Train Time…

Removed the generator from the back of the pick up and got it installed into 1958…. she’s comin’ around little by little…

Good fab day….

Some good train time today… removed the compressor, and painted the floor with a first coat in the mechanical room…(grey) where the compressor and genny are going….. had to cut a hole in the side to install genny, and finish some sheet metal, and fabbed three doors with the fake louvers, installed the last body panel…. whew!

Rolling right along….

I spent half the day on the train…. even took it for a short ride….

I installed a forward facing camera ( I decided the short hood would be the front), just under the head lights, and mounted the monitor right in the dash!

Have done some sanding and removing parts, for painting, and cleaning and prepping…

I think a couple folks thought I was a bit whacked for mounting the camera, but, due to the fact I have built it from scratch, with 99% left overs… and mostly for fun, I don’t have much invested, and it is great fun building this as I go along… I’m not to worried about the end product! I have constructed as I go along…I had to raise the roof so my chrome dome would fit inside, and in turn, the windows being to the scale I built in, are to low to see out of….sorta… I don’t have a real clear view forward…. so the camera will help… (Thanks Rich).

Here’s a look at today’s action….

Se me down the line….

The Painting has begun!

The painting of 1958 has begun…. gonna take some time to prep it, and I have to make one more panel yet, but I started painting the railings today, and removing a few pieces parts here and there…

…and awaaaaaaaaay we go!

Control Stand

It’s been a long time coming, but I’m getting there, one step at a time….

I took it for a short ride, and it works fine… Just need to get that one new battery!

IT WORKS!

FINALLY! After 2 years of getting things together, I finally got 1958 running today! Thanx to Bill and Rich! What a nightmare it has been, mostly because of my own undoing, but I guess today was finally the day! Still have to buy one more good battery…. I will add, that I suck with electrical work! I can wire a whole house, and it wasn’t all that complicated, but I just think that I was making it seem complicated!

A wee BitO’Train time!

Made a bit of time today to monkey with 1958 today… Having a hell of a time with the electrical, but I did get a bit of the railings painted and painted the bell!

Building the GP7

This is it under construction!

It won

It’s gett’in there!

I have been trying to get these pics posted……Have I suceeded?

You will enter from the roof.

Dina won’t ya blow your horn……

They look nice painted! Can't wait till they get all weathered out!

Little by little she is coming together! Got the roof top fans in and one painted…need to paint the other ones too. I have all 4 headlights in and the air horn installed.That damn thing sure is loud!

Started putting one of the trucks together a couple of weeks back, and ran out of money…but more hard work and I’ll have some more to spend here shortly.

I just keep plugging away and bit by bit it’s coming together!

Will report more as needed.

3 fans and not 4...View from the back! The fans came from Wally World! 16" Galaxy Fans for 18 duckies each!

 

Front headlights and number board. I might have to raise the horns up a bit! They came off of a big truck! Freightliner I think! Came from a yard sale. I have a pull cord from them that also came from a junked Freightliner!

Long hood lights!

One more look! I like it!

We have trucks……

Check it out! We are off to a good start! What do you think?

We be gettin'er done!

 

Here is another view!

 

These are big and heavy! See the little tiny motor! 1000 watts of power!

 

You wouldn’t believe the power these little motors have! Rich and I bought two each, they were 89 bucks each, and he figured the gearing and the wiring, using 12 volt solenoids, and he has his train running all but adding more weight to his engine. It is around 3-400 lbs now, but needs more on the front drivers…or front truck. Here is a sneak peak!

 

Still needs more weight. Plenty of power....

I will update again after next time in the shop….about a week or two!

 Chao!

No.1 truck has gearing…

Rich got the gearing together in the first truck! How cool is he?

Gearing for truck #1

 

Here is another view! We got the gears at Tractor Supply and Northern Tool! They are they American Made gears. Chinese brand parts wouldn’t work right! The chain wouldn’t mesh right with the gears! Always buy American!

It's getting closer.....

 

Did you see the video of our test run on The Klimsville train!

 Just go to You Tube and type in Klimsville. Should be the first video at the top of the page!

One more view?

Looking good!

 

That’s all for now!

Trackage!

I was thinking…..ya know, I have the engine a good ways along now, the headlights are working, the one number board is lighted, the dome light in the cab and the horn are functional, the cab fan runs….for cooling me down,

and I can’t really do much more till I get the trucks under it, and it won’t be long till I can give it a go, but what the hell did I think I was gonna test it on!?  So………I figured I best be getting some trackage laid down…………..

The First Truck!

First truck under the engine…

It’s a bit to big…and someone warned me of that, but I will live with it.

It will be OK!

It will be OK!

The Second Truck!

