tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72253255112807447712024-03-14T05:21:44.276-07:00Espee Oregon DivisionCascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-37561941755886462632024-01-28T08:07:00.000-08:002024-03-09T17:18:33.677-08:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJNbaDllI66HEQLjVMYutZ8zf80WvzBVHZmjRvIVGnLp_d5rfOt_1H8J2w7TwIYN-nCxWevAXkSnK_D3sA-K9y82znMAHcV8RnIrLZM3OfAStNiX19-udh2cVczd4f7iYd__JBEONyA5wHQ1LauH0cS70CnH_v7Zs5D8RAnPMTTQPrOPk8GlQA51ehMY/s2278/1BD41D9C-EF95-431A-ABD1-2B0742A6A607.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1450" data-original-width="2278" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJNbaDllI66HEQLjVMYutZ8zf80WvzBVHZmjRvIVGnLp_d5rfOt_1H8J2w7TwIYN-nCxWevAXkSnK_D3sA-K9y82znMAHcV8RnIrLZM3OfAStNiX19-udh2cVczd4f7iYd__JBEONyA5wHQ1LauH0cS70CnH_v7Zs5D8RAnPMTTQPrOPk8GlQA51ehMY/s320/1BD41D9C-EF95-431A-ABD1-2B0742A6A607.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_p6qlJTYq786laQuj0ivAeAi8J7cdjdXGoZTgJqdU5hlRb1jmZqQb5wis7GvF7gfgSpNo122_fq3MY6d_TJnlUUwZ3sRop7dz74U-AhFd73p5bzNsVUZZfyZgXrXrohZJdUrNVEyHd1PYcurBHxIzR4MPTuFJqiKR8m6TSBUp44hx3m1heNbL_cAv0U/s2172/034AD680-FFA5-4824-B726-67F8E10509ED.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1522" data-original-width="2172" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_p6qlJTYq786laQuj0ivAeAi8J7cdjdXGoZTgJqdU5hlRb1jmZqQb5wis7GvF7gfgSpNo122_fq3MY6d_TJnlUUwZ3sRop7dz74U-AhFd73p5bzNsVUZZfyZgXrXrohZJdUrNVEyHd1PYcurBHxIzR4MPTuFJqiKR8m6TSBUp44hx3m1heNbL_cAv0U/s320/034AD680-FFA5-4824-B726-67F8E10509ED.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrCApuQzSylQMZoXPZmLewtHBoSuD_d00XQ9yGB5Vq3cxoQikpbDLwim3Ni7t21Qlh2ZxI34Jpy7rieI0hrw6x_7DCOV9rvA_B3bAh21yAsjMAvmEAsi1AzG6Lsplm_PWmSg4Fjcu4aiJLVn3NcNYJ4cBehJ-4oJ11xY1BScD_kdA9fytk_yR81Z79T8/s2232/571BB3D9-DA5A-4FAF-9CE6-7DFD009E918A.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1480" data-original-width="2232" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrCApuQzSylQMZoXPZmLewtHBoSuD_d00XQ9yGB5Vq3cxoQikpbDLwim3Ni7t21Qlh2ZxI34Jpy7rieI0hrw6x_7DCOV9rvA_B3bAh21yAsjMAvmEAsi1AzG6Lsplm_PWmSg4Fjcu4aiJLVn3NcNYJ4cBehJ-4oJ11xY1BScD_kdA9fytk_yR81Z79T8/s320/571BB3D9-DA5A-4FAF-9CE6-7DFD009E918A.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3gt0rgwWRW6myL_hN9HWC1-tudapmWD-W5KHMoWkqvgGQyCDE2ZOB7dZgV7mkHNykec01Vwb-HAZsFtvOjjiag__8KjsG6LXrSf8QUSw6srRu4Gvmqh3d8ozXtDciktJgyrt8CwXoOR-z_tS0xFyjanG_PBfOe5osReqt9iEkeiwu3Xv2C5RYQht1iQ/s2252/E1783757-F43D-44C2-909C-0B500AA9425E.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1466" data-original-width="2252" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3gt0rgwWRW6myL_hN9HWC1-tudapmWD-W5KHMoWkqvgGQyCDE2ZOB7dZgV7mkHNykec01Vwb-HAZsFtvOjjiag__8KjsG6LXrSf8QUSw6srRu4Gvmqh3d8ozXtDciktJgyrt8CwXoOR-z_tS0xFyjanG_PBfOe5osReqt9iEkeiwu3Xv2C5RYQht1iQ/s320/E1783757-F43D-44C2-909C-0B500AA9425E.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-19091324762943855732020-08-13T00:17:00.000-07:002024-03-09T17:18:31.739-08:00Lumber Mill Structures<br />
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<span class="s1">I have reworked some of the trackage for my Pope and Talbot lumber mill at Oakridge. There are now two tracks in the back to handle the increase of woodchip traffic that JMRI Ops (generated switchlists) needed to keep car flow moving. The track arrangement is actually closer to the original SPINS configuration this way (my only current view of what trackage looked like) Was happy to find Republic Locomotive Works still offered their (laser) woodchip loader that I needed to have a matching pair. </span><br />
<span class="s1">Still begging for some stain</span></div>
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<span class="s1"> I also picked up one of their bin loaders for my planned fleet of chip truck haulers (Hello, Trainworx?). This was another laser wood kit that I still have to add the ladders onto, but its got a coat of green paint (since this shot) and getting close to completion. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">I also relocated a couple other tracks which made more room for placement of my loading warehouse kitbash. It was a combination of two Bingen kits from Reiten Models (well executed laser wood kit). </span></div>
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<span class="s1">The mill property fills a corner that was landscaped with hardshell scenery. It has recently had the stark white plaster covered with some ground color (ha, it could be 20 years old at this point). I relocated the Walthers lumber mill (another unfinished kitbash) from where the warehouse sits more to the front since its footprint wasnt playing nice for operator access (I wish it had been more feasible to invert it the opposite configuration). Eventually there will be an array of pneumatic tubes blowing sawdust to all the loaders and the slash burner. Pondering where to cut in a service road as the whole plant is currently land locked...</span></div>
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Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-26359637935412910882020-08-12T13:06:00.000-07:002024-03-09T17:18:32.230-08:00Hampton Bridge<div class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
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<span class="s1">SP’s Willamette river crossing at the tail of Lookout Point Reservoir was via three through truss sections (basically) in the middle of three plate girder sections. </span></div>
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Ron Harr image:</div>
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<span class="s1">Space on the layout here only permitted half that, with one thru truss and a plate girder on each side of that. It was hard for me to follow through on construction due to the model being so condensed, but I continued to persevere through with an attempt to Espee-ize the more prominent components.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">For construction, minor modifications to the Atlas (early style) plate girder bridges entailed raising the roadbed, and adding gussets on the inside of the plate girders. I modified the Atlas (late version) thru truss bridge from an open deck to a ballasted deck, and added handrailing on both sides.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"> I also reworked the shape of the portal openings, which regained lost clearance from the ballasted deck conversion. Other mods included adding plates where the bridge sections are connected together, and Micro Engineering cast metal bridge feet. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">This bridge is part of the overall scene that includes the west end of Hampton siding, an important addition to operations of the layout. The opening behind the bridge is to help crews view train clearances and signal indications from opposing sides. Eventually a tree line will mostly obscure the opening in an effort to keep the scene fluid. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">I still need to modify the styrene bridge piers that Art built to accept the offset foot patterns, and paint the overall structure, then ballast will go in after the ground cover. </span></div>
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Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-78088582022392456752020-08-11T12:13:00.000-07:002024-03-09T17:18:36.179-08:00Eugene Yard Structures<br />
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<span class="s1"> With scenery having progressed through the yard area now, I have begun working on some related structures. The bigger projects to come will be the engine house and sand towers around the diesel service area. Meanwhile I have a few of the DeLuxe office / maintenance sheds, and a BLMA yard office filling some open space, but needed more structures to bring things alive. So I pulled out a couple brass Alkem yard light tower kits that had been sitting in a box for years. They arent perfect for what Espee had in this yard, but I was ok with them for now until something better comes along (or I want to take the time to scratchbuild new top sections). It was a bit of a challenge for me in getting the tower sections bent. I cobbled together some straight edges and clamps to hold things square while I proceeded through the bends, but felt uneasy about making the wrong move due to lack of proper tools. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Luckily things went well, and the rest of the project fell together pretty smoothly. I soldered the larger sections that were readily accessible and used ACC for assembly of the finer details. I built two of these kits together in an effort to be more productive with the assembly process. The lamp holders still need to be bent into shape, and then they will receive some black paint. They each have a home on opposing ends of the yard. