The Winter Meet Election Day for the STDiv

Transcription

1 Volume 42, Number 4 Winter, 2012 Official publication of the Sunrise Trail Division of the National Model Railroad Association, Inc. OF NOTE RAIL-MARINE CLINICS New York Metro Rail-Marine Operations Designing an Urban Rail Marine Layout at the Winter Meet January 5th in Westbury See page 7 The Winter Meet Election Day for the STDiv Rail-Marine clinics to follow nominations and elections of officers and directors THIS WILL BE THE FIRST WINTER MEET at which not only will nominations for open officer and director positions be accepted, as in the past, but that the election of officers and directors will take place immediately thereafter. Thus, it is very important for all Sunrise Trail Division (STDiv) members in good standing to attend the Meet, which will be held in its usual location, the Westbury Public Library, at 12:30 PM on January 5th. Exit 32 Post Ave Northern State Pkwy Rockland St Linden Pl Seasons School St 445 Jefferson St Westbury Public Library is located at 445 Jefferson Street Greetings The period to place individuals in nomination began November 1st. The intention was to have printed Petitions to Nominate available at the Annual Convention on November 5th for those who knew they would be unable to attend the Winter Meet, but still wanted to nominate someone for office. Hurricane Sandy caused the Convention to be canceled, however, making those forms unavailable. This issue of The Cannon Ball contains a Petition to Nominate for that purpose. With regard to the nomination of officers or directors by petition, the STDiv Bylaws state that the petition must contain the N signatures of at least two Regular Members, and that it must have the name, address, and NMRA membership number clearly written beside or under each signature on the petition. It also requires that it contain, typed or clearly printed, the candidate s name, signature, NMRA membership identification, and a statement that if elected the candidate intends to fulfill actively the duties of the office and to remain a member of the NMRA during his or her term in office. When completed, the Petition to Nominate included with this Cannon Ball will meet those requirements. Since nominations will close just prior to elections during the Annual Business Meeting portion of the Winter Meet, the Chairman of Nominations and Ballots, Hiram Graves, or the Secretary, Howard Dwyer, must be in possession of any Petition to Nominate on or before that time. For those who wish to send in a nomination by mail, either of the applicable addresses is: Hiram E. Graves STDiv Chairman of Nominations & Ballots 1849 Park Place Apt 1 Brooklyn NY Howard P. Dwyer STDiv Secretary 36 Roberta Ave Farmingville NY A nomination by voice may be made at the Annual Business Meeting by any STDiv member in good standing and seconded by another STDiv member in good standing, each of whom must be ready to provide their names, addresses and NMRA membership information should they be requested. Voting will then take place following the close of nominations. The Bylaws allow a vote by voice, show of hands or written ballot. Following the business meeting a pair of clinics with a Rail- Marine theme will be offered. Stephen Williams will discuss rail-marine operations in the New York metropolitan area, and Walter Wohleking will present a step by step design description of a rail marine switching layout. At this wonderful time of the year, when so many of us look back fondly on our model railroading roots, the Sunrise Trail Division wishes everyone health, happiness and an abundance of treasures great and small in the coming year. But most importantly we ask that everyone offer a prayer for the men and women of our armed forces, who daily go in harm s way and will not be home for these holidays.

