Summer 2013 - ser

Transcription

Summer 2013 - ser

The Official Publication of the Southeastern Region of the National Model Railroad Association
Volume 54, No. 3.5
www.ser-nmra.org
PEACHTREE E XPRESS
Summer 2013
JULY 14th - 20th
Volume 54 #3.5 - E-SouthErneR - Summer 2013
1
SOUTHEASTERN REGION
OFFICERS
7/13
DIRECTORS
Glen Hall, MMR (850) 982-2795 gnglen@cox.net
609 Phyllis Street, Pensacola, FL 32503-2026
Vice-President:
Fred Coleman 828-699-0983 fred_coleman@bellsouth.net
PO Box 361, Naples, NC 28760-0361
Secretary:
Rick V. Coble 770-279-2523 rvcoble@yahoo.com
3278 Spring Wind Ct, Lawrenceville, GA 30044-4838
Treasurer:
Alan Mole 770-315-7244 alanmole@bellsouth.net
8370 Colonial Pl., Duluth, GA 30097-6635
Asst. Treasurer: **Dean Odiorne (423) 246-8998 dodiorne@embarqmail.com
2101 Saint Eric's Ct.., Kingsport, TN 37660-3393
President:
Exec. Advisor:
Director (2014):
Director (2014):
Director (2016):
Director (2016):
George Gilbert (615) 352-1254 grgilbert@comcast.net
750 Rodney Drive, Nashville, TN 37205-3016
Asst. AP Program Randall Watson 770-831-5736 randallvwatson1@bellsouth.net
730 Morning Creek Lane, Suwanee, GA 30024-7052
BSA Coordinator: Bill Ello 678-290-1649 wje4420@gmail.com
3275 Sherman Ridge Drive, Marietta, GA 30064-2456
Contests:
**George Gilbert (615) 352-1254 grgilbert@comcast.net
750 Rodney Drive, Nashville, TN 37205-3016
Conventions:
**Fred Coleman 828-699-0983 fred_coleman@bellsouth.net
PO Box 361, Naples, NC 28760-0361
Education:
Peter Youngblood, MMR 770-966-1661 SantaFeRailway@aol.com
3563 Memorial Parkway NW, Kennesaw, GA 30152-2435
Asst. Education:
James A Black (850)914-0002 black@novatechnologies.com
429 S. Tyndall Pkwy., Suite S, Panama City, FL 32404-0002
Good & Welfare: **David R Anderson 828-277-9092 737avlsd40@att.net
69 Ballantree Dr., Asheville, NC 28803-2065
Historian:
Joe Nichols, Sr. MMR (770) 396-6447 deltarr@mindspring.com
4554 Chadwell Lane, Atlanta, GA 30338-5604
Honors & Awards: Larry Smith, MMR (205) 988-5365 wooddale@bellsouth.net
1774 Wooddale Cir., Pelham, AL 35124-1019
Legal Counsel: **Daniel R. Mason 770-928-8618 Daniel@Masonlawfirmga.com
3000 Creekside Way, Marietta, GA 30066-2374
Member Aid:
OPEN
**Terry Tucker (850) 723-5390 dopey190@bellsouth.net
1435 Harold Ave., Pensacola, FL 32514-4645
Registrar:
Steve Prevette (803) 392-7684 prevette@atlanticbb.net
356 Ashley Ct., Graniteville, SC 29829-3940
Webmaster:
*Scott Povlot 770-569-4678 povlot@bellsouth.net
13405 Avensong Crossing, Alpharetta, GA 30004-7445
Asst. Webmaster: Steve Prevette (803) 392-7684 prevette@atlanticbb.net
Bob Beaty, Jr., MMR (205) 987-2385 rabeaty@bellsouth.net
741 Dividing Ridge Rd, Birmingham, AL 35244-1712
Randall Watson 770-831-5736 randallvwatson1@bellsouth.net
