BANTRAK Newsletter Volume 25, Issue 6 June 2012 The Engineer s Cab Eric Payne Gree ngs, And say hello to June! The weather is nice and weekends are at a premium! May had a few T Trak events, followed by one in early June and the next few months are light on events (check the BANTRAK Calendar for upcoming dates). The May mee ng at the Arthur s was a good me to discuss Club updates. We have a few projects going on right now (trailer/wiring update) and some that need to be considered as well (corner/duck under bridge rehab). The Annual BANTRAK Club Picnic will be hosted by Al Del Gaudio at his house in a few weeks (see sign up flyer a few pages down). The picnic was scheduled away from Fathers Day, and will be on June 30th. Heads up, that is a Saturday. The combina on of scheduling issues that have pushed the picnic back a few weeks and a lack of July mee ng venue, the picnic can represent both our June and July mee ngs. Please make plans to a end the picnic (rain or shine) at 1pm. Families are invited and encouraged. If we are lucky, Al will give us an update on his home layout as well. DON T FORGET TO BRING YOUR SHOW & TELL! Current agenda items for the June/July Club Mee ng include: Show & Tell (items you just bought, created or found) Show Reviews/Previews T Trak / Bedford Club Business update Trailer Commi ee update (S. Hayes, J. Hale, D. Clyde, T. Nixon) DCC Loconet Club Module upgrade project discussion (Mar n Myers, Bob Mohr) Raffle Layout Commi ee (Mar n Myers) Club Car Commi ee update (B. Mohr, A. Del Gaudio, S. Hayes, M. Bandy, T. Nixon, J. Darlington) Upcoming mee ngs: 7/15, 8/19 (Eric Payne) Call for New Club Business Looking forward, in addi on to the T Trak events, and our next show is in Bedford. Please contact Al Po er or Bob Winterbo om if you are interested in a ending and/or bringing your module for the show. You can probably expect a call for modules some me in July. (Note: the next show a er that is Oakland (poten ally) and the October Scale Show (s ll need a coordinator for that)). The year is progressing nicely and work sessions are club Improvement projects look promising so be sure to show you support and volunteer. So, as you can see, 2012 is s ll on track. Stay tuned and remember, Keep It Fun. Eric Inside this issue The Engineer s Cab... 1 Bowie Tower May Review... 2 Gaithersburg Station may Review... 3 BANTRAK Picnic Preview... 4 Module Coffins... 5 Virginia Museum of Trans.... 6 News & Notable... 9 Website & Membership... 10 DCC Corner... 11 Site of the Month / 30th Anniversary Club Car... 12 BANTRAK Company Store... 13 BANTRAK Time Machine / BANTRAK Classifieds... 14 BANTRAK Call Board / Calendar... 15 Next meeting Sunday, June 30th, 2012, 1pm 5pm Location: Al Del Gaudio s (check roster for address) Volume 25 Issue 6 Page 1
Bowie Tower: MayReview Jeff Peck On Sunday, May 20 th, the T Trak Division set up as part of the Bowie Heritage Days at the Hun ngton Railroad Museum in Bowie MD. In a endance were the Hyland and Peck gangs, Dave Balderston, Ma hew Whi ng, Cliff Enz and Leon Sorge and his wife. John Cook stopped by with a few family members as well. We set up 2 layouts, a 10 loop and a smaller trolley/light rail loop. We had great weather and were able to set up outdoors in the wai ng shed so we could enjoy the passing Amtrak show and CSX ran a 50 + car train of gypsum shipped in gondolas my CSX engineer bud says that the gypsum on that train goes down to the power plant, gets off loaded on to barges and shipped to upstate NY where it is used to make drywall. The gypsum is a by product of burning coal with limestone and PEP CO makes a few bucks and keeps the plant workers busy during slack mes selling the gypsum. A reporter stopped by from the P. G. Sen nel and took photos and I gave a brief interview about the club and its 30 years of service to the community. We had approximately 40 guests stop by to see the display and as usual, a good me was had by all I even got a nap in See you at the shows. Jeff Volume 25 Issue 6 Page 2
Gaithersburg Station: May Review Chris Hyland On Saturday, May 12, BANTRAK once again did it's monthly set up at the Gaithersburg B&O freight house which holds the Gaithersburg community museum, this me to celebrate Na onal Train day. Once again we were a hit with the public which turned out to see our setup as well as the real trains that run constantly behind us on the Metropolitan Branch. The weather was sunny and pleasant, perfect for running trains on the deck of the museum. Our layout consisted of 3 six foot tables with modules filling up 14 of that. We had some new modules make an appearance at the set up. Tom Long contributed a very well done 2 module that was based off of the display at the Bal more Trolley Museum of Howard Street. It had mixed