RAILFANNING Garden Railroads Post NORTH CENTRAL CROSSING CONVENTION PLUS- RR History, Timetable, NMRA-NCR-Division News & more!

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1 THE HotBox THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NORTH CENTRAL REGION, NATIONAL MODEL RAILROAD ASSOCIATION VOL. 54, NO. 4 WINTER 2013 $3 FIRST NEWS- MAUMEE EXPRESS 2014 April 25-27, 2014 RAILFANNING Garden Railroads Post NORTH CENTRAL CROSSING CONVENTION PLUS- RR History, Timetable, NMRA-NCR-Division News & more!

2 HotBox Editorial The HotBox WINTER 2013 Vol. 54, No. 4 EDITOR Barry Hensel Lotus Dr Canton, MI barry76lt@wowway.com Editorial Advisers Jack Watson Dave McMullian Tim Fisher 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 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Yes, it s that time of the year the Holidays! Well, that s also a great time of the year for us, as perhaps hundreds of new model railroaders will be given their first train sets. Hopefully that starts them on the path that you too have followed a rewarding fun hobby! It is one of, if not the greatest of hobbies. Why? Because of all you can do within our hobby. Have you thought about it? Our hobby is so many other hobbies rolled into one. Carpentry, basic electrical, model making, photography, computers, electronics, artistry, architecture and theatrical (as in OPS). If you are a model railroader, you are also all of those too! Here s hoping that you can have an influence over some of those new model railroaders. Know someone that got their first train set? How about being a mentor to them. It would be rewarding to you both. Good Luck! The NCR 2013 Convention NORTH CENTRAL CROSSING is complete and was a great time. See all of the post-convention news in this issue of the HotBox! The NMRA-NCR-Division 6 Fall Show & Workshop is also complete for this year. This is a how to do model railroading event! It s our Division s part of promoting the hobby and getting those answers to the beginners. Knowing the Div 6 guys... I m sure the event went well! Speaking of train shows, it is that season as well. From September through April, train shows are all over our Region. The HotBox is proud to inform you of as many of these as possible. We all love the bargains at a show, BUT... please don t forget to support your local hobby shop! Both are important to our hobby and I m hoping you can strike a balance of supporting both, shows and shops! Well, time to do some model railroading Thanks for reading Barry MODEL RAILROADING IS FUN! 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! Corrections for the September 2013 edition of the HotBox are- a few spelling errors here and there and few grammar issues. Hope you didn t notice. FRONT COVER PICTURES- Best in Show photo from the NCX Convention Brooks Stover Ready Track REAR COVER PICTURES NCR convention logo; Dan Mitchell photo of Jerry Sahagian's Great Northern layout 2 the HotBox WINTER 2013

3 NCR - NORTH CENTRAL REGION BOARD MEMBERS & DIVISION LEADERS President Dave McMullian Davemcmullian@earthlink.net Vice-President Scott Kremer skremer@wideopenwest.com Secretary Marty LaForte lafortes@gmail.com Treasurer Larry Wolohon, MMR Larrywolohon@comcast.net Registrar David Simmons david@aarailfan.com Directors Glenn Joppich steambigot@yahoo.com Skip Luyk heluyk@yahoo.com Jack Watson jwatson1212@sbcglobal.net Resident Agent Uwe Thormaehlen u.thormaehlen@yahoo.com NMRA Vice-President Dave Thornton dthorn5552@aol.com NMRA Central Director Peter Magoun MMR centdir@hq.nmra.org Model Contests Joel Goldberg, MMR joelgoldb@yahoo.com 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 baldwinmw@att.net Division Five Andy Keeney hunter48820@yahoo.com Division Six Howard Andrews hwandrews@wowway.com Division Eight John Jackson jdsmjackson@sbcglobal.net Division Nine Michael Shirey nyc.nrgm@yahoo.com Division Ten Don Westcott dwwestcott@yahoo.com Dr. Jan Gromada D.O prrprrn5c@yahoo.com RAILROADING "WHAT THE???" NCR HUMOR SO... how s your day going? Can you say oops!? WINTER 2013 the HotBox 3

