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Dale's Depot

Daley Train Log
Page 11

Thursday April 30, 2009 Lethbridge, Alberta

1:30 PM

At the end of yesterday's session, identified the next steps in my goal of setting up a series of 4 barriers that would act as a form of visual enhancement for the various activities once I begin running trains between the different locations. The barriers help remove the distraction of having different locations which are supposed to be miles apart in plain sight of one another.

I visited a hardware store this morning and bought some angle braces and screws (total cost $16.79) and then began attaching them to the pine shelving. I soon realized that I only need a few braces to give the barriers a solid join to the table tops.

I then tacked down the track that had been moved to make each area slightly more attractive and functional. This entire process took about 4 hours.

I am not sure what to do next. I want to clean up the basement floor and make sure that everything is ready for running trains. Then I want to run a few trains over the track and verify that the trains can run over the layout without any derailments.

Then I will start thinking about how to finish the wooden barriers to make them appear more realistic.

3:15 PM

I have cleaned up the mess in the basement and I am back from a quick visit to Model Baron where I placed an order for the following items:

• 3 pair of coal loads (#933-1037) for my Walthers 100 ton quad hoppers
• 3 scenery rolls (#'s 949-702, 949-710, 949-712)
• 1 Rix hand-held uncoupler

I expect that they will arrive near the end of May.

I also bought the latest issue of Canadian Railroad Modeller ($7.72).

8:00 PM

I have been very productive today. I ran a train around the entire mainline track and had absolutely no problems. My first impression of running the train with the barriers in place does indeed improve the sense of being in different places as one moves along the track.

I also finished assembling the station platform. It is now in place in Distillery Row.

Loading Platform in Distillery Row

Black Diamond

Distillery Row

Pine Ridge

Prairie Dog

Queenston

Coaldale Yard

Jasper Yard

To briefly summarize:

• I am waiting for decoders to be installed in 5 locomotives
• I am waiting for scenery rolls to attach to my barriers
• I am waiting to see if I can find a controller for operating my switches in the Coaldale Yard
• I still have a number of structures to assemble.

Therefore I will begin work on assembling a few of the structures that I have had for quite a few years.