Heart broken

It is with my deepest sorrow that I tell you of wife Sue's passing from leukemia in late January. We were married just over 41 years! We dealt with the ravages of this horrible disease most of the latter half of 2022, and thus, no work on the railroad or this blog. She was a supporter of my love of railroads and the hobby. As I move to whatever the new normal holds, I know it includes resuming efforts on the Paducah Switching, and documentation of same in this space. For those of you who made this journey with me, I thank you sincerely for your thoughts, concerns, and prayers.

Heaven has a new angel.

Overcoming intimidation ...

Today, I continued painting the WBOW radio station building that was exquisitely 3D printed by railroad friend and fellow modeler Carl Schoenenberg. I have shared with some of you that painting has been quite intimidating to me ... maybe aging eyesight and unsteady hand have something to do with it. 

Radio station with roof yet to be attached.

But I remember something fellow modeler and good friend Dave Abeles said several years ago when he was in the embryonic stages of building his outstanding Onondaga Cutoff model railroad, and I paraphrase, "there comes a time when you just say 'today, I'm going to do it regardless of outcome'", and today was the day for me.

I painted the red brick several months ago, but have been putting off every since the detail work ... porch, steps, etc. It took a lot longer to mask it off than the applying the little bit of paint. We'll see tomorrow when the tape comes off.

Followers of this blog will remember this is the radio station in Terre Haute, Indiana, at which I got my first DJ job in 1960. Roommate and friend ever since, John Jerman, found a "fuzzy" black and white photo, and that combined with a 1950 Sanborn Fire Maps plat map were the only guidelines that Carl had to create this nearly perfect likeness of the structure that has been gone for more than 30 years. It will resurface on the Paducah Switching railroad as WPAD-AM, an actual Paducah station, also discovered by John Jerman.

Ft. Madison/LaPlata Adventure

Fifteen of us ... 14 by Amtrak from Ohio (I drove from St. Louis) met at Ft. Madison, Iowa, Friday evening for a weekend of rail fanning at favored Virtual Rain Fam camera locations.

The restored, complete with museum, station at Ft. Madison

Following Friday evening and all day Saturday at Ft. Madison, they were to continue by Amtrak (and me by auto) to LaPlata, Missouri, about 120 miles away. That was the plan. But that was before a bridge - or two - along the Amtrak route burned near La Junta, Colorado, cancelling all Southwest Chief trains both directions for several days, thus stranding the Amtrak gang in Ft. Madison. They learned of the cancellation when they arrived for breakfast Saturday morning. Trip planner Bill Snyder learned of it at 3 a.m. via a special alert from the railroad. Following literally dozens of calls to the railroad, the reserved hotels in both Ft. Madison and LaPlata, and bus and livery companies, it was determined the group would take a 15-passenger van to LaPlata, arriving Saturday afternoon. But not before some train watching.

East bound on the busy Transcon just before crossing the river.

Fans of the Ft. Madison fan cam will know this is where BNSF Transcon line between LA and Chicago crosses the Mississippi River on a swing bridge, and there is significant tow boat barge traffic to watch as well.

Headed south on the Mississippi; a common sight at Ft. Madison.

At this point, it was thought the Southwest Chief would be running by Monday morning, the Ohio group's original departure time back to Chicago and on to Ohio. That was the plan. Sunday morning breakfast brought another "oh no ...". It was learned over waffles and cereal, that the train line was still shut down for several days. Two options were left: both included a van ride. One included an hour trip to Ottumwa, Iowa, to catch Amtrak's California Zephyr to Chicago, with hopes that it would arrive at the windy city (it was running several hours late) in time to make connections on to Cleveland; the other was an eight-hour van ride to Chicago's Union Station. But not before some train watching.

East bound at LaPlata Station, currently undergoing a substantial updating, including siding.

One really interesting lash-up witnessed during a day of watching trains from the Observation Point about a half mile east of the station in LaPlata was this one, with two in BNSF livery on the head end, followed by a BC Rail running third, and a Canadian National engine extolling its 100th birthday in fourth.

Two BNSF, a BC Rail, and a CN 100.

