Volume 21, Number 4 April !At The Throttle!

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1 Volume 21, Number 4 April 2018 As long as you know in which station and at what hour you should wait, which train to take and if necessary when and where to get off that train to take a different line, to take a different train, you shall be accepted as a smart traveler! Mehmet Murat ildan: Turkish author of crime fiction Occasionally, when I am running trains, I get a wild impulse to run two trains simultaneously on the same piece of track. It s fun and can be mildly exciting, especially when the one in the rear sneaks up on the lead engine. If you have a DCC system, you can get the same results with two friends who are not used to running this configuration (or at least one of them). The best time to attempt this is at your open house (Smile...) The situation can be resolved by using a block control which only allows one train at a time to occupy a block of track. During the early days of railroading in the United Kingdom, double tracked railroads would use policemen stationed at intervals along the line. These men, who essentially would be the modern-day equivalent of a flagman, would signal to passing trains how much time had elapsed from the passing of the previous train, ensuring safe separation between trains. Can you see the potential problem if the preceding train stops between policeman postings?!at The Throttle! In 1889, near Armagh, Ireland, when a crowded Sunday school excursion train with 15 coaches and 940 passengers pulled by a had to negotiate a steep incline; the steam locomotive was unable to complete the climb and the train stalled. The train crew decided to divide the train and take the front portion forward, leaving the rear portion on the running line. The rear portion was inadequately braked with impromptu braking devices (i.e. packing rocks from the right-of-way behind the wheels of the rear portion and gravel thrown on the rails). From the minutes of the ensuing inquiry, the follow-up actions read like a movie comedy except for the tragic results with a death toll of 80, mostly children. The required 20-minute interval before letting a fast train follow a slow one had elapsed and the following scheduled passenger trains had already left Armagh, so no warning was passed to that engine.* *Wikipedia Armagh Rail Disaster Keep em running, Madison Parker Tel: (mobile)

2 Club Membership by Jim FioRito Membership Chair CHCAGO AREA GARDEN RAILWAY SOCIETY Officers President, Madison Parker Vice President, Joe Lienau Treasurer, Bill Schwartz Secretary, Dora Mecko Chairpersons Membership, Jim FioRito 1204 Sunnybrook Drive Naperville, IL Open Houses, Beth and Steve March WebMaster, Ray Sargent lantern Newsletter Editor, John Peart Caring and Sharing, Lorrie Rockey Newsletter PRINTER, The Ink Well (847) The CAGRS 2018 membership renewal period has ended. If you have not received your 2018 name badge, it is probably because you have not sent in your renewal form. If you wish to renew, please send your dues check to: CAGRS c/o Jim FioRito 1204 Sunnybrook Dr, Naperville, Il Dues for 2018 are $25 if you want to have a hard copy newsletter mailed to you. If you prefer the newsletter via only, dues are $20. If you decide not to continue in the club, please send an to jlfio@sbcglobal.net so I can remove your name from the club roster. ELECTIONS 2018 by Fred Haberkamp It is that time of the year when 2 offices of our club come up for election. This year it is President and Secretary. If anyone is interested in joining our elite cadre of highly skilled, well compensated officers, please contact either Penny or Fred Haberkamp. Home: fred@cmspinning.com penkay3@aol.com 2