The second truck is almost complete! Next trip to the shop…then we can finish the wiring………THAT should be fun! Thank God for my Master Electrician……..He knows who he is!

Time to Outshop!

It’s the start of a new year, and it’s time to get back to the train! It’s loaded on the trailer and we are headed to the shop first thing in the morning! Changing the Gauge from 24 to 16″.
It will make much more sense in the end, so tomorrow will consist of cutting and chopping till it’s all redone! Thankfully only one truck has to be completely torn down and re-done!
Will have new pics to post next week! Stay tuned for more exciting adventures with The 1 Railroader!

2 Trucks are complete!

More braking!

The side frames……

Braking…….

A lot of heavy metal!

It works!

Quite the rig!

More drive chains………

Drive chains!

Braking system.

There they sit……..

The chain…..

The last trip to The Klimsville shop did not result in a very good work session! But this trip was very productive! Got both trucks completed, and the next step is to get the engine ready to receive them…….I will post some pictures of the trucks, so y’all can see what is happening! They have been reduced from 24″ to 16″……They should look much better after all the detailing is done! Thanx for the input Bill!

Getting a move on!

Trackage!

Ties!

Just another view!

I have some track down under the engine, after bringing it home from the Klimsville Shops a couple of weeks ago! The trucks have been reduced to 16″ gauge, and other than a small amount of grinding on the wheels, where they are welded together, they are ready to go under the engine.
I did some grinding yesterday, and will finish it up Saturday………I did get the other truck pin welded together and mounted underneath! If I remember, I will get a pic of the pins………one is a piece of plate steel, and a 7/8″ rod, and the other is a Chevy clutch plate, (at least Chevy has something worth using), and a 7/8 steel rod welded to it to make the pin!

Making the switch!

Another view!

I forgot to show you this! I am simply copying an HO switch………Having a bit of trouble getting the guides close enough to the rails, but, I’ll get it!

It's a start!

Under it’s own power!

The trucks are under it and I rolled it out under it’s own power with just one motor and a dead battery!
But it was enough to get it out side! Some adjusting of the height above the trucks, and we will get to the wiring! How’s it looking? Comments good or bad are appreciated!

Rolled out all by itself!

The First ride!

Well, I rode in it for the first time, because I couldn’t wait any longer! It was a short ride, but I rolled it out under it’s own power, with me at the helm, one motor, and a mostly dead battery!
That means that the mostly dead battery, was dragging me, the weight of the engine, about 500 lbs, me about 175, and a dead motor with all the chain drive hooked up on the motor thats not wired in yet! Those scooter motors are 750 watts, a tad over a horse each, and it moved me like nothing, and they were $89.00 each! I have one on each truck! Should work just fine!
Here is a vid of the short, but first move!

Here’s the story so far………

Laid a few more feet of track, built some stabilizers for the engine to stop the roll over factor, got the steps mounted on the front and the back…….This weekend will get the steel tube frame underneath to support the two halves of the engine…….moving right along………stay tuned for more exciting adventures…….

The Stabilizers…………………………………………………………………………..

Did I ever show you?

I talked about it, but not sure if I really showed any pictures of how, or what I use for track!

Here are a few pics…….

I take a chain saw and cut a slot in the top of the tie, then measure over 16 1/8" and cut another..........

I use Steel T Rail fence posts, and after cutting the slots in the ties, which I do about 7 to 10 at a time, I flip the Rail over and put the nubs down into the slot, which keeps them from sliding side to side...

I anchor them with Fender Washers and a drywall screw, which will last a lot longer than you think out in the weather! Once the ballast is over the ties and the grass grows in, you'll never see them.........and if you do, so what! I'm in it for fun, not a trophy!

I should note here that you want old fence posts, the ones you buy now, at least the ones from TSC and Home Depot, are, or have a corrugated effect on the rail side of them……..They won’t work……

When I have it all down, I will weld joints and clean it up a bit…….but I don’t get excited and make anything permanent, till I’m sure it will work, I am always making changes and improving, or improvising as I go along……..

But having fun, and that’s the key!

Fuel Tank!

I framed it with some plywood cutouts and some framing to screw the metal too! It took most of the day, but after getting the frame work under the engine ready, I think it will be fine! Not much left to this part of it!

GP7 Update!

I added some exhaust stacks, made of PVC, not true to form, but they look good!

Also added some skirting on the left side, and caulked the fans in place, and added more sheet metal in some places where it was missing too! Built an access door in the front short hood too, so I can get to the air tank, and monitor screen which will be mounted between my feet! Lots to do yet, but progressing slowly along!

Need to get to the Klimsville Shop for wiring…..soon!

Body Panels........

PVC Pipe!

So far so good!

