Tehachapi Depot (California) Train Show coming June 18

Tehachapinews.com (California): Tehachapi Depot Train Show coming June 18
The Friends of the Tehachapi Depot will hold its second annual Train Show and Faire on Saturday, June 18. The event will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the park surrounding Tehachapi Depot Railroad Museum.

Currently, there are 12 vendors registered for the event coming from as far away as Lompoc. The vendors will be selling both new and used model trains, accessories and even birdhouses built around a railroad theme. Items from the collections of well-known local train buffs, writers, and photographers, like Dave Burton and Ed Delvers, will be included in the sale. The FOTD will also have items for sale in the depot which will include books and artifacts along with other items.

FOTD President Tim Trujillo says, “Participating in or attending the Train Show is a great way to help the Depot. As an all-volunteer organization, Friends of the Depot, depends on fundraising programs like this to keep the Depot running and vibrant. We’ve got a jewel in the center of our town that needs your support. Please come out and enjoy the fun of the Train Show while helping do a good thing for Tehachapi.”

There is a suggested donation of $2 per person, children 12 and under are free. There will also be coffee and donuts for sale during the early morning hours and a bake sale later in the day.

Have train-related items to sell? Contact Carol Westover at 823-7832 or email tehachap@yahoo.com for additional information. You can also go to www.tehachapidepot.com for further information and forms.

A table space rents for $10, a 10-foot x 12-foot space rents for $20, plus a $5 fee for the city of Tehachapi Business License. Vendors must furnish their own tables and canopies.

Linda Gordon, who coordinated the first show last October, is hoping for better weather for this event.

CHINGFORD: New mayor names model train

TihsIsLocalLondon: CHINGFORD: New mayor names model train
NOT quite the same as christening a boat, the new mayor has marked the start of his time in office by naming a model train.

Cllr Geoffrey Walker, the new mayor of Waltham Forest, visited the Chingford and District Model Engineering Club (CDMEC), in Ridgeway Park, off Peel Close, Chingford, on Sunday, May 29, to name their new petrol locomotive.

Mayor Walker continued the tradition of naming the trains after flying insects with the name ‘Demoiselle’, meaning damselfly in French, to sit alongside their existing trains Firefly, Blackfly, Mayfly and Schmetterling (German for butterfly).

Cllr Roy Berg, chairman of the group, said: “It was a great honour to have Geoffrey here. It’s only the second act he has done as mayor so it was splendid.

“I’m not quite sure why we name our trains after insects but Demoiselle does sound good.”

The mayor and his party were then driven around on the train by Cllr Michael Lewis for its first official ride.

The CDMEC is open for the public to ride every Sunday between 2pm and 5.30pm until the end of September, with rides costing 50p or £1.

Nashville: Cheekwoods gardens open for free Monday

The Tennessean: Cheekwoods gardens open for free Monday
Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art opens its gates free to the public Monday.
www.cheekwood.
HCA/Tristar is sponsoring Summertime at Cheekwood.

On Monday, visitors can enjoy exhibitions and events that include:
The "Trains! Tennessee in G" outdoor exhibition takes visitors across Tennessee with model trains, miniature representations of the state’s historic landmarks, and colorful gardens. The buildings have been intricately handcrafted using natural materials, including twigs, bark, leaves, acorns and pebbles. The landscape is made up of more than 2,500 tiny trees, shrubs, groundcovers and flowering plants in 250 varieties.

Between 10 a.m. and noon, families can stop by Cheekwood’s studio in the Frist Learning Center and create their own ‘’Trains inspired’ art project.
Inside, 43 key paintings and sculptures by 31 of the most celebrated artists who came to maturity in the 1950s are on display in the exhibit, Modern Masters from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The show examines the complex and varied nature of American abstract art in the mid-20th century.

Also on exhibit are selections from Cheekwood's collection of William Edmondson. Born to former slaves on a plantation south of Nashville in 1874 , Edmondson taught himself to carve tombstones and became one of the most celebrated African-American sculptors of the 20th century.

This is also one of the last chances to view the Matilda Geddings Gray Foundation Collection of Fabergé; Among the world’s most significant compilations of Fabergé pieces, the collection includes more than 50 rare pieces highlighted by three Russian Imperial Easter eggs. The exhibition closes June 5.