4 PRESIDENTS OBSERVATION by Dave McMullian By the time you read this, Division 9 will be officially up and running as the newest addition to the North Central Region. Div 9 includes 6 counties in the Battle Creek/Kalamazoo area. They ve had organizing meetings, written bylaws, elected officers, and begun activities. We will be updating the NCR website and future issues of the Hot Box with their information and links. This is an energetic band of folks who worked hard over the past year to establish the new division, and your regional leaders have learned a lot from their process. The NCR Development Committee is working to develop a model based on our experience organizing Division 9 and we intend to replicate the effort in some of the underdeveloped areas of the region. The upper half of Michigan does not have established divisions, nor do some of our Ohio counties beyond Toledo. Where ever there are NMRA members, we need to make every effort to establish local divisions and get everyone plugged in. We need to discard the ideas that a division needs 100+ members within its boundaries or has to meet in one place monthly. If we can help 30, 40, or 50 members in a 5-8 county area get connected, we can lead them to the benefits of the NMRA divisional experience : a group of like-minded friends who share modeling interests, activities, and most important, friendship. We need to think about the things we like best about our own NCR division, then go out and create some new ones like it! Thanks again to the members of Division 9 for your hard work getting established, and congratulations. North Central Crossing is in the record books now, and Division 8 deserves much praise for all their preparation and hard work. I m always amazed as I attend NCR conventions that I keep discovering cool layouts and new clinics! And in just four short months, Maumee Express 2014 will be rolling out the welcome mat in Toledo. Yes, it s a SPRING convention, set for April 25-27, so start planning now and get your registration in. Division 1 is hosting, and we are working hard to prepare fresh content. Check out the convention website, which will be continually updated as more plans are finalized: edo_2014.html As I experienced the various activities at North Central Crossing, I enjoyed the opportunities to hear from members. Please bend my ear any time, tell me what s working, what s not, and how you think we can make it better. Share your success stories. If something is a hit in your division, let s spread the word to others. And never forget, our organization is the sum of its parts YOU are a part. So pitch in, help where you can, and HAVE FUN! See ya on down the line, Dave McMullian, Pres., NCR THE DAVE McMULLIAN 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 television network Destination America, which is part of the Discovery Communications group of networks, will be premiering a new series, Railroad Alaska, on Saturday, Nov. 16. Destination America describes the series: Following an elite crew of workers brakemen, engineers, construction crews, mechanics and train drivers Railroad Alaska illustrates the battle against ferocious weather and treacherous terrain to keep the State of Alaska s critical 500-mile long railroad rolling to deliver life sustaining supplies. From controlled avalanches to prevent catastrophe, to fascinating characters like Jim James, the one-handed handy man, learn what it takes to keep this train on track. For a full schedule and video clips from each episode go to- BTR#2- The 2014 NMRA National convention will be in Cleveland. They are looking for clinic presenters. If you are interested in presenting a clinic, please or call Dave Neff theneffers@sbcglobal.net 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! 4 the HotBox WINTER 2013

5 WINTER 2013 the HotBox 5

6 LANSING RAILROAD CLUB MILESTONE! NCR NEWS! 6 the HotBox WINTER 2013

7 RAILFANNING GARDEN RAILROADS This past summer, when the weather was much better, the Lakeshore Garden Railway Club held layout tours with some of their members. The HOTBOX roving reporter got trackside with four of these interesting layouts! For more information on the LGRC, visit their website - NCR GOES TRACKSIDE From right to left- Greg & Jane Franko s Garden Express layout is a border train on Jane's garden. When she wants more garden, Greg gets to have more track added to the layout. Its a "his and hers" layout that has been running for 10 years. Covering a hillside, "Itsa lotta werk" and/or "Dunn's Diversion" the layout of Bob & Sharon Dunn is reminiscent of a Swiss village and has been operational for 12 years. There is 350 feet of mainline track including 2 helixes of 10 feet in diameter. Plus 25 feet of a point to point for a trolley operation and an aerial cable car. The layout features 863 people and animals, 28 dwarf Alberta trees, more than 25 Boxwoods and 2 small ponds with a waterfall. Scenes, tree trimming, ground cover are all done by Sharon. WINTER 2013 the HotBox 7

8 RAILFANNING GARDEN RAILROADS NCR GOES TRACKSIDE Doug & Ouida Cooper s "Ore Creek Railroad" began 15 years ago and was so named because the town of Brighton was first called Ore Creek after the river that flows through town and once powered the mill. The models are all of narrow gauge trains from the steam age about 1900 to As Ouida is a member of the Brighton Garden Club and Doug is an active member with the Steam Railroading Institute a garden railroad is a good fit in their life style. They wanted to run several trains at a time so 3 irregular loops and a forth single track with a reverser was designed. Also wanted were multiple levels with a trestle and tunnel. Last on the tour was the layout of Rick & Shirley Breitzman which is not any specific line or era, but runs mostly steam and tries for a Colorado feel run both battery and track power since not all of his engines are battery converted yet. The Yukon RR was traveling around a front garden flower-bed. The main layout has two large trestles' and is a folded dog-bone shaped track plan. Rick & Shirley enjoy having a live plant garden railroad and have learned a lot from other members. 8 the HotBox WINTER 2013

9 NCX CONTEST WINNERS NCR INFORMATION This year s convention had a total of 65 entries in the contests. The entries were divided almost equally between models and photos. Several of the entries in the model contest were evaluated with over 100 points out of a total possible number of 125 points. In the model contest, the winners in each category were: Best of Show: Dan Lewis; Milwaukee water tower Structures: 1 st David Zolnierek; Gallows turntable 2 nd Marv Linke; cattle stock pens 3 rd Dave Capron; Howligan s & Skinners town Other structures earning achievement awards (87.5 points+) Howard Andrews; company houses, David Zolnierek; Rainbow restaurant, Roland Bunting; Brimley depot Motive Power: 1 st Brooks Stover; B&O EL-3 steam locomotive Traction: 2 nd Skip Lyuk; 3truck shay 1 st John Wright; Third Avenue RR trolley 2 nd Roger Jensen; GE BoxCab Non-revenue: 1 st Brooks Stover; Clark type G-3 side dump car 2 nd Skip Luyk; Logging firefighting car This year s contest included modules. There were three entries: 1 st John Wright; Ocean Parkway underpass 2 nd Howard Andrews; City module loop 3 rd Bill Gawthrop; Perry, Michigan In the photo contest, the winners in each category were: Best in Show: Brooks Stover; Ready Track Model B&W print: 1 st Dan Lewis; Extra 96-C 2 nd Dan Lewis; Window View at Harlowton Model Color Print: 1 st Brooks Stover; Winter coal drag 2 nd Brooks Stover; Summer Night in Dundon 3 rd Brooks Stover; Switching Rich Run Mine Prototype B&W print: 1 st Dan Lewis; The nd Dan Lewis; At the Silverton Engine House Prototype color print: 1 st Rick Ware; Indiana RR #3803 with remote control car 2 nd Brooks Stover; Autumn Steam (Climax #3, Durbin, WV) 3 rd Brooks Stover; Almost Home The contest committee and the judges want to thank all of the participants in the contest. We recognize the time and effort that went into the production of their work. WINTER 2013 the HotBox 9

