September 2018

September 5, 2018

The plywood road bed has been hanging out in space for several weeks so LJ took the opportunity to place the final riser support. I am sure future passengers will appreciate this effort!	Mike positions the riser for the Flint Hills Refinery siding. Proper elevation must be maintained so tank cars do not roll backward into the bumper, burst open and cause a hazardous spill.	Mike puts the Flint Hills siding plywood road bed in place while LJ helps to support the end.

Using clamps LJ puts the riser for the siding in place.	The Flint Hills siding is actually created from three different sections of plywood each cut precisely to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.	Mike holds down the first siding entrance piece while LJ secures it into place.

I must say it is indeed a trusting individual who holds the plywood in place while another person drills the holes from below!	LJ secures the second siding entrance piece into place.	The Flint Hills Refinery siding and end double track plywood road beds are now securely in place.

September 13, 2018

Tom solders the final section of track in the Portage siding. John has ordered Walthers track bumpers to use at the end of each siding.	Mike positions the plywood road bed in place for the bridge crossover. He also adds some additional risers for other sections of the layout,	A new section of track for the mainline/Anchorage siding is given the "eye" test to ensure the rails are straight.

Tom took an Atlas bridge and made the proper modifications(including decals) to fit the layout. Tonight it passes the clearance test.	Mike puts in place the upper curve leading into the southern end of the Usibelli coal tipple.	Tom continues the mainline past the Anchorage depot.

September 20, 2018

LJ had to work tonight so he missed one of his favorite foods....his mother's homemade bread. Hot out of the oven and soaked in butter it is a treat fit for a king. Add to it homemade Chicken Tetrazzini and crisp green peas and you have the makings of a phenomenal food coma!	The second floor balcony adjacent to the train room is the source of sawdust falling onto the sidewalk below. It is yet another sign of progress as the plywood road bed work draws to a close. As the sun sets Mike uses his jigsaw to repurpose some of the remaining plywood into the Usibelli Coal Mine siding and notorious "S" curve into Whittier.	Tom uses a discarded children's green Crayola marker to sketch the center point of the areas receiving cork road bed. Shown here is the green line for the Anchorage depot siding.

Tom lays cork road bed for the Anchorage depot siding and secures it with painter's tape.	The Railmodeler Pro software used to create the track plan has a few drawbacks. One of its inadequacies is the "Connect with flex track" feature which makes it difficult to design small navigable "S" curve sections between the main and siding. As John marks the switch position at the Alaska Marine Lines (AML) siding he realizes the transition curve was too sharp. So Tom and Mike work together to redesign the siding for a smooth transition.	Mike uses a circular saw to make the necessary cuts through the plywood to create a more graceful transition into the AML siding. Some of the future containers passing through the siding will contain fragile and expensive consumer goods so a derailment could cost the railroad a bundle of money.

The new plywood road bed is wider than necessary, but will enable Tom an extensive variance when laying cork and track. Hats off to Mike and Tom for tackling the problem quickly and efficiently. I always remind the group that I am a talentless boob and very much appreciate their time and talents.	Tom lays cork road bed for the descending double track into the Flint Hills Refinery division.	Tom uses the remaining cork road bed through the curve past Flint Hills. John makes a purchase list of needed items including flex track, cork road bed, switches and modeling cement. It is going to cost a bundle! Mike suggests creating a GoFundMe campaign.

Mike secures plywood for the Usibelli Coal Mine section.	This is a side view of the Usibelli Coal Mine district which connects to the mountain curve at right (south). To the left (north) are unmounted pieces for the notorious "S" curve leading into Whittier. Once the plywood road bed for the "S" curve and Whittier divisions are mounted, all that remains is the swing gate!	Max did well tonight even staying put while the circular saw buzzed just a few feet away.

September 26, 2018

Tom suggested coming over some afternoon to lay track. Okay! His first project was the mainline outer curve between the Anchorage depot and Alaska Marine Lines.	Working at the speed of a photon, Tom finished the outer loop and then laid track on the inner loop. Sections of flex track were soldered together to prevent kinking.	On occasion gaps in the track required some soldering.

This northern view shows the completed loops. The siding into Alaska Marine Lines requires a right handed switch and none on on hand. Seven right handed switches were ordered for various locations.	Tom lays track up to the point where cork bed is present. Tomorrow night additional cork bed will be installed.....maybe all the way through the notorious "S" curve?	John took the easy road by laying the straight flex through the double track division.

September 27, 2018

We begin our work session with an absolutely enchanting sunset. This unretouched photo was taken from the balcony adjoining the train room.	Although a great deal of cork bed has been laid to date Tom continues to patiently put down more. This work completes the double mainline next to the Flint Hills Refinery siding.	Tom puts the icing on the cake by gluing his Alaska Railroad deck bridge into place.

Giving birth to the Flint Hills Refinery siding Tom lays down yet another line of adhesive. By the end of the evening Tom will have gone through his fourth tube of adhesive goodness.	Mike fastens the end of the plywood road bed for the Usibelli Coal Mine section. See the pencil in the photo? It will probably go missing in the next week or two. Of the original 12 pencils put out, 8 have gone missing. John fielded 7 new pencils tonight.	The first half of the two cork roadbed pieces for Alaska Marine Lines (AML) is carefully laid into place using thumb tacks. Tom's expert eye generates a gentle entry curve into the siding.

LJ and Mike expertly fasten the two plywood road bed pieces of notorious "S" curve into place. Much discussion then took place regarding how to install the plywood for the Whittier subdivision to accommodate the yard and future barge.	Cork road bed into Alaska Marine Lines is now complete.	Tom nears completion of cork road bed for the double mainline through the curve into Usibelli Coal Mine. All that remains is the switch and first track section into Flint Hills Refinery.

The evening drew to a close with Terry's "hot from the oven" Mexican dessert. Tom temporarily put off the dessert in an effort to lay down the cork road bed all the way into the notorious "S" curve.	A view looking south of the "S" curve and Usibelli Coal Mine.