2 IT S BEEN SIX YEARS since we ve brought you this old chestnut, but in the spirit of raising the intellectual level of this noble rag and keeping classic poetry alive, here once again is: Twas the night before Christmas, and all through my pike, Not a steamer was stirring, not even a Mike. My yard tracks invitingly empty and bare, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there. The diesels were nestled all snug in their sheds, While visions of DCC danced in their heads. While I, in my blue-and-white engineer's cap, Had just settled down for a long winter's nap. When down in the train room, there rose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter. Away to the basement I flew like an ace, Tripped over the cat and fell flat on my face. I stifled a curse meant for Chessie (the cat), And muttered to no one, "I meant to do that." Then what to my wondering eyes should appear, But an HO-scale sleigh and eight Preiser reindeer, With an engineer driving, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. More rapid than GG-1s onward they came, And he blew a steam whistle and called them by name: "On Athearn! On Lionel, Kato and Walthers! On Kadee! On Micro-Trains, Atlas all others! To the top of the mountains of Hydrocal plaster, Now dash away, dash away, dash away faster!" As dry leaves that behind a new Genesis fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky, So in through the window the coursers they flew With the sleigh full of trains, and Santa Claus too. mixed consist humor? / WALTER WOHLEKING A Model Railroader s Visit from St. Nicholas And then, on my roundhouse, I saw on the roof The prints in the dust of each HO-scale hoof. As I drew a deep breath, and was turning around, From neath the benchwork, Santa came with a bound. He was dressed like an engineer from head to foot, And his clothes had that fine smell of ashes and soot. A bundle of trains he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack. His eyes were like marker lights! His dimples, how merry! His cheeks like a Warbonnet, nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And his beard was so white, it would please Phoebe Snow. He puffed on a pipe as he refilled its bowl, And its smoke looked and smelled like bituminous coal. He had a broad face and a belly (I found) That shook like a tank car with wheels out-of-round. He was chubby and plump, and I wanted to shout, "The man's got a route UP cannot buy out!" A wink of his eye as he passed near the door Soon gave me to know I'd have freight cars galore. He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work. He filled all my yard tracks; then turned with a jerk, And leaving an airbrush he'd found on ebay, And giving a nod, he returned to his sleigh. He pumped up the brakes, blew two blasts on his whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim ere he drove out of sight, "Happy Christmas to all! Keep em rolling! Good night!" the welcomes... new to the Division since the last issue Dennis Gordon, Brooklyn; William Jackson, Brooklyn Michael Boland, Cedarhurst; Nicholas Lombardi, Oceanside Benjamin Faulter, Huntington; Michael Bonvissuto, Sagaponack President: Edmund Neale vermontrailroad@optonline.net Vice President: Steven Perry seperry@optonline.net Secretary: Howard Dwyer dhdwyer@optonline.net Directors: John Jaklitsch (2013) James Clements (2014) Richard Mazzola (2013) George Loy (2014) Treasurer: Steven Perry seperry@optonline.net Michael Siegel (2013) Kevin Katta ( 2014); Achievement Program: Michael Siegel; Contests: Howard Dwyer; Membership: Gary Lynch lynchga@optonline.net Publicity: George Loy, Michael Siegel; Website: John Jaklitsch, Webmaster; STDiv Representative on NER BOD: Kevin Katta The Cannon Ball is published quarterly by the Sunrise Trail Division of the National Model Railroad Association, Inc. for the benefit of the model railroading community. Editor and Publisher: Walter G. Wohleking wgw5hd@gmail.com (631) Howard Drive, Huntington NY Mailings: Steven Perry seperry@optonline.net. Subscriptions are $7.00 per year for one or two years for the United States and possessions. Please make a check or money order payable to Sunrise Trail Division. Send requests for new subscriptions, renewals or address changes to 5 Howard Drive, Huntington NY Contributions, such as articles, photographs and artwork, are welcome in either hardcopy or as computer files and should be sent to the Editor at the above address. Submitted material will be returned upon request. 2 THE CANNON BALL

3 MODEL RAILROAD SIGNALING keeping trains from colliding / DAVID METAL Stick Relay Circuit THE STICK RELAY CIRCUIT is something I designed and built for my signaling system on the Southern Division of my railroad. The circuit will display a RED aspect to prevent one of the two trains that are traveling in opposite directions from leaving a siding while the first train has the main line between the sidings. As soon as a train departs the siding and first appears over the switch or turnout (OS) leading to the single track section, all of the signals for travel in the opposite direction are made to display a RED signal stopping a train from entering the single track section from the other end. One stick relay circuit is used for each section of single track between passing sidings. I mounted each of the circuit boards below the layout roadbed near the middle of the single track section to be protected. The circuit requires +5 volt regulated power from the signal head driver card (The Cannon Ball, Winter 2007 and Fall 2012) for operation. The stick relay circuit uses the output of the block occupancy detector (The Cannon Ball, Fall 2007) to control the aspect displayed by the signals. When the blocks of the single track section between the two sidings and the OS sections at both ends of the track section are unoccupied, all of the signals for the route set by the turnouts will display a GREEN aspect. As soon as a train leaves the siding area and occupies an OS section, the signals for travel in the opposing direction are all set to display a RED aspect, holding trains on the tracks of the other siding in place. The signals that protect the rear of the train that entered the OS will operate normally (displaying a RED as each signal is passed). While any of the blocks between the sidings is occupied the stick relay circuit will cause all of the opposing traffic signals to display a RED aspect. After the track from one OS to the other OS, including the two OS sections, are clear the signals in both direction will return to a GREEN aspect. Before wiring the stick relay circuit into a section of the layout all of the block occupancy detectors, the turnout position signals, the signal head driver cards and the signals for that section should be working properly. Other related information from David Metal in The Cannon Ball How to Wire Wrap Spring 2007 Block Occupancy Detection Fall 2007 Signal Head Design Winter 2007 Building Resistor Wheel Sets Summer 2012 Regulated Power Supply Fall 2012 WINTER

