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BBLmber
Fireman
USA
4232 Posts |
 Posted - 09/23/2011 : 08:56:43 AM
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Rick, I don't know about Arthor, but I would enjoy some close-ups of the mounting and legs.
Thank you.
Mark |
W,L,&E |
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Harsco
Fireman
USA
1101 Posts |
Posted - 09/23/2011 : 6:01:28 PM
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Arthur and Mark: here are a couple of close ups to better illustrate the set up:
This is an end-on shot showing how the unistrut is nested together; the lower one on the left is attached to the workbench, the upper one on the right to the benchwork. Steam had to drill holes in the unistrut to mount it with wood screws:
This shot shows the addition of unistrut across the front edge of the work surface to stiffen things up...which it does, quite nicely I might add. Here, Steam had to drill holes in the top and bottom flanges of the unistrut so he could reach in and screw it to the underside of the table surface:
As noted before, the legs are cut down 2 x 2's left over from benchwork construction with a lag bolt in the bottom to eliminate rocking on my uneven concrete floor. To move this in or out takes very little effort and just the tiniest lift so the legs don't scrape the floor.
One last construction note: the work bench surface itself is a different kind of material, the name of which escapes me. It's kinda/sorta like plywood, but instead of multiple layers of sheet material, it's dimensional 1 x wood covered with a thin lauan type veneer....very stable and with a quick swipe of stain (or my case, shellac)looks pretty decent.
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BBLmber
Fireman
USA
4232 Posts |
Posted - 09/23/2011 : 9:43:00 PM
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Thanks Rick, it gives me some ideas for the future setup after my move to WV.
Mark |
W,L,&E |
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Harsco
Fireman
USA
1101 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2011 : 10:29:04 AM
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Ok, having consumed mass quantities of alcohol, and on the advice of my psychoanalyst who claims that "engaging in open and meaningful dialogue" can somehow ease the emotional trauma, I hereby submit for your critical review and enjoyment the latest chapter of "Boom to Bankrupt, the Story of Harsco and the Seven Miles of Sheer Hell Route"
First, a critical element of the drama: it had been six months since the HTRR had last been operated, so my expectations were low....but obviously not low enough..LOL
Having assembled the usual cast of nefarious operators, assignments were made and wheels started turning....some of the time. Here's our intrepid dispatcher and owner of the world's thickest hide, Diamond Bill, consulting the paperwork while simultaneously talking to John R and listening to the radio banter...NOT an easy task:
Chris was given his baptism of steel-making fire by holding down the Maclay Street job; if he looks disgusted, then I managed to capture the mood:
Ever the masochist, Bob P graciously took the hub spot: Herr Street:
HTRR vet Joe C and first timer LV Ralph consulting at Lucknow:
Mark operating Division Street for the first time:
Matt K on the road, shown here delivering a load of molten iron to Capital Iron and Steel:
So...an illustrious group...what could possibly go wrong?
Let's put it this way; at one point during the proceedings Mrs. Harsco asked "what was all screaming coming from the basement?" That was....stuff happening.
At first, everything is going well: here's 982 accelerating westward after making a station stop at Maclay:
Then stops at Wiconisco Street. Notice that the poor passengers have to cross a VERY active main line just to get to the platform...it's supposed to be running "wrong way"...no wonder passenger revenues are down.
After Wiconsico, as 982 wandered westward back to Enola, screams of terror are heard and our mobile dispatcher dispatched to observe the results:
"A cornfield meet!" I can heard the ICC now...
Why are all these operators gathered in front of Herr Street?
Because apparently EVERYONE loves to watch an accident unfold; in this case, when hotshot, "get out my way", "gold plated superior train" TT-115 was nonchalantly cruising at speed through Herr Street, only to encounter, then push, a lowly slag run clear over to Maclay....as Steam noted: "Two GP-35's beat a Baldwin S-12 any day of the week".
Seeing TT-115's crew jumping for it, and fearing for his own life, the Herr Street engineer, who was busy pushing a LONG cut of ore jennies up the ramp, accidentally hit the throttle instead of the brakes, resulting in a new form of landscape decoration:
Ever the cool, calm, and collected professionals, everyone eventually dried their tears of uproarious laughter and the crew of TT-115 got on it's way, albeit with a severe case of long term constipation:
As I told the guys afterwards: "Now we know what REALLY happened to the steel industry in the U.S."
Postscript: to be fair, the gang did an outstanding job with a VERY balky railroad.....and I'm thinking of switching to model airplanes.
