While at the Train Show I didn’t get a chance to make any video of the layout running, I was quite busy for every minute of all three days. To make up for the missing train show video I promised to shoot, I made this one up last evening.
This is a bit HD video of operation on the Bronx Terminal, focusing on the process of unloading a carfloat following prototype practice. The fully loaded three track carfloat holds about 17 cars, two rows of 6 cars on the outer rails, and 5 down the centre (depending on car size). To unload a float, three cars are pulled off of one of the outer tracks, these three cars are then coupled onto the cars on the opposite outer track. All nine cars are pulled and stored into the adjacent yard. The final three cars from the first track are pulled and coupled onto the cars of the centre track, these 8 are then stored. This keeps the float balanced when loading or unloading and reduces stress on the floatbridge.
Occasionally idler cars were used at the Bronx Terminal, but not always. The main use for idler cars wasn’t to keep the locomotive off the float, it was to aid in visual clearance and safety. It was not uncommon to drive the loco’s onto the floats at the Bronx Terminal, as I do here.
The loco was re-worked at the train show by the guys at Tony’s Train Exchange. Lew White installed a new High Bass speaker, which improved the sound of the engine dramatically, the speaker that was in there initially was very tinny sounding, the new one is very clear. Josh Shedaker tweaked the sound samples in the QSI Revolution decoder in the loco and improved its operational abilities with some modifications in the CV’s. It now has white LED lights in it, before they were green. They are also very bright and operate correctly.
At some of the major train shows, Tony’s Train Exchange sets up a workbench where you can have a decoder installed in your loco right there at the show, its a great service as the work performed is top notch, done by professionals.
Enjoy!
-T.
About the Author:
I'm your host, Tim Warris, a product developer in Port Dover, Ontario. Since March of 2007 I have been documenting the construction of the former CNJ Bronx Terminal in HO scale. For my day job, I design track building tools for Fast Tracks, a small company I own and operate. Fast Tracks makes it fast and easy to hand lay your own trackwork. Stop by our website to learn more!
Often mistakenly called Grand Central Station, this former railroad terminal is now the home to the Metro Link Metro North commuter railroad and sees heavy use. It has to be seen to be believed, it is quite an architectural marvel and a feat of engineering. There are no railroad tracks visible anywhere near the station, instead all trains enter the terminal via several miles of tunnels under Central Park Park Avenue that begin just past Harlem.
After the Train Show was wrapped up in Hartford, we rented a car and headed to New York City for a few days. We ended up staying in White Plains, which is about 25 minutes outside of Manhattan. We stayed at a hotel there and took the Metro Link into Grand Central Terminal everyday. This is the best way to get in and out of the city, as driving around there is not for the faint of heart, plus we got to take a train into this historic terminal.
The famous clock in Grand Central. The faces on this are made of Opal, the clock is valued between 10-20 million dollars.
Apparently only 40% of the traffic through here is commuters, the rest are tourists.
I looked, there wasn’t a single light bulb burned out.
Micheal Jordan’s steakhouse. I think Micheal was in the back preparing the steaks.
The ceiling has to be seen to be believed. I would guess the height of the ceiling to be at least 100′. I pumped up the contrast in this picture to reveal all the panels. Apparently when the station underwent a 450 million dollar renovation in the 1990’s the ceiling was quite black. It was assumed that the blackening was from the coal smoke from the steam trains, but after analysis it was determined to be the smoke from cigarettes.
I just could not get any shots without people.
Looking into the Oyster Bar restaurant.
The grill to the air vent. No detail is overlooked.
The food court below the main station.
HDR image of one of the entrances to the main terminal.
Its quite a place, fortunately it was spared from the numerous attempts to tear it down. Unlike Penn Station, it was spared and completely restored. Its only use now is for commuter trains, and used it is!
-T.
About the Author:
I'm your host, Tim Warris, a product developer in Port Dover, Ontario. Since March of 2007 I have been documenting the construction of the former CNJ Bronx Terminal in HO scale. For my day job, I design track building tools for Fast Tracks, a small company I own and operate. Fast Tracks makes it fast and easy to hand lay your own trackwork. Stop by our website to learn more!
I shot a bit of video while at the convention, but not as much as I thought I would. At these type of shows there is always so much going on that it is difficult to focus on shooting video. Much of what was shot was shot by others.
The video above shows the layout on display in the contest room at the convention center, as well as Tom Griffith’s award winning scratchbuilt Howe truss float bridge.
Some video of the Modeling with the Masters clinic that Clark Kooning and I hosted on Wednesday is included. 28 modelers built turnouts, which was lots of fun for all.
We moved the layout down to the train show on Thursday by lifting it onto some flatbed carts and rolling it into the massive car elevator in the convention center. The train show was 3 floors below the contest room, thank god for that elevator. That went smooth, there is some shots of us setting up the booth before the show.
While at the show Josh Shedaker from Tony’s Train Exchange was kind enough to offer to “tweak” the sound in QSI decoder in my CNJ Boxcab. While there I had Lew White rework the decoder installation and change the LED’s to white. He also swapped out the speaker to one of their new High Bass versions. The difference in the sound quality was amazing! That I did get some video of…
I am still working through the pictures taken at the show and in New York City, and hope to get them posted here shortly.
Enjoy!
-T.
About the Author:
I'm your host, Tim Warris, a product developer in Port Dover, Ontario. Since March of 2007 I have been documenting the construction of the former CNJ Bronx Terminal in HO scale. For my day job, I design track building tools for Fast Tracks, a small company I own and operate. Fast Tracks makes it fast and easy to hand lay your own trackwork. Stop by our website to learn more!