4 The Patchogue Project looking for inputs a chance for everyone to contribute to a new layout design element / STEVEN LYNCH illustrations and photos are from the author s website FOR MORE THAN TEN YEARS NOW, as information about the Long Island Railroad s presence in Patchogue accumulated on my website, I ve had a concept in mind for a Layout Design Element (LDE) based not on the Patchogue we know today, but one that squeezed forty plus industries into a village/yard/waterfront setting just two miles in length. When was that? Within the time period when the arrival of rail led to an explosion of growth in the area and made Patchogue the shopping hub of the east end, a major commute terminus and the origin of summer Fire Island traffic to Davis Park. Before then, the railroad through Patchogue consisted of the South Side Railroad (SSRR) of Long Island s single track with a passing siding at a shed that served as a depot and a stub siding with west facing points, which was close enough to the depot to be a house track. Further west, across the Patchogue River, another stub with west facing points led to a turntable and then to an engine house, all of which can be seen on the map immediately below. I believe that the SSRR was merged into the LIRR as the Montauk Division (as it remains to this day) in 1880, and by the early 1900s Patchogue saw a dozen or more trains daily to and from Brooklyn and Queens and the ferry connections to Manhattan. In response to this traffic and the business it helped expand, a yard had come into being, which extended westward from Railroad Avenue across West Street to the Patchogue River. As part of the process the LIRR razed the old SSRR train shed and erected a real depot with baggage/express/passenger service a block or so east near the main southbound artery, Ocean Avenue. (See the Hyde Belcher map below.) Locomotive servicing and turning appeared to be accessed via a couple of spurs with east facing points located at the top or north side of the yard and included a four stall roundhouse. A third siding led to the Weeks Co. coal trestle, which terminated adjacent to the roundhouse. A number of business, among them a lumber yard and planing mill, were located south of the yard. (Continued on page 5) South Side Railroad through Patchogue circa Hyde Belcher map of the Long Island Railroad through Patchogue circa 1917 THE CANNON BALL

5 (Continued from page 4) On September 8, 1910, the first train from Penn Station arrived in Patchogue, the tunnel under the East River having been completed and placed into service earlier in the year. By 1917 the track arrangement had reached its zenith with sidings added east of the depot, some of which were probably for temporary storage of passenger equipment being readied for the westward journey back to the city. First train from Penn Station arriving in Patchogue Photo by Howard Conklin from the Dave Keller collection PLANNING THE LDE While prototype track arrangements are often the best place to start planning an LDE, a three dimensional view of the area of interest almost always helps to better understand how it might be most effectively modeled. The following photograph Survey team perspective looking southeast of the Long Island Railroad yard and southwest Patchogue. and drawing of the LIRR Patchogue yard from two different aspects aid in bringing the model trackplan to life. Drawings such as the one above were often made of areas for insurance purposes or any number of other reasons and were very accurate. They were usually created by a relatively large team of surveyors who would take linear measurements of everything and then extrapolate them into a bird s eye perspective, like the above. Visualize for example how the Weeks coal trestle might look on an LDE in the background nestled up against the roundhouse with both sitting on the bank of the (Continued on page 6) Aerial view facing northeast of southwest Patchogue and the Long Island Railroad yard. Patchogue River is to the left. WINTER

