Gene Gets Serious

1/13/21

BIG news today – Gene is back at work and he started putting the actual track together. He’s already got the mainlines hooked up through the yard and is moving west. He’ll be laying cork and flex track. For being this soon after knee surgery he’s doing really well – I’ll bet he won’t tell his doc what he’s doing. 

Doug starts painting the fascia

On Monday we engineered access to the HVAC wall mounted unit in the south room. We landed a peninsula directly under the unit so that the opposing curves form a “Y” against the wall providing an access. This will be hidden with removable foam blocks of scenery. We’ll provide the foam blocks, club members can invent the scenery when the time comes. George and Doug continue to be . . . well . . . . George and Doug. I think we should video some of their antics and offer DVD’s for sale. Doug got loose with a paint roller and can of paint around noon, and not to be out done, George grabbed a roller as well. Within about 40 minutes we had a new coat of primer on the whole lower fascia of the layout. During lunch George decided to institute and new quality control program for the layout as seen in the picture below.

 George’s new quality control program

At close of business today, we had all of the lower level sub-roadbed done and the upper sub-roadbed complete in the south room – Philomath and Corvallis plus 2 blobs. This does not include the helix. The upper level, as I have indicated, can be a challenge to support in some places, however an interesting and highly effective process has developed. I plan the layout pieces or new plywood sub-roadbed as required. I cut and fit it where needed. George comes along and cuts risers, shelf  brackets and gusset plates. Then Doug comes over and helps George set the grade or level as required and they screw it all together.  

Gene gets serious about track joints. This one is on the double track main through Toledo yard.  Double track hanging in the air to the left is part of  Eddyville and track in immediate foreground is Eagle Cove extension going to the paper mill 

Gene was putting in some time today on rail joints and I happened by. Shortly thereafter Lonnie showed up and was waiting for Randy and John.

 Doug checking out his abandoned track in the Eagle Point tunnel.