1. home and garden

SEPGRS Newsletter • March-April 2007
by Mike Moran
I enjoyed my new RDC here on my home layout but soon realized I could not
always run it on other layouts. Why you ask? Because they only ran their trains
on battery power. This will allow me to travel the entire world with my RDC!
Lately Aristo has been making their
engines so that they can run both track
power and battery power with a flip of
a switch. The only draw back was that
you had to have a trailing car with a
receiver and your batteries for power
source and control. This works for most
engines but I did not like the look of a
trailing box car behind my RDC. So I
decided to wire mine up so everything
was contained in the RDC. This is how
I wired mine up.
Because it is already set up from
Aristo for battery power with a flip of a
switch it was easy to tap into the source
where it connects to the main circuit
board. (See photo below.)
I also included sound to my RDC, so that has to be wired in.
I wanted to be able to run track power when I could but also run battery when
track power was not possible. I had to be able to control the battery source with
it’s own receiver so I mounted a mini Aristo 75 mhz on board receiver inside.I
used the 75 mhz receiver because with the track side receiver I had to be within
inches to connect. I could not connected it direct to the board as it is designed
to be plug and play and it would
always control the RDC no matter what the power source is. So
it had to be wired between the
batteries and the main circuit
board. (See photo on page 16.)
I also added a on/off switch
so I could turn the battery power off. (See photo on page 16.)
When you want to operate from
battery power you will have to
flip two switches to battery, the
one from Aristo and the on/off switch for the batteries. (Continued on page 16.)
How to Build a
Retaining Wall:
A Summary
By Jason Silverman
Retaining walls
can enhance the
sites of many garden railways. They
can make the railway easier to maint a i n, el i m i nate
stooping, define
borders, and protect the trains from
foot traffic. I built a retaining wall
for my railroad, the JS&A. Concrete
blocks from EP Henry were used.
I chose the “English Garden Wall”
variety because I liked its well-defined
edges and the color selections. EP
Henry makes other types of blocks,
however, such as Coventry Garden
Wall (a less formal variety), Terrace
Wall (a more heavy-duty type), and
Coventry Wall (a more versatile block
that gives a random look).
Once you’ve decided what blocks
to use, the next step is to design your
wall. Use a water level to plot the
elevations of your site on a chart. The
elevations are usually measured every
foot along what will be the back of the
blocks. I drew both an overhead and
side view of my wall (on the side view,
the wall was shown without corners).
On the side view, after the land profile
was drawn in, I drew in the blocks
as they would appear, making sure
that each bottom block was at least
3" under the ground. Also, make sure
that the blocks are staggered, with
(Continued on page 4.)
Paul Fenn’s 2nd Annual
TOY TRAIN SHOW
ALL
ABOARD!
Please welcome aboard our
new SEPGRS members:
All Are Welcome!
Bring Your Fdasmily
and Frien
9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 28
320 CAMER DRIVE • BENSALEM, PA
Can’t find us?
Call Paul
215-208-0091
ROAD
STATE ROAD
CAMER
3rd bldg.
on right
Delaware River
STREET
I-95 NORTH©
2
Karen & Russell George
Reading, PA
•
Pat & Al Gould
Langhorne, PA
•
Jane & David Rohrbach
Robesonia, PA
Over 8 Train Layouts on Display!
SEPGRS G-Gauge Module
NVAFC’S S-Gauge Display
TTIM’S S & O-Gauge Display
TTIM’s O-Gauge Module
TTIM’s S-Gauge Module
TTOS’s S & O Gauge Display
Boyle’s HO, N & Z Displays
South Eastern Pennsylvania
Garden Railway Society
Annual Dues: $15.00 Per Family
To join our club or to renew your
membership, please send dues to:
SEPGRS
1602 Wolfe Lane
Downingtown, PA 19335
officers
$1.00 Admission (kids under 6 free)
$5.00 Per Table (2-table limit)
Hot Dogs–50¢ • Sodas–50¢
Ice Cream–50¢ • Lotsa Fun–FREE!
Net proceeds benefit
RONALD McDONALD HOUSE
David Yori, President
Tom Sabatini, Vice President
Lee Ann Sabatini, Treasurer
(acting)
Leslie Moyer, Secretary
www.sepgrs.com
SEPGRS
Business
Meeting
SEPGRS Annual
Business Meeting
to Feature a CD
Scenic Tour of
Tom Ruddell’s
Bethlehem Central
Railroad
Most railfans go through their entire lives without
ever having a chance to get a VIP tour of an entire railroad, but you'll have that great opportunity by attending
the SEPGRS Annual Business Meeting April 28 at Paul
Fenn’s 2nd Annual Train Show in Bensalem, PA (see ad
on opposite page).
The venue is The Bethlehem Central Railroad and
your host is Tom Ruddell, the line's chaplain and chief
gandy dancer. As you probably know, Tom's the guy who
wrote the four-part newsletter series called "Memories of
Southeast Pennsylvania."
You'll be morphed down to 1:29 scale and get the
coveted "railfan window" aboard a RDC, departing Zion
Union Station at 5:10 a.m. BCT (Bethlehem Central Time).
You'll pass by Zion freight yard and through Paul's Portal to
a breathtaking view around Nosedive Curve and on down
many miles of 1.5 percent grade to photo stop at Sinai, a
dash across High Bridge (200 feet straight down), then to
Bethlehem Station and, after a short layover, to the end of
the BCR's commuter line at Malaisia, capital of the State
of Mediocrity.
Then there's a big surprise in store for you. We can't
tell you exactly what it is, but it involves a cab ride on a
Baltimore & Ohio PA.
No VIP tour of a railroad would be complete without
a visit to the main shops, located at Nazareth. And then
comes a ride on your very own chartered SD45 with views
from the cab and both ends of the locomotive.
Finally, you'll end up in Poverty—no, not poverty per
se but the City of Poverty. You'll see where most of the smut
that goes into Hollywood movies comes from—the notorious Satanic Smut Corp. of America's Mine No. 1, which
is Poverty's biggest industry. And you'll stare in awe at
"Sin City's" premiere tourist attraction, the Shrine to the
Almighty Dollar, not to mention Baal Boulevard with its
DeeVil Theater and infamous Rave Club where teens get
in for half price after midnight.
But your exhilarating day of VIP railfanning will
end on an uniquely wondrous note when you board the
Bethlehem Central's crack Atonement Limited, making its
daily run from Poverty to Zion via Bethlehem. Your host
will shoot front end footage from the Heavy Pacific as the
Limited roars through Transgression Tunnel while you
freshen up in Drawing Room A of the sleeping car Psalms
(your porter's name is George). Then you'll join your host
for a sumptuous feast in the dining car Manna as you're
whisked in style back to Zion.
