Florida: All aboard! Authentic model trains on display in Cocoa

Well, it's a day late. But it'll doubtless be an annual thing, so set your calendar for next year.

From Florida Today:  All aboard! Authentic model trains on display in Cocoa

THE DETAILS
WHAT: Trains, Trains, Trains
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Central Brevard Library, 308 Forrest Ave., Cocoa
COST: Free
INFO: Call 321-633-1792.
THE STORY: For those who love model trains, put your engineer’s cap on, grab your train whistle, and hop aboard the Trains, Trains, Trains

Trains program at the Central Brevard Library in Cocoa on Saturday.

The event will feature speakers from the FECR Society, history buffs and a junior engineer program.
“It’s something that draws a lot of interest,” said Jan Erickson, adult program coordinator at the library. “There are a lot of people who are interested in trains as a hobby.”

“Caboose Mikey” will explain the ins and outs of how trains operate.

“He dresses up in an old engineer’s outfit, and he walks around and talks about what the trains are doing, as well,” Erickson said.

Jerry Groothouse, director of the Steam Locomotive Association No. 253, will discuss antique and toy trains. And if you bring your model and antique trains, he’ll give you an appraisal.

The displays you’ll see at the library on Saturday are modeled after actual train depots.

“Model trains are painted to be like real train cars,” Erickson said. “If you stop at a train track and notice the engine number, the cars are painted exact. They’re very authentic.”

Model train enthusiast and program organizer Tom Chaffee knows all about authenticity. His group — FECNtrak — models the Florida East Coast Railway Society. They’ve hosted the event at the library since 2006.

“We try and model the Florida East Coast Railway prototypically. We try to do the same kind of train cars you would see, the same locomotives,” he said. “The track we use is right down to the simulated rail ties, just like the real railroad.

“They’ll be modeled after the trees and buildings that are in Jacksonville or places in between Jacksonville and Miami,” he said.

He’ll explain the role of a dispatcher, too. Train engineers communicate with each other and the dispatcher is “the middleman.” They discuss their routes, and the dispatcher can tell you whether it’s OK to move forward.
“Just like the real railroad, the real engineers don’t know 20 miles down the road and around the bend. The dispatcher can see everything and where everything is, like, ‘I can let you go this far, etc.,’” Chaffee said.
“We’ve actually tried to do it,” he said. “We actually put the dispatcher out in the hall one year” in which they could see the trains and the engineers couldn’t see the other trains. “It worked very well. We didn’t have any head-on (crashes).”

This, of course, is where kids and adults become junior engineers.

The best part about this event for Erickson?

“It’s watching the kids get so excited to run the trains,” she said. “They really enjoy it. And the adults who set this up get a lot out of it themselves.”

UK: Children on right track with model rail layout

From This is Kent:  Children on right track with model rail layout

PUPILS at a Tonbridge primary school went full steam ahead in a bid to create the best model railway layout in Kent.

Years 5 and 6 children from Long Mead Community Primary School travelled to County Hall in Maidstone on July 16 to represent their borough after winning the Tonbridge and Malling heat of a competition run by Kent County Council and Hornby.

The youngsters' creation, a 2m by 0.75m cardboard representation of the end of a branch line, complete with sidings, light industry and agriculture, finally clinched fourth place among the 11 finalists.

Teacher Richard Palmer said building the layout had been an enjoyable exercise for the nine children involved, none of whom had ever played with model trains before.

Mr Palmer said: "They started the layout in February and worked on it every week.

"We all went into this not knowing anything about model trains, but we had a lot of support from members of the Tonbridge Model Railway Club who came down every week to help us, and the school caretaker.

"It was a real team effort."

The layout will go on display at a model railway exhibition at the Angel Centre, Tonbridge, in February.

 

Wilmington, NC: Train Camp kids end journey at Wilmington Railroad Museum

From WWayTV.com:  Train Camp kids end journey at Wilmington Railroad Museum

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- All aboard for Train Camp at the Wilmington Railroad Museum.
Kids are treated to a tour of rail sites. They also build train cars and buildings, run model trains and design and build a take-home scene... all on their own scale.

A group of grown railroad enthusiasts share their hobby with the train fans of the future.

About 10 kids completed this session.

