Tehachapi, BC

[GaryHinshaw]

I was thinking more mad scientist.  But in any event, I need a haircut! 

[C855B]

I was thinking more mad scientist. ...

Or at least mildly aggravated. 

[GaryHinshaw]

Session #10

TBC is approaching the 4-year mark since it hosted its first operating session.  Up until this year, we've only had 5 total (roughly one a year), but this year we've had 5 since April, as things get fleshed out for the upcoming Vanrail sessions in September.  Last Thursday we had session #10 with Bill Dixon, Brian Dobbin (dispatching), Tim Horton ( @BCR 570 ), Len Thompson and, for the second session in a row, Scott Lamoureux ( @Scottl ) visiting from Ontario.

Improvements since the previous session on May 30 include:
* Block detection enabled on the lower deck from Woodford down to Magunden, with 9 of 9 Watchman boards now installed and programmed (but not all blocks fully connected yet).  We now have CTC over 90% of the mainline.
* A few more turnouts under power, including Magunden crossover, with 8 of 9 Motorman boards now installed and programmed.
* A temporary crossover at Sandcut, until a hand-laid one is finished.

Degradations since May 30:
* Somehow my DCS100 command station bit the dust a few days ago.  It simply stopped being able to allocate slots for mobile decoders (locos), rendering it useless for running trains.  Oddly, its ability to control stationary decoders, track power, etc. was intact.  It is being sent in for repair.
* I was able to swap in my DB150 as a replacement command station, but it wasn't until the day of the session that I realized that the DB150 maxes out at 22 slots (locos), which is about half of what I wanted for this session.  Now I'm stressed out!  Fortunately I mentioned the issue in my prep notes to the crew and both Len and Bill offered loaner stations until mine is returned.  When Bill arrived, I swapped his loaner in place and re-consisted everything in real time.  This delayed the start of the session for almost an hour.  Fortunately it was a lovely evening, so most of the crew sat on the patio having drinks and shooting the bull while they waited. 

Brian Dobbin was the dispatcher for the evening and he did a very capable job of keeping the Hill fluid, despite the brand-new CTC technology.  The crew once again used tablet panels to read signal indication - our placeholder until hardware signals arrive.  About half of the road crew used phone throttles, the other half used Digitrax. 

Here are a few shots from the evening.  (Please pardon the marginal image quality...)  Tim brings a manifest down the east slope, past the site of a recent brush fire, while Scott looks on:



Brian dispatches (from within the room, for now), while Scott and Len bring a heavy grain train down the Hill:



Scott is manning the rear helper, so he's keeping a close eye on the slack as the train meets a baretable at Allard:



A short BNSF train descends towards Woodford while Tim - sporting a dashing BNSF polo shirt - mans a train near Summit, across the room:



One head and one body:




Immersion:

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Brian managed to arrange for a rolling meet of two stack trains at Walong:



much to the delight of his road crews:



[This picture makes me smile.]

Finally, Bill brings his train into Bakersfield, while the superintendent - still in need of a haircut - ends his shift with a beer:



Now please, picture all this with scenery and better photography. 

[mark dance]

Thar looks like a lot of fun Gary!  Nice work...I am sure it is very satisfying to see your dream coming to life with a crew.

I am sorry to hear about the DCC angst...this too shall pass

md

[Santa Fe Guy]

Always good to get the crew over for an ops session.
Rod.

[GaryHinshaw]

One more photo from last week's session, courtesy of Tim.  I think this one calls for a caption contest.   

[jagged ben]

The RR-Cirkits components peaking out from underneath the vortex sure do look like flux capacitors.

[Smike]

Great update! Great choice in malty beverage too 

This layout could end up being the most technology driven layout out there. 

[mark dance]

One more photo from last week's session, courtesy of Tim.  I think this one calls for a caption contest.   

From:  NRC/IRAP grant application 

Applicant Researcher: Dr. G. Hinshaw, UBC 

Hypothesis to be tested: As the tangential speed of orbiting but contra-moving scale trains approaches c, theory suggests a symmetrical shock wave should radially collapse causing fusion at the mid-line and a distortion in the scale-time hobby continuum.