asphalt and brick street trackage with CMD high rise buildings in the back which gave it a mid 20th century downtown urban feeling. Ma Guey Lee also contributed modules to the layout as well with a tunnel module and a western terraco a style sta on complete with palm trees surrounding it. CSX and Amtrak provided numerous real train watching opportunity. Mul ple freights and the Capital Limited were provided for our viewing pleasure. One of the most interes ng ones was a military train with all sorts of container moving forkli s decked out in fashionable desert tan. We had a large tun out for the show amongst members and prospec ve members. In a endance was Jeff and Chris an Peck, the Hyland Clan, Tom Long, Ma Whi ng, Ma Guey Lee, Cliff Enz, Leon Sorgey, with a special guest appearance by Bob Mohr. We had visits from two prospec ve members: Jeff Masiello and Mat Chabarro and we are looking forward to seeing more of them at future set ups. Also during the event we no ced that we have been picking up quite a following amongst the local ci zens of Gaithersburg. Besides having lots of parents and small children show up, we have had many teenagers coming by to see the layout (including one who biked 18 MILES in order to see us) and are interested in ge ng into the wonderful world of model railroading when they get older. This will hopefully sow seeds that will allow the hobby to con nue and grow in the future. Once again, fun was had by all that par cipated and the public was very pleased with what they saw. Hope to see you at some future show! Chris Volume 25 Issue 6 Page 3
BANTRAK Annual Picnic: 2012 Al Del Gaudio The BANTRAK picnic will be on Saturday, June 30th at my house. For those of you who have never visited, please call or email me for direc ons, or check the roster for my address. This year, as in year s past, will be a buffet/hosted event. What does that mean? It means that we need Club members to bring some items to eat, but the main items (hamburgers, hot dogs, etc.) will be provided. Families are encouraged to a end, and a brief Club mee ng will be held around 2pm as well. We realize there may be some Club members a ending the N Scale Enthusiast conven on in Oregon this same weekend and look forward to their stories and trip report in August! Please rsvp to me with any items you may be able to bring. Examples include: Soda Chips Vegetables H'orderves Cookies See you at the picnic. Al Volume 25 Issue 6 Page 4
Module Coffins: A Light Weight Perspective Paul Diley Here are a few photos of my new module cases. There are a few features that you may no ce next me you see me at setup. 1. Not only do they hold the modules individually (instead of nested) they also hold the sky board inside as well. 2. The design keeps modules safe from unintended damage during transporta on and set up/breakdowns and is very lightweight. 3. The cases are constructed using an aluminum door frame that can be found at any area hardware or furniture store (I got mine from IKEA). 4. The design keeps the rollers/casters/wheels as before, with the intent to make them easy to move around. 5. The outside will be covered with a 1/8 hard board and water proofed as well. Please be sure to check them out at the next show. Paul Volume 25 Issue 6 Page 5
Roanoke: Virginia Museum of Transportation Jack Walsh A couple of weeks ago Ginni and I went down to the Mountains of North Carolina, the part of NC that is actually under Tennessee, to visit my brother and his family. This was not the first me we spent over 300 miles on Route 81 through Virginia and each me just before we reached the Roanoke exit, I would see the brown sign for the Virginia Museum of Transporta on. On this last trip I convinced Ginni to stop overnight in Roanoke and spend the a ernoon visi ng the museum. From Route 81 Route 581takes you into the center of Roanoke. The exit for the Museum is clearly marked and we had no trouble finding it about five blocks south of 581. The building is a 1918 vintage N&W freight warehouse that N&W donated to the Museum a er the 1985 flood that seriously damaged their first loca on. The Museum began as a partnership between the Norfolk & Western Railway and the city of Roanoke in 1962. Roanoke has always been a railroad town and s ll maintains one of the largest Norfolk Southern s facility. The museum today houses a nice collec on of automobiles and trucks, as well as a good selec on of N&W railroad equipment. There are plans for an avia on sec on in the museum, but that is not open yet. Inside the freight house are the following: Automobile Gallery with various automobiles da ng back one hundred years and a collec on of large neon signs. A four er Lionel layout that is approximately 20 by 30 depic ng various rail sites in the region with