The final session of summer is August 13-17. Sign up at the Wilmington Railroad Museum, and don't miss the train.

LaCrosse, WI: Rail Fair raises money for Copeland Short Rail Display

From WXOW.com: Rail Fair raises money for Copeland Short Rail Display

LA CROSSE, Wisconsin (WXOW) - Whistles blew and rails clacked as train enthusiasts from across the region gathered for the 22nd annual La Crosse Rail Fair.

The event was hosted by the 4000 Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining and restoring the La Crosse Short Line Railroad Display.

All proceeds from today's Rail Fair go towards the upkeep.

The event is one of the biggest fundraisers for the group, bringing in about $6000 each year.

Foundation President Mark Hamre says it's a chance to show people what the display is all about.

"It's an excellent opportunity to get up close and personal with the display," Hamre said. "We like to use it as really our annual showcase of the display. And people can come and see firsthand what it's all about and learn about the history. "

Each year, the Rail Fair brings in nearly 2000 railroad enthusiasts from across the region.

Attendees buy, sell and trade everything from models to magazines.

Henry Bangsberg is one of 200 vendors who brings memorabilia to the rail fair.

He's been coming to the swap meet for four years, and he says the appeal of railroading is different for everyone.

"We have quite a few members who really like the fact that our club building is right next to the tracks in Sparta, so there's a bunch of guys who like to watch the trains," said Bangsberg, President of the West Central Model Railroad Club. "There's a bunch of guys who like to have the simulators on their computers so they can pretend they're driving trains. I really enjoy the modeling parts of it so I build a lot of kits."

Organizers say that the railroads played a large part in La Crosse's history, and the rail fair is a way to celebrate that history.

Union Pacific Railroad Celebrates 150 Years

From OBP.org: Union Pacific Railroad Celebrates 150 Years


The Union Pacific Railroad Co. celebrated its 150th birthday at Union Station in Portland on Friday.

Lucila Cejas Epple / OPB

 

Usually the sound of a train means you should be careful; one of Oregon’s many freight trains is going over a crossing nearby. But this is the sound of a train simulation, a model engine parked outside Portland’s Union station as part of Union Pacific’s birthday celebrations.

Inside the station, booths displayed model trains and vintage prints, alongside brochures for modern, high-speed bullet trains.  Mayor Sam Adams says Union Pacific is still crucial to Oregon’s economy.
"In the last five years, this company has invested a half a billion dollars in its systems throughout Oregon. There are very few companies that have invested that much in improving their competitiveness in Oregon," Adams says.

Scott Moore with Union Pacific focused on the future of rail in Oregon. He says trains were "green" before it was trendy.

"It's interesting how 18th century technology of steel rail on steel wheel is the most environmentally friendly, and most efficient way to move freight, so we think our future is very bright," Moore says.

The Union Pacific Railroad company was formed when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway act in July of 1862.
 

 

Taiwan: Train festival opens in Nantou

From Focus Taiwan: Train festival opens in Nantou

Nantou, July 15 (CNA) A vintage train model, dubbed "the king of steam locomotives," pulled into Jiji Station on the railway branch line Sunday to kick off the Nantou County Train Festival, which features both antique trains and popular cartoon characters.

To mark the official opening of the festival, Nantou County Magistrate Lee Chao-ching departed from Zhuoshui Station on the DT668, a steam-powered train, and arrived in Jiji Station to hundreds of awaiting railway fans.

The DT668, manufactured in 1941, was retired in March 1984 and reactivated in November last year on the Neiwan Branch Line in Hsinchu to promote railway tourism.

The 20-meter train had the largest tonnage and cylinder tractive power of any Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) train during the era it was in use, the festival's organizers said.

The DT668 and CK124, another steam locomotive that has been featured at the festival in previous years, will rotate in taking tourists for rides on the Jiji Line until the festival closes on Aug. 12.

The festival also showcases characters from famous cartoon series, such as Thomas and Friends, Pingu, Bob the Builder, Sesame Street, Deko Boko Friends and Tamagotchi.

Three exhibition areas have been set up by organizers. One of them, at Zhuoshui Station, is dedicated to Thomas the Tank Engine, the festival's "spokesman." The second, found at Jiji Station, is dedicated to the other cartoon characters.