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Edited by - Harsco on 09/24/2011 10:36:48 AM |
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jbvb
Fireman
USA
1864 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2011 : 12:43:40 PM
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Only three hoppers off the rails and no injuries? Won't even make the evening news, though it looks like a bunch of guys will be meeting the Division Superintendent.
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vzjtothalo
Section Hand
USA
90 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2011 : 1:08:46 PM
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Rick:
For model airplane advice, please contact my Dad. He'll point you in the right directions........maybe even up!
Looks like a fun time was had by all.
John |
John Loesch
For God so loved the world, he did not send a committee.... |
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MarkF
Engineer
USA
9272 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2011 : 3:09:39 PM
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| An excellent summary of the evenings events! I had a great time at Division Street yard, which is quite busy at times. No worries Rick. While there were a few hiccups during the course of the evening, all in all, I think the railroad ran fine and I know everyone had a good time. |
Mark
See my homepage at http://home.comcast.net/~prrndiv/
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AVRR-PA
Fireman
USA
4600 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2011 : 6:00:38 PM
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It looks like it was a fun evening, in spite of the problems.
Great pictures and captions, too.
And a really nice looking railroad.
Don |
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Harsco
Fireman
USA
1101 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2011 : 9:27:59 PM
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| Thanks for the comments, guys...despite the frustrating (to me) track and rolling stock situation as well as the tongue-in-cheek description, it really was a great evening. No quarter was asked nor given; at any moment it could be your turn in the barrel. At one point I insisted on sitting in the chair in the corner, knowing that at least my back would be protected...LOL |
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MarkF
Engineer
USA
9272 Posts |
Posted - 09/25/2011 : 12:25:03 AM
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| You know Rick, stop being so hard on yourself. While there were a few problems over the course of the evening, they weren't anything really unusual, especially considering the layout has been sitting idle for six months! Most of the issues I saw (or experienced) were operator related! And besides, and momentary frustrations the crew may have experienced were quickly eliminated thanks to Mrs. Harsco's excellent crab dip! Good stuff! |
Mark
See my homepage at http://home.comcast.net/~prrndiv/
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HobbyDr
Engine Wiper
USA
230 Posts |
Posted - 09/25/2011 : 03:02:25 AM
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There is one thing I think we all want to know. Did spiders play a part in any disruptions of operations that night?
Don |
Visit HobbyDr's Workbench http://hobbydr.blogspot.com/ |
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Harsco
Fireman
USA
1101 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2011 : 10:14:23 PM
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Don't you just HATE it when visitors stop by unannounced? There I was, busily ballasting (notice I didn't say "happily")when someone took exception to my sudden move to grab the wetting agent sprayer and decided to jump clear across from Maclay to Wiconisco Street:
I don't know if anyone else has "visitors" like this show up, but these "camel crickets" as Steam refers to them, never fail to give me a mild MI whenever they leap unannounced across floor or layout. Ever try to smack one? Not only are they fast, but seem to have a sixth sense that you're about to swing.
Needless to say he was dispatched with my usual weapon of choice: a piece of cork sheet too large for them to out-leap.
I've always had a couple - mind you, a couple - show up seasonally, but this year they're bordering on plague like numbers....ask Steam and Mark about the one they found staring at them during the last work session! |
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bullbrauch
Engine Wiper
124 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2011 : 11:08:50 PM
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| Hey at least it wasn't a camel spider. |
Brandan
Living in Colorado,
home of the Rio Grande |
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MarkF
Engineer
USA
9272 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2011 : 11:53:08 PM
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Wait a minute, give that guy a radio and a throttle and we can assign him the hot crew job! 
Ok, so you are ballasting? And might that be Division Street you are working on? [:-bigeyes] Inquiring minds want to know! [:-eyebrows]
Enough on the darn crickets. I like the variation in tie colors. Tell us more! |
Mark
See my homepage at http://home.comcast.net/~prrndiv/
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Edited by - MarkF on 10/10/2011 11:54:37 PM |
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Vagel Keller
Crew Chief
USA
722 Posts |
Posted - 10/11/2011 : 01:47:36 AM
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Rick,
Don't beat yourself up so much ... as an experienced, which is to say well blooded, dispatcher on a noted coal-hauling western PA model railroad I can attest to the fact that chaos always rules when a layout comes out of summer hiberntation. Cobwebs develop in the brain as well as in the hidden trackage.
So glad to see you back to the land of the living!
Vagel |
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Harrisburg Terminal Railroad (HTRR)
