Always Room for Improvement

The nature of things is to change.   

For me, this is in contrast to my assumptions; life while full of change is more comfortable to me when it is at least to some degree predictable.  Having lived through permanent illness in my family several times over, change isn't associated with progress in my subconscious.  

Still, taking a step back reveals that indeed most of the change in my time has been very good for me and for many others.  The haunted parts of the past tend to be more heavily weighted in my mind than the positivity that is more common.  I think this may be true for many of us. 

Given the dualism that is represented in our time, I feel it is ever more important to consciously choose things that tend towards the positive.  Negative stuff will find us, of course.  The universal balance of things demands that, and we cannot control what finds us.  However, we can indeed control our choices.  Proactive choices are important. Model railroading is not a life-or-death choice, of course, and so it is a great spot to choose to be proactively optimistic.  

This central theme above is why in a busy stretch of life I am working with others to help.  6577, pictured here, is an important locomotive on the Onondaga Cutoff.  

Ever since it was featured on the cover of Model Railroader magazine, it's been a flagship for the railroad.  Garden State Modelworks subsequently was able to install working auxiliary lighting in it, and their work made a good model great.  

Still, it was missing a detail - the handbrake chain mounted below the engineer's cab window and extending down to the front truck.   With the auxiliary lighting complete, and the engine tuned up and ready to go, it was finally time to add one more detail.  

It's just a bit of chain, secured with eye bolts and some CA glue.  But it's a visible one and adds a little fine-detail finesse to notice.  It's a detail which shows improvement, right?  And that is an important point.  Admitting that makes us able to stay grounded, to keep growing, to keep accepting change in our world - and opening the door to things getting better.

There is always room for improvement.  

Major Upgrades - Long Time Planned

 It's been a busy start the autumn season in life and on the layout.  But the Onondaga Cutoff is better for the effort, in two major ways.  

First, with the help of friend Paul T., I finally made the plunge and updated the layout PC from Windows 8.1, which has been less stable than I liked for years, to Windows 10.  This involved a whole evening of downloading and uploading, installing and failing, then using Google to find solutions to the issues and work through them.  In the end, the computer is working as intended and all applications were seamlessly transferred.  A real test will be the next operating session!

The other major project came about with a design question from Jack on the Island, and our reevaluation pointed us in the direction of some major changes to the back three tracks, to better accommodate locomotive manipulations.  The major goal was to make room to store Amtrak consists at the back end of the yard, and allow new crossover capability so they could leave the yard with equipment ahead on the same track.  

It is always best to test fit components and get a good feel for major changes like this.  We want to envision it, check that twice, then lay it out and measure 4 times.  No kidding!  Re-doing work because of an incorrectly remembered measurement is frustrating and time consuming.  So, I purchased the components first (two #6 turnouts, a #6 double-slip switch, and switch machines) which allowed me to mock up the whole area.  As it turned out the new bumper tracks were too close, so we moved the whole assembly away from the bumpers to ensure proper fit for Amtrak.  

The hardest part of these projects is the demo.  To my frustration I realized I would need to remove about 2 feet of ballasted track, and while that is far less than it could have been, it was still a lot.  Thankfully by moving slowly and steadily with the putty knife, I was able to save all the track that was glued down, even that part that was ballasted.  

After cleaning up it was time to script out the new track design and make it fit.  Working from the mandatory length of the back tracks I spaced out the new switches to fit and laid that route first, allowing it to cure overnight before starting the next ones.  The next night, I was able to lay the remainder of the yard and weight it for curing.  I installed new feeders and made all the soldier joints with the resistance soldering machine, still one of the best investments for anything larger than a small layout!

After weathering, we have a great-looking area, and this opens the door finally to making the final scenery here a reality.  This will model a locomotive servicing area including service platforms as per prototype engine yards.  

Given the lack of roadbed, I decided to use leftover Masonite hardboard cut into thin strips and scored to suggest concrete.  The height is nearly perfect for a rail-height platform.  I am curious to see how it will handle ballast installation with so much moisture during curing - we will see.

A quick test fit shows the stunning visual change that platforms will have for the Island.  

Satisfied with the fit, I found some old house paint that worked perfectly for worn concrete, which will need some weathering to blend in.  I made the rest of them and dropped them into place.

With all platforms temporarily installed we have a really snappy-looking area.  They're not perfect, of course, and look a bit clunky without ballast.  But that will happen in a few days.  Soon we will add a few details - and be ready for service.  The Island is coming to life!

Bangin' Around

Major construction is always a mixed word for modelers. It is usually done for the right reasons, and generally can be planned to minimize disruptions with the proper precautions.  We are making the move to split-unit 'ductless' HVAC in the house, which requires extensive electrical preparation in the basement - right over the railroad.  

 I had installed modular scenery here on the wall over the electrical cabinet and once again, that paid off in that when we needed access a few screws were removed and the whole wall of trees lifted off evenly.  But the breaker box is right adjacent to and above the Skaneateles Creek bridge on the M&E.  One slip of the box and the bridge could be crushed.  So, I constructed a special 'sarcophagus' around and through the bridge, designed to take the hit and protect the bridge.  

Also needed anytime construction comes along is dust protection for the layout.  The entire OC was covered in sheet plastic, with signal bridges and other fragile taller items bracketed by paint cans in an effort again to protect them in case of something falling nearby.  For good reason, I might add.

There is just no way around it - messes happen.  Here's a big one, right at CP280, and I am thankful I covered the layout but also horrified at the amount of debris and dust.  Yuck!   So, the last few weeks have been loaded with days and nights prepping and cleaning up like this, which makes for a long few weeks.  

Now that fall is coming there will be more opportunity to get down to the layout and continue progress, but for now it will be of the cleaning sort!