- January 4
Scenario:
-
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 Laughlin
- January 11 [pictures]
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 McNamera
- January 15 [pictures]
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 31
Hi!
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]]
|
|