Under The Hood: Adieu, Razorback Traction Company...at least in its present form! ;)

@jhz563 posted:

Oh no!  Get well soon Mitch!

I'm fine, just a little...

🙂

🙂 🕶

😎

Toe-main poisoning. 

EYEAHHHH!!!

Mitch

Ugh!  I am glad you are doing okay.

And puns like those are why the forum needs a dislike button!

Hope you get off the RIP track soon, we need to see razorback 2.0!

Heh.  Actually, I'm fine, it's my house which needs an overhaul...

Mitch

Glad to hear you are OK Mitch. I would keep a close eye on that Siamese.

Bob

Mitch

You know I love the oval an figure 8 and outside loop around it as I picked these features for my layout.

You might want to consider adding two more switches that would link the figure 8 oval with the outside oval, at the top of the layout loops, to give a way to let trains traverse from inside oval to outside oval and vise versa.  This link would allow you to reverse a train on the outside loop also.

Keep posting on your progress to up grade your layout with a complete rebuild.

Charlie

@Choo Choo Charlie posted:

You might want to consider adding two more switches that would link the figure 8 oval with the outside oval, at the top of the layout loops, to give a way to let trains traverse from inside oval to outside oval and vise versa.  This link would allow you to reverse a train on the outside loop also.

I considered it, but rejected the idea.  You have to bear in mind that this is basically a glorified test track, so I want to keep all three tracks separate.  Imagine, for example, I'm testing an M-10000 or Zephyr or Electroliner, which require a minimum of O42 curves.  One mistake, and it gets thrown into the inner O27 oval and whoops!   

Mitch

Oddly enough, this IS progress...

As I mentioned earlier, the reworked RTC will be living in this corner, with the workbench on the opposite wall.

So, the next step is clearing bookshelves and moving them to the former train room...

Slow but steady wins the race! 

Mitch

Slow progress being made...

Most of the Howard Roark Memorial Storage Facility is being repurposed, with the rolling stock being transferred into this cabinet... Each of the two-drawer modules are separate, so they can, if need be, be placed in different locations.

One unit of the Roark Memorial has been placed in the workshop to accommodate wider equipment which doesn't fit in the drawers.

The new workbench corner is cleared. 

The new workbench itself...well, that's another story. 

Since I don't have any help (but would cheerfully accept same), this is a very slow process, straining even my vast good humor. 

Ah, well...

Mitch

Mitch, the cabinet and shelves look great!!  I wish you well on clearing out the miscellaneous stuff to make the workbench available.  Our younger daughter could make quick work of it, but I'm not sure you would like to see what all she threw out.    Our older daughter, age 30, has accumulated as much stuff as we have knocking on the door of age 65. 

@CBS072 and I did a bit of workbench hunting on Wednesday, and found a rather bedraggled rolltop desk in the scrap heap at a local Goodwill.   $15.91 later, I was the new owner.  (The 91¢ is the part that worries me a little.)

(seen here sans drawers for to make handling easier)

With the rolltop removed, here's the desk in place:

I'm going to laminate these 2 x 6 sheets of Lowes soundboard together as a semi-expendable work surface:

This'll allow me to make some progress without having to excavate that black desk (triple digit temps and high hum-a-ditties just ain't the kind of weather suitable for such)...

Mitch

Mitch:  I love your solution to the problem of "Too much stuff on the table"...Buy another table!  Now that's the kind of reasoning I like!!

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

Mitch:  I love your solution to the problem of "Too much stuff on the table"...Buy another table!  Now that's the kind of reasoning I like!!

Heh.  Well, this whole business is like one of those sliding tile games.  I have to move my old work desk in order to have room in the consolidated train room for the 4 x 8 layout.  So, while I'm moving it, I want to upgrade to more drawers so that the bench top isn't as cluttered.  The old desk will be going in the library/guest room next door.   To complicate matters, I'm having a house guest arrive next Tuesday, so there's a certain time pressure as well...

