MSI-Chicago Katos Reach Idaho!!

[Anonymous]

The 2206 mile trek for three Kato SD70MACs from Chicago to Seattle started quite accidentally...by coincidence, they were all kept together. Now it has turned into a serious effort to see if three HO scale models can actually cover the real-life distance depicted on the MSI-Chicago's Great Train Story.

Well another milestone was reached Tuesday, the trio reached Sandpoint, ID; milepost 1807. That also means they've left Montana...HOORAY!! Man, that's a big state. They've been in MT since May, arriving at Wolf Point at the beginning of the month. Other Montana notables are Harve in May also, Essex in June, West Glacier and Whitefish in July and now after almost three months...goodbye!

Expected arrival in Seattle, you ask....sometime in September. Days out on the road so far....206. Do they still have that Kato sound....You must be kiddin'. They have a purring growl now.
David Harrison
Modelling UP, BNSF, CTA, and Amtrak

[Noah Hofrichter]

Make sure you let us know when it reaches it's destination,as I'm curious to know exactly how long it'll take.

Noah

[Don Gibson]

David:

Do these run continuously - or with rest periods? Do they get maintenance along the way? And from From when to when?

Pleeze keep up the posting and good work. You are doing monumental work.

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys for your interest. The arrival in Seattle now looks to be timed for the I Hobby Expo at Rosemont since Mr. Kato of Kato will be here and he's really expressed an interest in this feat.

So the locomotives will probably be pulled from service a mile or so short of their goal so a real ceremonial entrance into Seattle can be staged.

The normal routine at MSI is for about ten hours of non-stop running, from the time the master switch is turned on in the am and off in the pm.

Because too much lubrication attracts dirt and you'd be surprised how dirty the environment is at MSI; we've lengthened the intervals. The trio just finished 26 straight days tonight since their last servicing which included truck rebuilding and new motor brushes. They were removed from the layout for five days then. About a week ago, all locomotives out on the layout were lubed with a conducta product while in service. Trains were stopped and serviced one by one passing the servicing location. Wheel cleaning occurs more often of course, but again, its done inservice.

David Harrison

[MAbruce]

David,

I don’t even model in HO, but I find this a very interesting topic. Please keep the updates coming.

BTW: So when is the museum really going to get serious with model railroading and set up a large N-scale layout? [:D][;)][:p]

[jjbmish]

I've been to the Museum a couple of times since the new train layout was put in, and its a lot of fun to watch. It may not operate prototypically, but it does what its supposed to and runs almost continuously. I did get to see a couple of derailments and even a head on collision when one train jumped the tracks. But I can still walk around the layout for hours, just ask my wife and kids LOL

John

[Anonymous]

Okay!! I'll talk about what we never talk about but what a lot of people want to hear. Yes, with three main lines parallel for over 400 hundred feet, what happens on one track usually affects the adjacent, maybe both adjacent tracks.

Normally there are 210 cars out there with 23 locomotives; thats a total of 966 axles or 1932 metal wheels or....1932 things that could go wrong, LOL!!

Although the layout is not computerized or DCC, there is a signal logic that detects the current draw from either the locomotives or resistance equipped last car of the consist; thus protecting the rear end of any train that stops, is stalled, or a locomotive derails.

There are glitches in the 30 plus signal blocks and "sail throughs" will result in a rear ended train.

Bigger problems happen when cars derail, either accidentally or due to juvenile terroristic activities. Most probable accidental causes are screws that vibrate loose. Parted trains usually are the result of a lost knuckle spring. Out of gauge cars and mismatched Kadees are rare.

Locomotives on the other hand get out of gauge more often. One Kato, BNSF 5601 derails every time at the same place, coming out of a superelevated curve. I've spent two days, doing everything, until I broke the bottom clip. Kato hasn't received AC44 parts yet, so the unit is sidelined unless I loan MSI one from my personal stash.

The biggest crashes you ask....usually its the little Metra that will derail and wipe out the three adjoining mains in the process. Last week the little grain elevator back-n-forth fouled the B main, the derailed cars took out the C, the impact pushed the horizontal hoppers into a passing Amtrak. Wipeout!!

Metra hasn't done that for months now, its cars all ride on those expensive IM roller bearing wheelsets, and the Walthers F40 body sits on an A Line repowering chassis.

David Harrison

[Anonymous]

This exhibit is a monumental tribute to "The World's Greatest Hobby". Well done & thanks.

[jjbmish]

Even with its little glitches (who's layout doesn't) the layout at MSI is an amazing piece of work. I would recommend it to anyone. Mr. Harrison if you get to maintain this layout you have to have one of the greatest jobs I could imagine. I'm wondering if it was you who I got to see walk around on the layout to correct a small problem? And yes I did get to observe a couple of young and not so young people doing things that they shouldn't. There's one in every crowd. Hope the engines keep running well!

John

[Anonymous]

The layout has a Monday - Friday exhibit tech assigned. Techs wear a blue uniform shirt. On weekends it's covered by pool techs who usually respond to radio calls for assistance. I'm an outside contractor responsible mainly for engines and rolling stock. My hours are variable but I try especially to be there on weekends. I'm the tall Black man without a uniform, but with an ID badge and cap.

There are a dozen men and women who serve as volunteer guides and give interpertation of the exhibit to museum visitors. They wear gray shirts and denim aprons. These are "people friendly" persons who love to point out the little scenic details located all through the layout. Because of union shop rules, only technicans and contractors can handle the trains and controls.

From time to time other contractors and the electronics technican might be trackside too.

This weekend I'll be working to get a second steam powered train on the mountain loop and converting two more Proto 1K NYCTA el cars to CTA "L"s, and continuing to bring back some of the original cars with new couplers and wheelsets.

Oh and the high mileage say goodbye to Idaho Saturday...Man! that was short, LOL

David Harrison

[Anonymous]

David, thank you for these detailed reports. For whatever reason. that kind of stuff fascinates me. Keep 'em coming. Have a great weekend!!

Greg

[Don Gibson]

DAVID:

I'm just curious how the outside-frame electrical pickup's (Kato, Stewart) do vs. inside bronze bearing pickup loco's (Athearn, LL Proto 2000) do?

With me, it's a 'design' thing, not a 'brand' thing .

Thanks for keeping us informed. We appreciate your post's.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Don Gibson

DAVID:

I'm just curious how the outside-frame electrical pickup's (Kato, Stewart) do vs. inside bronze bearing pickup loco's (Athearn, LL Proto 2000) do?

With me, it's a 'design' thing, not a 'brand' thing .

Thanks for keeping us informed. We appreciate your post's.

It's fun here too. Actually I've noticed no difference. The outside frame...Kato calls them axle wipers seems to be used on most upscale locos: Atlas, P2K, Genesis, Kato, even the Kato business with the bronze bearings the exclusive domain of Athearn BB and RTR.

The high mileage locos got their wipers replaced as they were showing wear. Another trio of Katos is having contact problems and that might be the cure there too.

We don't have too much Atlas running, only the Dash 8-B32PH and the two are sidelined. I cleaned the wiper and journals of one with conducta lube and performance improved immensely.
I'm a one man campaign for this stuff.

As to the bronze bearings, I think they will last forever.....at least longer than plastic details like plows, end rails, sunshades; longer than the motors they power too.

David Harrison