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">While I had sharpened my skills with these kits, it was a good time to drag out a pair of old brass yard tower kits I had from Traincat. These were a close match to what was on Espee’s property back in the day.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">With these kits being a bit more complicated, I decided to get a 3-1/2” metal seamer tool from Harbor Freight, to ensure each bend was sharp and square. See link </span><a href="https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=3%201/2%E2%80%9D%20hand%20seamer" target="_blank">Hand Seamer</a>.<span class="s1" style="font-size: 17px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 17px;">I would have preferred a few more line up keys on some steps of the overall kit, but they were fun projects to build otherwise. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxHaAiMMBBwxrzPvx9-vfWA7qTJbqOY7cPLks-vXOdme3DM-j7fx-gg0WFh2o57nfxvKyXfDAMgx4jR01406EZbEhEMlqaqUNFmQvhY2fiCxLJbyWnHFvSdTo8TvuyCFdGOiGwlPoTTU/s1600/535F4596-DA1A-4445-A1EC-444534F08EA3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxHaAiMMBBwxrzPvx9-vfWA7qTJbqOY7cPLks-vXOdme3DM-j7fx-gg0WFh2o57nfxvKyXfDAMgx4jR01406EZbEhEMlqaqUNFmQvhY2fiCxLJbyWnHFvSdTo8TvuyCFdGOiGwlPoTTU/s320/535F4596-DA1A-4445-A1EC-444534F08EA3.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="s1">I have all the glass cut out and ready for Alclad tinting, and I recently picked up the Vallejo paint colors for both these projects. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">East end Eugene Yard</span></div>
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<span class="s1">You can barely see the other family members at the opposite end of the yard.</span></div>
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Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-54371265561443457052020-08-10T06:53:00.000-07:002024-03-09T17:18:34.542-08:00Scenery Progress<span style="font-size: 17px;">The layout has been neglected scenery wise for far too long. I just</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> seemed to get stuck in a rut daunted by all the rough scenery everywhere, and couldnt seem to make any progress. </span><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: center;">Art offered to help out, and over a number of visits we got a large swath of foam base contouring done with his hot knives (before the covid hit). Thanks Art!</span><span class="s1" style="font-size: 17px; text-align: center;"></span><span style="font-size: 17px; text-align: center;"> I have been progressing with renewed enthusiasm ever since. One of the main reasons I switched from hardshell plaster to the extruded foam was to make it easier for planting trees. Even using silicone caulk in between blocks was of concern in this regard, so I used Loctite expanding foam in a can where possible. Most minor carving was done with a knife, and final contouring was done with rough and med grades of sandpaper. Minimal filling was also done with Sculptamold and Dap lightweight spackle. </span><br />
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<span class="s1">Basic scenery has finally made completion around both decks of the layout including a coat of earth color tone. No more white plaster or pink foam showing anywhere... but still lots of scenery work to do. I find myself falling back in my old ways from the construction industry, where everything needs to be done in a production line mentality for efficiency. So part of the basic scenes need to be completed before I want to proceed with ground cover. This had me working on a number of bridge projects, the wood trestle, a through truss / plate girder bridge (that post is in draft), and three (of four) highway overpasses. The highway overpasses were the last major scenic hurdle in completing the basic scenery. All are Rix kits with the ends slightly modified to adapt better to my abutment configurations, </span><span class="s1">and are near ready for paint. The current state of bridge progress finally brings to light my original plans on coping with entry into the helix, and the return loop. Original construction had the track entering the helix with the ground foam extending on the opposite side of the backdrop, with the intent of lighting the opposing side, but I have since retracted on feeling there was a need over how it has evolved at this point. I used a light black paint under the bridges to fill in between the bridge piers adjacent to the portholes as needed. </span>I dont find it as offensive as I once thought it would be having the track disappear into carefully placed blackness under the bridge(s). Contouring the scenery to work with these was a bit of a scenic hurdle for me, but I can finally see what I had originally designed over 20 years ago (sic)!<br />
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<span class="s1"></span>This is the entry into the helix on the lower deck that had stumped my enthusiasm for years<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSoOzyR74HIjRt3Wprrbp7POd2Y5zkyG59BEd0OOvL28ZBTBctUx32_osq7JD1DvnJXT6aPKvKY8vVvocznvn364nCkZ9dVj9qOIQMLJlKEdKOgdMfTAV0iZ8JAHW1PjeclO0PB8TKlfs/s1600/42867E36-5023-47A6-9761-1D2A575B2264.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSoOzyR74HIjRt3Wprrbp7POd2Y5zkyG59BEd0OOvL28ZBTBctUx32_osq7JD1DvnJXT6aPKvKY8vVvocznvn364nCkZ9dVj9qOIQMLJlKEdKOgdMfTAV0iZ8JAHW1PjeclO0PB8TKlfs/s320/42867E36-5023-47A6-9761-1D2A575B2264.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And where it has progressed to so far (I am not liking how tall the concrete supports are and will have to partially block their view in hopes of masking them a bit...)<br />
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Glenwood Blvd (cheating a bit) will run the length of the backdrop here, behind the trees/foliage. There are actually two bridges I needed to install to deal with the backdrop.<br />
Before<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMdHa8rBfW0CtE1-CaSETsV6_CcYr1jnQckB7wqXrBxkCPp_m2c_EhXFyFxB1bs1CYUk3N-_oxnFwYDar-l-pfFLLdhUL8tSyaORP5gcJVO7bBocVxvNAQN7Q4wwwhzhjBSB2TpR5gAo/s1600/21C66C3E-DF1C-44A0-B5CF-E9E0AE8C5B53.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAMdHa8rBfW0CtE1-CaSETsV6_CcYr1jnQckB7wqXrBxkCPp_m2c_EhXFyFxB1bs1CYUk3N-_oxnFwYDar-l-pfFLLdhUL8tSyaORP5gcJVO7bBocVxvNAQN7Q4wwwhzhjBSB2TpR5gAo/s320/21C66C3E-DF1C-44A0-B5CF-E9E0AE8C5B53.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After</div>
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And the other overpass in back (needs a bit more after lookin at that shot)</div>
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Early overall shot of the return loop<br />
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Almost ready to pave the road and add ground cover</div>
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The Supertrees are itchin to find a home<br />
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Get er done already...</div>
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Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-31411705065023644992020-08-09T18:21:00.000-07:002024-03-09T17:18:33.190-08:00Ballasted Deck Trestle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The bridge at Springfield Jct is an unknown structure to most, that crosses a mostly dry wash. I needed it to break up the bland scene of thick trees/foliage that will disguise <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">the Siskiyou Sub actually being a stub track. On a</span>ll my previous bridge builds I had cut out the full length of plywood roadbed when the time came to actually install the bridge. It was always a pain to cut, and without damaging anything. This time I wanted to preserve the integrity of the track already in place, and I tried a different method. Art helped me thin down the existing plywood layers from underneath with an oscillating tool. Then I used a combination of extruded foam and Sculptamold to rough in the scene. </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">A </span>facade deck would be layered onto the edge of the existing plywood roadbed. This was a bit more entertaining with the bridge on a curve as opposing sides were different lengths/spacing, and would not hold shape while gluing bowed deck sections.<br />
