Ops 121419 16_9 (16)
On this day, two new operators worked together here. Note that the west bound coal drag is on the left hand main. AS with Sherman Hill, UP runs on the newer 1905 left hand track between Ogden and Curvo to utilize the shallower grade it has.
The upper level aisle can bee seen through the access opening (looking past the white dispatcher's phone).
A construction note: 1 1/4" square tubing welded into the shape of a capital letter F" was used for the benches. To the long, side of this "F" (backwards here) was screwed a 4 x 8 sheet of 1/2 in plywood (the phone is mounted on it). Two second sheets of 1/2 inch plywood made up the bases of the 2 benches, upper and lower. The spline track or plywood cutouts made up the track roadbeds. The flat sheets of plywood make up sturdy shear panels in the vertical and horizontal directions. The lower level backdrop is curved to form a wire channel for the lower level. The upper levels have a wire channel behind the 6" tall doors (see hinges and handles).
Capture Date: Dec 14, 2019 10:57 AM•Views: 94
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Ops 121419 16_9 (17)
This is Green River, WY, and here the curved backdrop is exaggerated at this angle. Eventually buildings and flats will be against the backdrop fronted by the spur tracks that are already used for ersatz industries.
A west bound City passenger train round the bend out of Green River. It will either go through Ogden (City of LA or City of San Francisco) or cut off at the near end of the left bench to go though a "mouse hole" entrance to the hidden track of the Oregon Short Line (OSL) as the City of Portland. The hidden track can be seen a few inches below the bench to the left. This hidden track is 186 feet long and ends in a 10 track hidden staging yard under the next bench over to the right. This staging yard is "Portland Oregon."
Capture Date: Dec 14, 2019 10:58 AM•Views: 96
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Ops 121419 16_9 (18)
This is the "end" of the layout--the end of the layout with scenery. This is the end view of the Cheyenne classification yard seen looking over the Frontier Refinery. Across the aisle is Wamsutter, WY, and on this west side of Wamsutter is a stretch 3 tracks, #1 and #2 (west and east bound mains), and between them is a center siding (Harriman Siding) that serves either track. The double ABS signals can be seen at the left edge of the photo; the top signal head shows a green aspect. The lower head signals the center track, the siding. The turnouts leading to the center siding at either end--3 each, 1 on each main and a Y turnout on the siding--are operated manually with slide electrical switches that connect electrically to Arduino computers programs to set the lower signal head either red or yellow depending on the setting of the turnouts. The Dispatcher's desk is on the mezzanine beside the hanging 12" steel beam that holds up the mezzanine from huge arches over the floor (seen at the right side of photo
Capture Date: Dec 14, 2019 11:03 AM•Views: 97
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Ops 121419 16_9 (19)
I took many of these photos with my new Lumix G9 computer--I mean camera. It automatically assembles a single image from about 30 to 60 images it takes as a video at 30 frames/sec, using the best in-focus parts of those many images to make a "focus stacked" final image. It, plus the Leica lens, has 6 axes stabilization, so it works well hand held for the 1-2 second of exposure. There is no way to capture this deep image of this 50 foot long bench with al of it and the far wall in focus without using Helicon (which I also use) to digitally assemble many manually focused images taken with a camera on a tripod. This set up is not practical with 25+ busy operators walking the aisles. We normally have about that many operators to each session.
This was my first use of the camera for focus stacking, and I was unsure that I would be able to hold the camera steady, so I took multiple shots--as you can see from the duplicates in this album.
Capture Date: Dec 14, 2019 11:03 AM•Views: 89
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Ops 121419 16_9 (20)
Ditto: another focus stacked image. It was a waste of time and of electrons to take multiple images. Not one of about 12 had held focus stack photos came out with camera shake.
I built the Frontier Refinery with miscellaneous junk parts, many from old computers. The piping was 3D printed by a commercial outfit.
Capture Date: Dec 14, 2019 11:04 AM•Views: 90
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Ops 121419 16_9 (21)
Guy Forsythe today's YM in Laramie. Sherman Hill on the far bench, and Hanna coal marshaling yard on the bench to the left. Medicine Bow, WY is at the far end of the left bench.
The iron oxide horizontal beams are the floor of the view mezzanine, and the end of one 12 inch I-beam from which it is hung is visible at the edge of the floor beams. These vertical beams are hung from two very large overhead beams that arch over the whole floor space. Thus there are no posts obstructing the floor. One of the large arch beams, painted sky blue, can be seen rising from behind the far back drop and continuing along the pitched ceiling.