6 around the division and elsewhere REFLECTING ON THE GREAT MAGAZINE LAYOUT MEET (which might have been better titled, The Great Charlie and Howard Show after its two protagonists, Charlie Weinhofer and Howard Dwyer) the thought occurs that maybe the NMRA Achievement Program ought to include a certificate for Master Layout Clinician, because visitors to those two great layouts received seldom available up close and personal clinics from their multi talented creators. Just to see so many of the techniques we ve read or heard about applied so skillfully and then be able to talk to the men who did the work has to be the ultimate clinic. Janet Davis, Charlie Weinhofer and Bruce Davis at Charlie s Long Island and Lake Erie Railroad during the Great Magazine Layout Meet. Patchogue River. And how about the traction like, sharp radius curves to the south, which were necessary to navigate the tight waterfront spacing of an earlier era? Even the Americans and Atlantics the LIRR used to switch the customers reached by that trackwork would have faced a challenge. For the most part, it appears that Patchogue might be modeled linearly, with a short perpendicular piece to deal with industries reached by the sharp curves. A number of things need doing, however, before drawing a representative trackplan and developing the other pieces that go into creation of an LDE. The most important of these, perhaps, is determining the era to be modeled. In the real world, demographics, technological and cultural changes, business cycles and more define the physical and operational characteristics of a railroad. In other words, the era determines the look. The railroad modeling world has the luxury of being able to work in reverse. We can choose the look we want for our railroad and let that determine the era we model. A great proportion of model railroaders model the so called transition era, because that gives them license to operate both steam and diesel motive power. In Modeling Mineola, a prior Cannon Ball series about creating an LDE of Mineola Junction, a timeline of LIRR equipment passenger car types, as well as motive power was presented to match up with the Junction s changing track configuration over the years. An expanded version of that will be included in a subsequent part of this series, as well as a similar timeline for the Patchogue businesses the railroad served or might have served. WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? There are a number of things that must be done before a Patchogue LDE might become reality, and determining its era (or eras) is only part of the task. A workable trackplan, of course, is one. Availability of appropriate rolling stock and motive power is another. The mix of railroad customers to be served is yet another, which in turn will lead to whatever signature structures might enhance the Patchogue feeling of the LDE. And the fact that all these things interact and impact each other to some extent adds to the complexity (and interest) of achieving a satisfying final design. Contributors to my website have been more than generous where Patchogue information is concerned. That has been the starting point for this exercise and will continue to be a source of its progress. But a lot more is needed, and I m looking for help from any Patchoguephiles out there in the reading audience. How and where we go from here could very well depend on a piece of information, no matter how large or small, you might be able to provide. So please let me know what you know about the LIRR in Patchogue by contacting the editor, whose particulars are available at the bottom of page 2, or by ing me at slynch@tampabay.rr.com. And by all means, check out the website to see what s already there. You can find the entire site at: the Long Island Railroad archives at: and the Patchogue portion at: Enjoy it all, and I hope it will get the Patchogue juices flowing. I ll be back with more next issue. In the meantime, have a happy holiday season. Certainly the many expressions overheard of esteem or just plain pleasure at seeing something, whether it was a small detail or an overall scenic effect was audible evidence of that. THE LAST RUN OF A MODEL RAILROAD club s layout is never a happy event, unless the club has outgrown its premises and has a new location in mind. The TMB Train Club is in that position, after eleven years at its current location in Lindenhurst. It is a particular shame that this hi-rail layout has reached the end of its existence when it is apparent from a visit to the layout that TMB has gotten it so right. Most hi-rail clubs are different in one important aspect from their usually smaller scale cousins. But that important difference isn t size. It s the objective of the layout. For the most part, scale club layouts are designed such that they can simulate the operations of a prototype railroad. Hi-rail clubs generally create layouts that allow members to run trains of greater length than they can on a home layout, and to run a number of them together. As you stand watching the TMB Club s trains flow through great scenery, you can t help but think how much things have changed from the days many of us received our first hi-rail train sets. This great example of display layout art features scenic and track laying techniques equivalent to many scale layouts. Motive power and rolling stock is nearer to scale. Curve radius is larger than ever. And, boy, do they run long trains! TMB will be open for the last time one more weekend in January and on Super Bowl Sunday. Check the Holiday Train Events guide in the last issue of The Cannon Ball for details. And while you re at it, you might contact the Nassau Lionel Operating Engineers club in Levittown to see when its hi rail masterpiece will next be available for a visit. Among many features, its trackwork includes a scratch built, 3-rail, curved turnout. Today s hi-rail sure ain t your grandpa s Lionel. The deadline for the Spring 2013 issue of The Cannon Ball is March 1st 6 THE CANNON BALL

7 It s Rail Marine Day at Sunrise Trail Division s Winter Meet Saturday, January 5th, 12:30PM to 4:00PM Westbury Public Library, 445 Jefferson St, Westbury Everyone is welcome Bring your rail-marine materials to show and discuss Enjoy a pair of clinics Rail Marine Operations in the New York Metro Area by Stephen A. Williams and Step-by-Step Design of a Rail-Marine Swirtching Layout by Walter G. Wohleking and for STDiv members there ll be a brief Annual Business Meeting to nominate and elect Officers & Directors for 2013 Admission is free For further information contact Steve Perry seperry@optonoline.net WINTER Exit 32 Post Ave Northern State Pkwy Rockland St Linden Pl School St N 445 Jefferson St

