RED MARKERS. NEXT MEETING... TRACTOR SUPPLY CO., DEWITT, NY RAIN OR SHINE! Saturday May 8, 2010; 2 PM to 4 PM OUR HOSTS!

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1 RED MARKERS Newsletter of the Central New York Division of the Northeastern Region, National Model Railroad Association, Inc. SERVING MODEL RAILROADERS IN AND AROUND CENTRAL NEW YORK STATE NEXT MEETING... TRACTOR SUPPLY CO., DEWITT, NY RAIN OR SHINE! Saturday May 8, 2010; 2 PM to 4 PM E. Olszewski photo Division members and volunteers from our 2008 Empire Junction NER convention enjoy some train watching at Tractor Supply in East Syracuse, September At this Meeting and in this Issue... This is the first time we are trying a meeting format like this so be prepared to make the most of any given situation. While many of us have visited this spot on our own this is the first time we are organizing a Division meeting to watch the prototype in action. Remember, this meeting goes off RAIN or SHINE so come prepared for whatever Mother Nature sends our way. We will also have... 1) 1:1 SCALE LAYOUT... See Our Host at right. 2) BUS TRIP: Get the final details for the day trip Bill and Ed have planned to Dunham Studios and the Upper Hudson Railroad on June 5th. 3) FOOD: The Division will spring for hot dogs and rolls. Please bring your own drinks and snacks. A grill will be available if you would like to cook up your own meat. 4) CLINICS & SHOWCASE: No clinics are planned for this meeting but bring a model to show. Above all else, sit back and enjoy the trains. 5) RAFFLE: Weather permitting we will hold a raffle. OUR HOSTS! This month we have no host but we could have plenty of action. We are meeting in the Tractor Supply Company parking lot in East Syracuse which is adjacent to the CSX Albany-Buffalo mainline and their DeWitt Yards. While the main classification yard tracks are just east of where we will be, the yard lead runs down in front of us. If they are switching the yard we should see some yard action. The two track main line will be right in front of us as well. There is also a controlled siding adjacent to the mains so we should be in a good place for action. We could see everything from intermodal trains to local freights and passenger trains. This will be a perfect opportunity for you to bring your camera and camcorder with you to capture some great photos to help detail your modern day equipment as well as to grab some good video footage of big time American railroading in action. With the division buying the hot dogs, burgers and rolls all you will need is your drinks and snacks. If we all bring our favorite dessert to pass it will be a true pot luck event since no one is coordinating what you bring. Be prepared for the weather and to relax and enjoy the action. PAGE 1

2 The Brass Hats Central New York Division - ELECTED - Superintendent Brian Curry 3594 Chamberlain Road Weedsport, NY (315) banddcurry@peoplepc.com Asst. Superintendent Dave Martini 6943 Shannon Way Liverpool, NY (315) kmartin1@twcny.rr.com Chief Clerk John Roland 1981 Shepard Road Marcellus, NY (315) JRoland855@aol.com Paymaster Ralph Hodson 3259 Bella Vista Drive LaFayette, NY (315) rhodson@twcny.rr.com - APPOINTED - NMRA Achievement Program Representative Dave Martini 6943 Shannon Way Liverpool, NY (315) kmartin1@twcny.rr.com NMRA Member Aid Chairman Jim Heidt, P.O. Box 25 Clockville, NY (315) jimheidt@hotmail.com Division Clinic Coordinator Lenn Amrhein, 6306 Meadow Drive Rome, NY (315) LAMRHEIN@twcny.rr.com Train Show Coordinator & Past Superinttendent George Scooter Youst 691 State Fair Blvd. Syracuse, NY (315) gyoust@me.com Division Storekeeper Ed Olszewski (315) eolszew1@twcny.rr.com Red Markers Co-Editors Ed Olszewski and Ed O Rourke 122 Blackstone Way Syracuse, NY (315) eolszew1@twcny.rr.com eorourke@twcny.rr.com Distributed through our web site at domestic US Mail Delivery available, 2010 CNY Division, NMRA, All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA. Loose Spikes (Notes from the Ashpit ) 2010 PAYMASTERS REPORT Division Name Badges are available from Jim Heidt for $7.00. Price includes postage to mail your badge to you by First Class Mail. No more of this holding onto them or giving them to buddies to pass on. The $7.00 covers all costs. REMEMBER - Contact John Roland, our Chief Clerk, if you ever have trouble receiving your Red Markers. Also, if you need to change your e- mail address or post office address drop John a line. John s contact information is listed in The Brass Hats sidebar to the left. Here are the Red Markers submission deadlines for Please have your articles and any items for Loose Spikes to us by these dates. Remember, EARLIER IS ALWAYS BETTER! Thanks for your support, Ed & Ed. 5/19/2010 7/28/10, 8/25/10, 9/29/10 & 11/10/10 (Continued on page 3 - LOOSE SPIKES) OFFICERS of the NORTHEASTERN REGION, NMRA NER President NER NYS Director NMRA Trustee from the NER Kenneth H. May Mike Evans Paul Allard 71 Buff Cap Road 838 Mason Street 53 Rollin Irish Road Tolland, CT Morrisonville, NY Milton, VT (860) (518) (802) kenneth.may@comcast.net EvansM@co.clinton.ny.us NERT@HQ.NMRA.ORG PAGE 2 Don t Get Left at the Station... To stay onboard and keep receiving Red Markers e -mail notices, you need to come to this meeting (or at least every third meeting). If you absolutely can t attend and want to continue to receive a mailed issue, send $3.00 to Ralph Hodson (see left), make the check payable to CNY Division, NER. Of course you are always welcome to pick up the latest issue on-line at But money is a poor substitute. Come to the meeting because your check book won t have half the fun you will!! We continue to grow and plan exciting things. So don t miss out!! Thanks. No Paymaster report this month.