3 CAGRS Meeting Minutes by Dora Mecko Secretary The monthly meeting was held on Sunday, March 25, 2018 at the Rose Garden Café, Elk Grove Village, IL. Attendees: : Ron & Gayle Althardt, Allan Anderson, Laura & Lee Baratta, Ed Biesiadecki, Clark Davoust, Bob & Laurie DeFoe, Mary & Jim FioRito, Kurt & Brad Gabrielse, Joe Genc, Fred & Penny Haberkamp, Ray & Karen Holich, Paul Hough, Butch Huvaere, Grant Law, Joe & Mary Lou Lienau, Steve & Beth March, Dora Mecko, Ron & Martha Messner, Irwin & Gayle Mishoulam, Madison & Gayle Parker, John Peart, Bernie & Dolores Rich, Lorrie Rockey, Dave Rodelius, Bill & Shirley Rustemeyer, Judy Rustemeyer, Don Rustemeyer, Robert Rustemeyer, Bill Schwartz, Nancy Serchuk, Judi & David Silverton, Donna & Jim Snorek, Ken Starzyk, Tom Trojan, Brian Valleau, Mary & Bob Walsh, Wayne Zoeteman (54) Announcements: Welcome to Kurt and Brad Gabrielse. CAGRS Board Meeting Sunday, April 8, 2018 at the Althardt residence. A sign-in sheet was passed around for those planning on attending. Grant Law advised a friend recently passed away and he is helping to sell the train stock. He has approximately 11 pages of HO items. Please contact Grant at melgwl2@aol.com for further info. Word of the Day: (Madison Parker) ineluctably unable to be resisted or avoided. The sunrise in the morning will be ineluctably.. Old Business: April 21, 2018 POTLUCK Coordinator Mary FioRito invited everyone to attend our upcoming event. The most recent version of Murder on the Orient Express will be featured. In addition to the $10 pp fee, members are asked to bring a dish to feed eight (8). Mary stressed how the evening is about friendship, being together and having fun. Elections for the President and Secretary positions will be held the evening of the Pot Luck. Election Committee: Fred & Penny Haberkamp Please them if you are interested in running for these offices. New Business: None Reports: Vice President, Joe Lienau: Joe reminded everyone that Spring is the time of year we should utilize to check the condition of our railroad. He advised the following were good sources to locate items that you may be needing to replace. Larry G Scale ( and Al s Discount Trains ( stores.ebay.com/als-discount-trains) Secretary, Dora Mecko: Our meeting attendance has been great this year. January 52 attendees; February 59; March 54. This was higher than any month in Even in 2016, only one month had attendance as high. Our last pot luck that year, had 55 members that participated. It is wonderful to see everyone come out and share in the great 3

4 hobby we all love. Let s keep the spirit growing. Contact Ron Messner for club shirts (long & short sleeve available). Please remember to respond to the meeting reminders in a timely manner. Last month, place settings, chairs and food needed to be added to accommodate the unexpected members. Management prepares food based on the number Madison gives them earlier in the week. Treasurer s Report, Bill Schwartz: The checking account balance as of March 25, 2018 was $35, (The complete Treasurer s report to follow in this newsletter.) Bill advised this was the 50th anniversary of LGB garden railroads. He also stated that the hobby shop in Itasca is carrying G scale trains again. The shop is located next to the Holiday Inn where our meetings were previously held. Membership, Jim Fiorito: 120 paid memberships (183 individuals). There are 20 members that have not responded as of yet. Editor Report, John Peart: None Caring and Sharing: Irwin Mishoulam was welcomed back after recent surgery. Lorrie advised how important it is to keep up the camaraderie of our club. Members celebrating birthdays and anniversaries were recognized. Lorrie Rockey at or lorrier@railroad-crossing.com CAGRS OPEN HOUSES: Steve March asked members if they could try to schedule their open house on the same weekend as others in their county. He advised this allows members to more readily visit most, if located in the same area. Steve stated that once he receives a member s , he will send them the layout description he has on file. The member can then update/ modify the information. Once Steve has it back, he will forward to John Peart for publication. Contact Judy Rustemeyer for the CAGRS wind breakers which are available for purchase. Limited stock but can be ordered. Ron Althardt has club pins available. Comments: The next meeting will be Saturday, April 21, 2018 during the Pot Luck at the Vernon Township Community Center, 2900 N. Main Street, Buffalo Grove, IL The festivities will start at 5:00 pm. Don t forget to bring your appetite, your dish to share (to feed 8) and your desire for a fun evening. Please remember to RSVP to Madison by the date stated in the meeting reminder. Presentation: Dave Rodelius: Chief Engineer for the Chicago Botanic Garden Railroad (Glencoe) Dave has been supervising the G scale operation for approximately 19 years. He was originally hired as a tram operator for the Chicago Botanic Garden. When management learned of his passion and experience of model railroads, he was offered the Chief Engineer job. Dave supervises 13 Engineers and 65 volunteers. Many hours are put in by the train crews since the railroad runs 7 days a week. Several of our CAGRS members volunteer their time at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Dave spoke on the effects of aging not only of our bodies, but of our railroads as well. He advised that after 19 years as the Chief Engineer, he was retiring in April. Truly a great loss for the Chicago Botanic Garden. We wish him well. Madison adjourned the meeting. 4

