Glory Days 2015: D-13

I had a Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor moment this morning. My train worked just fine. But I wanted it to go faster, pull even more cars and last longer. Philo's page is a wealth information on Power Functions. It also shows that the components can operate up to 12V. More volts equals more speed and torque *ough ough ough* So a few components at Radio Shack later, I've got a rechargeable power source with a nominal 9.6V and ~2300mAh. Taking it out on the test track, I can't operate 601 above speed setting 4 without a high-speed derailment. Win. Gratuitous? Probably...

Glory Days 2015: D-14

Finished the front end of #601 this morning including modifications to the pilot truck to make it better withstand high speeds.Aside from some detail work. I'm going to call her done, ready for decals and pinstripes on the running boards. Also finished one vestibule end on the cafe car. The other end is causing considerable trouble as I try to marry up a half stud offset door to a SNOT wall in olive green.

Glory Days 2015: D-16

One of the things I learned with last year's event is that I need to do rigorous testing earlier in the build. Very agile development in philosophy. With today's test I discovered that my pilot trucks cannot withstand high speeds. I also found some other minor tweaks were needed in the connection to the tender and that the main drivers tend to slip on the ME models curves. On the positive side, this will run at good speed with the full weight of the train behind it and the locomotive design is lightweight and durable, having survived several high-speed derailments (#455 by contrast is rather explodey.) The far curve is R104, the near curve is R88.

Glory Days 2015: D-16

My wife and daughter made me LEGO gummies for my birthday! Spent some time last night reassembling CV #455, my 2-8-0. It did not survive the return trip from Chicago in April. I'm having some trouble figuring out where everything goes. It looks right, but there's a lot of extra parts...

Glory Days 2015: D-17

Just need to do the underside on Canadian National 7806, A ME-73-B-1 class mail express car. 7806 and her sister 7805 spent almost all of their service lives carrying mail on the Ambassador. They are signature cars for this train both on the CV portion from White River Jct north and the B&M portion from White River Jct south to Boston. In the foreground is a shot of it on the cover of the CVRHS magazine, the Ambassador, sporting the sharp post-1954 CN 3-tone scheme. Also, overexposed olive green 1x1s look lime-green.

Glory Days 2015: D-18

Just need to finish up the nose end, the piping and the tender.

Glory Days 2015: D-19

Huh...it actually is starting to look like a real U-1-a.

Glory Days 2015: D-21

I was channeling Matt C and Cale this morning. I put the sides on the B&M trucks just like the design for the OB lightweight trucks Matt designed. Then, I flipped it over and gave it a fully detailed prototypical underside. Had parts for two of the four doors. 3 weeks to go!

Glory Days 2015: D-22

Parts came! The NH coach-smoker is done except for the sides of the trucks and the 45 double slope corners on the roof. The B&M coach needs the doors, underside details, truck sides, and a few more pieces of roof.

Glory Days 2015: D-23

Parts for the OB coaches and to finish up the CN cars were delayed, but should be here today. I've taken the opportunity to focus in on getting #601 up and running. I added the engineer side rods and drive gear and spent some time making sure it was smooth running. Then, I set to putting together the cab. The trick for this one is the slanted windows (thanks to Nate who I believe came up with the solution for Nate and Cale's Challenger Challenge) and then having the 1x3x1 curved slope roof at a half plate offset to smoothly transition to the 1x2 45 slopes with cutout. Good progress. Shouldn't be long now.

Glory Days 2015: D-25

No D-26 picture. I spent yesterday cleaning and organizing as well. I figure one picture of random bricks and boxes was enough. Not a lot of time this morning but I was able to get the other mail door on my CN Baggage-RPO and pick away at a few details on the B&M coach. Hopefully there's a big bricklink order waiting for me at home today. :)

Glory Days 2015: D-27

Yeah... So I spent the morning cleaning up my work area and sorting parts. 2.5 hours later, and i probably need another morning. On the upside, I probably found about $10 worth of parts I needed but couldn't find. I just plugged them in here and there where I could.

Glory Days 2015: D-28

It works! R40 curves and voltage between 6.5 and 7. Still need to add #601 to the front and a bit more bricks on the cars, but I think I can pull this off.

Glory Days 2015: D-29

Didn't have as much time this morning because of an early meeting at work. Managed to get the roof for the B&M coach built, added the AC vents to both OB cars. Then I started on underside details of all the passenger cars. It became pretty apparent to me today that I may have to spend a morning sorting LEGOs and reorganizing my work area. I spent a lot of time digging for parts. I hate to lose a morning to that, but I think it will make my work more efficient in the long run.

Glory Days 2015: D-30

Did as much as I could on the NH coach-smoker today. A few more details, got it mounted up on the trucks. Just waiting on parts. I then turned my attention to the B&M coach. Not much here except assembling the trucks and steps and laying on the floors for the vestibules. It's parts will be here early next week with the remainder of the NH parts. Thanks again to Matt C. who worked out the Osgood Bradley lightweight truck design for these coaches. I'm trying to get all 4 cars road-worthy for testing this weekend. I want to make sure #601 can pull this and get a feel for how fast and how long. Based on Matt and Cale's use of dual PF train motors and similarly constructed passenger cars, I don't have too much to worry about. However, I'm not one to leave things up to chance, and I've engineered a little surprise...

Osgood Bradley NH Coach-Smoker (Partial Skirts)

Uploaded to show Matt

Glory Days 2015: D-31

It probably doesn\'t look like much happened from the photo. More work on the NH Coach-Smoker. I decided with all the large windows on this model, it really needed an interior. This end has the smoking lounge, the other has the bathrooms. Also completed the vestibules, most of the doors, and the skirts. Just waiting on a few parts to finish the doors, roof, and blue chairs for the coach section. CrispyBassist My hats off to you for having built several New Haven passenger cars in Dark Green. This will be my one and only (though incidentally, my 4th New Haven car.) For anyone just tuning in to this photostream, the Ambassador is the train being built in the next 30 days, minus the B&M Baggage smoker at the head end.

Glory Days 2015: D-32

Here's this morning's progress on the Ambassador. A New Haven Osgood Bradley 84-seat lightweight coach-smoker nears completion while the chassis of it's Boston and Maine coach counterpart awaits parts. Many classic train sets died to bring you the New Haven car. I'm going to try and post a progress picture once a day until the event.

Workbench Shot

I haven't posted anything in a while. I've got about a month to have the Ambassador ready for Glory Days of the Railroad.