The mockup:<br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">I used SP Common Standards to figure construction and lumber standards. I ordered the scale lumber from Kappler, and used a Minwax walnut stain marker to represent the look of creosote. I built up a quick template to mass produce the bents, and</span> another for the end railings as they ended up being tedious to build (then had to do them all twice due to measuring error).<br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">The deck/handrail sections were glued with contact cement to allow time to position them. I realized halfway through the project that the prototype had raised the ballast at some point and cut the wood railings, replacing them with unistrut and cables. I ended up installing the wood railings on mine as I much preferred the original look, even though I still had to move forward with the raised deck. </span>More extruded foam was used to fill in the large gaps below the timber bulkheads, to help calculate the length of the shorter bents, while preserving the needed slope of the bank. The wash will get an extra thick layer of dirt to basically hide all but a few of the concrete foundations. This is the only wood bridge I have built, and adds to the variety of different bridge types on the layout. </div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Looking forward to when the deck can be ballasted.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span>Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-59911939846364148462020-08-08T10:08:00.000-07:002024-03-09T17:18:34.946-08:00LokSound Decoder Projects<br />
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<span style="font-size: 17px;">The number of locos in the sound fleet continues to grow.</span><span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span> <span style="font-size: 17px;">I am up to seven units with ESU LokSound decoders now. All new sound installs have been getting the 73100 Select Direct Micro with a 9x16 speaker/enclosure. Not sure what Im going to do with the loss of their hardwired short board going to the Next18 connector, but I have been able to get the 73100 board into all my needed six axle conversions... so far (Hello ESU?). With the size of the active fleet making it difficult to put sound in all units, the short term goal has been to at least get one sound unit in each lashup. Typically I run the sound unit as second in consist so the overall sound is coming from the “train” rather than just the lead unit, but really they all Need sound. As a result I have not been taking the time to complete the full SP light packages as on some before, but am planning eventually to finish the fleet in one mass production line someday... The easiest install has been the IM tunnel motors with basically a plug and play install, vs a couple most difficult old school Kato units that I had to do more grinding on the frame halves, to fit the board above/between the motor saddles. Just amazing what a jump in quality these are from my first Dgtrx sound installs, as these all run and sound just great. </span>I was thinking I would have to add more capacitors to keep all these from cutting out when I first started, but I have not had any problems as long as I keep to the normal layout ops cleaning regimen. <span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span>I have been wiring the power feeds a bit different in an effort to keep cutout risk down to a minimum.</div>
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<span class="s1">A 73100 specimen ready for implant into an Atlas SD9</span></div>
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<span class="s1">How the above looks after install (power feed routing seen adjacent to speaker)</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Results on a Kato SD40’s Guts</span></div>
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<span class="s1"> The Kato U33C Grind (similar process on the SD40 also)</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 23px;">The tightest fit due to caps has been on the U33C</span><br />
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<span class="s1">One of my old favorites, especially now with its FDL-16 chug</span></div>
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Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-40387274831330106612020-08-07T15:59:00.002-07:002024-03-09T17:18:33.759-08:00Box car fleet additions<br />
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<span class="s1">Since</span><span class="s1"> the China factory shutdowns (and now Corona) the release of new products overall has been slow. Some of the backlog has finally started to hit the streets lately, but I have been getting frustrated from the lack of consistent product availability in N scale for quite some time (watching the HO scale pipeline isnt helping). I was happy to finally see the arrival of 4 new IM 50’ High Cube boxcars here, but the factory trucks and couplers just had to go. I </span>replaced them with med draft MT 1037's for now, as the cars came with short shank body mount couplers and 36" wheels (just wrong). I mostly like the cars otherwise (x-LBF molds), but at some point I will body mount the extended draft couplers on them. By adding these cars to the layout, I was able to retire another block of stand-in MT 50’ SP/SSW boxcars that had never been up to my standards, and at this point I really wanted to get rid of more. So I found 5 FVM 50’ FMC boxcars that had been forsaken on the back of my workbench that needed lowering. It was time to fix them and put my body mount Hydra-cushion couplers on them.<br />
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Before- you can see on the left how high these FVM double door boxcars rode as compared to a more accurate MDC/Roundhouse model </div>
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After- is the lowered FVM with new extended couplers on left, coupled to the same MDC box (which has MT 1037 coupler). Note the difference where the etched platform now is with the coupler flush up underneath. This was done by grinding off some on the bolster, insetting the underframe deeper into the body, and notching the shell to make room for the extended body mount coupler (see body mount page). The two cars have a different taper to the roof but are equal height at the peak.<br />
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The new fleet ready for assignment</div>
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<span class="s1">Yes, they need a good layer of tunnel smoke too</span><br />
<span class="s1">I still have about 20 retired MT 50’ DD SP /SSW boxcars for disposal, if anyone is interested </span></div>
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Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-28977450959271109362020-08-06T15:20:00.000-07:002024-03-09T17:18:33.026-08:00Kato SDP40F Issues<div class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
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Was struggling with repetitive stalling on one of my Kabo Kato LokSound units. Found that the OEM pc board that the Kobo installer soldered to, was barely making contact to one half of the frame via the board’s spring tension design, and that was no longer reliable. I ended up having to hardwire the decoder by tapping in a pair of 00-90 screws to fasten my own solder pads, which the power lead wires now connect to. </div>
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<span class="s1">The new pair of rectangular brass terminal blocks/solder pads installed:</span></div>
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<span class="s1">The final install with black and red power leads soldered to new terminal blocks:</span></div>
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<span class="s1">At one time I swore I would never model a passenger train on my layout. Not sure what happened but Amtrak’s Coast Starlight became an obsession over the years. I acquired rolling stock for the train(s) and started a couple kitbashes of this loco, then revisited a number of times over the years, but never followed through on the builds. Needless to say, but these locos look, run, and sound great, so really enjoying both my trains #11 and 14 now. The only missing car(s) in the trains are the Pullman Standard 44 seat leg rest coaches. Maybe Kato can come through on that one someday too...</span></div>
Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-28548782501606932962020-08-05T14:51:00.000-07:002024-03-09T17:18:32.475-08:00Removable Woodchip Loads<div class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
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<span class="s1">Been awhile since updating the blog (18 months), due mainly to planned obsolescence of devices and job justification of platform interfaces (ha), but hopefully have things working again so I can again share pics and bits of recent layout progress.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">One of the biggest stumbling blocks for the layout having a continuous operating scheme here (ending and restarting ops at any point), had been the large amount of woodchip car loadings. There are currently close to 40 chip cars on the layout moving between the paper mill, staging, and lumber mills. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>With all the non standard load sizes the chip cars required, it didnt seem very practical to utilize removable loads. Another issue was how to empty each of these cars without having to lift (or reposition) them from the layout, to avoid excessive handling. I had been restaging each car between sessions manually, which was a big pain anyway. I needed a way to load and unload the woodchips! <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>After diving into the use of JMRI Ops, I knew I had to figure a way to make the fleet of chip cars have interchangeable loads. The idea of staging identical car numbers and using the program to swap loads and empties sounded ok, but trying to acquire a loaded and empty version of each car number now days is dismal with manufacturers today releasing only one limited run of models (too late now). </span></div>