3 From The Dispatchers Desk I don t think there would be much disagreement with the statement that most model railroaders are also rail fans. It s sort of a chicken and egg thing were we first interested in trains, which brought on model railroading, or did a model train inspire an interest in the real thing? Most of us are probably some combination of the above. Some of my earliest memories are of the Marklin trainset in the attic of our rented house. But other early memories are of watching trains with my Dad and my Grandfather. Our rail fanning spots were Devon, CT, and New Haven station. There was a spot across the way from the station where we could watch passenger trains trade electrics for diesels as well as watch flat switching in the yards. I ve attempted to represent this scene on my model railroad. Devon was a busy junction of the 4-track New Haven-New York mainline and the freight line to Maybrook. Expresses and commuter trains ran along the mainline, usually behind electrics, but with the occasional MU mixed in. Freights for the New York carfloats also plied the mainline, also usually behind electrics. Maybrook traffic was hauled by FA/FB combinations, GP- 9s, RS-3s and FM H16-44 s. There was an occasional 2-unit RDC that ran down the other leg of Devon wye from Ansonia, Derby and other Housatonic River towns headed to Bridgeport. There was an abandoned station used for MOW storage, a transformer substation that fed power to the New Haven overhead, and a classic New Haven pagodaroofed concrete tower that monitored the switches and signals for the junction, as well as for the nearby drawbridge over the river. A real treat was when the opened the bridge for river traffic. I ve got a model of the tower to build and there may be room for at least part of this scene on my railroad as well. Many of us combine rail fanning with prototype research. Difficult for a modeler of the 1950 New Haven to do in Syracuse, but I take the occasional trip back to view the old homestead and check out what used to be the New Haven. Lack of prototype research interest never gets in the way of my rail fan activities, however, and I suspect most of us feel the same. I always make time when I travel to view railroad history or contemporary railroading. I ll ride a trolley or behind a steam engine any time I can. Even better if it s Narrow Gauge or a geared loco. I just returned from a trip to drive a car to my daughter in Colorado. (It s a long story.) The drive took less time than I imagined it would so I had a chance to stop in North Platte, NB, home to the Union Pacific s 2,850 acre Bailey Yard. From the observation deck of the Golden Spike Tower I was able to view the entire UP yard, including two humps and a large engine facility. I got a very nice tour from a retired UP man who explained the entire operation to me. This is a state of the art yard with remote control switchers and the latest in hump yard technology. They have a large building each mainline train runs through where each car is checked for damage or defects. There are 36 coal trains, with over 120 cars each day loads east, empties west. Every 24 hours, 10,000 cars move through the 315 miles of track in this yard. If you get there between May and September, there is also a UP museum in on of the parks, complete with a Challenger on display. If you are ever traveling I80 through Nebraska, stop in. Here s a link to their web site. PAGE 3 dotnetnuke/home.aspx I also had a chance to visit the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden. They have a large collection of both standard and narrow gauge cars and locos (including Bill Brown s stock car I believe), may of them operational. On the weekends (I was there on a Tuesday) they run trains around an oval as well. The track plan looks amazingly like a 4 x 8 model railroad from the pages of MR or RMC. They have a newly constructed roundhouse/shop and a vintage D&RGW turntable. There is also a large and well-detailed HO layout in the basement of the building and a good sized garden layout as well. Here s their website link. If you have time, you can take a tour of the Coors Brewery right down the road, which includes two samples! Come on out to Tractor Supply in East Syracuse May 24th and do some rail fanning with the division. We may see a bunch of trains, we may not see any, but who cares? We ll have a good time, eat a few dogs and burgers and enjoy the fellowship. See you then. Ed and Ed