The presentation will begin at 12:15 sharp in the ____
area (TBD) of Paul’s warehouse. The Club’s meeting will
begin immediately afterwards. See below for the Meeting’s
agenda.
Agenda for the meeting:
✒ Introductions
✒ Old business / Review of 2006
✒ Financial report review
✒ New Business / Activities for 2007
✒ 2007-2009 Officer Nominations
Be sure to bring all of your questions to the meeting
as there are many important topics to be discussed, not the
least of which are nominations for our officers. Hope to see
you all there!
c
Circus Builders National Convention • Aug 7-11
RAILROAD MUSEUM OF PENNSYLVANIA, STRASBURG, PA
Strasburg RR will be running a train pulling circus wagons in conjunction with convention.
More info, 610-767-1735
3
Retaining Wall (Continued from page 1.)
one block bridging two. This is an easy method of figuring out how many
blocks you will need.
When building your retaining wall, the first step is to dig a trench. It
should be as deep as the bottom blocks as noted on your side view, with a few
inches of extra depth for bedding materials. The trench should be slightly wider
than the blocks, with sides as vertical
as possible. You can use a string line to
make sure the trench is straight. Next,
put in some bedding stone and tamp it
down with a hand tamper, keeping it
as level as possible. Some special patio
sand goes in next, and gets tamped. The
trench is now ready to receive the first
block! Place it on the sand, making sure its back is right against the string.
Check it with a level in all directions. If it is not perfectly level, hit it with a
rubber mallet to correct it. If it is really off, you can scoop some sand out or
put more in under the block. For later blocks, also make sure they are at the
same level as adjacent ones. After the base course is done, put more blocks
on top until the wall is at your desired level. Each course should be stepped
back somewhat. Some block types have small lips that do this while others
have holes for pins. Once the wall is completed, backfi ll it with native soil or
topsoil to within half an inch of the top of the wall. This should be tamped
down very firmly to provide stability for the track.
Lost:
Tom Sabatini lost his Aristocraft
Erie Lackawanna 100 Ton Coal Hopper with metal wheels & coal load road
#33558 at the York Show. Last seen in
it’s yellow Aristo box. Please contact Tom
if you should find it.
Colin Kund is looking for a Garden
Railways Magazine left on the table during the display breakdown. It has his
warranty information in it. Please contact
Colin if you have it.
Found:
Red and white thermos left at the
ECLST display. Tom Sabatini has it.
4
To make a curved wall, EP Henry and other manufacturers sell blocks
that are tapered in the back. When building corners, blocks almost always
have to be cut. I took mine to a tool rental center, where they were cut with a
saw. Using a brick chisel, while more laborious, maintains the rough rockface
on the blocks.
To prevent excessive water buildup behind the wall, bury a corrugated
drain pipe behind the blocks, paying attention to which direction the water
will flow. It is a good idea to cover it with a fabric drain sock to prevent dirt
from getting in.
These blocks are extremely functional, versatile, and decorative. I hope
you decide to use them to enrich your garden railroad!
c
Editor’s Note: The full version of this article may be found in the March-April issue
of Garden Railways Magazine.
1. Back straight, knees bent, feet
shoulder-width apart.
2. Form a loose grip.
3. Keep your head down!
4. Avoid a quick back swing.
5. Stay out of the water.
6. Try not to hit anyone.
7. If you are taking too long, let
others go ahead of you.
8. Don’t stand directly in front of
others.
9. Quiet please...while others are
preparing.
10. Don’t take extra strokes.
Well done. Now flush the urinal, go
outside, & tee off.
Photo: Paul Busse
Garden Railway
Celebrates 10th
Anniversary
IANA TURNER, Horticulture Section Leader
ow! This spring, the Garden
Railway opens for its 10th
season! Both the summer
and Holiday Garden Railway
continue to be a huge draw for visitors
both young and old. With the help of mild
weather this past December, we broke all
previous attendance records for the Holiday
Garden Railway.
Now we are looking forward to the
summer exhibit. The first great change this
year is that the railway will be opening earlier in the season. Instead of our traditional
Father’s Day opening, the Grand Opening
for Garden Railway ’07 will be Saturday,
May 25th, Memorial Day weekend. This
gives visitors a full two weeks extra to catch
the excitement.
This year’s theme is Great American
Train Stations. There will be 12 stations
that Paul Busse, our acclaimed garden
railway designer, will personally select. They are all
noted for their great architecture and, in some cases,
local interest. One of these buildings will be the Gettysburg train station where Lincoln arrived to deliver
the Gettysburg address. Paul Busse and his crew are
also constructing a new trestle bridge and other new
bridges for this year’s exhibit. We alter the exhibit
W
Photo: Paul W. Meyer
5
through the themes, trains, and plantings to keep it
fresh and new, not just to attract new visitors, but for
our loyal members who return again and again with
their families and friends.
We are also planning a few special events this summer. Train Enthusiasts’ Night will take place on June
28th. It is always fun to watch train club members, artists, and train manufacturers take over the Arboretum.
There will also be two circus weeks this year—one
in July, and another in August. During these special
weeks, the circus comes to the Arboretum train site
with G-scale tents and special trains. Watch for other
surprises that will mark the ten-year anniversary of the
Garden Railway.
The Garden Railway could not continue without
the outstanding support of volunteers. Greeting visitors, maintaining the landscape and operating trains
is all part of the display. Volunteers have a lot of fun.
Please consider coming out and joining our volunteer
team. Want to know more? Contact me (Iana Turner)
at 215-753-0428.
c
SEPGRS’ member Bruce Morrell and his two grandsons Joshua and Caleb
Faia admire the detail of a Paul Busse bridge.
BIG
TRAIN
P R O J E C T
This ought to make you feel better about your computer skills. If you skip any, you
have to read the last one! Unbelievable, but supposedly all true!
Tech support: What kind of computer do
you have? Female customer: A white one.
Customer: Hi, this is Celine. I can’t get
my diskette out. Tech support: Have
you tried pushing the Button? Customer:
Yes, sure, it’s really stuck. Tech support:
That doesn’t sound good; I’ll make a note.
Customer: No, wait a minute... I hadn’t
inserted it yet... it’s still on my desk...
sorry.... Tech support: Click on the ‘my
computer’ icon on to the left of the screen.
Customer: Your left or my left?
6
Tech support: Good day. How may I help
you? Male Customer: Hello... I can’t print.
Tech support: Would you click on “start”
for me and... Customer: Listen pal!......
Don’t start getting technical on me! I’m
not Bill Gates.
Customer: Hi, good afternoon, this is
Martha, I can’t print. Every time I try, it says
‘Can’t find printer’. I’ve even lifted the printer
and placed it in front of the monitor, but the
computer still says he can’t find it...
Customer: I have problems printing in red.
Tech support: Do you have a color printer?
Customer: Aaaah...... Thank you.
