Clinkers. Goin Down the Shore. Next Division Meet. Call for Nominations. In This Issue

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1 Official Newsletter of the New Jersey Division, Mid-Eastern Region, National Model Railroad Association Volume 22 Number 2 Goin Down the Shore The Ocean Fire Company Number 1 Hall in Point Pleasant Beach will be the venue for the next New Jersey Division meet. Our speaker, German Georigrieff, is a graduate of Rutgers University where he majored in Natural Resource Management and is the Chief Naturalist for the Ocean County Park System at Wells Mills Park in Waretown. No one knows the back roads and the old towns of the Pine Barrens better than German. German presentation will be "The Railroad History of Ocean County." He will be offering images of what evidence remains of the CNJ, PRR and Tuckerton Railroad, along with a scattering of historic photos. Please come and join us to hear about this interesting topic as well as other yet to be determined clinics and the usual contest, door prizes, raffle, and camaraderie, not to mention the seven terrific home layouts on the afternoon tour! Call for Nominations The New Jersey Division, Mid Eastern Region, National Model Railroad Association, will be holding an election of Directors for the term June 2011 through May All regular NMRA members living within the boundaries of the New Jersey Division are eligible to be candidates for the annual election. In order to have your name appear on the ballot, as specified in the bylaws of the NJ Division, you must submit a signed petition indicating your desire to be a candidate, and have it signed by 5 other regular NMRA members who also reside within the boundaries of the NJ Division. Their NMRA membership numbers and expiration dates also need to be included. This petition should then be mailed to the Chairman of the Nominating Committee: Bill Howard Attn: NJ Division Election 7 Hamid Court Hamilton, NJ All petitions must be received by April 20, 2011 in order to be included on See Nominations on page 8 Next Division Meet Saturday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 Ocean Fire Co. Number 1 Hall 400 Arnold Avenue Point Pleasant Beach, NJ Contest: Detailed Diesel & Electric Locomotives Clinics: German Georigieff: Railroad History of Ocean County Others to be announced Layouts: Sat. 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm Swap tables: Contact John Dunn at or jdunn8888@hotmail.com Next Board Meeting May 3, 2011 Host: John Gallagher gallagherjv39@verizon.net In This Issue View From the Cab 2 Nat l, Regional, & Local News 3 Achievement Program News 4 NJ Division Modular News 5 Schedules 6 Contest News 7 Nomination Form 8 March meet Preview 9 Meet Maps and Directions 11 Color Version Extras 13 Page 1

2 View From the Cab Bob Clegg The first item this time concerns the Bulletin car sides that we had at the January meet. We still have 48 of them. I thought that they had been set out at the registration table so they could be picked up on the way out, but somehow they found their way back into my briefcase. My apologies for that little foul up! In order to be fair, and since these will have to be on a first come, first served basis due to the limited number, I d like to handle them this way: Contact me either by phone or and, for as long as they last, I ll put you on the list. Any that are not reserved will be up for grabs at the meet. My contact information is on page 6. We will have them at the March meet for pick up, but for those of you who would like to participate in the contest but can t make it to Point Pleasant Beach, we will find a way to get your set to you. Thanks go out to the committee members, clinicians, and the op session and layout hosts who are the folks responsible for the convention s success! Mark May 21 on your calendar for the last NJ Division meet for this season. In keeping with our attempts to include some new and different activities, we have arranged to tour the SMS Railroad facilities at the Pureland Industrial Center during the afternoon of the May meet. We ll still have the usual morning activities, too, which will be at the Woolwich Fire Hall. Watch for the May edition of for more details! Finally, thanks to all of the March Meet layout tour hosts for giving us the opportunity to see their fine modeling work, and for sending their photos and stories for this edition of. I m sure that you are looking forward to seeing the railroads in person as much as I am. On the positive side of this, Dick Genthner has provided a copy of the original directions for these car sides. We will include copies with each set. Next, we have two members who have stepped up and volunteered to help the Division. Mike Underwood has volunteered to take over the coffee duty from Bob Liberman, and Mike Rossi will be the official Division photographer. Our thanks to them for making our Division even better! Speaking of members stepping up, thanks go to Joe Weisbrod, John Vogler, and Ken Durrua for making all the arrangements for the facility, recruiting layout tour hosts, and securing one of our clinicians for the March meet. When you see one of these folks, please tell them that you appreciate their efforts! The final results from the MER fall convention, Princeton Junction 2010 are finally in. Aside from receiving many complements on the clinics, operating sessions and layout tours, the convention also turned a profit. At the January meet, MER Vice President and convention treasurer, PJ Mattson presented a check in the amount of $1558 to the NJ Division. Page 2