4 The elections are coming this summer for the Northeastern Region (NER) NMRA Officers, and I, George Scooter Youst, have decided to throw my hat in the ring for NER President. Since we all know each other so well in the CNY Division, I will spare you the details of my personal life and who I am. As NER President I would like to get all the divisions involved on the regional level. I would move the board meetings around the region taking each one to a different division and asking the divisions to host the board meeting along with one of their division meets or functions. This way all the local division members could attend, ask questions, give suggestions and be involved with the board and the region. I believe this would help give the general membership a real feeling of ownership for the region. I will promote interaction between neighboring divisions. This would include the possibilities of joint meetings, mini conventions and prototype tours. I also would invite all the division leaders to attend any and all board meetings to help build a strong line of communication between the region and the divisions. I would also like to set-up layout design/operation SIG sessions throughout the year around different areas of the region. I would greatly appreciate your vote for president of the Northeastern Region because I have a great passion for the hobby and I have been an extremely active member of the NMRA on both the Regional and the Division level. So I believe my enthusiasm for model railroading and my love of the friendship of fellow modelers will aid in keeping the NER as one of the most outstanding in the NMRA. You have to be a member of the NMRA to be eligible to vote in any NMRA election whether it is a Regional, National or Division election. What better time than now to join the NMRA so you can vote in this summer s Regional election. Bill Brown and I greatly appreciate your support. Sincerely, George Scooter Youst My name is Bill Brown and I am seeking to represent New York State on the Northeastern Region Board as a Director. I believe my unique background and experiences would give me the skills and insights to help enhance the function of the NER. I am a longtime NMRA member and past Superintendent of the Central New York Division in Syracuse New York, one of the most active and progressive divisions in the region. I have served on the planning committee for three regional conventions, and have aided in contest judging at both regional and national conventions. I will be retiring from my vocation as a school district administrator on July 30 of 2010, giving me the time and motivation to spend on a hobby I love. For the past 33 years of my profession I believe I have developed exceptional organizational and people skills that would be quite useful in this position with the NER. I have been a modeler for close to 45 years and have constructed several layouts over that time. My Lehigh Alliance of Rail Carriers was featured in a cover story in the August 2006 Model Railroader magazine. I have been active in the contest room, achieving two Baldwin Trophies for Best of Show at NER conventions, and won the National Gold Award for Best of Show at the Detroit NMRA National. In addition I am the president of a local club, The Central New York Modelers that has also been featured several times in the hobby press and achieved numerous display awards. Just a few years ago I was honored by The NMRA as Master Model Railroader # 377. In summary, model railroading has been a passion for me for several years. This passion extends well beyond just modeling. I have supported the activities of the NMRA at the local, regional, and national levels and have always looked at myself as a positive promoter of model railroading efforts. I believe my unique background, deep insights, ambition and positive attitude would make me a strong asset to the NER. PAGE 4

5 PRINTED MODEL RR MAGAZINES, AN ENDAGERED SPECIES? By Ed Olszewski You have been receiving this newsletter via the internet for over four years now, with less than ten printed copies mailed out each month. This change has reduced our production costs to less than $10 an issue compared to the over $150 we used to spend on printing and postage. You may have noticed in this same time period Railmodel Journal, Mainline Modeler and Model Railroading have all disappeared from the hobby shop magazine rack with no new magazines replacing them. Faced with the same printing and postage cost issues we were, but on a much larger scale, these magazines annulled their schedules. While no new printed magazines fill the rack space left by these magazines, there is a new breed of media coming on the scene to fill the gap. These new offerings take the form of electronic media and are delivered to you weekly, monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly using the internet. The first of these new publications is The Keystone Modeler (TKM) published by the PRR Technical and Historical Society. This publication is in the form of a traditional magazine but delivered as an Adobe pdf file. All you need to read this magazine is the free Adobe Reader and an internet connection. If you choose, you are able to download the magazine to your computer so you won t tie up your phone line while reading it, or for archiving. While TKM