730 Morning Creek Lane, Suwanee, GA 30024-7052
Charlie Crawford, MMR 678-982-4699 cacrawford@bellsouth.net
3302 Casteel Rd. NE, Marietta, GA 30062-5309
Peter Youngblood, MMR 770-966-1661 SantaFeRailway@aol.com
3563 Memorial Parkway NW, Kennesaw, GA 30152-2435
i Mike Ferry 931-788-1828 ferrym@citlink.net
8316 Cherokee Trail, Crossville, TN 38572-6336
DIVISIONS
COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN
AP Program:
Membership:
DIRECTORY
1 Mid-South:
2 Steel City:
3 Dixie:
4 Gulf:
5 Piedmont:
6 Empire:
7 Palmetto:
8 Atlantic:
9 Central Savannah
River
10 Bluff City:
11 Cumberland:
12 Smoky Mt.:
13 Headquarters
Co-Chairs:
14 Magnolia:
15 Land O' Sky:
William (Sandy) Warrington 541-922-7489 wewarrington@msn.com
281 Shortleaft Lane, Harvest, AL 35749
John Stewart 205-989-4889 bhamrails@gmail.com
1103 Lake Forest Circle, Birmingham, AL 35244
Phil Hutchinson (334) 272-1923 Philip_hutchinson@msn.com
5743 Carriage Barn Lane, Montgomery, AL 36116-1535
James A Black (850) 914-0002 black@novatechnologies.com
429 S. Tyndall Pkwy., Suite S, Panama City, FL 32404-0002
Charlie Crawford, MMR 678-982-4699 cacrawford@bellsouth.net
3302 Casteel Rd. NE, Marietta, GA 30062-5309
Bill Attaway 478-954-9200 attawayw@mac.com
118 Lenox Drive, Bonaire, GA 31005-3604
Jack Varadi (864) 968-2436 jackvaradi@yahoo.com
802 Mountain View Ct., Greer, SC 29651-6044
Dean Belowich, MMR 843-457-5661 railroadart@hotmail.com
P.O. Box 2303, Conway, SC 29528-2303
Steve Prevette (803) 392-7684 prevette@atlanticbb.net
Mike Fleming (901) 467-7138 mrfleming@netzero.net
2676 Satelite Street, Bartlett, TN 38134-4642
Bob Hultman (615) 833-5158 h u l tm a n @ b e l l s o u th . n e t
1305 Chestnut Drive, Brentwood, TN 37207
Larry Burkholder (865) 408-9903 labtexan@chartertn.net
206 Coyatee View, Loudon, TN 37774-2172
**Hal Crossland 423-344-0697 hcrossland39@comcast.net
PO Box 39, Harrison, TN 37341
**Tom Shallcross 931-484-7565 chipmonk@frontiernet.net
14 Briar Court, Crossville, TN 38558-8810
Troy Lee Hight (601) 389-5370 TrHg6@aol.com
10341 Highway 16E, Philadelphia, MS 39350-3730
Ken O'Brien 828-696-9436 kobrien1600@live.com
550 Patterson Road, Hendersonville, NC 28739-7846
Change of Address or Email?
Update your contact information online & stay connected to the NMRA
There is a new service on the NMRA website that enables you to send contact
information updates to NMRA Headquarters. The service is quick, easy to
use, and requires only a few steps:
1. From the NMRA home page, click the Members Only link
2. On the Members page, click Member Update Form
3. Complete the form and click Submit
It’s that simple! The NMRA office
staff will update your membership
information and send it to your region’s registrar.