I got what track I have laid all welded and leveled and made an unmanned test run….it didn’t put it on the ground this time…….so far so good!

Getting Laid!

Getting more track down…..but the weather has been so muggy it is hard to get anything done…..an hour or so in the morning is all I get, and that isn’t a whole lot of time to do much more than carry the tools out……

The Controller

Finally got to Klimsville last weekend…….had a great time! What a guy! We got the controller somewhat wired and mounted…..made the handle from a banding crimper, and Rich gathered all the electrical stuff…..I suck at electrical things like wiring technical things such as the controller.
He be good at it! Oh, I do home wiring and Car Stereos and that easily……lights and whatever…..
Anywhoo…Just one picture for now, but will get more as we start to get the actual componets installed!
As soon as the heat wave breaks, we’ll get after it!
The Klimsville train is almost ready too!
What a machine! Smoke, sound, a bell, and a wizardry of a job in wiring behind the dash board and beyond……

Wiring is almost complete!

Well, Rich from the Klimsville Shops was here to work on the wiring…….it works……almost! Now I have to get new batteries, and I got the wrong SPDT’s for the reverser…..but we have it temporarily rigged for now.

I can use it anyway……I also built a crossing gate, and I am working on the lights…….

I can’t thank Rich enough, and he surprised me with a Brand New Klimsville Railroad T-shirt! Thanx Buddy!

Now I have to make him some whistle post signs…….

Have to go route all the wiring and mount every thing securely, install the generator, compressor, hook it up, and it’s ready to rock!

Gonna try like hell to get it painted soon, before winter sets in……

I also made a sign for the shop doors, hung the bell, and replaced the skin on the roof and the left side of the cab!

Later!

Master Electrician at work!

The Klimsville Shops Master Electrician Rich Klim was here doing the final wiring on 1958!

All we need now is the reverser! Like I said earlier, I bought the wrong stuff!

I did say he was a Master Baiter right? I mean Master Electrician……..

Signal Light!

I made the first of 4 signal lights today! Took about an hour…..I bought the light at Wal*Mart for 5 duckies, had the metal and the flat black paint laying around, from some other project! Looks all right to me!

Once I get the cover on the back, I will add the side light!

Now I have to make the lights flash! A small amount of painting, and , WALAH!

Homemade wheels!

I made these from lawn mower rims…they work great and are very hard steel. They are older ones made of good solid material! They are from a Sears Craftsman Mower!     Had I known they would work so well, I would have done a much better job on them! But who knew!

There’s been a change in plans!

I swear it’s been forever getting anywhere lately! The weather changing, lots of work to keep me busy, I had to go to Ohio and help the rents move here……..just been going like hell……..

Well, I did figure out how to add springs to 1958! I am using Valve springs from a 454 Chevy! I think that’s what Rich said they came out of! Perfect for the size and weight of the engine!

I have to pull the trucks out from under the engine to make it easy to install them!

A little welding and it will finally be ready for a real test ride!

When I have the springs in, there will be pictures!

In the mean time, I want to thank the folks at Conway Scenic Railroad, who helped me with the color I was going to use for the engine! I wanted to know what color they used on #573…..and they were kind enough to send me a sample! Those are some great folks up in the New England area!

I may be making a change though! I have changed the name of the railroad.

If you saw earlier posts, it was to be the Lone Pine, Grand River & Klimsville!

I had the logo designed and was all ready to paint when the time came!

BUT……..

I came up with a new name, and logo……..so now I’m just kicking it around……..The engine will be all black, and the name will be Texas Northern.

I copyrighted the name, and Trade Marked the Logo too!

So, here is what it will look like! Gold on Black!

I borrowed the concept from Norfolk Southern.

So, What do you think?

Truck Springs

Here are a couple shots of the general idea of how I will add the springs to the trucks.

Understand, that this is a build as you go project! Why didn’t I add the springs earlier you may ask!

Well, I didn’t think about them at the time!

So now I had to find a way to add them, because it really makes a difference, not just in the ride, but keeping it on the rails!

I am simply adding the springs between the frame and the bearings…..then I will weld a u-shaped box on each end to keep the bearings in alignment, and still allowing them to float up and down!

It will make more sense when you see it! They will typically act like a journal box for the most part! You’ll see! I don’t anticipate any serious problems with doing it this way!

Wish me luck!

Weather is getting cold now…..may not be till spring when I do this, but, we’ll see………

Merry Christmas!

Springs : Continued…….

Someone suggested keepers……..well, I was working on that at the time of the posting and wasn’t sure yet was I was going to do, so after much thought, I came up with this…….

 

So, I think these will work……..I have almost finished the first truck……..but working in side the house fixing the floors and drywalling……..but I will get it finished soon……

Later my Dawgs………

Hey! I’m still here!