10 NMRA NEWS NMRA INFORMATION Here are some excerpts from the recent NMRA news by Charlie Getz, NMRA President - First, the very merriest and satisfying of holiday seasons to each and every one of you. It s always a magical time to be a model railroader. In this column, I would like to report on the goals and promises made when I assumed office as your President. Under our revised regulations, I serve a three-year term. I began in the summer of 2012 and thus, this month marks my halfway point. I outlined five areas I hoped to emphasize: modernization, communication, integration, conformance and program/function re-examination. We have made significant progress in all areas although much remains to be done. Modernization. How we do business is changing. The bylaws are slowly being redrafted to simplify and better define the distinction between our not-for-profit corporate side and our hobby association side. Communication. Here we have made great strides thanks to Gerry Leone and his crew, Ben Sevier, Page Martin, Tom Draper and Stephen Priest. The Magazine continues to improve and thrive. The new NMRA ebulletin has been well received. The Infoblast continues to provide information to Regions. Our website is slowly improving and being revamped. Integration. This means that for US regions/division, tax-exempt status under our umbrella would be provided with a minimum of paperwork and with complete local control over finances and activities. We await a final ruling from the IRS. Conformance. In 2006, the BOD authorized a self-certification program to encourage industry to obtain conformance warrants in a manner and timing that suited their needs and did not rely on our few overburdened volunteers. At my request, Standards and Conformance Department Manager Di Voss has developed procedures and forms to accomplish this goal. One day, I hope that no model railroader would consider buying a product that does not conform to our standards. Re-examination of Programs and Functions. We have looked critically at what we do and how we do it as those decisions affect our Headquarters building in Chattanooga. Thirty years ago, NMRA leadership had a vision that a central headquarters building would be a strong signal to the membership. It would provide a location for the Howell Day Model Railroading Museum and the A.C. Kalmbach Library. The plan also included space for the day-to-day operations of the organization to provide member support for planned growth of a much larger world-wide organization. Several alternatives were explored before the current location in Chattanooga, TN was chosen, primarily because of an attractively priced land parcel offered by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM). Fast-forward thirty years. We now have a building that is underutilized and will become even more so after the Museum and Library are moved to California State Railroad Museum (CSRM). Our core operations will need significantly less space than we have today. In January 2013, the TVRM, approached us and asked if we might consider selling them the building. We did not solicit their request. The NMRA BOD discussed this exciting and unsolicited opportunity at the Winter 2013 BOD meeting. After several months of negotiations, we arrived at a mutually agreeable price and set terms and conditions. In July, TVRM presented a formal offer to the NMRA. The NMRA BOD accepted the offer. NMRA still needed a central location to manage the organization's business, merchandise sales, membership records, the online archives, and some elements of the Library and Museum collections. But because of the quickness of the sale and our desire to not interrupt service, a new location was found. We have opened this rented facility (at an annual cost less than operating the old building) and moved our staff there. Note the new address listed on our website; our phones remain the same. We will invest the sale proceeds to generate income for the NMRA in the future. This principal and income will help to strengthen our overall position, provide funds for future projects, and potentially delay the need for a future dues increase. We are not leaving Chattanooga. We are not moving the NMRA to California. The NMRA is not in financial trouble. So ignore those who tell you differently. The simple truth is that Headquarters never lived up to its promise or potential. It has become an expensive anachronism to operate but a valuable asset that appreciated over time. In fact, it was a wise investment. In closing, much has been accomplished but much remains. We have a great crew in place working very hard for you and for our hobby. With your support, we will only grow stronger and better. Those are my thoughts; what are yours? Charlie Getz, NMRA President 10 the HotBox WINTER 2013

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 baldwinmw@att.net 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. Division Six (Wayne & Washtenaw Counties, Michigan) 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 are pleased to announce that the North Central Region has approved a new division, DIVISION 9! Division Ten (Flint and Saginaw area) 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 (cell) 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 or Jan Gromada at (hm) or (wk) 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!! WINTER 2013 the HotBox 11

