RAILFANNING The NoWhere Line of Gary Evans

Transcription

1 THE HotBox THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NORTH CENTRAL REGION, NATIONAL MODEL RAILROAD ASSOCIATION VOL. 56, NO. 2 SUMMER 2015 RAILFANNING The NoWhere Line of Gary Evans $3 FORT WAYNE RAILS 2015 RED-WHITE-BLUE Tribute Rock Cuts from Extruded Styrene CRAFT STORE MODELING FINDS!! PLUS- RR History, Timetable, NMRA-NCR-Division News & more!

2 HotBox Editorial The HotBox SUMMER 2015 Vol. 56, No. 2 EDITOR Barry Hensel Lotus Dr Canton, MI barry76lt@wowway.com Editorial Advisers Dave McMullian & the NCR Board Proof Readers Marge Hensel Marty LaForte John Beres The HotBox is published quarterly by the North Central Region of the National Model Railroad Association. Publication dates are- SPRING, March 1 SUMMER, June 1 AUTUMN, Sept 1 WINTER, Dec 1 The HotBox is available online atwww.ncr-nmra.org All material, articles and advertising must be submitted to the Editor. All material should be electronic, preferably MicroSoft Word or Powerpoint. Pictures should be in Jpeg format and color. Material can be ed or sent via US Mail on cd-rom. Materials will not be returned, unless return postage and envelope are included. Material submission deadline is FIVE weeks before publication date. Business ads- 1/2 page $20 per issue or $65 per year full page $30 per issue or $100 per year business card $10 per issue or $35 per year -or- free business card for exchange of websites and/or sales of HotBox Pike ads- $15 small, $30 double and $60 quad for a 3 year period! NCR Division Event ads- FREE To pay for any ad space... send your payment to the Editor. All checks/money orders need to be made out to "The North Central Region, NMRA" Send address corrections to the Registrar- David Simmons david@aarailfan.com Feel free to contact the Editor via , with any comments, questions or corrections. Barry Hensel, Editor OK... it s spring and summer in Michigan finally!! These next few months will test your model railroad resolve, should I go in the basement or stay outdoors? Well, if it s really warm/hot outdoors, it IS nice and cool in the basement. Maybe that will sway you to keep on model railroading! Of course for me, it s the struggle between two entire hobbies... Camaros and trains! I wait all winter to get the Camaro out for cruising, so I have to balance outdoor events and indoor events. Sometimes I do have to choose and it will depend on the actual events, have I been before, which I enjoy most and just how I m feeling on that day. I enjoy both greatly and am involved with both hobbies heavily too. It keeps me busy all year long! I hope you can have these problems too! The annual NCR Regional convention will be here before you know it. Hosted by Division 3 in Fort Wayne, the FORT WAYNE RAILS 2015 is happening at the end of October. We have more details in this issue of the HotBox, including the registration sheet, so check out those convention pages. Let me add in my annual BE CAREFUL if you are a railfan! It s exciting to hear of all the steam locomotives being put on the rails in excursions. With warm weather and steam in action, it could be a great summer for photos! Just BE Careful!! Well, time to do some model railroading or go cruising! Thanks for reading Barry MODEL RAILROADING IS FUN! HOTBOX FEATURE CHANGE NCR "OOPS" We are sorry to report that Jeff Ashby s N scale Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, Logan Subdivision is not available to be our feature layout this month. We re hoping to feature him in the near future. HOTBOX CORRECTIONS NCR "OOPS". Always striving to be correct is something we will do with the HotBox. But, we are human and mistakes can/will happen. Please forgive us, these are NOT intentional! There were no corrections for the March 2014 edition of the HotBox. FRONT COVER PICTURES- Scheduled mainline freights are staged in Loop to await their departure times on the NoWhere Line; Fort Wayne Rails logo; GTW GP in Durand, MI 1981 Bob Graham photo REAR COVER PICTURES- Fort Wayne Rails logo; Div 3 layouts; Making Pine Trees 2 the HotBox SUMMER 2015

3 NCR - NORTH CENTRAL REGION BOARD MEMBERS & DIVISION LEADERS President Dave McMullian Davemcmullian@earthlink.net Vice-President Scott Kremer skremer@wideopenwest.com Secretary Bill Neale wneale@mi.rr.com Treasurer Alan Godfrey agodfrey911@comcast.net Registrar David Simmons aarailfan@gmail.com Directors Glenn Joppich steambigot@yahoo.com Skip Luyk heluyk@yahoo.com Jay Qualman jayqualman@yahoo.com Resident Agent Dean Pyers dpyers@aol.com NMRA Vice-President Dave Thornton dthorn5552@aol.com NMRA Central Director Peter Magoun MMR centdir@hq.nmra.org Photo Contests Howard Andrews hwandrews@wowway.com Achievement Program Larry Wolohon, MMR Larrywolohon@comcast.net Division One Jim Lang jlang@buckeye-express.com Division Three Chuck White Railcarman@frontier.com Division Four Mark Baldwin mbaldwin@taskadvisors.com Division Five Andy Keeney hunter48820@yahoo.com Division Six Mark Ellis emark@sbcglobal.net Division Eight John Jackson Dwbrr1949@gmail.com Division Nine Paul McGinnis paul.mcginnis@sbcglobal.net Division Ten Don Westcott dwwestcott@yahoo.com RAILROADING "WHAT THE???" NCR HUMOR Charlie's big mistake On his first day on the job, Charlie made a mistake which he never lived down the rest of his career... SUMMER 2015 the HotBox 3

4 PRESIDENTS OBSERVATION by Dave McMullian Back in December I told you about efforts that were underway to establish a new Division in northern Michigan. Since then, a group of members developed a proposed set of by-laws and submitted them to the North Central Region leadership per our regional rules. They were excellently crafted and promptly approved. In April a meeting was held near Traverse City and every member in the 21 county area included in the proposal was invited to attend, discuss the bylaws, and vote. That meeting was very well attended and by unanimous vote Division 2 has been born! In June they will elect their first slate of officers and directors and hit the ground running. This is great news for the NCR as we strive to extend all the benefits of Division activities to more of our members. You may remember that Division 9 was newly chartered in 2013 and is going strong in the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek area. This means that in less than two years, Divisions 2 and 9 have added 27 counties to those already served by established Divisions. There is only one block of 8 counties in central Michigan that are not included in a Division, and one of my top priorities as your president is to create and implement a plan to bring the benefits of Divisional membership to those members as well. I can t remember a time when all the counties in the NCR were included in our Divisions, and my goal is to hit that mark before my term expires at the end of Our regional Development Committee has already been discussing some creative ideas, and we will redouble our efforts. I ll keep you posted via this column in future issues, and will also report on status at the annual membership meeting during the upcoming regional convention. THE DAVE McMULLIAN Speaking of which, don t forget to register soon for the NCR convention hosted by Division 3 in Ft. Wayne, October 29- November 1. It s called Ft. Wayne Rails 2015 and you can find out all about it elsewhere in this issue of the Hot Box. In my column in the last issue, I told you about plans for changing the convention model contest to a model showcase. We all need to pitch in and give this idea our best effort. The convention committee is going to provide great space and accessibility, so all the rest of us have to do is show up with models, models, and more models! I ve already got plans for at least two projects I m going to bring, and with the membership numbers and talent that we get at our convention, we should have hundreds of models on display. If we all take advantage of this concept, this could become one of our most successful and practical convention activities. But the plan is only as good as the support it gets from members, so please make the extra effort to bring something for others to enjoy. I m looking forward to seeing you at Ft. Wayne Rails. Have a great Summer, keep the flanges between the rails, and I ll see ya on down the line... Dave McMullian, President, NCR 4 the HotBox SUMMER 2015