Questions for the office staff? They
can be contacted at (423) 8922846 or nmrahq@aol.com
Rick Coble, SER Secretary
2
www.trainmastermodels.com
W AY B I L L
Volume 54, Number 3.5
Summer 2013
Features:
8
26
30
34
37
60
Railfanning Locations in Georgia
Using the Prototype to Pattern Model OPS
Saluda Diorama
Come All Ye Rounders
The O-Scale Layout of the Late Louis Ertz
Trolley’s of Lisbon
Departm ents:
2
4
7
33
52
54
56
Department Directory
Editors Soapbox
The President’s Car & Achievement Program
Upcoming Events & Registrar’s Note
BSA Scouts Corner
Division News
The Club Car
601 East Main Street
Buford, GA 30518
678-546-3600
ON THE FRONT COVER:
Clockwise from top left - a Piedmont Division
“hands on” model building class; photo & model contest entries at X2011 in
Sacramento; NS train action in Buford, just down the road from Trainmaster
Models; a CSX train climbs out of Atlanta past NY Pizza Exchange in Vinings;
new photo contests (& awards) debut at this year’s convention; a Piedmont
train show at the Cobb County Civic Center; the Cobb Galleria Center and
Renaissance Waverly Hotel, site of this year’s NMRA convention.
Photos by the Editor; Awards photos by Bob Hamm, MMR; Waverly / Galleria photo from their website.
ADVERTISING:
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Make checks payable to: SER-NMRA
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Deadlines For Submission
Fall 2013 (Oct) - Sept. 1, 2013
Winter 2014 (Jan) - Dec. 1, 2013
Spring 2014 (Apr) - Mar. 1, 2014
Summer 2014 (Jul) - June 1, 2014
The SouthErneR is mailed to members of the
Southeastern Region & interested parties who
have paid the subscription rate of $10.00/year.
Material for publication is welcomed! Please send
materials to the proper Assistant Editor.
All submissions become the property of The
SouthErneR unless otherwise contracted. Please
don’t send previously printed materials.
The SouthErneR
The Official Publication of the
Southeastern Region of the
National Model Railroad Association
EDITOR
Paul V. Voelker
•
•
•
WALTHERS
LGB
LIONEL
•
•
•
ATHEARN TRAINS
MICRO TRAINS
THOMAS & FRIENDS
11am - 7pm Tuesday thru Thursday
11am - 6pm Friday & Saturday
1pm - 6pm Sunday
Closed Monday
6438 Paradise Point Road
Flowery Branch, GA
30542-3143
voelkerpv@msn.com
paul-voelker@email.msn.com
stegmark3@hotmail.com
770-530-0966 (cell)
S TA F F
Feature Articles Editor:
Joe Gelmini, MMR
770-460-8873
papagel@comcast.net
Advertising Department:
Alan Mole
770-315-7244
alanmole@bellsouth.net
3
Editor’s Soapbox
OK guys and gals, it’s
“convention contest time
again” and this year you
have the opportunity to
travel a relatively short distance to enter a
national contest. National has many more
contests than our region has and many
more contest awards! Plaques (as seen here at left) are given for
first place through third place, and certificates for honorable mention (non-place merit award winners in the judged model contest).
National has two judged model contests for both scratch-built models and
kit-built models. The kit-built model
contest allows non-scratch-builders to
compete on an even footing with each
other. Kit-built is a good entry-level
contest designed for those of us who
enjoy kit building. The more your model
is super-detailed, the higher it will score. Plaques are awarded for
first place through third place.
If you feel the need to enter the more
challenging and competitive scratchbuilt model contest, feel free to do so.
The skill set needed for this contest is
more challenging as the percentage of
scratch built of parts approaches or
exceeds 90% of the total parts the
model is built with. Plaques are
awarded for first place through third
place. In both contests, Kit and Scratch Built, models that earn
merit awards, but do not place, will also receive Honorable Mention certificates.
The judged photo contest has some
changes this year. Both of the slide categories have been eliminated as slide photography has died off with the rise of digital
photography for publications. A new print
category (first through third) has been
added and in addition, three Photo Chairman’s Awards have also been added.
The new category is called “Working On The Railroad” and is
open to any photographic print, black & white or color, prototype
or model. This category is intended to show railroad workers in
action. This can be maintenance of way crews, conductors,
switchman, engineers, any railroad workers in action doing what
they are paid to do in either real life (prototype) or model scenes.