The third is a 10-meter-long mobile exhibition hall -- built from a container truck -- that will display models of Jiji Line stations and attractions at different venues around the festival.

In addition to the festival, the county government has created a tourism promotion event giving visitors the chance to harvest pineapples in Mingjian Township. It has also introduced package tours that will take visitors to different townships in the county.  

Union Pacific adds Spokane to Train Town USA registry

From The Spokesman Review:  Union Pacific adds Spokane to Train Town USA registry

About 1,500 people showed up at the Amtrak station on Tuesday to celebrate the 150th birthday of America’s largest railroad network, the Union Pacific.

The turnout included train enthusiasts, model train collectors, current and former railroad workers, and families with generations of history in the industry.

In recognition of the role Spokane has played in the growth of the rail lines, company officials awarded the city membership in Union Pacific’s new Train Town USA registry. The membership marks the city as a place of historical significance to the railroad.

Spokane is the 18th city to join the registry and the only Washington member.

Union Pacific spokesman Brock Nelson handed Mayor David Condon a commemorative coin and a sign that reads “Train Town USA” and read a proclamation stating Spokane’s induction into the registry.

Condon said he took his oath of office under the Riverfront Clocktower in part to pay tribute to the impact railroads have had on Spokane.

“The Clocktower is what brought a lot of the Anglo Saxons to this area because of the railroad, quite frankly,” Condon said.

Union Pacific, which stopped running passenger trains in 1971 but continues to run freight, brought restored locomotives and passenger cars from the height of passenger rail. Most of the cars were closed to public entry, but attendees could walk through an old baggage car converted into a traveling railroad museum to see old tools, read signs or watch videos about the roots of Union Pacific.

The collection, called the Heritage Fleet, mostly featured cars from the 1950s, but it also included the Shoshone, a business car built by Pullman Standard in 1914. The Shoshone is the second-oldest car in the fleet and was a pricey way to travel in its day.

“These were kind of the premium tickets,” said Thomas Lange, a Union Pacific spokesman. Though no longer used as commercial passenger cars, the company still uses them for meetings with clients. The cars are set up to look like they did when they were in operation, Lange said.

The event was a nostalgic step into the past for many.

“A lot of people who come out and see these cars tell you stories about how their parents and grandparents used to work in the railroad and talk about the days when they used to ride trains themselves,” Lange said.
A number of Union Pacific employees followed their parents or grandparents into the company.

“It’s unique, because you don’t see a lot of families who’ve worked through the generations at a lot of different companies,” Lange said. “We’ve run into quite a bit of that.”

 

Viewpoints: High-speed rail plan lacks common srnse

From the Sacramento Bee:  Viewpoints: High-speed rail plan lacks common sense

High-speed rail's biggest problem isn't high-speed rail but the people behind it, from backers in Washington to legislators in Sacramento who approved funding, capped by some rather artless fist-pumping from Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, who seemed less interested in a better plan than in securing votes needed to pass a bad one.

Not that a better plan was in the offing from the California High-Speed Rail Authority, formed in 1996. The best it has produced is a business model whose costs have increased as the plan's promises decreased.
It's all been an object lesson in how to ruin a good idea.
There exists plentiful cogent analysis and constructive criticism, as there should be in any public works project of grand scale, but even at the most pedestrian level – where most taxpayers live – rarely has there been a project this size where logic comes to a crashing halt at nearly every turn.

Consider: If, in 2008, Proposition 1A had proposed laying that first mile of track between Borden and Corcoran, voters' reaction would've been, "There's a Borden, Calif.?"

The new route connecting Fresno to Burbank is equally imprudent. Who in Washington insisted on launching in the Central Valley? Who in the Central Valley benefits from Washington holding federal dollars hostage? Those blackmailers certainly won't be riding their 160-mile showpiece after their inaugural outing and perfunctory photo-op. Were it my call, I'd have told those in Washington to keep their money unless they agreed to build where we need it, not where they want it.

The operative question is this: If a main goal is to reduce congestion by inducing motorists to gravitate from driving to riding, why launch in a region where few people are driving? Fresno is not the Interstate 80 corridor to San Francisco, or the freeways linking Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and the Grapevine.

