Today I had to track down a loose connection in the Atlas U30EM645. This affords a rare glimpse under the hood. Atlas chassis, Proto Power West motor, cheap Bachmann decoder, no lights, lightboard or DCC socket. This loco is second in line behind an Atlas Trainmaster so all this baby needs is motor control.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Probe forgot to say congrats to you also. Well I see Kev saw my little dig also. sorry Kev couldn't resist after fife got ya. At least I replied it was because of my lack of sleep not the content or length of your post.
Well waiting for the tardis crew. talk to you all later
Life's hard, even harder if your stupid John Wayne
http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/
KRM How do you survive this croud Jeffery?
How do you survive this croud Jeffery?
Way to go Jim!
Rich - Devils up half way through the 2nd!
Ray
Bayville, NJ
Life is what happens to youWhile you're busy making other plans - John Lennon
anjdevil2 Fife - me too.... oh boy I get it.
Fife - me too.... oh boy I get it.
Cooked on the new grill, Chops yesterday steaks tonight. Thanks Laz for the tip.
BY Guys
Joined 1-21-2011 TCA 13-68614
Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL.
Congas Probe!!
Game 4 tonight....I'm beat....
Chief....nice cat----er, Dog... very, um CUTE!!!
Fife - me too....
Dennis - If they interrupted MY wedding, well, we're all of Italian decent...need I say more...?
I gotta lay down, they beat me to death at work....
I am the monster in your head...And I thought you'd learn by now, It seems you haven't yet.I am the venom in your skin --- Breaking Benjamin
well think I figured out the powering of the switches. now will need to get some quick release switches for the electrical side of it. I have seen some on the bay that are push button and as you let go they go to the open circuit
Simple enough set up use one for straight one for the turn out direction and just run a wire straight to the one side of the transformer from middle position on switch and then on the side from the switch that needs to goto transformer connect them together and and send to the other post on transformer.
I have a transformer in mind its an HO transformer with a ac accessory side on it.
Hope all had a good weekend. Mine is just starting for this week lol. Work this coming weekend but off Monday Memorial day.
RockIsland52 fifedog: After reading KRM's post, I'm too exhausted to type... Same here, FIFE. I subscribe to Chief's "hire it done theory." My beer expense might be higher Chief's way, watching the process. But considering the rest..... including the 14 hour round trip commute, driving all over God's Dairyland a few times to get parts, equipment overhauls, and the wear and tear on my aging carcass.......the total outlay might be the same or less. Jack
fifedog: After reading KRM's post, I'm too exhausted to type...
After reading KRM's post, I'm too exhausted to type...
Same here, FIFE. I subscribe to Chief's "hire it done theory." My beer expense might be higher Chief's way, watching the process. But considering the rest..... including the 14 hour round trip commute, driving all over God's Dairyland a few times to get parts, equipment overhauls, and the wear and tear on my aging carcass.......the total outlay might be the same or less.
Jack
Wait, WHAT am I seeing here,,,, RI Jack complaining about a long Pot post?????? Even my long post would be shorter than most of Jack’s daily post. Good thing I can only hunt and peck. Oh and RT chips in too??? Guess I will leave the long post to someone else. Now I understand Chuck and SJ. The guys that hire it done do it because they can’t do it most of the time. Actually it is all a good time with friends and something to be proud of when complete. JMHO BTW My total cost on the trip was $76.00 the rest, gas and all was on Mark and he still saved thousands.
Wait, WHAT am I seeing here,,,, RI Jack complaining about a long Pot post??????
Even my long post would be shorter than most of Jack’s daily post.
Good thing I can only hunt and peck.
Oh and RT chips in too??? Guess I will leave the long post to someone else. Now I understand Chuck and SJ.
The guys that hire it done do it because they can’t do it most of the time. Actually it is all a good time with friends and something to be proud of when complete. JMHO
BTW My total cost on the trip was $76.00 the rest, gas and all was on Mark and he still saved thousands.
Wow Dennis that would be awful.
Blowout prayers been going out to you for past 3 nights just haven't posted in a while but been reading here and there
Fife don't feel bad I fell asleep twice reading it. It wasn't boring just I was so tired as haven't slept much in past 2 nights.
Well got my switches in but a little confused as some have 6 wires to the motors and one has only 4 wires. 3 are where I would figure them to be then the others are on what looks like contacts so I'm guessing they are there as maybe they wired these in series so when you hit one controller it controls like 2 or 3 switches at the same time. well have 5 switches and motors and the guy has offered me another 10 which I might take him up on as this would give me more than enough with present plans
Can't hurt to have a few extra thou.
