Weekend Update 7/4/2010

[John]

Some infrastructure work for me .. changed the battery on my DCS100, calibrated the voltage on the DCS100 and two DB150s. I also mounted the UR-91 receiver near the center of the room, up near the ceiling. Last ops session, the crew found a dead spot near the far end of the layout .. this should fix that.

Went to Kleins and picked up some C55 crossings, a curved C55 turnout, and a bunch of MT couplers ..

[NorfolkSouthern9708]

Umm lol two great minds think alike. Can you delete my thread now? Thank you. 

[conrail98]

I've got the 2nd of the 3 walls for the train room up (train cubicle?   ). Hoping to build the 3rd while I stain some furniture and get it up today or tomorrow. I'll post pics whenever it's done,

Phil

[Bob Bufkin]

Tore up and relaid some curves so my new MT heavyweights run properly.  Also worked on a couple MT single story military barracks.

[NorfolkSouthern9708]

Got two Atlas Code 55 #10s for less than $10 each.

[wm3798]

Here's the progress on the Thomas Sub as promised...


An overview I took of the new storage tracks... mostly for the reference of the track plan draftsman...

And the scene is starting to come into focus now that I've moved all the tools off the roadbed...




Now if you'll excuse me, I have to start the grill... there's a brisket to smoke.

Lee

[eric220]

June 23, in the wee hours of the morning in Sunnyside Yard.  The crew of BS-10 5917 has just finished making up what would be a normal Pennsylvania Limited consist, except normally the Pennsylvania Limited left Penn Station at 9:30 PM, not 4:30 AM.



This train was due for something special.  In the waning days of steam, some of the PRR directors had arranged for this train, dubbed the Pennsylvania Special, to do a tour of the mid atlantic under steam power.  The original plan had been for a short, private train hauled by one of the PRR's iconic K4's sticking strictly to PRR territory, but the PR department convinced the powers that be to change their plans.  The train was lengthened to a standard Limited consist, and the itinerary for the Special was expanded to carry the train over three different railroads.  Executives and VIPs from each railroad were invited for a relaxing two-day ride over the hills and flats of Pennsylvania and Maryland aboard the best that the PRR had to offer.

After leaving New York and running virtually empty to Philadelphia, the Special pulled into Pennsylvania Station at 30th St. around 6:00 in the morning amid thin fog and a light rain.  After the PRR's VIP party and guests boarded, the Special continued west to Harrisburg.



Arriving in Harrisburg, the GG-1 that hauled the train through the more heavily populated eastern seaboard meets its replacement, GG-2 7277, which would handle the train for the rest of its journey.  The fog had let up and the rain had stopped, but the sky remained overcast.



After the power change, the Special pulled out of Harrisburg heading for its first leg of the journey over familiar track.



Over the next three weeks, I will follow the journey of the Pennsylvania Special, over a real-world two-day tour through Pennsylvania and Maryland that it took a week and a half ago.

[DKS]

Fine-tuned my modded 3mm switch, and ran some tests:

Also dummied-in a siding for my little roundy-round suitcase layout:
 

[up1950s]

 

 

 

 

 

[bbussey]

Moved into the construction phase of a joint project with Chris.  Erie/B&M milk car.

[BCR 570]

Progress continues on the helix occupancy circuit this week.  First up - soldering the infra red LED emitters to their 430 ohm resistors:




Next - soldering the companion LED detectors to their lead wires:




Here are the green LED indicators soldered to their lead wires:




The leads for the emitters, detectors and indicators will be brought down to a central circuit board which has been completed.  It comprises a terminal strip, LED power indicator, capacitor, resistors and transistors:




The indicators will be positioned in a panel out on the fascia in front of the helix.  The holes are sized to accommodate a plastic bezel which will hold the LEDs in place.  Here is what the panel  looks like:




I would like to thank my friend Doug Hicks for his assistance with this project, and Brad Hext who cut the lamicoid indicator panel for me.

Meanwhile, over in the car shop (aka the model desk), work has begun on some Kaslo Shops 100-Ton rotary gondolas:




Some minor filling work was underway when these photographs were taken.  These cars offered an opportunity to try out the new BLMA 100-Ton trucks:




Thats it for me this week.

Tim

[inkaneer]

Meanwhile, over in the car shop (aka the model desk), work has begun on some Kaslo Shops 100-Ton rotary gondolas:




Some minor filling work was underway when these photographs were taken.  These cars offered an opportunity to try out the new BLMA 100-Ton trucks:




Thats it for me this week.

Tim

Have you determined a minimum radius for those cars?  I ask because in the second photo it appears there is not much space for the truck to turn before the wheel hits the center sill.

[BCRail_FSJ]

Took some photos of completed models on the bridge....



Also began work on kitbashing a 60 ft BC Rail combo door boxcar.   It requires some major surgery.  Ribs still need to be removed from the wide door.. then filling cracks and more sanding.

[BCR 570]

Have you determined a minimum radius for those cars?  I ask because in the second photo it appears there is not much space for the truck to turn before the wheel hits the center sill.

Very observant.  Actually it is not the centre sill which was of concern to me in this regard, but rather the coupler box which is significantly wider and is fairly close to the wheels.  Fortunately the cars negotiate the 16" radius in my helix without any issues, and that will be the sharpest curve on my layout.  I do not think that they would negotiate anything sharper than a 15" radius, however as the wheels would likely rub against the coupler box.  The arrangement of the draft gear and end sills on these cars presented quite a challenge during engineering of the kit, and I can see that it was tricky to arrive at an arrangement which was functional from a model perspective yet still prototypical in appearance.


Andy:  Looking fine!  Which brand of filler are you using?


Tim

[rochsub]

Did some road construction and highway bridge work. For more information go to http://genevasub.blogspot.com