3 National, Regional, and Local News and Events MER Matching Grant Helps Local Kids The New Jersey Division is pleased to announce that at the Division meet held January 15 at Haddon Twp. High School, the Division presented a check in the amount of $1000 to the Atlantic County 4-H Model Railroad Club. This was made possible by a grant from the Mid-Eastern Region Matching Grant Program that was approved by the MER Board of Directors at their January meeting. With the $500 grant, and with the matching $500 from the NJ Division, we were able to make the donation. The 4-H Model Railroad Club is comprised of about thirty young people between the ages of seven and 18 who live in and around Atlantic County, NJ, and a volunteer staff of about ten adult mentors. The kids are from all backgrounds, but all have their interest in model railroading in common. Weekly meetings are usually held on Friday nights in the Atlantic County 4-H building on NJ Route 50 in Mays Landing. During the meetings the members learn about all aspects of the hobby including, but not limited to, construction, scenery, electrical, and operations under the supervision of the club s mentors. Each year the club also sets up their modular N scale and more recently, their HO scale modules for two train shows and a holiday season display at the Shore Mall in Egg Harbor Twp. New Jersey Division member and the group s leader Wayne Richter, has informed me that the grant will be used for various projects including purchasing a few pieces of equipment for those members who do not have the financial wherewithal, and to help pay for field trips and entrance fees to places like the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum in Strasburg, PA. Again, the members and the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Division, extend our thanks to the Mid-Eastern Region for helping to make this donation possible. Pictured accepting the donation check are, 4-H Model Railroad Club member, Ethan MacFarlane (left), 4-H Club mentor and NJ Division member, Nick Caccavo, (center), and presenting the check Assistant Superintendent, Chris Widmaier. MER Board Elections In the New Jersey Division we have seen quite a bit of activity by our members on the NMRA Achievement Program. For those looking to continue working towards Master Model Railroader status, an opportunity awaits you to earn the Association Official award. Yes, it is time for elections in the Mid-Eastern Region of the NMRA, the parent Region of the New Jersey Division. The Association Official award is given to those who are in service to the NMRA at a Regional or National level. By serving as a Director in the MER, you will earn two thirds of the qualifications after one term. If you serve as President, then you will earn the certificate after just one term. This an opportunity to not only earn your award but also contribute to the NMRA and give back something to this wonderful hobby of model railroading that we all enjoy. So consider volunteering to run for a Director position in the MER so we can put you on the ballot! Since this is an odd numbered year, the three Director positions on the MER Board are up for election. The successful candidates will serve a two year term beginning at the annual MER convention, to be held this year in Cary, NC. Ballots will be mailed to members in early September. See Region Election on page 8 Page 3

