January 4Scenario: 1. After dinner on Saturday, discussion of track elevations reveals that conduit from central post to tower will require track to be a 37” elevation when crossing conduit whereas track plan calls for 34-35”. - @##$ grumble, grumble :-((, tough job ! grumble, @%#@# - 9:30 - Alvar and James thinking problem with Howard Goren supervising. - 10:00 - Theye’ve decided how to do it, all hard at work with Howard under the tower playing with wires. - 10:20 - ML has to leave, James pulling from above, Howard pushing wires and Alvar intensely supervising - Later (through the grapevine) It’s all done! Malcolm LaughlinJanuary 11 [[pictures]](/old/progress/reports/2003/1/../../../images8065.tcl?year=2003&month=1&day=11) Construction of the third phase of the new layout has begun. On Saturday evening, Alvar Saenz-Otero, Tom O’Reilly, and Howard Gorin constructed one of the support sections for the third phase. It is designed to include a slide-out work surface under that section of the layout. The first attached picture shows Alvar and Tom at work on this. The third phase of the new layout will include a large freight yard that must be level or else cars will roll. To assist in connecting this to the existing layout, it was decided to lower the roundhouse and turntable area of the present layout by 3/4 inch. In the second attached picture, Thaddeus Stefanov-Wagner and Lauri Kauppila are altering the supporting structure under the turntable and roundhouse to lower that part of the layout but retain the necessary vertical clearances for the tracks that run under the roundhouse. Assisted by Malcolm Laughlin, Howard, and Alvar, their work continued efforts started Wednesday night by James Knight, Genya Zaytman, and John McNamara. Unlike Wednesday night, James stayed away from the saws and hammers on Saturday, and spent his time porting remaining pieces of the System3 software to Linux, while confirming proper operation with an oscilloscope. He’s hard at work on this in the third attached photo. In other work not photographically documented, Malcolm Laughlin worked on circuit boards for the operating cab plug-in panels; John McNamara worked on the Digital Widgets building restoration; Bill Onorato, Andy Miller, and John Purbrick worked on Berkmannville scenery; and Ed Drozd worked on a new warehouse building that will go near the river. Come by on a Wednesday or Saturday night and see (and join in) the progress! John McNameraJanuary 15 [[pictures]](/old/progress/reports/2003/1/../../../imagesaf6d.tcl?year=2003&month=1&day=15)On Wednesday evening, Thaddeus Stefanov-Wagner added some additional block wiring in Berkmannville. The first attached photo shows Genya Zaytman, James Knight, and Thaddeus contemplating the documentation for that section of the layout. Now that the lowering of the turntable and roundhouse area has been completed, Lauri Kauppila worked on leveling the upper loop around the base of the tower. The second attached photo shows him buried in the benchwork with power drill in hand. Thaddeus, James, Genya, and John McNamara assisted in various portions of the project. In other work not photographically documented, Malcolm Laughlin worked on the operating cab plug-in panels; John McNamara worked on the Digital Widgets building restoration; Andy Miller, and John Purbrick worked on Berkmannville scenery; and Ed Drozd worked on a new warehouse building that will go near the river. John Purbrick also used CAD tools to record Malcolm’s pencil diagrams of the layout’s third phase. John McNamara January 31Hi! As shown in the attached picture, James Knight and Thaddeus Stefanov-Wagner have begun construction of another support panel for the third section of the layout. As also shown, the existing support panel has grown a slide-out workbench that provides much needed work space. The slide-out workbench was originally located under the passenger yard in the old layout. John Purbrick shortened it slightly and added nifty drawer slides. In other work not photographically documented, Malcolm Laughlin created a cubic yard of storage space from about 10,000 feet of wire. “A large amount of entropy formerly under Gifford City is lurking someplace to manifest itself in places yet unknown.” John McNamara worked on the Digital Widgets building restoration; Andy Miller completed the Berkmannville Luncheonette (except for its Coca-Bubblie sign), and placed it on the layout; John Purbrick worked on his automated car identification system that utilizes bar codes mounted on the underside of freight car trucks; and Ed Drozd worked on a new warehouse building that will go near the river. James Knight, James McLurkin, Genya Zaytman, and Ken Terrell tested various equipment, software, layout plans, etc.Semi-annual visitor Hidetoshi Katsuma came by accompanied by a former assistant, Yoshihiro Tanamachi. John McNamara [[missing pix]]