{"id":710,"date":"2022-01-06T23:39:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-06T23:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.ctcparts.com\/?page_id=710"},"modified":"2022-02-05T19:04:51","modified_gmt":"2022-02-05T19:04:51","slug":"custom-fabrication-1-4","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/?page_id=710","title":{"rendered":"Lee Nicholas"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"710\" class=\"elementor elementor-710\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-0335c76 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"0335c76\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-761fc73\" data-id=\"761fc73\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-796c5d8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"796c5d8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.12.1 - 02-04-2023 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Lee Nicholas's Utah Colorado Western\n\n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c221d8d elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c221d8d\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f123188\" data-id=\"f123188\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-05efb89 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"05efb89\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.12.1 - 02-04-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">I thought I would start with a little history on how my model railroad incorporated CTC operation and the evolution that brought Mike and I together.<\/span><\/p><p>CTC on operation on my Utah Colorado Western started back in the 1970\u2019s with a home built board and whatever hardware I could scrape together. Although crude it was functional allowing for switch control, some basic detection and the signal aspects just followed the movement of the switch machine, but more importantly I was hooked on CTC operation.<\/p><p>I was introduced to Rod Loder, from Salem, Oregon, in the late 1980\u2019s by some mutual friends, and we immediately struck up a friendship that is still going strong today. Rod has had a tremendous influence on the UCW, especially the CTC operations and it was during one of his frequent visits that he stated it was time to put a real CTC machine into operation. The year was 1989 and the Southern Pacific was closing it\u2019s Eugene, Oregon dispatchers office, moving everything to Roseville, Calif. and he had made arrangements to purchase the CTC machine. Was I interested? Absolutely! When do we start?!!!<\/p><p>Well if we had known what we were getting into I doubt that this thing would have ever gotten of the ground. But we were much younger then and the challenge was half the fun. The war stories of that first machine are several hours long and the outcome was successful but not without out numerous revisions to the UCW track plan, signals to install, detection resistors needed for each car, block detectors, rewiring the entire layout and installing miles of wire (this was before any thought of running it with a computer) to make the whole thing run and that was just on my end. Rod was re-building the board in Oregon and dealing with hours of work as well, not to mention the 8 plus trips to Utah in late 1989 and 1990. Why all the fuss and hurry to get this done? Well the Pro Rail group had selected Utah as the host team for April 1990 and we wanted to have this thing up and running. Nothing like a deadline and a visit by your peers to supply the needed motivation to get something done and we almost made it too! The only thing working were the detector lamps and the switch machines which didn\u2019t stop Steve King from having a blast dispatching the railroad. Several more trips by Rod and Gary Waite (Gary is also from Salem and was Rod\u2019s traveling partner on all these trips and also good friend) and we finally had the thing up and running.<\/p><p>This first machine was very much an experiment for all of us and we were pretty much flying by the seat of our pants. For instance, we weren\u2019t sure if we could get a full height and width machine down my basement stairs, so we cut off the bottom of the machine and made a desk top model with a 30 inch front panel and two 14 inch wings. Original hardware, levers, plates, lamps etc., were used and everything was hardwired using home built logic circuits for the signals and Bruce Chubb\u2019s detector circuits.<\/p><p>Well it seems we were hooked, especially Rod, who took the bull by the horns and formed Levers West, a small business dedicated to finding, refurbishing and building new machines for a small group of diehards who just love this stuff. About 10 years ago we were able to get our hands on a number of old Union Pacific machines from the Pocatello, Idaho dispatch center that had been removed from service a number of years ago. This supplied Rod with numerous parts and pieces for his future customers and was the basis for my new machine which we installed in Sept. of 2000:<\/p><p>I got a call from Rod in early 1999 with a question, \u201cDo you want to sell the SP machine\u201d? Seems somebody crazier than us had to have that specific piece of history. Well the price was right and a new machine started to take shape in Salem. The installation would coincide with our decision to change from a home built computer system, designed, built and installed in the mid 1990\u2019s by Jon Robinson, good friend and UCW crew member. Jon\u2019s system worked very well but was ready for some needed updates and after weighing out the options we decided to install Bruce Chubb\u2019s CMRI hardware. A wise decision, the stuff works great, is a breeze to install and is easy to program (well as least for some people). Several requirements were a must for the new machine, it had to be full height, have an attached desk top and would be approximately the same size as the first one. The hardware is all original lamps, levers etc., but the plates were all new this time and new track diagrams were also made.<\/p><p>Rod called one day and said you\u2019ll never believe this. I just got a call from signal maintainer back east who asked if I could build a small control panel for the CN. They had called Union Switch and Signal to see if they could build the panel and said \u201cWe don\u2019t build that old technology any more but we know of a small business in Oregon who builds stuff for the hobby\u201d contact him. Well that person turned out to be our good friend and the man behind CTC Components, Mike Burgett and the rest is history.<\/p><p>From that meeting Rod and Mike struck up a friendship that has benefited all of us who are interested (obsessed is probably a better term) by this old hardware. Several years ago I hosted a CTC symposium, here in Utah, and invited Mike, Bruce Chubb and several others to attend and present a few clinics. We had over 30 participants and it was our first chance to meet this \u201cSignal Maintainer from Hell\u201d and listen to his fantastic presentation on CTC operation and the various line side details needed to make it all happen. If you haven\u2019t seen or heard Mike\u2019s presentation I encourage you to do so.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-57d835a\" data-id=\"57d835a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-047b385 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"047b385\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.12.1 - 02-04-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"201\" src=\"http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ucw2.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-476\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Rod Loder and Tommy Holt dispatching<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-576cb49 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"576cb49\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"188\" src=\"http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ucw4.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-477\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Kelly Newton and Terry Wheeler dispatching at the first machine<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6cbe5df elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"6cbe5df\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"237\" src=\"http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ucw1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-478\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Jim French and dispatcher Andy Sperandeo<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-edca9bd elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"edca9bd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"237\" src=\"http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ucw9.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-480\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Henry Freeman dispatching during GBG 2004<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-09a899c elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"09a899c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"191\" src=\"http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ucw3.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-481\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Mike Burgett presenting during Symposium<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-91dbae0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"91dbae0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"379\" src=\"http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ucw8.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-482\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ucw8.jpg 200w, http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ucw8-158x300.jpg 158w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Train Defect Signal<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-77a6373 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"77a6373\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"572\" height=\"429\" src=\"http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ucw6.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-483\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ucw6.jpg 572w, http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ucw6-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 572px) 100vw, 572px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lee Nicholas&#8217;s Utah Colorado Western I thought I would start with a little history on how my model railroad incorporated CTC operation and the evolution that brought Mike and I together. CTC on operation on my Utah Colorado Western started back in the 1970\u2019s with a home built board and whatever hardware I could scrape [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/710"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=710"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/710\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":760,"href":"http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/710\/revisions\/760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ctcparts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}