Late June Update

Just like that the month of June is coming to a close. While I did not get any work done on the Grays Lake scene this month, I have plenty to show for other projects that did get completed this month along with new equipment additions to the St. Clair Sub so lets take a look.


MAC Rail (Car Shop)
I had a friend sometime ago that he would like a model of wind blades on railcars similar to what you can find operating on the prototype.  Luckily American Model Builders created a fantastic kit that is easy to build and in a few days you create a very nice model of a wind blade railcar setup. While in California I ran across the blades in a 3 pack at Railmaster Hobbies, so sure enough I picked them up for his display.

The blades represent a 102' model. Current prototype wind blades are 150' to 200' in length, but in our selectively compressed hobby these are the perfect size with plenty in/out swing. As for the rail car a combination of Athearn Genesis and BLMA 89' flats fit the bill. The blades and root end assembly are resin castings while the tip sling fixture is laser cut wood with a literally plastic swing. In the near future the Michigan Interstate will be moving wind blades, however to make "More with Less" I will be using the Atlas Trainman 68' flat which will compress the empty car space and operate better on my 28 degree curves. More to come on wind energy service on the MCIS in another post. 

MAC RAIL (Locomotive Shop)
There was no shortage of work being done in June, it just was not on the layout. Over the month MAC Rail released four locomotives that had undergone various sorts of work. 

Overview of the "High Bay" with BN2627, MCIS4005, and a bowl of cake getting worked on....

MCIS 4005 showing off its new Econami decoder and Railmaster DS1240-Box speaker. In this install i actually cut the top off the rear weight and then point the speaker downward over the trucks. The rear LED mounts right on top of the speaker. The front weight over the trucks is added back once the decoder is wired up. 

MCIS 4005 (GP40-2)

Internal: Soundtraxx Econami & Currentkeeper / Railmaster DS1240-Box Speaker / 3mm LED

External: Replaced broken cab sunshade and added BLMA air conditioners

MCIS 4571 (SD40M-2)

Internal: SBS4DCC Athearn LEDs / Truck & Gear Rebuild

External: Replaced handrails / Added all weather windows and non-op ditch lights

Following many online tutorials for Athearn engines I took apart each truck, filed off rough flash on each gear, cleaned with warm soapy water, re-assembled, lubricated with Labelle, and tested. The grinding sound did reduce tremendously and will get better the more running I can get on the engine. While apart I also checked gauge of the wheels and hard wired the track pickup wires to the brass tab on the truck tower. This work improved the reliability to the point where it can be run well with other engines that are sound equipped.

All Athearns are the same.... 

BNSF 3136 (GP50 for customer)

Internal: Soundtraxx Econami & Currentkeeper / Railmaster DS1425-8 Speaker / SBS4DCC Athearn LEDs 

External: Replaced ditch light bulbs with SBS4DCC 0402 LED

BN 2627 (GP40 for customer)

Internal: Soundtraxx Econami & Currentkeeper / Railmaster DS1240-Box Speaker / 3mm LED

External: Added Monster LEDs Stratrolite Beacon

That wraps up MAC Rail work for June, the rest of the summer looks to be steady with probably one sound install upgrade per month supplemented with existing fleet lighting upgrades on Athearn models. I strongly recommend Streamlined Backshops Athearn LED upgrade kits as it really makes putting LEDs in a snap. Basically each individual light has its own surface mount LED so it is very bright, and they can be wired into series so connecting them to whatever decoder is simple. 

Layout Car Fleet Additions

In my last update post I had touched on a new Athearn 60' TOBX purchased. Wanted to provide a up close look at the car in its pre-weathered from factory look and also showcase a few other purchases and Freelance Model Railroad trades that added to the overall layout roster. 

 TOBX 889088 (60' Plate F Double Door Boxcar) 

As part of the TTX national pool, we will see this car in overhead and online service carrying building products.While already weathered I do expect to do a little more to bring out its character. 

 DVE 6005 (50' Plate F Single Door Boxcar)

This car belongs to Jamie Isett's Delaware Valley Eastern. It seems Fort Mackinac Paper has secured business on the east coast so this boxcar will be busy hauling paper rolls from the mill at Cheboygan, MI. 

 DELC 90105 (5161 Cubic Foot Covered Hopper)

Owned by Matt Curll's Delmarva Central, this car loads out corn on the Michigan Interstate at either Cooperative Elevator or Michigan Agricultural Commodities for use as chicken feed out east. 

 QTTX131003 and QTTX131004 (66' Heavy Duty FM Flat)

Cars were recently came purchased and will find themselves hauling HIWIs of either the wind turbine or power gen. nature. As Michigan Interstate gets into hauling wind energy these will critical cars for the heavier wind turbine nacelles. 