seven trains running simultaneously. A Model Circus Exhibit showing the parade down Main Street, the railroad yard with the various type of equipment used to carry the circus, the Side Shows and the Big Top. A collec on of Greyhound, Trailways and Virginia transit companies history and memorabilia. A small display on the Virginian Railway which also ran through Roanoke. The Railroad Gallery with: NS SD 40 Locomo ve Cab, actual cab from #1594 with the radio on so you can listen to the communica ons happening on the NS mainline which is right out side. An Oral History area The Big Lick Depot a composite of rural N&W sta ons in the 1940 s era with cket area, telegraph office and freight room. Volume 25 Issue 6 Page 6
Roanoke: Virginia Museum of Transportation (cont.) Jack Walsh The major a rac on is the rail yard out the back of the freight house with a good collec on of N&W equipment and various other railroads that ran in Virginia. Under roof are three tracks containing most of the N&W pieces including: Class J #611 and Class A #1218. Somewhat out of place is a Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 electric. Various other N&W pieces are: Class G 1 Steam Engine #6 (1897) Railway Post Office #93 (1937) Dynamometer Car #514780 (1919) EMD GP 9 #521 (1958) EMD SD 45 #1776 (1970) Class CF Caboose #518302 Hopper Cars (1914 & 1937) Baggage Car #1418 Other railroads are represented by the following equipment: Virginian GE EL C Electric #135 Nickel Plate Road EMD GP 9 #532 EMD Demonstrator B Unit #103(looks like an FT) RFP Boxcar #2305 (1963) Virginian Class C10 Caboose #3211949) NS Derrick #514925 Southern Pullman Sleeper #2422 Lake Pearl Southern Coach #1070 W. Graham Claytor, Jr. Depressed Center Flat Car APWX #1002 Tracks 4 and 5 contain most of the non N&W equipment and are not under a roof. Track 5 contains the numerous pieces that are wai ng for restora on, but are not fenced off. Once you walk pass the J and the A, the areas between Tracks 1 and 2 and between Tracks 2 and 3 are filled with various automobile, truck, wagons, buggies, and buses. One of the more unusual items is a Washington, DC Capitol Transit street car which ran Route 20 from Union Sta on to Glen Echo Park in Maryland. The museum is just a short walk from the O. Winston Link Museum, showcasing the photographer s stunning images of the last days of steam on the N&W. More informa on can be found here. Jack Volume 25 Issue 6 Page 7
Roanoke: Virginia Museum of Transportation (cont.) Jack Walsh A few more pictures Jack Volume 25 Issue 6 Page 8
News & Notable: 2012 NMRA Convention (77th Annual) We are The Grand Rapids Model Railroad Historical Society, established in 1992. We currently reside in a beau ful Cra sman Style structure built by the state of Michigan in 1914 as a fish hatchery. We acquired the building in 1994 and in 1996 began construc ng our version of the Pere Marque e Ry. System circa 1945. We are joined by a group of dedicated modelers from all across Michigan in our quest to bring you a conven on you will remember fondly for years to come. There are many levels and areas of talent on our team and with this blend we will strive to provide you with the most enjoyable experience you can have at an NMRA Na onal Conven on. We believe that the number of great layouts we have in a concentrated area is only one of the many reasons that Grand Rails 2012 will be more than just another Na onal Conven on. Visit us online at www.gr2012.org. Contact us today for more informa on. News & Notable: 2012 N Scale Convention (20th Annual) Visit us online at www.na onalnscaleconven on.com Volume 25 Issue 5 Page 9
New & Notable: Bantrak.org Dave Clyde, Webmaster Email the webmaster today!!! During the past 4 6 weeks, new updates have been made to the website. I d like to pass along a brief note of each. Dave 05/30/2012 Corrected an issue with the visitor hit counter. 05/10/2012 The May Newsle er is now available. Have an idea for new/ updated web content? Contact the Webmaster with your ideas! New & Notable: Membership Al Palewicz, Membership Please contact Treasurer Tim Nixon for more informa on on your membership status and roster ques ons Club Member Benefits Sharing of your knowledge (railroading & modeling) with others of similar interests BANTRAK is a division of N Trak. Be sure to check out the latest N Trak newsle er! To view the May/June N TRAK newsle er, click here (h p://www.ntrak.org/newsle er/nl 12 mj op.pdf) Access to railroading and modeling knowledge of other members Na onal exposure and recogni on of your endeavors in modeling Hands on ac vi es: Club modules track, wiring and scenery. Raffle layout track and scenery Members' layouts whatever's asked Recogni on as being part of a Na onally known club Purchase of surplus club property & access to group discounts Volume 25 Issue 6 Page 10