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<span class="s1">The solution was a magnetic chipload removal system, and a numbering scheme for each car and load that was still semi-interchangeable. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">I glued a steel piece of 16 ga steel to the underside on one end of each chip load. A nominal sized ceramic magnet lifts the load readily as long as the load is not too tight fitting. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">A block of pink foam was glued to the load to expedite loading, so that it would seat evenly and not fall too deep into the cars. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Since the load length was typical, but the width was not, I still had to number each car in a class to match loads numbered for multiple classes. This allows a variation of 4 different load types to fit multiple cars but mostly +/- one load tolerance size either way. I have a total of 6 load sizes (labeled as ABC, BCD, CDE, DEF), that fit those various car sizes. </span>This system has proven to be fairly user friendly, and pretty reliable so far. </div>
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<span class="s1">Cars move from industry via locals to yard, then via manifests to staging, and eventually reverse the process to destination for load exchange. There is always enough overlap between movements to allow the sessions to continue without loading/unloading interaction during ops.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Now we can run up to a full day of ops, and pick up where we left off with minimal interaction as compared to the restaging I had previously been saddled with. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">With the visible car load plan now working smooth, I returned to updating my latest revision of JMRI Ops, which has already been refined multiple times over the last couple years, but is finally working pretty well. I put a printer under the layout to actively print out manifests for easy access to new paperwork. Trying to deal with a full keyboard and monitor around the layout is at times necessary, but not very user friendly, so am also remotely running the Ops program from iphone to the printer with VNC during sessions. This allows manifests / switchlists to be printed for crews and the yardmaster as the trains arrive and depart. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Need to squeeze in a trial run utilizing the CATS program to notify JMRI that trains are arriving, so that the later will build trains automatically, with less me... </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Lots of projects to get caught up on here in print, but if this posts well </span>(already see some issues), I can resume postings again, or at least till technology gets ahead of me again.</div>
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Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-3928681476163917322019-01-19T15:21:00.000-08:002024-03-09T17:18:30.247-08:00Yard Panel ReplacementsIn an effort to complete the basic look of the layout, the temporary foam board yard panels needed to be replaced so the curtain project could finally be completed. The temp panels were just mounted to the facias with a few spacers, and were actually more durable than had been anticipated. They definitely fulfilled their purpose in getting the layout up and operating fast. <br />
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The original / temp E. Eugene Yard Panel:<br />
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Each of the new replacement panels were made up from two sections to allow ease of installation and maintenance. A hanger bracket, and the main panel section that simply screw together. I made templates for the overall design and hole patterns. Don cut and bent up the four steel panels at a 22 deg angle, so that they were more readily visible, yet didn't hang out into the aisle.<br />
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E. Eugene, W. Eugene, Portland, and Klamath Falls Panels:<br />
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Holes were drilled through the facia so the wires could pass through, as previously they were routed from under the facia, and were forcing the curtains to droop without support under the edge. With the new panels being so close in design, I was able to do a direct swap of the existing toggles.<br />
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Wiring up the new E. Eugene Yard Panel with bracket in place:<br />
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The panels were designed to bolt to the face of the facia, but hang over the front to allow the Velcro strip along the bottom to remain uninterrupted The felt curtains simply hang from the Velcro for ease of access under the layout. Foam board scraps finish off the sides to provide end caps. </div>
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Overhang to clear curtain access:</div>
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Nearing completion:</div>
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Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-44750959045936475132019-01-18T08:11:00.000-08:002024-03-09T17:18:34.220-08:00Bright BoysThe blog and layout have been dormant for over a year, partly due to needing a more active movement of cars without so much interaction. It was weiging me down, among other unrelated things / issues... I've been working on the JMRI Ops Switchlist program, and have it flowing fairly well now, but still need to get it printing out on to my original copies of Espee Commom Standard forms. But satisfied with where things were for now, it was time to run some trains again!<br />
So I was using the Bright boy to clean track, and noticed the track wasnt getting as clean as it used to. I could run my finger down the rails after cleaning, and still get heavy black marks on my finger. I thought I had pretty much solved that old problem of dragging dirt around the layout, but it was back again. Years ago I figured out the Bright boy needs to be actively cleaned all the time. I have been using an old carpet scrap of indoor / outdoor carpet to rub both sides of the Bright boy back to its original brown color. For years I had just been slapping the carpet on the edge of the bench to keep it clean. Lately I had thought my Bright boys were still pretty dark after their cleaning, and noticed that 5 year old carpet scrap staying pretty black too. Well I decided to try running the carpet over to the sink with some warm soapy water, and it cleaned right up. Now the Bright boys are looking like new again and actually cleaning again.<br />
Here's a quick vid on what kind of mileage you can get out of a Bright boy if you take care of it:<br />
<a href="https://youtu.be/ozZz-v8XDAI" target="_blank">Clean that Bright Boy</a><br />
Been working on some other projects that will post news on soon.<br />
<br />Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-7729540816266998742017-09-10T15:29:00.000-07:002024-03-09T17:18:30.574-08:00You Tube Vid - Layout OverviewNot much progress to report, as have been catching up on loose ends for the most part, along with a few operating sessions along the way.<br />
While preparing for next weekend's Ops Sess, I figured catch some footage of Amtrak's eastbound Coast Starlight running across the layout, and post it as an overall progress report of the layout at this point. Shows lots of baggage that needs to be attended to, and a lot of temporary states of completion needed to get by, but still having a good time with it after all these years... its slowly beginning to take shape. :)<br />
Grab an icy cold one and enjoy.<br />