12 NCR DIVISION HAPPENINGS DIVISION INFORMATION Division One (Toledo, Ohio area) Division One is busy preparing to host our fellow North Central Region members at the Spring convention, Maumee Express Mark you calendar for April and register now. You can learn all about the convention and everything else we re doing by visiting (submitted by- Dave McMullian, Superintendent NMRA NCR Div 1) Division Three (Fort Wayne, Indiana and western Ohio area) Monthly Meetings We ve had several meetings at our new location, Baker Street Station, the iconic/historic restored Pennsy Passenger Depot in downtown Fort Wayne. This is an excellent facility, perfectly suited to our needs. Our meetings are held on the Second Monday s, from 7 PM to 9PM, in one of owner s firm s board rooms. Annual Picnic We ve sponsored these for over 15 years. This year s attendance was somewhat sparse, which opens the question to the future of these. Division Banner Our old one is worn out, and outdated so we will be ordering a new one. Division Inventory Our Secretary, Dan Metzger, is developing a spread sheet listing items our division owns. These include: Kalmbach s Dream Plan Build DVDs, LCD Projector, T Trak modules, Items from our Make N Take clinics, and Silent Auction supplies NCR Convention We ve held several planning meetings. We re now working on developing a: Convention shirt, Convention cars (Modern & Steam eras), Proto Tours, Clinics, Promoting the convention, Etc. Silent Auction We had a successful roll out at the Troy Convention. Plans are to continue to handle these at the Toledo and Fort Wayne Conventions. Monthly Op Sessions We ve been hosting a round robin of these on the third Fridays. However, for multiple reasons, both good & bad, we are discontinuing these after the December. (submitted by- Chuck White, Superintendent NMRA NCR Div 3) Division Four (Grand Rapids and west Michigan area) We had our first meeting in over a year on November 16th; so far as I type this the response is going to be average for us. We are going to try for the first time (that I know of) a show and tell, and then tour 3 different layouts. We have another meet planned for January 18th what will consist of clinics and another show and tell. Membership wise I m hopeful that the change with Division 9 being created from our southern counties proves to be beneficial to both groups. Looking at the membership it appears that our numbers are stabilizing again as all of those who joined for just the GR2012 National have now dropped off the roster. It s interesting that 78 of our members are from Kent and Ottawa counties with just 21 spread around the rest of the Division. I m also hopeful that we can fill our 2 vacancies on our Board soon. All in all I m cautiously opportunistic about the future of the Division. (submitted by- Mark Baldwin, Superintendent) Division Five (Lansing and mid-lower Michigan area) Division 5 started out the new model railroading season in September with Rad Jones' clinic on the use of railroad travel by the nation's presidents. This was followed up by a visit to the Lansing Model Railroad Club's newly expanded club house to view the progress on building an addition to their layout to take advantage of the new space. The Club now also has indoor plumbing and a new meeting room. Division 5's new Superintendent Andy Keeney has plans to focus many of this years activities on the design and construction of layouts. The October meeting had four mini clinics featuring aspects of layout building. Andy and John Hartmann each had clinics on track laying, John Bussard went over soldering techniques and Mark Cowles showed how he got pushed into tearing up a part of his layout that was unsatisfactory and started rebuilding it. This was followed by a visit to Rob Venske's very large under construction HO layout of the Duluth - Superior area. As he is only beginning to start scenery, the construction techniques that he uses were still very visible. November's meeting will have a clinic by Andy on the ideas and thoughts that went into designing and building his large HO scale Nashville Lines layout. As always, we see interesting models brought in by the members for Show & Tell. Concentration so far this year has been on current models and projects rather than having any specific theme. 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, Div. 5 Clerk) 12 the HotBox WINTER 2013

13 NCR DIVISION HAPPENINGS DIVISION INFORMATION Division Six (Wayne & Washtenaw County) Division 6 s annual FALL SHOW & WORKSHOP was again a success. The goal of the show is to teach model railroading. Members set-up displays and demonstrate how to build structures, rolling stock, decaling, scenery, history of railroads and more, plus we host local Boy Scouts on earning their model railroading merit badge. There are also several modular layouts to give the event some action. We also do a model & photo contest, raffles and food service. It s a great event for the public to learn about how hobby and it s always fun to participate in. Our monthly meetings continue to be fun and information filled. Layout tours continue to also be a monthly hit and we try to keep them scheduled. Check the TIMETABLE page for our meeting schedule. (submitted by Barry Hensel, Newsletter Editor) Division Eight (Oakland, Macomb, St. Clair Counties) Members of Division 8 worked to prepare for and conduct a successful North Central Region Convention in Troy. Attendees came from 6 states to enjoy the op sessions clinics, layout tours, and many other activities of the convention. At Division 8 meetings during the quarter, members have enjoyed a variety of clinics and presentations over the past few months. The clinic in August was given by George Kohs. He presented very interesting aspects of the state of importing brass locomotives and rolling stock. George gave a brief history of the importing business over the past 30 years and pointed out how the importing business has changed especially in the past ten years. George brought in one of his current projects, a beautiful Union Pacific Challenger in O scale. September s clinic was given by Dan Lewis and featured Dan s research for his North Montana Line of the Milwaukee Road, in N scale. Dan has visited the sites along the prototype and had the opportunity to interview a number of railroad employees from the region. October s clinic featured the best layouts of the NMRA National Convention by Larry Wolohon. During the clinic Larry, Dean Pyers, and Jim Zinser presented snippets of their respective experiences at the Convention. John Bopp also contributed to this clinic. (submitted by, Bill Gawthrop, Secretary) Division Nine (Kalamazoo-Battle Creek area) We do have a meeting coming up on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 at 6:30pm at the Denny s in Kalamazoo, MI. at I-94 and Sprinkle Road. We re planning another in January. If you would like to be included, please contact Michael Shirey nyc.nrgm@yahoo.com Division Ten (Flint and Saginaw area) At each meeting we have a short business meeting bringing everyone up to date on news of both NMRA National and North Central Region news, a show and tell session followed by a clinic or video presentation. In addition, we have started having monthly layout tours to area layouts. Currently, we are finalizing these tour dates for the next six months. Any NMRA members that have not been able to attend one of the meetings or layout tours, please think about joining us. We are a bunch of model railroaders that like to get together and share our interests in model railroading. If you have a guest that you would like to bring along, please do. Any model railroader or anyone that would like to know more about model railroading is welcome to attend our meetings. Division 10 Meetings are on the 2 nd Wednesday of each month at 7:00pm. Call (cell) to verify meeting date, time and location of meeting or directions to the meeting location. (submitted by Don Westcott and Jan Gromada, Co-Superintendents) NMRA-NCR ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM The talented members of the NCR just keep showing their talents by their being awarded more NMRA Certificates. Congratulations to our NCR award winners!! Golden Spike Awards - Leon J. Bangma, (Div. 4) NCR AWARDS 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 WINTER 2013 the HotBox 13

