Roger's Workshop
January 24, 2021
Update T&O RR
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I was thinking back to last summer. We didn’t get a lot of boating, nor visitors, in fact it was 2018 when our grandkids came over from Eau Claire and Ft Wayne during the same week. Here, James, TJ, Sam and Dan spend a few minutes together after a big day out-doors. Three of them are Eagle Scouts and all are good buddies. These guys are my grandsons. Of them, Dan did the soldering, all of the soldering on our first control panel but everyone had participated. James did most of the wiring and assembly and Sam did low voltage panel lighting.
So, when Dan called the other day and said something....
along the lines: “Grandpa I’m going for an electrical engineering degree and need to refresh my soldering skills.” Wow, what timing? I have an On30 Gauntlet track that needs completion.
The two complex ends are done. I made them with the help of an aluminum die from Micro Engineering. The slight curve in the middle of the five foot long gauntlet needs about a foot of soldering to join the two ends. Given that I have but one eye, I didn’t mind sharing the work.
Dan did a beautiful soldering job. The gauntlet itself was specified by the T&O narrow gauge railway as affordable-safe trackage to mount on the single track trestle crossing the chasm as the T&O climbed to the Furnace Mountains. The trestle was built using ‘tall hedge’ from our home in Racine (lower left) as a way to reduce the costs of wooden trestles. Allow the hedge pieces to air-dry for about a year, paint with a suitable oil stain and once again allow to dry.
The photo on the left shows four bents awaiting installation on the trestle. These were made to my own design template. Sway bracing on the bents along with horizontal caps and sash boards make each 5 post bent a stable item.
The bents were hung from a wooden straightedge as shown. Once satisfied with vertical alignment, spacing, etc. I poured a plaster slurry to provide a uniform base of support for the poles / bents.
Sam, who is Dan’s younger brother, helped the T&O cause working on bent to bent supports. These horizontal supports, called girts, were installed first, then anti sway bracing was added.
Above, Sam works on bent to bent supports. When he finished his portion, I ran horizontal stringers from the beginning to the end of the trestle and constructed a bridge (of sorts) where the trestle passes over a siding lead. Once the stringers were leveled (with sandpaper) the entire bridge system was stained again. A deck of ties was installed to match the ties on the soldered gauntlet track. Lastly the ends of the gauntlet need meet the lower and upper tracks; but, that’s another story.
The trestle has a bend as seen in the photo on the left. A caliper and Dan’s keen eye seem to have finished construction within 0.002 inches. So, the next series of moves including buying more On30 track, some turnouts, and patience. You’ll be appraised. Here is a picture of Daniel improving his soldering skills. Practice makes perfect.
Enjoy,
Roger G Blocks 1/24/21
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