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<br />Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-31820358229984855292017-04-28T22:55:00.000-07:002024-03-09T17:18:33.271-08:00Layout DCC Network UpgradesOur last ops session was way back in October due to some upgrade projects that have not played nice. We had a faulty UT4R throttle that was causing radio communications to get blocked, but was intermittent (not the known DT400R sleep issue). This had caused an unresolved set of issues but has now been ferreted out. Things appear to be stable once again. We have added a few more DT300R and UT4R throttles to the layout since putting the new Amtrak trains in service (and another manifest), so every power lashup still maintains its own dedicated throttle during Ops. We also retired an old DT100 throttle that was never very user friendly, since the addition of the new throttles. Thanks to Ted C for one of the 300's as a gift... which Ray was able to repair, along with a couple more of his throttle additions also. Yes we have a dedicated throttle for every consist, and each is stored at the yard office where the power set was last tied down. Operators dont need any button other than throttle speed, direction, and accessory functions, which makes it user friendly for new operators unfamiliar with Dgtrx, as well as eliminating the baggage that goes along with entry errors.<br />
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Basically we have two computers running the layout now. Windows no longer runs the signaling system, as Ray has set up a Rasperry Pi to run JMRI over a dedicated signal network. To do that, we split the Digitrax Loconet into two separate buses, which rendered the new Signaling network, and a Throttle network. The Signal Net runs from the RasPi through a Locobuffer terminator, and on to all the SE8C signal, BDL168 block detect, PSX circuit brkr, and Loco IO cards, along with a TC64 (more IO's). The Throttle Net runs with Windows and JMRI from either / or the Layout / House desktop, through another Locobuffer (PR3 depending which), to the DCS200, DB150 booster, UP5, UR91 receiver, BDL168 cards, and to a dedicated port that drops Railsync from all the throttles. The throttles are then powered by a dedicated 1 amp power supply to keep them stable (and prevent their batteries from discharging prematurely). <br />
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We ripped out all but one Dgtrx PM42 crt brkr card, and upgraded to PSX crt brkrs for all blocks other than internal yard tracks. This should stabilize sound unit drop out issues we were having when a short occurred on totally unrelated blocks across the layout.<br />
Funny, at the beginning of this layout build, all the wiring was so neat and thorough, but now we are short on real estate and have to fit in cards and devices wherever they may under Eugene Yard.... that has made for some less than stellar wiring practices as of late.... so no pics!<br />
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Unfortunately we lost 3 Win XP machines in the month of October to unrelated issues (AND a backup that was graciously provided failed on its monitor output)... wtf? Ray is trying to cobble parts together so we can revive one machine to put the Dispatch machine back in service for the spare bedroom (which also has been a server for hosting ATCS), but typically remote ops make that machine just a backup.<br />
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A test ops has been set up for this weekend, to give the layout a thorough workout... but its starting to turn into more like a full blown ops session as the date has gotten closer. I think we're good to go...<br />
<br />Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-7738576342030668452016-11-04T00:26:00.000-07:002024-03-09T17:18:30.654-08:00Backdrop progress I finally got all the layout backdrops installed and painted sky blue. I originally was going to utilize styrene sheets for backdrop material, but ended up going with Masonite for its stability, on almost the entire layout. I had thought styrene would be easier to paint on the bench and slide in after seeing how the foreground scenery was taking shape. As time went on I struggled with how to hang the sheets, and noted how other users had sagging and deformation issues with it. So I abandoned its use, and went with the Masonite, and painting directly on the drywall for the two remaining wall lengths. Havn't decided what to do with the roll-up door, but maybe someday I will hang a skyboard across its length also, so that there is at least blue sky instead of the white door... Seems like I do everything in the wrong order here (mostly due to the unforseen), so don't be surprised if someday I even hang valences over the layout after the fact...<br />
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The first place I focused on for additional backdrop detailing was a 14' stretch of drywall near Summit that I am painting directly on. This section has a viewing perspective where I just wanted a couple puffy clouds and a continuous tree line running its length to blend with the foregroumd trees. I thought this would be a good place to start developing my painting skills.<br />
I started with a scrap piece of masonite that was used for the skyboards and painted it the same latex color blue. Then I used the cloud templates to airbrush some Tamiya white clouds in. I cut pink foam strips to elevate the template so the clouds would end up with softer lines, and taped it in place.<br />
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I originally thought I would use multiple whites and grays, but just moving from heavy to lighter patches of white renders a pretty good effect. I wish the sets came with more of these smaller cloud templates, but I am thinking combine other templates to make additional small variations. Once content with the samples, I started applying my new found skills directy on the drywall. <br />
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Next I went back to the practice board to work on my treeline skills. I matched tree colors to some latex paint from the box store. I mixed final colors on a pallet and painted my practice treelines with a few feeble attempts. Color is one thing, but trying to find the right brush and get decent looking trees is an adventure. Some guys sure make it look easy! Here was one of my earlier attempts:<br />
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I can see why some just resort to using a sponge to dab representations of trees on the backdrop, but that method looked a bit rough for what I want out of all this. To me it is striking if the foreground and background colors do not blend together, so I struggled a bit trying to get a decent color mix for the basic treeline. I went back and got another batch of colors to try it all again. Finally I was content with the colors and started work with the first layer on the drywall. <br />
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Use of a pallet and mixing the four colors of green I had, allowed some variation to the shadowing within the trees and variations from just one plain color. I am fairly happy with how it is progressing, but will let it sit for awhile and see as time goes on what additions I want to do for further detailing... <br />
This is where I am at now:<br />
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I thought I would be able to get this section finished up before the NMRA Western Division meet, but due to being in the middle of the project, I opted to let ops / layout tours pass this time around...</div>
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Since getting the layout back up and running, hosted to a group of guys from Nor Cal, that had to endure a first time major Digitrax hiccup, but we were able to smooth things out eventually to make it a mostly regular session of good times. Thanks goes to Steve H, John S, John Z, and Stuart H, for stopping by, not to mention my regulars (Dan M, Clark B, Mel J and Ray E) for coming up to be a part of it all. </div>
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Latest adventure is the good old Win XP computer here died, and I had to purchase a new Win 10 machine (yuk). Currently trying to update all the files to get the layout configured to work with the new system... then hopefully squeeze in one last ops before the Holidays come around.</div>
Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-53648094232088300132016-08-15T17:32:00.003-07:002024-03-09T17:18:34.462-08:00Cascade Summit changes 20 years ago I started to built the layout for 3 DC throttles (and a yard master)... not thinking much about operations in the long run. I liked the idea of trains running at eye level on the highest sections of the layout... but not everyone stands at over 6' like I do. So now we operate with a regular crew of 10 people running the railroad (not all as tall as me). I never really got it, when some of the guys said they couldn't "see" the layout...<br />
Lately I was painting the last of the blue sky sections to complete the basic backdrops (finally), so I had to tear out some old scenery left behind from before the peninsula expansion project went in (a lumber mill for the Klamath Northern short line will be going in where a hill used to stand). It suddenly dawned on me that there was a problem at the west end of Cascade Summit siding, as its view was blocked by a hill rising up from the fascia... <br />