4 Achievement Program News PJ Mattson & Dick Genthner, MMR There are a few announcements about AP rewards for the month. We have received the Golden Spike awards for both Jim Homoki and Jerry Kronengold. This winter weather has slowed the actual presentations to them, but it will happen soon. (Have you had enough snow yet? If you need some I ll be glad to send you some from the northern end of the Division). We still are awaiting the certificate for Tom Griffith s AUTHOR application. Congratulations to these members. While you think about it, here is something you ought to do. A good number of Division members worked many hours getting ready for the MER convention. A lot more members put in more time during the convention making it all happen. All of these activities can count as Time Units for the Association Volunteer certificate. I d like to suggest that before you forget, make a list of the time you spent and get signatures to verify your activities before you forget all of what you did. It s a lot easier to do it now, rather than waiting a few years when you might want to apply for the Association Volunteer certificate. If you have questions about VOLUNTEER give me or PJ a call. Another thought for the month. Bob Clegg announced at the January meet that there will be a contest for the members to build a cardboard side refer car using some old cardboard sides published in the NMRA Bulletin about 50 years ago. I d like to suggest that would be a great opportunity for the members to try their hand at super-detailing these cardboard side refers as a learning experience for the CARS certificate. You could experiment in adding hand grabs, ladders, brake gear, coupler lift devices, detailed ice hatches etc. You might find it a great deal of fun and a good way to get started on the CARS requirements. Bob has copies of the cardboard side if you need a set. You could win a prize in the Division contest and maybe even make a model worth judging for the CARS certificate. If you have questions call me. Last but not least, if you have any questions about the NMRA Achievement Program, need judging done, or need layout visits for inspections, just give PJ or me a call. We are here to help you. PJ Mattson Dick Genthner, MMR pjmattson@comcast.net argent1@optonline.net ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM GOLDEN SPIKE AWARD APPLICATION FORM is available on page 18 Online in Color Version Extras. Above: Newly elected MER VP PJ Mattson, left, was presented a Certificate of Achievement for Association Official from Dick Genthner at the January meet. Right: Joe Rugarber, center, was presented a Certificate of Achievement for Association Volunteer by PJ Mattson and Dick Genthner at the January meet. Page 4

5 Modular Modeling in the New Jersey Division Mike McNamara It was good to see such a great turnout at the January Division Meet and I appreciate everyone who stopped by the back of the cafeteria to take a look at the latest activity on the New Jersey Free-Mo modules. There seems to be a growing interest in those considering building a module or two and that is great. I enjoyed talking to everyone about their ideas and thoughts on building modules. One visitor to the Meet was Ron Parisi. Ron participated in the MER Princeton Jct. convention hosted by the NJ Division and spent a good deal of time there talking to me about trying to fit his latest project onto Free-Mo modules. Since then Ron has figured out how to incorporate what he wants to model and brought foam core mock ups to share and discuss. Ron is focusing on the New York Central s float operations at 69th street in New York City. This was a large facility that handled over 1600 cars a day. Even scaled down, Ron has quite a project going. His main Free-Mo run through modules will be about 10 long and feature a double track mainline and a passing siding with spurs to serve a car float and transfer pier. These last 2 features will be extensions off of the modules at approximately a 45 degree angle and will extend about 8 feet long! Overall Ron will have a modular footprint of about 10 x 10 which is pretty large as far a modular railroading goes. But he is a veteran of modular railroading and has certainly spent a good deal of time and effort on his mock ups to figure out how to get exactly what he wants and still keep it modular. I hope you had a chance to meet Ron and talk to him about his project. I expect we ll see Ron in the future as he is pretty much ready to start bench work now. Others I spoke with shared some common themes that I wanted to share here. One was that building a module was a great way to finally get started on a project and I wholeheartedly agree. A module will touch on all facets of layout building but keep the scope and costs to a manageable size. For a newcomer or even a veteran that perhaps has not built their own layout, a first module is a good way to learn the skills needed to go onto build more modules or a home layout. And if you are building something larger (perhaps a home layout, a single module is a good way to start. I had a few comments from people who said if they were starting out they would build their layouts as modules. Another discussion centered around the ability to actually finish something. A large layout is a multiyear commitment to get things operational and to a certain level of scenery. Not so with a module. Even working a little bit at a time, a module is more likely an effort of months, not years, especially if someone starts small with say a 2 x 4 or so footprint (it s Free- Mo so feel free to go with any length!). Getting to the point where you run trains, do scenery, add buildings and details, well that is where the fun is and there is no quicker way to get there than doing a module. The final discussion point I wanted to share was about construction, weight and portability. Looking at the Free-Mo standard, you really only need to worry about the endplates being ¾ x 6 x 24. How you build the rest is up to you. My modules are pretty standard construction wise and use plywood sides and a solid plywood top. I would say the result is a medium weight module. I can carry it myself, but it is neither light nor heavy in my opinion. Using foam and smaller wood sizes will help reduce weight and incorporating things like I-beam construction will ensure a solid module. For example, you could use quarter inch plywood sides if you add 1" x 1" stiffeners top and bottom. Another option is what is called "waffle" construction. Hard to explain, so check out for pictures. This also shows the use of integrated fold down legs. For those looking for different construction methods and ideas, I would suggest checking out some web sites for other Free-Mo groups and modular clubs across the country. A good starting point is the list on the main Free-Mo site, organizations. Here you can start exploring and checking out photos and construction tips and techniques. A few hours here should help you nail down your construction methods and get you on your way. For those who did not see my modules at the meet, my updates include completing basic scenery on one section, including ballast, ground cover, static grass, a dirt road and some stones and debris. This gives things a relatively completed look even though I still plan to add more bushes, trees and details. I plan to build a structure for the spur and I am considering making it a food processing plant that will receive corn See Modular on page 7 Page 5

