So, this week I'm back upstairs at the workbench, and enjoying the sunshine and light warm breezes thru the window. Just couldn't bring myself to stay in the basement this weekend with spectacular weather like we've been having here in the midwest lately.
I did a lttle updating to my Rio Grande Southern remaining (stuff) page last week, but no further updates this week. I've also been reading RGS Story v8 (which is truly an amazing work of historical research and photos!) - mostly about Mancos - and have been finding it fascinating. Most surprising was the discovery that portions of the depot, freight house and section houses still exist! In fact, here's the freight section of the depot.
A little tidbit I discovered - the RGS had FLOWER GARDENS created at each of its depots; I finally noticed a news item about the Mancos depot noting this, and it syncs with the many photos I've seen of the depots with the little fenced-in area at the end of the depots, away from the freight sections.
I purchased a number of pre-wired 603 golden-white LEDs (from here), and this weekend installed one for the first time. MAN - these things are tiny!
I've got a bunch of steam locomotives, painted & weathered last fall, all awaiting DCC installs. Once those is an older Sunset brass 4-8-2. Being brass, it didn't have any weight inside, and also didn't have a headlight. So - very nervously I admin - I pulled out a #60 drill and drilled a hole thru the headlight and also through the smokebox front, and ran this tiny 603 LED in there. After testing (at 12v with a 1k resistor), the effect is really amazing. I secured it with some Alene's tack glue, and plan to make a lens of Crystal Clear later.
Inside, I've been add weight to every little cranny I can find - a couple open spaces in the frame, between the wheels above the frame, and most of the front section of the boiler. Added all the wiring as well, which is hard-wired to the decoder in the tender. Only half done w/ the DCC install on this one, but it's going well so far.
I also completed a DCC install in my Bachmann 4-6-0, which is a beautiful little thing full of fragile parts and piping. After weathering, it looks great. Frankly, I was too afraid to disassemble this little fellow, so I'm using the (very poor, very yellow) stock LED for the headlight, and using the connectors between tender & loco. The color coding in the connectors didn't match NMRA or notes I found online, but I eventually figured them out. I did hardwire the decoder in the tender, after removing Bachmann's circuit board.
And finally - another first for me - I used Kadee brass coupler sprints (before the whisker couplers), and cut down the little brass plates to build up wipers for each of the 8 tender wheels. Every wheel has a wiper now, and I've got full pickup from both sides. This replaced the axle wipers that effectively gave the tender only four-wheel pickup. I'm using Neolube on the backs of the wheels, but I'm afraid of the drag on the wheels from all the wipers. I'm new at this wiper thing... but so far it seems to run ok. I did add a lot of weight to the tender.
I also found (after some forum postings at MRH) ideas to add weight to the locomotive - including on the cab floor, and (using sheet lead) on the cab roof both inside the cab, and on the apron roof over the tender floor outside.
Mar 19, 2012
Mar 11, 2012
Amazing photos from Ophir Loop's abandoned trestles
So... I've finally gotten around to updating some aging links, and have been focusing on my Remaining Equipment page (which is actually remaining anything - right-of-way, structures, etc). Hmmm - maybe I should rename that... any suggestions?
Anyway, my updates led me back to David Dye's amazing work in documenting what's left of the right-of-way and trestles of the Ophir Loop. Dave's created several pages which I've linked to from my Remains page, but the most amazing is this map - which (if you hover your mouse on the yellow dots) shows close-ups of many of the foundations, cuts, etc of the bridges.
Dave must've done some climbing & hiking, since this location is on the side of a mountain.
Anyway, my updates led me back to David Dye's amazing work in documenting what's left of the right-of-way and trestles of the Ophir Loop. Dave's created several pages which I've linked to from my Remains page, but the most amazing is this map - which (if you hover your mouse on the yellow dots) shows close-ups of many of the foundations, cuts, etc of the bridges.
Dave must've done some climbing & hiking, since this location is on the side of a mountain.
Feb 16, 2012
Book sales!
Just a quick note - an Sn3 modeler has passed, and his wife is selling a huge pile of RGS and narrow-gauge books.
There's some great books here. For reference, I have descriptions for many of these books here:
http://rgsrr.home.comcast.net/~rgsrr/rgs/refs.html
Ms. Bellos is selling them thru her site: www.petedyestate.net.
In other updates, I've been working on adding lighting to the layout - T8 fluorescent strips along the edges, and some LED lighting in the closet / staging area. Pictures & details soon. Er, well, eventually!
There's some great books here. For reference, I have descriptions for many of these books here:
http://rgsrr.home.comcast.net/~rgsrr/rgs/refs.html
Ms. Bellos is selling them thru her site: www.petedyestate.net.
In other updates, I've been working on adding lighting to the layout - T8 fluorescent strips along the edges, and some LED lighting in the closet / staging area. Pictures & details soon. Er, well, eventually!