is written around PRR modeling there are a number of tips in each issue from which we can all benefit. If you would like PRR cars on your layout what better place to get PRR model info then from the PRRT&HS? This magazine spawned similar magazines from other Railroad Historical Societies - a listing of known publications is provided at the end of this article. Another publication delivered over the internet that you use Adobe Reader to view is the now bi-monthly Model Railroad Hobbyist (MRH) internet magazine. The producers, Joe Fugate and his staff, have taken the traditional magazine format and added a heavy dose of internet technology in the way of hyperlinks and embedded video. The fully embedded version of this magazine is not for a slow internet connection. The current issue in its embedded form is 183 MB. Fear not though, the folks at MRH also provide smaller versions of the magazine that you can download and read without all of the embedded video. To see MRH file download selection panel the video in these versions you will need an active internet connection. If you want more information on an advertiser or product featured in an article or ad, simply click on the provided hyperlink and you will be taken to the advertiser s website. With printed magazines we read about someone's home layout and visit it through the photos in the article. With MRH, you not only get the photos but you get more of them since there is no need to fit the article into a size suitable for printing and mailing. You also get video of the layout! I PAGE 5

6 have enjoyed reading about some of the nation s top layouts, then clicked on the link and actually saw the layout owner showing off his or her trains and watched them run through the various scenes on the layout. Sometimes we are treated to the modeler showing us how a particular effect was achieved on his or her models. Reading about a layout or scenery technique is nice, but watching it is even better. Podcasts are another form of media used to provide model railroading content over the internet. Podcasts are typically audio programs but some, like the Atlas podcast, are video programs. Podcast is a combination of the name ipod, the Apple media player, and broadcasting. You can listen to the programs on any mp3 player or a computer it does not have to be an Apple product. Podcasts are episodic shows that are distributed as downloadable files. You download the episodes using a podcatcher application like ipodder or itunes. You subscribe to the shows you want to listen to and the podcatcher will download the show s episodes for you as new ones become available. Don t confuse these files with ones you download from a web site or streaming audio or video files. The Atlas Model Railroad Company podcast previously mentioned seems to release new episodes sporadically, as a new one has not been released since mid The two main model railroad related podcasts available today are The Scotty Mason Show and Model Railcast Show. Both shows feature several hosts talking about what is new in the hobby, what they are each working on in their own layouts and businesses, as well as interviews with people and manufacturers in the hobby. The Scotty Mason Show is produced on a more or less monthly basis and features Scott Mason, Dave Frary, Doug Foscale and Jimmy Deignan. Each of these individuals has a business related to model railroading. Jimmy Deignan is a reseller of new and vintage craftsman kits, Scott Mason and Doug Foscale are craftsman structure kit manufacturers, and Dave Frary is an author and custom layout builder. Together they also produce the annual Craftsman Structure Show in November. Each episode of the show runs three to four hours and is loaded with interesting news and tidbits. A recent show featured an extended interview with the sales manager for Iwata airbrushes. The Model Railcast Show is produced weekly. Hosted and produced by Ryan Andersen, cohosts include Tim Harrison, Jay PAGE 6 Smith, and Will Ayerst. Each episode typically runs two to three hours long and follows a similar format, with interviews and discussions about what each of the hosts is doing. The group recently celebrated their 100th show with a nearly four hour marathon and a guest list that is a Who s Who in the model railroad hobby. These guys have a lot of fun at what they do and it comes through in the show. Their 100th show ended with a few minutes of bloopers and outtakes showing how much fun they really have. A recent addition to the podcast offerings related to model railroading is The Kit Cast by Doug Foscale. Doug started his podcast in March of this year and has two episodes available. This is a shorter show running about 30 minutes that only covers craftsman structure kits. In the first episode, Doug talked about the FSM Kit #285 - Jefferies Point Stave & Heading Company. He provided a brief history of the kit and other background info as well as discussing what is involved in building it. All of these publications and podcasts are available free on the internet. Each provides information previously available only in printed magazines. So, are printed magazines an endangered species? Maybe.