DODX41089 and DODX41089

While marked up for DOD use, these cars will be re-purposed into wind energy service flats hauling the American Model Builders 102' wind blade. Using two 68' versus 89' flat will greatly reduce the overall size of the train and for my layout size better "Selectively Compress" the intended wind blade on flatcar. During this conversion an additional 8 flats will be purchased to allow for a train to carry 5 blades. 

That about sums it up for my end of June post. In just a few days from now we will be in July getting ready to celebrate the Fourth. With MAC Rail work tapering off some I do plan to get back on the Grays Lake scene. Until my next update, have a safe Holiday. 

GM

Early April Update

My attempt to complete a post at the end of March was a complete bust. However the on-going work on the layout provides no shortage of great content for me to share with you in this post. Great happenings on the Michigan Interstate St. Clair Sub, so lets get started. 

Executive Unit Acqusition
Over the past few months I have been thinking of acquiring motors for Executive / Special service on the Michigan Interstate. Using prototypes of Pan Am, NS, and Maine Eastern I figured EMD F7s would be a solid choice. 

It just happened that a friend to the north had a beautiful EMD F7 A-B-A set looking for a good home. In short order Michigan Interstate's CFO authorized acquisition of the three engines. While 2017 was not planned for fleet growth, the set were too good of a deal to pass by. 

Trio on previous owners pike awaiting final purchase paperwork

In short order the motors routed BNSF-CHGO-NS-FTWAY-MCIS. Beings they were dead in tow like railcars it took some time to get them to "Michigan" with numerous mechanical inspections along the way. Arriving in Fort Wayne the units were delivered on the overnight interchange cut from NS. Once in MCIS inventory they routed via the daily M-FWGR (Manifest - Fort Wayne to Grand Rapids) connecting onto the M-GRBA (Manifest - Grand Rapids to Bay Yard).

A-B-A Trio arriving at Bay Yard behind EMD SD40-2M #4571 and 4059 on M-GRBA-29

 At Bay Yard the units will ride the L-BAMP (Local Turn - Bay City to Mt. Pleasant) to MAC Shops for prep work before heading to Fogelsinger Rail to receive a very classy scheme. The units should be in new paint by end of summer 2017 in time for the Thanksgiving and Christmas specials planned on the network.

GoPro4 Inspection Car

For sometime i have been wanting to capture the St. Clair Sub from the locmotive engineers view, however from a HO scale perspective it has been somewhat limited. The only options for using an iPhone was the iCar from Minutman Scale Models. After talking with them I learned that there would not be one for a iPhone 6 due to the weight imbalance of the phone and if they had built a car it would be outside NMRA clearance specs. Knowing this I turned my attention toward the other  product which was the Laser cut acrylic GoPro4 Camera Stand from Summit USA. For $9.95 it is a really good buy and takes not very long to build. The most expensive part is the $200 GoPro4 "Session" camera.

 

Components for building my inspection car - 60' flatcar, Camera Stand Kit, and GoPro4 Session.

Directions are clearly labeled with good reference photos. The parts are laser cut ready to test fit and final assemble. 

Within an hour I had the kit together using brush one C.A. After a few hours i test fit the camera on the fixture. 

Definitely recommend this camera fixture for anyone with a GoPro4 Session. The deliverable video and photos provide the view from a modern wide cab locomotive window. Additionally if I want a wide view like from the back of a observation car, I can still use the fixture but just turn the camera around and move towards rear of railcar. Over the next month I will be testing the shots and working up video over the St. Clair Sub that I can share on my YouTube channel. 

If you are interested in how the video looks with this fixture please check out the following link.   Summit Customcuts - Camera Fixture Cab Ride

Grays Lake Scenery Progress

Continuing my 2017 focus on one scene at a time, the scene continues to impress me. The entire area now has a good covering of tan latex paint, various shades of rock, and Heki wildgrass tufts. Here are few photos showcasing the work done in March. 

Tools of the trade - multiple homemade dirt / sand grades and Harley & Sons rock ballast 

Basic rock and ground foams installed from highway overpass back to station foundation (Before) 

 Same view with tuftgrass, textured grass, and SuperTrees added. Everything from background to signals is glued.

 Area around Cooperative Elevator and Crop Production Services developing "Character".

MCIS9019 unloading fertilizer materials at C.P.S. Grays Lake.

If you have been following my posts you can really see how this area has come along way. Over the new few months we will continue to bring it all into a finished product.