5 MODEL RR STUFF IN CRAFT STORES!! NCR EXTRA This article is from the October 2014 Lightning Slinger, publication of the Turkey Creek Division of the MID- CONTINENT REGION, NMRA reprinted with permission By- Marty Vaughn MMR This is by no means a complete list, it is just some of the things I've found useful to my modeling. The three stores I frequent the most are Michaels, Jo- Anne's and Hobby Lobby. Why do I go to craft stores? One word: Coupons! You can get coupons in the Sunday paper or go on line and download to your cell phone or print them off. Not everything listed below can be found at all three stores, so you'll need to shop around. TOOLS: Needle Nose Pliers (Jewelry Department) Flush cutting nippers - These will flush cut code 100 rail and smaller just like the more expensive cutters. (Jewelry Department) Hot Glue Gun and Glue -available for use with different temperature glue sticks. Hot Knife - used for cutting foam Hobby knives and X-acto blades - Try the Fiskars Soft Gripe, it uses X-acto blades, but has a triangular gripe that makes it easy to hold when cutting and scribing. Paint Brushes - If you can't find what you want you're not in a craft store. I much prefer the natural hair brushes to nylon bristles as the hair brushes last much, much longer. Tweezers - They have all kinds. Punches - Take a look at the paper punches, they are not just round circles any more. I use square and rectangle punches as the starter for making window openings in styrene walls. And if you need circles, get a leather punch with rotating wheel to get a variety of sizes. This is the source of the brims for all the "cowboy" figures I make. Clamps - There are a variety of clamps, but check out the Doll House Clothes pins for some very small and cheap clamps to hold small parts together. Air Brush - Most have a variety of airbrushes available. PAINTS AND INKS: Acrylic Bush Paints - My favorite is Ceramcote, but American, Apple Barrel and Accent are all good choices. I would avoid the "house brands" as they are usually too thin and Folk Art. I haven't had much success with the Martha Stewart brand either. Testors Dull Cote - I use this on everything from building to figures to scenery and of course for hiding decals. I've tried other "flat" coats and mediums like Krylon and others but none work as well for me as Dull Cote. Krylon - I do use Krylon sprays, just not the flats. Their Crystal Clear works well if you are making your own decals with blank decal paper. Liquitex Acrylic Spray Paint - This is at Michaels. It is more expensive than other spray paints, but has a large variety of flat colors. Paint Pens - There are a variety of these available. They have uses in touch up, but I don't use them that often. India Ink - If you use this for washes they have a large variety. It's not just black, but a variety of colors. Ink Pens - I use a lot of pens in painting figures. I especially like the "jelly" ink pens (ball points) and Le Plume soft tip pens. Both of these have a thick pigment in the ink so that it stands out and both don't run when dry if you apply Dull Cote. These are in the Paper/Scrap book departments. Markers - Prismacolor and Copic Sketch markers come with a thin point and a thick point on each marker. These work great for standing wood (just ask Pat Harriman!), but some will dissolve and run when sprayed with Dull Cote, so test them first. Cracked and Weathered Paint - If you want to model old peeling paint on a building try Weathered Wood or Crackle. Follow the directions and you'll get a cracked paint effect that looks pretty good. CHALKS AND PENCILS: Chalks - The craft stores don't carry the chalks that Larry Diehl uses in his chalk painting, but they do carry a variety of pas-tel chalks that can be turned to powder by rubbing on sandpaper and they make good weather "dust" Colored Pencils - If you are trying to highlight a surface, try running a colored pencil on it. They provide a subtle color high-light. Tamiya Weathering Powder - This is only available at Hobby Lobby. It is a set of weathering powders with applicator in the plastic models section SUMMER 2015 the HotBox 5

6 MODEL RR STUFF IN CRAFT STORES!! NCR EXTRA GLUES: Epoxy - Both 5 and 10 minute epoxy ACC/Super Glue - There are several choices, I prefer Loctite Ultra Gel, no runs no drips, it stays where you put it. White Glues - There is about any kind of Elmer's glue that you want Acrylic Glues - These look like white glues, but they are closer to a gel and don't run like Elmers. Once they are dry they will not dissolve if you get them wet. You can actually use these glues to make window panes in window frame castings up to 1/4" panes easily. You can go a bit larger, but it takes more work. I have now started using this glue to make figures. These are thick enough you can actually "make" things out of it. I use it to make saddles on horses in N, HO and O scale. They work well when joining different materials (wood to metal or plastic) but retain a bit of flexibility unlike ACC glues. My favorite is Crafter's Pick The Ultimate and Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky Glue. Both Crafter's Pick and Aleene's make a variety of glues and all have different properties, so be careful when you buy it. Styrene Glue - They even carry Testor's styrene glue. Hobby Lobby carries Tenax 7R applicators, but no Tenax glue so far. SURFACE PREPS AND WATER: This is a category that lumps a number of things: Water - The best material I've found to make model water is Gloss Gel. This is a thick gel that comes out white, goes where you put it (no leaks or creeping up the stream bank) and it dries crystal clear. If crystal clear isn't the water you're modeling, you can tint it with acrylic paint to any color. Golden and Liquitex brands are equally good. (There are a variety of Gels, both gloss and flat and they come with a variety of things mixed in with the gel - sand, strips, etc. The one with sand makes a pretty good stucco in HO and O scale. Gesso - prep material artists use on canvas, but it works well on other things. If you're using the Bragdon Molds this is what he uses on his castings before painting. You can also use it on plaster if you screwed up the color to badly, just cover it with this and start over. I also use it as a primer on soft flexible figures as it does not flake off. FLORAL MATERIAL: There are all kinds of glycol pickled floral material at these stores. Baby Breath is similar to the "Super Trees" material and a useful trunk and branch armature. You can make bigger trees by wrapping a group of stems with thread dipped in acrylic or white glue, paint it with Gesso and then spray paint gray and add foliage. If you are an O scaler check out the Plumosa for pine trees. Bottle Brush Trees - About the time the Christmas decorations go up they come out with bags of bottle brush trees. These range in price from $1 and up depending on size and quantity. There are trees that will work in N to O. The smaller ones usually come on a wood base and are flocked, but the base twists right off and you're going to want to rough up the trees a bit (the shape is too perfect) and when you do the flocking comes right off. If you miss some just hit it with a touch of paint. OTHER MATERIALS: Chains - if you need model chains in HO and O scale try the jewelry departments. There are a variety of chain styles and link sizes. Haven't found any small enough for N scale yet but there several in the larger scales. Power Lines - Also in the jewelry department they sell a stretchy line cord for making bracelets that is gray in color but easily colored with a LePlume pen or Prismacolor marker. Wood - They carry a variety of basswood and balsa wood strips, sheets and shapes. Jo Anne's has a line of small short wood dowels and rectangles that make good N scale lumber loads or logs for scratch building log cabins. Floral Wire - I use this to make armatures for figures. it comes in both 14"-18" lengths, but also in a "paddle". It also comes in several gauges from 30 gauge to 20 gauge. If you are making big bottle brush trees you can cut the lengths to want with the paddle wire. The jewelry department also has a variety of brass wire. Containers - There are all kinds of containers, from plastic photo boxes, plastic shoeboxes and up. I particularly like the scrapbook paper storage boxes. My favorite are the ones that are 12"'x12"x4". I use these to store figures stuck in a foam sheet until I know what I'm going to do with them. There are also great for storing sheet wood and plastic and strip wood and plastic. They also stack pretty well to at least 3-4 high. 6 the HotBox SUMMER 2015

