The ROCK 3.0: Progress Report 12.13.13

I haven't worked on the layout much this week.  It has been busy with the holidays drawing near.  Here are updates on a few projects that I have been working on.

Scenery Dept Update
The creek under Ottawa Yard dried, but the Liquitex shrunk some leaving a big dry void in the middle of the creek.  I applied more two days ago.  It is still drying currently.

Signal Dept Update
Signals are expected to arrive by mid-January.  I did create a panel using a spare piece of luan.  I screwed down terminal strips so I can keep everything straight when I wire it up.  Here's photos.

Track Dept Update
Last night, I cleaned off everything in the vicinity of Ottawa Yard as I will be turning my attention to that in the near future.  The final order of custom built turnouts is shipping Monday.  It's time to finish the trackwork on this layout!

Power Desk Report
Last night, I worked on installing the decoders in the two Pittsburgh & Lake Erie (P&LE) units.  One went fine with no issues.  It works great.  The other I struggled with and had to take the frame apart.  I put everything back together but the unit seems to be binding up.  I took it apart three or four more times, with no luck.  Finally, I got so frustrated, I just had to walk away.  I'll try again tomorrow.

This evening...

Power Desk Update
I re-visited the troubled P&LE loco.  I checked all the potential issues suggested by my friend Allen, but everything seemed ok.  I had no other choice but to take it completely apart.  I took my time putting it all back together.  This time it worked!  No binding of the gears!  I tweaked it a little more and then speed matched it to the second unit that was a little faster.

Feeling good and having the laptop upstairs at the time, I decided to research why the headlights on a consisted set (two or more locos coupled together to act as one) would not reverse properly to the rear unit.  Only the front and rear headlight on the front loco would work.  I wanted the rear loco headlight to come on when I placed the consist in reverse.  I found the answer was in the CV22 settings.  Here's an article from TCS describing the issue and fix in great detail.  I tried the tips and it worked great!

http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Technical_Info/Tech_Info/FAQPage.php?q=35

Track Dept Update
Feeling good from the successful locomotive repair, I cut and shaped two of the yard tracks this evening.  I even ran the P&LE loco set down the length of one of the tracks (and across the creek).  Pretty sweet!!  I'm excited I'm nearly finished with trackwork and can get all the wiring done.  I'm ready to run more trains!

The ROCK 3.0: Progress Report 12.09.13

This morning I worked on testing the layout at Ottawa Silica and LOF where I wired it up last night.  Have I mentioned how nice it is to run a train again?  Well, it is!  It's freaking awesome!  I'm very pleased with the turnouts and trackwork.

I did encounter two issues this morning.  One was fixed quickly as it was another ground throw too close to the rail.  A little filing and that was resolved.

The second was more involved.  It was the ground throw for the south end of the gauntlet track.  I knew all along this would probably require some attention, but I had been avoiding it as the fix didn't look pleasant.  I unsoldered the turnout's throw bar and drilled the hole for a new one.  By this time, I had to go to work...

This evening, I immediately returned to the gauntlet track.  I had been thinking about it all day.  I soldered the replacement throw bar to the switch points.  I tested and all is good now!   It runs flawlessly.  Most excellent!  I was concerned it would be worse to fix.

With that off my mind, I relaxed after a long day at work.

Later this evening I returned to the layout room.  I had to turn my focus to the creek that runs under Ottawa Yard.  With the last shipment of turnouts possibly shipping soon, I need to complete the creek so I can lay the yard tracks.  I had most of it done already, but needed to touch up the paint and add some more ground cover.  I did that and decided to bite the bullet and pour the "water".  I'm using Liquitex Gloss Medium & Varnish for the water.  I think it will work well.

Helicopter view over the creek.
The bridges aren't glued in place yet.  I need to paint them as well.
They are pretty basic just built out of some styrene pieces.
I'll go back and add some handrails and other details later.