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Wow, how do some of these guys know where the fouling point is when they come to the end of the siding? <br />
Sorry guys! <br />
So I continued tearing out more plaster and got a tool out that I thought I would never need for the layout again... the jigsaw! I cut down about a two foot section of fascia closer to near roadbed level. <br />
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This has opened up the view of that end of the siding from a couple angles, and I hope it makes life a little easier on the crews. Not to worry, I will still put some more pine trees in to help obscure the view of that fouling point! LOL ...but it will sure be a lot better than it was.<br />
A work in progress...Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-65204778577717753082016-08-14T17:44:00.000-07:002024-03-09T17:18:35.435-08:00Amtrak Coast Starlight progress For modelers of the Coast Starlight, each year Amtrak made subtle roster changes to its Heritage fleet of cars that are notable to specific time frames. Since mid '78 is the target era for my layout (with some minor deviations), I have tried to research the correct power and car consists to do these trains some justice. By mid '78 it was still a mixed bag of what you would see the Starlight equipped with out on the road, but by then it was common to see it with a fairly consistent 12 car consist of mostly x-ATSF cars. Typically behind the head end was the bag, followed by a bag dorm, 6 coaches (the third was usually a slab side x-NP/GN dome), followed by the PS dome lounge, a diner, and a couple Budd 10-6 sleepers.<br />
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I am modeling both a northbound and southbound train (direction contrary to SP nomenclature), but they are close in consist for the most part, with minor car substitutions from time to time. I have acquired a couple nice baggage cars from Kato. I pulled the first baggage car (Pullman Standard) from their Sunset Limited set, the other (Budd) was pulled from their earlier 4 car set that I de-skirted. The car looks better less the skirts as long as it still has the stirrups intact. For some reason Kato left the stirrups off on their latest PS baggage model, even though they have included them on other cars... <br />
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To do the skirt removal on various cars, I used a pair of end nippers that were ground down on the ends, then filed the sills to clean up the rest.<br />
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The bag dorm in this era was an x-SCL car, but I am forced to use old Con-Cor cars from the 5 car-sets as a stand in for now (only one of which has been de-skirted so far).<br />
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The most common coach was a 44 seat leg rest coach from PS, but unfortunately there are no current manufacturers that make the correct PS coaches to fill this train out. It is a sad state of affairs until either that changes, or the more unlikely, that I decide to kitbash a large quantity of them. Brass car sides are available, but the layout is consuming most of that kind of labor hours for now. <br />
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The next most common coach was a twin window 48 seat Budd coach that was made by Walthers, but Im still hunting for a few more (Found!). <br />
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Intermountain made a Shasta 44 seat coach that was not as common, but another correct model. Unfortunately coming up dry on these also over the last six months of searching, so let me know if you see either car in Amtk colors out there (also Found!) <br />
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I took the slab side Coach Domes from the Con-Cor sets, and painted the window mullions silver, along with spraying flat black over the stock silver trucks... which make these cars look better overall.<br />
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The rest of my coach cars for now are rough renditions from the Con-Cor sets (that I cant wait to exchange for the proper models - half have been de-skirted with trucks painted black, which helps a little), or excess Kato sleepers (ugh). The Pullman Standard Dome Lounges I acquired from both the Kato Sunset Limited set, and also one from Con-Cor, the later is not a bad model (other than its list price). The diners are each different from the two Kato sets (one x-CBQ, the other ATSF). Regarding the sleeper cars, I de-skirted both the Budd and PS 10-6 versions from the four car set for one train (which was not as common as 2 Budd sleepers), and am using 2 of the Budd 10-6 cars with an Indian (from the Sunset Limited set) for the other train. Typically summer and Holiday trains were longer and got the extra bedroom car on the rear, hence my addition of the Indian on one of the trains for now. Here is a rear end shot of the "Indian Pony" taken by George Hamlin. <br />
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I found it intriguing that many of the doors were sporting red paint at
the time (but dont know why), with a marker hanging on the end gate, so I just had to try to duplicate this look for the end of my trains also. <br />
I have opted for both trains to have a Pullman Standard car on the rear of the train
due to the lack of availability for Budd style end gates. To reproduce this look on the end of my trains, I have got as far as painting the doors red, and getting most of the parts cobbled together:<br />
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The end gates are from Rapido Trains (thanks Jason!). Not currently satisfied with the size of the end marker as it is a bit large, but it might just have to do until better comes along... Ray has donated a couple of his HO keep-alive circuits to light the end markers (they fit without trimming any interior).<br />
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I cut the brass contact strips on my trusty paper cutter that provide power to the circuit, as well as for a few other cars to get current sensing with the signal detection.<br />
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Most of the other Kato cars got the standard wheel treatment, with surface mount resistors and conductive paint.<br />
One other thing on the to-do list is to put the pointless arrows on some of the cars that came in Ph II paint, but most of those cars are stand-ins at this point anyhow... <br />
Still getting a bit of a kick out of this whole project...Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-6128244639396472812016-08-13T00:11:00.002-07:002024-03-09T17:18:30.493-08:00Kato Amtrak SDP40F's arrive After years of Lima shells and Atlas SD60 underframes haunting me, and calling me to build my Coast Starlight train(s), Kato has finally come along with the
right stuff to motivate me to get it done. I'll post more on this
Starlight project, but first wanted to cover these new locos.<br />
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My era being modeled was the transition from the Ph I paint shimmy to the Ph II, so I was even more excited when they announced both were being offered. My first two SDP40F's arrived and I finally got around to putting the TCS K7D4 decoders in them. I had a hard time getting the shell off the first one to install the decoder. Not much help from TCS or on-line, but I finally figured out the trick to getting them apart. I started with the rear first by removing the handrails from the
pilot. The ears on the underframe that hold the shell on, snap into the window glass rather than the body shell itself. There is only one tab used on the engineer's side to release the
glass / shell at the rear end, so once you get that loose, the shell
will start to lift up. You can see the notch in the glass that lines up with the frame ear in the pic below:<br />
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When prying the shell away from the frame, make sure the window sections
are not separated from the shell (I stuck an x-acto blade between the
window glass and the frame). The hard part is the front. Release the front tabs simultaneously (one on each side, on-center of the cab windows). When the frame ears release from the
window / shell, the body will easily pull straight up... without any
twisting or bending as some have recommended. <br />
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You can see it is not impossible to add the Mars feature with an 0603 LED, by separating the upper lens from the number board section, but I will revisit that some other day. <br />
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I'm still waiting for my Kabo sound versions to arrive, as they have been delayed for a couple months now... but these first two are nothing less than I would expect from Kato. Ready to run out of the box except you might want to add the trip pins that come separate in the box.<br />
A preliminary shot of the first train slowly coming together...<br />