Cheekwood is a 55-acre botanical garden and art museum on the historic Cheek estate. It is at 1200 Forrest Park Drive. For further information call 615-356-8000 or visit www.cheekwood.

Tulsa, Oklahoma: Comfort is in the food and the atmosphere at Ollie's Station Read more from this Tulsa World

Tulsa World: Comfort is in the food and the atmosphere at Ollie's Station

We had taken grandkids to Ollie's Station in the past to watch the model trains run on tracks around the walls and ceiling of the restaurant, and the trip never failed to be a hit.

We recently took a 4-year-old, a 2-year-old and a 20-year-old on their first visit. The mother of the younger ones was skeptical that the trains would hold their attention, but she shouldn't have worried. They were mesmerized the whole time we were there.

Add to that the fact we immediately could put food in front of them from the buffet, and you have a perfect outing for the young-uns.

It wasn't bad for us older folks, either, what with the all-you-can-eat fried chicken and other home-style favorites on the buffet.

Ollie's Station has a full menu of traditional comfort food, but many fans like to come to the weekday lunch buffets and weekend breakfast and lunch buffets.

The weekend buffets change from breakfast to lunch at 11 a.m., and we made it for a Sunday lunch buffet.

The fried chicken - lightly battered and cooked to perfection - is the poster boy for the buffet, but other items were tasty, too.

Among the standouts were mashed potatoes with a chicken-broth gravy, ham cooked with pineapple, salty potato-chicken soup, a sweet corn casserole, boiled potatoes and green beans, and big, soft dinner rolls.

One diner ordered pancakes off the breakfast menu (available all day) with bacon ($4.49). The pancakes were large and fluffy with a bit of a vanilla flavor, and the bacon had a mild smokiness to it.

The weekday lunch buffet is $6.99, and the weekend buffet is $7.99.

Ollie's Station is located in the heart of the west Tulsa neighborhood of Red Fork, by the train tracks and just under a major highway overpass.

Joe Gilling, who managed the old Metro Diner for 16 years, bought the restaurant seven years ago from Lin and John Gray, who had installed the first model trains. Gilling, who knew nothing about model trains before buying the restaurant, has taken the hobby to a whole new level.

He has added dozens of cars and sets to the collection and occasionally rotates those used on the tracks. Other interesting memorabilia include a 1943 photo of the Webster High School state-championship football team, a youth cooking stove made by the train-maker Lionel and a print drawing of what only can be described as a pin-up girl wearing a Frisco hat.

"The stove actually worked at one time, and it is very rare," Gilling said. "I've never seen the Frisco pin-up girl anywhere before; I paid severely for that one."

She is in the hallway across from the men's room, in case you go there looking for her.

Ollie's Station offers a variety of daily specials, from meatloaf and mushroom Swiss steak to smothered pork loin and chicken Parmesan, depending on the day.

One that caught my eye was the bean bar, offered Monday nights beginning at 5. The $4.99 all-you-can-eat bean bar includes black-eyed peas, pinto beans, navy beans, lima beans, fried potatoes, grilled potatoes with onions and peppers, regular cornbread and jalapeno cornbread.

Gas, the sign says, is free.

OLLIE’S STATION
4070 Southwest Blvd.
918-446-0524
6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday (lunch buffet, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. all week; breakfast buffet, 6:30-11 a.m. Saturday-Sunday); accepts all major credit cards.

Cheyenne, Wyoming: Depot Days May 21-22

If you live anywhere near Cheyenne, Wyoming, head there for Depot Days this weekend.

Hosted by the Cheyenne Depot Museum and Sherman Hill Model Railroad Club.

Features tours of the Union Pacific Steam Shop with opportunities to see steam locomotives Nos 844 and 3985, as well as the Car 57 project, a restoration effort of an old Pullman railroad car built in 1887.

Also features a railroad art show, vendors and model train displays.