7 MODEL RR STUFF IN CRAFT STORES!! NCR EXTRA Foam Core - It is available in black and white (and sometimes other colors) in both 1/4" and 1/2" thickness. I use the 1/2" for a variety of things, from paint flats that I stick parts and figures in to spray prime to the base for buildings until I have a layout to put them on. Decal Paper - Hobby Lobby has this in the model department. It is Testor's brand and it works pretty well, but sometimes the decals have to soak in water for a LONG time to separate from the paper backing. You can use an ink jet printer to make the decals, but you are going to need Krylon Crystal Clear to spray them on top and edges after you cut them out. You can't print white letters, but you can make a black or colored background using the highlight color and make the letters clear. Casting Resin - Hobby Lobby carries Alumilite casting resins and mold material. I would recommend getting the batch number and checking the Alumilite website for the date the batch was made before buying. Sometime there isn't much turn over at the store with this material. Woodland Scenics - Yes, you can even find Woodland Scenics readymade trees and some of the ground foam in Hobby Lobby and Michaels. Brick Sheets - Hobby Lobby also has some embossed styrene sheets that include some brick and stone sheets and an O scale diamond tread. Cutters and Ott Lights - I won't steal Mile's Hales thunder, but the cutter he is going to demonstrate at the next meeting can be purchased in a craft store. And if you're into photography and taking pictures of your models or layout an Ott light provides an excellent natural light. Yes, they are a bit expensive. I'm sure there is more I don't recall right now, but as you can see it's definitely worth taking the time to check out what they have...just don't forget to take your coupon! WHAT S NEXT? OPERATIONS by Bob Hanna NCR EXTRA So you have built your layout. Now what? Bring it to life, operate it! And not just you, get a crew together to operate it, it s more fun that way. Need help? Check out the NMRA Special Interest Group for operations, the OP SIG. They have lots of ideas on how to operate your model railroad, varying from the easy to the extreme. Look it over and see what interests you. Need to find a crew? Want to see how others have done it? Go to your local NMRA Division meeting. You will find that there are other people just as crazy as you, (about trains). They may already know of layouts in your area that do operating sessions, and many are open to new operators. Be nice and you will surely be invited to an OP Session. Sometimes you don t even have to say I d like to see that. to get an invite. I have been to operating sessions where the crew is as few as 3 or as many as 28 or more! After getting an idea on how others do it, make a plan to try it on your layout. Put on a pot of coffee, bake some cookies, and have the group come over to run on your layout. Ask for comments after the session. You can get a lot of good ideas that way. Ask if there were any problems, or what did or didn t work out so well. This will help you to refine your operations. In my Division we are blessed with many operating layouts. There are 4 to 6 OP sessions a month! And sometimes we even car pool to go operate on layouts in other divisions or regions. You will find that each layout is unique. Some follow timetables and train orders, some run all trains as extras. On some you may follow signals, or use radios, or call in from the station, or just shout to the dispatcher, (The LV method Loud Voice). Take some time to see how the layout owner wants it done and help them to create that illusion on their model railroad. Then you can invite them to come and help you bring your layout to life! Enjoy! SUMMER 2015 the HotBox 7

8 RAILFANNING The NoWhere Line The NoWhere Line working to be NearSomeplace The HotBox roving railfan had the chance to see the NoWhere Line in action. You can see this layout in action too, as part of Fort Wayne Rails, NCR convention. The Norfolk Southern-based NoWhere Line is a freelance modern railroad offering switching and shortline operations. Of operational interest is the signal system on the layout. The double and single track main line serves a generic Midwest region. The railroad has a steady flow of traffic and the interchange among the three yards and staging is a focus of operation. JMRI manifests and switch lists control the movement of cars. NCR TRACKSIDE Clockwise from below- NoWhere Line operators find that Bigburg can become quite busy at times. In the urban canyon of Midland, FEW-2 returns to righthand running in front of Extra The city has provided a pedestrian bridge for crossing the tracks and for watching trains. The signals at CP Triple direct traffic into the Loop area. Our train will be crossing over to track 2 as indicated by the Restricting signal. Extra 3981 is waiting at Summit for UB-1 to climb the helix and clear the signal on its way to Branch. 8 the HotBox SUMMER 2015

9 RAILFANNING The NoWhere Line NCR TRACKSIDE Clockwise from right- The Midland Train Watchers Association has adopted this old passenger platform for their use. The Midland apartment residents enjoy the open-air fruit market. The Hungry Hobo dinner train is ready to leave Branch. The museum has an interesting mix of equipment and is responsible for all local freight switching in the town. OK, a bit of whimsy The merchants of Boxton are sponsoring a pet parade today The old mill pond is a popular place, although nobody seems to be interested in the train passing in the background. Smallville Yard services three industries on the main line. Sometimes the trip is a challenge for the crew. 2 b Firs Lumber also sells 2 by 6 boards. Be sure to ask them about their Tuba Firs SUMMER 2015 the HotBox 9