The three Photo Chairman’s Awards are for: Best Fan Trip
Photo, Best Panoramic Photo*, and Best Special Effects
Photo. As with the previously mentioned contest, any photo
prints in black & white or color and in prototype or model form are
eligible for these awards. [*For the purposes of the Panoramic
Photo contest, the print dimensions shall be a minimum of 7.75
inches and maximum of 12 inches on the short side and a maximum of 36 inches on the long side. Maximum mat size 12” x 36”.]
There is also the judged railroad pass contest, two articles on which appeared in the
last two issues of The SouthErneR. This
contest also offers award plaques in first
place through third place.
4
NMRA National Contest Events
Judged Photo Contest
People's Choice Awards
(Popular Vote Contests)
Judged Pass Contest
Module Contest
(At the National Train Show)
Judged Scratch Built Model Contest
Judged Kit Built Model Contest
NMRA National Non-Contest Event
Model Showcase - Bring your models & show off your workmanship!
The People's Choice (popular vote) contest is
a competitive event for Model, Photo, and Arts
& Crafts entrants. Models and photos not entered in the judged contests are eligible along
with any models or
photos entered into
the judged contests.
Arts & Crafts (in several categories), Favorite Train, Photo Match, and Thumbs
are also included under the People’s
Choice contest banner.
NMRA Contest Chairman Bob Hamm, MMR
has challenged the SouthEastern Region & the
Peachtree Express convention to exceed the
large number of contest entries that were at
the X2011 West convention in Sacramento!
The Model Showcase is a non-judged “show & tell” type event
where modelers can bring whatever project that they are working
on, whatever models they have built in the past or any previous
contest winning models, to show off to the membership in a show
and tell type of setting.
The contest entry form #901 and the contest judge’s form
#902 both appear in this issue. For all contests an entry form
needs to be filled out for each entry. For the judged model contest, a judge’s form #902 also needs to be filled out for each entry. For the Model Showcase only, just one entry form is
needed, regardless of how many models are entered, however a
list of all of your models must also be included for insurance purposes and so we will know what you brought in with you.
Peachtree Express Contest Schedule
Kennesaw Ballroom in the Renaissance Waverly Hotel
Entry/Viewing - Monday & Tuesday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Judge's Clinic* - Monday - 3:00 pm - Bob Hamm, MMR, gives a clinic on
judging contest models for those who will be judging the contest, and
anyone else interested in contest judging. *Clinic is mandatory for anyone
judging this year's model contest. (Galleria Room, Renaissance Waverly
Hotel)
People's Choice voting (popular vote) - Tues. 8 am to 6 pm, & Wed. 8
am to 4 pm
Afternoon of "Meet the Modeler, Photographer & Crafter"
Tuesday 1 - 6 pm
Judging - Wednesday 8 am - 4 pm
Open for viewing during judging; however, please
no discussion.
Model Contest Score Review - Thursday 9 am to
11 am
Awards Ceremony - Thursday 2 pm, viewing 8 am
to 4 pm
Entry Pickup - Friday 8 am to Noon
5
6
The President’s Car
Glen Hall, MMR
As I sit at my computer pondering
what I want to say, it’s the day after Memorial Day, the unofficial beginning of summer. Everyone is
starting to plan their weekends and week long vacations. The same is true with model railroad clubs
and in some cases NMRA Divisions. The smaller divisions tend not to plan many or no activities/meetings during the summer months because
only a few or no members show up. Yes, summer
time is family time!
SER Prez Glen Hall, MMR, presents the West Florida Railroad Museum with a check for $2100 from the SouthEastern Region to replace the flooring in their dining car.