Open from 9 am to 5 pm. Final tours our 4 pm on Sat, 3 pm on Sunday.

http://cheyennedepotmuseum.org

Booklist: Getting Started With Lionel Trains, by Allan Miller

Getting Started With Lionel Trains: Your Introduction to Model Railroading Fun, by Allan Miller
Krause Publications, 2001
Oversize, 115 pages plus Appendices, color photos scattered throughout, no index
Library: 625.19 MIL

Description
Lionel! In the long and colorful history of electric toy trains, there has never been a more recognized and respected name!

Indeed, the Lionel trademark hasendured for more than a century, and is synonymous with quality, durability, variety and value in the model railroading hobby. Lionel trains have also become an American holiday tradition, to the point where no Christmas tree is considered truly complete without a Lionel train circling the base.

This book is designed to inspire Lionel railroaders to expand that holiday tradition into a creative, educational, and fun-filled hobby that can be enjoyed year round by individuals and entire families. It's a book for today's Lionel railroader-wespecially those who are, as the title suggests, getting started with trains.

-Discover the variety of fun-filled and action-packed Lionel trains and accessories that can lead to a relaxing and rewarding lifetime hobby

-See why the distinctive Lionel three-rail track system has proven itself over many years to be the easiest to install, operate and maintain.

-Learn how to select, set up, wire, operate and maintain your Lionel trains.

-Experience step-by-step, the construction of an attractive Lionel layout so your trains can be enjoyed throughout the year.

-Expand your knowledge of Lionel railroading with the help of appendix listings that include extensive print and video references, clubs, suppliers and internet resources.

Here is your one-way ticket to a lifetime of creative model railroading dun with Lionel trains.

Table of Contents
1. Why Lionel? And other frequently asked questions.

2. The Lionel legacy
-A century of tradition
-Trains for the ages, and all ages
-Highlights in Lionel history (timeline)

3. Today's Lionel
-Motive power
-Rolling stock
-Operating cars
-Welcome to Lionville

4. Gettign started with Lionel railroading
-Selecting your first Lionel set
-Where to buy Lionel trains
-Assembling a basic train set

5. The tried-and-true Lionel track system
-O27 & O guage three eail track components
-All about switches
-Remote-control track sections
-Lionel insulated track sections
-Track tips

6. Powering your Lionel trains
-The basics of toy train electricity
-Locomotive motors
-Lionel transformers - past and present
-Connecting to the transformer
-Power distribution through auxiliary "feeders"
-Increasing your layout's power potential
-Basic block wiring and control
-The new technology: TrainMaster Command Control

7. Planning a Lionel Layout
-The golden rule of model railroad planning
-Selecting a location for your layout
-A theme for your railroad
-Types of track plans
-Layout design tips and techniques

8. 20 track plans for small Lionel layouts

9. Constructing an action packed Lionel Layout
-Step #1-Build a firm foundation
-Step #2-Construct reliable trackwork
-Step #3-Lay the roadbed
-Step #4-Ballast the track
-Step #5-Wire the layout
-Step #6-Place and connect operating accessories

10. Personalizing your layout with scenery and details
-Groundcover treatments
-Trees for the layout
-Hills, mountains and rock formations
-Water features
-Details that make a difference

11. Great Lionel Layouts from the pages of O Gauge Railroading magazine

12. Maintenance tips for Lionel trains
-Mainenance tools and supplies
-Locomotive and rolling stock maintenance tips
-Rolling stock maintenance tips
-Track and switch maintenance tips
-The Lionel Service department and Service station network
-Miscellaneous troubleshooting tips
-Protecting and preserving your Lionel trains

Appendices:
A-References for Lionel operators and collectors
B-Lionel trains online
C-Collector and operator clubs and associations
D-Suppliers of equipment and accessories for Lionel railroaders
E-Glossary

Pakistan: An update on ‘Railways at 150’

Dawn.com: An update on ‘Railways at 150’

If you want to know the size of the ‘journalist community’ in Lahore then the Railways Headquarters is the place for you.

The nearby press club is not expected to give you the right number, for it may be unaware of the existence of all these journalists making passes at the Pakistan Railways head office for a concessionary journey on the rails.

Still media people have this unhappy knack of angering their benefactors, the railways ministers.

