Progress Report 06.01.11

Added the sand/fuel track at Carrie Ave Shops.  Crews removed the existing crossover at West Davenport.  A reverse crossover will be relaid in the same area.  Also, the yard ladder is changing where all tracks for staging will be accessed off the siding track. 

The company photographer was out roaming the line today.  He grabbed a few shots:

 

West End of Carrie Ave Shops

 

Thoroughfare from Carrie Ave Shops behind the class tracks
Take note that #3 class track now connects to the thoroughfare.  This will be used for yarding the Peoria and Grain Locals.

 

West Davenport Staging Yard
The yard ladder will be realigned to the siding.  The thoroughfare from the yard now connects to the former #5 staging track.

 

West Davenport Yard - the crossover has been removed.  The alignment will now go from main to siding looking west.

 

The new sand/fuel supply track at Carrie Ave Shops

 

East End Carrie Ave Shops.  Two long tracks which can hold 16 locomotives or so.
The run around and caboose tracks still haven't been installed.

 

The Extra Grain local has been rusting to the rails over at Rock Island waiting for the destruction/construction to be completed so the crew can yard the train.

Progress Report 05.31.11

This morning I was too lazy to do anything.  This evening though, I cut in another switch for the sand/fuel track (nearly forgot about this).  Glued this portion down along with the tracks cut on the 05.28.11 report.  I still have to cut and glue the caboose track, but that should be pretty easy.  I only spent about 20-25 minutes in the layout room this evening.  The swimming pool was calling due to the excessive heat!

Progress Report 05.28.11

Well, the other night I spent roughly three hours staring at the layout formulating a change in design to incorporate the new locomotive facility at Davenport Yard.  In turn, West Davenport is going to be re-designed slightly. 

Today, after a great day spent on the L&HR testing and observing future operations, I was inspired to come home to continue work on the Carrie Ave Shops rebuild.  A switch was cut into West Davenport Class Track #5, the track was cut and tested for the west end of Carrie Ave Shops, plus the #3 class track was extended to the run around track for the locomotive facility.  All tracks need to be glued, but getting them cut and positioned was more than half the battle. 

I'm hoping by the end of the weekend to have all the changes completed and photos posted.

Progress Report 05.25.11

Well, engineering finally woke from their slumber.  Two switches were installed on the east end of Carrie Ave Shops along with the main track and locomotive fueling track.  An internal debate is still under way regarding the west end of the facility.

Solo Op Session Notes 05.25.11

We had family visiting this weekend plus work has been real dismal lately, so my motivation has been lacking.

I finished out running the Grain Train local utilizing the new Yardmaster at Davenport.  Wow!  What a difference that makes.  Albeit, I wasn't intermingling with other trains, it reduces the time of this run greatly.  Crews might actually sign up for this train again.  I left town with 12 cars and returned with a whopping 16.   I barely fit in the siding at Rock Island where the train currently resides.  I'm waiting for engineering to get off their duff and start building the new Carrie Ave Shops so I can yard my train properly. 

Maybe this weekend's visit to the L&HR will spark a fire to finish up Carrie Ave Shops.

Solo Op Session Notes 05.18.11

Started my solo op session.  It is much like a regular op session just in slow motion.  I ran the Stockdale local today.  Wow!  It was quite a chore even without having to dodge 1st Class passenger trains or the Grain train that always seems to meet the local in Stockdale.  I have a new respect for my crews.  They have it rough out in the field.

I'm hoping that the addition of a yardmaster at Davenport will allow the Extra Grain local to depart two hours earlier possibly preventing the meeting of the locals in Stockdale. 

I ran the XtrFE which made it to the siding at Joliet where it will meet XtrFW.  I implemented the changes to set offs/pickups in Davenport Yard utilizing the newly appointed Davenport Yardmaster.  The through freight pulled into the siding vs. the A/D track.  Instead of pulling its power into the yard to make its pickup/set offs (having to set off the various blocks in each corresponding track) it simply dropped the entire cut in the A/D track and picked up a cut of through East cars).  This significantly reduced the terminal time required for this train.  The yard job was then able to classify the blocks of cars received from the through freight.  Between preparing blocks for pickup by through freights, classifying inbound blocks and the Peoria/Grain locals, the yard crew should have plenty to keep them busy.

I'm looking forward to observing how the yard job pans out in my test solo op session.

No progress to report. simply doing some field research this week.

Progress Report 05.17.11

Finished re-staging the layout.  I will most likely perform a solo op session.  Basically, I take each train and run through them myself over a period of about two weeks.  I haven't worked the Stockdale Local since the N&W Meredosia Branch was added.

No construction reports tonight.