Woodland Scenics Just Plug System

We are surronded by innovations in our hobby. One topic that really impressed me was the LED lighting system offered by Woodland Scenics. Up till this system came out Walthers and Atlas had some great product on the market, but the simple plug in / modular system was a win for me. While developing the scene, I figured now was teh time to spend the money and add in the lights whether i lit them now or later. 

Currently i have 3 different sets of lights (modern lights at LPG terminal, Wooden lamp posts for trackside / industry area, and ornamental lights for downtown Grays Lake). So far I have only installed the modern lights and temporarily connected them but the results are fantastic. 

:"Just Plug" light hub - transformer connects into this box which then connects to the LED lights 

Lighting demonstration at LPG terminal - the effect is just enough for nightime ops / photos. 

Be sure to check back as i add more lights, i will touch on where the control boxes ultimately get installed. Hardest part of installing these lights was drilling the hole through 2" thick foam. 

MAC Shops Work

Recently completed install on friends Atlas GP38.

Components Installed:

• Soundtraxx Tsunami2 EMD Diesel
• Railmaster Hobbies DS1425-8 speaker,
• Soundtraxx Currentkeeper
• Monster LED Rotary Beacon
• 3mm LEDs for lights

Happened to catch a photo of the motor in transit after releasing from MAC Shops. Who doesn't love a good GP38 in ATSF colors? Ironically the leading motor #4571 (former SD45-2) was originally a Santa Fe before becoming a Michigander.

Returning from MAC Shop behind MCIS 4571 on L-BAMP-25 (Local Turn - Bay City to Mt. Pleasant) 

ATSF 3546 back on customers home rails.

Hope you enjoyed the happenings around the St. Clair Sub. Check back later this month for progress on Grays Lake and hopefully a link to cab rides across the subdivision.

GM

Early January Update

It is amazing at how fast the Holiday Season goes by. Seems like yesterday was Thanksgiving and now are here in 2017! Since my last post the St. Clair Sub has seen different types of activity. One great point of our hobby is variety. For example I do not feeling like working on scenery, so I can instead install a decoder, assemble a building, or just run trains. Lets take a look at happenings from the back end of December.

Christmas Acquisitions
I have to give my family credit, they do a great job staying in tune to what I like. It also helps when online retailers like Walthers and Mountain Subdivision Hobbies have wishlists that you can create and folks then reference. At any rate I was very fortunate to receive great model train gifts for Christmas

 From the wife and kids: Blair Line Fertilizer Supply Kit, 2017 Walthers Catalog, and resale DPM buildings from Ebay. 

From parents and grandparents - 30ga wire, Soundtraxx Tsunami2s, Currentkeepers, and Railmaster 28mm speakers.

Very grateful and blessed for fantastic model train items. If your family or significant other doesn't know what you want and especially if it is model train items, use those wishlists to help them find the right gift. Not to mention an easy way to help them dial into what you model.

Both the DPM buildings and Blair Line Kit will be located in Grays Lake, Michigan. The sound decoder items were installed into Athearn Genesis SD45-2s that have been de-rated into SD40M-2s.

New buildings on the corner of Main and Harrison Streets in downtown Grays Lake. 

CEMENT TERMINAL STORAGE DOME

As I begin to "rough in" the Graystone Cement Terminal at Bay City I wanted to find a way to give the facility a modern expansion look to an existing facility that had been there for some time. Searching Google for Cement storage silos led to alot of different types of facilities. But this one below in Arkansas caught my eye as a great opportunity to model. 

Photo courtesy of Penta Industrial 

Finding my prototype I then setout to find commercially available items to help scratchbuild this storage dome. An quick visit to Hobby Lobby provided discovery of 12" smoothfoam halves. 


 This foam halve should fit the bill nicely. 

Using a bendable straight edge and pencil I traced the center where I would cut the halve. Once traced a sharp foam knife made quick work of the cut. 

 Mocking up the storage dome adjacent to the primary silos of the Graystone Cement terminal.

Planning my next move on the dome will require the top cap of a Kroger Whipped Cream canister, Walthers conveyors, and Pikestuff Walls to build the drive in access noted in the prototype picture. This entire cement terminal should make for a fun scratch-bash. It has been some time since I worked on buildings in detail, looking forward to the work.

In addition to the dome I will be purchasing a Walthers Medusa Cement kit as the base with additional silos added from what I have on hand. A two track load out shed put together from Pikestuff components and a set of those new Alkem Scale Models security fence kits will wrap up the industry nicely. 