10 HotBox NEWS "BETWEEN THE RAILS" NCR INFORMATION Here is where your news items, rumors, and gossip of just about anything in the Model Railroading hobby can be reported. Whatever it is, send it to us and we'll let everyone else know! BTR#1- The box has been packed with some more interesting links for you to view... Here s a video on a train plowing through quite a bit of snow... Click on the link= Nice piece of info. Also the other videos attached look like they would be great also. The end of the video shows the train coming through CP67 and arriving at the IM facility in Greencastle, Pa. NS produced video commercial Crescent Corrider. Some Shenandoah Valley scenes. This one is pretty good. I d never seen it. Given the brutal month of winter we just had, it s nice to sit back & enjoy. Subject: Rotaries on the Mountain Seriously?!?!?? Don t know if you remember seeing this a few years ago, but here is a video of an HO scale ballast tamper! Reading RR T-1 is being transported from Washington to Cleveland for restoration! YEAH!! Check this out... If you want to donate to the restoration of this GREAT loco, go here... Also being redied for service, NW 611! Check out this link - medium= Rich Mahaney had info on the next boat tour on the Detroit River - Sat Aug 08, Cost is $35. Go to click on 2015 gathering schedule. This will again have Div 6 member Ken Borg narrating as the boat tour views the industrial skyline and industries south of Detroit. BTR#2- We are very sorry to report that our own, Div 8 member Dave Thornton did not get re-elected to the NMRA Board of Directors. DAVE you did a great job supporting the NCR and NMRA! THANKS!! Dave s term ends this summer, at the annual NMRA Board meeting at the National convention in Portland. BTR#3- Reminder, the Portland Daylight Express Convention will be August 23-29, 2015 and is the 80th NMRA National Convention. There is also the National Train Show on Friday-Sunday, Aug Are you going?? DISCLAIMER!!- While we will try to verify most stories, the HotBox, HotBox Editor, NCR Board of Directors, its agents and representatives will not/can not be held responsible for mis-information presented in this column! NCR RAILROAD HISTORY IN PICTURES NCR HISTORY 1904 "Michigan Central Railroad. Oiling up before the start" 1905 The Detroit River. "Transfer steamer Detroit in the ice" 1908 "Suburban station, Petoskey, Michigan " 10 the HotBox SUMMER 2015

11 NCR TIMETABLE NCR DIVISION meetings NCR INFORMATION Division One (Toledo and northern Ohio) We meet at Collingwood Presbyterian Church, 2108 Collingwood Blvd., at the corner of Floyd Street west of downtown Toledo. Meetings are held on the 3 rd or 4 th Friday of each month from September thru May. The schedule is on our website at where you ll also find lots of information about our activities, member layouts, and other interesting links. Division Three (Fort Wayne, Indiana and western Ohio) Our monthly meetings are at the Baker Street Station, the iconic/historic restored Pennsy Passenger Depot in downtown Fort Wayne. The meetings are held on the Second Monday, from 7 PM to 9PM, in one of the board rooms. Exceptions to this schedule will be September, November and March. Any updates/changes can be found on our website: Division Four (Grand Rapids and western Michigan) Meets quarterly with other special events thrown in. For additional information contact Mark Baldwin at or mbaldwin@taskadvisors.com Division Five (Lansing and mid-lower Michigan) Meets at 1pm, on the SECOND Saturday of each month in the basement of the Capital Area District Library, at the corner of South Capital and Kalamazoo Streets, Lansing, September to May with additional activities added for the summer. Division Six (Wayne & Washtenaw Counties) Meets at 7:30pm, on the THIRD Friday of each month at the Livonia Senior Center, Farmington Road, one mile north of the I-96 Jefferies Freeway, Livonia. Division 6 meets year-round. Division Eight (Oakland, Macomb and St. Clair Counties) Meets at 7:00pm, on the THIRD Thursday of each month at Troy Christian Chapel, 400 East Long Lake Road, between Rochester and Livernois Roads, Troy. Division 8 meets year-round. Division Nine (Branch, Calhoun, Hillsdale, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Van Buren Counties) We do not have a regular meeting place yet, but as per recent D-9 BOD meeting we will start quarterly Meetings, as well as other special events/ clinics. For additional and up to date information contact Paul McGinnis paul.mcginnis@sbcglobal.net Division Ten (Shiawassee, Genesee, Lapeer Tuscola, Sanilac and Huron Counties) Meets on the SECOND Wednesday of the month, at the home of member Nick Racheff, 9170 Hidden Oaks Dr. Grand Blanc, MI at 7pm. He can be contacted at , nick.b.racheff@comcast.net. Call to verify meeting date, time and location of meeting or directions to the meeting location. For more information please contact Don W. Westcott at dwwestcott@yahoo.com or OTHER GROUPS meeting in the NCR AREA There are over 60 different model and proto-type groups within the Michigan area of NCR. They can be found at YOU should join and attend your local NMRA NCR Division meetings and activities! Get the most out of our hobby participate often!! SUMMER 2015 the HotBox 11

12 NCR DIVISION HAPPENINGS DIVISION INFORMATION Division One (Toledo, Ohio area) Division 1 meets monthly from September through April on Friday nights in Toledo. Full info about our activities, meeting location, and other interesting links can be found at We ve just completed our meeting year, but before taking our usual Summer break, we are preparing for our annual field trip. This year we are spending a Saturday in June visiting five of the finest layouts in the Detroit area. Our officers will be working over the Summer to plan and prepare meeting agendas and activities for Fall. Please have a look at our website often, as we are trying to add content and update our links regularly. (submitted by- Dave McMullian, Superintendent NMRA NCR Div 1) Division Three (Fort Wayne, Indiana and western Ohio area) We recently had our FIFTH Three Rivers Operations Weekend. We had 48 guests attending, and 15 layouts participating. Our geography can be a challenge with layouts as far apart as Warsaw & Wapakoneta, and Montpelier, OH & Decatur, IN. Operators were able to attend four different Op Sessions starting with one on Friday night, two on Saturday, and one on Sunday. We had a gathering of operators, layout owners & helpers, Saturday evening. Responses, to a survey we took, indicated the gathering was very popular. Otherwise, almost all of the feedback we've received has been extremely positive. Thanks to everyone who participated. Plans are already underway for 2017! We continue to hold regular monthly meetings, with a focus on clinics/presentations. We've had one on 3D printing, and another covered CSX's Intermodal facility at North Baltimore. Our location continues to be the restored former Pennsylvania Passenger Station on Baker Street, in downtown Fort Wayne. We meet on the Second Monday at 7PM. As indicated elsewhere in this newsletter, we're busy preparing to host the NCR Convention. Planning meetings are held on a regular basis. We've got a great group of volunteers, with Bill Wemhoff spearheading things as our Convention Chair. (submitted by- Chuck White, Superintendent NMRA NCR Div 3) Division Four (Grand Rapids and west Michigan area) Here is my report from Division 4 - Some goods to report this time. We have a layout tour the end of May. Our newsletter seems to be up and running! Need material for it from members please. Committee has been formed for the 2017 NCR Convention and is starting work. (submitted by, Mark Baldwin, Superintendent) Division Five (Lansing and mid-lower Michigan area) Div 5's Spring has had a strong program of clinics, layout visits and an eclectic collection of models for Show and Tell. The March event's clinic was on weathering freight cars presented by Shaun Bylsmer who demonstrated his techniques and then worked with us as we weathered our own cars. Cars from several scales were represented and everyone left feeling that they had a new set of skills, as well as a newly weathered car. Shaun also provide us with samples of some of the weathering powders that he uses. After this, we visited Karl Scribner's rebuilt HO scale Kentucky Southern layout. He has made considerable progress filling his basement in the course of the year. April saw Bill Selleck present a clinic on scenery. He talked about his concept of "Prethinking" and his techniques for landforms, backgrounds, trees and ground cover. Division members then went over to his house to see his large N scale Wisconsin Central layout and see first hand his scenery. May, the last regularly scheduled event of the season featured a PowerPoint presentation by Superintendent Andy Keeney, "Designing or Modifying a layout for operations". The layout visit was to Rob Venzke's HO layout, in its own building, of Duluth - Superior in the 1950s. While he is still constructing bench work and laying track, he has also started on scenery in some areas. While nothing is definite yet, the Division may schedule some summer visits to more distant layouts to see some that we wouldn't be able to visit after our regular Saturday afternoon events. You can subscribe to the monthly Division 5 Journal, a 10 to 20+ page color ed publication featuring the models and layouts of the Division. Send a request to the editor, Mark Cowles, at nkpcowles@yahoo.com to be put on the list. For more information, please see the Division 5 website: div5.ncr-nmra.org (submitted by- Mark Cowles, NMRA NCR Div. 5 Clerk) 12 the HotBox SUMMER 2015

