The last time I was there, Gary had added the roadbed for a logging line running

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1 Upcoming Meets: Saturday March 24 Gary & Marilyn Siegel Santa Barbara 11 AM (805) Battery Power Only Please bring: A-G Salads H-O Desserts P-Z Appetizers April 28 D. Morgan May 19 G. Raymond June 9 -- J. Bussing Note New Date July R. Hahn July 28 - D. Paulazzo Questions or changes regarding the meet schedule should be directed to Jim Eldridge (818) Siegel's meet Directions and map omitted from on line edition. Please call meet host for directions. March 2012 This month we are meeting at the home of Gary and Marilyn Siegel in Santa Barbara. The layout is a model of the Southern Pacific's line between Santa Cruz and San Jose as it was in the late 1950's. It is a point to point design with a main line about 750 feet long. Its half dozen passing sidings are designed to encourage operating trains in addition to just watching them run. The maximum grade is 1 ½% and the curves are at least 8 foot radius. The layout favors first and second generation diesels, but the tunnels are just wide enough for 1:20 K-28's as well. There is no power anywhere, so battery power only. The last time I was there, Gary had added the roadbed for a logging line running even further up the hill. The Boulder Creek branch has been extended, and would be a very successful layout all by itself for anybody else. Time to Get Into Shape If you have some time available this spring, you might want to use it to get into shape for a strenuous summer and fall. Doing what, you ask? Why, going to train meets, of course. We have nine meets in the 15 weeks between the middle of July and the end of October including three each in August and October. Neglected Months Meanwhile, April and May have one meet apiece and poor neglected November and December have none. So if you have room in your home and heart, consider adopting November or December. They are house trained, priced to move, and eager to please.

2 All Aboard!! Please join me in welcoming our newest members, Ed Morse and his wife Diane Thomas of Santa Maria. Ed came to Crazy Charlie's meet, and I was able to chat with him. He has only recently moved to Santa Maria from north of Lake Shasta, so he doesn't have a layout yet. He collects all sorts of railroad related goodies, like speeders (he has five), and signs along the right-of-way White Pass & Yukon Repowers, Now is Your Chance Are you tired of working with the same old, tiny locomotives? Wouldn't it be great to have something that would make everybody's eyeballs spring out of their heads like Warner Brothers cartoon characters? Well, here is your chance. The White Pass & Yukon is upgrading their GE shovel nose locomotives with brand new, ecologically friendly, and more to the point, much more powerful Cummins engines. They are so powerful that the WP&Y can pull the same load with two engines that used to require three. Which of course means that they now have locomotives with nothing to do, and are being sold off. These are not the GE shovel nose units, but three of the ALCO DL535s. They have a current FRA blue card, which means that they are all ready to go to work for you. More info here: 94 The asking price is $1,900,000 each, but they have been for sale for quite awhile now, so they might be willing to cut a deal. I don't know which road numbers are being sold. The Sterling Rail web site doesn't have much information, and the White Pass web site, while very chatty about the new engines, doesn't say anything at all about selling off the old ones. Paul Salverson Pops the Question, Literally Paul Salverson wrote to say that he and Francine are engaged. For those who haven't met Paul, he is a licensed pyrotechnician (fireworks expert). They spent the Presidents Day week at the Western Pyrotechnics Convention in Lake Havasu, AZ, known as WinterBlast. Paul says: Francine and I got engaged over the weekend at Winterblast in Lake Havasu. I'd been planning this for a couple of months now and decided to do it big time. When I proposed to Jill I did it in front of a couple hundred pyro's at a safety training seminar. I decided to "kick it up a notch" and do the same thing but at Winterblast this time and not only among many fellow pyros but with half the town of Lake Havasu in on it as well. I was able to have a set piece built saying "Francine: Will you marry me" provided by Premier Pyrotechnics. It was also announced on the PA just before the big public display that "someone in the audience wants to ask someone something special" This was the cue to light the set-piece so that Francine could see it and also so that I could "pop" the question. After she said yes I had a mini finale shell barrage generously donated by Jean Starr with Bay Fireworks out of New York Congratulations Paul and Francine we all wish you all the best. I wonder what they will cook up for their wedding... Book Sale Update Some of our members have taken advantage of the huge selection and great prices at the Truckee Donner Railroad Society book sale that I wrote about last month. I had a chance to examine the list in more detail, and the choices are, well, eclectic. Lots of choices on modern diesel locomotives, main line passenger trains, and interurban lines. Not so much on narrow gauge or logging or mining. me.html

