Wow, if you get to town, you must stop. See the layout, talk some trains. My better half is an unbelievable cook.
Sent from my iPhone On Jun 30, 2012, at 2:56 PM, "shabbona_rr" <[email protected]> wrote: > Actually, John, I was supposed to be in Bloomington for three days this > weekend, until the surgeon at Iowa City nixed the idea. Maybe next year. In > the meantime, I'm sorta looking for someone who might be willing to paint an > American Models E8 locomotive in original Rock Island passenger colors for me. > > boB Nicholson > > --- In [email protected], John Albee <johnalbee03@...> wrote: > > > > Yea boB! I'm glad you enjoyed the railroad again. I plan to do exactly that > > tomorrow, especially now that my rr room ceiling is painted. > > > > Sent from my iPhone > > > > On Jun 30, 2012, at 11:03 AM, "shabbona_rr" <user141771@...> wrote: > > > > > Well, not necessarily Kalmbach quality, but for the first time in about a > > > month, SHABBONA RR ran a train from Terminal District to Mooar Yard and > > > return. This is the first operation since coming home from Iowa City on > > > the 7th of June. > > > > > > The day began when I reworked the coupler mounts on F7 "B" unit #19A to > > > meet the close coupling standards I have set for SHABBONA "F" units. The > > > operation was successful, but I believe I can add a couple of .015" > > > styrene shims to the buffers to take up a little more slack. Since this > > > is a "B" unit, the difference should not be noticeable. > > > > > > Once that was complete, except as described, I coupled together an F-7 > > > A-B-A consist for the train to Mooar Yard. Since I do not have to deal > > > with the vagarities of DCC or the cantankerosity of a Fireman Fred, this > > > was a simple matter of simply coupling the units together, after which > > > they went out to the train and tied on. While the train was getting its > > > air test, the MJ Dispatcher lined it up for clear sailing to Mooar Yard. > > > > > > In the meantime, the roundhouse at Mooar tied RS-3 #35 to RS-1 #33 for > > > additional power to make up an outbound train. Reaching into #1 track, > > > these units grabbed the caboose from [yesterday's] train and set it over > > > to Track two. Then, going back against Track #1, they pulled the made up > > > train out on the lead and commenced to shove it against the caboose on > > > Track two. Meanwhile, the inbound freight train showed up at MJ Junction > > > and proceeded to the inbound yard crossover, where it had to wait > > > momentarily while the yard engine shoved the outbound train in the clear. > > > After that, the road crew pulled the inbound trin into the clear on Track > > > one, and returned via the Yard Main and tied onto Yard two. After > > > receiving an air test and permission to depart, the outbound train moved > > > into position at MJ Tower and wqited for clearance to leave town and head > > > back to Terminal District. > > > > > > Pulling down the Main Line at Terminal District, the engines cut away and > > > headed for the pit, where the roundhouse forces will insert F7 "B" unit > > > #15A to make up a 4-unit A-B-B-A set for a reefer train that is due out > > > later in the day. After almost a month of inactivity, seeing trains run > > > once again was refreshing. > > > > > > boB Nicholson _________________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