After Labor Day model railroading in the divisions
start up again, or does it? Being a division superintendent is not an easy job, especially in the smaller ones. I know first hand having been the super of a
small division, member wise, but large in area. So, I have a challenge for the SER super’s. When fall
rolls around don’t stay in hibernation, don’t become complacent. Start looking for new ideas to keep
your division, no matter what size, interested and glad they joined the NMRA. If you keep the members
interested they will tell their other model railroading friends and hopefully they will want to join this larger group of modelers called NMRA.
It has only been a few months since I took over the leadership of the Southeastern Region and things
are happening, some good and some not so good. We have members stepping up to take the reins as
superintendent, assistant super and secretary of a division about to go under. On the not so good side,
I have received several e-mails from a few new members stating that repeated correspondence to their
super has gone unanswered. I have done my best to appease them and in one case to renew their
membership in the NMRA.
Superintendent’s, please reread the second paragraph above, don’t become complacent! I will do
my best to assist you with ideas, I will put you in
touch with others who have ideas, your Board of
Directors are here to assist you. Let me hear from
you if there is a problem.
Achievement Program
Awards
Master Builder Motive Power
Joe Nichols, Jr. - Atlanta, GA
Master Builder Scenery
As you SER members read this, some of you will be
getting ready to head to the National Convention in
Atlanta. Don’t forget the BoD and general membership meetings on July 18th in the Tyndall Room at
6pm and 7pm. Items of interest will be a presentation on the 2014 convention in Memphis and a MiniMeet the weekend of September 21st down south in
the Magnolia Division.
For those of you other NMRAers who picked up a
copy, we of the Southeastern Region hope you enjoyed our hospitality.
Keep a steady hand on the throttle and your eyes
on the track
Model RR Engineer - Civil
Model RR Engineer - Electrical
Greg Scharfetter - Bartlett, TN
Chief Dispatcher
Lawrence Burkholder - Loudon, TN
Association Official
Charlie Crawford, MMR - Marietta, GA
Association Volunteer
Kevin R. Bush - Sharpsburg, GA
7
Railfanning Locations In Georgia
A Photo Tour By Charlie Mason
Reprinted from (now with pictures) the Spring 2008 E-SouthErneR V49 #2.5
Northbound freight stopped for a crew change
8
Northbound freight
Manchester - CSX
Distance from Atlanta: 79 miles
The town of Manchester has built a fine train watching facility adjacent to the CSX tracks. The facility is located on the south side of the tracks and has plenty of parking, a gazebo with picnic tables, and a scanner
radio. An adjacent overpass with sidewalks also provides a good location to watch and photograph the action.
Manchester is a busy division point where the main lines from Atlanta and Birmingham converge and head
south to Waycross and on to Florida. All trains to and from Birmingham change crews here. Atlanta trains
generally run through. There are a McDonalds and a Subway several blocks away.
9
Photo from gazebo showing northbound freight under overpass
Southbound military movement with NS power
10
Southbound military movement
stopped for crew change
More Train Watching Spots in Georgia
Jesup - CSX, Amtrak
Jesup tries to attract train watchers. However, everyone goes
to Folkston where there is a lot more action.
Folkston - CSX, Amtrak
The town of Folkston has built an excellent train watching facility with a viewing platform complete with seats, lights, overhead fans, maps, and scanner radio. They have also provided
grills, picnic tables, and rest rooms. Nearby in the old depot is
a visitor center. Railfans from all over the country congregate
here at the “Folkston Funnel”, named because the CSX lines
from the Midwest and the Northeast converge here to funnel
traffic to Florida. Track signals north and south of the platform
give notice of approaching trains. Four Amtrak trains a day
come through. There are fast food places a block or two away.
11
Austell - NS, Amtrak
Go to the wye, where the NS routes to Chattanooga and Birmingham diverge. Parking is available on the
north side of the tracks. Action is heavy around noon time and on Saturdays. The southbound Amtrak
comes through around 9:30am to 10:00am. All types of trains can be seen – intermodals with
run-through power (BNSF, UP, KCS), Powder River coal, autoracks, roadrailers,
grain, general freight, you-name-it. Safe and friendly location – police station
and city hall are nearby. There is a Burger King across the street.