Those navigating that trek are what the Census Bureau calls "extreme commuters" – people traveling 90 minutes or more each way. More than 3 percent of working Americans do it, almost double the number from 1990, and the fastest-growing category of worker in America. Among the regions with the highest number of extreme commuters: Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Please don't tell me we first need to build in a flat, unobstructed wilderness where trains at their highest speeds can be tested and refined. What testing? Systems operating worldwide have already done that yeoman's work. We tout them as exemplary models for California. Implement what works best in those systems and discard what doesn't. Or do high-speed trains function differently in Fresno than in Barcelona?
Meanwhile, skeptical voters wonder how the governor would willingly borrow billions to support his vision while asking for a tax hike to "save our schools" because the state is broke. That's not vision; it's astigmatism. It's like saying you need to make mortgage payments, so let's buy a Winnebago.
No public works project is perfect, but for it to be palatable to the populace it purports to serve, it has to come with a comprehensible degree of common sense, and either this plan doesn't have it, or the people behind it don't know how to sell it.

It's disheartening for me, a huge advocate of rail transit. In New York where I grew up, mass transit is akin to oxygen, especially for extreme commuters. Systems in Washington, D.C., Boston and Chicago make those cities a pleasure to navigate. The Altamont Commuter Express trains proved a boon to development from Tracy to Stockton, providing a critical option for those employed in the Silicon Valley who couldn't afford Silicon Valley home prices. As a freeway alternative, the Capitol Corridor continues to increase ridership and revenue. Surely, there's a lesson in these models.

And sadly, America used to build things. From the Panama Canal to countless infrastructure projects undertaken under Franklin Roosevelt, who originally envisioned the federal highway system that Dwight Eisenhower carried to legislative fruition in 1956.

In the 1960s, not a day passed without stories about space travel or an exhibit that touched on the idea of "The Home of Tomorrow," "The City of Tomorrow," "The Transportation of Tomorrow."

Where is the tomorrow of today? In Afghanistan, costing us $5.3 billion a month, nearly the amount the Legislature approved to fund the first leg of a rail project? The F-22 Raptor? Since entering service in 2005, we've spent $77 billion on a fleet of 187 that has yet to see combat, isn't expected to any time soon and has been repeatedly grounded over oxygen system problems no one can resolve.

I'd like to think most of us would agree to do big things provided we choose the best path for doing them, but I'm not sure. Mostly, it seems what we do best anymore is make excuses to justify not doing anything.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/10/4619717/high-speed-rail-plan-lacks-common.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/10/4619717/high-speed-rail-plan-lacks-common.html#storylink=cpy

Duff: Williams recreates Ebbets Field

From the  Windsor Star: Duff: Williams recreates Ebbets Field

 

A miniature replica of New York's famous Ebbets Field is being built at Imagine That Laser Art Products in Windsor on Wednesday, July 4, 2012. The model is being built for a client in California.

Photograph by: Tyler Browbridge , The Windsor Star

Every one of the 31,000 green-coloured seat bottoms fold up.
Each of the 1,000 lights illuminate brightly.

It’s so realistic you half expect the toilets to flush.

Ebbets Field, home to the long-lost Brooklyn Dodgers, was levelled in 1960, but it’s been reborn in, of all places, a studio in Oldcastle.

A year ago, Mark Williams, owner and head designer of Imagine That Laser Art Products, was commissioned to build a 1-48th scale replica of the legendary ballpark, home to the Dodgers, or Dem Bums, as they were lovingly known in those days, from 1913-57.

About a month from completion, to see it up close is to look upon a masterpiece of miniature model construction.
“It is museum quality,” Williams said proudly. “You won’t find anything like it anywhere.”

A retired Ford worker, Williams began his company three years ago with a goal of constructing scale models for model railroad enthusiasts.
He’d soon learn exactly how enthusiastic some of these hobbyists can be.

“I never set out to build ballparks,” Williams said. “This just kind of happened because we were into the model train industry.”

Among the company’s many clients is rock star Rod Stewart. In their offices hang photos of Stewart’s model train layouts next to a signed photo of thanks from the man himself.

The fellow behind the ballpark order is California-based and prefers to remain anonymous. He’s spending six figures to have his mini Ebbets Field assembled. The ballpark measures 16 by 12 feet in diameter and stands over two feet high.

“We’d done models for the New York and Chicago elevated rail systems,” Williams explained. “This gentleman had seen our work and ordered us to build a bridge, the Harlem overpass.
“That started it.”