Dec 30, 2011
Great layout progress, Goose #3 anniversary, Edna repainted
Just a quick post tonight... I've been off a few days for Christmas and had a chance to make great progress on the layout - all 6 new Tortoise installs are completed, the new panel at Telluride is complete, DCC LocoNet troubleshooting at Ridgway is complete, and a new optical sensor installed near the Ridgeway yard crossover (so I can 'see' when a train is clear during switching moves; key because that crossover is mostly hidden).
On the real RGS side of things, Knotts Berry Farm reported that Goose #3 just celebrated her 80th birthday (in fine, operating shape) and business car Edna has a new exterior paint job. Details about both at on my Remaining Equipment page, which I finally got around to updating.
That page also has some further details about the RGS #20 rebuild, which continues but needs more funds.
On the real RGS side of things, Knotts Berry Farm reported that Goose #3 just celebrated her 80th birthday (in fine, operating shape) and business car Edna has a new exterior paint job. Details about both at on my Remaining Equipment page, which I finally got around to updating.
That page also has some further details about the RGS #20 rebuild, which continues but needs more funds.
Dec 4, 2011
Tortoises again
Wow, the fall is a busy time for our household... I thought I posted my last update here about 2 weeks ago... actually it's been 6!
So, just a brief update... on the layout side I'm back to installing Tortoise turnout motors, which involves a lot of time twisted under various parts of the layout, working upside down to align rather touchy angles on the underside of the layout. I'm adding 3 new turnout motors at Telluride as well as a completely new panel, so operators there can switch more efficiently in the narrow aisle. Here's the panel graphics (which was trimmed somewhat after printing; click if the full image isn't showing):
Panels go to Kinko's and are printed in color on cardstock, then laminated, then glued to the fascia. Holes are drilled for toggles & LEDs then.
During some test op sessions, I discovered that constantly walking to the far end of the penisula to manually throw the turnouts on the run-around tracks got old pretty quickly. Also, I figured once the depot is built, it'd be hard (and potentially dangerous to the depot model) to reach over it to manually throw a turnout which will be behind it. So - another motor there.
I suppose an interesting note my aisle design. Here's the layout design (click if the full image isn't showing):
The layout was designed so you could follow your train in the same aisle as much as possible. Wider aisle areas were designed in front of Ridgway, Durango, Rico and Dolores - primary switching areas. For Telluride, I didn't want to clog up the Dolores, so the wye at Vance and switching at Telluride are intended to be done from the left side - in the Telluride-Ophir aisle. Thus, my turnout motor additions are being done to allow operators to stay in that aisle, and stay out of other ops' way while switching. It sounds good on paper... eventually I have more test op sessions w/ multiple people and we'll see if my idea works.
Then in Ridgway, also as the result of some test operating, it was suggested I add motors to all the turnouts in the yard ladder, since when you're using the caboose / runaround track, it's hard to physically see the turnout positions behind those cars... especially given the 51" height of the benchwork there. So, even for those yard turnouts that can be reached, I'm adding turnout motors and indicators on the panel. So - another 3 Tortorti will be going in there. The toggles and wiring are complete, and the linkages on the turnouts complete... just need to add the motors now.
So, just a brief update... on the layout side I'm back to installing Tortoise turnout motors, which involves a lot of time twisted under various parts of the layout, working upside down to align rather touchy angles on the underside of the layout. I'm adding 3 new turnout motors at Telluride as well as a completely new panel, so operators there can switch more efficiently in the narrow aisle. Here's the panel graphics (which was trimmed somewhat after printing; click if the full image isn't showing):
Panels go to Kinko's and are printed in color on cardstock, then laminated, then glued to the fascia. Holes are drilled for toggles & LEDs then.
During some test op sessions, I discovered that constantly walking to the far end of the penisula to manually throw the turnouts on the run-around tracks got old pretty quickly. Also, I figured once the depot is built, it'd be hard (and potentially dangerous to the depot model) to reach over it to manually throw a turnout which will be behind it. So - another motor there.
I suppose an interesting note my aisle design. Here's the layout design (click if the full image isn't showing):
The layout was designed so you could follow your train in the same aisle as much as possible. Wider aisle areas were designed in front of Ridgway, Durango, Rico and Dolores - primary switching areas. For Telluride, I didn't want to clog up the Dolores, so the wye at Vance and switching at Telluride are intended to be done from the left side - in the Telluride-Ophir aisle. Thus, my turnout motor additions are being done to allow operators to stay in that aisle, and stay out of other ops' way while switching. It sounds good on paper... eventually I have more test op sessions w/ multiple people and we'll see if my idea works.
Then in Ridgway, also as the result of some test operating, it was suggested I add motors to all the turnouts in the yard ladder, since when you're using the caboose / runaround track, it's hard to physically see the turnout positions behind those cars... especially given the 51" height of the benchwork there. So, even for those yard turnouts that can be reached, I'm adding turnout motors and indicators on the panel. So - another 3 Tortorti will be going in there. The toggles and wiring are complete, and the linkages on the turnouts complete... just need to add the motors now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