6 Official Newsletter of the New Jersey Division Mid-Eastern Region, NMRA Editor: Bob Clegg 956 Venezia Ave. Vineland, NJ (856) is published 5 times per year for the NMRA members and friends of the New Jersey Division. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Division. Products and publications mentioned in in no way constitute an endorsement by the Division. Contributing to welcomes contributions from the New Jersey Division membership. Letters, articles, photos and other items may be mailed or ed to the editor at the above address. Please include return postage if you would like materials returned. Deadline for next issue: April 22, 2011 Board of Directors Superintendent Bob Clegg Asst. Superintendent Director - Librarian Chris Widmaier Bill Howard Treasurer Director - Clinics Bob Liberman John Dunn Secretary Director - Layouts Tom Lavin John Gallagher Division AP Coordinator PJ Mattson Membership Information Any person who is a member of the NMRA and lives within the boundaries of the NJ Division as defined by the NMRA is also a member of the division. Non member guests are welcome to attend two of our meets, after which they will be asked to join the NMRA. Annual activity fee: $10.00 (includes 5 meets) Online newsletter available at no charge Mailed hardcopy Newsletter $5.00 New Jersey Division, MER, NMRA P.O. Box 8694 Trenton, NJ National Model Railroad Association 4121 Cromwell Road Chattanooga, TN Dues: $58.00 per year ($39 w/o Scale Rails) Mar 5, 2011 Cherry Valley Semiannual Swap Meet Grace Episcopal Church 7 East Maple Avenue Merchantville, NJ 9:00 AM till 1PM Admission is $5.00. March 12-13, H Model Railroad Club Train Show and Fair 10:00 am-4:00 pm Shore Mall 6725 Black Horse Pike Egg Harbor Twp, NJ March 21, 2011 West Jersey Chapter, NHRS Chapter Meeting Haddon Heights Borough Hall 625 Station Ave. Haddon Heights, NJ Speaker: Kevin Painter Topic: Santa Fe Railroad Through the Years March 25-26, 2011 Railroad Prototype Modelers Seminar-East Sheraton Four Points Hotel Route 30 East Greensburg, PA. See advertisement on page 9 May th National Model Trolley Meet The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks, PA Modular layouts Clinics, movies, slide shows, contests, displays Trolley/traction dealers, swap/sell tables, home trolley layouts open. Theme: Nearside Trolley Cars. May 21, 2011 NJ Division Meet Woolwich Fire Hall 1517 Kings Highway Swedesboro, NJ Clinics: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Prototype Tour: SMS RR at Pure Land Industrial Park 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Contest: Any detailed freight car with a realistic load NJ Division Area Hobby Shops Sattler s Hobby Shop* 14 Haddon Ave. Westmont, NJ (856) Jackson Hobby Shop* 2275 West County Line Rd. Jackson, NJ (732) Schedules Trains 'n Things 936 Weymouth Road Vineland, NJ (856) The Train Room* 715 Arnold Ave. New Location Pt. Pleasant Beach, NJ (732) Page 6

