CSX Hanover Subdivision 3.0

[Ed Kapuscinski]

This makes me so happy.

[davefoxx]

Me, too.  I’ve operated in that yard on both sides of the Chesapeake Bay, and I hope to one day be able to say that I ran on it on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line.

DFF

[mu26aeh]

@davefoxx  Gotta tell @Ed Kapuscinski to get cracking on layout planning 🤣  I'm just going to start randomly building benchwork and filling the gaps 😅

[davefoxx]

@davefoxx  Gotta tell @Ed Kapuscinski to get cracking on layout planning 🤣  I'm just going to start randomly building benchwork and filling the gaps 😅

Haha!  He’s not done yet?  Might be time to farm it out to a different contractor. 😉

DFF

[mu26aeh]

My guess is he's actually had constructive zoom meetings 

[wm3798]

How do you think I feel?  I haven't had anything grow 10" and still work in YEARS!

Outstanding work, Grass Hopper.  Now, to map out a place for that train to go!

All the best,
Lee

[mu26aeh]

I ran a few new feeders, ran new bus lines and all new connections to that using T-taps.  Those things are pretty slick.  Part of the day was spent trying to get throw rods and slide switches to come together for the turnout control.  I figured 1 out but gave up on the other.  It's an easy access with nice open area under benchwork, figured I'd work on that another day.  I had already gotten the west end of the yard wired up and tested over the last week, so finished up the wiring on the east end.  I probably should have tested that side independently of the other but figured what the hell, I'm rolling the dice.  I mounted the base cabinets to the wall, and heaved up the benchwork for the 2 halves up and screwed them fast to the wall as well.  Bridged the gap with few benchwork splices and laid in the track between the 2 sides.  Connected the bus wire between the 2 halves and had the feeling that Clark Griswold had as he put the extension cords together.  Fire up the ol DCS50 and apply track power.  Silence.  No smoke.  No beeping.  No display screen going on a blitz.  Took my 2 CF7s and proceeded to run back and forth across all the tracks, thru all the turnouts.  Everything ran fine except for 2 turnouts.  1 was really confusing at first, between it has no power to the frog, or even a slide switch, but was still causing a short.  Started comparing the problem turnout to others nearby and noticed the gaps on the offending turnout were really tight compared to others.  So I sandwiched my xacto blade into the gaps and opened they up.  Ran train back thru and no issues !  The other turnout I guess I have the polarity reversed on the slide switch as the track shorts out as the engines head into an open switch.  If I throw the turnout against the train, it proceeds thru the turnout ending in a derailment.  I'll work on that tomorrow.  In the meantime, I did manage to shoot a short video showing the CF7s (randgust kits) firing up and going across the west end

[davefoxx]

Adam,

Kudos on finding the cause of the short.  Get some styrene in that gap, to prevent that rail from moving back into a bad position.

DFF

[mu26aeh]

Had a buddy over today and did a shake down on the entire yard.  Simply flipped around the slide switch and corrected the polarity problem.  Have a couple dead spots to correct where a turnout had to be replaced but good to go pretty much everywhere else !

[wm3798]

I'm going to have to write an article about the Brotherhood of the Travelling Yard...
The full history actually pre-dates me.  Almost all of the track and turnouts in the yard came to me from Jerry Britton after he tore down his N scale layout and converted to HO.  That's how I was able to build so quickly on such a meager budget.  And the turnout controls with the click pens were inspired by the work of Kevin Beck @justTRAINcRaZy who in turn followed an article in one of the magazines for his build.

Good to see it up and running... AGAIN!!  I'll have to build a new slug for my BL-2 so it can get back to work!

All the best,
Lee

[davefoxx]

What happened to the old slug, @wm3798?

DFF

[wm3798]

Regrettably I had to sell it to pay bills after The Great Migration.  I kept one BL2 with DCC, and I also have one of each WM paint schemes in DC.

Lee

[mu26aeh]

A trip to Ginos and @Ed Kapuscinski house resulted in an IOU for a turnout to replace one that was out of service.  I got it installed and all yard tracks are now back in service.



Still need to get a throw mounted for the next turnout over.  Ed added these two tracks as power tracks.  I've decided to leave them in place, but remove the turnout from the other end and shorten them slightly.  They will house a grain facility on the back side of Lincoln Yard.  Those style grain bins are not readily available in N scale, but Model Train Industrials does have 2 different versions on their Shapeways shop though rather pricey even in the lower grade plastic/resin

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9472969,-76.7746843,145m/data=!3m1!1e3

https://www.shapeways.com/product/2SA9SAZCD/n-scale-45-degree-24-diameter-x-55-4-quot-high-b?optionId=128855077&li=shops

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Didn't IMEX do some bins like those?

[mu26aeh]

Don't think they're even close to tall/large enough.  Might still have to go HO