Progress Report 11/27/11

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone.

For your information the Laurel Line, the Virginian & South Shore, and all other combinations of railroad names are now history.  The South Shore Line otherwise known as the Chicago, South Shore, and South Bend Railroad is now located 800 miles East of its original location via

Executive Order of the Owner...Me!

Here is the first section of the CTC System showing the model board before the 1/4" white track diagram strips have been applied.  This is the left hand panel of four.

This is the back of the Model Board showing all the wiring for the LEDs. 

This is the back of the CTC board showing all the switches and leds with just the basic bus wiring in.

Progress Report 11/15/11

Bill Carr, Warren Hart, and myself worked on the railroad Monday and Tuesday this week.  Warren did some more work on the area of Norton mine.  Bill and I worked on the CTC panel all of both days.  Bill wired and tested the first of the Model Boards.  I drilled and painted the first CTC board which fits beneath the Model board.  I also finished building three Input cards for the CTC.  Then built and tested some of my Signal Control Cards (SCC) and test fited the components for the CTC board.

Bill Carr wiring the first Model Board Panel which goes on the upper left.  He is using the CTC desk as a work area.

I am assembling one of the three Input boards.

Progress Report 11/12/11

Today I finished the basic shell of the CTC panel.  Here is a photo of the frame.

The next photo shows one of the braces between the 30 inch panels.  There is 3/4 inch angle at the base and on the top of the CTC.  The 30 inch panels attach to these angles and the wood strips on the vertical supports.  When completed I may paint all the white surfaces a dark gray or black color more in keeping with the prototype. 

Tomorrow Bill Carr arrives from Rochester, NY and we will start drilling hundreds of holes for LEDs and rotary switched as well as toggle switches.  And then we will wire the 300 or 400 components on the panels.

Progress Report 11/11/11

Bill Carr is coming down from Rochester next week to help with construction of the CTC Machine.  Today I finished constructing the frame and will be cutting the 30 inch panels that will contain 100s of LEDs, Switch and Signal Lever, and the Model Board with the track diagram and occupancy LEDs.  This CMRI based project should be up and running by the end of next week.  However actual signals remain to be built and installed.  It will require over 100 three color signals.

Warren is continuing work on our 300 foot (6 feet) poured concrete retaining wall.  A photo of the finished wall will be posted soon as well as construction photos of the CTC Machine. So check back in a couple days for some photos.  Also we will be posting photos on our South Shore Line Yahoo group site as well as on the CMRI Users Yahoo group site.