7 LIST OF INTERNET MODEL RAILROAD RELATED PUBLICATIONS AND PODCASTS The Keystone Modeler B&O Modeler SCL Modeler CNWHS Modeler Model Railroad Hobbyist The Scotty Mason Show Model Railcast Show The Kit Cast AUGUST 6, 2010, SAVE THE DATE! JAMESVILLE QUARRY TOUR For the third year in a row Ed Olszewski has set up a tour of Jamesville quarry for the Division. Details are very preliminary at this point but we are on the calendar for a tour of the quarry that will include a great tutorial by General Manager Gary Eno about quarry operations and how they setup to blast a section of wall. We will not have sign-ups until the June meeting and a price for the trip will not be set until then. Look for more details in the June Red Markers! SEATS ARE GOING FAST SO DON T DELAY! JUNE 5,2010 DUNHAM STUDIO & NORTH CREEK TRIP REQUEST FORM Return to Ed Olszewski, 122 Blackstone Way, Syracuse, NY or call (315) to drop off your form. Cost for Division members and their first guest is $50.00/person, all other guests and general public is $60.00 per person, no refunds, payment must be included with this form. Members Name: Guest 1: Member Phone #: Member Guest 2: Guest 3: Guests 2,3 Phone # : Guests 2 & 3 Member and 1st guest $50/person, Guests 2, 3 & non-members $60/person: Total Enclosed: Make Checks payable to CNY Division, NMRA Seats will be assigned on a First Come, First Seated basis. PAGE 7

8 Area Model Railroad Groups: The Central New York Model Railroad Club: Fri., 8 to 10p at the Hartlot NY railroad station, just south of Elbridge, NY. Operation 1st Fri./month, visitors welcome anytime. Info: Russ Schiller at The Syracuse Model Railroad Club: Wed. 7p at the layout in the Eastwood American Legion, James St., Syracuse. One business meeting monthly, others are work sessions. Info: Jim Beach at Salt City N-Trak, Ltd.: Meeting schedule / location t/b/a as the club is no longer located at the Eastwood American Legion. Operating 14' x 42' N-Trak modular layout which often tours. Info: Rich Petitto at FUNTRAK: The Frankfort United N-Trak Model Railroad Club, Inc. meets at members homes, meetings are scheduled and posted in FUNTRAK's newsletter each month about two months ahead of the actual meeting date. Info: Brian King at or Clayt Farrall at Cayuga Valley Model Railroaders: Thur. 7:00p and on most Saturdays at 9:00a at the club at 3 East Genesee Street, Auburn, over Speno Music Store. Info: Call Bernard Watkins Oswego Valley Railroad Association: The group operates the Oswego Railroad Museum dedicated to the historic preservation of railroad history in the Oswego County area. Open Memorial Day to Labor Day on Sat, Sun and holidays Noon - 5pm. The museum is located in the city of Oswego at 56 West First St. The Oswego Railroad Museum Offers a 1950 s era 24' x 36' operating layout of the southern Oswego County area and an extensive railroad library. Contact Bill Nickolas at Central New York Modelers: The CNYMOD group has moved to new quarters in the Museum of Science & Technology (The MOST) in Downtown Syracuse. Info: at or by calling President Bill Brown at Central New York Large-Scale Railway Society: Meets at Driver s Village (the former Penn Can Mall), with a major layout under construction, Info: Gordon H. Davis at or , gdavis4@twcny.rr.com. The Bullthistle Model Railroad Society: Third Wed. of the month, 7:00 p.m. at their headquarters at 33 Rexford Street, Norwich, NY, and open Saturdays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and on special events... all in creating visual and operable multi-scale displays of historic railroading in Chenango County. Info: Elton and Anethma Ireland at (607) or club President, Philip Fairchild at (607) , lpfair@frontiernet.net CNY NRHS Modular Group This group maintains O gauge and HO Scale modular layouts. Currently meeting 7 to 9 PM Thursday evenings at Shopping Town Mall in the Sears wing. NRHS membership is optional. Open to the public Sat. 12-5, Sun Info at or contact Phil Edwards at paedward@twcny.rr.com European Train Enthusiasts, CNY Chapter Round robin meetings. 