Back to the drama. The group left Monday morning to van to Ottumwa and take the Zephyr into Chicago. And ... believe it or not ... enroute, the van hit a deer ... really. The van, with some front end damage, was able to continue. Not so, the deer. No photos of that.

But the Zephyr, and the Ohio gang, arrived in Chicago in time to make their connection to Cleveland and on home to Ashland ON TIME Tuesday morning!

It has to be reported that through all of this, with rising and falling blood pressure, that tour organizer Bill Snyder did yeoman's work in keeping it all together, both personally, and group wise.

Still smiling ... kinda. Great work, Bill.

One final note ... make that additional sidelight ... the final note comes when the group gets back to Cleveland ... is that when the wind is high, as it was all weekend (25-45 mph), they have to use TWO tow boats - one on each end, to keep the large tow (sometimes as many as 15 barges, five long and three wide) straight through the narrow swing bridge opening.

Small tug on the front end, running backward, to aid in keeping the tow in line through the bridge.

More later.

Another passing ...

Rick Pfarr, who for the past few months had been working on the Paducah Switching and keeping my nose to the grindstone, passed away October 29, after attempted heart bypass surgery. Rick was an outstanding modeler, and brought grace and energy to the hobby. He was a member of our Thursday night group, the Gandy Dancers, and his good humor and fellowship will be missed. More than his help and modeling expertise, I'll miss his friendship and his positive outlook on life despite his health issues. He was one of a kind, in the kindest of ways.

Starting to take shape

 Ground cover and ballasting continues. We - Rick Pfarr and I - have now  have completed about 75% of the basic ground cover and track ballast. 

As I said before, its a several step process, starting with the first layer of grey ballast, followed by real dirt, grass material, and clump foliage to create bushes, etc. Only a small portion has had all four layers ... plus ballast ... applied. I hesitate to say completed, because I'm not sure scenery on model railroads is ever complete.

This area, at one end of the railroad, has had all four layers plus ballast applied. The building is a wholesale produce warehouse; it was originally on the late Bob Buschart's model railroad. Checking the interior of structure, I learned it was built in 1999 by Dave Roeder MMR. Dave is a prolific modeler and local, regional, and national contest winner, who is a long time member of our Thursday night group the Gandy Dancers.

I'm at the point where I need to start placing buildings, so as to work the scenery around them. That leads me to the point where I need to start building the buildings. Its starting the be really fun.

An icon has passed

A lot has been written the past few weeks about Tom Davis, following his passing October 5, at age 91. Tom was the founder, owner, and innkeeper of the Station Inn rail fans bed and breakfast in Cresson, PA, just a few miles west of the Horseshoe Curve along the former Pennsylvania Railroad in the Allegheny Mountains. All of the heartfelt thoughts are justified, and more. I share with my friends their sense of loss, their grief, and their prayers for Tom. 

Tom was a Ph.D. from Harvard (a fact known only by his diploma hanging on the wall in the ‘saloon’ in the basement of the B&B), set out from his native New Jersey-NYC area home around 1990 to establish a rail fans bed and breakfast along the Pennsylvania RR between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. As Tom told the story, he found the Cresson property early in his quest, but he and the owner were significantly apart on assessment of its worth. Tom continued the search, and a year or more later, went back to the Cresson location and this time they were able to reach agreement. The Station Inn took on its current role in mid-1993.

At the time, the large facility, which at times had served as a hotel since it’s beginning in 1884, was a rooming house with several - six or more - residents. Tom went to each resident and promised that none would be asked to move, that only when they left of their own volition, would he take over their room(s) and transition them into his dream. In fact, the last resident, Alice, did not leave until the early 2000’s. 

Over its 28 years of existence, it has been the nexus for an eclectic collection of characters to become a special blend of friends … locomotive engineers, bridge engineers, ceramic engineers, firemen, state troopers, hospital administrators, dentists, property developers, undertakers, teachers, a Catholic priest, book sellers, a European air marshall, television managers, college professors, financial managers, and on occasion, even a few wives. All came with a common interest, watching, photographing, “chasing”, and learning about trains. The common denominator was Tom Davis. He made the Station Inn special with his knowledge, his caring, his willingness to share, his personality, his individualism, his insight. 