Good evening everyone! Been crazy busy around here. Was on call up until this morning and had to go in both days over the weekend. Saturday night, we attended a special training for international missions at our church. I might be doing a medical mission before long, but we do need to get the trip to China done first.
Yesterday, we had two great services having to do with missions. Then I had to do an early case this morning. I finished in time to go to our son's award ceremony at school. He got six awards for academic excellence. The most in his grade and he also got the service award. Must have gotten it from his mother.
Doug M., saw a video of someone's wedding that was interrupted by the protesters. That would be bad. We also had a issue locally as Phillip Phillips is from here. He came back this past weekend for a concert and parade. Unfortunately, some parents were burying their 14 year old son and when the limo was taking them to the funeral home, folks mobbed the limo thinking it was Phillips.
Well, gotta run.
Dennis
TCA#09-63805
RockIsland52 green97probe: ........Passed the second and last test to become CompTIA A+ certified this morning. Yesssssssssss!!!!!!!!! Jack
green97probe: ........Passed the second and last test to become CompTIA A+ certified this morning.
........Passed the second and last test to become CompTIA A+ certified this morning.
Yesssssssssss!!!!!!!!!
Got two boxcars I'm working on today. One is a Con-Cor 65' double door Southern box. It needed some repair on one end, one of the coupler boxes needed to be reattached and it needed a little cosmetic work. It rolls very well and is now #9 in the string of cars on the layout. The other car is a LBF UP 50' boxcar. It needs to be weighted and have couplers installed. Think I'll save that one for a 'fall off the log' project.
green97probe ........Passed the second and last test to become CompTIA A+ certified this morning.
IF IT WON'T COME LOOSE BY TAPPING ON IT, DON'T TRY TO FORCE IT. USE A BIGGER HAMMER.
Spank,
That's crazy about those projects. Not needed at all for those grades.
I was going to junk the 91 GL, but the best price I've gotten is $200. Yeah...no other way to put it within what I can say here. My response to one yard that gave me a very nasty attitude would surely get me banned. Not with $500+ in brand new parts just installed. I don't play the "give me your stuff for free becasue I think I deserve it" game. Will likely fix the brakes and keep going.
Passed the second and last test to become CompTIA A+ certified this morning.
fifedog After reading KRM's post, I'm too exhausted to type...
Good morning all,
D.Baker, on Chief's track plan, there looks to be a place for a wye on the left side. Two legs of the wye are already there. All you need to do is add the third leg. However, it looks like only enough room on the stub end to turn just one engine. Surpised at two foot height of layout.. Just don't walk in there in the dark.
Chief, with all due respect, there are plenty of examples of reverse loops on real railroads. The one I worked for had one at their big yard in West Colton, California. From the departure yard Eastbound trains would continue in same direction but West Bound trains would go around the reverse loop, we called it the baloon track, and head West. I remember another one at Vandenberg Air Force Base where I rode an excusion train into during the 60's. They turned our whole passenger train around on that one. These were on the Southern Pacific. I have two of them on my layout and two wye tracks which are acutually part of the reverse loops. Sooooo you can either reverse a whole train or turn an engine on the wye, whichever you desire.
V8 Dennis, I saw those other Huel Howser programs you mentioned too. The outdoor live steam railroad was at Griffith Park in L.A. The big wood trestle over Goat Canyon is in Carriso Gorge down near the Mexican border. That line was built to run trains from San Diego to El Centro and connect with the Southern Pacific to go East. He has done other train shows as well. That one near Yosemite National Park is a three foot guage logging line with a shay type steam engine. It's called the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad . I rode it once.
Chief, good luck with the new pup. I thought you were holding the kitten when I first looked.
later,
SPMan
Fifedog, And that was the reduced short story of the trip.
Fifedog,
And that was the reduced short story of the trip.
On a up note I picked up a 1:50th scale 325 Bobcat Excavator for the layout. $8.35
Hello all
Busy as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers.
Baled hay and repaired equipment all weekend
Kev... Wow
Chief, what does Lucy think of Yorkie?????
Probe I had a similar problem when I bought my El Camino back in 74. It was obvious due to mileage and condition that the issue existed when the vehicle was inspected. . Dealer was given the option to repair or I would visit local PA State Police to show the way dealer was doing inspections. Dealer readily agreed to do the repair.
Back to the grind
Prayers for those in need
Banks, Proud member of the OTTS TCA 12-67310
Morning CTTFans!