14 MAUMEE EXPRESS 2014 NCR CONVENTION The 2014 NCR regional convention will be Friday Sunday, April 25 27, Note this is a SPRING convention this year. There will be no convention in the fall. The Convention Hotel Convention headquarters will be the Ramada Hotel and Convention Center, which is located on Secor at I-475. The hotel is easily accessible from all directions. Registration, clinics and modular displays will be at the hotel. The room rates for the convention will be $92 per night, plus tax. The Ramada provides a free limited breakfast each morning for all guests. Contact the hotel directly to make your reservations. Their phone number is Mention the Model Railroad convention to get the special convention rate. Layout Tours Fifteen or more layouts in and around Toledo will be open for self-guided tours during the convention. A list of open layouts, along with a brief description of each, is being posted on the Division One web site. This list is being constantly updated as the committee takes photographs of the various layouts. Layout tour information, with maps, will be part of the registration packet. Operating Sessions Most operating sessions will be Friday evening, with about 30 slots available. Also, the Wabash Road Show in Saline will host an Ops session on Sunday afternoon. A complete list of layouts, with a short description of each will be posted on the convention web site. A registration form will also be posted. Ops session requests will be accepted after March 1, Convention Awards and NCR Members meeting Because the hotel is now providing a limited free breakfast, an awards brunch will not be held. Instead a short NCR membership meeting will be held Sunday morning to hand out contest awards, discuss current happenings in the region, and present thumbnails of upcoming events. Complimentary coffee, tea, and lemonade will be available. Clinics A variety of clinics are being planned for Friday and Saturday of convention. Pre-registration for the clinics is not required. A current, list of scheduled clinics will be posted on the convention web site Modular Layouts We have all the ballrooms at the Ramada reserved for modular layout displays, which will be open Friday and Saturday during the convention. Several modular groups have already committed to setting up at the convention. Watch the website for a complete list of modular layouts that will be on display. 14 the HotBox WINTER 2013

15 MAUMEE EXPRESS 2014 NCR CONVENTION Convention Merchandise Three-button gray polo shirts with a full color embroidered convention logo are available by pre-order only. The shirts are a cotton & polyester mix. Also available are both short and long sleeve denim shirts with the full color convention logo embroidered on them. Coffee mugs with the Division One logo on one side and a full color convention logo on the other side are also available for order on the registration form. Preordered items will be available for pickup at the convention on Friday and Saturday. There may also be a limited number of coffee mugs available for sale at the convention store. Pictures of the shirts and coffee mugs are on the convention web site. Free-Mo modular thread There will be a Free-Mo modular set-up in one of the ballrooms. The Free-Mo groups will be hosting ops sessions all day Friday and Saturday. These slots are in addition to the 30+ available slots on Friday evening. Sign-up for these sessions will be on site only. In addition to the Free-Mo layout, there will be a clinic thread devoted to the Free-Mo modular system of railroading. Registration A registration form is included in this issue of the Hot Box. In addition, a pdf version of the registration form is available on the convention web site. The regional convention committee is working on an electronic registration form which may become available in the near future. However, payment must still be made by mail. Mail-in registration must be post-marked by April 1. Electronic registration will be accepted until April 23. Those registering electronically after April 1 will be instructed to pay on site when they pick up their credentials. Contests There will be the usual NMRA sanctioned photo and model contests. Judging will be Saturday. Silent Auction The regional convention committee is exploring the possibility of hosting a silent auction, as was done in Troy. At this time, we are still looking for a suitable space in the convention hotel to hold the auction. Watch the web site for details. Non-convention Railfanning There are several places in and around Toledo that are great spots for railfanning. There are also places that, while they look good, the public is not welcome. The convention packet you receive when you arrive at the hotel will include a guide to railfanning locations in the Toledo area. Bring your camera! Non-convention Activities For those not attending the convention activities, shopping and a variety of restaurants are located within a couple of miles. The Toledo Zoo and the Toledo Museum of Art are within easy driving distance. Also within easy driving distance is COSI, a hands-on science center for kids of all ages. For those who like to shop, both Franklin Park Mall and Levis Commons are easily accessible by car. Additional Information For more information, contact Chairman, Fred Lux, by - fred@fredlux.com or by phone WINTER 2013 the HotBox 15

16 Maumee Express 2014 NCR Regional Convention Toledo, Ohio April 25 27, 2014 General Information Date: Name: Street Address: City: State: ZIP: Telephone: Convention Shirts (presale only) S $20, 21, $23, 4XL@ $24 Polo Shirt Men s sizes S M L XL XX XXX Polo Shirt Women s sizes S M L XL XX XXX Short sleeve Denim S M L XL XX XXX Long sleeve Denim S M L XL XX XXX NMRA membership # Total for Shirts $ Expiration Date Convention Registration Circle the appropriate registration category and enter you total fee below Single registration - $45.00 Family (at least one NMRA member) - $55.00 Total Registration Fees $ Name Badge Information Primary Registrant Registered Family Members Total number of shirts ordered Convention Coffee $6 each # Mugs Total $ Total Amount enclosed with Registration Total Enclosed $ Payment may be made by check or money order made out to: Division One NCR Send Ops Session Information I would be interested in participating in a switching contest, should one be available. Mail to: Maumee Express 2014, Jerry Sahagian, 2025 The Bluffs, Toledo, OH the HotBox WINTER 2013