13 NCR DIVISION HAPPENINGS DIVISION INFORMATION Division Six (Wayne & Washtenaw County) Division 6 continues to thrive! Meetings are well attended, about members per month; layout tours near every month and lots of FUN, information and comradery!! We have formed a convention Team for the NORTH CENTRAL EXPRESS 2016, the NCR 2016 convention, slated for October We re working hard to have everything in place so that registration can start at this years Fort Wayne convention. Thanks goes out to Norm Logan for volunteering to be our convention Chairman! In the meantime, Div 6 meets all year round yes, even during the summer. It helps keep our model railroading interest going! If you live in Wayne or Washtenaw Counties, or in the western Oakland county area (and use Division of Choice) we welcome you to stop by and check us out! (submitted by Barry Hensel, Newsletter Editor) Division Eight (Oakland, Macomb, St. Clair Counties) We continue to meet on the third Thursday of each month at the Troy Christian Chapel at 7pm. At Division 8 meetings during the quarter, members have enjoyed a variety of clinics and presentations over the past three months, ranging from: February George VanDuyne presented his techniques in modeling winter scenery. He revealed his secret recipe for snow and its application over the various forms of terrain and structures on his layout. March Tim Fisher presented a clinic on how he was influenced and what he did to create his HO scale Cimarron & Santa Fe based on the prototype Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. April New officers were elected for the 2-year beginning May They include: Phil Doolittle Superintendent Bill Gawthrop Dispatcher / Secretary Paul Runyan Paymaster / Treasurer John Gavasso Member of Board of Directors John Jackson (automatically becomes) Member of Board of Directors. In place of the clinic for the month, the Division held its annual Shop Till Drop night which featured unwantables for sale or trade by various members. Division 8 held a one-stop layout tour on April 11 featuring Gale Saxton s Boston & Maine Green River Subdivision. Other details including Show& Tell photos can be found in issues of the Car House on Division 8 s website: (submitted by, Bill Gawthrop Dispatcher / Secretary ) Division Nine (Kalamazoo-Battle Creek area) Division 9 is meeting monthly at the Crew Restaurant at the corner of I94 and Sprinkle Road in Kalamazoo. We meet at 8:15am on the fourth Saturday for breakfast and conversation Unfortunately, Division 9 had nothing new to report for this issue of the HotBox. We look forward to hearing about their progress, metings, adventures soon! (submitted by Jim Glenn, Asst. Superintendent) Division Ten (Shiawassee, Genesee, Lapeer Tuscola, Sanilac and Huron Counties) If you haven't taken advantage of any of our meetings, please do. We have a great group of modelers that enjoy getting together and sharing modeling ideas and stories. Division 10 continues to meet at member Nick Racheff's house at 9170 Hidden Oaks Drive, Grand Blanc on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00pm. Nick is located between Baldwin Rd and Cook Road west of I-75. If you need further directions call me on my cell (submitted by Don Westcott, Superintendent) Division TWO (Upper Michigan) This space is reserved for the first report from our newest Division Div 2 in northern Michigan. Congratulations on your renewal/formation and we look forward to reporting on your activities in the next and future issues of the HotBox! How about writing an article on your latest modeling project! At the HotBox, WE NEED AND WANT YOUR ARTICLES!! SUMMER 2015 the HotBox 13

14 Schedule of activities at a glance Thursday 29-Oct 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM Prototype tours Friday 30-Oct 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM Registration, Operating sessions, Prototype tours, Clinics Saturday 31-Oct 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM Registration, Prototype tours, Clinics, Layout tours Sunday 1-Nov 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM Clinics, Layout tours, Awards brunch 14 the HotBox SUMMER 2015

15 NCR FORT WAYNE RAILS 2015 NCR CONVENTION Fort Wayne Rail Heritage Fort Wayne has a railroad history dating from 1852, when the first locomotive was brought here by canal boat. It was used in the construction of the rail line eastward; the first train arrived on October 31, Continued construction connected the city to Chicago and other points west. Fort Wayne became the home of many railroad shops. The best known was the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Chicago Railway shops (later the Pennsylvania). At the turn of the century, there were a dozen rail lines with 200 trains. Today, there are two companies and good traffic (not 200 though). In fact, the elevated route of the Nickel Plate (now Norfolk Southern) is on the canal bed just north of the central business district. Recognizing our rail heritage, our logo represents the prototype routes through the central part of Fort Wayne. Our title Fort Wayne Rails 2015 invites you to tour our prototype properties (safely, of course) and build many clinic projects, friendships, and memories. Welcome to Fort Wayne & Allen County, Indiana Fort Wayne Convention & Visitors Bureau (260) , (800) Check out the Visitors Guide online Fort Wayne photos, information, and links Fort Wayne Railfan website Questions? Please contact us. Bill Wemhoff surveyor@centurylink.net Chuck White railcarman@frontier.com Convention mailing address: Mark Wilson Fort Wayne Rails Green Holly Cove Fort Wayne, IN NCR Division 3 website: Convention website: Convention Registration The registration form is available in printed form or as a download from the convention website. Electronic registration is not available. To control costs, we intend to use as much as possible; please provide a valid address. Mail your completed registration form along with a check or postal money order (no cash please) for all registration fees and convention merchandise to the convention mailing address shown below. Hotel-based Convention Activities Clinics Hands-On clinics (bring your hand tools) Demonstrations, presentations, discussions Model Railroad Showcase New format for models. Judging will be available. Photo contests Modular Layouts Local and regional organizations displaying their layouts Convention Store / Hospitality Room Coffee, drinks, and snacks Pre-ordered merchandise pickup Convention mugs and cars Door prize pickup Silent Auction. Awards Brunch Sunday morning Travel Activities Operating sessions Friday evening Prototype tours Thursday, Friday and Saturday Home layout tours Saturday and Sunday Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society Engineer at the Throttle pending final arrangements Convention Hotel Hotel Fort Wayne 305 W. Washington Center Rd Southwest corner of I-69 Exit 312, Coldwater Road exit (855) , (260) The room rate for the convention is $85 & $95 per night, plus tax. Contact the hotel directly to make your reservations. Mention NMRA Fort Wayne Rails 2015 to receive the discount from the $130 corporate rate. Your registration at the hotel helps us meet our contract obligations. Thank you. SUMMER 2015 the HotBox 15