One thing that may not be known by many is the origin of Oldtimers Weekend, now an annual staple of early February each year. It didn’t start that way. In the early days, Tom worked very diligently courting major eastern newspapers to visit and write about the B&B.  One January, he heard from a travel writer for the NEW YORK TIMES, who wanted to visit in early February. Success … dream realized. Except, early February in the Allegheny Mountains is cold, really cold. Even the most ardent rail fans wait another month or so before venturing out. And a B&B with only one or two, or even four or five of its 26 beds filled, is not a good look. But Tom, ever the promoter, got on the phone to several of his most loyal guests and invited them for a free weekend. Result: a full house, a pleased reporter and great story in the Times, a thankful Tom Davis,  happy guests, and the birth of Oldtimers Weekend. 

Another quick story: when Ken Heyl’s wife passed away suddenly in 2003, I called Tom and said don’t be surprised if Kenny shows up seeking a few days of solace. Tom’s immediate response, “we’ll have a room for him.” And when Kenny remarried a few years later and decided that part of his Honeymoon would be spent at the Station Inn (friends of Kenny will understand) he and new bride Laura arrived to find the only room in the Inn with a double bed remade into a honeymoon suite, complete with flowers, chocolates, and champagne.

 

We were more than innkeeper and guests. We were friends who shared breakfasts and evening front porch conversations, celebrations and disappointments.

Tom, your B&B was, just as you were, unique. Yours is the touchstone by which all such establishments are judged. It may remain great, and I hope it does. But it will never be the same. I miss you, special friend. Rest In Peace.

 

Starting ground cover

 The sometimes laborious task of installing ground cover is under way. The accompanying photo of the beginning stages of laying down ground cover is kinda boring ... but then so is the task at times.

The initial "layer" is ballast material from a company in northeast Ohio, and provided by model railroad friend Ken Heyl. It's gray in color and actually finely ground stone. Next comes a light layer of dirt, and that will be followed by various grasses. Each layer adds texture, and improves the look of the railroad. This "ground cover" process will be followed by ballasting the track. The entire railroad is an industrial area; thus the ballast will be somewhat haphazard and random, rather than the "sculpted" look of modern day mainlines.

Railroad friend Rick Pfarr got me started on this process, and it's simply a combination of a white glue and water mixture about the consistency (and color) of milk painted on the painted plywood, followed by a sprinkling of the ballast material. Another afternoon or two, and the first layer will be complete and awaiting dirt.

Remember ... hit enter !

Start with that absolutely nothing about a computer or computing is intuitive to me. Add to that the fact I can read and usually follow not-too-complex instructions. So the scene is set.

After a year's absence due to a serious case of procrastination, I finally returned to the railroad room to start work again on the Paducah Switching layout. Following two days of cleaning, discarding, setting up the work bench, and putting things away, I turned to installing fascia, and then, the second NCE throttle. Fascia installation went well, with good friend Don Loso stopping by and assisting with holding and clamping Masonite strips. And the installation of the two throttles, likewise went fine ... the primary worked just like it was supposed to, capturing engine addresses ... horns, lights, everything. I then carefully measured the distance between the two throttle insertion points to eleven feet (the auxiliary throttle conveniently comes with a twelve-foot connecting cable), drilled the necessary holes, and attached the face plates. I even got down under the benchwork -  with significant effort and even some pain - and strung and attached the connecting cable, as per directions.

Back in an upright position above the benchwork, I anxiously plugged in the auxiliary throttle, and ... nothing. Nada. Bumkus. Oh, the LED message window in the throttle lit up, but it would not accomplish any functions. No engine address capture, no horn, no lights, etc. Let's see, where are those directions? Do I remember something about the throttles also each having an address ... and did it say each had to have its own unique address? Ah, here they are, and yes, each throttle has to have a unique address and there are the four simple steps to set them.

Went through the four steps. Nothing. Maybe I hit a wrong key with my fat fingers. Do it again, more deliberately this time. Give it a try. Again, nothing. Thirty maddening minutes of reversing cables, exchanging throttle hookups, and every conceivable iteration I could think of, all with the same results ... nothing.