MT. PLEASANT "MAC" SHOP UPDATE

Like prototype railroads, the business, mechanical, and regulatiory necessity need requires locomotives to be maintained, rebuilt, upgraded, or retired. In the case of the Michigan Interstate our locomotive and car shop are co-located at Mount Pleasant, Michigan. MAC stands for "Motivepower And Car". Our team there was quite busier than Santa's helpers releasing three locomotives back into service before the end of 2017. 

MCIS 4570 and 4571 (EMD SD45-2) derating to (EMD SD40M-2)

Wanting to align fleet similarity for parts and maintenance the mechanical team took the opportunity to de-rate the only two 20-645 units to 16-645s. Both of the units had issues with their original motors and had been sidelined at Mt. Pleasant. With 16-645 motors installed the locomotives have been re-classified as SD40M-2s. At current time the locomotives we keep their original numbers 4570 and 4571, in the future they will be renumbered into the 4050-4069 series. 

Components Installed

Soundtraxx Tsunami2 PNP EMD Diesel (EMD 645 Turbo)

Soundtraxx Currentkeeper

Railmaster Hobbies 28mm round speaker

Soundtraxx Sunny White 3mm LEDs

3825, 4570, and 4571 in "High Bay" at MAC Shop

MCIS 3825 (EMD GP38-2) Electronic Upgrade

With completion of this motor there are now eight modelled GP38-2s of the total twenty five in the fleet. This unit was painted early in 2016 by Fogelsinger Rail into special paint honoring University of Mary Hardin Baylor. The CEO must know someone who graduated from UMHB... 

Components installed:

Soundtraxx TSU-1000 (EMD 645 non-turbo)

Soundtraxx Currentkeeper

Railmaster Hobbies DS1425-8 speaker

TCS Sunny White SME LEDs 

MKT 175 (EMD GP40) Sound Install

In addition to work for Michigan Interstate and its subsidiaries, MAC shops also does contract work. Earlier in December we installed a TCS Wowsound decoder with motherboard discussed in my last post. 

Prior to return customer delivery, locomotive was tested and calibrated in rock train service. This photo could be somewhere in Texas during the "Katy" days.

L.H.T. - Layout How To (Railcar Deck Rebuild & Base Weather)

During a visit to the train store last week I came upon the Laserkit wook deck replacement kits for various railcars. . Selecting kit #325 for Model Die Casting / Athearn RTR 60' Flatcar I knew that the only 60' HTTX flat on my layout could really use this upgrade.

Kit and Athearn RTR HTTX flatcar in need of a better deck...... 

 Chisel blade made quick work of removing the plastic tractor holders. These had been glued on a factory.

Plastic holders removed, use the chisel blade to ensure the clean is clean. 

 Before installing the self adhesive wood deck, I wiped down the plastic deck with alcohol.

Following the kits instructions, use the stake pockets to line up the wood deck and car. Looks great but too new.  

Wash of india ink / alcohol helped tone down the car and deck. 

The india ink wash helped give the car a nice base weathering. Using other techniques I will continue to weather to represent a 30 year old car operating in machinery service out of Midwest factories. This car will allow me to test out the Smokebox Graphics FRA224 reflective stripes. The deck replacement kit from American Model Builders is a great value, simple to install, and helps transform a plastic kit into a flatcar model. 

Quick update for a Quick holiday season. Now that we are in the new year its time to see where we are going in 2017 and where we went in 2016. My next post we will look at the goals I had at the beginning of 2016 and see where I landed in actually completing them. We will also discuss "State Of The Railroad" and how I plan to manage scenery on the layout. 

Thank you for stopping by to read my Early January Update. 

Happy New Year!

GM 

Layout How To #02 - Sound Decoder Install

The weekend is coming to a close and with it one of my summer projects Idiscussed in my early June update. This project was the sound installation into a pair of Proto 2000 GP38-2s. The work took sometime to complete over a few days, but the time and effort put forth were well worth it.

As in most learned skills it takes practice to get better and this is my fifth Soundtraxx install so I am getting there, as each install is unique in its own way. Lets walk step by step on how I brought these two second generation EMDs to life.

Preparation & Tools
For this How To we will be installing the following in each motor:
  - LED lighting
  - Soundtraxx Tsunami TSU-1000 (EMD 645 non-turbo)
  - Soundtraxx Currentkeeper
  - Railmaster DS1425-8 Speaker

When it comes to the tools list, the Soundtraxx installation guide and their online resources provide a list of needed tools to make the install go smoothly.
  - Soldering Iron / Rosin Core Solder
  - Sharp Hobby Knife
  - Jewelers Screwdriver set
  - Electrical tape (3M)
  - Heat Shrink Tubing
  - Tweezers
  - Silicone Caulk (GE brand that comes with a nozzle - easy to handle)

As you can see from shell removal to make a TSU-1000, Currentkeeper, and speaker fit we are going to need to make cuts to the frame.