Funding sought: 10M$C (a bargain in US$)

In-Kind funding: more plywood then you can shake a stick at and the collective genius of TRW.

[Philip H]

Here we see the rare BC Railroad Troll emerging from its helix like nest.

[GaryHinshaw]

This layout could end up being the most technology driven layout out there.

Well, not by a long shot, but thanks for the kind words.

As the tangential speed of orbiting but contra-moving scale trains approaches c, theory suggests a symmetrical shock wave should radially collapse causing fusion at the mid-line and a distortion in the scale-time hobby continuum.

This sounds like some of the theories I get sent by email. 

Here we see the rare BC Railroad Troll emerging from its helix like nest.

And this sounds like something my wife would say if I've been in the "shed" for too long.

[SirTainly]

Great progress since I saw it last! Looking forward to seeing you start on scenery if I'm honest, I know the results will be good.

PS beer doesn't come in 330ml cans

PPS good beer doesn't come in cans at all!

PPPS I can no longer even drink beer

[GaryHinshaw]

Looking forward to seeing you start on scenery if I'm honest.

Me too!!!!  For better or worse, I'm pushing that off until I have the bulk of the wiring and track-laying complete.  That time is now within sight though:  I've nearly completed the block detection wiring and I only have a dozen or so more mainline turnouts to hand-lay and tortoises to install, then the real fun will start.

I can no longer even drink beer

 

[GaryHinshaw]

Countdown to VanRail 2017

Wow, I have spent all of my available hobby time this summer hunkered down in the "shed" getting ready for Vanrail, an invitational ops group that descends on Vancouver this weekend (Fri-Sun, Sep 8-10).  I will be hosting two sessions: Fri afternoon and Sat morning, so I have been obsessively going through a punch list of tasks in an effort to ensure reliable running for this event.  Nothing very photo-worthy, alas, but here is the August update, in no particular order:

* Glued down about half of the lower deck mainline track (with super-elevation).  The remainder is just tacked down until I complete some more hand-laid turnouts.

* Completed block detection wiring of the mainline from Kern Junction to the Mojave crossover.  This enables proper CTC control of the full mainline with CATS.  I still need to add detection at CP Kern and CP Mojave, to make the DS's life easier, but that must wait.

* Updated the virtual signals in PanelPro to work in concert with CATS.  We will run these sessions with signal aspects read off the fascia-mounted tablets.  Hardware signals have to wait.

* Replaced my DCS100 command station, which failed unceremoniously in June.  I have a loaner from Central Hobbies on standby, just in case.  Also replaced two failed Motorman cards (and still trying to understand why they failed).

* Cleaned the mechanisms and wheels on ~30 locos, and reprogrammed speed curves on all of them for better throttle control.

* Outfitted ~150 cars with resistor-equipped FVM wheels - 1 axle per car.  This is a bit time-consuming because I polish the treads on all the wheels to ensure good rail electrical contact.  With this prep, I detect 1 car in a block with ~90% reliability, and 2 cars in a block with ~100% reliability (and, of course locos are always detected).  About half the trains we'll run this session will have all their cars so-equipped.  This makes the DS's life substantially easier.

* Hosted two more dry run sessions in August: #'s 11 and 12.  This makes the Friday Vanrail session #13.... 

* Generated and sent out some new documentation about the layout so the guests could get a better idea of what to expect.

* Cut and mounted ~65 linear feet of hardboard fascia to trim out the layout a bit.  Also added printed signs to indicate locations of signalled control points.



Now I just hope the "heat wave" we have been having this week breaks on Friday, as per the forecast.  (Temps have only been pushing 80 F, but the garage gets a bit stuffy in those conditions, especially with 6 people in it.

Thanks for looking.  I hope to catch up with the rest of TRW before too long...

[ednadolski]

Amazing progress, Gary.  Remarkable transformation from the first pic:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ctARgg5wj1g/TgPODUH5-1I/AAAAAAAADU4/0bjaj5uJgp8/s800/DSCN0667.jpg


Ed