Another weekend has gone by to fast. Got the Day #5 of 5 of our Wichita, KS trip posted <Click here> for those following along. I will do a complete trip report here later that will have more photos.
Have a great day everyone!
Darren (BLHS & CRRM Lifetime Member)
Delaware and Hudson Virtual Museum (DHVM), Railroad Adventures (RRAdventures)
My Blog
Good morning. It's 79° and sunny with some clouds. The high will be 90° and it will be partly cloudy. There's a 30% chance of rain this afternoon and evening.No plans for today. Just run some trains and watch some movies.
RockIsland52 Good Mornin' Ya'll From Crystal Clear Cape Ann Taxachusetts, KEV........you may be incommunicado for the next few days as you road trip Northward. But I wanted to ask you why your auto insurance costs were so high when you owned the Shelby GT350? Seriously, mine were not in the horrendous category when I moved off my Dad's policy and went out on my own. My driving record was spotless for 6 years leading up to my (used) Corvette purchase, made sure of it while I scrimped and saved because I knew the insurance companies were lying in wait.
Good Mornin' Ya'll From Crystal Clear Cape Ann Taxachusetts,
KEV........you may be incommunicado for the next few days as you road trip Northward. But I wanted to ask you why your auto insurance costs were so high when you owned the Shelby GT350? Seriously, mine were not in the horrendous category when I moved off my Dad's policy and went out on my own. My driving record was spotless for 6 years leading up to my (used) Corvette purchase, made sure of it while I scrimped and saved because I knew the insurance companies were lying in wait.
"My driving record was spotless for 6 years leading up to my (used) Corvette" Well Jack mine was not so good, Strike 1. I had not had a ticket till I got the Shelby (early 1971) but I had had 14 warnings from the Plainfield PD before they got fed up with my driving habits. Seems I was doing a holeshot with the Shelby off the light at Rt 30 and 59 when Fatcat the cop was sitting in the parking lot across the street. Strike 2 was two weeks later for speeding in Joliet. Strike 3 was Country Companies ins co. Seems they only liked to cover farmers back then and you had to be a member of the farm bureau to be covered. My dad was from when he was still farming but I was not. So when I left home in little old Plainfield and moved to big old Joliet at 19 yr. old my Ins hit the roof. It was like $400 a year at home and when I moved and had to get a different company and they saw my stellar driving record and that I had a Shelby it went up over $1,400 a year for the same coverage. At that time I was only making $60.00 a week and now I was paying for rent and everything that goes with it so the choice was a given. If it had been 3 months later when I changed jobs I could have made it but it was not to be.
"My driving record was spotless for 6 years leading up to my (used) Corvette"
Well Jack mine was not so good,
Strike 1. I had not had a ticket till I got the Shelby (early 1971) but I had had 14 warnings from the Plainfield PD before they got fed up with my driving habits. Seems I was doing a holeshot with the Shelby off the light at Rt 30 and 59 when Fatcat the cop was sitting in the parking lot across the street.
Strike 2 was two weeks later for speeding in Joliet.
Strike 3 was Country Companies ins co. Seems they only liked to cover farmers back then and you had to be a member of the farm bureau to be covered. My dad was from when he was still farming but I was not. So when I left home in little old Plainfield and moved to big old Joliet at 19 yr. old my Ins hit the roof. It was like $400 a year at home and when I moved and had to get a different company and they saw my stellar driving record and that I had a Shelby it went up over $1,400 a year for the same coverage. At that time I was only making $60.00 a week and now I was paying for rent and everything that goes with it so the choice was a given. If it had been 3 months later when I changed jobs I could have made it but it was not to be.
Morning. Off to meetings. Cloudy warm and some mist off and on.
KEV, hire it done.
Shake and Bake would not tell the truth if the Pope asked him.
Later.
God bless TCA 05-58541 Benefactor Member of the NRA, Member of the American Legion, Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville , KC&D Qualified
Hi guys, This will be a long one so you can skip it if you like. Like every time I leave it is nice to get away but just as nice to get back. I hope your all doing well and we have prayers for BOC, SJ and anyone else in need. The trip. Day 1
Hi guys,
This will be a long one so you can skip it if you like.
Like every time I leave it is nice to get away but just as nice to get back. I hope your all doing well and we have prayers for BOC, SJ and anyone else in need.
The trip. Day 1
The trip up went well hauling the 1,000-gal septic tank, Ditch Witch, and Bobcat backhoe. No problems other that the 10.6 MPG. When we got there and unloaded is when things started down that old slippery slope.
