Difficult situation for sure...

No. Your not all that strange. I have several transformers and substations from various manufacturers and I work on it a little and then throw it back on the box where it will sit, sometimes for months and months. I do plan on "wiring" my substations with very fine brass wire which is painted appropriately. To connect everything correctly, you kinda have to know what you are looking at. These pictures will give you an idea once you have identified the various pieces.  Sorry, not sure of the photo sources.

New one under construction

There is a new substation being built uphill from the bio-energy plant nearby. They haven’t strung any wires yet but I can get pretty close for pictures if it would be helpful. 

Curious about the name Buckhorn Logging?

Buckhorn Logging

Thanks for your response to my question, as you might imagine contacting IHC is really of little use. As for the name, "Buckhorn Logging", here is a brief history.  

"Buckhorn Logging" is a division of the "Lower Buckhorn and Chemong Lake Railway", or, as the locals call it, the "Low Buck and Cheap Line".  In 1857 Randall Edwards was granted 1000 acres by Queen Victoria for the assistance he provided to the Dominion in establishing the government of the new country, Canada less than ten years earlier. A humble gentleman, he declined a knighthood from Her Majesty, explaining the land grant as being sufficient reward for hiss efforts. The land received was rich with white pine which he negotiated into his career of being the main provider of timber for the Royal Navies fleet.  Initially timber was floated down rivers in the spring but soon Edwards realized a better method was necessary as he was not able to navigate the falls between Upper Buckhorn and Chemong lakes. The "Lower Buckhorn and Chemong Lake Railway" was chartered, running from Lower Buckhorn past Upper Buckhorn and along to Chemong Lake. The railroad was critical in the development of this portion of Ontario and is now a major tourist attraction in the area.

I think this story sounds a lot better than the reality which happened.  In the summer of 2017, my partner Maddy and I replaced our front lawn with sod, the year before we exposed what became a beautiful rock garden beside our home, just outside Buckhorn, Ontario, Canada.  Working on the lawn, we occasionally were interrupted by neighbours as they walked by. One couple we chatted with asked our interests for the winter season, we told him model railroading, they shared they had a garden railroad.  In the fall of that year Bob stopped by to ask if I liked his layout.  Next I knew he had given it to us and it took four trips in Maddys Kia to bring it all home.  In the spring of 2018 we began to lay track, I was content to use a small portion of the rock garden to the south of the natural water fall we discovered.  However, Maddy had other ideas. When I looked up from the corner where I was working, she was deep into her tulip and lily bed, asking if I could build a crossover.  Eventually we settled on a figure 8, about 55 feet in each direction, with the return loop running along a 25 foot trestle which raised it to the upper pond.  Here it crosses a 7 foot bridge to loop around the town.  After stopping at the station, the train crosses another 7 foot bridge with an 8 foot trestle attached, to run under the first trestle.  This year we plan an extension to an engine house in our side garden where the plan is another line further up the hill to a loop then return to the engine house.  A wye is planned here to turn entire trains.  The Buckhorn Logging just seemed "natural" for a name considering where we live.
 
Hopefully this explains what my name means.

I appreciate your effort in

I appreciate your effort in posting those photos, they appear to be helpful. Glad to hear others are afflicted as I am, lets me know I'm on track as a model railroader.  Substations seem so simple until you try to figure them out in detail, then..... even with photos things seem kinda vague.  Best idea for now I guess is to find a proper sized box, put a month or two in for research

Thanks again

LB & CL RR

I forgot to mention the OTHER reason as to why this name was chosen for our railroad.  The LB & CL has a second meaning to the locals - it's the "Low Buck & Cheap Line" Always good to find hidden meanings in railroad names.

           Randy

Low Buck

LOL. I was wondering if the name was a nod the the late Boone Morrison and his Buckhorn logging lines. Now you have me thinking of alternate names for the UR&N - maybe just trying to pronounce it will make you think I’m pissing my children’s inheritance away. 