The bridge was damaged during shipping, so the purchaser flew Williams and one of his workers to California to fix it.

“We repaired it and he was so pleased, he said, ‘Can you build another of these bridges and a ballpark?’” Williams said.

Like mom’s apple pie, every aspect of the project was assembled from scratch. Each one of the railings was hand soldered. The screens attached to the railings are all hand tied.

The replica comes complete with hot dog stand, ticket windows, even some pigeon poop running down the side walls and a bird’s nest tucked in under the roof.

“It’s fully operational,” Williams said. “We designed all the parts, did all the researching ourselves through the internet and photographs.

“Everything is very accurate and because it’s made of wood, it lends itself to an older texture and it looks like it’s real.

As anyone who is, or who knows a train enthusiast can tell you, factual accuracy is an essential quality to any layout.

“Model railroading tends to lend itself to the realistic side of life,” Williams said. “You’re putting a story to the ballpark.

“Putting in the seats, you could even get a feel for what was a good seat and what was not. It’s amazing how many of the seats are directly behind a pole, which is true to life.

“It’s been quite an enjoyable build.”

The Dodgers got their name from their fans, who had to dodge trains running outside the stadium to get to the ballpark.

“It all ties back to this idea of trains,” Williams said, “The owner that’s having this built, he just loves baseball and he loves his trains, so he’s trying to incorporate both elements together.”

Still to be added before completion is the diamond, the roads around the stadium, and the ballplayers. Williams will utilize a 3D printer to make replicas of former Dodgers, so that likenesses of Duke Snider, Gil Hodges and Jackie Robinson may once again patrol Ebbets Field.

Once done, a team from Imagine That will drive the finished product to California and deliver the ballpark in person, ensuring its safety.

As excited as they are to near completion, Williams and his crew know they are just beginning their work.
“His layout is probably 15,000 square feet,” Williams explained. “When this is completed, we’ll be starting the Polo Grounds.

“When that’s completed, we’ll be doing Yankee Stadium.”

As challenging as Ebbets Field was to resurrect, the other parks will require even more laborious effort.
“This was 31,000 seats,” Williams explained. “The Polo Grounds was 58,000 seats.

“That’s going to be a challenge.”

Based on their recreation of Ebbets Field, Williams and his crew are up to the task.

Australia: Thomas the Tank Engine spends the weekend with friends

From Wagin Argus:  Thomas the Tank Engine spends the weekend with friends

THE long weekend in June was an opportunity for the WA Branch of Model Railways of Australia to showcase their stuff to the general public.

More than 20,000 visitors filed through the Claremont Showgrounds to check out the enormous displays of trains.

This is the second year that Doug and Val Whiting, along with their sons Errol and Peter, have gone to the event to display Doug’s Thomas Tank Engines.

Thomas had plenty of friends as there were electric models, a massive display of Lego with Lego railways running through it, wooden models and also meccano rail displays.

A miniature model steam engine was huffing and puffing, plus there was a larger version that people could sit in.

This year for the first time there were remote-controlled semi-trailer models (road trains).
The weekend is a popular event for people of all ages and an opportunity for everyone to revisit their childhood.

There were at least 25-30 displays, with some only taking a small table while others are much larger.
Mr Whiting won the manager’s merit award, a cup given by the manager to one of the displays at the end of the weekend.

 

 

All aboard, from Chicago Botanic Garden's summertime railroad to the year-round Great Train Story at MSI

From the Cicago TribuneTribune:   All aboard, from Chicago Botanic Garden's summertime railroad to the year-round Great Train Story at MSI

It started as a one-shot deal — a seven-track train layout at the Chicago Botanic Garden that was intended for a five-month run in 2000.

"But it was so popular," says Dave Rodelius, a lifelong train enthusiast who oversees the Model Railroad Garden program. "People wouldn't let it go away. People demanded it. If I'm not mistaken, in that first year we had 100,000 people. You couldn't walk through here. You just had to move with the crowd."

So here we are, in the 13^th season, with 18 trains, a 7,500-square-foot exhibit, and a part-time crew of 16 headed by Rodelius "I'm, so to speak, the chief engineer," he says with a laugh.
A lifelong train buff, he had been a tram driver at the Garden. When the train setup was being built, he was called into a vice president's office and asked if he'd like to run the railroad.
"I got the job," he said, "and I didn't even have to ask how much I had to pay."