As I was driving the 4-mile trail through the woods to get to Mark’s build site I noticed the steering wheel on the truck jumping all over and rattling. So we took a look and found the left tie rod ready to fall off.
The problem up there is the closest place to get anything is over 24 miles away in Crivitz so we had to take the drive there if we were to hope to get the part. Mark took his truck to get one. As I was working on the truck I found that the right side was bad also but not as bad. Well Sprint does not work there so I could not call him to get a right side tie rod.
1.5 hours later Mark came back with the tie rod and more beer so I changed it out and that helped but I still needed the right side.
When we did a check on the 963 Bobcat we found a bunch of problems, Someone had hit the tailpipe and broke the exhaust off from the engine and just kept running it, blowing hot exhaust into the engine compartment and the main wire harness and the hoses that feed the left lift cyl. The hyd hoses had blisters on them with lots of heat related other issues in there. It was also 1.5 gal low on antifreeze, had a missing lug nut but it looked like we could get it running good enough to use. We made some adjustments rigged the tail pipe up and started it up. No sooner did it fire up than it quit. No power to anything! After 2 hours of trouble shooting I found a 100 amp fusible link that had got cooked and that was the problem. So a trip to Green Bay Bobcat was needed. 1.25 hours one way. We will stop and get a tie rod on that trip for the right side of truck and beer.
Day 2 Headache
Off to Green Bay Bobcat. Got the "special" hyd oil, the "special" antifreeze, the 100 amp fusible link but they had nothing for the exhaust system. The muffler cost was $1,140????? We headed back and when we went to pick up the tie rod they did not have a right side in stock so we had to order it.
We got back got the bobcat working decided that the hoses weren’t leaking so we would just use them. In the time we were gone we had called and told Brian it was no go on the muffler so he welded up a bracket that would hold it in place for now. To the work site. Decided where the septic tank needed to be set and that we needed to be about 8 foot deep. When we got to 6 foot deep we hit water and it is all sand so you could not dig any deeper without loosing the Bobcat.
It was low enough to work but still should be deeper that far north so we just set the tank. We made two trips each with Mark’s and my trucks full of 5 gal containers to put 400 gal of water in the tank so it would stop floating and we could level it out. By now it is almost dark.
Day 3 Extreme hangover.
Mark and Brian went to get 4" PVC and other material for the trunk line to the septic field at 7:00 am. 2:00 pm not back yet. Ends up they had to go to Iron Mountain 90 miles north for the supplies.
Headed back to bury the tank. Got the tank buried and started the line to the septic field when the hyd line that we could not get blew ending the day. Hauled two more truck loads of water to put into the tank and called it a day.
Day 4
Had to go to four places to get two hose made that were less than 2’ long. The problem was the machine uses ORFS fittings and the only places that had them were tractor shops so after going to two hardware stores then Case IH and John Deere we got the two made and back on the machine by 11:00 am. We also picked up the tie rod end and a heaver exhaust clamp for the repaired pipe. I installed the tie rod after they headed back to dig the field.
Got the filed dug down to about 2’ and hit a Granite rock the size of my house. Plan B. Move the field to the south and hope there is no rock there. By 5;30pm the field was set and covered up.
Day 5 Drive home.
End of story.
Good Morning.
74F right now going to mid-80's today.
Got some things already done in back yard...need to redo the lawn..such as that is..and do some flowerbed stuff as well. Got the hummingbird feeders out as well...already had about 14 of them show up...
We are having Victoria Day weekend so we be not at work today...
DBaker: Layout looking good...how high is the layout?
Chief: I see the pup has already claimed you as his cushion!!
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Aloha. . Hope our storms missed you, SJ and MIke C. Welcome back, Kev! A relatively quiet weekend. Hosted a bunch of youngsters from 2 - 9 who ran trains. Thomas and friends were certainly a hit. Brutus, that's a lot of work. Hope you can relax a little today. Roy, wish I was closer. I'd take that dirt! Glad to working at home today. One of my buildings on the left.
Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.
It's 69 with bright sun.
Thanks Roy the first cut will be Thursday. The larger one on the 31st. I really enjoyed yesterday, the weather was so nice and we had a pleasant visit with my cousin. Then a chat with some of the guys. Back to Kohl's this morning, I bought a sheet set that will not fit the mattress. Size on the box is correct, sheet is not. And so begins the last full week in May..S.J.