An overpass with sidewalks is nearby and makes another
good photo location (use the park’s paved parking
lot below the bridge).
Atlanta-bound intermodal from Texas
Two trains inbound on the Birmingham line an intermodal passing a local freight (rare event)
12
View from overpass of northbound autoracks
Northbound intermodal toward Whitaker Intermodal Yard
13
Atlanta bound intermodal from Texas
Amtrak to New Orleans
14
CSX train (I believe)
Atlanta (King Plow Arts Center) - NS, CSX, Amtrak
Distance from Atlanta: 0 mile
The King Plow Art Center on Marietta Street is an extensive complex with several parking lots. Park in the lot
opposite the Mead water tower (an adult book store is next door). The parking lot overlooks Howell Junction.
All trains going through Atlanta come past this location. There is constant train action. The location is generally safe in daylight; but avoid this area at night. Photography is better in the afternoon. There are no fast food
places or rest rooms anywhere nearby.
NS train heading to Inman Yard
15
CSX Tropicana Orange train heading toward Chicago
NS train from Inman Yard
16
HOG westbound crossing CSX tracks
Cordele - CSX, NS, HOG
The CSX and NS mainlines to Florida cross at grade level in the center of town. The Heart of Georgia (HOG)
Railroad also crosses both the CSX and NS tracks here. Trains come by frequently, but action is heaviest on
the CSX (about 40 trains per day). There is a paved parking lot right by the diamonds (SE quadrant). The
SAM Shortline runs a streamlined passenger train, complete with a round-end observation car, on the weekends from Cordele to Plains (pulled by HOG diesels). The SAM Shortline’s loading platform is a block east of
the diamonds. Their passenger equipment is stored at nearby Veterans State Park when not in use. Featured
as a Trains Magazine hotspot: October 1992, p76.
HOG westbound crossing CSX tracks
17
CSX southbound crossing NS mainline
CSX northbound
18
IN THE NEWS...
Piedmont Division member Joe Nichols,
Jr. has turned in his paperwork for his
last AP certificate. Joe is now SER Master Model Railroader #511.
Congratulations Joe!
Smyrna - CSX
Go to the Smyrna Visitors Center on Atlanta Road (at the intersection of Old Spring Road). The visitor center
is a replica of the old Smyrna depot that once stood at this location. Off-street parking is provided. There are
benches overlooking the tracks and clean rest rooms at the visitor center. The visitor center also serves as a
Smyrna museum and has railroad-related exhibits. All types of rail traffic come by. A wide choice of eating
establishments is available nearby.
CSX Northbound
19
CSX Southbound
CSX Southbound
20
NS Northbound
Mableton - NS, Amtrak
Go to the intersection of Veterans Memorial Highway and Church Street. Look for Barnes Hardware. These
tracks are the NS mainlines to Chattanooga and Birmingham. Signals to the west give indications of approaching trains. There is good visibility to the west to see inbound trains from a distance. The southbound
Amtrak comes through around 9:30am to 10:00am. All types of trains can be seen – intermodals with runthrough power (BNSF, UP, KCS), Powder River coal, autoracks, roadrailers, grain, general freight, you nameit. There is a KFC across the street (busy highway) and many other fast food places are nearby.
21
Rear pusher unit of inbound Powder River
Basin coal train
Inbound intermodal
22
Southbound Amtrak
Still More Train Watching Spots in Georgia
Cartersville - CSX
Park at the remodeled depot, which is now a visitor center, in the center of town. The CSX mainline north
out of Atlanta splits less than a mile north of the depot with the old W&A tracks going to Chattanooga and
Nashville and the other line going to Etowah, Knoxville, Corbin (Kentucky coal fields), and Cincinnati. There
are several eating establishments near the station with views of the tracks. Featured as a Trains Magazine
hotspot: September 1990, p68.