Tech support: What’s on your monitor
now, ma’am? Customer: A teddy bear my
boyfriend bought for me at the 7-11.
Customer: My keyboard is not working
anymore. Tech support: Are you sure it’s
plugged into the computer? Customer:
No. I can’t get behind the computer. Tech
support: Pick up your keyboard and walk
10 paces back. Customer:! OK Tech support: Did the keyboard come with you?
Customer: Yes. Tech support: That means
the keyboard is not plugged in. Is there
another keyboard? Customer: Yes, there’s
another one here. Ah...that one does work...
Tech support: Your password is the small
letter “a” as in apple, a capital letter V as
in Victor, the number 7. Customer: Is that
7 in capital letters?
Customer: I can’t get on the Internet.
Tech support: Are you sure you used the
right password? Customer: Yes, I’m sure.
I saw my colleague do it. Tech support:
Can you tell me what the password was?
Customer: Five stars.
Tech support: What anti-virus program
do you use? Customer: Netscape. Tech
support: That’s not an anti-virus program.
Customer: Oh, sorry...Internet Explorer.
Customer: I have a huge problem. A friend
has placed a screen saver on my computer, but
every time I move the mouse, it disappears.
Tech support: How may I help you?
Customer: I’m writing my first e-mail. Tech
support: OK, and what seems to be the
problem? Customer: Well, I have the letter ‘a’ in the address, but how do I get the
circle around it?
A woman customer called the Canon help
desk with a problem with her printer. Tech
support: Are you running it under windows?
Customer: “No, my desk is next to the
door, but that is a good point. The man
sitting in the cubicle next to me is under a
window, and his printer is working fine.”
And last but not least...
Tech support: “Okay Bob, let’s press the
control and escape keys at the same time.
That brings up a task list in the middle of the
screen. Now type the letter “P” to bring up
the Program Manager” Customer: I don’t
have a P. Tech support: On your keyboard,
Bob. Customer: What do you mean? Tech
support: “P”.....on your keyboard, Bob.
Customer: I’M NOT GOING TO DO THAT!
GCGRS member, Don Oeters,
half owner of Watson’s, has proposed
the idea of creating an indoor public
entertainment and educational facility
devoted to railroading, currently being
referred to as “The Big Train Project.”
The main attraction will be a very large
G-scale train layout covering 20,000+
square feet, reaching heights of 20 feet,
and involving many operating trains.
Status Report
The acquisition of an 80,000
square foot building on I-75 at the
Tylersville Road exit, the former Oak
and More furniture store, has been
accomplished. The building is presently being readied for it’s new and
exciting purpose. Its location is easily
accessible to the public and provides
free exposure to 140,000 passing vehicles each day.
The City of Westchester is excited
about the prospect of a family entertainment facility coming to their community.
Promotional efforts will have the
goal of placing this quality facility
among the top eight Greater Cincinnati family entertainment destinations.
The Big Train Project is being
financed primarily by Mr. Oeters.
Corporate sponsors have been contacted and an additional investor has
been secured.
A contractor has already been
selected to complete the bench work
and supporting structures so track
laying has begun.
The organization of the volunteer
work force has exerted tremendous
skill and effort in construction efforts
to date.
A soft opening is projected for
September 2007 with the grand opening in November 2007.
c
SEPGRS folks did a great job
again this year at the York East Coast
Large Scale Train Show (ECLSTS).
There was a grand turn out for the
York show. Several of the Club’s new
modules had their fi rst public showing. The modules building team
was headed by Tom Sabatini where
he coordinated the design and construction of 18 new modules. Great
job Tom! The trains ran for the entire
show and the modules worked out
great, no problems reported.
The display was one of the largest we have assembled to date. Ken
Balentine brought his train yard that
allowed the SEPGRS group to park
trains for easier running on and off
the main lines. Ken also built a great
draw bridge that enabled the group
to come and go without having to
crawl under the display. This was
one of the pleasures that we had this
year. Ken did an awesome job on the
drawbridge and it drew allot of attention from our fellow RR’s as to how
it was built. Great Job Ken!
In regard to the York model
contest, SEPGRS’s very own Craig
Zehner took the show with a fi rst
overall and best in group ribbons.
Craig submits a diorama every year
for the model contest and has been
very successful. This year the title
of the diorama was “Waiting for
the Ambulance“. The detail on the
diorama was spectacular. I can’t wait
to see what Craig comes up with for
next year. Craig has also produced
a high quality water skid kit that is
available for sale. Great Job Craig
—congratulations and keep up the
great work.
Something that I notice every
year is the number of young folks that
are coming out to SEPGRS events
and the number of active young members in SEPGRS. I enjoy working
with the young people that come out
to the events and seeing the excitement in their eyes. This year we
have a celebrity author in SEPGRS.
Jason Silverman is a young member who wrote an article on how to
build a retaining wall and his article
was picked up by Marc Horovitz
and published in the April 2007
issue of Garden Railways Magazine.
Jason did an excellent job in building his retaining wall and preparing a well-written and informative
article. Jason has also just fi nished
his garden railroad and is on his way
to becoming a knowledgeable RRer
and author. Great Job Jason!
There are several other young
folks that come out and help. Josh
Cooper is a regular who is a big help
to the group and to his father Glenn
Cooper. Josh is a willing young man
that will pitch in and help wherever
necessary. Another young man that
has successfully started weathering
some of his own trains and continues
to come out to the SEPGRS events
is Colin Kund. Colin comes out to
SEPGRS events with support from
his family and father Tex. Colin is
always willing to step in and lend
a helping hand. Actually Colin’s
grandfather came out to the Greenberg Christmas show several years
ago dressed up as Santa and WOW!
Did he look and act the part! Doug
Baohme (age 10) and his grandfather
Bob Schailey are regulars at the
SEPGRS events. It is neat to see the
excitement on Doug’s and his brother
Robert’s (age 6) faces. Doug has been
a help in setting up—tearing down
and running trains.
As we move into spring of 2007
it is exciting to see all the enthusiasm
for the hobby. During the York Show
this year we learned of opportunities
to set up the Club modules and run
trains for other events. We are in discussion with various organizations
for new possible venues to run trains,
so keep an eye on the event schedule
for new shows and events.
We are working on a fall foliage
trip and other Club opportunities
in 2007.
Open houses and Club meets
are always fun and we are looking
to add some new open houses to the
2007 calendar. Open houses are very
informative and a great time to meet
other members to see what they have
accomplished and are planning for
their railroads. If you would like to
schedule an open house please contact David Yori at 610-431-1498 or
e-mail him at [email protected].
Open houses commonly take place on
the weekends and are very easy to
host. Open house are easy to set up.
All you have to do is send (e-mail)
your event announcement to Dave
with a small write-up and directions.
This information will then get listed
in the SEPGRS Newsletter and you
are all set. There are no real rules
for an open house—both Saturdays
and Sundays are possibilities. Once
you have an open house you will
realize the enjoyment and fun that
you will get from hosting your own.