17 PROTOTYPE PAGE NCR PROTOTYPE Well... it IS winter, or will be soon! That thought brought the HotBox staff to come up with the idea of winter scenes for this issue s Prototype Page. Here s the best of what we have on file... right & down - D&TSL meets GT on a snowy February 1979 day near Monroe, MI GT detour train passing through Jackson past the station in March 1979 above, down & right CP stack train in January 2007, location unknown a few minutes later, NS loco with tank cars in same location NYC Alco leads a freight through Detroit, date unknown Our apologies to the photographers and submitters, as we have lost track of who you are! Brrrrr... looking at these makes us cold time to go work on our layouts, indoors!! Enjoy! WINTER 2013 the HotBox 17

18 18 the HotBox WINTER 2013

19 NORTH CENTRAL CROSSING post event NCR CONVENTION Initial Convention Report - NCR Crossings 2013 The convention was held over the weekend of October 31 through November 3, 2013 at the Troy Community Center in Troy, Michigan and was hosted by Division 8. Attendance at this year s regional convention totaled 153 including single days and complete registrations. Below is a partial compilation of attendees by Division - Div. #1 7 Div. #2 0 Div. #3 3 Div. #4 10 Div. #5 14 Div. #6 28 Div. #7 1 Div. #8 63 Div. #9 1 Div. #10 3 MER Div. Chesapeake 1 MWR Div. Michiana 3 Non-members - 10 We set up a very aggressive program of operating sessions for this year s convention. Originally 300 available slots, we filled 75 slots with 35 participants. 12 sessions with 11 cancelled (out of a total of 23) due to minimal sign ups. We had display layouts that represented all the major scales: O, S, HO, N, Z and TT. We tried a Silent Auction for the first time that any of us could remember. Thanks to the hard work of the guys from Division 3 we had real success at this. And we would encourage all future NCR conventions to include this feature. We had 65 entries in the Model and Photo contests with a new category added for Modules. Again this was very successful. We had clinics that covered the gamut and were all well attended. They started at 9am and went through to 9pm on both Friday and Saturday. Our prototype tours were a big hit as well. Going to the printing plant for the Detroit Free Press/Detroit News, The Packard Proving Grounds and the Piquet Avenue Ford Assembly plant turned out to be highly enjoyable. All in all, a great convention and enjoyed by everyone! Thanks to all that attended! WINTER 2013 the HotBox 19

20 RAILROAD HISTORY by Don Watson NCR HISTORY STEAM LOCOMOTIVE WHEEL WEIGHTS For 115 years, steam locomotives were manufactured in this country. During that long period, almost without exception, each new locomotive that was built was bigger, heavier and more powerful than its predecessor. This fact also necessitated comparable improvements in track and roadbed. The first rail was wood and a long flat strip of iron was spiked onto the top of' the wood rail. That was satisfactory for small locomotives like the TOM THUMB and the DEWITT CLINTON. But soon heavier locomotives appeared on the scene and the small iron strips on top of the wood would break under the weight of the locomotive. The broken iron strip would curl up slightly after the heavy locomotive and tender passed over it where it was apt to catch on the wheel of a passenger car and the iron strip forced up through the wood floor of a car causing serious injury or death to a passenger. The iron T rail began to replace the wooden rail before the start of the Civil War. Competition usually is the basis for an increase in speed. Before the Civil War, the only competition for the railroads were the horse and the canal. Although a single horse and rider could compete with a locomotive for a short distance, the horse couldn't compete with the locomotive over a 24 hour period, nor could the horse haul the load carried by the locomotive. The canal couldn't compete with the locomotive when it came to speed, but it could compete on price. During the Civil War, both the North and the South were thrilled with the story of the Great Locomotive Chase. A passenger train had its engine stolen by a small band of enemy agents. The name of the locomotive was the General and the conductor of the train from which the engine was stolen took a dim view of the theft and started in pursuit. While I certainly marvel at the dedication and determination of the conductor who pursued and eventually recaptured the stolen locomotive, the word, CHASE, as used in 1864 does not imply the same speed as it would today, as some of the time the conductor was on foot and another time was pumping a four wheel section car. After the Civil War, a new form of competition appeared on the scene. Due to the construction of new railroads, plus the mergers of existing roads, some railroads found that they were competing with one another for traffic between two or more major cities. High speed train operation was still in the future because the Westinghouse air brake, although on the drawing board, was not being used. High speed train operation, without the ability to stop quickly doesn t make sense. In 1893 Congress passed the Railway Safety Act, and this law was bitterly opposed by the management of every railroad in existence at the time. This act required that every new piece of railroad rolling stock be equipped with the Janey automatic coupler and the Westinghouse automatic air brake. The railroads had fought the passage of this Act vigorously, but now that it was law, the same railroads now found that it was a big help. The number of brakemen required per train was substantially reduced. Schedules could be speeded up because the time to stop a train only required a fraction of the time with the new air brakes. Coupling and uncoupling cars was now a safe operation. About the same time that the Safety Act was being put into use by the railroads, a new and better way of making steel was found and the era of the big steam locomotive was now at hand. As the steam engine grew in size, so did the steel T rail. By 1900 the railroad industry was the largest in the United States and the building of steam locomotives was becoming a sophisticated science. I was in Junior High School when diesel locomotives began making their first appearance. At that time I remember reading that a diesel locomotive with its gear driven wheels is much easier on the track and roadbed than a steam locomotive, but it wasn't until years later that I suddenly appreciated why. Part 2 next HotBox! 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. YOUR article could be appearing RIGHT HERE!! Please consider writing an article for a future issue of the HotBox!! Fame, Fortune (not really) and points toward your MMR await you when you write a HotBox article! 20 the HotBox WINTER 2013