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Looking forward to integrating these new trains into the operations... but unfortunately, some key features (to me), will be a work in progress for some time to come.Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-57586801233250120522016-06-14T22:54:00.000-07:002024-03-09T17:18:34.785-08:00Tools of the tradeToday I was following up on a small list of issues that were found during last weekend's ops session. One of the Bad Order forms was a boxcar that derailed on a switch in the Weyerhaeuser mill. I used to be able to stick my face right down on a turnout and see what was going on, but the eyeballs are slowly fading, so I use the headset magnifiers a lot more now. I was unable to get my head under the upper deck with the Optivisor on, and at the correct angle to inspect the turnout. So I pulled out one of my newer tools as of late (Iphone 6S), and turned on the video mode with flash to get a closer look. The latest version now has zoom capability in the video mode, so it is a sweet tool for being able to quickly get a real close look (and without storing any data). Below are a couple still images that portray what is seen, and how helpful it is to make use of this tool when the work angle is not user friendly. Many of you probably do this without thinking much about it, but I know a lot of guys that have phones that dont utilize them, still have not moved to a smart phone, or are just stuck in their old ways (like me).<br />
Here is a shot of the work area I was trying to get my head under (it didnt seem so bad 15 years ago!):<br />
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Here is a "before" image where the flange was getting caught on a handlaid switch point, because the gauge was a bit narrow: <br />
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I moved the point over slightly and took an "after" shot which reveals plenty of extra clearance now:<br />
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Sometimes we overlook the obvious, so just wanted to share with the rest of you all.<br />
Happy RRing!Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-78461571757366794152016-06-13T21:26:00.000-07:002024-03-09T17:18:36.340-08:00SouCalOps - 2016 recapSouCalOps is a group of layout owners in the greater Los Angeles area that have been contributing to layout operating sessions on a bi-annual schedule... well, this is only the second of hopefully more to come. Many thanks goes to Al D. for coordinating the event. Invited guests are pulled from other operating groups across the country, many configured in a similar fashion. This last weekend was the first that I have participated, and had a great time hosting my layout. It was three days of operations on 13 different layouts, with two addition bonus days for those that just couldn't get enough. There were also clinics at the main hotel, a feature dinner, and layout tours. We had guests operate the layouts coming from Van Rails, Bay Rails, Arizona, Colorado, San Diego, and more. Guests spent most of the day here Saturday operating the layout, and I kept the layout open for layout tours, which ended up extending our operations well past the dinner hour. Special thanks to my local helpers for working all that overtime (also our guest dispatcher from BC Canada), and making it an enjoyable day for all. It is a pleasure to get responses from my crews post-ops, on how much they enjoyed themselves. Thanks to all who participated in making this an event to remember!<br />
<br />Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-19715112286899752392016-06-12T12:13:00.000-07:002024-03-09T17:18:31.820-08:00More pulling power for that yard goatI have a Life Like SW1200 that has been working the layout all by itself for years. It wasn't until I bought a Micro Trains SW1500, that I realized what a masterpiece that SW1200 really was. They both use virtually the same mechanism, but with some added weight on the SW1200, it could pull like crazy as compared to its sibling SW1500.<br />
Ray Eiser installed a decoder and added some Tungsten putty to the SW1200 (including front and rear headlights, and hardwired pick-up), before it ever went into service on the layout, so I never thought much about its pulling power. Once my new SW1500 arrived, I was really amazed at what a difference there was between the two. It has been on the to-do list to have a tug-o-war between the two and see just how much difference there was between them. I finally slapped together a couple vids and posted them on You Tube. <br />
Check out the video links to see just what a little bit of extra weight can really do for your locomotive fleet!<br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/HWR0xIzcjZk" target="_blank">You Tube- SW1500 vs SW1200 Tug-O-War</a><br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/fCBrkW3lOn8" target="_blank">You Tube- SW1200 vs SD9 Tug-O-War</a><br />
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Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-64850864936931859542016-04-16T15:57:00.001-07:002024-03-09T17:18:35.354-08:00Cascade Sub Layout Milestone:Well, for those of you who feel like you are not making enough progress on your layout... you are not alone.<br />
This April marks the 20th anniversary of layout construction here. Family comes first, but I sure enjoy this hobby. I
told my wife way back when, that I would be done with the layout by 2016,
and it is apparent there is still a lot of work ahead. A conventional
single level linear layout would have been my first choice for ease of
construction and walk-around design, but I am grateful to have been able
to cram this multi-deck spaghetti bowl into our garage at all. For the
most part it still retains mostly walk-around design features (with a few
hiccups), but its configuration has swallowed significant labor hours as
opposed to a more traditional linear design. Adding the peninsula to the layout was not part of the original plan (started back in 2011), so I tell myself I would still be on schedule otherwise (lol). At least now things are
finally moving more to the scenery stages, so I am glad to have put the saws and
drills away for the most part. Slow but steady progress has been, and still remains the
norm.<br />
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Looking forward to sharing my progress as a layout host for SoCalOps 2016 in June.Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-87637812381166304092016-04-16T15:57:00.000-07:002024-03-09T17:18:36.586-08:00Crew Call BoardAfter seeing what Bill was using for a call board on his <a href="http://espeecascades.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Southern Pacific Cascade Line</a>, I realized what a good fit a magnet board was for operations here also. So I stole his idea and tweaked things a bit to conform how operations are handled on this end (Thanks Bill!). Hopefully this also makes life easier for the Crew Dispatcher. There are six columns configured in an attempt to help crews get a general overview of their next job. Typically trains are run by just an Engineer, but adding an option for a Conductor allows for unfamiliar operators to mark up with an engineer on mainline trains, and also for operators that like working as a two man crew for switch jobs. Train ID and lead Engine number columns help crews find their paperwork and consist at the corresponding yard office. The call-out Time is to work with the recently installed clocks on the wall (which are also for coordinating Work and Time with the dispatcher). I have incorporated the latter to spread out the sudden start-up of operations at the beginning of sessions (which has been neglected for so long). The departing station refers to the specific yard office where the orders and throttle are to be picked up by crew members.<br />
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<br />Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-9547279666518928632016-04-16T15:56:00.002-07:002024-03-09T17:18:30.980-08:00Foam Base Scenery Progress<br />
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I have been slowly adding more pink Styrofoam around the layout to get a feel for the basic concepts and how it is all going to fit together. Static foam waste is entertaining stuff, so I am trying to get all the major pieces installed across the whole layout before moving forward on any other level of scenery. Still need to configure the foam closer to natural curvatures, but at least now I can see how this is all coming together. For some reason I don't' mind white plaster unfinished sections laying dormant for years at a time, but I think the pink foam will be a good motivator to hurry up and get er' done. I am already eager to get all this painted a brown earth color asap, but will have to revisit each section for final shaping before that ever happens. Maybe that can be the next phase of the project...<br />