It is usually good idea to schedule a
rain date as well.
As we continue down the track
in 2007 I would like to thank everyone for making SEPGRS what it is
today. Thanks for all of you work
and enthusiasm. We are always looking to expand our knowledge and
RR’ing skills. We are making every
attempt to position the Club to be
a benefit for all members and skill
levels. Remember SEPGRS is our
Club and if there is something that
you think is missing or lacking please
let us know.
In closing I would like to invite
you all out to the SEPGRS business
meeting on April 28, 2007 at Commercial Doors Inc, Bensalem, PA.
The directions for the Club meeting
will be available in the Newsletter and
on line at www.SEPGRS.COM.
Hope to see you all there, and
Happy Railroading!!!
Regards,
Dave
c
7
ECLSTS
2007
Wrap-up
by Tom Sabatini
8
It was another successful year in
York. Club members were out in force
in supporting this year’s display. In
between setup and breakdown, members even found time to wander the
vendor hall to claim some spectacular
buys and unique items to add to their
layouts and railroad rosters.
The York show is the equivalent
of the opening day of baseball. It
marks the beginning of Large Scale
season after a long winter of looking at our outdoor layout through
the kitchen window under the snow
of St. Patrick’s Day and signals the
time to venture out of our basement
hideaways. Some of us have even
been saving up since last April to
maximize our buying budget for
this year’s event. For those you have
never attended, you are missing a
wonderful event. Especially when you
consider that number of Large Scale
clubs throughout the Northeast that
attend with their clubs displays to
show the world their talents.
This year, the SEPGRS display was supported by over 20 club
members and even more stopped by
and visited during the show. We
had several members bring their
own modules for display. Ken Balentine provided his railroad yard and
Bascule-style draw bridge for easy
access to the interior display. Wayne
Lewis was front and center as visitors
entered the Module hall with his run
about yard and station. There was
a tremendous amount of detail in
his 24 feet of modules. Ron White
provided plenty to look at on his gas
station diorama with an arc welder
in the garage and carpeted roadbed
and Asplundh tree trimmers. The
scene was completed with his Hippy
Van and colorful visitors to the scene.
Tom Sabatini lead a team of club
members in building from scratch 18
club owned mainline modules. Tom
credited members Ken Balentine,
Glenn Cooper, Joshua Cooper, Jean
Finer, Wayne Lewis, Bruce Morrell,
Jack Proud, Iana Turner, Ron White,
and David Yori for their help and
support in the few weeks to complete
the build and dressing.
This year also saw the first time
where club members were encouraged
to bring their own buildings and
people as well as trains to run. Our
thanks to following club members
for all their help, Ken Balentine, Ed
Campbell, Patty Campbell, Suzanne
Catenese, Glenn Cooper, Joshua
Cooper, Jean Finer, Sheila Fleming,
Phil Hatrak, Jeremy Jefferies, Colin
Kund, Tex Kund, Wayne Lewis,
Larry Loyko, Tom Naples, Tom
O’Donnell, Tom Sabatini, Sharon
Silverman, Jason Silverman, Iana
Turner, Bob Weber, Ron White and
David Yori. Special thanks to Phil
& Suzanne for the wonderful coffee
service each morning. We wouldn’t
www.gardenmetalmodels.com
Visit us online for dealer listings
P.O. Box 155 • Sykesville, MD 21784 • (410) 549-3139 • 9 a.m.–5 p.m. e.s.t.
(Continued on page 9.)
Deck Girder Bridges
(12" 24" 35" 46" lengths)
Concrete Piers
(12" 24" 36" heights)
Catwalks
(Combine for any length)
ECLSTS Wrap-Up
(Continued from page 8)
have been able to get started without
you both.
Model Contest Winners
Best Overall—Ice House—Dean
Sleeper
1st Overall—Waiting for the Ambulance—Craig Zehner (SEPGRS
Club Member)
2nd
Overall—New Haven RS-1
—Wayne Yancey
3rd
Overall—Two Bay Covered
Hopper—Marty Cozad
Best Overall—Dean Sleeper—Ice House.
It Was a Family Affair
This year in York we had quite
a few families and couples helping
out this year more than I can recall
in recent memory. This year we had
the Cooper’s, Kund’s, and Silverman’s
representing the two generations. We
also had Ken & Jean, Ed & Patty, Phil
& Suzanne and David & Sheila. It’s
great when you can share this hobby
with ones you love. (Plus you don’t
have to hide the boxes when you get
home from the show.)
Future Newsletter Article…
Building Modules For Your Club
Display C
9
1st Overall—Craig Zehner—Waiting for the Ambulance.
See more SEPGRS Modular photos on page 14.
Jean Finer’s latest snow plow.
SEPGRS Club Members with Tate the Bear on Friday afternoon.
Jean’s plow companion.
featuring Ron White’s New Jersey Train-dom
10
The garden railroad of Ron White
a SEPGRS member since 2000.
Ron’s garden layout is set in the 1940
to 1960 era. With the help of figures,
trucks and autos the current layout
fits nicely in this era, but Ron also
like to run 1880’s to 1900 older types
of steam engines. Ron said “I like to
create small scenes with people
and props doing everyday activities
that tell a story and maybe bring back
a memory or two to a visitor of my
garden railroad”. He feels that along
with the scaled down plants this helps
to give the layout a realistic feel to
his railroad layout.
The main focal point of Ron’s
layout are the two 300 gallon ponds,
an upper and lower pond with water
plants and goldfish, connected by
a four foot stream. Bridges that he
custom built span both ponds. The
upper pond is fed by a four foot high
waterfall which also forms the small
mountain for the two future tunnels
he is planning to add.
The track plan consist of two basic
loops. The mainline with approx.
120 feet of track and with switches
that are remote operated to access
the passenger station siding with its
five foot long parking lot. The upper
loop of approx. 60 feet of track
crosses over the mainline. Ron’s
track is stainless steel flex track
and painted rusty red and is ballasted
with crushed screening. Power is
supplied to the track by a DC power
transformer and is controllable by
either two radio controllers or
by the transformer.
Ron’s buildings and structures
are both kits and prebuilt, along with
some inexpensive themed bird houses.
The bird houses help to add a sense
of minor secondary buildings until
time allows for replacements to be
built. The main buildings are lit for
night time use using low voltage
landscape lights.
Ron’s favorite times to enjoy the
running of his trains is in the early
morning, sitting on the park bench at
foot of the lower pond in the cool
shade on a warm summer day and on
a quiet summer night after the sun has
set and the evening breeze has cooled
the hot daytime air. When running his
trains at night the entire garden layout
of 45 FT. x 16 FT. is lit from overhead
with strings of large size Christmas
muli-colored lights concealed inside
black plastic cups, casting a softly lit
colorful glow over the garden. Some
of the trees are lit using white
mini Christmas lights and hidden
landscape lighting provides special
accents to the pond and foreground
scenes. Along with the many lighted
buildings and the entire gardens
border outlined with blue rope lights,
plus the lights from the engines and
passengers cars, one can easily fine
themselves in a peaceful and relaxed
mood.