Mitch

I GET IT!  My "work bench" is a 24" X 6 ft" folding table up against a cabinet in my train room.  I keep moving stuff to make room to work but there is no additional space.  Many years ago, my Dad (an accountant by trade) made a tool for his workbench.  It was a 6 ft 2x4 with handles on one side.  He could grip the handles and push the 2x4 over the top of his work bench thus shoving everything to the rear and clearing space in the front !!  I always admired his solution as well.

Keep posting Mitch, I always enjoy what you post.

Regards

Don

@M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Slow progress being made...

Most of the Howard Roark Memorial Storage Facility is being repurposed, with the rolling stock being transferred into this cabinet... Each of the two-drawer modules are separate, so they can, if need be, be placed in different locations.

Mitch - always love your updates .  This drawer set up I really like.  Hmmm, might need to keep an eye out for something like that myself.

Mitch, the old desk is a great solution to your problem!

@Mark Boyce posted:

Mitch, the old desk is a great solution to your problem!

And here's the finished product! 

Added a couple of 1x4s for stiffness.  Now to start moving junque over...

Mitch

Nice job, Mitch. I kinda need a makeover too, I have to sit in the chair at my workbench,  then turn 90

degrees to the right, then stand up to get to the other side of my layout.

Also a pic of the "sure it will be done by halloween" layout.

Best, John

Yes indeed, Mitch!  It is ready for junque!!  Looks great!

@Mark Boyce posted:

Yes indeed, Mitch!  It is ready for junque!!  Looks great!

The first junque to be moved was my Goodwill stereo:

Dunno whether it's "D**n, I'm good," "D**n, I'm lucky" or a combination of the two, but the components fit the Roark Memorial shelves perfectly, and the old Heathkit speakers boom out fine to either side of the bench...

Mitch

More repairs done on the bench:  Power cord repairs on the amp and the tape deck. 

Mitch

D**n you're good!  Heathkit!  S0mething I haven't heard in, I don't know, seems like forever.

@coach joe posted:

D**n you're good!  Heathkit!  S0mething I haven't heard in, I don't know, seems like forever.

Alas, turns out one of the speakers has a bum woofer.  Fortunately, I never DID put up the outdoor Dual pool speakers I got from a friend a decade or so ago...

Also opens up storage space on each side of the bench.   

Mitch

Isn't this a lovely, tidy, welcoming work environment?

We shall speak no more of this.

Mitch

I give it one day

@beardog49 posted:

I give it one day

Less than that, I still gotta transplant all that 'carp' over to the other bench...

Mitch

The old workbench has been cleaned out, cleaned up and moved to the original RTC location.

...

Termites.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

Mitch

@M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Isn't this a lovely, tidy, welcoming work environment?

We shall speak no more of this.

Mitch

Back in my working days, I had a sign on the front of my desk (one of the few spots you could actually see anything) that read “A Clean Desk Is The First Sign of a Misguided Career”… In fact, most of my office resembled your second shot. I knew where everything was, other people just never appreciated my filing “system” When I retired, it took the better part of a week to clear out the clutter - I couldn’t leave it for someone else to deal with!!!

Well, the study actually looks semi-decent.

Mitch

Wow!

The workshop area is about as done as I'm about to get it at this point.

The extra drawers have done a wonderful job of absorbing extra tools, parts et cetera. 

The corner where the 4x8 is going to go has been cleared.  (Norma Bates Kitteh presented for scale.)

Next up will be clearing non-train materials from the closet in order to store train things...

Mitch

Looking good

Mitch

Always enjoy your posts--keep up the good work (and cleaning, organizing and etc.)

Coming along nicely.

Closet cleared of non-train junque...

The process of putting train junque in progresses. 

Mitch

Mitch, I think the question begs to be asked; Where are you putting the non-train junque?? 

@Mark Boyce posted:

Mitch, I think the question begs to be asked; Where are you putting the non-train junque?? 

Mostly books, so into the library/den (former layout room)...

Mitch

👍🏻👍🏻

Going through junque like a whirling dervish! Whatever that is.

@coach joe posted:

Going through junque like a whirling dervish! Whatever that is.

Sorta like this, I imagine.

Mitch

@M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Sorta like this, I imagine.

Mitch

Instead of the Tasmanian Devil, you are the Arkansas Devil.  You need to put the water buffalo hat on that cartoon, Mitch!!