The new substation btw still has no lines up but looks pretty complete. Let me know if you want a pic. 

Pissing Children’s Inheritance Away.

An interesting concern you have, "pissing your children's inheritance away". As you think about it, you may come out ahead regardless of what you do, depending on your perspective. If they enjoy "The Hobby", investing more money into it simply increases value of your layout along with their investment as all increases at once - real simple. But what if they have no interest at all - that too is surprisingly simple as well - locate some documents which outline the poor resale value of most used model railroad components. Now you may think I'm crazy, actually far from it. You see, once they realize the poor return on liquidating your layouts it is quite possible they will begin to realize the merits of continuing your life's work so perhaps it might be advisable to produce a document outlining your plans to continue work on your empire for the next three or four generations. Another plan might be to ensure your remains are adequately secured to ensure no ill effects from their outrage due to my being completely incorrect.

Regarding the substation, I would greatly appreciate any photos you could share with me. Being able to see the method of completing the structure may add yet another activity to model on a layout. It was interesting viewing your garden layout, a bit sad to see it in that state yet pleasing to know your plans to bring it back to life again.

Randy Edwards, Chief Gandy Dancer of the  "Low Buck and Cheap Line"

Modelling in HO and G scales

Wander off topic I guess

Randy;

I’ll chat with the foreman tomorrow about some photos up close. 

Thanks for the encouragement on the garden line. It is finally been nice and dry lately but the honey-do list has been looming and now is time for that first. Tuesday I head into surgery to mend a shoulder bone that was broken cycling about six months ago. Mrs. E. wants as much of the heavy lifting done now before I am drugged into a stupor (I hope) or forced into limited mobility. Regardless, some of my railroading activities may be limited to what can be done left handed. 

Re: pissing away their inheritance may be moot since we have been in this house now 25 years and the island only has so much land. It is bound to set them in good financial health even if mine fades. The UR&N may become a one horse town soon. As much as I’d love to have a quarter inch empire, it has become clear that my dreams of a class one railroad with plantation branches is only a pipe dream in the available space (and I don’t even smoke!). 

Keep posting and inspiring us to greater modeling heights!

Wandering off topic

Interesting you say it's "Nice and dry" - similar weather here but for a different reason,  A few days ago it was -42 (-43F) with the wind chill.  I'll admit that was Celsius but when you convert you'll still find it Damn cold!! That was followed by a day of +5 (41F) temp. I hope your wing is getting better after your recent procedure. Lately been working on a JMRI base station  as I try to set up my wide's N scale trolley's decoder. (Winter see's her working on her N layout, me on my HO) Any luck with A) photo's of substation andb) your Arduino exploits? I read a blog from a while ago where you were starting to play with this new toy. As for my latest work in G, I have reworked an old New Bright Christmas loco, trying to update it and remove the garish Christmas it has been attacked with. Plan is to use it to pull a train of re-worked New Bright passenger cars, with a Lionel G passenger converted into a combine and a caboose painted to match. These a a bit smaller than 1/24 but they still look not bad. We saw it as a "Low Buck and Cheap Way" to do it. 

Time to go, I really want to finish this loco so I can start something really important.

Randy Edwards, Chief Gandy Dancer of the  "Low Buck and Cheap Line"

Modelling in HO and G scales, with my wife in N

what is the reference of the substation layout

Dear Kirk

My name is Babak Esmailzadeh Hakimi and i am doing my research for Phd in lifeline earthquake engineering ,

As I need to use the above mentioned substation layout in my work ( paper) may I know the reference ?

Thank you in advance

Babak E. Hakimi

what is the reference of the substation layout

Dear Kirk

My name is Babak Esmailzadeh Hakimi and i am doing my research for Phd in lifeline earthquake engineering ,

As I need to use the above mentioned substation layout in my work ( paper) may I know the reference ?

Thank you in advance

Babak E. Hakimi