John, I have something similar and have used it a number of times these last two weeks. Since the paper is a signed certificate from Mike Wolf, I don’t want to risk wrinkling it. 😊 When I think of it when she is downstairs, I’ll ask my wife to pick it up. She has had more surgeries than I have, so we just trade off helping each other! 😊
I understand completely, Mark. Just my crude attempt at humor.
@John H posted:I understand completely, Mark. Just my crude attempt at humor.
I thought so considering what the stick was holding.
Hi Mark, I sure hope your back pain gets better day by day and that the surgery works great for you. Although it’s painful now, it will get better and better, just try and get off the meds as soon as you can. I have had back trouble for the last 28 years, however the steroid injections have worked so far. My last injection was over 3 years ago, knock on wood. Going to the gym and walking on the treadmill, for 30 minutes to an hour at a brisk pace, three days a week, (prior to the pandemic) has helped more than anything getting me back in shape. So, you are on our prayer list and hopefully soon, you’ll be working on your wonderful railroad and having more time for producing videos for our entertainment. Thank you very much for all the progress and fun all 55 pages long. Your very creative. Happy Railroading Everyone
Larry, thank you for the prayers.
I'm glad you have been doing well. Also, I am glad you have liked reading along on the 55 pages.
Mark, hope your recovery goes well and you're able to go skipping through the halls at York in October. As you're becoming a veteran of the operating table, I'm sure that you'll keep up with the therapy and exercise.
Plenty of discussion regarding hotels in the York thread, but a couple of thoughts... 1) call the hotel a week or so in advance - explain your situation and ask for a first-floor room that's near an entrance. 2) if possible, plan to arrive at the hotel well in advance of the normal check-in time - you might be able to get a room that's more conveniently located - I've checked in as early as 11am.
Mallard, “Veteran of the operating table”! I love it!! 😄 Well, I guess you are right. I counted up 9 times I’ve gone under the knife.
I can tell you write from experience! You offer excellent advice in that once we turn the calendar page to October, I will have to thoroughly evaluate my situation at that time. As you state, it is hopeful I will be able to maneuver through each day well, but I could have delays and setbacks that will make it not so. I had a setback on the knee replacement that cost me a month, so I know anything can happen.
Those are excellent ideas about the hotel. Just the ride from Northwestern Pennsylvania can be grueling. A day at the meet can also. I will definitely work to pace myself doing things I never did before. Besides your suggestions at the hotel, I’ll use the shuttle bus even if the weather is fair, be smart about where I park, and make use of tables and chairs and benches. I may find talking with others who are resting to be more enjoyable than pushing through the crowd looking for bargains.
Thank you so much!!
Hey Mark! Wishes for a speedy recovery!.... Apparently, Growing old is not for the faint of heart....... and all the while I lived life as if I would do a "Side Drift into the final curbside parking spot.. Rusted out, banged up, Missing fenders and Wheels falling off".. I guess HE has a few more plans for us.
Congrats in the great lineup! I DO love the pattern of repeating consist rumbling past...........
Scott, I have missed hearing from you for a while. I hope all is well with you. Thank you very much for the well wishes. We never know how long God has for us, so we should just keep on doing all we can. Your description reminds me of the student parking lot at Malone University in Canton, Ohio. Our older daughter graduated there almost 10 years ago. I say the student parking lot because unlike here in Pennsylvania, Ohio doesn't require a safety inspection on vehicles. Where as here, if there is a hole in the rusty fender, you must cover it before you pass the annual inspection, the cars with Ohio plates didn't have to meet such a qualification. The lot was full of rust buckets with parts cable tied on and even had a liberal use of duct tape.
Photographs of coal drags on the Western Maryland always impressed me with all oxide red cars. The older ones had the round herald and then they changed over to the speed letter scheme. I wanted to attempt that on my coal trains. Thank you.
Hey Mark, it's been a bit. How are things going, and more importantly, how are you feeling(please don't say with your hands)?
Dave, thank you for asking! I had my first follow up appointment yesterday, I got the staples out, the X-rays looked good, and they were happy with where I am. I start PT on Monday with my two old friends from the knee replacement! 😊 It mostly hurts laying down, so I still don’t sleep well, but I can take a nap. I am allowed to start driving, but I’ll wait and just take myself to PT on Monday. It’s only 3 or 4 miles away. I’m still weak in the legs, but they were okay with it. All in all it is better than I thought it might be.
On the layout, I did just start painting parts for the Atlas signal tower. I double checked my books, and Western Maryland used gray walls and red trim for wooden buildings. I got one thin coat of gray over the tan plastic, but need another coat. I’ll have to paint the inside walls with all the second story windows. I don’t have prototype information on that, so I will probably paint a light green like do many buildings of that type.
Thank you for checking in!!!
Hope your recovery is going well Mark, and I hope you’re feeling much better. Putting the work in now will help get a better long term result. My thoughts are with you for a speedy and pain free journey.
Andy
Hi Mark,
Hope you are doing better each day. That is a huge hope as things tend to be up and down initially and then things start to improve over time. Hoping and praying for a minimally painful recovery.
John
Thank you for asking Andy and John!! Thank you for thoughts and prayers. It just so happens I had my 6-week follow-up visit with the surgeon yesterday afternoon. The therapist did the review for the surgeon Wednesday. Everything seems to be going as well as each of them expect for such a short way into a recovery projected to take a year. Considering the only pain reliever I am allowed to take is Extra Strength Tylenol, there isn't a lot of pain. The leg with the sciatic damage keeps me up a lot at night, and the lower back is sore in the morning. Considering I am retired and don't have a boss clamoring for me to get back to work, I can take a nap most afternoons to compensate. The surgeon said I should start doing a little more at a time and go back to see him in 6 more weeks.
I have been working on the Atlas switch tower, mostly at nights when I couldn't sleep. I have done it all standing to help the sciatic pain go away. I have downspouts and a few details to add, then some touchup painting and a bit of weathering. I left the second story unglued so I can take it off to add a light and a few more items to the interior. I picked the colors red and gray because those are what the Western Maryland Railway used for their frame buildings. I didn't deviate from the instructions at all, but I think the colors make it look a bit unique. The interior aqua color looks a little brighter than I intended, but looking through the windows it looks toned down.
I haven't done anything on the layout since May because of the surgery. I did run the same coal train a few times, but haven't felt much like it until recently.
Attachments
Great job Mark, with good attention to detail.
Mark,
The tower looks good! I hope you are doing well after your surgery and getting your strength back.
Dave
Mark, I haven't checked in here in a while, so I didn't know that you had a surgery. Wishing a speedy recovery.
Mark,
Best wishes for a speedy recovery. I hope you can get back soon to working on your layout - to which your Atlas O switch tower will be a fine addition. I have one on each of my layouts.
MELGAR
@Mark Boyce posted:Thank you for asking Andy and John!! Thank you for thoughts and prayers. It just so happens I had my 6-week follow-up visit with the surgeon yesterday afternoon. The therapist did the review for the surgeon Wednesday. Everything seems to be going as well as each of them expect for such a short way into a recovery projected to take a year. Considering the only pain reliever I am allowed to take is Extra Strength Tylenol, there isn't a lot of pain. The leg with the sciatic damage keeps me up a lot at night, and the lower back is sore in the morning. Considering I am retired and don't have a boss clamoring for me to get back to work, I can take a nap most afternoons to compensate. The surgeon said I should start doing a little more at a time and go back to see him in 6 more weeks.
I have been working on the Atlas switch tower, mostly at nights when I couldn't sleep. I have done it all standing to help the sciatic pain go away. I have downspouts and a few details to add, then some touchup painting and a bit of weathering. I left the second story unglued so I can take it off to add a light and a few more items to the interior. I picked the colors red and gray because those are what the Western Maryland Railway used for their frame buildings. I didn't deviate from the instructions at all, but I think the colors make it look a bit unique. The interior aqua color looks a little brighter than I intended, but looking through the windows it looks toned down.
I haven't done anything on the layout since May because of the surgery. I did run the same coal train a few times, but haven't felt much like it until recently.
That's the way you do it Mark, a little here and a little there. I have always liked the Atlas buildings, in particular the Switch Tower. On the old HO layout we had one of those, and the detail inside always blew my mind with the levers. Little bit of paint here and there and you got it Mark.
Thank you, Jay, Dave, Kevin, Mel, Dave!
Answering comments and questions together. I had lumbar fusion L3-L4 and L4-L5 on May 24th. Almost 3 years ago the bulging discs and arthritis damaged the sciatic nerve in the right leg, that’s what has hurt ever since. As soon as we decided on surgery, the left leg started to tingle. That was the signal that led to the sciatic damage in the right. Since the surgeon and therapist think I’m doing well, I am encouraged!
I’m happy with the way the tower is turning out. Like Dave, I had the HO version on my first layout when I was a teenager. It along with everything else was destroyed in storage while I was working out of state. I’m glad to have one again, and it has more detail than the HO one I built at least 50 years ago.
Good to hear you are on the mend Mark. The tower looks great! Are you going to add lighting and other interior details? People?
Bob
Terrific looking tower Mark!!
Glad to hear of your post surgery progress. Best wishes for a speedy and thorough recovery.
Hey Mark:
Hope things turn out good or you. Like many others been there, done that (6 discs in the lower back).
Joe
Morning Mark, the tower looks outstanding! It is going to fit right in on your layout.
I am glad to hear your surgeon and physical therapist feel things are going well. Just remember slow and easy!😎
Mark,
I had three major surgeries in June so I can feel your pain. I wish you a speedy recovery.
I spent the last week in bed attending the NMRA Virtual National Convention, Rails by the Bay, which ended yesterday. Wow! It turned out to be a great model railroading event with lots of video layout tours and clinics. I think that video conventions and layout tours are in our future.
Best wishes and get well quickly, NH Joe
Thank you, Bob, Pat, Joe, Mike, and Joe!!
Bob, I thought I would add a desk, pot belly stove, desk, chairs, and a couple people, but I don't have any of them yet. I also would add an LED light inside and outside as well.
Joe and Joe, That's a lot of surgeries! Until now, mine have all been on extremities, knees and hands.
Mike, The surgeon and therapists are right with you on slow and easy. The surgeon said it would take a year, so obviously it will be slow. The first day of therapy, the head therapist said we will go slower than with the knee, and I thought that was slow. 
Joe, that sounds like the timing was right for you to see the online NMRA convention. Yes, there will be more of that kind of thing in the future!
Mark, Good to hear that you are on the (rail)road to recovery. Keep up the good work!
Bob
Bob, I love the pun! Thank you very much!
@Bob Golfs posted:Mark, Good to hear that you are on the (rail)road to recovery. Keep up the good work!
Bob
@Mark Boyce posted:Bob, I love the pun! Thank you very much!
Might even say you are on the right track. 
@rplst8 posted:Might even say you are on the right track.
Yes indeed!! 😄 Thank you!
I now have 2 AIUs to control my switches and other things. I connected them to the TIU and got it to recognize them through the remote. The first photograph shows them connected temporarily. Note I also bought a spare TIU and remote.
Here is the reverse side of the panel. I will be mounting the TIUs on this side and of course remove the ZW and coffee pot to another location.
Since I had finished the Atlas signal tower, I also started work on my electric substation kit by Walthers.
You can see the substation is an HO kit, but it will work for my purposes. Since transformer size, insulators size, and even conductor spacing depends on the voltage level, these can come in a variety of sizes in real life. I envision a small distribution station. Here I have some transformer parts painted and the main tank assembled. I also have the cooling fins and standoffs painted. Note how the transformer is about the same size as the one in on this Lionel B&O depressed center flatcar. Pretty close in size, the kit transformer being about 9 scale feet high before adding bushings.
Here it is in comparison to the one of this Lionel depressed well flat car. Close again.
There is an interesting story on the Western Maryland depressed well flat car. A coworker who is an N-scale enthusiast, gave it to me as a retirement gift. He found it on eBay and knew I favored the Western Maryland Railway and had worked at 2 power companies before coming to the telephone company 20-plus years earlier. It was made for LOTS in 2001.
Attachments
Wow Mark, looking great.
That’s some impressive wiring Mark. The tower will be a nice complement. Given what you have shared, it would appear that you are starting to feel better.
WOW Mark!! You have been busy! I'm sensing that you are feeling better At least I hope I'm sensing that correctly. Your wiring work looks terrific!
I'm looking forward to seeing your completed power sub station too.
Great story about the WM depressed center flat car. Your co - worker obviously greatly valued you as a friend and colleague.... nice gift! Your coffee pot has inspired me to set up one in my train room. The cup warmer that I had gave out and after seeing your coffee pot, I'm thinking a small coffee pot would be a most appropriate & effective replacement LOL! After all, coffee does help the creative juices to flow
Keep up the great work Mark
Thank you David, Jay, and Patrick!!
I have been feeling a good bit better, though most of the work on the signal tower and substation transformer has been done around 1 or 2 o'clock at night when I can't sleep because of sciatic nerve pain. I have a cart that is higher than a normal table so I can stand to paint and glue and let the nerve settle down. It's okay, I can usually get a nap during the day if needed.
I actually did the visible wiring in the early spring before I had surgery. Now I can sit on the stool and reach under the layout, but not long enough to do any wiring from the switches to AIUs, though I shouldn't have any trouble mounting the AIUs.
The coworker who gave me the car is much younger than me, around 25 years younger. We knew each other for years, but were put together into the same group for only the last 4 or 5 years I worked. He helped me with some of the newer technologies, and I helped him with the older technologies he had never been exposed to. That and an interest in trains made for a good relationship. We check in now and then on Facebook now that I am retired. I will have to find a new spot for the coffee pot when I start mounting AIUs and do wiring. It's easier than going back and forth upstairs to the kitchen.
I'm very glad that you are on the road to recovery, Mark
Oh yeah, great work on the Blackwater Canyon line too
Thank you, Ski!
The tower looks great Mark. The substation should be fine in HO scale since they do exist in all different shapes and sizes. Nice to hear you are felling better. I hope the sciatic settles down as your back gets stronger.
As to the coffee pot.....I'd replace it with a nice bottle of single-malt. 
Bob
Thank you, Bob! The transformer itself measures out to 9 feet scale feet high without the bushings, and you are right they come in all shapes and sizes. The one I saw brought in by rail car to one of the power stations I worked at was quite large. It was 115-230 KV 3-phase. It was quite interesting to watch the riggers slide it off the rail car and onto their multi-axle trailer then haul it up a slope to the pad.
Coffee, pop, or single-malt...to each their own!
Mark,
The wiring looks great, as does the substation and the signal tower. I had no idea the HO one would work; learned a lot!
Hope the nerve settles down.
George