21 NORTH CENTRAL REGION NEWS NCR NEWS NCR's President Dave McMullian, convened the Fall Board of Directors, BOD, meeting on Saturday, November 16, 2013 at the Lansing Model RR Clubhouse. The full BOD consisting of the officers, directors and superintendents or their representatives approved both the establishment of the new Division 9 and a onetime grant of funds to help with their start-up cost. Also discussed: the recent convention, what worked and not, and how to improve to give the members the most bang for their buck; future convention this spring in Toledo and 2015 in Fort Wayne; division reports, how well they are, what works, and what NCR could do to help; and from the two special committees regarding development and conventions. Discussions continue on the questions regarding division boundaries and members wanting to be in neighboring divisions. A committee was established to develop the method of moving members into their division of choice and maintaining a regional record of the moves. Expect to see further information on this item in the next HotBox. The full minutes of the meeting will be posted on the NCR website. On the HotBox side member subscriptions are holding steady, pike ad renewals will be started in the next month or so and sales at the local hobby shops also seem to be steady! We re ALWAYS looking for more articles, especially how-to-do items to share with your fellow model railroaders! WINTER 2013 the HotBox 21

22 NORTH CENTRAL CROSSING post event NCR CONVENTION More pictures from the NCX convention- NCR TIMETABLE EVENTS! NCR AREA EVENTS Sunday- December 1, th annual Division 6 Fall Model Train Show & Workshop Livonia Senior Center Five Mile Rd and Farmington Rd, Livonia, MI 11AM 4 PM $4 per person over 17 years old, under 17 FREE THIS IS NOT A SWAP MEET SEE demonstrations on all aspects of model railroading!! Power systems, scenery, kit building, railroad history, operating layouts, Boy Scouts Merit Badge program, food-refreshments available; raffles every 45 minutes, model contest! Come and get your model railroading questions answered, wheelchair accessible Website- Sunday, December 1, Railroadiana Toys & Trains SS. Simon & Jude Church Hall Palmer Road Westland, MI Noon-4 PM $2 per person, $4 per family, Early Bird $15 per person after 11 AM Food & Drink available Contact Information- Norm Swope 734/ Noon till 10 PM Sunday, December 1, 2013 Rails on Wheels' SE Michigan Model Train Show and Sale Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds 5055 Ann Arbor Saline Rd. Saline, MI :00 am - 4:00 pm Regular - $4.00/person Children under 12 Free (when accompanied by an adult) Early Bird - $10.00/person (8-10am Vendor Tables - $18 before November 1. After November 1 - $20. Electrical hook up - $5 per booth This is Rails on Wheel's annual Thanksgiving Weekend model train show. We host three buildings of vendors and modular layout displays in many scales. LEGO Trains is an annual feature of the show. Free Parking Wheelchair Accessible Website Contact Information Rails on Wheels, Inc. 525 E. Michigan Ave. Suite 151 Saline, MI Phone (evenings): Jeff Fryman -(734) wab2ndops@yahoo.com Phone (evenings): John Young - (517) cdjhyoung@yahoo.com 22 the HotBox WINTER 2013

23 HOBBY SHOP & BUSINESS CORNER OTHER HOBBY SHOPS in the NCR First Place Hobbies, Bluffton, 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 Please visit your local hobby shop! WINTER 2013 the HotBox 23

24 NCR TIMETABLE EVENTS! NCR AREA EVENTS Wednesday, December 4, MICHIGAN RAILROAD CLUB Meetings are held at the Henry Ford Centennial Library, Michigan Ave, Dearborn, Mich Meeting starts at 7pm with program starting around 7:30pm December- Gary Sample will present a Christmas program. This will be dual projector slide program. Contact- Kenneth Borg 3512 Merrick, Dearborn, MI Friday & Saturday, December 6-7, 2013 Durand Union Station Holiday Wine Tasting Durand Union Station 200 Railroad St Durand, MI pm - 9pm $25.00 per person $48.00 per couple $ Per Group of 8 Join us for an evening of outstanding Michigan wines, hors d'oeuvres, live entertainment, and much more! Wines will be provided by Burgdorf's Winery from Haslett, Michigan. Tickets are for sale at the Durand Union Station, SageLink Credit Union-Durand, Burgdorf's Winery-Haslett and D-railed Bar & Grill-Durand or by calling the Durand Union Station at (989) Each ticket includes a commemorative wine glass and 6 tastings. Extra tastings may be purchased at the event. Must be 21 years or older to attend. All proceeds will benefit the Durand Union Station. Wheelchair Accessible Website Contact Information Durand Union Station - Durand, Michigan - (989) Sunday, December 8, 2013 Western Michigan Railroad club Train Show Knights of Columbus 5380 Clyde Park Wyoming, MI :00 am to 3:00 pm 12 and over $4.00 all others free train show and sale Wheelchair Accessible Contact Information John Ruiz website: wmmrrc@sbcglobal.net Sunday, Dec. 15, 2013 and Jan. 12, Feb 9, March 9, 2014 Wolverine Train Club Show United Food & Commercial Workers Hall 876 Horce Brown Drive Madison Heights, MI A.M.-3:30 P.M. $3.00 per person Food service provided by The Madison Heights Lions Club Contact Information- Bob Burgee Sunday, December 29, 2013 Monroe Train Show MBT Expo Center 3775 Custer Rd. (M-50) Monroe, MI am - 4 pm Early Admission 9:30am-4pm - $10.00 Regular Admission11am - 4 pm - $6,00 Children 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult. A Christmas style train show with things for children of ALL ages. Over 200 sales tables lined with every scale from "G" to "Z". Collectors will find treasures here and there, and the Young Kids will find operating train displays and even a play area with a "Riding Thomas" to play on. Wheelchair Accessible Contact Information Trainshow@modelrailstuff.com Alan Mitchell Friend of Model RailRoading (FOMRR) PO Box 1259 Adrian, MI Ph: Saturday, January 4, nd Riverbend Model Show The Home School Building 5625 Burlingame Ave. Wyoming, MI am - 3:30pm $5.00, 12 and under FREE. Wheelchair Accessible Contact Information rlamfers@sbcglobal.net Website Sunday, January 12, 2014 Lansing Model Train Show and Sale Michigan State University Pavilion 4301 Farm Lane East Lansing, MI am to 4 pm $6 adults, free children under 12 yrs and scouts in uniform. One of Michigan's largest model railroad shows- over 500 tables of model trains, railroad collectibles, toys, operating layouts, how-to demonstrations, and more! Free parking available around the Pavilion and the MSU commuter lot at the corner of Mt. Hope Highway and Farm Lane. A free shuttle bus service will operate from the commuter lot to the Pavilion. Vendor tables are $22 each paid in advance or $27 each after December 1, Vendor registration forms are available on our website. Hosted by the Lansing Model Railroad Club. Contact Information Website Wheelchair Accessible Rob Teed at (517) or Dennis Morley (989) or DJMorley0604@hotmail.com 24 the HotBox WINTER 2013