5 Contact Madison Parker if you have any comments, recommendations or ideas for presentation topics for future meetings. Phone: Respectfully submitted, Dora Mecko, Secretary well and are looking forward to some muchneeded nice weather! Time to start cleaning out those gardens and planning the upcoming season! Happy Spring! Lorrie Rockey CAGRS Caring & Sharing Caring & Sharing Corner By Lorrie Rockey March Birthday's and Anniversaries: Happy Birthday to: Beth March Steve March Bonnie Frels Cindy Starzyk Connie Smith Frances McTague Fred Koss Geri Garstecki Judy Berghaus Monica Lewandowski Robert Rustemeyer Terry Friedman The Happiest of Anniversaries to: Jim & Monica Lewandowski It was great to see Irwin Mishoulam at the meeting this month. He had undergone 2 separate surgeries but is now on the mend. We all wish you well Irwin! I hope you all have a wonderful April, with Spring now upon us! I hope you are all feeling CAGRS Treasurer s Report by Bill Schwartz March Starting Balance 34, INCOME Clothing Income Membership Dues Other Income Social Event Income TOTAL INCOME EXPENSES Administration A/V Equipment Membership This Photo by Unknown Newsletter:Delivery Newsletter:Printing TOTAL EXPENSES End balance 35,

6 2018 Summer Open Houses by Steve March Turn Your Spring Fancy to Scheduling Your Open House Check your Newsletter for the most recent version of the open-house schedule and pick a date for yours. Plan on putting up signs directing visitors to track side. Water to drink would be nice and you might offer your guests a light snack (I like cookies). Beth thinks registration books for visitors to sign is also good. It s your choice of course. When you pick a date please send us a note so we can put a notice in the newsletter. We need about a week to let you make changes in the description we have on file so please try to notify us two weeks before the day of the Club meeting about your layout date. If you have shown previously we have a file description of your layout and directions to your house. You might consider opening your layout on the same day that others in your county will be open if convenient. It cuts down on the driving. Date Area Layout 1 Layout 2 Layout 3 Layout 4 Sunday, Apr 29 Cook North Sunday, May 06 Cook South Sunday, May 13 Lake Sunday, May 20 McHenry Sunday, May 27 DuPage Sunday, Jun 03 Cook North Sunday, Jun 10 Cook South Sunday, Jun 17 Lake Sunday, Jun 24 McHenry Saturday, Jun 30 DuPage Rustemeyer Sunday, Jul 01 DuPage Rustemeyer Sunday, Jul 08 Cook North Lienau Sunday, Jul 15 Cook South Sunday, Jul 22 Lake Sunday, Jul 29 DuPage Sunday, Aug 05 Cook South Sunday, Aug 12 Cook North Sunday, Aug 19 Lake Sunday, Aug 26 DuPage Sunday, Sep 02 Cook North Sunday, Sep 09 Cook South Sunday, Sep 16 Lake Althardt Saturday, Sep 22 Lake Althardt (Open Track) Sunday, Sep 23 DuPage Sunday, Sep 30 McHenry Sunday, Oct 07 Cook South Sunday, Oct 14 Cook North 6