"IT's GOOD TO BE THE KING",by Mel Brooks
Charter Member- Tardis Train Crew (TTC) - Detroit3railers- Detroit Historical society Glancy Modular trains- Charter member BTTS
Good Morning from Blueberryhill RR....
It is a sunny 68 degrees. Going up to 84 today with sunshine.
Today is a busy day. I have several errands to run and the usual chores to do. Not much doing this afternoon, except for a nap.
Ran trains yesterday. Found a bad section. Cleaned the track but no power. I think I have a loose connection. All other tracks ran well.
Dining car is here with Cheerios for breakfast.
Y'all have a great Monday.
Chuck
Hi GUYZ,
58 here getting to 70.
DOUGDAGRUMP, I agree with those touching of the meteors. At Glacier point the tails on those meteors were spectacular. Seemed like every couple a seconds there was one or two or five shooting off. Big difference there with no light pollution as compared here.
10 dayz to go!!!!!!!!!!
Stay frosty,laz57
Late evening all!
Saw Joe Walsh at the local music festival late last night (he started at 10 pm). He is still very good and the guitar work was extremely polished as always. Also saw some very good local bands, a very good Beatles tribute band, and then a real stinker show by Lou Gramm (former lead singer/writer for Foreigner - man was he bad - no voice left - too bad).
Pretty warm here today (high 80's). Waffles for breakfast. Then spent some time watching Indy quals and practice. While watching I worked on a design and materials list for a garden shed (8 x 9 ft). Then went out and started digging out the old tree ring in the front yeard. Got all the landscape blocks removed (10-12 foot circle) and by 6 pm had about 3/4 dug out. The rest will be slow going as it is a tangle of old tree roots and what is left of the stump from the stump grinder. It was pretty warm and no breeze.
The pile of soil in the side yard is quite sizable now. Going to be another chore to get that removed if I cannot find someone to do it. Made 2 more attempts to get a quote for excavation and no return calls or e-mails again.
for SJ, BoC, Ray, and Brutus' father (good to hear he is doing better Jim).
Good to hear from DougnottaG. Welcome back Kev.
Have a great day tomorrow all!
Regards, Roy
SPMan Don, that track plan reminds me of the display layout built by TCA for the Nixon Library Christmas Holiday of Trains in the past. Does the Chief want all the tracks on one level? Looks like you could have a lot of trains running at the same time on independent tracks. He is going to need a lot of lift outs or hinged sections to get to the middle though. Chief, now is the time to make easy access, not when you are too old to crawl underneath the thing. I put up with duck unders for years. Big mistake! Do yourself a favor and make it easy to access. have a good weekend, Ray
Don, that track plan reminds me of the display layout built by TCA for the Nixon Library Christmas Holiday of Trains in the past. Does the Chief want all the tracks on one level? Looks like you could have a lot of trains running at the same time on independent tracks. He is going to need a lot of lift outs or hinged sections to get to the middle though.
Chief, now is the time to make easy access, not when you are too old to crawl underneath the thing. I put up with duck unders for years. Big mistake! Do yourself a favor and make it easy to access.
have a good weekend,
Good Evening,
Ray, and Pat.... Your concerns are well justified, however the Chief had advised me to use the guidelines below. I think instead of using "Reversing Loops" he plans on having a couple of engines at each end of the train, and do it that way. And the duck unders are covered in a combination of assumptions 6 and 9.
The most signficant concern I have is how his "Articulated" engines are going to be able to negotiate those 90 degree corners. But they do things different in NC.
This is what he plans on.....
1- Layout is to encompass 90% or more of the box. (13x40)
2- Want to RUN verrrrry long trains, don't worry about "Reversering Loops" or multiple train operation.
3- And, regrading switches keep them to a minimum, My engines are all ARTICULATED, and can make the corners.
4- Need a "ROOM" for Grady, prefferably near the small back door. (Upper left corner)
5- Would llke 2 engine yards, 1 on the beginning of a long run and 1 at the opposite end.
6- A couple of bridges is OK, but not too many, but make SURE there is a walkway to access everywhere. ("If needed I will have Grady crawl underneath, he won't mind.")
7- Would like a small place where I can have a small train run continuously.
8- Don't worry about Cross Overs, they just cause trains to run into each other anyway.
9- Only plan on the height of the layout to be around 18 to 24 inches high. That gives me a "Higer Helicopter" view, and then I don't need to be concerned about "Duck Unders", they will all be "Step Overs".
I do have to admit this is the most unusual layout I've been involved with. But it IS the Chief's.
Don
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