Capture Date: Dec 14, 2019 11:05 AM•Views: 92
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Ops 121419 16_9 (22)
This is Otto, the day's staging YM. Staging is 15 tracks wide, 7 on each side of a through track down the center. The diagonal track divide the staging tracks in half. One quarter to the far left is storage, the near quarter is fr incoming/outgoing tracks, and the far 7 tracks are used for passenger train storage (to the right) and for train assembly far right.
Unseen are 5 18 foot long tracks on the same lower level of the bench to the far left (i.e., under Cheyenne). We call these "North Platte," and before a session they are loaded with trains from all points east.
There is also the 10 track staging yard of "Portland" at the end of the hidden track of theOSL.
We also stage trains out on the mains and in some yards so at the beginning of a session there is activity all along the 1,008 foot long double tracked mains #1 and #2.
Capture Date: Dec 14, 2019 11:07 AM•Views: 92
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Ops 121419 16_9 (23)
An east bound City passenger train passes by Wamsutter, WY on #2 main, passing the Harriman Siding between the two mains. The large piece of polycarbonate at the edge of the bench is to protect the signals, crossing gate, and pole from operators' arms. It, and others are meant to be removable for photos.
Oh well, maybe next time.
Capture Date: Dec 14, 2019 11:08 AM•Views: 92
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Ops 121419 16_9 (24)Capture Date: Dec 14, 2019 11:09 AM•Views: 99No comments yet. All fields are required, fill in the form. Comment successfully added. Comment
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Ops 121419 16_9 (25)
Lenny Wyatt in his cubby hole operating his 3D printer. He has drawn and made windmills, stock tanks, snow fences, crossing gates, and other items for the layout.
Capture Date: Dec 14, 2019 11:10 AM•Views: 89
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Ops 121419 16_9 (26)
Danny reporting to the Dispatcher as he arrives at Ogden.
The operator in the mole hole is switching the 13 industries of Downtown Ogden, which is SP territory.
The UP Ogden YM delivers 6 or so cars from Ogden (to the left of the train shown) to the Downtown 3 track yard just behind the backdrop/view block. The the mole sets out and pulls cars from those 13 businesses, and sends the outgoing cars back as a string to UP in Ogden. He can continue this routine all day if he wishes.
The crossovers under Danny's train are used to leave the Ogden yard on the left hand track (nearer the backdrop). Note that Danny has arrived in Ogden on the other track, and his loco was also running left handed until he got to the crossover. His train is in the process of switching back to the track the Ogden YM orders him to enter on. The small white sign just above and to the right of the phone is the Yard Limit sign.
Capture Date: Dec 14, 2019 11:12 AM•Views: 93
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Ops 121419 16_9 (27)
This is an attempt to show the whole upper level of the layout (as well as a focus stacking test). The upper level is the Cheyenne Steam Yard just as we bend it to the adjoining bench where the Cheyenne classification yard and Frontier Refinery are. I stood on about the 3rd step of a short ladder for this shot. Were it not for the mezzanine, I could stand up on a much taller ladder and get most of the layout, well the upper level, anyway. AS this photo shows it is impossible to photograph anything close to all of the layout at once.
Ogden yard is on the lower level here, and staging is around the lower left corner.
The Dispatcher's Desk is on the mezzanine directly above the bright yellow yard map glued to the fascia just to the left of the picture's center. While seated he cannot see any of the layout, isolated just as a real dispatcher is.
Capture Date: Dec 14, 2019 11:13 AM•Views: 85
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Ops 121419 16_9 (28)
Being too lazy to delete this photo, I will say that these are the red spray painted lines we laid out for the bench locations Thanksgiving weekend 2011.
Capture Date: Dec 14, 2019 11:13 AM•Views: 85
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Ops 121419 16_9 (29)
Duplicate of a focus stacked photo, again no camera shake.
Obviously, the last photo of the floor was a misfire as I negotiated the ladder.
Capture Date: Dec 14, 2019 11:14 AM•Views: 82
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Ops 121419 16_9 (30)
Ogden classification unencumbered by local buildings--lots of cardboard place holders, though.
Some day we'll a\paint the beautiful brass Ogden coal tower.
Capture Date: Dec 14, 2019 11:15 AM•Views: 88
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