The Botanic Garden's railroad runs about 1,700 feet of track. The layouts are built around points of interest from throughout the United States — Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the White House, Yellowstone Park, Pike Place Market in Seattle; Mount St. Helens in Washington State, Lombard Street in San Francisco.

"We do keep things up to date. When the Obamas moved into the White House, we put in a garden and a play area for the kids," Rodelius says.

Among the revisions in the layout this year are Cape Cod and New Orleans' French Quarter. The various tableau have small details worth noting — block out an hour to see everything — and also explore the plants. The grape vines in the Napa Valley vineyard are really English duckfoot ivy, which looks like tiny grape vines. The pines in the Mesa Verde National Park display are Meth Dwarf white cedars, in perfect scale.
"We have a lot of people who come through just to look at the plants," Rodelius says. "(Horticulturist) Kelley Heim does a really good job with putting out signs."

He says that train wrecks on the layout are rare, but interesting. "Sometimes we'll have one, and nobody will have been watching, and some kids will come scooting over. 'Hey mister, you got a wreck!' My first words are always, 'Anybody get hurt?' So we do have fun."

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Oct. 28 (and until 8 p.m. on Wednesdays through Aug. 29). Admission to the Model Railroad Garden is $5 adults, $3 for children 3-12. Admission to the Chicago Botanic Garden is free; parking is $20 per car. Visit chicagobotanic.org/railroad

All Aboard exhibit
at the DuPage County Historical Museum: Visit a railroad layout with more than 2,000 feet of track and numerous county landmarks represented in Wheaton. The layout was set up by the DuPage Society of Model Engineers, who operate the entire railroad from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on select Saturdays. At other times, visitors can push a button to get things moving.

The museum is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 102 E. Wesley St., Wheaton; admission is free (donations welcome). Train Saturdays are listed at dupagemuseum.org/exhibits

Taltree Railway Garden: Started in 2011, the highly regarded setup at the Taltree Arboretum and Gardens in Valparaiso, Ind., covers nearly an acre and tells the story of American railroading. Railway lines that are featured include canyon, mining, mountain, prairie, steam passenger and the South Shore Line. Visitors will see trains run over more than 3,000 feet of track, over bridges and past waterfalls. Trains run from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily through Oct. 31 at 71 N. 500 West, Valparaiso, Ind. Admission to the arboretum is $10 adults, $5 for children 5-12; visit taltree.org

Blackberry Farm: Model trains (scale sizes HO, O Gauge and other types) will take the spotlight for a weekend at Blackberry Farm, and the farm also has a miniature train to ride.

11 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 21 and 22 at Blackberry Farm, 100 S. Barnes Road, Aurora. Admission to the farm is $3.75 to $7; visit foxvalleyparkdistrict.org

Illinois Railway Museum: Model railroads give way to the real thing at this musuem dedicated to the role railroads have played in the growth of the Chicago area. Visitors can watch historic steam, diesel and electric trains run on a 5-mile stretch of track; streetcars run on a separate streetcar line. Among the special events scheduled in Union are the Trolley Pageant on Saturday and Diesel Days July 21- 22.

The museum is located at 7000 Olson Road, Union; admission costs and more information at irm.org
Museum of Science and Industry: The museum's Great Train Story, capable of handling more than 30 trains, follows a railroad journey between Chicago and Seattle.
Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 57th St. and Lake Shore Drive. Adult admission is $15 ($13 for Chicago residents), $10 ($9) for children; visit msichicago.org

UK: Full steam ahead for rail exhibition

From Hartlepool Mail: Full steam ahead for rail exhibition 

Specatators watch the model trains pass at last year's event

Published on Saturday 30 June 2012 09:29

A MODEL rail exhibition is on track to return to Hartlepool.

Preparations are in full swing for the staging of the annual Hartlepool Model Railway Exhibition on July 7 and 8.

This year the exhibition has a new venue, moving back into the centre of Hartlepool at the newly re-furbished College of Further Education, in Stockton Street.

The show will be bringing some widely-acclaimed and award-winning masterpieces in miniature to the North-East, while raising funds for two town charities.