7 Layout hosts will receive one of Terubig s layout rocks for display at your next open house. American motorized models with the 50 th Anniversary logo are the D&RGW Mogul and the LGB Streetcar. Questions? Mail: MarchS@AOL.com or call Steve or Beth at LGB 50th Anniversary New Releases, Part 1 By Bill Schwartz 2018 LGB New Items By Bill Schwartz LGB has released its 2018 New Items brochure online as a pdf file at: nh2018/en_lgb_nh2018_internet.pdf. The big news in 2018 is the 50th anniversary of LGB, which occurred on February 10. LGB will be producing several anniversary models that will be one-time items in Classic European models sporting the anniversary logo are the Stainz with a gold boiler and cab and the RhB class Ge 4/4 II electric locomotive, road number 617, in a special livery that will also be applied to the prototype 617 by the Rhaetian Railway. There will be a series of 5 European two-axle boxcars in LGB red, to 5, one for each decade of LGB, and each with images of LGB models produced in that decade. Finally, a two -axle red gondola with a Steiff bear as its cargo (42229) will be available this year. Non-anniversary models are also plentiful. A uniquely American train set is the Napa Valley Wine Train, consisting of an EMD F7A locomotive (LGB 20580), a four-axle boxcar (41915) and an Observation Car (36591), all in the Napa Valley dark red, green and gold livery. These models are being touted as the start of an ongoing series. If you ever had the opportunity to visit the LGB factory in Nuremberg, you would have seen the narrow gauge locomotive and freight cars parked out front. LGB has reproduced this train in its entirety, locomotive and 3 two-axle cars. The LGB Factory Train (29050) will be available as a set this year. There will be a lot of Christmas items again this year. A passenger starter set with two coaches in blue and gold livery that can be complemented with other coaches of the past will be available as LGB There will also be a Christmas 2018 two-axle coach (36018), a Rail Truck with Christmas décor (24681) and a Stainz with a forest green cab (20215) and a small tree standing on the front buffer beam. Needless to say, Santa is driving. 7

8 Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the old, long distance roads in England, because that's the spacing of the wheel ruts. So who built those old rutted roads? Imperial Rome built the first long distance roads in Europe (and England) for their legions. The roads have been used ever since. There are many models of European prototypes from German railroads and the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). I will cover them in an article next month. Spoiler alert! There is a working metal steam rotary snowplow! The US Standard Railway Gauge Supplied by Allan Anderson The US standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That's an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used? Because that's the way they built them in England, and English expatriates built the US Railroads. Why did the English build them like that? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used. Why did "they" use that gauge then? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing. Okay! Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing? And the ruts in the roads? Roman war chariots formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels. Since the chariots were made for Imperial Rome, they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing. The United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches is derived from the original specifications for an Imperial Roman war chariot. And bureaucracies live forever. So the next time you are handed a specification and wonder what horse's ass came up with it, you may be exactly right, because the Imperial Roman army chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the back ends of two war horses. Now, the twist to the story. When you saw a Space Shuttle sitting on its launch pad, there were two big booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank. These are solid rocket boosters, or SRBs. The SRBs were made by Thiokol at their factory at Utah. The engineers who designed the SRBs would have preferred to make them a bit fatter, but the SRBs had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site. The railroad line from the factory happens to run through a tunnel in the mountains. The SRBs had to fit through that tunnel. The tunnel is slightly wider than the railroad track, and the railroad track, as you now know, is about as wide as two horses' behinds. So, a major Space Shuttle design feature of what was arguably the world's most advanced transportation system was determined over two thousand years ago by the width of 2 horse's behinds. 8

