Yes you see the date correctly, its already October! Hopefully your weekend was productive. Saturday morning was beautiful, and I had an enjoyable 40 minute drive to our club's location. Work on our yard modules progressed as we are in the wiring stage now. I spent my time soldering all the feeders to the bus lines on one of the modules. This is easy to do at this point as the modules can simply be placed upside down on a work surface. There was about five of us working on the modules that morning so we got a good amount of work done, but still have a lot more to go to be ready for Milwaukee. The rest of the weekend was spent enjoying the weekend by having a cook out and bike ride on trails at a local park and Soccer on Sunday. So how about you? Were you able to get a lot done? Maybe scenery or detailing was your goal. Any shows to speak of? Let us know what you got done over the weekend, with pictures if you have them. We'll do it all over again on Friday, October 5th. Until then... ​High Greens!
I worked some more on Gross Dam Rd crossing. I slathered more Sculptamold down to make the crossing more level, and gentle. Still more work to come.
Laid more rail down at the approach to the east end of the yard. Ready to set the frog and lay rail on each side of it. I think I used the tie trip from a Code 70 switch kit, but I'm using 83 on the main. Unsure of weather to try the Code 70 frog or just order one from Proto 87. I'll find out in a couple weeks when I get back home. Finally I can have cars set on the main and let the switcher work the yard and A/D track. Still lots or scenery work and tree planting yet to come.
Well, the best laid plans.... I'd hoped to get more done, but a small drip in the kitchen turned into 20,000 Leaks Under the Sink, and Saturday was lost to appeasing the plumbing gods. Good thing I stuck by my rule of never starting a plumbing job, no matter how small, if the hardware store won't be open for at least another 6 hours. I did get all the holes drilled and grabs installed on the remaining two F7As, and the decals are in place as well. The weather was wrong for spraying, though, so that will wait until this evening. I'll get the window glass in after that, and the shells will be done.
I took a trip up to the northern Catskills Saturday. I ripped the framework from my stock of recycled lumber I need to build another six feet of T-Trak modules . Speaking of it now being October, coming home last evening I passed theough a town near Kingston NY. and found everything had been covered by a dusting of snow earlier in the day.
Well the plan was move some stuff with grandson on saturday but his dad had other plans .. so I moved the spare broken trundle bed frame my self and wrenched my back - done for the weekend you think? nope, I blackend 30 some feet of code 80 and 55 using the liquid Blackend stuff ( now to find it whole sale in larger quantities ) for addition to layout for winter . replaced all marginal switches ((I have older Atlas and the switch coil cover bulge kept lifting my MiniTrix FM off the track )) and track with new , then cleaned up track and operated my SD40-2 , FM 10-44. My two truck Shay and broke the CV joint on the long shaft ( ) now to dead line and find parts to fix , the E6 BWL is sooooo sweet w/sound , and the 4-6-2 pacific pilot truck leading axle keep picking the middle of the curve on the main ( code 55 ) which gauged ok . Got the three log flats done , weathered , trucks changed to Archbar and changed out the stock wheels for steel 33" er's. which certanly will show you where you need to do track work ( ugh ) , they seem to pick the tinest out of gauge and twist . I also got a Bman F7 SF from ebay with no couplings for 12$ .. I know but get this , I tore it down to seperating the wheels and cleaned the gunk and hair etc out of the gear boxes. cleaned the wipers ( loaded with oil and dirt ) and added a maganamate coupler to the rear , added some rust spotz to the body and blackend out the nose so the light would not make it look like rudolph the red nose Santa Fe rain deer .... all with out trying it out first to see if it even ran . well I set on the code 80 mill maint trak and brought the throttle up and .. nothing .. groan . I had the throttle switch set to main ... reset the switch to mill ( saw mill row) and it just purrred so slow I could not belive it possible. It did not pick any of the frogs or points and it ran awsome for a cheapy, now I just have to figure how to use it or repaint as they were not made until 1949 which fits the transition era but no SF in north Idaho .... this being a passenger version that has the donkey boiler exhaust I am told they have two versions a freight with out the steam as well . Any way I had a great sunday and my wife did not nag me about nothing ! and whats the odds of that happening again before the snow flies ???