Over recent years the show has donated more than £10,000, with more than £2,500 being shared for 2011.
This year the money raised will go to Hartlepool Families First and RNLI Hartlepool.
The show is run in collaboration with Hartlepool Model Rail Group and the national publication Hornby Magazine, as well as enjoying sponsorship and support from the model manufacturer Hornby Hobbies and North-East train operator Grand Central.

A spokesman for the organiser said: “The model railways on show vary from the small ‘N’ gauge at a scale of just 2mm to the foot, through to the much larger ‘G’ gauge which has a scale of 45mm to the foot.
“In all, 24 layouts will be on show, plus specialist demonstrators and a wide range of traders and model manufacturers.

“Travelling to the venue couldn’t be easier with the bus and trains coming into the transport interchange just five minutes walk from the venue.

“Motorists can follow the A689 through to the centre of the town with car parking immediately opposite the college.”
The doors open on both days at 9.30am, closing at 5.30pm Saturday and 4.30pm on Sunday.

Admission is £6 for adults, £4 for pensioners and children and a family of two adults and up to three children costs just £16. Children aged under five get in free and all admissions include a show programme.

Bosses say the college is fully wheelchair friendly, but pets are not allowed. Catering is available.

For further details go to www.hornbymagazine.com

 

Miniature trains are track stars

From Southern Oregon Mail Tribune: Miniature trains are track stars A drive-in movie screen about the size of a napkin plays classic thrillers while a train that's 220 times smaller than its real-life counterpart passes by.

The track, built by a group called BAZ BoyZ, was one of several attractions at this year's National N-Scale Convention, being held in Medford. The tiny trees, tiny tracks and tiny trains continue to make big impressions on model train enthusiasts in the Rogue Valley.

The convention is back in Medford for the third time in its 20-year history. Medford hosted the convention in its first year, 10th year and now 20th, according to Dean Daughenbaugh, one of the convention's organizers.

About 450 people from across the United States registered for the nearly weeklong convention, Daughenbaugh said. Events include tours of local model train manufacturer Micro-Trains, contests and lectures from model train experts. The activities are primarily limited to convention attendees.

Unlike toy trains, model trains are built to scale.

One of the scales, called an N-scale, is about 160 times smaller than a real train. A Z-scale model is about 220 times smaller.

Mike Scully, a member of the Z-scale group BAZ BoyZ, said his interest in trains as a child led to his involvement in model trains seven years ago.

Scully said the group has about 12 members who live in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and cities in Southern California. They work on separate pieces and put them together to make elaborate tracks, which they showed off at the convention on Thursday.

Scully said it's difficult to find such model train fanatics in other parts of the nation. "It's something of a West Coast kind of thing," he said.

Creating model trains is also a Rogue Valley kind of thing. Southern Oregon is home to three nationally known model train manufacturers: Micro-Trains, Kadee Quality Products Co. and Campbell Scale Models.

Tony Johnson, vice president of Southern Oregon Live Steamers, said he's surprised how many people are still interested in model trains. Already this year, the Live Steamers have set up tracks at more than 100 events.

The Southern Oregon Live Steamers is one of five groups along with the city of Medford that operates the popular 49-acre Medford Railroad Park. Johnson maintains the nearly mile-long train track built by who he calls the "master mechanics" of the Live Steamers.

The pint-sized trains are pulled by steam or diesel locomotives and carry passengers around the loop.

Created in 1979 on what used to be the site of the Medford sewer plant, Johnson said the park attracted more than 30,000 people last year during the 14 days the park is open. This year, the park is well on its way to setting another record for attendance, he said.

"We kind of wonder when we're going to reach our saturation point," he said.

David Carr, member and former president of the Rogue Valley Model Railroad Club, said he's also seen more people pass through the Railroad Park.

"I am still floored at how many people come out there," he said.

Carr has worked with the Rogue Valley Model Railroad Club since 2003 to complete a replica of the Pacific and Eastern Railroad between Medford and Klamath Falls at the Railroad Park. He said it's about 60 percent complete.

Like many of the model train enthusiasts, Carr has been interested in trains since he was a child. Johnson was also interested in trains at a young age.

"I can remember my first train set when I was 4 years old," he said. "There's just something fascinating about it. I'm almost 68 years old, and I love it just as much."