9 Book Review of Amtrak Across America, An Illustrated History Reviewed by Jim FioRito Amtrak Across America, An Illustrated History (expanded second edition), by John A. Fostik, MBA. Enthusiast Books, When our library acquired a copy of Amtrak Across America, An Illustrated History and I immediately placed a hold. Several months passed before I was able to get my hands on it. Amtrak Across America is a story of American rail travel in a new era. Amtrak has become an essential part of our transportation system for about 31.3 million Americans. This book presents a tribute of sorts to what was once before, what is now and what the author hopes will exist in our future. John Koelle John Koelle has his trains for sale. He says everything is priced to sell and everything must go. Half to two-thids off. John s number is Dale Frels I am looking for a replacement MRC 312 Train sound effects unit with the pendant hand control and speakers with power module. They are apparently no longer being made so only pre-owned units would be available. I am using the one that I have but would really like to have a backup unit or two. Cell # is or frelsd@mchsi.com. Ray Holich I have four Aristo-Craft items that are too large to ship. They are offered to members at the price of $35.00 each. All are in very good condition and have their original box, except For Sale and Want to Buy The author begins with a review of streamliners of the post World War II era. Names such as Chief, Century, Eagle, Rocket and Zephyr run across the pages in both text and photos of a by-gone era. These trains, the grandfathers & grandmothers of our present passenger railroad system, are brought to life in this beautiful edition. The author continues his narrative by dividing the Amtrak story into regional segments, highlighting Amtrak service in various parts of our country. Through the use of post cards, photos, the author s personal memorabilia, and his comprehensive knowledge of Amtrak s 25 regional lines, this book takes us on a journey through the rich history of America s passenger railroad. This is a fun read. one covered platform that does not have a box. Aristo-Craft ART7103 Water Tower Aristo-Craft ART7105 Covered Waiting Platform w/ 6 people Aristo-Craft ART7105 Covered Waiting Platform w/ 6 people (no box) Aristo-Craft ART7201 Freight Depot Pictures are available and can be ed. Contact Ray Holich at rkholich@sbcglobal.net Grant Law Grant Law advised a friend recently passed away and he is helping to sell the train stock. He has approximately 11 pages of HO items. Please contact Grant at melgwl2@aol.com 9

10 POT LUCK DINNER Sign up before it s too late There s hardly any time left before the train leaves the station for the Saturday evening, April 21st, 5pm CAGRS Pot Luck Dinner & Movie. The price is $10 per person which covers the fried chicken and beverages. This will be a wonderful time to catch up with each other, sample a dessert, enjoy an appetizer and watch a good movie. So sign up today, before it s too late! Include your information and your check payable to CAGRS and return to: MARY FIORITO, 1204 SUNNYBROOK DR, NAPERVILLE, IL PRINT YOUR NAME: # of attendees: Phone: Address: Amount Enclosed: Dish to pass (be specific): IF YOUR LAST NAME BEGINS WITH: A-E: You bring an appetizer and a dessert F-J: You bring a cold side dish K-O: You bring a warm side dish P-T: You bring an appetizer and a dessert U-Z: You bring a cold side dish 10

11 OFFICIAL CAGRS CLUB LOGO SHIRTS AND JACKETS AVAILABLE CAGRS JACKETS Judy Rustemeyer is the Jacket Lady for the club.. Contact Judy Rustemeyer 6067 N. Newburg Avenue, Chicago, IL As of April 4th, Judy had 2 Ladies jackets remaining, a medium and a large. Price is 50% off, now $26. CAGRS SHIRTS Ron Messner is our Shirt Man. The shirts come in Denim long and short sleeved and short sleeved only polo shirts. ALL shirts are selling for just $15 each. As of March 31st, Ron has the following shirts available. You can contact Ron by phone, , or at a CAGRS monthly meeting Ron Messner 4936 Berenice Chicago, IL ronmarstation@comcast.net Polo Denim Short Sleeve Denim Long Sleeved Small Medium Large XL X X X Please note Ron s change of phone number. It is now

12 Coming Up this Month April 8 CAGRS Spring Board Meeting at the Althardts Notify by if planning to attend to captria@aol.com April 8 Great Midwest Train Show, Wheaton, 9 to 3 greatmidwesttrainshow.com Saturday, April 21 CAGRS POT LUCK and a MOVIE, 5 pm. Election for President and Secretary Vernon Hills Township Community Center 2900 N Main St., Buffalo Grove, IL Coming Up Later May 6 Great Midwest Train Show, Wheaton, 9 to 3 May 20 May Meeting, Rose Garden Cafe, Elk Grove Village, 5:30 June National Garden Railway Convention Cobb Galleria Convention Centre, Atlanta, GA