As for the future of Ron’s railroad,
plans are in the works to change the
south end of the layout that now only
has a seven foot diameter and to
expand the loop to a ten foot diameter,
after the removal of an old rusted
metal garden storage shed which
stands in the way of the expansion
and the new placement of a new larger
wooden workshop/shed. Also the
addition of a new loop just inside
the mainline, for a double side by
side mainline.
Wow, lots of hard work, but lots
more trains to run and many more
hours of RAILROADING FUN!!
11
France breaks world speed record for rail trains
12
The specially designed train was outfitted to reach at least
335.5 mph — about the speed of a short-distance freight
propeller plane.
French officials give the thumbs up as they stand behind a
sign which indicates the new world speed record.
ABOARD TRAIN V150, France (AP) — A French train with a
25,000-horsepower engine and special wheels broke the world speed
record Tuesday for conventional rail trains, reaching 357.2 mph as it
zipped through the countryside to the applause of spectators.
Roaring like a jet plane, with sparks flying overhead and kicking
up a long trail of dust, the black and chrome V150 with three doubledecker cars surpassed the record of 320.2 mph set in 1990 by another
French train.
It fell short, however, of beating the ultimate record set by Japan’s
magnetically levitated train, which hit 361 mph in 2003.
The French TGV, or “train a grande vitesse,” as the country’s
bullet train is called, had two engines on either side of the three doubledecker cars for the record run, some 125 miles east of the capital on a
new track linking Paris with Strasbourg.
The demonstration was meant to showcase technology that France
is trying to sell to overseas markets such as China. Hours before the
run, Transport Minister Dominique Perben received a delegation from
California, which is studying prospects for a high-speed line from
Sacramento to San Diego, via San Francisco and Los Angeles.
As the V150 sped through the countryside, people lined bridges
and clapped and cheered when it roared beneath them.
“We saw the countryside go by a little faster than we did during
the tests,” said Eric Pieczac, who operated the train. “I’m proud to
have fulfilled the mission.”
“Everything went very well,” he added.
Technicians on the train had “French excellence” emblazoned on
the backs of their T-shirts.
Philippe Mellier, president of Alstom Transports, the builder, had
said before the test that the train would try to break the record held
by the Japanese maglev train.
The V150 was equipped with larger wheels than the usual TGV
to cover more ground with each rotation and a stronger, 25,000horsepower engine, said Alain Cuccaroni, in charge of the technical
aspects of testing.
Adjustments also were made to the new track, which opens June
10, notably the banking on turns. Rails were also treated to the wheels
could would perfect contact, Cuccaroni said. The electrical tension in
the overhead cable was increased from 25,000 volts to 31,000.
It was the first time that double-decker cars were used at such a
high speed, according to officials of Alstom, which makes TGVs and
crawled back a year ago from the edge of bankruptcy.
The double-decker cars were transformed into a laboratory for the
event so that technicians from the state-run rail company SNCF and
Alstom could gather data during the run.
The goal was more than “simply breaking a record,” Cuccaroni
said, adding that data from the test should help improve the security
and comfort of passengers.
The record gilds France’s image in the expanding market for highspeed technology as countries turn to bullet trains. France competes
with neighboring Germany and with Japan for contracts.
China, the biggest potential market, was to start building a highspeed line this year between Beijing and Shanghai to cut travel time
from nine hours to five. C
Reheat pizza — Heat up leftover pizza
in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove,
set heat to med-low and heat till warm.
This keeps the crust crispy. No more
soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the
cooking channel and it really works.
Easy deviled eggs — Put cooked egg
yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till
they are all broken up. Add remainder
of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing
it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of
the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg.
Just throw bag away when done easy
clean up.
Expanding frosting — When you
buy a container of cake frosting from
the store, whip it with your mixer for
a few minutes. You can double it in
size. You get to frost more cake/
cupcakes with the same amount.
You also eat less sugar/calories per
serving.
Reheating refrigerated bread — To
warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffi ns
that were refrigerated, place them in
a microwave with a cup of water. The
increased moisture will keep the food
moist and help it reheat faster.
Newspaper weeds away — Start
putting in your plants; work the nutrients
in your soil. Wet newspapers put layers
around the plants overlapping as you
go cover with mulch and forget about
weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through
wet newspapers.
Broken glass — Use a dry cotton ball
to pick up little broken glass pieces of
glass- the fibers catch ones you can’t
see!
No more mosquitoes — Place a
dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep
the mosquitoes away.
Squirrel away! — To keep squirrels
from eating your plants sprinkle your
plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne
pepper doesn’t hurt the plant and the
squirrels won’t come near it.
Flexible vacuum — To get something
out of a heat register or under the fridge
add an empty paper towel roll or empty
gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can
be bent or flattened to get in narrow
openings.
Reducing static cling — Pin a small
safety pin to the seam of your slip and
you will not have a clingy skirt or dress.
Same thing works with slacks that cling
when wearing panty hose. Place pin
in seam of slacks and—voila—static is
gone.
STICKS & STONES
Linda Spencer, Proprietor
PO Box 211 • Elbridge, NY 13060
(315) 689-3402
[email protected]
www.jigstones.com
Measuring cups — Before you pour
sticky substances into a measuring
cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the
hot water, but don’t dry the cup. Next,
add your ingredient, such as peanut
butter, and watch how easily it comes
right out.
Foggy windshield? — Hate foggy
windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser
and keep it in the glove box of your car.
When the windows fog, rub with the
eraser! Works better than a cloth!
13
Reopening envelope — If you seal
an envelope and then realize you forgot
to include something inside, just place
your sealed envelope in the freezer for an
hour or two. Voila! It unseals easily.
Conditioner — Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It’s a lot cheaper
than shaving cream and leaves your legs
really smooth. It’s also a great way to use
up the conditioner you bought but didn’t
like when you tried it in your hair.
Goodbye fruit flies — To get rid of
pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it
½” with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops
of dishwashing liquid, mix well. You will
find those flies drawn to the cup and
gone forever!
Get rid of ants — Put small piles of
cornmeal where you see ants. They eat
it, take it “home,” & can’t digest it so it
kills them. It may take a week or so, esp.
if it rains, but it works & you don’t have
the worry about pets or small children
being harmed!
Take baby powder to the beach —
Keep a small bottle of baby powder in
your beach bag. When your ready to
leave the beach sprinkle yourself and
kids with the powder and the sand will
slide right off your skin.
c
www.lsol.com
Something New
Every Day
of the Week
ECLSTS Wrap-Up
Glenn & Wayne at
☛
Birdhouse Row.