8 5 HOWARD DRIVE HUNTINGTON NY FIRST CLASS MAIL PLACE STAMP HERE IN THIS ISSUE WINTER MEET & ELECTIONS INFO THE PATCHOGUE PROJECT STICK RELAY CIRCUIT NOMINATING PETITION FORM MODEL RAILROADER S VISIT FROM ST. NICK PLACE MAILING LABEL HERE DOWN THE TRACK Jan 5 12:30PM-4:00PM Sunrise Trail Division Winter Meet Westbury Public Library, 445 Jefferson St, Westbury Jan :00PM-4:00PM TMB Train Club O gauge layout open house 1110A Rte 109 (behind Intercity Baking), Lindenhurst Admission free tmbmodeltrainclub.com Jan 13 8:30AM-2:30PM Central Operating Lines swap meet Island Bingo Hall, 1055 Portion Rd, Farmingville Adults $4; Under 12 free coltrains.com Jan 13 10:00AM-4:00PM Great South Bay Model RR Club train show Freeport Recreational Cntr, 130 E. Merrick Rd, Freeport Adults $5; Under 12 free freeportsouthern.com Jan 19 11:00AM-3:30PM Northrop Grumman Model Railroad Club train show Bethpage High School, Stewart & Cherry Aves., Bethpage Feb 3 12:00PM-5:00PM TMB Train Club O gauge layout open house 1110A Rte 109 (behind Intercity Baking), Lindenhurst Admission free tmbmodeltrainclub.com Mar 2 11:00AM-3:00PM Westbury Boy Scouts Layouts train show United Methodist Church, 265 Asbury Ave., Westbury Mar 3 8:30AM-2:30PM Central Operating Lines swap meet Island Bingo Hall, 1055 Portion Rd, Farmingville Adults $4; Under 12 free coltrains.com Mar 17 11:00AM-5:00PM Long Island Model Railroad Engineers HO & N scale layouts open house 3661 Horseblock Rd, Unit P, Medford Admission free limrre.com Mar 15 8:00PM-10:00PM Nassau Lionel Operating Engineers O gauge layout open house 2953 Hempstead Tpke, Levittown (beneath Cue Nine) Admission free nloe.org Mar :00PM-4:00PM Nassau Lionel Operating Engineers O gauge layout open house 2953 Hempstead Tpke, Levittown (beneath Cue Nine) Admission free nloe.org NATIONAL Jan :00AM-5:00PM Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show Eastern States Exposition, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield MA RECURRING National Railway Historical Society Long Island Sunrise Trail Chapter meets 3rd Friday of each month at 8:00PM, Christ Church, Carll Ave & Prospect St, Babylon Rockville Centre Model Railroaders Club layout open house every Saturday from 1:00PM 6:00PM, 200 Sunrise Hwy (basement), Rockville Centre rcvmr.org, SUBSCRIBE TO 1 year $ years $14.00 Sign up with Sunrise AND JOIN THE NMRA FOR FREE! Just phone or us and we'll do the rest Here's what we'll need to know: Name: Birthday: Address: City State Zip: Phone: Scale(s): Send a completed copy of this form and a check made payable to the Sunrise Trail Division to: Walter Wohleking, 5 Howard Drive, Huntington NY Name: Birthday: Address: City State Zip: Phone: Scale(s): Give Gary Lynch the information by phone: or lynchga@optonline.net or surface mail to: 289 Jefferson St., Franklin Square NY

9 Sunrise Trail Division of the National Model Railroad Association, Inc. Petition to Nominate an Officer or Director Statement of Petitioners (at least two petitioners are required) We, the undersigned, hereby nominate: (please print) for the position of: PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT SECRETARY TREASURER DIRECTOR (select only one) Signature: Print name: Date: NMRA ID: Statement of Nominee I Print name as a member in good standing of the Sunrise Trail Division of the National Model Railroad Association hereby accept the above nomination and aver that, if elected, I will maintain such membership for the term of office and actively fulfill the duties of the office to the best of my abilities. Signature Date NMRA ID (Use the other side if you want to nominate another person for another position)