Dalton - NS, CSX
The NS and CSX main lines from Chattanooga to Atlanta run adjacent to each other through town. Park by
the old Southern depot on the west side of the tracks and set out chairs on the platform. A short walk away
is an overpass over the tracks. The top deck of the Wachovia Bank parking deck provides an aerial view of
the action. There is a popular down-home eating establishment just across the tracks.
The Dalton Depot & Trackside Tavern
Step back into an era where fine food and fine service go hand in hand. This restaurant has been a Nationally Registered Site since 1978. The building, which was begun in the fall of 1852, is one of the few depots
in this area built before the Civil War. The Depot is a full service, upscale dining, casual atmosphere establishment. When you are in the North Georgia area, make the Dalton Depot your destination for a memorable dining experience.
http://www.thedaltondepot.net/
23
Two views of trains on the CSX mainline which runs past the patio dining area of the New York
Pizza Exchange restaurant on Paces Ferry Road in Vinings. This spot is just a few miles southwest
of both the Renaissance Waverly Hotel & the Cobb Galleria, the site of the Peachtree Express
NMRA convention. The train seen at above is ascending the steep grade north out of Atlanta while
the train shown below is coasting downhill into town. Both photos by Editor Paul Voelker
24
Atlas N-Scale car shown here, HO-scale car shown at bottom of page 23.
CLINICS
O N DV D
•
Adding Sound to Model Railroad Scenes
•
Light Emitting Diodes for Model Railroads
•
Scratch-Building Industrial Structures
•
Scratch-Building a Timber Trestle
DVDs sell for:
$10 each OR All 4 for $35
PLUS $2 shipping for any quantity ordered!
Make your check payable to:
Southeastern Region
Alan Mole Photo
You may order your 2013 Convention
Cars today and it will be reserved in
your name for pick up at the Company
Store in Atlanta, or you can have it
shipped to your door if you don’t want
to carry it home! Cars are expected to
ship in May 1, 2013.
For the NMRA 2013 National Convention Car the
Peachtree Express has teamed up with Georgia
Pacific and Atlas to make an Atlas 50 foot Master series boxcar in HO and an Atlas Trainman
50 foot Trainman series boxcar in N scale (seen
here). Both cars will carry the Georgia Pacific
and PTE2013 logos, as shown above.
CAR
PRICE
QUANTITY
HO Scale PTE2013 Convention Car
$ 25.00
N scale PTE 2013 Convention Car
$ 20.00
Shipping (if applicable)*
$ 10.00
TOTAL
TOTALS
And Mail To:
* S/H is $10 up to 4 cars, $2 for each additional car (US only)
Alan Mole
P.O. Box 2173
Suwannee, GA 30024
For ordering and further information, please contact
The Peachtree Express Convention Car Coordinator:
Alan Mole at: alanmole@nmra2013.org
Or by mail at: Alan Mole, P.O. Box 2173, Suwannee, GA 30024
NMRA / SER Membership & Subscription Application
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National Model Railroad Association, which includes the SouthEastern Region and my local SER Division.
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Mail To: NATIONAL MODEL RAILROAD ASSOCIATION, INC., 4121 Cromwell Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421-2119
Using The Prototype To Pattern Model Railroad Operations
By David F. Butts
“When in doubt look to the prototype,” has been a
motto for me for a number of years when it comes
to model railroading. The prototype can be used
to pattern operations on the model railroad.
Thanks to a friend of mine, Jeffery White, I discovered the Georgia Northeastern Railroad which true
to its name is located in northeast Georgia. I was
fortunate to observe the railroad serving one of its
customers, Kemira Chemical in Marietta, Georgia,
one morning in early July 2011.
Learning Points:
CSX Train headed north past Elizabeth Yard in Marietta, GA.