7 New Jersey Division Model Contest News Chris Widmaier It was a nice turn out at the January meet at the Haddon Height High School, and also nice to see many of our friends from the Philadelphia Division. I thank the following for entering their prototype photographs in the contest: John Dunn entry number 1, Ron Bail had entries 2-5, Roger Cason had entries 7-9, and Joe Rugarber had entries 10 and 11. All of the photographs were well done; I personally had a hard time picking a favorite. Fortunately, I was not the only one who had to decide who the winner was going to be. By your popular, vote, Roger Cason with his Western Maryland steam engine, entry number 9, was declared the winner. take a minute or two to look at the models and cast a vote for your favorite. At each meet only about 20 to 25% of the attendees to vote, so please take the time to cast yours. If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for a model contest, please feel free to contact me. Mean while keep your firebox stoked and enjoy this great hobby of ours. See you in March. Congratulations to Roger, who will be receiving a certificate and a $10.00 voucher for the NJ Division annual activity fee for next year. He can come to every meet and it will not cost him a penny that is, unless he wants a donut! Our next meet is March 12 in Point Pleasant Beach Township, and our contest will be Detailed Diesel and Electric Locomotives. So, come on out to the meet and bring a model or two with you. That next $10 voucher could be yours. We are now getting a nice number of model entries at each meet. What we need is to get more of you to Modular continued from page 5 syrup cars and boxcars. A warehouse with rail served doors and a vertical storage tank for syrup will be built along the edge of the module. In the near term, I will continue the basic scenery treatment on the next sections. I hope to get that all wrapped up in time for the Free-Mo set up occurring at the April Timonium train show. I also discussed with Bruce Barrett some ideas for turnout control. I am not completely sold on the Caboose Industries ground throws with integrated contacts, although they are working now. I might try out an alternate method on one turnout after the basic scenery work is done. I also want to look into making alignment points for the internal endplates on my module and build a bracket to allow easier transporting of the modules while also protecting the top sides. There s plenty to keep me busy! As always check out the njfreemo.org web site for latest information, photos, news and updates. At the January meet, Frank Neufeld (left) winner of the November Meet model contest, Favorite Train, was presented with a certificate. Frank also received a free year s Division activity fee, a ten dollar value. 20th National Model Trolley Meet May The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks, PA Sponsored by The East Penn Traction Club Modular layouts in O, HO, N, and ¾ inch scales Clinics, movies, slide shows, contests, displays Trolley/traction dealers, swap/sell tables, home trolley layouts open. Registration $18 [$20 after May 1 st ]. Theme: Nearside Trolley Cars. Information and printable registration form: or contact Charles Long, Registrar 227 Locust Rd, Ft. Washington PA (215) Page 7