☛
(Continued from page 9.)
Wayne Lewis on set-up day.
Tex & Colin admiring the drawbridge.
14
Wayne’s Freight Depot.
☛
Iana displayed her
handcrafted PTC trolley.
Ron & Wayne raced
their heavyweights on
Saturday afternoon.
Wayne’s run around yard.
☛
☛
Se sure to see the next SEPGRS Newsletter for a detailed article on how
you can build your own custom module for the Club’s Modular Layout.
Ron’s Deli Delivery.
Observations on life contributed
by Joyce Vollmar.
Female Fable
Catalogs (20)
Aristo: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998-99, 2000-01 • Bachmann: 1995,
1998, 2000, 2004 • Railking: 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 • USA
Trains: 1998, 2003-04 • LGB: 1990-91, 1998 • Marklin: 1997
Lionel: 1995 • Walthers: 1999
Guides: (2)
Large Scale Model Railroading, Horovitz, 1994, retail $16.95
Model Railroading with LGB, Schleicher, 1989, retail $15.95
All in mint condition—$10.00 minimum bid. (Mailing additional).
Will not divide. Contact Tom Weaver: [email protected]
trains,
custom
weathering
and
full-service
sound
installation
DOWNINGTOWN, PA • 610-383-7277
[email protected]
Authorized dealer for Aristo-Craft Trains, Bragdon Weathering Powders,
Split Jaw Products, ITTC Sound Systems, Dallee Electronics & Phoenix Sound.
DEALLEE
LECTRONICS, Inc.
One day, when a seamstress was sewing
while sitting close to a river, her thimble fell
into the river.
When she cried out, the Lord appeared
and asked, “My dear child, why are you crying?”
The seamstress replied that her thimble
had fallen into the water and that she needed
it to help her husband in making a living for
their family.
The Lord dipped His hand into the
water and pulled up a golden thimble set
with pearls.
“Is this your thimble?” the Lord asked
The seamstress replied, “No.” The Lord again
dipped into the river. He held out a silver
thimble ringed with sapphires.
“Is this your thimble?” the Lord asked.
Again, the seamstress replied, “No.” The
Lord reached down again and came up with
a leather thimble. “Is this your thimble?” the
Lord asked. The seamstress replied, “Yes.”
The Lord was pleased with the woman’s
honesty and gave her all three thimbles to
keep, and the seamstress went home happy.
Some years later, the seamstress was
walking with her husband along the riverbank,
and her husband fell into the river and disappeared under the water. When she cried out,
the Lord again appeared and asked her, “Why
are you crying?” “Oh Lord, my husband has
fallen into the river!”
The Lord went down into the water and
came up with George Clooney. “Is this your
husband?” the Lord asked.
“Yes,” cried the seamstress. The Lord
was furious. “You lied! That is an untruth!”
The seamstress replied, “Oh, forgive
me, my Lord. It is a misunderstanding. You
see, if I had said ‘no’ to George Clooney, you
would have come up with Brad Pitt. Then if
I said ‘no’ to him, you would have come up
with my husband.
Had I then said ‘yes,’ you would have
given me all three. Lord, I’m not in the best
of health and would not be able to take care
of all three husbands, so THAT’S why I said
‘yes’ to George Clooney. And so the Lord
let her keep him.
The moral of this story is: Whenever a
woman lies, it’s for a good and honorable reason, and in the best interest of others. C
15
Aristo RDC Conversion (Continued from page 1.)
I did not have to rewire
anything else since the power
sources are supplied individually into the main board and the
lights, smoke unit and sound are
wired from there.
I get about four hours run
time from the batteries and when
they drain I can either replace
them at that time with fresh ones
or hook it up to the charger. I
also have the option to run track
power if available at the time.
Battery Location
16
I located the batteries on the bottom
(see 3rd photo from top) of the RDC to
make it easy to get to if I so desire. There
are sixteen batteries at 2200 mah with a
total of 19.2 volts. More then enough power
to run the RDC with sound and
smoke.
The batteries are mounted so they can be removed for
charging. I still need to make
covers that match the boxes to
conceal the batteries. You can
get batteries from several electronic web sites at lower cost.
($1 each.)
Antenna
You will see (fourth photo
from top), how I mounted the
antenna. I did it this way so
the antenna would not come
in contact with the body. The
body is made of metal and could
interfere with the reception.
I had fun doing this so
now it can travel to anyone’s
railroad.
c
myLargescale.com
Timeless
Treasures
is proud to offer WOODLAND
SCENICS FIGURES to SEPGRS
members at big savings !
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[email protected]
I am passing this on to you
because it definitely worked for me
and we all could use more calm in
our lives.
By following the simple advice
I heard on a Dr. Phil show, I have
finally found inner peace.
Dr. Phil proclaimed the way to
achieve inner peace is to finish all the
things you have started.
So I looked around my house to
see things I started and hadn’t finished; and, before leaving the house
this morning, I finished off a bottle of
Merlot, a bottle of Cardonay, a botle of
Baileys, a butle of Kehuha, a pockage
of Tim Toms, an tha mainder of bottel
Prozic and Valum scripshins, the res
of the Chesescke, some saltins an a
bax a cholates.
Yu haf no ideear who gude I fiel.
*Plees sen dis orn to dose yu fiel
ar in ned ov inar peece.
–from John Boedeker
The Amtrak power failure last May 25 stranded 112 trains
By Matthew L. Wald • New York Times, February 24, 2007
WASHINGTON, February 23–The
power supply system for trains running between New York and Washington, a concatenation of parts whose
oldest links date back 80 years, failed
last May 25 because of a hidden flaw
in some of the newest equipment in
the chain, the railroad said Friday.
A 4-year-old computer in Philadelphia failed to execute a single command given 36 hours earlier, after
maintenance had been done on the
evening of May 23, and then failed
to alert human controllers that it had
not followed instructions, according to
an extensive investigation performed
by outside experts. The effect was to
limit the amount of power available in
the system, leaving no margin during
periods of peak demand.
The system muddled through the
morning and evening rush hours on
May 24, but on the morning of the
25th it became overloaded and failed,
according to Amtrak. Giant machines,
needed to convert power to the type
Amtrak needs, failed one by one, first
at a substation in Sunnyside, Queens;
then at Jericho Park, near Bowie,
Md.; and then Lamokin, near the
Pennsylvania-Delaware border.
Once the Sunnyside equipment
shut itself down to prevent overload,
“you had this cascading effect,” said
William Crosbie, the railroad’s vice
president for operations. “Once you
had the snowball rolling down the
hill, it was inevitable.”
But the fact that a 4-year-old
component caused the failure of equipment built in the 1920s was incongruous enough that Mr. Crosbie referred
to it, ruefully, as a “punch line.”