16 NCR FORT WAYNE RAILS 2015 NCR CONVENTION A Convention Shirt has been approved. It will be made available for attendees only. Here is the shirt order form for individual shirt orders. NAME: NAME to be embroidered: Please make your checks payable to Div 3, NCR, NMRA Unless you specify otherwise, your shirt will be available for pick up at the Conv Store. REGULAR SIZES COST PER ITEM SMALL $29.00 MEDIUM $29.00 LARGE $29.00 XLARGE $ XLARGE $ XLARGE $ XLARGE $ XLARGE $ XLARGE $38.00 QTY SUB- TOTAL $3.00 NAME PER SHIRT TOTAL TALL SIZES L-TALL $30.00 XL-TALL $ XL-TALL $ XL-TALL $ XL-TALL $ XL-TALL $ XL-TALL $42.00 TOTAL No Pocket Ohio 7.25% Shirts Only GRAND TOTAL We re finalizing our Convention Cars (We ll have TWO!). Both will be from Accurail. One will be a steam era, wood sided, box car, with GR&I (Which ran through Fort Wayne) reporting marks, AND their Fishing Line logo. Our other car will be a modern PS flat sided grain hopper car with INE data. We ll have at least two different numbers for each car. A limited number of these will be sold. So, when they re gone, they re gone. INRR Hopper car - signed up for convention (preregistered) $28.00 Cost at convention $ if any are left. GRI Box car - signed up for convention (preregistered) $29.00 Cost at convention $ if any are left. Must be signed up for convention to receive pre-registered price. Watch for future articles about the proto, and home layout, tours. Also watch our web site s ( tabs for the convention, layouts and 3ROPS for updates. 16 the HotBox SUMMER 2015

17 Fort Wayne Rails REGISTRATION FORM Convention dates: October 29 November 01, 2015 Sequence # NMRA Region: Membership No: Expiration: General Information Name: Street Address: City: State: ZIP: Name Badge Information Primary Registrant: Registered Family Member(s): Telephone: Hotel Registration Register directly with Hotel Fort Wayne , Mention NMRA Fort Wayne Rails 2015 to receive the $85 rate ($95 for 3 or 4 persons). Your registration at the hotel helps Division 3 meet our contract obligations. Thank you. Requesting Operating Session Information: Yes / No Registration, Merchandise, and Activity Fees: o Please circle the appropriate registration category and enter the fee amount. o Please enter your quantities and calculate your line totals. o Shirt is knit polo with pocket, with embroidered convention logo. o Register early. Prices are subject to change. If the minimum number of participants for a paid clinic or tour is not met, it will be cancelled with a refund. o Registrations postmarked after August 31, 2015, will need to add a $10 surcharge. FWRHS #765: Price to be announced. Requesting Engineer at the Throttle information: Expected number of participants: Yes / No Total Amount enclosed with Registration: $ Payment may be made by check (or money order) payable to: NMRA NCR Division 3 Mailing address: NMRA NCR Div 3, Ft Wayne Rails 2015, 6201 Discount Dr. Fort Wayne, IN Convention website: Comments on reverse side: Yes / No SUMMER 2015 the HotBox 17

18 2015 3ROPS WEEKEND-FORT WAYNE NCR EVENT By Bruce Van Huis 3ROPS - Three Rivers OPerationS is an every other year event sponsored by NCR Div 3 in Fort Wayne. This years OPSIG meet was held on Friday thru Sunday April NCR Division 4 attendees, Jerry Hall, Don Jones, Stu Stewart and I heading to Fort Wayne to join 44 other operators for what promised to be a great weekend of operations. Attendees are traveling from places like Canada, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Tennessee, Indianapolis, NE Illinois, all over Ohio and various other locals. We are all looking forward to a great operations weekend set up by our hosts on 15 different layouts in the area. We operated on 4 layouts... Our first visit was the Norfolk Southern-based No Where Line owned by Gary Evans. The motto of the layout is, The NoWhere Line working to be Near Someplace. This is an HO switching layout with double and single track main. Saturday morning, we traveled to the home of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, Logan Subdivision owned by Jeffery Ashby. This is an n-scale layout setting in a 9x15 room. Our next layout was the Montpelier Trackside Modelers. This is a club layout with a group of very cordial and like minded people. The layout is located in one of the historic main street store front buildings. It is a great layout set up in a series of loops. Lastly we visited the Montana Rail Link/BNSF owned by Bill and Steve Rigg. The Montana Rail Link is an extremely large layout featuring CTC control and signal system. The layout is housed in a separate 2500 sq foot building. It is a double deck layout with point to point operation and contains 1400 cars. After a great weekend of operations we were forced to bid our hosts goodbye. We traveled back to Grand Rapids, tired but with smiles on our faces. If you ever get the chance to participate in the 3ROPS meet in Fort Wayne, you will really enjoy yourself, it is highly recommended. 18 the HotBox SUMMER 2015

19 RAILROAD HISTORY by Don Watson NCR HISTORY THE NOT SO "GOOD OLD DAYS It was a fall day, most of the leaves had already fallen to the ground, the year was 1935 and I was starting my first paper route at age 13. The Downtown Shopping News was not a daily paper to which people subscribed, but an advertising paper published twice a week, on Wednesday afternoon and Saturday afternoon by the large department stores located in the Chicago Loop. I had 300 papers to deliver in a 9 square block area and I was to deliver a paper to every resident in mv territory, whether that person lived in a home or an apartment building. Every paper had to be folded. rubber banded, placed between the doorknob and the door frame with the rubber band around the doorknob so that the paper would not fall to the floor. Regardless of the weather I was not permitted to walk on the grass. You are probably saving to yourself, "Who could live with those rules"? It was much easier than you might think. Every day that I delivered, there was an inspector (a teen ager that rode by on a bicycle) who checked to see if I was cutting across the grass or throwing the papers on the porch. This was a non-union company and there were probably five other boys my age waiting patiently for me to get fired. For a first offense there was no gentle tap on the wrist with a warning, "You were a naughty boy today, but don't let it happen again"! If you were reported for poaching or cutting across the grass (or snow) you found out about it the next delivery day when you went to pick-up your papers and found out that someone else had taken over your route. There was still a surplus of manpower and boy power for every job in By the end of that first winter, I was an experienced carrier. I learned the hard way to overdress on delivery days, because it is easy to take off a piece of clothing if you're too warm, but there is no way to put on a piece of clothing that's at home in the closet if you re too cold. Also by the end of winter, I was convinced that I had the world's worst job. By this time I was a full-fledged rail fan and would watch the C&NW passenger and freight trains roll by as I delivered papers and to further my knowledge about railroads, I would stop at the local library and bring home railroad history books. In one of the first books that I brought home I saw the picture of a railroad brakeman on top of a moving freight train trying to set the hand brakes in the winter time. I suddenly found myself comparing his job with mine and quickly realized what a soft job I had. I earned 90 cents a delivery for a job that took three hours, while that brakeman possibly worked 16 hours a day for $1. I only worked two days a week and the brakeman worked at least 6 days a week and possibly 7 days. When I slipped and fell, and I frequently did so, in the winter time, all I ever injured was my dignity. If the brakeman slipped and fell he was lucky to survive. The brakeman's Job was fine if he happened to be working a slow freight on a summer day. Then he could perch on his brake wheel, on top of a boxcar, cooled by the constant breeze, watch the countryside roll by, and collect a day s pay at the end of his Jaunt. But like all jobs, that was seldom the way it went. The brakeman was just as likely to find himself on top of a fast freight in the dead of winter with the roof of the car slick with ice and the wind booming down and freezing the sweat on his face. The train would be lurching around badly banked curves trying to make up for lost time, and the brakeman would be wrestling his wheel this way and that, cold and miserable and a fraction of a second away from death. Then at the end of the line, he would hear the all-to-common story of a fellow brakeman being blown off a car in the night and found frozen to death in a drift by a section gang the next day. Once in a while, particularly in the summer time when I didn't wear gloves while delivering papers, I would sometimes injure my hand slightly on the handle of my wagon, but I never lost a finger, a hand or a life like the brakeman using the link and pin couplers. After looking at that brakeman on top of the boxcar in the winter time, I never complained about my job again. SUMMER 2015 the HotBox 19

