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  The Fifth Shakdown

Shakedow Number 5 is completed!

February 6, 2009

I had fourteen people come down for the fifth shakedown. The layout preformed will but as with all new layouts there were issues that need to be addressed. 28th Street Yard Master Jay Held is directing car movements on the photo to the right. Below is a shot from the High Line's Meat District. There were a lot of new features introduced during this session!

28th Street

Session attended by:

  • Craig Bisgeier
  • Tom Callan
  • Ted DiIorio
  • Tim Harrison
  • Ralph Heiss
  • Jay Held
  • Nick Held
  • Neil Henning
  • Rom Hinkle
  • Ted Pamperin
  • Mike Quinn
  • Wayne Shortman
  • Jason Smith
  • Rich Taylor
The Meat District
  The Fifth Shakedown Enter the High Line!

The High Line and more for the fifth shake down!

February 4, 2009

The layout is shaping up well for Friday’s shake down.  I spent most of this week cleaning and doing track work to get the layout operational.  Friday also is the debut of the new operating plan.  All car movements are going to be governed waybills.  Ralph Heiss and I have been going back and forth on how to best implement the system.  The best way is just to do it.  I got the Morgan Parcel Post Office working.  I need to put a lot of weight and guard rails in to compensate for the tight radii.  It’s done and cars go in and out now.  I’m crossing my fingers on this one.  I’m introducing three new elements, wireless cabs, a new operating plan and the High Line.  Thursday I’m staging the layout and doing the final room preparations (more cleaning).

St. John's Park Terminal
St. John's Park Terminal
  The Forth Shakedown

Last of the Shake downs not to include the High Line.

September 7th, 2008

With this very successful fourth shake down session the layout will enter a new building stage.  The High Line is now nearly completed and the 5th shake down will be on the calendar as soon as it is operational.  The great news is the punch list from this shake down is very small!  I will be taking a break for a week or two and then back to work!

Session attended by:

  • Craig Bisgeier
  • Tom Callan
  • Ralph Heiss
  • Ted Pamperin
  • Wayne Shortman
  • Rich Taylor
  Getting ready for number 4!

The Forth Shakedown is coming!

September 29th, 2008

The forth shakedown is on track for November 7th, 2008.  New element added to 30th Street Yard and a few tracks have been replaced by new turnouts and flex track.  30th Street now sports a new arrival / departure track with a caboose storage stub to the front edge of 30th Street.  The crew and I have replaced the approach turnouts that are in the lead of 30th Street.  We also replaced the curved section of track that leads to 28th Street and Terminal Stores.  The drop bridge was also updated so that the break in the track is now on a straight section of track instead of the curve. 

30th Street
  The Third Shakedown

Third Shakedown rolls well with the addition of more equipment.

August 1st, 2008

Thanks to Ralph and Tom the railroad had an additional twenty cars join the fleet for tonight shakedown.

I had five crew members to operate the layout and we had just enough to get the job done with all schedule trains running at 30th Street and three full car floats at 28th Street being serviced it was a full night.

Shakedown

Session attended by:

  • Craig Bisgeier
  • Tom Callan
  • Ralph Heiss
  • Neil Henning
  • Wayne Shortman
Shakedown 3
  The Shakedown Part III

Last Work Session just before Shakedown 3.

July 30th, 2008

Well the last of the crew has gone home and I just finished updating the construction blog. Just one more day before Shakedown #3. I'm hoping that the layout performs well and that there will a smaller punch list at the end of August 1! I'm already looking at the end of September early October for shakedown 4 and the High Line's first run!

Pre 3 shakedown
  The Second Shakedown.

Let The Trains Roll!

June 20th, 2008 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM

The Second Shake down started with Pizza for the early arrivers and plenty of railroad related activities. Rule G was not enforces and good time was had by all. The night saw three car floats and six trains in and out of 30th Street. There where some issues, including poor performance from the Proto 2000 S-1 (power pick up issues) and an Atlas S-1 (bad drive then a blown sound decoder). All in all a great night.

28th Street

Session attended by:

  • Craig Bisgeier
  • Tom Callan
  • Jay Held
  • Ralph Heiss
  • Chris Lee
  • Ray Louis
  • Neil Henning
  • Ted Pamperin
  • Jim Schweitzer
  • Wayne Shortman
28th Street Gound Level
  Shakedown Part II!

The Night Before

June 19th, 2008

Thursday night Neil and I staged the railroad for Friday’s second shakedown of 28th Street and 30th Street.  There is one wrinkle in the plan and that is a dead frog on the Terminal Stores double crossover.  I did not have the time to fix it before tomorrow night’s session.   The issue only affects the North track and is workable for now.  I have a quick and dirty solution to try tomorrow.   After a week plus of cleaning, the room is in great shape.  There have been a lot of changes since last time.  First off we moved the ladder on 28th Street yard a fraction of an inch westwards so that now four cars can pass on the ladder.  Phil Monat rebuilt the west end of the Terminal Stores switch so that now the cars flow much cleaner.   All of the car cards have been replace with a newer design as well as all new waybills. New car card boxes where built and installed. The crew and I were able to correct most of the issues from the first shakedown.  I have my fingers crossed and it’s until Friday night.

 

28th Street
Carfloat

Carfloat

Here is the AMCF-28E Car float from Pavonia ready to go

The time has come for the first shake down operating session of the New York Harbor Railroad.  Well at least of the 28th Street Erie Car float yard. The car card system is still not ready and I am working on it as much as I can with out neglecting construction. The Date for the Operating session is February 16th, 2008 at 10:00 AM.
Erie 308
The First Shakedown!

Photo taken during the shake down on February 16th, 2008. Erie 308 in 28th Street Car float Yard

Session attended by:

  • Tom Callan
  • Ralph Heiss
  • Vince Lee
  • Arthur Ross
  • Neil Henning
  • Ted Pamperin
  • Jim Schweitzer
  • Wayne Shortman
Shakedown

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