The power failure struck during
the morning rush hour, stranding
112 trains with tens of thousands
of passengers on board. Many were
stuck for hours in tunnels under the
Hudson River.
Adding to the problem was that
much of the equipment is remotely
controlled, but if the power fails, a
technician must be present to restart
it, by physically resetting electrical
breakers. At a key location, Sunnyside
Yard in Queens, Amtrak had to send
a technician through rush-hour traffic
before it could start restorations.
Another problem was the magnitude of the blackout. Some equipment,
the investigators noted, cannot be
restarted without having electricity
available.
As part of the changes instituted
since the blackout, Amtrak now keeps
a technician on site during rush hours
at Sunnyside and other key sites,
where it imports power from the commercial utility grid. The grid supplies
alternating current at 60 cycles, which
is in near-universal use in North
America. But between New York and
Washington, Amtrak trains and the
commuter trains that use its rails run
on an older standard, 25 cycles.
Amtrak also stations a “rescue”
locomotive at the New Jersey side
of the Hudson River tunnels and
has instituted procedures to bring
additional diesels from Sunnyside
through the East River tunnels and
Penn Station and into the Hudson
River tunnels if needed.
Mr. Crosbie said Amtrak and NJ
Transit are cross-training their crews.
In May, one problem was that the
crew of the Amtrak locomotive that
reached an NJ Transit train stuck in
a tunnel did not know how to release
its brakes.
Another layer of irony is that the
procedure for reducing power during
maintenance was probably unnecessary to begin with, he said. When
Amtrak inquired about the purpose
of the procedure, “the vendor didn’t
have a good explanation for that,” he
said. Mr. Crosbie said he would not
identify the company that had sold
Amtrak the equipment.
Two companies that took credit
for building the Philadelphia substation, called Richmond, declined to
comment Friday. They are Advanced
Control Systems of Norcross, Georgia,
and Siemens Transportation of Sacramento, Calif.
After the blackout, the equipment
manufacturer decided that instead of
fi xing the system to assure that the
command to restore full power was
accomplished or the human operator
notified, the whole procedure should
be eliminated, he said.
Mr. Crosbie said Amtrak was
not pursuing any damage claims over
the failure.
The computer that failed was
one of a pair, installed with the idea
of providing redundancy. But the
second computer had communications
problems and was out of service at the
time of the failure, he said.
The railroad, its utility suppliers
and other companies involved agreed
to have the investigation conducted
by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, which produced
the report on the Northeast blackout
of 2003.
Amtrak has invested heavily in
its electric system in recent years, and
after the failure in May, attention was
focused—wrongly, as it turns out—on
the components from the 1920s and
1930s. Lamokin, for example, dates
from 1928. And the failure would
have been much less likely on older
equipment, Mr. Crosbie said.
“In the old days, you had switches
and gauges,” he said, and a glance
would reveal that one of them was
out of position.
C
17
UPPER SOUTHAMPTON, PA
Train historian stays on track
Railroad expert Richard Mansley has compiled a 14-volume set of drawings that
tells the story of a local line. And he’s not finished.
By KARA FITZPATRICK, BUCKS COUNTY COURIER TIMES
Forty-seven years and 238 impeccable drawings later, 14 thick
volumes document the history of the
Philadelphia, Newtown and New
York Railroad, thanks to Richard
Mansley
18
The unique collection tells the
complete story of the local railroad.
“Railroads were the superhighways of the 19th century,” said Mansley, 77. “The railroad stations were
the supermarkets for transportation.”
Mansley, of Philadelphia, has
taken time—almost five decades, to
be exact—to draw the stations, signals and signs of the historic railroad. The result is a collection of
drawings, made to scale, that gives
historians and hobbyists a flawless
blueprint of the past.
The Newtown Historic Association has a copy of Mansley’s collection, which documents the Newtown
line, That rail line included stations
at Newtown, Churchvi]ie and Upper Southampton, where a group
has formed to refurbish the historic
structure. Mansley’s research will
come in handy during that project,
said Charles Liberto, a member of
the Southampton Railroad Society. Mansley a volunteer with the
Newtown Historic Association,
is giving the Southampton society
a set of drawings of the structure to
use in its rehabilitation efforts.
In addition, he will give a lecture at 7 p.m. April 24 on railroad
history when the society meets in the
first-floor meeting room of the Upper
Southampton Public Library, 947
Street Road.
The meeting is open to the public.
Mansley said his interest in railroads was piqued by newspaper articles. From there, “I wanted to know
more. I got interested in all the details,” he said.
Once he learned the details, he
said he discovered that the railroad
he knew was becoming extinct. “I
realized that the railroad was being
dismantled; they were just cannibalizing the system,” he said.
Mansley, a mechanical draftsman by trade, took it upon himself
to ensure that while the buildings
might not always exist, they would
be flawlessly documented.
In 1960, “I began taking pictures and doing sketches,” he recalled.
He started with a shelter at the
County Line station, just below the
Upper Southampton station. “It was
just a small structure,” he said.
But his project continued.
Traveling to each of the stations
that he drew, he’d arm himself with
a tape measure and a camera. Often,
he would walk the railroad from station to station to get the full effect of
the line. Sometimes, if he was lucky,
he would acquire drawings or blueprints of the stations.
“I became acquainted with people, and they would supply me with
things,” Mansley said. He said he has
interviewed more than 150 people—
“anybody that would talk to me.”
While Mansley’s documentation
is vast, he’s not ready to stop.
“I’ve completed up to [the year]
1929,” he said. He’s working to document 1930 and 1931.
He’ll press on because it’s a
hobby, but more important, because
the area’s railroads have a “very interesting history,” he said. “It was
a whole different type of existence at
that time.” C
Richard Mansley (above
left) has compiled 14
volumes of work on the
railroad history in this
area of Bucks County,
PA. The project has
taken him 47 years
a nd i ncludes ha nddrawn illustrations of
stations, signals and
signs of the railroad.
(L eft) A n u n issued
share of Newtown RR
stock from Mansley’s
col lection. (Pho tos: Jaw Craw ford,
Bucks County Courier
Times)
C
The USA’s largest and oldest
modular trolley modeling group!
If you share an interest in the history
and/or modeling of streetcars, trolleys,
interurbans, subway or rapid transit
cars, or any other aspects of electric
transit railroading, prototype or model,
we encourage you to find out more about
the East Penn Traction Club of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania through this web
site—http://www.eastpenn.org/ C
19
http://www.deldot.gov/static/Community_programs_services/kids/kids_fun.shtml
CPPPpppLKe
LIVE
STEAM
DAY
The Arboretum is hosting a live steam day
on Saturday, June 2nd. Any interested people
that want to run can contact me offline via e-mail
to get signed up. It is from 10am-5pm and setup
will be earlier (to be determined). There are a few
tracks that we will have to run on out of the 10
total tracks on the grounds. There are many bridges and
trestles to cross and it is fully landscaped. The maximum
grade is 2% and min 8' diameter, max 20' diameter.