Next I did what I always do when I'm at my wits end on the railroad, call David James in Cleveland. David, readers of this blog will remember, is a dear friend, my model railroad mentor, and a devotee of the NCE system. Reached David ... he is on his way to a Chris Stapleton concert and off the top of his head, can't help me without the instruction book to check. But he does give me the phone number for Lee, from whom I purchased the system, and who is the absolute guru about all things NCE. Called Lee, got his answering machine. By now, I'm late for a dinner gathering with the neighbors, so shut everything down and left for dinner.

it was on the short drive to the restaurant and still thinking of the previous hour's frustrations, that a thought occurred: the throttle has an "enter" button, which I never pushed. The simple directions did not say "hit enter" and I didn't. I wonder ...

Returning home to a ringing telephone, it was Lee. I explained all that had gone on, adding the "enter" issue and asked if that could be the problem. He thought yes, told me go down and try it, and to call back if I still had problems. Went downstairs, turned everything on, carefully went through the four steps outlined, AND HIT ENTER.

SHAZAM!!! It works fine. Now on to non-computer stuff, like putting down ground cover, and building scenery, and running trains, and ... 

Rewards for great modeler

It's always good when an outstanding modeler is recognized. Such recognition is coming fast and furious to Dave Abeles, a good friend who models the Onondaga Cutoff, a mid-1990's HO-scale mythical Conrail-based railroad that circles Syracuse, New York.

Dave's latest honor comes in the form of the cover and a feature article in the September 2020, issue of Railroad Model Craftsman. Both the writing and photography are his. This adds to his earlier recognition in Model Railroader.

He is employed by the New Jersey Transit railroad, and is a graduate in engineering from Syracuse University. An outstanding modeler and photographer, Dave has a book in production with Kalmbach books, Signals and Interlockings for your Model Railroad, due out in the spring.

Heavy into operations and an innovator, Dave conducts virtual operating sessions on a monthly basis that include remote operators and dispatching from as far away as Scotland and Australia.

You can check out his modeling and railroad at https://onondagacutoff.blogspot.com.

Populating with rolling stock

With the electrical work underneath the bench work done, at least until and if I decide to light building interiors, it's time to determine staging yard capacity. Today, I started adding the cars I have, one at a time, and using the engines to back them into place. This process served to check the needed rolling stock and track maintenance as well as capacity.

I found out at least three things. One, I have more rolling stock than will comfortably fit the layout. That's not a bad thing ... I can narrow down to the better running cars, and I can keep the others to change out periodically. Two, the rolling stock needs some serious maintenance including proper weights, coupler height adjustment, and metal wheels on some of the cars. Three, the track needs a little maintenance, but all in all, it's in pretty good shape.

It does seem, at first glance, the mix of cars (gondolas, box cars, hoppers, and tank cars) is about right for the planned industries they will serve.

Next on the agenda is to create the work bench area so I can have modeling space. Next item on the railroad - along with the items listed above - is the creation of the scrap yard.

More kudos

Even though the NMRA 2020 national convention has been scrubbed, some more of our local modelers (see the post of March 20, in this blog) are seeing their work published in the model press. Latest to be recognized are Hank Kraichely and John Peluso.

Hank Kraichely built a large homage to the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy (CB&Q) between St. Louis and Hannibal in his 35' x 35' basement.  That effort ... his second at what he calls a "real" model railroad ... led to the cover of the June 2020 issue of the NMRA Magazine and the feature story inside.

This second iteration was started in 2004, and featured scenes include a long bridge over the Missouri River, and the Portland Cement Plant. A portion of the railroad is double-decked, without a helix, but rather with the long, gradual grade.

Conceived and built for realistic operations, Hank's thoughts, planning, methods, products, and results are carefully documented in the story. An operating session utilizes 10-12 operators, using wireless throttles on the Digitrax-powered layout.

Hank has held a number of NMRA related offices, the most recent as President of the Mid-Continent (MCoR) Region.

In an article written and photographed by Patrick Hiatte in the June 2020 issue of Model Railroader, the St. Louis-San Francisco Ry. (Frisco) layout of John Peluso is highlighted. The 16' x 30' double decked railroad is controlled by the CVP EasyDCC system, is set in the late '50s to the late '60s, and includes many prototypical scenes between St. Louis and Springfield. John is also into operations, and his four operating sessions each year use seven operators.