25 NCR TIMETABLE EVENTS! NCR AREA EVENTS Sunday, January 19, A Train Show Avondale High School 2800 Waukegan Auburn Hills, Michigan, MI am - 3pm $3 13 & over 12 & under FREE Wheelchair Accessible Michigan's largest one-day train show tables (ALL railroad related) Operating layouts Contact Info - Frank E. Lams frank.lams@avondale.k12.mi.us Sunday, January 26, 2014 Ole Toy & Train Show St. Robert Bellarmine School Gym West Chicago Road Redford, MI A.M.-3:30 P.M. $3.00 per person, $6.00 per family Food & Drink available Contact Information Brain Klotzer 313/ Saturday-Sunday, February 22-23, 2014 World's Greatest Hobby on Tour Suburban Collection Showcase Grand River Novi, MI Saturday 10:00a - 6:00p Sunday 10:00a - 5:00p Adults: 2 Day registration $12 Saturday only $11 Sunday only $10 Kids Under 16: FREE! (must be accompanied by a parent. No limit to the number of kids per adult). Sponsored by the Hobby Manufacturer's Assoc. - Model Railroad Division and by the World's Greatest Hobby Program, the show is intended to introduce the general public to model railroading. Wheelchair Accessible Contact Information Train Show Inc/World s Greatest Hobby on Tour 120 Easy Street #5 Carol Stream IL Fax: info@wghshow.com Website Sunday, February 23, 2014 Trains & Trades Beacon Hill Golf Club 6011 Majestic Oaks Drive Commerce Township, MI am - 3 pm $3.00 per person 12 and under free Food & Refreshments available, Door Prizes Contact Information Brain McKee 248/ Sunday, February 23, 2014 Lapeer Model Railroaders 28th Annual Railroad Swap meet American Legion Post # W. Genesee St. Lapeer, MI :00am to 3:00pm $3.00 per person Children 4 and under free Dealer setup at 7:00am FREE PARKING Train show and swap meet with operating layouts, collectibles, model railroading supplies, books-photos-magazines, trains and scenery supplies. Food/refreshments on site Wheelchair Accessible Contact Information Table rental: Jim Wilson 962 Timothy Lane Lapeer, MI ft table rental: $20.00 Please make checks payable to: Lapeer Model RR Club no refunds on table rentals Additional contact: Vern Sollman VP vsollman@yahoo.com Saturday, March 1, 2014 Maumee Valley Railroad Club Model Train Show & Swap Coliseum Bingo 911 W. Washington Center Road Fort Wayne, IN :00 am to 2:00 pm $5.00 Adults, $7.00 Families, age 12 and under free Vendors, layout, on site concession stand, free parking, historical and other organizations represented Contact Information Richard Insley (260) Website Saturday, March 15, 2014 Pere Marquette 1225 Return to Rails Excursion Steam Railroading Institute 405 South Washington St. Owosso, MI :00 AM Tickets Starting at $ We are inviting you to join Railyard Productions for the "1225 Return To Rails Excursion". Tickets will start at $ per person for coach seating. First class and caboose seating will also be available. There will be photo opportunities so be sure to bring your camera! Tickets are available at Contact Information George Dines, Vice President Railyard Productions Phone- (517) gdines@railyardproductions.com Website 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! WINTER 2013 the HotBox 25

26 NCR HotBox PIKE ADS YOUR Pike Ad could here HERE!!! Contact the Editor for details!! 26 the HotBox WINTER 2013

27 NCR HotBox PIKE ADS WINTER 2013 the HotBox 27

28 Permit Holder: National Model Railroad Association The North Central Region, c/o Uwe Thormaehlen Pheasant St. New Baltimore, 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 2014 NCR... stay tuned! Convention News RailFanning Division 1 Layouts