20 RAILROAD HISTORY by Don Watson NCR HISTORY The brakeman had other unpleasant duties that you may or may not remember. For many years, railroad cars were coupled by the primitive link-andpin method; the brakeman or switchman had to stand between the cars and drop a pin into overlapping sockets as the cars came together, a hazardous operation that killed and maimed men by the hundreds. In the link and pin coupler days, the block signals that you and I are familiar with did not exist. Also single track main lines (with trains running in both directions) were most common. Imagine for a moment that it s the month of February, the ground is covered with a foot of snow, and the freight train on which you are the rear brakeman has just picked up a box car at a factory in the last small town. That box car had been sitting idle for a week in zero weather. That is the ideal situation for a "hot box" to occur and it does, two miles later on the single track main line. From 1838 to 1950, the axles of both freight cars and passenger cars rested in a metal box known as a Journal box. The top of the Journal box rested directly on the metal axle As the axle turned. it would rub against the top of the metal Journal box which did not turn. The lower part of the Journal box was kept full of a mixture of oil and waste material. The waste material was a tangled mass of threads, usually salvaged from the short ends or remnants from textile mills. This combination of oil and waste would lubricate the axle as it turned so that it would not overheat as it rubbed against the top of the journal box. In severe winter weather, this oily waste material would be apt to freeze and not lubricate the axle. When the axle was not lubricated it would rub against the metal of the journal box and in a very short time cause smoke and a noticeable odor (hence the term "hot box"). The train stops because someone on the head end spotted the smoke. It s a busy main line and although this train has permission to be on that section of track, there is no radio or telephone that the train crew can use to notify the dispatcher that this train is stalled temporarily. The engineer blows his whistle (-000) protect rear of train. Then blows the whistle again (000-) protect head of train. In theory, both the head brakeman and the rear brakeman have to walk a mile down the track to signal an approaching train to stop. Both brakemen have to pick-up a kerosene lantern, a satchel containing matches, torpedoes, fusses and probably a heavy club to protect himself from somebody or some animal. The brakeman is experienced so he is dressed properly for the zero weather. He walks a mile down the track without measuring the distance because there are mile posts to help him out. When properly dressed, walking a mile in a foot of snow is invigorating even in zero weather, but at the end of the mile, there is no rest area with rest rooms or coffee and coke machines and no benches. Standing still in zero weather is not only uncomfortable but downright dangerous, so to stay alive you must walk back and forth, jump up and down, swing your arms, beat your chest and above all curse the railroad and your Job. If you re lucky, the rest of the train crew will have resolved the "hot box" within a half an hour and you will hear the whistle sound of ( ) flagman return from the west or south or ( ) flagman return from the east or north. If you don't hear those whistle's within a half an hour, you must repeat the walking, the jumping, the arm swinging, the chest beating and above all the cursing. What an easy job it is to deliver papers. 20 the HotBox SUMMER 2015

21 RAILROAD HISTORY by Don Watson NCR HISTORY Between , most all railroads (with the exception of a few logging railroads) adopted the automatic coupler and the air brake. These two changes drastically reduced the number of deaths and injuries on the brakeman's job. Between 1900 and 1950 the installation of block signals and Centralized Traffic Control by most railroads further improved the job of the brakemen. Between the addition of telephones and radios to train crews was an additional help to the safety and efficiency of the brakeman's job. By 1990, most of the local freight train business that had been such a hazard to the brakeman's job in the link and pin days had vanished from the railroad. Today, the job of the brakeman is a far cry from the dangerous job that it was in the 1800 s. The fireman in the days of the wood burning locomotive ( ) had a relatively easy job. Wood did not weigh as much as coal and the fireman did not have to use a shovel. Locomotives were small in the days of the wood burner and so were the trains so the locomotive boiler did not require as much fuel. Wood (already cut to a hand carrying size) was stacked up on a raised platform approximately every 40 to 50 miles and it was the practice of the time for the entire train crew and able passengers to form a wood brigade to help fill the tender with wood. As the switch to coal burning locomotives began in the 1850's, the locomotives became bigger and the trains became longer and heavier and the fireman's job became progressively tougher. The number of tons of coal that a fireman must shovel became a back braking job. My heart has always had great respect for the fireman on the camel back locomotives, because they not only had to shovel coal like the other firemen, but they were also exposed to the bad weather. This particular version of a camelback locomotive offered absolutely no weather protection whatsoever for the fireman when he was shoveling coal into the boiler. The story often told by firemen in the engine house locker room was that the camelback locomotive was designed by a committee of persons who had never seen a railroad. With the introduction of the mechanical stoker in 1905 the fireman's job suddenly became a whole different ball game. With the arrival of the electric locomotive, followed by the diesel, the fireman s job came plush. At age 70, I am now delivering papers once again on a route similar in many respects to the one that I had at age 13. I deliver the Northville Record only twice a week (Monday mornings and Thursday mornings). My present route is only 200 papers (instead of 300). Although I now use a car to pickup the papers, I bring the papers home and use a wagon to deliver. Whenever the weather is bad, a pouring rain, zero cold, a blizzard, a freezing rain and I begin to feel sorry for myself, suddenly I hear the whistle (--0-) from a nearby CSX locomotive (approaching the grade crossing at 7 Mile Road) and that picture of the brakeman up on the roof of a freight car in the blizzard comes to my mind and I am so thankful that I ve got a soft job and that I didn't live or work in the "good old days". Don Watson Division 6 member Don Watson, gave these lessons nearly every month and they always entertained and informed. After Don s passing at the age of 90, his family presented them to Div. 6 and the NCR. SUMMER 2015 the HotBox 21

