Weekend Update 6/12/16

[BCR 570]

Tracklaying has now progressed from the top of my helix through Tremblay on the upper deck.

New trackage from the top of the helix to the west switch at Tremblay:




Main and siding tracks at Tremblay, looking west:




Main and siding tracks at Tremblay, looking east:




The view from inside the helix:




Trackage beyond Tremblay to the end of the power district:




After connecting the new trackage from the top of the helix to the west switch at Tremblay into the track bus wires, the remainder of the new trackage received power through the rail joiners, enabling trains to be run.  The hoonur of the first train to roll out onto the upper deck and arrive at Tremblay went to Work Extra 607.  Here is the train approaching Tremblay after climbing the helix from the lower deck:




I have waited a long time to see this - Work Extra 607 arrives with the first train at Tremblay:




This is a milestone of sorts as I can now run trains between Sundance on the lower deck and Tremblay on the upper deck, and run around the train at both ends.  I can now run 2/3 of the way around the lower deck and 1/3 of the way around the upper deck.  My enjoyment of the hobby has just gone up significantly!

After running around their consist, MLW RS-18s 607 and 613 are ready for the return journey down to Sundance:




As you can see from the last photograph, there are now a lot of feeder wires to be collected and connected to the track bus at Tremblay and also at Sundance.  Tracklaying will now pause for a week or two so I can catch up on the wiring.  Before that, however, I am going to enjoy running some trains!


Tim

[MichaelWinicki]

Caught the PC ALCH4 between Olean, NY and Bradford, PA...

[Iain]

Alas, no modeling for me, but, I did setup shop here in Seattle. 



My cool thing of the day was a visit to the Living Computer Museum, where I got to hit a couple buttons on a vacuum tube computer.

While I was there, I played with several old mainframes and minicomputers.  Here's an Interdata box:

I have had a shell account on the Sigma 9 there for quite some time, so it was cool being able to use the terminal in person:

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Of course, to keep this train related, there is a big BNSF yard near the museum

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[tehachapifan]

Hello, Joshua! Want to play a game?

[nkalanaga]

John:  I wonder if BNSF is still using the second-hand computer BN installed in Pasco in the very early 70s to automate the hump yard?  If so, it should be in the museum.  They got it from a company at Hanford, which was replacing it because it was obsolete.  On the other hand, if it still works, there wouldn't be any reason to replace it, as the hump portion of the yard probably hasn't changed much.

I ran a Honeywell at college in the mid 70s, and Burroughs at work in the 70s and 80s, that didn't look much different than those in the pictures with the Xerox printers. 

Chuck:  Lucky you!  My first train was Christmas 1967, a Lone Star 000, which also never ran well.  I think I would have had better luck with the Minitrix F unit, as those became the standard for my railroads in the 70s and 80s.  My first real N scale model was a Minitrix 40 ft gon, bright red CB&Q.  It looked amazing next to the 000 stuff.

[C855B]

My first wife was a programmer/operator for Xerox while the Sigma 9 was their current box. I was programming DEC PDPs and IBM System/3s and /360s at the time, and she would try to describe their environment in their buzzwords... all completely foreign to me. For that matter, I never recall seeing or hearing of any Xerox installations outside of XCS (Xerox Computer Services), their service bureau.

Bendix, Interdata, Honeywell, CDC, Burroughs, Data General, HP - gosh, even GE - I also fiddled with at one point or another, but those Xerox Sigmas were just strange. Curious why the museum would have one, especially in apparent operating condition. I guess like most niche museums, it's gotta be somebody's pet project. (And keeping those multi-platter disks and drives going is a whole art in itself! Wow!)

[altohorn25]

Finished 3 Des Plaines Hobbies "400" kits.

Parlor
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Diner
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Head End Baggage/Tap Lounge
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I ended up painting the black stripe on these instead of using decals (my paint masking is straighter than using decals).  I got a bit of bleed from the black, but it's not too bad.

[jmlaboda - RIP]

Not often that you see someone modeling the early paint scheme... nice!!!

[Frank Amato]

Finished up my LV geeps; full story over on the Weathering and Detailing board:



  Frank

[Alwyn Cutmore]

Continuing my task of creating specific Pennsy cars for name trains that I'll never run because the layout based on their use no longer exists, I present an 8-2-1. This  Modeled from a picture in a Steigmaier book.



This car goes with the 1952 Pennsylvania Limited. Next, decals on a 14-section for the '52 Liberty Limited.

This is a great looking car. I have a model of that car in HO just for that reason to do things with the MTL Cars. Have your measured the height above rail of the cars at all.

[jmarley76]

New grade crossing. Blair Line cross bucks to come and re-scenic around the yard and
mainline tomorrow. Painting PAVEMENT from Wally-world 50 cent acrylics and weathering
chalks, grey and grime. Easy process, compound and wet Popsicle sticks cut to size. Of course,
have to sand and groom with sanding sticks. MORE AT: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=39368.msg480645#msg480645

I was just pondering on a grade crossing upgrade on my layout and saw this, fantastic! So no more pondering, now on to action... 

[eric220]

Got some of @Lemosteam 's 2D-P5's installed.



Compared to the stock trucks,



Need to order more!

[Iain]

Got some of @Lemosteam 's 2D-P5's installed.



Compared to the stock trucks,



Need to order more!

Oh, man.  Are those the Bachmann cars?  Do both sides of the roof have the same profile (no AC ducts)?

I reckon you need to body mount some Z couplers and add diaphrams next.

[glakedylan]

this weekend:


https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/13497525_10209741747684458_3729784317813990373_o.jpg



results from the weekend:


https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/13458707_10209759318083707_7299319450488424136_o.jpg


sincerely
Gary

[Kisatchie]

I just noticed the title for this thread says Weekend Update 6/12/16 instead of 6/19/16.


Hmm... leave it to Kiz to
find something wrong...