8 Petition for Nomination as a Director of the New Jersey Division for the term June 2011 through May 2013 Candidate s Name (Please print legibly): Candidate s NMRA member number: Expiration Date: Petitioners Signatures NMRA member number: Expiration Date: As a candidate for the position of Director of the New Jersey Division, NMRA I hereby certify that I am a member in good standing of the New Jersey Division, NMRA and that to the best of my knowledge, all signers of this petition are members in good standing of the New Jersey Division, NMRA. Candidate s signature Date Please cut along this line Nominations continued from page 1 Region Election continued from page 3 the ballot. All petitions will be verified by the Nominating Committee. The petition form is included above. If you are reading this online, please print this page and fill out the form. If you are reading this in hardcopy, simply copy and complete this page or use this original. When completed, please mail it to the address shown on page 1. Along with your nominating petition, please include a short letter of introduction to let the members know why you should be elected to the Board of Directors. This information will be sent with the ballot for members to use when considering how to cast their votes. If an election is necessary, ballots will be mailed no later than April 23, 2011 and ballots must be received by May 19, Results will be announced during the NJ Division meet in Swedesboro on May 21. Any further questions can be directed to the Chairman of the Nominating Committee, Bill Howard at or TriangleR@aol.com. To be eligible, a candidate must live within the Region boundaries and submit a candidate s Statement of Qualification along with a head and shoulder photo prior to the April 15th deadline. If you miss this April date, you must include a nomination petition signed by 25 current members in addition to the statement and photo and submit them prior to June 1st. As a member of the MER Nominating Committee, I am here to help anyone with filling out the form, taking the required photo and getting these submitted to the MER. I can also answer your questions regarding what your involvement will require (mainly communications and attending the fall conventions will cover most of your duties). Just contact me via or phone and we will work out the arrangements. Mike McNamara - mikemcnh@comcast.net or phone (856) Page 8

9 March Meet Layout Tour Preview Welcome to South Florida! Chuck Higdon Let me start by saying I have really enjoyed being a part of this group. I have learned something at each clinic. The layout tours are just great. My layout s main feature will be the Miami, Florida passenger station and complex of the late 1950 s time frame. I have been able to have all of the tracks, but did have to shorten them 20%. Through a Yahoo group, I was able to get the drawings of the station itself and have started to scratch build it. That also has been fun, but I am very slow with this project. I also like modern trains, so I did what I could to include the FEC yard at Hialeah, Florida. This is compressed a lot, but the general feel and operating characteristics are there. Of note, are the tracks buried in the pavement. This I did with 1/8 inch Masonite and dadoed the edges to slide over the ties. The light lines are where the Mi- Jack lifter should be to not hit anything. They represent 4 wide concrete strips as is prototypical practice in that yard. I enjoy running passenger trains and this location offers a wide variety of passenger cars to see, without being so overwhelming. Through other sources I have been able to make a growing list of consists for many different times that the trains that came and left this station. Rather long trains made the trip in the winter from the north. Some the trains became so long they had multiple sections as well. As there are few hills of consequence in Florida, in order to do a multilevel layout, a method to get from one level to the other was needed. The helix made the most sense to me. Mine is built using a 38 radius and the thinnest support I could come up with giving me a grade of only 1.46% to deal with between levels. I have been able to run some fairly long trains with just one engine, as would be typical for Florida. Still lots to do, I do round robin with three others and they are good help for me. I try to be for them. See Chuck s layout on the afternoon tour at the March meet in Point Pleasant Beach Ed. Page 9

10 March Meet Layout Tour Preview Above: Scratch built and kit bashed industries in Jersey City on Joe Weisbrod's Jersey Beach Lines in the early Conrail years. Joe has expanded into another room since we last visited there and is planning to double deck the entire railroad in the future. Below: On Ken Sharkey s layout rail fans love to view the railroad from this balcony! Top right: Swift Coke Works services the steel and chemical industries with a large complex near the mines on John Vogler s Allegheny, Lehigh, and Eastern. Right: It s a fall day on Dave Albertson s Jersey Shore themed railroad and the guys at Makin Manufacturing, purveyors of Concrete Block and Masonry supplies in Point Pleasant, are keeping busy loading a customer s truck. Bottom right: A PRR T1 leaves the station on Ed Elwell s Pittsburgh, Hagerstown & Southern See more photos of these great model railroads online in Color Version Extras! Page 10