22 PROTOTYPE PAGE NCR PROTOTYPE For summer we re going with a Patriotic theme of red, white & blue. ENJOY!! Clockwise, from top left- Detroit-Toledo-Shoreline #76 at Erie Rd. near LaSalle, MI, MI 1976; DT&I meets GT in Ecorse, MI 1975; GTW detour through Jackson March 1979; CSXT Q-132 AUGUST 2011 UP 2002 pictures by Gary Melford; GTW pair shot from HF Tower (Bend Tower) from 1979; Re-lettered DTW to DT&I in local yard 22 the HotBox SUMMER 2015

23 HOBBY SHOP & BUSINESS CORNER OTHER HOBBY SHOPS in the NCR Whistle Stop Hobbies & Crafts, Decatur, IN Phil's Hobby Shop, Fort Wayne, IN The Gladieux Train Depot, Oregon, OH Jackie s Trains & Gifts, Erie, MI Whistle Stop Hobby, St Clair Shores, MI Rider s Hobby, Grand Rapids & Flint, MI SUMMER 2015 the HotBox 23

24 Rock Cuts from Extruded Styrene by Bill Gawthrop NCR FEATURE Background Many if not most model railroaders who build a layout also build scenery. And, of those people who build scenery many develop this scenery to include hills or mountains. In the prototype world railroads built tunnels through the mountains, spanned the valleys with bridges, and cut through rocky terrains for their right of way. I model a railroad set in the Appalachian Mountains in central West Virginia. The scenery is rugged and the railroads (and my model railroad) cut through the hills to put down roadbeds. Most of these cuts were through sandstone, slate, coal, and limestone. While I do use real rocks and some cast rocks, the rock cuts needed to look like workers blasted through earth and solid rock to clear the way for the roadbed. A simple, cost effective way to simulate these rock cuts and rock walls is to carve them. I chose to use extruded styrene [foam] insulation board. A 2-inch thick board is my choice. The Basics This extruded styrene is sold in 4 by 8 sheets at builder s supply stores, Lowes, and Home Depot as either blue board a product of Dow or pink board a product of Owens-Corning. I have found no difference in the two products, at least, for carving purposes. Using photographs as my guide for the rock wall that I am intending to model, I use pen knives, kitchen knives, Xacto knives, files, and rasps to cut the material. Tools such as those shown below are all that s needed to do the job. I use inexpensive acrylic paints to achieve the desired effects of dirt, sandstone, slate, coal, and other earthen surfaces. Arts and crafts stores have a wealth of paint choices. A few of these choices are shown in below... Technique I find that using photographs of the rock cut or rock wall that I want model is the best reference. Trying to model a cut with no reference usual does not produce the best result. I begin by cutting a section of pink (or blue) board in the size that I will later insert on my layout. In the example shown below, I am beginning the carving of a rock wall with strata running at an angle to the ground. Such formations are common in the Appalachian Mountains in central West Virginia, the area that I am modeling. The pink board that I am using (above) is 2 inches thick allowing me to make some significant variations in the depth of the rock. Carve until you get the desired effect. Once achieved, I begin brush-painting a base coat of paint onto the pink board. 24 the HotBox SUMMER 2015

25 Rock Cuts from Extruded Styrene by Bill Gawthrop NCR FEATURE Putting on a base coat as illustrated below helps to insure coverage of the pink color. Painting this base coat also can reveal flaws in your carving results such as the area in the upper center of the photo. When this happens, simply carve and repaint. Also, you will note in the upper right corner of the photo below a white area on the pink board. This area was ruined during the carving. No problem, fill with spackle or plaster and re-carve. The picture below shows a finished rock wall on my layout. After painting you will want to add vegetation above, in, and below the rocks. The vegetation, in this case represents the lush environment of the West Virginia hills. Modeling rock cuts and walls is not difficult. Like any modeling, patience is the key. NCR TIMETABLE EVENTS! NCR AREA EVENTS NOTE- Events listed have been compiled from listings on website for Model Railroader magazine. If you have an event you want listed, it s FREE, but information must be submitted to the Editor at least 45 days in advance of our publication dates! MICHIGAN RAILROAD CLUB PROGRAM July 01- Ron Cady August 05- Locomotives of Greenfield Village by Mr. Bradley June September 02- MRC Member Fred Ottush returns with a slide program Meetings are held at the Henry Ford Centennial Library, Michigan Ave, Dearborn, Mich. Meeting starts at 7 pm with program starting around 7:30 pm. We must be out of the library by 9 pm. I like to have a Newsreel before the main program so if YOU have slides, video, digital of a current event (from a month or two ago) why not share it with other members. Contact: Kenneth Borg 3512 Merrick, Dearborn, MI Saturday-Sunday, July 11-12, Model Railroad Show & Swap Van Wert County Fairgrounds 1055 S. Washington St. Van Wert, OH July 11-10am till 4pm - July 12-11am till 3pm Admission $3 Children 12 & under Free 100 plus Vendor tables - Operating Layouts - Good food Handicap/Wheelchair Accessible Contact Information - Jan Dunlap snapshotjan@embarqmail.com Sunday-Saturday, August 23-29, Portland Daylight Express Convention/80th NMRA National Convention DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton 1000 NE Multnomah Street, Portland, OR National Train show Aug at the Portland Expo Center SUMMER 2015 the HotBox 25

26 NMRA-NCR ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM NCR AWARDS The talented members of the NCR just keep showing their talents by their being awarded more NMRA Certificates. Congratulations to our NCR award winners!! Model RR Eng - Electrical Gary W. Evans, Div. 3 and Bruce Van Huis, Div. 4 Chief Dispatcher Gary W. Evans, Div. 3; William E. Gawthrop, Div. 8 and Allan Bell, Div. 3 Master Builder Scenery Bruce Van Huis, Div. 4 and David Capron, (Former Div. 7) Master Builder - Structures William Piercy, Div. 3 AP QUESTIONS: If you have questions about the AP program or requirements, start with your local or Region AP manager, Larry Wolohon MMR. If you still have questions, contact Frank Koch at fjkoch@hotmail.com or write Frank at 4769 Silverwood Drive, Batavia, OH NCR HotBox PIKE ADS 26 the HotBox SUMMER 2015

27 NCR HotBox PIKE ADS SUMMER 2015 the HotBox 27

28 Permit Holder: National Model Railroad Association The North Central Region, c/o Dean Pyers, Resident Agent 8212 Clay Ct Sterling Hgts, MI NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID LIVONIA, MI Permit No in the next issue of THE HotBox MORE LAYOUT PHOTOS MORE HOW-TO-DO ARTICLES MORE INFORMATION... stay tuned! EASY PINE TREES RailFanning the Layouts of Division 3 for FWR LAST CONVENTION NEWS OCT 29 NOV 01