Tuesday Night at the Huff and Puff, June 27, 2017

Another successful night of operations while preparation for work night continued. We are going to replace the buss wires and feeders in the upper mainline, from the upper loop to the gap between Valleyview and Springbank.  The buss wires were different gauges and some of the feeders were soldered to the rail joiners instead of the track. The Long River Bridge has no feeders at all. Hopefully we will get 1 section completed and tested during each work night.

Tuesday night at the Huff and Puff June 13, 2017

Summer has taken a toll on attendance as members go on vacation, but there are still enough trains running.  Below we see a passenger train leaving Jutland.

Work night June 6, 2017

At the meeting we discussed the steps needed to update the wiring, these include, new feeder wires to track where the feeders were soldered to the rail joiners, joining each feeder directly to the bus wire not to each other and then to the bus, larger gauge bus wires. Moving the power supply and boosters to the quads location. Below is a picture of the quad unit under Lincoln with heavy bus wires and power supply and Booster near by.

The Balance of Power

The layout has experienced some track power issues for some time now and here Jim Fox ponders a possible solution to end them. The Digitrax system in use included two boosters to power track in two outlier sections, Jutland to Heron's Landing on one side and the branchline area on the other. Power checking revealed lower readings in those areas affecting locomotives in both speed and continuity.






So, early on a June Sunday morning, Jim and his power broker Don Woolcott proceeded to relocate the boosters close to the middle of the two affected areas. Here Jim is checking for a possible location under Lincoln yard.

Don arrived with one of those all positional ladders and a reel of elecrtrical wire found laying around in his attic possibly abandoned by the electriction who was involved in the construction of Don's house. It was put to good use running an overhead power line from the main panel at the east end
of Wellington to the relocated booster under Lincoln. Unfortunately the camera did not record the physical hi-jinks of Don and Jim on the ladder and layout feeding the wire across the aisle. Luckily, both are still living. This shot shows Don salvaging an duplex outlet box to hook to the above power cable under Lincoln.











This is the Digitrax power booster under Heron's Landing that was relocated from the main panel.











Now, all that's left to finish the relocation of the booster under Lincoln is to build a shelf for it to sit on.

Well done, guys!!  This Tuesday is a work night and an opportunity to see if this work has corrected an annoying layout situation.

Some Pictures of the late Doug McLean

Here are a few candid shots of Doug right in the middle of the construction phase of the Wood-stock Model Railroad Club layout.  Doug is chatting with Rick Owen as they survey the work completed as of May, 2013.










Now Doug is right in the middle of things as he wields a screwdriver in the area where the branchline started.










One of Doug's layout responsibilities was the community of Lincoln.
Here he is looking at possible buildings that could be used.  Doug's model railroad history goes back many years and includes an original
Woodstock club, many years running a hobby shop in downtown Woodstock and, until recently, out of his home. He also enjoyed a number of home layouts and was considering rebuilding one after a move to another home.






Doug always had a keen eye for doing things right as layout work progressed and did a lot of sidewalk superintending as his declining health kept him was being more actively involved.  We will miss him very much and pass along our club sympathies along to wife Linda and family.
                                                RIP Doug

Doug McLean

McLEAN, H. Douglas - With heavy hearts we announce the sudden passing of Howard “Doug” McLean with his loving family by his side at the University Hospital, London. Beloved husband of Linda Marion McLean (nee Taylor). Cherished father of Bonnie (Jon) Lucas, Kirk McLean, Lisa (Don) Smith, Mike (Anne) McLean, Sandi MacDonald, Debbie (Rick Barnes) Buchanan, Wendy (Stan) Grabowski, Sue (Byron) Nader, Bobby McLean, Valerie (Ken) McKim, and step-father of Jason (Karen) Finnie and Brett Finnie. Loved “too much” by his 23 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild. Predeceased by his parents Frank and Rita (nee McCallum) McLean, brother Ross McLean (2017) and grandson Joey MacDonald (1998). Doug was a longtime employee of the City of Woodstock. The family will receive friends at the SMITH-LeROY FUNERAL HOME , 69 Wellington St., N. Woodstock 519-537-3611, on Monday June 5, 2017 from 3-5pm & 7-9pm. The funeral service will be held in the chapel Tuesday June 6, 2017 at 11am with Pastor Jeff Price officiating. Interment in the Presbyterian Cemetery. If desired, memorial contributions to the Heart & Stroke Foundation would be appreciated. Smith-LeRoy 519-537-3611. Personal online condolences may be sent at www.smithleroy.com13179911