'N' scale modular layout, Info: Gordon H. Davis at or , gdavis4@twcny.rr.com 2010 CNY Division Schedule January 9 (8 AM-4 PM) - Cayuga Valley Club, Auburn, NY. Joint meeting with the NFR Lakeshores Division, learn about FREMO modular modeling. February 21 (2-4 PM) - Syracuse Model RR Club Show, Syracuse, NY. Come early to the show and stay for the meeting to elect your officers for 2010 and watch train related videos. April 11 (2-4 PM) - Don Dennis, Baldwinsville, NY. Meeting details are being finalized at this time. May 8, SATURDAY (2-4 PM) - Dewitt Yards, Central Tractor Supply parking lot, East Syracuse, NY. Enjoy some train watching and maybe a cookout. June 5 Bus Trip, Dunham Studios & Upper Hudson Railway. June 13 (2-4 PM) - Bill Loran, Central Square, NY. Garden railroading and plant selection is the topic for this meeting. August 6 (9 AM Noon) Hanson Quarry Tour, Jamesville, NY. August 21, SATURDAY (12-4 PM) - Jim Heidt, Clockville, NY. Our annual picnic and presentation of the 2010 MOW Award. September 19 (2-4 PM) - Lenn Amrhein, Rome, NY. Joint meeting with the Hudson Berkshire Division. October 24 (2-4 PM) - Bill Brown, Jamesville, NY. Learn about signaling and how to implement a signal system on your layout. December 4, SATURDAY (6-10 PM) - M.O.S.T., Syracuse, NY. Celebrate the holidays in Armory Square at the Museum of Science & Technology. Plans include a showing of the current IMAX film. PAGE 8

9 VOLUME 28, NUMBER 4 MAY, 2010 CSX MAINLINE & DEWITT YARDS TRACTOR SUPPLY PARKING LOT 6641 MANLIUS CENTER RD EAST SYRACUSE, NY DIRECTIONS*: From Rt 690 east or west turn LEFT onto Bridge Street in East Syracuse Turn LEFT into the Tractor Supply Parking lot We will be meeting at the far northeast corner of the parking lot * As always, don t take our word for it. Verify these directions for yourself. BE SURE TO BRING YOUR DRINKS, SNACKS AND FOLDING CHAIRS WITH YOU TO THE MEETING. PAGE 9

10 You never know what you will see while train watching at the DeWitt yards. Bill Brown photographed this CSX Rail Train laying down welded rail in 1/4 mile long lengths along track #1 behind Tractor Supply on April 8, The train was made up of about a quarter mile long set of old converted gondolas carrying welded rail. The gons were old B&O cars with the CSX logo painted over the B&O hearld. In some cases the paint had faded enough that the B&O was coming through. The built dates were in the 1950s for each car! This is all part of CSX s effort to upgrade slow order trackage around the system. Central New York Division, NMRA Red Markers News Letter 122 Blackstone Way Syracuse, NY events calendar MAY 19 CNYNRHS Meeting. 7:30 PM in the NY State Fairgrounds Art & Home Building. Program is yet to be determined at press time. Visit for more information. JUNE 26 & 27 FINGERLAKES LIVE STEAM- ERS OPEN HOUSE,, Ma- rengo, NY. 10 AM to 4 PM both days. JULY 11 CNY Chapter American Truck Historical Soci- ety Show, Longbranch Park. 10 AM to 4 PM. See a history of American trucks from the earliest Macks to the latest Peterbilts and Kenworths. AUGUST PAGEANT OF STEAM, NYSEA Pageant Grounds, Canandaigua, NY. 8 AM to 8 PM every day. PAGE 10