Looking west.  You can see a few of the telephone poles that I temporarily installed along the mainline.  This creek was covered up with a lot of bushes and such.  More will go into place once the water dries.

Here's what I used for the water.

Another view from the aisle.

In other news, I had been looking for quite some time in the past for a good track cleaning car.  I hate cleaning track.  It would be nice to run a quality track cleaning car and have it do the work for you.  Back in the day, when I was in HO scale, I had a centerline car.  It worked ok, but I wasn't overly impressed.  The other day, I was watching a video on applying static grass that my friend Allen sent over to me.  I checked out some of the other user videos to learn about the CMX Clean Machine car.  I was very intrigued and thought this might be the answer to my laziness of cleaning track!  So, I decided to go ahead and get one.  If it didn't work, I would unload it on eBay.  

I received it today and checked it out briefly this evening.  So far, I'm very impressed!  It is one solid car weighing in at 3.7oz.  My Bachmann GP7 couldn't pull it alone.  I had to pair up to Kato SD40-2s to pull the car.  Not only do you have the weight, but the spring pushing down on the pad creating additional friction.  I ran it up and down the layout from LOF to Ottawa Silica and back.  I flipped it over to look at the pad to find it quite dirty.  Wow!  Very nice!  I continued playing with it some more later cleaning all the yard tracks.  It seems to really clean off the dirt!  Here are some photos of the unit.  I saw one person on YouTube painted his unit black and decaled it for Maintenance-of-Way (MOW).  I might have to do something similar, but in ROCK paint.

Heavy brass construction on the CMX Clean Machine.  The end screw plug is for filling the tank with the cleaning fluid of your choice (I have seen many different types used).  The middle screw plug is to adjust the drip on to the pad.

The pad after one round trip up a 12 foot section of track.  The spring clips secure the pad in place.

You can see here the spring the holds the pad securely down on the rails.  It never once got caught on a switch point or any other rail.

And last, but not least, the ROCK: Ottawa Sands will have signals on the layout!  Wahoo!  I love anything that lights up!  I ordered searchlight signals for the double crossover at Utica.  If all goes well as planned, I will look at ordering more for the CB&Q Junction as well.  I hope to work on some of the wiring over my Christmas break.

The ROCK 3.0: Progress Report 12.08.13

Today, I worked on the layout off and on.  This morning, I completed soldering the feeder wires over on the left side of the layout (LaSalle and Utica).  The hard part after completing that is focusing enough not to play.  I found myself moving cars all around the layout (testing of course).  As my friend Allen says, "I smell the Spring rains".  A long time ago, I proclaimed I wanted to be back up and running by Spring 2014.  I see it happening!  I forecast the Return of the ROCK inaugural op session will occur in late February or early March!

So, back to work.  Off and on this evening, I worked on soldering feeder wires on the right side of the layout.  I'm happy to say that I have them all completed and connected to the bus.  This includes all track that has been laid to date.  I didn't have time to test the area over at Ottawa Silica and Libbey-Owens-Ford (LOF) yet.  Play time will be in the morning before work as I test the trackage I wired up tonight.

I'm excited to get trains moving on the layout again.  It feels good!  The locomotives run really well over the new turnouts.  I couldn't be more pleased!

Now, I better go lay down.  I've had my daily intake of burning flux this evening.

The ROCK 3.0: Progress Report 12.07.13

This morning, I drilled and stripped the remaining feeder wires for the track that is laid so far.

During the day, I had the pleasure of operating at a great friend Larry Keller's layout running trains on the Lehigh & Hudson River Railroad.  I had a great time as always.

This evening, I worked on soldering some feeder wires.  I wasn't planning on working for long, so I used the battery operated soldering iron.  It was slow going.  Tomorrow, I will have to get out my "flesh burner" corded soldering iron to make some real progress.

I attempted to use the suitcase connectors for the feeder wires to the bus wire, but I wasn't happy with them.  They are slow to connect and many times don't make a solid connection.  I ended up reverting back to my old ways of stripping back the bus wire and wrapping the feeders around it.  It's quick and simple.  I'll sell the unused suitcase connectors online.

