More distractions - April 2017 version

It's been a while since I posted an update. Here is what has been happening in addition to my continued home remodeling (which is nearing completion). 

The Exeter Branch is being reset. I'm backdating the railroad to 1965. That has required me to dig up a lot of equipment from storage. In the mean time I have been removing all of the existing 1980-ish equipment and boxing it up for use the new railroad. All of the waybills have been printed for the 1965 reset.

I'm knee deep in running equipment thru the car shop to ensure all is up to snuff. Not all of the equipment had been thru my quality control process. If the car is RTR or kit, it goes thru the process. We all have heard about RTR being 'ready to repair'. Kits have to be built and quality controlled during construction. The process entails below:

• Installing Kadee couplers. I modify the centering springs to provide reliable centering. For traditional Athearn, I modify the draft gear to reliably accept the coupler cover and stay in place. 
• All wheelsets are upgraded to metal wheels and the gauge is checked and adjusted as needed. Intermountain wheels are very accurate. I find about 10% of the P2K wheelsets need adjustment to be in gauge. I don't use Kadee wheels as I don't like how the black coating wears off. And Jaybee wheels are used sparingly as I've found most to be out of gauge. I have a mix of Branchline and Atlas 36" narrow tread wheel sets I use on tank cars and many covered hoppers. Most are really good, but I've had a few where the wheels aren't mounted correctly and wobble. Lastly, I find factory installed metal wheels vary with regard to being in gauge. Most are pretty good, but some require resetting the gauge.
• I validate that all wheelsets are free rolling in the trucks. If they do not spin freely in the truck, I use a reamer to hone the journals and make them free spinning. 
• I validate that the coupler height is correct. If it is not I inspect the frame to make sure it is true. I correct and warping first. If the height is still incorrect, I shim with washers between the truck and the frame. I no longer use Kadee washers exclusively. I found the equivalent metal washers on Amazon and prefer to use those as they provide less resistance to the movement of the trucks. 
• I ensure trucks swing freely. And make sure that one truck (usually the B end) is a bit looser to allow the car to compensate for changes in the horizontal plane. 
• Last, before final assembly, I add weight to match the NMRA standard. I use grams as I feel it's a bit more precise. For enclosed cars, I use pennies or other metal weights and affix them with latex caulk. I've never had a failure and the weights can be removed if needed. For open cars or cars I cannot get inside of, I use lead shot down the centerline of the car. I use Elmers white glue to hold it in place. For hoppers and covered hoppers, I will fill the valleys of the slope sheets from the bottom with show and Elmers. I'm careful to ensure that the shot stays above the body line so it is not visible. 
• Once the car has passed thru the shop, I log it into my inventory spreadsheet including the weight and shop date as well as any other relevant comments. The inventory spreadsheet is also used to generate car cards.

I'm nearly complete with the rolling stock and will be printing car cars for those that don't already have them. 

The other project I'm doing is converting the lighting on the Exeter Branch from fluorescent lighting to LEDs. I opted to buy new fixtures which are specifically designed for LEDs rather than convert the old fixtures. I hope to complete the cut over by the end of May.

The other distraction was this past week. I was in Priddy, Texas operating on the Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad. It's a live steam railroad on a ranch in Texas. I've been going there annually for the last 8 years. Live steam ops is a blast and much different than indoor railroading. Safety is also an important aspect that we don't consider indoors. Fingers can get crushed if you don't pay attention. And, cornfield meets can be bad. We almost had one on Friday night, but both trains were able to stop in time. YES, I laid on the horn when I saw the opposing headlight!

Below are some pix from the meet. You can find more on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/615098575296944/?multi_permalinks=1010352255771572&notif_t=like&notif_id=1493645246543228 

The first two are pulling into Comanche Yard on Thursday with a cut of cars. I was conductor and my engineer is in the picture to the right.

Below are pictures from West Yard which is on the other end of the railroad from Comanche Yard. I was Yard Master in West Yard on Friday. I had a yard crew of one and we kept the yard hopping and clean all day. 

And you can't be a Yard Master without a stogie right?

I hope to have the next update include actual work on the Los Angeles Division!