New Acquisitions

Three new acquisitions showed up on the Paducah Switching railroad today. All three came from the Kansas City Northwestern layout of the late Dick Wegner.

Dick was an outstanding modeler and this boxcar will fit well on the P&LE.

This 45-tonner came complete with a decoder. I envision it switching the scrap yard and coal dock.

We all miss Dick, but I am pleased he will always be a part of the Paducah Switching layout.

Dick was a devout fan of the Santa Fe and a member of that famed railroad's historical society. He was a regular attendee of the society's annual meetings, regardless of location.

Making a minor change

While in the process of soldering the last few electrical drops on the layout, I decided to make a minor change in a couple of structure locations.

New locations for scrap yard (lower left) and engine
house (upper right)

I'm moving the engine house from its previous location near the wall to the outside of the layout near the harbor. The scrap yard that was in that spot replaces the engine house near the wall. Reasoning behind this move is that the engine house will have a detailed interior, more easily seen near the aisle, while the scrap yard will still be quite visible in its new placement.

Drops are nearing completion, with the final few connections to follow. I'm getting anxious to get that complete, so I can start on scenery and structures. For those who are interested in such things, the drops are 22 ga wire connected to 16 ga buss wires underneath the layout. Connections are made by 3M Scotchlock
"suitcase connectors". Track for the layout is all Atlas Code 100 Flextrack on Woodland Scenics N-scale foam roadbed. Turnouts are medium by Peco, and are operated by Caboose Hobbies ground throws. It's open grid, and all on 3/4" plywood, built just 30" off the floor so I can operate it from rolling around on an office chair. Virtually everything - bench work, track, turnouts, most rolling stock, two of the four engines, a few structures, and even some wiring were repurposed from my previous layout. Power for the layout is NCE Power Cab, and that is completely new and a change from Digitrax.

Shout Out ... and kudos

I want to take this time and space to recognize some of the many outstanding modelers in the St. Louis area. The following have been featured in major model railroad publications -- five of them with cover photos in just the past few months. Admittedly, the 2020 NMRA Convention is coming to town, but that in no way lessens the work of these incredible modelers and their respective recognition by the modeling press.    

Eric Booman hit the twofer when his Utah Belt was featured on the cover of the December 2018 Model Railroader  and the December 2019 issue of the NMRA Magazine. The 22' 8" x 39' 6" layout is 40 years old, but evolving motive power, industries, operation, and scenery keep the railroad, set in northern New Mexico, in the present day. Eric has long been known for retiring motive power and bringing on new, concurrent with the prototype. One of the very few departures that Eric makes from the prototype is the absence of graffiti -- he abhors it and there is none to be found on the Utah Belt. Power for the layout is DC cab control.

The Utah Belt first appeared in the model press in 1978 with a feature in Railroad Model Craftsman, and Model Railroader recognized it first in 1986 and several times since then.

Although they didn't make the cover, a number of other accomplished St. Louis modelers were recognized in the

December 2019 issue of the NMRA Magazine. They include Brad Joseph and his HO layout; Dan McReynolds' HO scale ATSF Railway; Randy Meyer's Sn3 Canyon & Rocky Mountain; John Schindler (see below); John Peluso's HO railroad; Pete Smith's exquisite Sn3 1930's Loon Lake Railway & Navigation Co. layout featuring a number of geared locomotives; Doug McCormick's HO Union Pacific; and Ken Kroschwitz's monster HO layout at his hobby store.

All of the model railroads in this post will be on the Layout Tour at the convention, and several of the modelers will be among the dozens highlighted in the clinic offerings.

John Russel models the Rock Island railroad in O scale with his Rock Island Lines, and is the featured cover subject in the  March 2020 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman. Set in the 1948-1952 era, the railroad fills a 65' x 35' basement. Motive power is largely custom-painted brass imports, and to understand the level of prototype accuracy, one only has to know John worked as a trainman on "The Rock" for more than 40 years. John is well known nationally in O-scale circles, and his railroad has also been featured in Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette  on several occasions.

John's railroad is DC powered.

