This weekend, I began the process of converting my temorary Lionel #115 City Station into a permanent one on my layout. This included removing the temporary water bottle supports, affixing the wooden legs to the plywood platform with screws, paint it with tan acrylic paint, and connected wires so it lights up, among other things mentioned later.
Here are a couple of photos:
I like the combination of the City Station and the Operating Dispatch Board for several reasons, not the least of which is that I already have them, love them and want them on my layout. If I did not already have them, I probably would not go to the expense of purchasing them unless I got them for an irresistibly low price.
I added cardboard side panels with windows to the Dispatch Board. The windows come from a kitbashed International Hobbies Engine House.
To my dismay, once I got everything installed, the Dispatch Board stopped working. So, I had to take it off the train table and attempt to fix it.
It seemed hopeless at first, because I couldn't figure out how to take the Dispatch Board apart. Then, I noticed the little silver colored horns on top of it, and remembered that they unscrew. When I unscrewed them and removed a couple of additional screws on the bottom, I was able to open it up. Then, I noticed the thread was off the wheel, which is part of the pulley mechanism that makes the big blue man go back and forth.
It was an easy fix: I just put the thread back on the wheel, and it worked again. I was delighted to have fixed it. Then, I put everything in place back on the train table.
I will sleep on this project for a day or two and then decide what I want to do next, if anything. Arnold