11 From the west via I 195: Maps and Directions for the March Meet Take I 195 East to exit 35A, and follow NJ34 South. NJ34 ends at NJ35. Continue straight on NJ35 for about 2 miles and, after crossing the Manasquan River Bridge, turn left at the third traffic light onto Arnold Avenue. After crossing the RR tracks, the firehouse will be on your right. From the Garden State Parkway Southbound: Exit the Parkway at exit 98 and follow signs to NJ34. Follow directions from the west, above. From the Garden State Parkway Northbound: Exit the Parkway at exit 98 to take I 195 West. Follow signs to NJ34. Stay in the right lane and immediately exit at exit 35A onto NJ34 South. Follow directions from the west, above. From the west via NJ 70: Take NJ70 East to the end and turn right onto NJ35. Follow directions from the west, above. Note: Looking at the map, there may appear to be shorter routes, and considering only distance, there are. However, the traffic patterns and the number of traffic lights along these shorter routes can actually create a longer travel time. Cherry Valley Semiannual Swap Meet Located in the basement of Grace Episcopal Church, the Cherry Valley Club at 7 East Maple Avenue in Merchantville, NJ is having their semiannual swap meet Sat Mar 5, 2011 from 9AM till 1PM. Admission is $5.00. Coffee, donuts, and soda will be available at a nominal cost. The club layout will be open from 10AM til whenever. If you purchase an engine at the show or bring one that is in good running order, you may operate it on the club layout. Of course this is O" Scale, the BIG one! The club runs both DCC and 2 rail DC power Railroad Prototype Modelers Seminar East Sponsored by Division 2, MCR, NMRA 1:00 pm Friday, March 25 through 11:00 pm Saturday, March 26, 2011 Registration will begin at 10:00 am on Friday. Set up after 8:00 am Sheraton Four Points Hotel. Route 30 East, Greensburg, PA. Room rate: $ tax. (724) Mention Prototype Modeler s Meet A large display room will be available for models. Please bring your models. Layout tours will be available on Sunday, March 27 Early Bird operating sessions Thursday Evening, March 24, 6:00PM. Limited number of tables available for $20.00 each. Hotel overlooks the Norfolk Southern (PRR) main line For information contact: Clinic volunteers please contact: Dick Flock Larry Kline 337 Elm Drive, 4130 Bigelow Blvd Greensburg, PA Pittsburgh, PA Phone: jlerr337@verizon.net lndkline@verizon.net Or check the Division 2 website Page 11

12 Maps and Directions for the March Meet Page 12

13 John Vogler s Allegheny, Lehigh & Eastern HO scale DCC two level layout has a 270 mainline plus branch lines and hidden staging. Set somewhere between coastal New Jersey and the coal fields of Pennsylvania, which have regained their industrial importance, it is a free-lanced modern-day bridge line and coal-hauler. When operating sessions begin in a year or so, it will feature unit stack, trail-van, and automobile trains from and to the ports, mine runs, power-plant coal trains, and also have commuter railroad operations (NJT, of course), plenty of on-line industrial switching customers, and interchange with various other properties. The mainline has just been restored to operation after double 2010 floods prevented access to the train room until the crew-lounge (basement) was restored. Construction began with room preparation in 2002 and has continued intermittently as family demands, the crew lounge project, and new jobs have permitted. Fortunately the Wednesday local informal round-robin group keeps progress steady to the point where the layout scenery is now nearly 50% complete. Top right: Hotshot inter-modal westbound on horseshoe curve. Center right: Empties just shoved into the Trexler Mine for loading. Bottom right: Afternoon westbound NJT push-pull train arriving at Panther Point while the protect crew stands by at the mouth of the tunnel. Next page top left: The afternoon westbound intermodal hotshot passes Swift Coke Works on its way to Summit. Next page center left: Empties ready for loading at the still-productive old Reigel Coal Mine in Robertsdale. Next page bottom left: Eastbound inter-modal entering the urban canyon on the first section of the lower level to get scenery. The right column on page 14 are all from Dave Albertson s Jersey Shore themed railroad. Top: Bay Head yard with the freight station to the left Center: Bradley Beach Passenger station Bottom: Bradley Beach yard and Freight station Color Version Extras Page 13