3 Crazy Charlie's Meet Byron McCracken brought one of those new PICO Moguls and a very The weather started off cold, gray, and short train. It's a very good runner. gloomy, but turned perfect by the time the meet started. So, regardless of Bill Fincher ran his old reliable Forney what you may have heard about and a very eclectic assortment of box Charlie, it hasn't hurt his influence over cars. the weather gods. Marc Vajcovec brought his Santa Fe The license plate holder that Richard GP7, and borrowed a train to pull. Abraham is giving to Charlie says I'm a Rail Fan and Milwaukee Road. John Power brought his brand new Accucraft Climax. All of the Charlie built a battery only layout on electronics are jammed into the the grass in the front yard. Several tender; which was never intended to people remarked on how this was just accept that much stuff. It must have how they got started; and in fact it was been quite a challenge to get it all in. just how the GCGRS got started all those years ago. Our newest member, Ed Morse, jumped right in by bringing two trains; both of which ran on the battery line. Crazy Charlie wasn't about to let us have all the fun. He ran his diesel SP Daylight, his Ten Wheeler, and a long work train with Milwaukee Road power, and cars from several roads. Ed Davis brought and showed, but didn't run, his scratchbuilt Milwaukee Road baggage car. If you have seen his other cars, you know the first class work he does on everything. Looking good, Ed!! Tom and Judy Ford brought a couple of grandkids that ran very well, but weren't too good at staying on, or even near, the tracks. Thanks to Bill Fincher for some of these photos. And thanks to Charlie for another great meet.

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6 Left Overs from My Meet Bob Cage Updates Us On the Doings in Arkansas Crazy Charlie took some pictures at my meet with his new digital camera, and then couldn't figure out how to get the pictures out of the camera. He tried opening the back, and dumping the bits out, but that didn't work. Eventually he got it sorted out (by asking his grandson would be my guess, but he didn't say) and here are a few of the best. Bob Cage was one of the original movers and shakers in the GCGRS, including among other things being the first editor of this very newsletter. He moved to Arkansas many years ago, and is now active in the North West Arkansas Garden Railway Society. In this picture, Gary Raymond is showing off a carrier that Ed Davis built for him out of aluminum. I didn't ask Ed why he painted it in Milwaukee Road colors, but it sure looks great. Here is Charlie with grand daughter Annabelle and grandson Raider. In the next picture, Charlie has done what has eluded me, namely getting a good picture of a train in front of my backdrop. He did it by focusing on the caboose, not the whole train, which blurred the stucco texture on the wall and makes the whole scene look much better. The club has displays at various events during the year. Bob sent some pictures of what they did for the North West Arkansas Botanical Center's Thanksgiving to Christmas display. There is nothing modular or portable about this baby; it is built in place every year, and torn down right after the holidays. Part of the reason they have to clear it out so soon is that they have a display at the Great NWA Model Train Show at the end of February. The third picture down is unusual because in most photos Bob is the one behind a post, or with his back to the camera, but there he is, front and center, in the red vest. At least, I assume it's him, it could be a life-size cardboard cutout.

7 GCGRS Membership Application Form Membership in the Gold Coast Garden Railway Society is open to anyone who is interested in outdoor model railroading. Dues are $20 per year if you need a printed copy of the newsletter mailed to you; or $10 if you can take the newsletter via . New members, please add $6 for each name tag that you want to have. Membership runs from January to December. Make checks payable to Bruce Kuebler for GCGRS. Bring this application and payment to any meet, or mail it to: Bruce Kuebler Encino Dr Oak View CA First Name Last Name: Spouse/Partner/Other(SPO) First Name: SPO Last Name, if different: Street Address Newsletter: Gary Olmstead (805) garyolmstead AT earthlink DOT net Membership: Bruce Kuebler (805) pbkuebler AT sbcglobal DOT net Meets: Jim Eldridge (818) sjeldridge AT earthlink DOT net NOTE NEW web site: City State Zip Home Phone: ( ) I enclose $20 because I love to receive a printed newsletter in the mail I enclose $10 because I want to get the newsletter two days earlier by I also need name tags, so I have added $6 each For new members: Would you like some help designing and/or building your layout? (Yes/No) If yes, what would you like help with? Gold Coast Garden Railway Society Encino Dr Oak View, CA Webmaster: John Albin jtalbin AT aol DOT com Please put GCGRS in the subject line of any correspondence.