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I am using mostly 2" foam board, but thanks again to Chip for helping to acquire some 1" foam, which has helped to speed up installation in many areas. Some foam sections have still been too thick to lay flush with the needed finish height due to framework, so slots have been carved out in the foam. This maintains a sturdy sub base for planting of vegetation, with significantly less carving on the topside. I just cut along each side of the groove with a big disposable knife, and rock a chisel bit through to clean out the cross-member grooves:<br />
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One example of where I needed the foam to lay down low:<br />
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I am running a highway along the backdrop here with a couple of highway overpasses to conceal the tracks where they dive into the backdrop. Tree foliage is my friend all over the layout to hide all these transitions. It has been time consuming fitting all the irregular shapes in, but still have more trimming and shaping to get it right. I take cardboard and make templates so that I can overlay it on the foam board, then trace around them to make best use of each sheet. A number of labor hours still needed here to get the contours right, but its nice to see the basic idea finally taking shape:<br />
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I need to cut in the truss bridges here so I can envision better on how the riverbank is going to take shape:<br />
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Hoping to get all the sections pre-shaped before gluing into place, as I'm not too excited about trying to reshape in confined ares after the fact. Most of the foam is cut and carved with a 3" knife that uses disposable blades. I will follow up with more carving to get as close as possible adjacent to track sections and multiple layering, then follow up with rasps to blend the overall contours. Just shooting from the hip on it all, as this foam stuff is a new concept for me. One thing for others to note, make sure you build your layout with a bunch of right angles to work with instead of abstract.... <b> :)</b><br />
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Back to work!Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225325511280744771.post-26825567019162815182015-10-04T21:26:00.001-07:002024-03-09T17:18:32.312-08:00May / October Status Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been keeping up to date on all my Blogspot Follower's latest layout progress, and I appreciate you guys posting even if I dont respond very well.... It has been a good motivator to keep me pushing forward instead of sitting on the couch with a cold one in hand. :(<br />
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Been tough finding much spare time, but still have a bit of forward progress to report: <br />
Art visited a few times to help work on the layout, and made more progress on the base foam layers for the peninsula scenery. Thanks Art!<br />
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Meanwhile Eugene Yard trackage has been painted / weathered (airbrushed) from both sides of the layout with good old Floquil Rail Brown and Railroad Tie Brown colors. What a difference that makes. I wanted to leave the opportunity to photograph the layout from any angle, so this needed to be done from both sides of the layout before I could install any of the lower deck skyboards. Before I could start any weathering / painting, it was necessary to install mass quantities of Micro Engineering wood sleeper ties on all the yard turnouts, but once on a roll, I ended up pushing through to complete all the layout's missing sleeper ties in numerous locations. A fairly large scale project (think - bags o' stained ties), but not too overwhelming since I could just work on it as I had small time slots to keep moving forward with. Going from switch stands to ground throws was a last minute observation for Eugene Yard after photo study (not much available on the internet back when I started handlaying turnouts, and friendships with data have helped immensely), so converting them for proper tie placement has been stretching things a bit for me...<br />
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Large sections of the layout's trackage had already received painting, so additional locations that received painting after sleeper tie installs, included virtually any trackage left that I could get access to, which did not have rolling stock stored on it.... Remaining track sections still needing to get painted will be done once I complete the current phase of the skyboard install project, as this will allow me to relocate rolling stock to the completed areas. <br />
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Lower deck skyboards have been put off extensively in hopes of being able to match detailing to the represented locations on an actual workbench, but I have finally given up on the idea, as it should not be too difficult to complete backdrops in place before pushing ahead too far with adjacent scenery. I cut all sheets of masonite for the skyboards to approx dimensions ahead of time, and painted the lower level's blue shade before install. All sections were furred out with 2x2s to hide upper deck shelf brackets:<br />
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A different approach to mounting the backdrop sections:<br />
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Overall it looks a lot better than the open benchwork and white drywall we have all looked at for so many years. I lost count of how many times I tried to sand and patch the screw holes and joints. I have been holding a light up at various angles against the patching to make it as seamless as possible, but has been an exercise in meeting my satisfaction levels... A bit of touch up painting with the roller and things are looking pretty good.<br />
Eugene Yard played nice for being able to utilize sweeping radius of the masonite for the backdrop corners:<br />
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Springfield - disarray of structure placement due to backdrop project:<br />
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That big hole on the last image gets a highway overpass to mask the opening. Not sure what to stick in the corner to hide that 90 deg angle... but typically the layout is making use of dense clusters of Conifers to hide most of these backdrop joints.<br />
Once the remainder of trackage is painted, the remaining sections for
lower deck skyboards (that have also been prefabbed), will go in at the entrances to
Staging, the Return adjacent to Springfield, and Hampton.<br />
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Upper deck skyboards have also received multiple attempts of patching
screw holes and repainting since their first appearance, and have been
rehung again sporting their same high altitude shade of blue. I have styrene
backdrop sheets pre-cut for mounting
directly on the remaining two wall sections for the upper deck
eventually, but they
still need some degree of painting and detailing (due to pine trees
already in place) before then. Once I am ready to revisit for detailed
painting on backdrops, I anticipate a production run effort to complete
all similar sections in phases to the overall project. yya...<br />
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The layout endured some minor damage to the mainline at W. Natron during the backdrop install project, so repairs on that are nearly complete except for running a test train or two, and matching adjacent track weathering.<br />
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<br />
If I dont lapse too bad, the layout has a chance of
seeing some good scenery progress before the bi-annual SoCalOps meet
here next June. <br />
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Since we missed the last ops due to this ongoing skyboard project, I am anticipating we will be back on schedule for the Oct Ops Sess at the end of the month, but moving trains around have found a few minor repairs needed (a wire splice that never got soldered and is now intermittent at Irving, completion of the repairs at Natron, and another dead spot that needs to be looked into at Portland yard). Unfortunately no time for further implementation of the revisions to the SP's CS-1306 and CS-1307 forms (conductors work / industry reports) paperwork, but that is on the priority list to get us closer to Espee style Ops...<br />
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Cant sign off without a departing shot of the current state of E. Eugene Yard, sporting a string of the new Wheels O' Time Espee bulkhead flats!<br />
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Cascade Subdivisionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02968878370189192619noreply@blogger.com4