DCC Corner: (Exploring Digital Command Control) Video Updates can be found here Email the editor and suggest a DCC topic!!! Volume 25 Issue 5 Page 11
Website of the Month: Railroads & The Citrus Industry Yahoo Citrus Modeling group Email the editor and recommend a site!!! Railroads & Oranges In One Place Visit their website forum here We re Yahoo s Citrus Industry Modeling Group, a free group for model railroaders, railfans and historians. Our 800 members collect, preserve and share informa on about the railroad opera ons of the Southern California citrus industry. This includes shipping ac vi es, railroad equipment plus packing house opera ons. We cover Santa Fe, PFE and Pacific Electric their reefers, their trains, their opera ons. We use this informa on to create accurate and realis c representa ons of railroad equipment and opera ons on model railroads. This group is open to all persons with an interest in the above. Ac ve par cipa on is encouraged but not required. Membership is free. BANTRAK: 30th Anniversary Club Car Any Club members with ideas or thoughts about the project should send me an email so that these may be taken into account prior to a proposal presenta on to the membership. Current sen ment is to go with a Fox Valley wagon top boxcar a la B&O. Nothing is decided and the commi ee has not met. All interested par es are welcome to contribute. Target release would be Christmas season 2012. This would be slightly prior to the thir eth anniversary of the first club mee ng in January 1983. If you can assist or are interested in volunteering to be on the commi ee, please contact Bob Mohr at a Club Mee ng or Show. Volume 25 Issue 5 Page 12
BANTRAK: Company Store Baltimore Area N-Trak presents a special run of a 40' standard box car with a single Youngstown door. Road #466008 has the B&O logo, and road #52008 has the BANTRAK logo. We are pleased to commemorate our 25 years in modular N-scale railroading by offering this commemorative two-pack. List Priced at $69.95 (plus shipping and handling). For more information contact treasurer@bantrak.net Baltimore Area N-Trak currently has a limited supply of the 20th Anniversary Car Set. Presented in prototypical fashion, the commemorative set consists of the 1983-2003 two-car set presented on traditional brown boxcars featuring the Baltimore Belt Line herald in white. List Priced at $35 (plus shipping and handling). Gray t-shirts with pocket having a full color BANTRAK logo on the back and a single color (green) logo on the front above the pocket. Prices are: Large $12.25 X-Large $12.25 2X-Large $13.25 4X-Large $15.25 (plus shipping and handling) Building a module or rescuing an old one? Get your wire harness. It doesn t get easier than this. Color coded / pre-installed power poles included. List Priced at $25 (plus shipping and handling). Volume 25 Issue 5 Page 13
Bantrak: Time Machine (Submissions Needed) BANTRAK: Classifieds (Submissions Needed) To list your classifieds, Email the editor Volume 25 Issue 5 Page 14
BANTRAK Call Board (Activities & Events of BANTRAK Club Members) Email the editor with your info!!! CHRS Susquehanna Limited June 16th Info Contact: Ed Kapusinski Springfield 2013 January 26th & 27th Info Contact: Eric Payne NMRA Chesapeake Div. Group Mtg. June 16th Info Contact: Arthur Boyd BANTRAK Club Mtg. Host / Loca on needed (various months) Info Contact: Eric Payne/Denise Clyde BANTRAK 2012 Calendar This is a listing of all N-Trak events. We have Monthly Meetings, Field Trips, 1-Trak and T-Trak events as well. Attend a meeting for a full list of events!!! 5/20 Club Mee ng Bal more, Md Arthur Boyd 6/23 Club Mee ng (picnic) Columbia, Md Al Del Gaudio 6/23 Montgomery County Heritage Days (tena ve) Mont. Co., Md Ed Hyland 7/14 & 7/15 Independence Days Alexandria, Va Ed Hyland 7/15 Club Mee ng??????/??? 8/19 Club Mee ng Gambrills, Md Al Po er 8/25 & 8/26 Bedford N Scale Weekend Bedford, Pa Al Po er / Bob Winterbo om BANTRAK was founded in 1983 as the Greater Baltimore N-Scale Associates. Begun as a round robin group to share skills and experiences, we have expanded our focus to include participation in many diverse activities to promote model railroading in general and N-Scale model railroading in particular. Activities include participation in local, regional and national shows, meets and conventions. BANTRAK membership includes membership in the national NTRAK organization. President: Eric Payne Treasurer: Tim Nixon Membership: Al Palewicz Volume 25 Issue 5 Page 15 The BANTRAK Newsletter is the official publication of the Baltimore Area N-TRAK organization. This is your newsletter! Please send articles, photos, and suggestions to newsletter@bantrak.net. Editor: Eric Payne