Railroad work is progressing slowly but surely. A few real world chores had to be gotten out of the way this last weekend, which actually did impact the layout. I cleaned off the back porch and better organized the sheet goods storage and coverd it all with a tarp. Might actually get back to working on the enginehouse back there. It only needs a good final push to be ready to hit dirt. I also fired up the pressure washer in order to wash down the siding on the house. I also was able to use it to blow off the old ballast from Cassville Yard. The 2nd section of which has moved from the original location to the backyard, awaiting its turn to be mounted on benchwork. I took the old Anns Creek Trackage and laid it in place of the Cassville section out front. I got some ideas developing for that area, including placing the Enginehouse out there at ground level. It might be that I will have two seperate sections of layout for a while, the elevated yard and the mining camp/tipple section, just waiting for me to built the connecting branchline between the two.
I began the conneecting link between the yard and staging that will support the three ways, Basically just an 8 ft 2x8 that will also hold the switch to the indoor staging line. Its supported midways with a 4x4 post, and a 2x4 screwed to The Shop at the end. Rebuilding of the three way stub is underway, with the switch for storage next up on the list. Still working on a staging track design. I'm strongly considering a simple two track spur arrangment running down the side of The Shop. One for coal traffic and one for general freight. As a one man band operation, I suspect 2-3 trains a session into the yard are all that will be necessary. Should make for relatively simple construction as well. Simply a couple of 2x8 of appropriate length, secured to The Shop and supported as necessary by 4x4 posts. Next track project will prolly be getting the locomotive storage track into The Shop and up to the benchtop. Would be nice to have the Big Locos like 7 and 9 avalible to test the new track.
Tuesday May 9, 2006
0638
Friday and Saturday this past weekend were good railroading days. I got the storage track pushed into The Shop and relayed the 3 way turnout as well as the LH turnout into the storage track. The storage track itself is simply a 2x6 with flangeways cut into it with a circle saw. There is a slight curve with a bit of a grade from the main track level up to bench height, but nothing that the Shays can't deal with thus far. No9, No7, and the Rolling outhouses are already stored in The Shop. All locomotives take to the new trackwork nicely. Have a problem with No9. I thought that intitally it was bad battery cells, but on changing and charging the same problems continue. Starting out she is well enough, sound and lights and all, but when she moves she begins to jerk and the sound fails similar to when the batteries start to go flat. I suspect there is a short somewhere, or an actual mechanical hitch in her giddyap. Will have to look into that. Much easier to do since she is now stored on the benchtop.
Physical plant improvement is also looking up. The evening projects this week will be maintenance and repair of the yard ladder and associated equipment that wayward feets have found over the winter. Hopefully this will be the last time major work will be necessary. Looking to get the frame built for the 2nd half of Cassville yard over th weekend. I really need to get it up off the ground and screwed down before it gets damaged from laying around. Hopefully the funding will exist to build the frame for the first part of the engine terminal as well. Should I make the next frame a 4 x8 as well or a 2x8 as I originally planned? Time to start looking into Turntable design and construction as well. a 4x8 will allow me to extend the yard tracks a bit, and make a bit more terrain for the yard. I'm thinking I will use 2x products for the roadbed on the sections not already on plywood, and adjust the frame height accordingly.
I'm rather pleased thus far with the performance of the adapted Bachmann couplers with working cut levers. Once the yard ladder is repaired, I can attempt more intriacate switching manuvers and continue my evaluation of this system. Will have them on all new construction, and will be retrofitting some of the existing rolling stock at the earliest opportunity.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
0643
All went well with No9 last night. Inspection reveled no binds or malfunction in her running gear, so suspecting the problem must be electrical I started with th simplest thing first, the batteries. After checking each cell with the multimeter, I found one that was a dud. This one simple critter out of 12 was causeing the problems with No9. After tossing that cell and replacing it with another all was well. She ran fine over the new trackwork with just a minor bump at the switch comingout of storage. This isn't a huge problem because thats not going to be an operational route. In fact I beleive that No9 will be reserved for mainline duty, hauling the coal drags and even the mixed train until I get the 2-8-2 running reliably, if ever.
Barring unforseen events or unexpected weather, this evening I plan on working on the yard ladder and getting those turnouts and switchstands fully functional. I'm going to have to come up with a functional low level switchstand for the switches at the far end of Cassville Yard where there will be close clearances on the crossover tracks. Might piddle round on rebuilding the 28 ft flat or the tank car if it rains. The Shop is a pleasant place.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
0651
As an overall railroading weekend I have to say this on was pretty good. Saturday and Sunday were killed off by real world events, but Friday consisted of an early morning trip to the lumber yard, and the mounting of the second half of the Cassville yard on benchwork. Instead of getting the lumber to frame up the engine terminal section, I invested in some 1x6 material to work on the fascia board and some hardware cloth to fil in the holes in the scenery. Need to get some weed barrier cloth to actually hold the ballast, but this weekend looks like I should get the plywood of Cassville Yard under some rock. I think my attention should next turn to at least one track of the proposed stagin yard next.
As rain/cold forbade any sort of outdoor track work, I employed myself in undertaking some rolling stock projects that have languished for sometime. Refitting a Bachmann coupler to the last trussrod, all wood, inside braced boxcar on the WV&K was first up, quickly and easily accomplished. Next was rebuilding the 112 flatcar. An all steel EBTesque unit that I originally built with warped plywood. Swaybacked in 4 different directions it was. I was able to salvage th brake and draft gear as well as the car ends and trucks. Efforts to remove the sides and deck from the offending plywood were in vain, and I had to satisfy myself with liberating th stake pockets for reuse. In the midst of this project I did finally discover something that I had misplaced when I moved and reorganized The Shop, a 2'x2' piece of styrene sheet that I KNOW I had. It'll show up when I start cutting on the new sheet. I actually did a little something on the tank car project too, I began the frame (basically so I wouldn;t end up just mounting the tank on flatcar 112, thats sooooooooo overdone!) basically knocked up out of 1/8 poplar and glued and nailed together. Trucks are next, I dug the castings out, just need to sand, drill, paint and assemble them.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
1237
Not been in a mood to blog in the last little bit, although I feel like I have gotten quite a bit accomplished over the last little bit, mainly work on the physical plant. Last weekend I spent putting in hardware cloth with weed barrier and ballasting the two yard sections that I had assembled. I also reworked the switchs and made repairs to the switchstands so that everything works satisfactorily. I still need to put in some sort of ground throw at the far end of the yard where there are close quarters.
This past weekend (in amongst babysitting and various Memorial Day responsibilities) I worked on the first half of the engine terminal. Dodging rainstorms on Friday I assembled the 4x8 frame and attached it to the rest of the structure. On Saturday I got the roadbed down and managed to get ties laid before once again the real world interefered. It will prolly be next weekend before I get to put rail down, including relaying three turnouts.
