September 2016?

Over a year and a half since my last entry?  Ok, this is even worse than before.  Lots of things have been happening which just seemed to get in the way of updates.  I and my round-robin group have been (slowly) working on the Rutland, so there is progress to show.  Now that Fall is just around the corner I'll be spending more time indoors, which will hopefully equate to more train-related updates.

Blog-master wife here... Mark is being generous.  Blog abandonment is completely my doing.  Now that I've self-shamed publicly, you WILL see more updates!  Here's a teaser to prove my sincerity:

2015... seriously??

Another year has come and gone.  Amazing, really.  I am fortunate to have shared the end of it with my friends and Rutland supporters George, Ron, Robert and Scott.  The following pics, though not many, are from two separate sessions, the last two of 2014.

The second to last session was a relatively easy night for the crew. George continued assembling rolling stock kits for me.  (One can never have enough rolling stock... can one??)    I had previously laid track where I wanted it to be in the Manchester Yard and took pics of the configuration which were used later as a guide for laying down the cork roadbed.  Robert and Ron had that privilege... .

And as usual, along with the work came a lot of gabbin' and harmless jabs...lest we forget the never-ending "Management vs. Worker Bees" debate.




Is that George reading instructions?  Hey, isn't that against the Man Code??

Ron and Robert dry-fitting the cork roadbed.

Ron going to town with the cork adhesive...

More!  More!!!

Might George think about trifocals?

Take a break, boys, Christmas is a-commin'!!

The final session of 2014 ended up being just me and Scott (Electrician/Swiss Cheese Mouse).  He started wiring up the Bennington Yard and much discussion was had about having the main yard and the passing siding under their own, separate breaker (vs. the rest of the yard).  This way, in case of derailment, the whole yard won't shut down.  This will require a few additional purchases... but oh so worth it.  Thanks to Scott's tutelage, I almost feel like an apprentice!

Pushpins!!!  Blue were power drop locations, green & red
indicate polarity.  Looks like a game of Risk!

Swiss cheese and power connectors.

Scott brought his knee pads but didn't need 'em.  Carpeting.
Robert, take note.

Scott in his element.

Wiring 101, lesson #1: This is solder.

 

Engineer's view from his RS-I, Engine # 402 from Manchester
to Bennington.

Wait, what?  We're workin', we are!  We ARE!!!!

Right, Scott?  We're workin', right??

 

(I think we're snagged.)  [I think you're right.]

 

Overdue update...

It's been a long, looooong time since my last blog entry.  Seven months... is that possible? 

I have to say not a whole lot has happened on the layout.  Life took over for a while.  It happens. 

But now, I'm slowly getting back to things.  Good thing I'm not working against a deadline.  Good thing I have many healthy years ahead of me.

These pix were taken at our last work session.  Primary focus of the night was wiring, specifically snaking the two buss lines through the Swiss cheese holes throughout the underbelly of the bench work. 

 

Electrician's best friends.

...Swiss cheese...

"Head Electrician"?  Or Swiss cheese mouse?

The result of my wiring skills.  Yup, not so hot.  Or should I say "too hot"?!

Electrician's apprentice.

Can't have too many apprentices.  Apprenticii?

The paint shop.

Workin' on some detail.

Can you see me now?!

Figuring out the track plan in the next town.

Oh!  You want me to work?

Okayyyyyy.

Manchester track plan northbound (revision I).

Manchester track plan northbound (revision II)

Power!!

And joy spreads across the lands, for we have power.

 

 

For the sake of full disclosure, only 6 feet (almost a whole tenth of a scale mile, woo hoo!) of the mainline is up and running.  I'll be asking the DCC expert, Scott R to help me with proper wiring of the NCE system (Scott, what do you like on YOUR pizza?)

And certainly, big props to Jim O for hooking me up with the NCE system in the first place.  Thanks Jim!!

Work continues...

Another great round robin with the guys last week... Fueled up on pizza, we headed downstairs to the war room.

In anticipation of getting the Bennington section done (or near to it) and moving on to the next stop, our esteemed colleague, Bob R was tasked with preparing some detail parts.

We laid down some track leading into sidings that will service industries located in Bennington.  Again, there was more discussion regarding space constraints and we came up with less-than-prototypical-but-good-for-operations track plans.

George M continued assembling car kits for the railroad, changing out plastic wheels for metal and putting on Kadee no. 5 couplers.  Weathering is then done at his leisure back at his place... where Management doesn't look over his shoulder every minute.

John M assisted Robert S with laying down and spiking in some track.

Harley continued supervising, keeping everybody on task.

Queue up the barrels...

 

Barrels up!

 

Sidings...

 

Space constraints...

 

Detail work...

 

Wheels and couplers...

 

Cutting track...

 

...Laying track...

 

...and spiking track.

 

 

Fuel for the workers.

 

Keeping oriented.

 

"Hey buddy, take a break"...

 

("It's good to be Management".)

 

 

Laying track...

It's been a couple weeks since our last round robin at The Rutland.  Everybody came ready to work, and work they did.  I was looking forward to putting down track and envisioned miles of cold, hard steel, starting in Bennington and winding through the country sides of North Bennington, Arlington, Sunderland and into the Manchester yard.  As it turned out, it became a very constructive brainstorming session, figuring out how to fit in the features that make Bennington Bennington, within my available space.  So this means these features may not wind up in their prototypical footprints but will still give sufficient nod and recognition to the yard and surrounding area. 

The focus this session was the Bennington Yard.   The phrase "Relatively Rutland" (coined by another Rutland enthusiast and passed on to me by Jim O.) is one which I embrace fiercely.

So let's take a look at this week's round robin session, shall we?

 

In spite of dilated pupils from an eye doctor appointment, Ron lays down some pretty sweet track.  This particular bit of track is a turnout that will take us past the water tank & coal tower and proceed  to the turntable.  

Visions of the future.  Bennington side of the view block...

...and on the opposite side of the view block will be Manchester.

Some tools of the trade...

Facing south, the turntable will be against the far wall (not prototypical location, but that's where it fits.  Nod.)

Discussing track plans laid out in Nimke's books (prototype) vs. functionality within available real estate (nod).  ~Is that George in the background?~

Northern sky constellations?  Treasure map? Champagne bubbles?  No!  Just some more radii calculations; looking for an elegant way out of the southern end of the Bennington yard.

 

The Mountain patiently rests and waits for civilization to arrive.  It's going to be a while.

Two buildings from RailroadKIT, soon to be part a bustling town.  Well, as "bustling" as Rutland towns might get.

 

Harley tries his chops in Management as "Acting Supervisor" while Max enjoys some much deserved vacation.

 

The ever-present controlled chaos...

Busy, happy hands...

 

...and feet...

 

 George, (with non-dilated pupils), works on some cars...

Discussing progress

Boston and Maine box car.  Nice work, George.

 

 

Checking out the track work with some rolling stock.

 

Discussing track location for the water tank, coal tower and proceeding to the turntable.  Also discussed; the possibility for a caboose track.

 

A view from the future turntable location.

 

The tree machine is currently moonlighting as a turnout storage area.  Not to be confused with the stationary bike moonlighting as a coat rack, nor the punching bag moonlighting as a towel rack.

 

Nice shot of Bennington so far.  SRMW's newest kit is a Bennington prototype and is currently slated for right here.

 

...ring, ring...ring, ring... ring, ring...

"Hey!  Don't make me take that phone away from you!!"

"Uh oh... trouble among the Gandy Dancers?"

 "Nope... no trouble.  Good.  I can return to my  important Managerial duties..."

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ~snork~ zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz