OCSMR-Ocean County Society of Model Railroaders Club Latest update 10/29/2024

Great looking work you all. Sure wish I had something like that here in my area. Heck wish I had a club in this area. Down here there not that many to be found. 

Bill,

What part of the country are you at?

Now that York has passed by, it is back to laying more track for line #3 and for #4. Have to get my track professor in gear and ready to go back to work.

Get back to work, Ted!  

Can't believe York was a week ago.  A little track work has been accomplished on tracks 3 and 4 since then.

More track work done this past Saturday plus rails being soldered. It would be nice if the track professor would get the track pins in so they fit properly. But... he did realize his ERROR!

More to come as the upper run wooden trestle was placed for clearance. I bet the EM-1 slams into it??

Looking great Ted. Two quick questions: Are you running Friday Nights (say Dec 2nd) and is there a listing of the current club members?

I hope to be able to visit on 12/2. All the best,

Paul

Paul,

We are able to operate 2 of 4 lines now, just no buildings or scenery are up and that will not happen for a while. As for the current club listing, not sure if the website has one. I have one that is almost current which I can scan a copy a copy and email it to you.

Thanks, Ted

Needles and pins.......needles and pins......needles and pins..............

Paul - Looking forward to seeing you.  Bring something to run.

I feel bad that I haven't been able to get down there lately and help you guys out. November is usually hectic with various club outings and then the First Frost show. Maybe on the 18th if I can find the time.

Hey Bud, always good to hear from you. I will indeed bring something to run on your new empire. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone. All the best,

Paul

Well, well... we ran my B&O EM-1 tonight on the layout and it ran quite well with the exception of a clearance issue that might occur when the elevated trestle system gets put into place.

Regardless, Layout professor Bud and his track apprentice Ted have done a good job so far. If any engine going to show any track problems, a large steamer like this one will show the imperfections.

Good job Bud! So far.

The EM-1 has a big overhang and it did just touch the left side of the trestle on the track that goes under and the track that goes along side the trestle.  Will require some tweaking.

Clearance concerns for bigger engines are the outer curve entering the trestle and the curve along the front side.

The trestle will go over the three tracks along side the wall to where the curves start at the far end.

Clearance test vehicle, the Apprentice's  B&O EM-1.

The test pilot did an excellent job roaming around the layout. As for the track professor, he has a new enhanced name, The Nutty Track Professor aka Locobudd!

We did put down more track on line #3 and the professor has to do his magic with some upcoming switch work.

Will you have things squared away enough for your Holiday Open House? 

We do have 2 operating lines of 4 running on the O gauge layout. as for the HO side, they are still laying track and are modeling it after the New York, Long Branch line. They have plenty to do.

We always have open house so anytime someone is in the area, the invitation is always welcome.

You have to be really Nutty to work with the Track Apprentice.

Joe - Stop by.

Tracks 3 and 4 will stop here by the roundhouse for a while 'til the transformer shelf and extension for the track 1 sidings is built.

Track Apprentice Ted has hit the mother lode in his investments under the guidance of Financial Bill.  They've really multiplied since he started.

Getting the upper level framed and tracked will take a bit of time.  Still have to connect DCS and see if we have problems like we had on the old layout.

Thanks tracking our progress.

We're soldering the track joints that have been laid and installed the transformer shelf.

Jack takes a break from soldering track joints and wonders where to go from there.

Installing the transformer shelf.

A small expansion of the framework will be to the left of the transformers adding a couple of feet to the sidings.

The Track Apprentice has accrued dividends from his mother lode and is continuing to invest by diversifying in mouse futures.

A work area/coffee mess has been installed.

An O-gauge work area was built in the coal bunker just on the other side of the wall from the O-gauge layout.

The coal bunker and later oil tanks fueled this monster.

The boiler is no longer used to heat the  building and the  building has had asbestos remediation.  HVAC split systems heat and cool the first floor.   We added gas hot air heat to the O and HO rooms.  Two weeks ago the heating system passed inspection by the township and we finally have heat.  Took "only" about a year to get it done.

Connected the first transformer and TIU.  Didn't try DCS 'cause we didn't bring an engine.  Hopefully it'll work better than it did on our old layout.  We have to update our TIU's.  TMCC has been working.  Haven't connected Legacy (gotta find it amongst the boxes).

Our repair room still needs to be electrified, reason for the hanging wires and power strip going to an extension cord.

Brought my MTH Rail King GE Evo to try DCS.  Hadn't run the engine, except for a short conventional test run, since I got it well over a year ago.  Got a bit concerned since the handheld just read "looking for engine".  Several tries later and a long long time finally got loaded in.  Track 1 had "10s" all around.  Track 2 had "10s" mostly until the older track by the roundhouse where it varied to as low as "5" (need to clean track).  Looks like soldering all track joints paid off (we have somewhere over 400 solder joints on both tracks).  Did an odometer reading and got 1.4 scale miles for Track 2 (or 154 feet of track).

Only 400 solder joints? I account for 3/4 of them. Wonder why the track runs so well. Your pesos investment to me via Mickey Mouse has paid me well.

Tonight, I am using DCS on a proto 2 engine to reset it to factory default so I can use it on my home layout with remote commander which is the BEST conventional remote operating system for the price.  One remote operates any proto 2 or 3 engine unlike another operating system that controls one engine per remote.

Regardless, we are wiring this layout correctly so we can use conventional, Legacy, TMCC and DCS with zero issues.

DCS wiring has been successful so far. I was able to do a factory reset on my UP SD90 so I can operate it on my home layout with remote commander. I do not have DCS on my layout but remote commander to me is DCS lite. We did notice that our remote took a while to "looking for engine" in the DCS remote, something to investigate further.

My EVO started up with no problems after being loaded in last Friday.  Biggest concern is the length of time it takes to "find" and engine.  DCS will get an upgrade this weekend as will Legacy.

Started the addition for the switch to nowhere.  Won't be doing much more til after Thanksgiving.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Brought a train to run, headed by my William's GG-1 converted to TMCC.

Scale GG1, another good test to see if Professor Nutty Track made the correct curves and measurements. 

Both TIU'S and Legacy system are all upgraded. The test on Tuesday night to see how long it takes DCS to find an engine.

Our two TIUs with updated software have been reinstalled.  Brought my Red Arrow Liberty Liner to try since it had been loaded in many eons  ago.  DCS didn't recognize the Liberty Liner probably because the battery was dead.  Left on track to charge and still had problems.  Eventually deleted the Liberty Liner and  was successfully reentered.  Measured track signal strength with the Liberty Liner and found track signal to be somewhat less than my EVO with some areas with no signal.  Probably due to the EVO being later hard/soft ware.  Also, added in a UP Desert Storm SD-40.  Took awhile and runs fine.

Brought my EVO to run to make sure had no problems with DCS after having some difficulty getting the Liberty Liner to run.  No problems, signal strength still good.  Added a video camera to get some shots running on the layout.  Don't have a YouTube account so I'll just add some still shots later.  Camera has WiFi so you can view it on your smart phone/device.

Our club President had his MTH Rudolf train so took a few pix.

LocoBudd posted:

Brought my EVO to run to make sure had no problems with DCS after having some difficulty getting the Liberty Liner to run.  No problems, signal strength still good.  Added a video camera to get some shots running on the layout.  Don't have a YouTube account so I'll just add some still shots later.  Camera has WiFi so you can view it on your smart phone/device.

 

Which brand of camera is this?

---PCJ

Paul - The camera is called "Drone View" and is made by Tactic.  Got it to put on one of my RC planes (haven't yet - don't get out to fly much).  Ordered from Tower Hobbies.

Got a visit from Ben and Jerry who were looking to possibly joining the club.  So, didn't get much done on the extension today.

Here're a few still pix around the layout starting with our O-Gauge Superintendent.

Good evening.

What's going on with the El Structure ?

Thanks,John 

John - The "El Structure" is a section of the "trestle" which will be used to "El"evate tracks 3 and 4 above three of the lower level tracks.  Here're some pix from our old layout.

That one picture of the 9 Southern Pacific engines was the multi lash-up we ran there and the MRC transformer read 9. 5 amps with a 1/2 amp to spare!

Just to get you in the Christmas spirit.

Not much done this weekend.  OCSMR was at the Monmouth Museum.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas.  Unfortunately Santa didn't do any work over the Holidays at the club so we're slowly getting back to work.

Started the install of the double doors at the end of the corridor (trying to match what would have been installed).  Will install a more plane door about halfway down.  Both doors will close off the corridor to conserve heat and allow us to leave the doors of both layout rooms open  while we're there.

Ted (aka the Apprentice) finished painting the stairs (sorry for the fuzzy pic but Ted moves fast).

Waiting for the paint to dry to start installing the sidings for track 1.

Did some prep on the electrics panel.  Need to connect power to the partially completed track 3 and 4 loops so they can be used as sidings more conveniently until they're finished.

The Nutty Track Professor has finally switched gears from reverse to 2nd gear and started to do track work and some wiring on the layout. Ran my postwar Lionel SF F3'S and passenger cars last night. Ran very well around the layout considering they are about 70 years old. A little oil and grease and away they went. Bud's track work got a good testing. The nutty professor graduated to senior nutty professor!

The stairs are done painted with anti-skid mixed in the black paint. Just waiting to get the yellow paint to do each front part of of the steps so you see those steps walking up or down. Stairwell halls are done and some old Lionel prints going on the walls.

Work at our club is commencing again.

Our club is always open to visitors. Just email us as our phone is not connected yet since Verizon and Optimum are giving us some BS about connecting up to an old building.

Don't know much about Senior status.  Seems like I've been a Senior for ages.  Working with the Apprentice has made me more Senior.  Guess it's official now.

The construction crew started framing for the other door.

The Apprentice checks out the structural integrity of the door framing.  Appears that he's checking his structural integrity.  Looks like he's getting more senior too.

Started installation of the track 1 sidings.  We do have an interesting problem at the other end of the siding.  Our new heater is leaking where track will be.  If our contractor doesn't fix it soon,  we will be installing our new engine washing facility.

The members of OCSMR wish a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to all the ferroequinologists on the forum.

No work at the club today.

Here's a shot of my backyard.  A couple of inches of snow fell after pic was taken.

If it weren't so cold, shoulda been doing this.

Or this.

Leak in the heating system hasn't been fixed yet.  So, we'll have to plan for the engine washing facility.  Here's a pic of the water collection/storage system.

Mickey showed up with his entourage.

Checking the fit for sidings by the station.

Here's a long shot of the first pic area in better weather.

LocoBudd posted:

  Don't have a YouTube account so I'll just add some still shots later.  Camera has WiFi so you can view it on your smart phone/device.

 

Just a thought, have you considered getting a "club" Youtube account? It would be the same as a personal one, but be named "OCSMR" or something like that, and designated club members have joint access to that account to post videos and answer comments/questions.

---PCJ

More work to be done tomorrow on the hallway door framing. Painted 1/2 of the floor at the bottom of the steps before the 1st doorway entrance. Keeping it all uniform with the upstairs with a red floor paint. That was the original color they used in 1927.

Not much work done this weekend 'cause of  attending Trainstock.  Had a great time.

Insulation installed in hallway door framing and...

some wallboard.

Some of the crew "working"...

and runnin' trains.