Well, I haven’t done a dang thing since the last post, but…..Saturday is the ole’ birthday……..gonna try to make it a train day….
I want to get it out and see if the springs do any good….I sure as hell hope so!

2011 Update……..

New year, new day……..

Haven’t done much until today…….I had to find weaker springs,  so today,  I happened into an Ace Hardware, and lo and behold, compression springs………not enough, but a couple for experimentation!

So far so good! I got 2 installed and they seem okay, but I think I will do the whole truck before I decide!

I picked up some material at the sign supply store while I was in there a couple weeks ago! It is a heat press  kind of material, so I can make some shirts…..it was a free sample, and there wasn’t much there, but it was enough to give it a try!

Werx rather nice! Now to get the Gold color and do some good shirts!

Later guys!

Once I get all the springs in, I will be ready for a real test ride……

I can only hope after all this time, the damn thing will stay on the track, and not on the ground!

But I have a good coach in Florida!!!!!

Later!!

Finally got some train time today….

I finally got to try the spring set up on 1958 and see if it was going to work…HA HA! SUCCESS!!

I think the valve springs are going to be just right……since I laid what track I have, the Texas ground has since heaved and made a couple high and low spots……the wheels stayed on the rails……

Now I have to get it outside and get the rear truck out from under her, and do all the spring work to that one…..if that helps it through the curve and through the switch, we’re in business! YEAH BABY!!!

A few new picks…..the Bull Horns might stay…they might not! 1958 has gotten filthy setting in the Locomotive Shop all winter…..Had I known it was gonna be that bad, I would have covered it…….well, a little extra elbow grease will clean it up again, and hopefully it will be ready to paint at that point!

Later Dawgs…….

FINALLY!

I got some real time on the train the last couple days….I finished the second truck, got the springs mounted and put it back under the engine and gave it a short test run….seems to stay on the track fine now…so I headed for the switch….need to do a little work there….but I’m making progress! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later Railroad Dawgs………

The First real test ride!

It works! Unbelievable…….now I need to get new batteries, more track……..here’s a peek!

https://picasaweb.google.com/2lonepines/TestTrainRide#5622000557028034754

Click the link and ride along!

Railings…

I started on the railings this morning….getting hot out now….but made a good start! I bought 1/2″ square tubing, and cut it to length, then, if you look at some of the pics, you will see how I sliced the ends and hammered them out, and then curled the other end for the railing to sit in…I will not be welding the railing in, so it can all be taken apart if need be!

Happy Railroading…

Rear rail….

Made a little more progress this morning while it was cool out….

Next step is the right side railing…I have to get more 1/2″ tubing first…..Later Railroad Dawgs…

Trackage Re-do!

The weather has finally cooled down, so I went out today, and tore up the old over grown track, and going to redo what I had down….have a look see….

More track work….

I love this cooler weather…..I set up a couple of jigs for cutting ties…all the ties I dug up were 32″ long for 24″ gauge, and since they were so over grown, and I have switched to 16″ gauge, I dug them all up and I am re-cutting them to 24″….and I set up a jig for cutting the slots in the ties to accept the rail…I was using a chainsaw…very quick and easy, but my back is having a hard time bending over the ties to cut the slots…

As you can see, it doesn’t take long…a few drywall screws and some scrap lumber….and you get this…

Later Rail Dawgs…

More railings added today…

I stole a little time today to finish the hand rails on the engineers side of 1958…here’s a few updated pics…once I finish the last railing on the front right side,

which has to be made removable, due to the access door for the air tank, for the horn, I am going to seal her up, and paint the damn thing!!

Here’s the scoop…

Haven’t done a whole lot lately….weathers been cold and the sign business has been good…just slowing down a bit…had hoped to have had 1958 painted by now…but……….I did get about 1/2 hour on it today, and got the front steps for the right side almost finished…suppose to be 70 and rainy Wednesday…hope to spend the day with her….Merry Christmas to all y’all!

Moving ahead!

Happy New Year!

Moving ahead, I hope I can finally get things rolling, so to speak….business picked up at the end of the year and I was super busy till just before Christmas! So, that set back any work on 1958, but I did get the railing done, and I ordered the Reverser and a new Potentiometer. So, that being said, I should, SHOULD, have full functionality very soon! Then it’s paint time!

2011 in review

I want to thank you all for having a look at what I am doing and being a part of it, offering ideas, and just being a friend…Thanx for visiting last year, and Happy New Year!!

 

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 4,300 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Things are starting to look up!

I finally can install the throttle control, thanx to William Van Lenten in Florida, who was kind enough to make me a handle and sent me a bell too!

 

Can’t wait to get it installed….