When, a fortnight ago, Minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour bludgeoned the media over its unfair criticism of the railways he was following in the footsteps of Gen Musharraf’s minister for railways, Gen Javed Ashraf Qazi. So irked was Mr Qazi by the nosy newsmen that he banned their entry on the railways premises. In this comparison between the two ministers lies the answer to Mr Bilour’s allegation: journalists are silent when a dictator is in power and over-critical in times of democracy.

If this is not sufficient enough to placate our worthy friend from Pakhtunkhwa, nuggets from a recent experience with the Pakistan Railways may make him happy. The idea is to continue our romance with the rail journey and celebrate the preservation of the department exactly 150 years after the first train was run on the territory that is Pakistan today.

The journey began on May 10, three days before the 150th anniversary of the original Karachi-Kotri train, and ended the following evening in Lahore — a bit abruptly given how reluctant the meandering Tezgam had been in letting go of its guests.

The closer we got to Lahore, the stronger was our bond.

If only for the romance attached with the name, I would have preferred the nearby Prem Nagar station for the last unscheduled stopover. Instead, we were stuck at Kot Radha Kishan. By that stage in the journey, complaints had subsided and travellers were that much more equipped to get the best out of the situation.

Consequently, the battery of under six-year-olds in our touring party went for quick bathing sessions, under cold gushes of water delivered by a hand pump on the KRK platform and to the envy of their senior companions who were too limited by the social codes to take advantage of this genuine throwback in time.

On a more urgent note, let me add that even on a station with the right kind of non-Islamic gender balance, the Radhas sat stiff
in admiration of the freedoms that their Kishans enjoyed.

Beloved Lahore was just one hoot away, but it seemed that the souls on board the Tezgam were in no hurry to reach their destination. They were hooked on the every-10-minute doses of refreshments that they had been served for the last 20-odd hours since they began their journey in Hyderabad.

You learn as you travel. Dev Das didn’t need to spend so much on the real thing; given the bottles they serve on the rails, he would have been dead by the time he arrived at Paro’s door.

But there was one gentleman who was not ready to go down without a bit of excitement … “The trains will never run the way you want them to unless you confront the railways officials … He who says you will soon be under way is a liar. You shall remain at Kot Radha Kishan for another two hours at least, and that is if the staff is efficient enough to deal with the problem …

In the meanwhile let’s go beat up the station master.…”

The leader of the (failed) rebellion said he was an off-duty railways official. He may have been speaking the truth. He had the same trimmed railways moustache and his hair was oiled, just as railways officials do their hair probably to camouflage the fits and starts their bodies are subjected to.

He had some resemblance with the modest, patient Nazir Junior whom I had the privilege of having as our guard on a train journey many years ago. It appears that he continues to be a model for railway staffers on the move. They have the powers to stop fast trains but in their achievements they are as modest and shy as Nazir Junior was every time he had Sir Vivian
Richards on the ropes, or actually a few feet inside.

At the centre of running an extremely unpopular service that still ferries some 200,000 to their destinations each day, the railways officials try to be as people-friendly as they can under the circumstances. I saw one neatly turned-out Nazir Junior allowing the guests to get away with paying the fare for Multan from Khanpur, when actually they had boarded in Karachi.

The non-railways chaps on duty were as facilitating, and consequently another lesson learnt was that a train is a place where your Rs10 are still worth something. A nan-tikki cost just that provided that your exposure to the new hygienic standards permitted you to dig your teeth into the cutlet. A chilled soft drink cost Rs20, much less than what school canteens charge their greedy young clients these days and at Rs15 a piece the thin disposable cups lived up to the milked tea’s hot billing.

The same poor man’s economy prevailed on the stops, of which the old, nervous Tezgam now has too many. As indeed did prevail the romance.

At the risk of irate fellow journalists who want to revolutionise the railways, I can confirm that nothing can substitute the nostalgic feeling evoked by the sounds and smells of a train journey. If the glimpses above are not romantic enough, I had the privilege of being treated to some unique mime patterns woven in the dark by a newlywed couple too lost in their blanketed world to bother about outsiders.

I hope that they did manage to oust the mischievous camel from their tent. And I realise why everyone is so afraid of letting the curious journalists in. They have no respect for privacy.