Good morning, all. My big activity yesterday was hooking the rotary cutter to the tractor and mowing for a few hours: first the area I need to harvest the spring wheat later this month, then brush and weeds around the place, then a half mile of road shoulder and the perimeter of the ball field across the street - the contracted mower doesn't like going as close as necessary to bittersweet and overhanging tree branches. Boy do I wish the Mahindra I have here had the 3 point hitch convenience features of my 41 year old JD 1050 (Yanmar painted JD green at the factory).

Today the attic is nice, so having done my computer time, I'll go up there till it's time for my daughter's party.

Good afternoon, all. Happily, last night's party down the street got pretty quiet at 10pm.  Possibly the policeman who lives farther down the street had something to do with that.

It's been windy all day in the lower Merrimack Valley. I've been working on the computer all day, time to step away.  Enjoy the 4th!

Nice work, Tom.  For my NMRA modules, I made a jig for old-style crossbucks. Soldered with code 100 post and .015 brass blades, they haven't gotten bent or broken in 25 years of travel, setup/takedown and display:

NH just did away with automobile inspections, so I guess I can look forward to seeing these Yooper skills closer to home.  Better not drive that into MA, though.

I'm up early enjoying the cool of the morning: The lower Merrimack Valley is 70-ish with a few high clouds, headed for the high 80s with late afternoon thunderstorms. I stopped by on my way out to the Trolley Museum:  The urn's warming up with Tie Plate blend, hot water's on, pastries, fruit and cereal on the counter. Don't know what the cook has planned for later arrivals.

Good afternoon, all. Hazy sun and high 80s in the lower Merrimack Valley. Dave stopped by this morning with his pup, dropping off some Code 70 joiners in support of my street trackage project.  Other than that, I've pulled bittersweet and poison ivy, done my bookkeeping and now it's time for the Tax Collector and my bank.  Maybe back up in the attic after dinner.

Good evening, all. I got home just in time for dinner, now I've finished my report and dealt with a couple of phone calls. Taking a quick look around the Forum before getting rid of the day's sweat & dirt, I enjoyed Dave's list of Canadian foods.  Some I've had, most I haven't, but I only have to drive 6 hours to fix that.

Good evening, Jerry, Rick and anyone else who's still up. Mixed in with paying bills and keeping up with shenanigans on the 'net, I started building my first model girder rail track. It's going to be a bit of an adventure, but I have hopes I'll come back with my shield rather than on it.

Well, those 3 weeks of June didn't include much work on the layout. But last week those in charge of the big Maine Central Model RR that was moved to Seashore Trolley Museum started asking me about street track for a trolley line they want to add to it. I've watched HO trolley track being built, but so far I've only actually built full-size trolley track. I searched in Model Railroad Magazine Index and found two HO layouts I had in my MR bound volumes: Boston MTA (1999-2000) using Customtrax (originally Orr) 1-piece girder rail and Brandywine Transit (1975-76) using Code 100/70 soldered to make girder rail.  GE's track was built for RR freight cars, so I don't need the Orr tight radius turnouts and diamonds.  But I had Code 100 and Code 70 rail on hand....

The prototype GE River Works had miles of standard gauge in-plant track. Up to WWII it was all electrified at 600 VDC, but then it was dieselized with 44 tonners (which I recall seeing) and 45-ton double truck side-rod locos (in various photos). My layout had room for the most visible (to RR passengers) parts of the in-plant track:



As I prepared for operations, I built the GE receiving tracks (right of Athearn box below ) and the USN Gear Works spur (under construction lower right). But I put off the rest of the in-plant track highlighted in yellow above. It was in pavement, which I'd never done before, and my initial operating plan has the GE crew working inside the plant only, moving cars between several in-plant destinations and the receiving tracks. I haven't found operators so common in this area that I really needed a GE-only job to fill.



Working this afternoon began with finding track building tools and parts I hadn't used since Newburyport's City RR spur was finished in 2018.  Then salvaging Code 100 rail from 1970-vintage Atlas fiber-tie flex track. Actual construction began when I decided to spike the Code 100 paved track directly to the Homasote, leaving a couple of places where I'm matching its height with existing Code 70 on ties.  Fiddly but it's going reasonably well.



I decided to build the Code 100 part to operable or nearly so. Then I'll add the Code 70 guards using my resistance soldering tools.  I'll put the details of constructing the track into a new Track Building thread.

Good morning, all. Dave reports my weather except it's overcast enough right now there are no shadows outside my window.

Question: Where should I put content about supporting, constructing and detailing track?  New thread under Modeling Wizardry?  Extend BandOGuy's 2020 "Track questions" thread under Super Detailing? Dennis Bourey's "Nails or Glue for Roadbed" thread is there, as is Polux's 2017 "Railways & sleepers...?" thread.

Good morning, all. My phone believes the drizzle we've had all morning will stop in 4 minutes and the temperature will rise 13F before my daughter's birthday party this afternoon.  One can hope, but I'm not putting money on it, Up to the attic when I'm done checking the Forum.

Good afternoon, all. South of Dave, the lower Merrimack Valley had a little sun late morning but now it's back to overcast and easterly. Reminds us the Gulf of Maine hasn't reached 60F yet this summer.  I've only done computer work last night and today, but some was a mix of model and prototype railroading: Using the XTrackCAD model track planning tool to diagram 1:1 track at Seashore Trolley Museum. Thanks to the volunteer developers who added the settable background image feature:

Good afternoon, all. Still hot on the NH seacoast, but the weather is forecast to break this evening: 91F high today, 69F high Thursday,  I've done several postponed chores, so maybe a dip in the Gulf of Maine this afternoon (58F according to Hampton NH's website)..

Good morning, Jeff, Dave and later arrivals.  Dave's weather is mine too, so I'll set up a sprinkler and some hammocks under the trees outside the Lounge.  But I've promised to go to Seashore today. There are several pools I could visit when I get back, but a few minutes in the Gulf of Maine is guaranteed (at least for the rest of my life) to cool me off in short order.  If I stay in long enough, I stay cold for the 20 minute drive home...

Late afternoon in the lower Merrimack Valley, where it's about 88F outside.  I've spent most of the day indoors, now at 78 as my house's thermal mass slowly warms up.  Shortly going up the hill to the Town Hall for the Selectmen's meeting.  No modeling yet, maybe after dinner.

Yesterday I looked for a plain red 3mm LED, which I'm sure I bought a bunch of as I built my signals 10 years ago. One more time through the parts cabinets before I order more.