14 Color Version Extras Page 14

15 Color Version Extras Top left: Western Electric in Kearny, Port Newark container yard and Naporano Scrap in Newark. Many an engine has been retired here. Above: Who wants a Bud? The turntable is still in use at the Lehigh Valley engine facility in Newark, NJ. The Budweiser plant behind it is a very busy industry for Conrail. Left: Port Jersey Railroad SW1200 switches a boxcar into Colgate Palmolive Company. Looks like it's 5 o'clock somewhere. All three scenes from Joe Weisbrod's railroad. Bottom left: The milk truck doesn t stop at the speed shop. Racers don t drink milk, at least not on Ken Sharkey s layout! Below: Ken Sharkey s layout includes long yards for staging and classification. Page 15

16 Color Version Extras On this page are some more recent photos of Chuck Higdon s Florida East Coast layout including, in the two at the top of the page, the inter-modal facility in Hialeah and, center and bottom, the yard and the station at Miami. Page 16

17 Color Version Extras Ed Elwell s layout represents a fictitious PRR subsidiary line the Pittsburgh, Hagerstown & Southern running southeast from the mainline at South Fork, Pa. to Hancock, Md. on the Potomac River. From there, the PRR has trackage rights over the Western Maryland to Hagerstown, Md. and a connection with the Norfolk & Western. The layout is in a room above his garage and is approximately 16 x20 and has been under construction for about 10 years. Regular members of the construction crew are: John Swift, John Vogler, Ken Durrua, Bill Hook, Joe Weisbrod and Ed s sons Chris and Bill. The photos are of scenes in and around the town of Juniata Crossing, the most complete area on the layout. Connect with X2011 West EXTRA 2011 WEST The Unconventional Convention 2011 NMRA National Convention Sacramento, California July 3 to 9, 2011 Anyone can see the X2011 West Facebook page, including all photos and videos - you don't have to be a Facebook member and you don't have to login to Facebook. Enjoy! Convention Hotels Sheraton Grand Sacramento 1230 J Street (13th & J Streets) Sacramento, CA Hyatt Regency Sacramento 1209 L Street (12th & L Streets) Sacramento, CA Page 17

18 ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM GOLDEN SPIKE AWARD APPLICATION FORM PLEASE COMPLETE THIS APPLICATION FORM AND SEND TO YOUR REGIONAL OR DIVISIONAL AP CHAIR Member's Name: NMRA#: EXP: Address: State/Prov: Country: City: Postal Code: Date Submitted: Region: The Golden Spike Award will be awarded to any NMRA member who has completed the Qualifications Checklist, obtained the necessary signatures and who does not hold MMR status. It will be administered by the regional and divisional AP Chairs. AP regulations and definitions apply for scratch building and super detailing. To qualify for the award the member must complete the following checklist, obtain the signature of the divisional AP Chair or another NMRA member designated by the divisional Chair. The divisional Chair will submit the signed form to the regional AP Chair who will issue the Golden Spike Award certificate. QUALIFICATIONS CHECKLIST: 1. Rolling Stock (Motive Power & Cars): Display six units of rolling stock either scratch built, craftsman kits or super-detailed commercial kits. 2. Model Railroad Setting (Structures & Scenery) Construct a minimum of eight square feet of layout including scenery. Construct five structures either scratch built, craftsman kits or super detailed commercial kits. If a module has less than five structures, additional structures separate from the scene may be presented. 3. Engineering (Civil & Electrical) Three types of track required (e.g. turnout, crossing, crossover, etc.). All must be properly ballasted and installed on proper roadbed. Commercial track may be used. All installed track must be properly wired so that two trains can be operated simultaneously (e.g. double track main, single track main with sidings, and block or command control). Provide one additional electrical feature such as power operated turnouts, signaling, turnout indication, lighted buildings, etc. Witness: Print Name: NMRA #: Regional AP Chair: Region: Page 18