I tested a locomotive on the track sections I completed tonight (PQ and Main 1 in Utica).  The locomotive was sluggish at first as it hadn't run in a long time.  Once I got it warmed up, it ran great with and just glided across the turnouts.  I was very pleased!

There was one issue where a ground throw was too close to the rail.  The springs on the locomotive trucks hit it.  I filed it back which resolved that issue.  Tomorrow, I hope to get going faster on soldering the feeder wires.

The ROCK 3.0: Signal Project Update + Progress Report 12.06.13

So, I continue to think about the signal project as I really want to add this aspect to the layout.  I have found signal pricing isn't very expensive, but to add on the logic boards and such to make everything automated/simulated for more trains is quite expensive.  I just can't see investing that kind of money into my small layout.

So, I have to buy some searchlight signals from BeNScale.  My initial desire is to add the signals to Utica.  Eventually, other signals will be added the CB&Q junction as well.

I have decided to have an operator, or station manager that will be located at Utica.  The station manager would operate the signals under the direction of the dispatcher.  When a train needs to work at Utica/LaSalle, they will obtain the proper work authority via track warranty from the dispatcher.  They would then work with the local station manager for lining various moves through the interlocking.

The station manager will set the signals using four rotary switches (one for each track's signal).  He will also manually set the turnouts as I don't have tortoise switch machines installed for the crossovers.  Below is a diagram of what the station manager will see.

Eventually, when signals are added at Ottawa, crews will contact the Ottawa Yardmaster for permission through the plant.  This job might also be performed by the Utica station manager (operator), but under the Ottawa Station manager title.

Crews will still require a track warrant from the dispatcher to be out on the mainline.  The remainder of the (unmodeled) railroad will be Automatic Block Signaling (ABS).

In other electrical news...

Any guesses what my next project is?  HA HA!

Time to fire up the layout!  I stripped wires and drilled holes for nearly every feeder for tracks that have been laid.  I just need to finish up a few more in Utica and will be complete.  There was a lot to do at Ottawa Silica and LOF.

The ROCK 3.0: Progress Report 12.06.13

This morning, I worked on building up the earth (with plaster) to provide nice level ground for the yard lead that goes along the rim of the sand pit.  I also created a few small hills and filled in areas between the benchwork and fascia boards.

Here are some photos of the Utica area.

Here is Utica looking east.  Ottawa Yard is just around the curve to the right.

From left to right: Belrose Silica lead, Main 2 and 1, PQ Sand track,
PQ Dry Chemical Track, PQ Wet Chemical Track

Another view of the same area.  You see where the Belrose Silica (left) track runs up to the corner of the layout.  It will be heavily wooded in this area.

A view of the sand hoppers lined up at Belrose Silica.

At Utica, looking west toward LaSalle.  That is the Utica/LaSalle station to the left.

Where the large dump truck is located is the access road to Belrose Silica.  The area between the tracks and houses will be heavily forrested.  You will barely see this road that leads up to the mine.

A track level view from the west crossover at Utica/LaSalle.  You can see the Mill Street road crossing in front of you.  Mill Street continues up the hill and provides access to the neighborhood.  The driveway to the left is from Westclox.  You can also see the dump truck on the access road to Belrose Silica.

Another view but from the Westclox driveway.

A view from Utica Station looking up toward the houses on the hill.

A view from one of the houses looking toward Utica station. 

A view from one of the houses on the hill looking east toward PQ and Ottawa Yard in the distance.

Looking west from the east crossover at Utica.  PQ is on the left, Belrose Silica on the right.

The ROCK 3.0: Progress Report 12.05.13

This evening, I installed the industrial tracks for Belrose Silica.  I'm really happy with the revised track configuration.

This completes all the industrial and mainline trackage for the layout.  The only area left to work on (track wise) is the yard at Ottawa.

I'll post pics this weekend.