Once you have your workspace and parts all setup I then move on to the dis-assembly process.

Frame Dis-assembly & Cutting
Following the manufacturers guidelines I dis-assemble the engine and layout all of the major components. It is also important to mark the wires for the left truck, right truck, (+) motor, (-) motor for decoder connection. For small parts such as light bars, screws, and detail parts I put them in a small Ziploc so they don't "disappear" during the project.

Neat and Orderly is the key.

Part bags, extra weights, wiring diagram for the harness that was not used. It helps me to sketch out my wiring for the LEDs ensuring I dont wire them in backwards...

The TSU-1000 is setup to allow the use of a JST to NMRA 8 pin harness to make installing in DCC ready engines easier. In the case of 3833 the socket that the harness could install into is no good and 3827s socket was tossed in favor of hardwiring a NCE decoder many many years ago. That is ok with plenty of wire to work with coming off the new decoder the hardwire will be a snap.

Marking on the frame where the cuts will be made with a Dremel rotary disc and hacksaw.. This part can become labor intensive and the metal from the cutting will become hot - dont forget PPE - safety glasses, gloves!!!!

From the photo the area to remove was planned for, marked, and removed. Once the cuts were complete, I used a bench grinder to smooth down any rough surfaces on the frame. 

Frame Re-Assembly & Decoder Install

Once frame modifications were complete it was time to re-install back on the locomotive chassis and feed all of the existing wires through their respective channels before beginning the decoder install.

SPEAKER

From this point forward I followed the Soundtraxx instructions step by step through the decoder installation process. On these models the radiator fans are open which allows for the perfect spot to get the sound out of the engine. The Railmaster speaker being used (DS1425-8) is setup with its own baffle enclosure so all that was needed to help provide the best sound quality was a good seal between the front side of the enclosure and the open radiator fans. This was accomplished using the GE silicon caulk a day before so keep this in mind when planning your install to seal the speaker in the day before if you go the silicon way.... Remember alot goes a long way. 

Photo above shows the speaker installed with silicon between the front of speaker edges and radiator fan. Additionally I added the silicon on the bottom of the enclosure visible to provide a dampening effect in case the enclosure vibrated against the shell and extra securement. 

LIGHTING
For the LED lighting Soundtraxx Sunny White LEDs were utilized in conjunction with the light bar that is used with the proto 2000 setup. Following Soundtraxx instructions to properly wire in a 680 ohm resistor I think used heat shrink to attach the cut down light tube and led lighting assembly as one piece. This helped to minimize any light leakage as well. Photo above shows the rear headlight and photo below shows the front headlight.

Additionally on the front headlight I used black electrical tape to minimize any light leakage that could occur around the numberboards or cab windows.


TSU-1000 DECODER & CURRENTKEEPER
Once the decoder was hooked up to the rail pickups, motor, and currentkeeper and test was performed to ensure everything was in working order. The Currentkeeper comes with instructions for installation into the numerous different Soundtraxx decoders, be sure to read these directions to know where and when you need to install this item.

As you work through the decoder installation process try to keep your wiring in order and not let it get to tangled or jumbled up. You will be happy you did this when you are wrapping up and putting the shell back on. Depending on how the wire was orientated some of the solder joints were end to end while with a piece of shrink tube slide over or the ends paired side by side, twisted, soldered together, and covered with shink tube. Note: Just like in the instructions - tinning your wires makes the process work much more efficient. I would say "faster" but this is not a race and quality is key for a successful install.

Bundling & Shell Re-install
Once all of you connections are complete its time to make a final test to ensure the motor is still working but also the lighting and sound operate. If all of these items test out fine, then its time to bundle your wires together and tape down to avoid anything getting into the gear tower or drive train. This part can be tricky making sure all of the wires get up in the shell and not stuck on the sides so take your time.

Enjoy
You just spent upwards of 2-3 hours completing this quality - now it is time to enjoy your work. Ring up the power desk and advise another motor is back in the pool awaiting assignment.

 MCIS 3833 idling at Bay Yard after being setout off the M-MCBA-27 which picked the unit up at Mt. Pleasant last night. 

Soundtraxx and Railmaster Hobbies both have great products and when combined together as done with these two EMD GP38-2 installs it is a win for the modeler!

Thanks for stopping by - stay tuned as we go into July..... videos as promised in my Early June Update hopefully should begin to materialize.

GM