There may be limiting bridges and tunnel openings
for a engine like a K27 to run, but I will have the measurements of the openings to see what can run. It is all
mainline running with no sidings—just one continuous
track. Steaming up will have to be on the track.
There will be tables set up for us to work at before
running. Even if you do not want to run, it should be a
great day.
Currently we have 5 people scheduled to participate.
Morris Arboretum is located at 100 Northwestern
Avenue, Philadelphia PA. For more information, contact
Iana Turner at 215-753-0428.
Hope to see many faces there.
C
Arboretum Garden
Railway Schedule
(as of 4/15/07)
• Paul Busse arrives May 21st
• Workdays at the train site w/
Paul Busse and his crew—5/22,
5/23, 5/24. Help is needed!
• Final touch-ups and putting
trains on the track—5/25
• Grand opening of the railway—
5/26
• Live Steam-Up at the arb—6/2
(Rain date TBD)
• Train Enthusiasts’ Night—6/28
• Circus Week #1—6/30–7/8
• Circus Week #2—8/25–9/3
• Garden Railway last day—10/8
Lancaster Chapter
of NRHS Hosts Open
House & Dedication
The Lancaster Chapter of
the National Railway Historical
Society (NRHS) is hosting an
Open House & Dedication from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday,
June 9 at the restored Christiana Freight station, 10 Railroad
Avenue, Christiana, PA.
The event is being held to
celebrate the dedication of the
newly restored shop building on
the premises, which is known as
the “Gang House.” The dedication ceremony will be held at
noon.
In addition to the dedication
ceremony, visitors are invited
to enjoy model railroad displays
including a 24-foot × 17-foot
garden railway display in the
courtyard between the Gang
House and the Freight Station,
videos, and displays by a number of rail-related museums and
attractions. An entertainer will
perform railroad songs, and there
will be a miniature train for children to ride.
Lancaster Chapter NRHS
members will be conducting
walking tours of Christiana Borough using the route and historical information developed by
the Christiana Lions Club. The
nearby Underground Railroad
Visitor Center at 11 Green Street
will also be open.
The Christiana Freight Station which serves as the chapter
home of the Lancaster Chapter
NRHS, is along Amtrak's main
rail corridor, and a number of
passenger trains pass by the station daily.
For further information contact Glenn Kendig, Lancaster
Chapter NRHS President, 610593-6313. C
Large Scale “Timesaver” Switching Plans
Adapted from a John Allen Design by Brandy Bruce-Sharp
Approximate module boundries for 4’ modules. Turnouts straddle module joints. Evaluate alternate methods.
ALL ARISTO-CRAFT TRACK: 4 - 3' Sections • 2 - 2' Sections • 1 - 5' Section - Cut to fit • 2 - 10' Diameter
Sections - Cut to 18* • 3 - LH Wide Radius Turnouts • 2 - RH Wide Radius Turnouts • 3 - Lighted Bumpers
8 CAR GAME: Each tail track for the run around, the spur and the side of the run around away
from the switchback is designated as a spot for two cars, with a different type at each spot.
Looking at the plan with the switchback away from you, the normal operator's position, the
spots might be—left tail, reefer—spur, boxcars—run around, hoppers—right tail—tank cars.
The engine starts on the switchback to the left of the turnout (Mainline), with the last two cars
brought out (which may be any type) coupled to the left of the engine. The remaining six cars are
all at their designated spots by the car type. There are two folded paper tabs (or other designations) to designate which cars are to be brought out, (placed on the left end of the switchback)
beyond the end of the engine's starting point. The operator gets to place one tab on any one of
the cars at the designated spots. If your playing the betting game, the other team gets to place
the second tab, and the stopwatch starts as that tab is placed. The operator must bring out
the outbound cars, replace the cars that were coupled to the engine at their designated spot
by car type and leave or replace all other cars at their designated spots. The clock is stopped
when the engine returns to the starting point with the two outbound cars to its left and all other
cars in their designated spots. To play with fewer cars, the spots remain the same, but simply
subtract cars, leaving at least one car for each car type spot. C
SEPGRS CALENDAR • ’07
DATE
EVENT
Saturday, April 28th
P. Fenn’s 2nd Annual Train Show • Bensalem, PA (SEPGRS Business Meeting from 1:002:30; CD video featuring Tom Ruddell’s Bethlehem Central RR will be shown at 12:15)
[www.sepgrs.com]
Fri.–Sun., May 4th-6th
18th National Model Trolley Meet • Villanova (University), PA [www.eastpenn.org]
Fri.–Sun., May 11th-13th
Heart of America Garden RR Show • Kansas City, MO [www.hagrs.com]
Saturday, May 25th
Grand Opening of Morris Arboretum Garden Railway—10th Anniversary • Phila., PA
[www.business-services.upenn.edu/arboretum/gardenrailway2.html]
SEPGRS ▶
EVENT
June ??? (TBA)
Bob Langdale’s Garden Railroad Open House • Lafayette Hill, PA (Directions to follow.)
SEPGRS ▶
EVENT
June 9th & 10th, 12-4pm
Pete Eggink’s Garden Railroad Open House • Wilmington, DE (Directions to follow.)
June 17th & Sept. 15th
SPEEDER Days at Wilmington & Western RR • Wilmington, DE (Ride track inspection cars.)
SEPGRS ▶
EVENT
Wed.–Sat., June 27th-30th
National Garden RR Convention • Las Vegas, NV
SEPGRS ▶
EVENT
Thursday, June 28th
Train Enthusiasts Nite at the Morris Arboretum • Philadelphia, PA [www.sepgrs.com]
SEPGRS ▶
EVENT
July ??? (TBA)
David Yori’s Garden Railroad Open House • West Chester, PA (Directions to follow.)
SEPGRS ▶
EVENT
Saturday, August 4th
John Tomchick’s D&D Railroad Open House • Williamstown, NJ (Directions to follow.)
[www.sepgrs.com]
Tues.–Sat., Aug. 7th-11th
Circus Builders National Convention at Pennsylvania RR Museum • Strasburg, PA
Ken Donohoe’s • Wilmington, DE: Wed, May 16–9am-8pm Sat , June 2–1-4pm Wed, June 20–6-8pm
Wed, July 18, 6-8pm Wed, Aug 18–6-8pm Wed, Sep 19–6-8pm Sat, Nov 3–1-4pm
The SEPGRS Newsletter is published by PETERPICA Productions, 4725 Albert Road, Bensalem, PA 19020. The opinions expressed in this Newsletter are those of the authors
and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Society. Questions or comments regarding the Newsletter’s format or content may be directed to [email protected].