Gary Hoover is, along with Eric Brooman, one of the most recognizable names in model railroading. His latest effort is the cover subject for the April 2020 issue of Model Railroader. The 24' x 49' Norfolk and Western of the 1950s is set in Appalachian coal country and is unique in that it includes scenes in HO scratch built models of pictures by famed railroad photographer O. Winston Link. It replaces the ATSF Railway by Gary that was featured in a 2005 issue of Model Railroader. Prior to that railroad, he built the Missouri, Kansas, and Quincy. In addition to the covers, Gary has written many articles, and provided the photographs, for numerous national modeling publications.

This latest effort is DCC powered by Digitrax.

Gary Gross is the guru of the Franklin Pacific Railroad, a three-level HO layout set in 1958. It is the cover photo and featured article in the January 2020 NMRA Magazine. All compacted into a 12' x 20' footprint, the railroad is heavy on operations. The single set of staging tracks represents both ends of the layout: St. Louis on the east and Springfield/Kansas City on the west. As I said, Gary is devoted to operations: he uses a 4:1 fast clock, and the optimum crew is seven. Two to run Franklin Yard, a dispatcher who sits away from the railroad, and four running the trains.

Control for the Franklin Pacific is DCC.

Dave Roeder by any criteria, is a prolific award-winning modeler. His Webster Groves & Fenton Railroad is a prototype/freelance HO scale model railroad set in the mid-1980s with first and second generation diesels providing a bulk of the power. The layout is built as an operating railroad and has entertained monthly operating sessions continuously since 1996. Dave's FG&W is the cover photo and feature in the March 2020 NMRA Magazine. The layout occupies a 30' x 70' room.

Dave has won hundreds ... even thousands of awards ... in modeling, and not just in railroading. He is also a award-winning modeler of automobiles in different scales

The Webster Groves & Fenton is powered by analog DC.

John Schindler and his large St. Louis Junction railroad features action on both sides of the Mississippi River. The 30' x 60' layout was featured prominently in the March 2020 Model Railroader. It's a current era, multi-deck walk-in railroad with a mainline run of 275 feet. Crews use 40 locomotives to move some 500 cars in a typical operating session. A crew consists of eight to twelve operators, and the dispatcher uses a computer and CATS signal logic. The railroad is a Digitrax DCC layout. John is co-chair of the 2020 NMRA National Convention in St. Louis.

Featured on more than one occasion over the last several months in the NMRA Magazine  is David Lowell and his scratch-built structures and rolling stock memorializing the Chicago and Illinois Midland. His modeling is such that you will be hearing more about him in the coming months.

There's a lot of great modeling going on in the St. Louis area. This is just a tip of the iceberg.

Trains running well ... yippee!

It's a good day. Trains are running well on the Paducah Switching layout, thanks to Ron Schlueter who came over this afternoon and worked his magic on fixing a problematic curve (too tight and with a kink) and generally tuned the track. I was most pleased Ron was able to fix the curve without widening it to the point where I might have to change the track plan in that area.

As modelers who read this blog will attest, the railroad HAS to run well, or nothing else matters. There is still some track cleaning to finish, but I can now start moving on with the building of the railroad. Coming soon is the painting of the benchwork, the installation of the fascia, and the addition of the second NCE throttle. That, of course, will be followed by structures and scenery that bring model railroads to life.

Trains are running ... kinda ...

Trains are running on the Paducah Switching ... kinda. The roadbed is down, and the track is weathered and down. Under the bench buss wires are in (courtesy Kent Tallyn), and most of the drops are in (with help from Kent, Ron Schlueter, and Bill Levin).

Ron Schlueter solders the drops

The drops that are in are attached to the buss wires (again, Kent and Bill Levin). Bill Buhr and Dale DeWitt laid down the last of the track and "tuned" some of my efforts. Hank Kraichely weathered the ties.

Today, I started cleaning the weathering residue from the track with a very fine grit sandpaper. The manufacturer of the weathering solution says the track will conduct electricity after it has dried; ain't so! I, and others, have found the track needs to be cleaned of the residue. Anyway, after my initial cleaning effort, two of the engines I plan to use -- the 2-8-0 Consolidation and one of the RS-3's, both ran pretty well. I determined several areas that still need drops, and some places that will require additional cleaning. There are also a couple of spots where the track work needs to be addressed. Right now, progress is maddeningly slow, but if the track work isn't good, and the trains don't run well, nothing else much matters. We'll stay after it.

