto

[Cajonpassfan]

Nothing exciting to report new construction-wise. But I've been very busy "working on the railroad", doing cleaning and maintenance, running and testing locos and cars in train, tuning and cleaning engines, adding weight to cars, and replacing wheelsets. When there is a derailment, or an uncoupling, I try to  deal with it right there and then, if the problem is obvious. It's been a lot of work.
Disappointingly, I've had a lot of issues with cars I converted to FVM original fine thread wheelsets and I'm coming to the reluctant realization that on a layout this size, with the grades I have (3% downhill, per prototype) maybe the fine thread and Nn3 coupler equipped cars are more trouble then they are worth. Maybe in a short "show train", but intermixed with other cars in mainline trains, they are the weak link...
Still, I'm enjoying the JFRT aspect of this exercise, spending many hours in the train room lately. Nothing like an upcoming ops to get focused on getting things done! Pic below is a westbound drag of mostly empty reefers heading to San Bernardino. The hazy peak in the distance is Cucamonga Peak...
Fun stuff,
Otto

[MDW]

Disappointingly, I've had a lot of issues with cars I converted to FVM original fine thread wheelsets and I'm coming to the reluctant realization that on a layout this size, with the grades I have (3% downhill, per prototype) maybe the fine thread and Nn3 coupler equipped cars are more trouble then they are worth. Maybe in a short "show train", but intermixed with other cars in mainline trains, they are the weak link...

Otto-
Agonizing over this very issue now as I begin body mounting couplers.....Do you think it’s more the couplers or the wheelsets?

Michel

[Cajonpassfan]

Michel, I'm not entirely sure. My layout has a looong 2.2% climb up to Summit, and a shorter downhill original line at 3% between Summit and Cajon Station. Throw into it some 18" radius curves (representing 10 degree prototype) and some slinky action, and you get an interesting set of dynamics. On the uphill pull, the body mounted Nn3 couplers on some of my cars are the first to let go. On the downhill 3%, the weight of the train sometimes tends to push the fine flange cars off the track. Weighing those cars is a must. And then there is the hidden Barstow staging yard, all done with old Shinohara code 70 track left over from a club layout...the turnouts are well gauged but have xtra wide flangeways. Some of my prize rolling stock, equipped with narrow thread FVM wheelsets just dive right in😬 I'll need to figure out a way fill the gaps without affecting electrical connectivity. The later, slightly wider FVM do okay (except you can't buy them anymore). Regardless, bodymounts are the way to go. Given the number of cars I have/need, it will take a while to get there.
Hope this helps some,
Otto

[Cajonpassfan]

Well, an op session of sorts tomorrow, first since way before Covid and the layout expansion. A bit nervous, I need one of the guys to run staging on the west end; I'll do the east, Barstow. Decided to stick temporary track numbers on tracks in San Bdno and LA First Street Yard to help get the "volunteer" operator oriented. NCE Macros are your friend: just punch in the track number/enter and voila, all switches are thrown at once to where you want to go. So much for theory, we'll see how the "actors" (MR friends and trains) behave tomorrow.😬

God, it's a lot of work to prep for an op session. A lot of fine tuning, testing and setting aside the "not ready for prime time" players,  a lot of paperwork, and acres of ROW to clean and scrub. I'm sure it's all worth it, right?
Wish me luck....
Otto

[superchief]

yes, it is worth Otto, were hosting guests from out of town this Sunday and with the size of both our layouts, maintenance is REAL. it is sometimes the push to get more done on the layout too. Good Luck on your session, and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year/ Gordon Bliss / Santa Fe-All the way

[MDW]

I'm sure it's all worth it, right?
Wish me luck....
Otto

Right?!?!
Yes it is!

Michel

[prr7161]

On the uphill pull, the body mounted Nn3 couplers on some of my cars are the first to let go.

Otto, have you tried the MT-suggested modification to the coupler faces for better pulling surface (I have not yet myself)?  If so, has it helped any cars that got the mod?

[Cajonpassfan]

Angela, no I haven't, didn't realize it was recommended with the 605 Nn3 couplers. But frankly, given the size of my layout with hundreds of cars in circulation, I need reliability and consistency and I've reached the conclusion that the smaller coupler is just not worth the trouble (except on a handful of show quality cars that don't get much playtime during ops sessions). I have too many other projects to keep the railroad going to fiddle around with the 605's.

Gordon, thank you, and you're right, nothing like an upcoming op session to get a kick in the butt to get stuff done. We had a short handed crew today but that was just fine to get things going. I got to test my "Train cards" and they work well, and for the first two plus hours thing worked well and everybody had grins on their faces. I love it when the railroad comes to life with multiple trains running.

The macros are a godsend in the large yards, staging and San Bdno, and one of our guys picked up on running the yards very quickly.

We did have some derailments (some underweight cars and a mix of body mount and truck mounted couplers) and some stalls on dead frogs (got to finish wiring them) but overall a very successful session....until things went south in Barstow and the whole RR shorted out😬

For some reason, even though there are five completely separate power districts, plus two reversers, the Barstow yard short blows up all of them. I haven't yet had time to track it down. So we went to visit my "other layout" here in town, the Pacific Coast Lines II and had a nice lunch instead finishing the session. Still, judging by the grins, the guys had a good time today and I learned a few things. I'll go look for the short tomorrow...
Otto

[Cajonpassfan]

Spent the day today tracking down the Barstow staging yard short which resulted in a premature ending so to speak of an otherwise excellent op session yesterday.  Ended up separating the stationary decoders/Tortoise motor feed from track power and putting it on a dedicated breaker board the way I should have done it in the first place. That allowed me to track the problem to two offending Shinohara switches (bitches!).

It appears that the internal Tortoise contacts which supply power to the frog and points switch polarity too early, before the stock rail to point rail contact is broken, triggering the breaker. Having a dedicated feed for the Tortoises allows the switch to complete its movement without shutting down. I love working with elecTRICKcity! Not!😜
Still, feeling good about taking care of this problem, with eight happy boards and no shorts indicated
Otto

[Scottl]

Nice detective work!  I really like the overview of your layout in that operating photograph, it looks great.

[Cajonpassfan]

Thank you Scott, it's coming together nicely. The elecTRICKERY is a bit challenging for me, but being able to operate, even with unfinished scenery, brings the railroad to life and gets me excited about making more progress! Funny how that works
Otto

[Cajonpassfan]

One of the things that came up during a post-op conversation with the crew is the need to identify key locations. I know where the yet to be built West Yard Tower is, but a visiting operator doesn't. So temporary signs are going up.
The session also reminded me how much I dislike crap on top the layout; paperwork, pens, uncoupling tools, coffee cups (really?) and so it became apparent I need to provide handy places for such paraphernalia. I'm experimenting with temporary solutions to test some ideas before finalizing locations and signage, pics below.
We'll do another session in January to test things out.
Fun stuff,
Otto

[samusi01]

You could consider rummaging through ATSF pubs and find something to use as an example... the NP had a bunch of handy schematics (found here: http://research.nprha.org/NP%20Terminal%20Schematic%20Diagrams/Forms/Thumbnails.aspx) and I used them as a basis for my layout:

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