Slow, but sure

Fellow Gandy Dancers (our Thursday night round robin group) are providing extra hands and much needed expertise in getting the P&LE running. As in many things, it's taking longer than hoped, but it is being done extremely well.

Bill Levin (l) and Kent Tallyn (r) taking a break from adding drops from the track to the buss wires.

Thursday night, much of the gang was here. Kent Tallyn did the under-the-bench wiring, running the buss wires and hooking up the drops from the tracks via 3M Scotchlock "suitcase" connectors. Bill Levin and Tom Gaffuri were soldering the drops to the tracks; Bill Buhr worked on a turnout connection that was causing a kink; and Hank Kraichely spent the evening weathering the ties.

Sunday, Bill Buhr returned and worked on two additional turnouts. He also brought his test car to run through its paces to see that the track was running smoothly.

Bill Buhr with his track test car that he constructed. It works well.

Next to be completed are two short pieces of track to be put down, the remainder of the drops to be soldered to the track and then attached to the buss wires, and the NCE control system installed. The plan is that assuming I can get some of it down between now and Thursday, the group can get the rest done Thursday night. The beat goes on.

Track is weathered, ready to put down

As promised in the previous post, I'm reporting on weathering the track with the Micro Engineering Company's Rail Weathering Solution. In a sentence, it went better than I feared it might, not quite as well as I hoped. It is what it is. My biggest issue is that all the track did not weather evenly, and may require some touch up after it's in place.

This is the rail before weathering

After weathering; I wish it all looked like this

The process was fairly simple. Directions on the solution bottle recommend a 2:1 (water to solution) mixture, and I followed directions. People who have used it suggest anywhere from the 3-5 minutes and even more; they caution to watch it closely. I did. I left the track "cooking" for 7-8 minutes to get where I thought I wanted it.

Track ready to be placed in the solution

Following the time in the solution, the track has to be rinsed in plain water to stop the chemical process. Then it has to dry before being laid. All told, the time for the process from start to finish (getting the containers ready, getting plain water, mixing the solution, etc.) for about 25 pieces of 3-foot flex track (divided into three separate "soakings") and 22 turnouts (split into two soakings), was a couple of hours. Still shooting to have track down and wired by the end of our group meeting Thursday night. Stay tuned.

Road bed is down, ready for track

The road bed is down, ready for track. Although I model, as you know, in HO scale, I am using N-scale road bed, which is a lower profile at 3 mm than HO at 5 mm.

Next comes the track, but first it has to be weathered. I am using the Micro-Engineering weathering solution. The process is mixing the solution with water and then immersing the track for a specified period. I'm going to start with a 2:1 water-to-solution mixture and a 3-4 minute immersion. I will continue to check the track until I get the level of weathering I want.

I have been avoiding this piece of the project, but its time to bite the bullet. Good friend and great modeler Dave Abeles (Onondaga Cutoff at https://onondagacutoff.blogspot.com) recently wrote in his blog about the intimidation of tasks untried hindering progress, and the need to just move forward and do it. It hit home with me. Interesting that both projects - his creating a pond, and me weathering in a liquid solution - involved water.

My next post will be a report of how (successfully, I hope) the weathering worked out complete with photos.

Ready for roadbed

In the previous post, I drew one-foot squares on the benchwork to coincide with the "Tar Branch" plan as it appeared in Model Railroader (Jan-Apr. 2018). I since have added the (really rough) track plan in red and placed cardboard footprint cutouts using the grid to assure a fit.

Next, I continued to draw the track plan and used footprint cutouts down the vertical piece; note I deviated completely from the MR plan on this section.

From top to bottom (darkened square) are Ken Heyl's kit bash of the Station Inn, an oil dealer facility,  and nearest the wall, a grain elevator and a scrap yard. A street will run between the two. Nearest the aisle are a Railway Express Agency, and an engine facility. The last six feet will include a harbor with barge loading coal, and a yard. There will be other structures and scenery elements, but these are the one's that impact the placement of the track.

It all looks pretty rough now, but should start looking like a model railroad within the next two weeks. Our Thursday night gang will be here at the end of the month to do the under-the-bench wiring, so I have to get the roadbed and track down before then.