•
•
•
•
Interchange Operations
Plant switching
Efficient track arrangements
Industries within yard limits
The Georgia Northeastern Railroad (GA NE RR) is a short line that runs on former L&N tracks, “The Hook
and Eye”. The former L&N tracks were once owned by the CSX Railroad. The route operated by the GA NE
RR stretches approximately from Marietta to Etowah, Georgia. My primary location to rail fan was Elizabeth
Yard which is the southern terminal for the GA NE RR. What turns out to be a major interest item is that this
yard also serves as an interchange point between the short line and the CSX Railroad. The latter has over
21,000 miles of track spanning the eastern United States. In addition to the interchange there are industries
located within the yard limits, notable being Kemira Chemical.
An interchange is when a railroad hands off or transfers freight cars to another railroad for forwarding. This
can be facilitated at junction, yard, spur, siding or other specialized tracks identified for the purpose. At Elizabeth Yard there is a multi use siding used for set outs and pick ups of interchange traffic between the CSX
and Georgia Northeastern railroads. The GA NE RR serves a number of customers, chemical plants, cement
plants, metal coaters and fabricators, grain mill facilities, building supply warehouses and other industries.
The car mix that I observed at the yard was heavily weighted towards tank cars and covered hoppers. I did
see a small number of open hoppers designed for hauling gravel and stone. In a nutshell, the GA NE RR collects loaded and empty freight cars from its customers on line and then spots them on the interchange siding.
Then the CSX picks up the freight cars that have been deposited on the interchange siding for forwarding. In
reverse, the CSX sets out freight cars on the interchange
for the GA NE RR to handle and forward to it’s on line
customers.
What I found exciting was the switching of the Kemira
Chemical plant which is within the yard limits of Elizabeth
Yard. The plant utilizes a single spur track with a loading/ unloading dock that can accommodate about four
tank cars. The area where the cars are served is fenced
and gated for security reasons. Kemira Chemical is a
division (Pulp and Paper) of the Kemira Group, which is
a global conglomerate specializing in chemicals used for
a number of industrial purposes. At the plant in Marietta,
Georgia, products are manufactured for the paper industry. Paper mills require chemicals for their manufacturing
processes of pulp wood to convert it to paper and paperGeorgia Northeastern train parked on yard spur at Ter- board products like cartons, boxes, packaging, displays,
minal yard in Marietta, GA
brown paper bags, tissue papers, etc.
26
Photo Above Beginning of yard limits at Elizabeth Yard headed south
past Kemira Chemical.
Photo Below Siding on the Elizabeth Yard, GA NE RR, used for interchange with the CSX.
The way the switch job is handled is that
an engineer and conductor team uses
one of the railroad’s Geep locomotives
(four axle type) to make up a train of tank
cars to deliver and spot at the plant spur.
As mentioned earlier the spur can only
accommodate up to four cars so the train
is limited in length. What I saw is that the
train is shoved toward the plant spur from
the yard, the tank cars that need to be
pulled are coupled to the tank cars that
need to be delivered and the train returns
to the yard hauling all the freight cars.
Once at the yard the tank cars that have
been pulled are shoved into a yard spur,
cut off from the train and then the train
heads back to the chemical plant spur to
spot the tank cars that need to be delivered. Each tank car is spotted precisely
in front of individual loading apparatus
and then the hand brakes are applied so
that the cars will not roll out of position.
The locomotive clears the fenced area,
the conductor closes the gate, locks it,
27
Shot of Elizabeth Yard just past Marble Mill Road crossing gate on the Georgia Northeastern Railroad.
sets the derail, repositions the switch leading to the plant spur and gets on the locomotive. Then the Geep
returns light back to the main assembly of yard tracks. The final work was to add the tanks cars that had
been recently pulled to the string of cars on the interchange siding per the manifest or switch list.
ILLUSTRATION NO. 1 (Not to Scale)
Elizabeth Yard
YARD
OFFICE
GA NE RR - Main Route
GA NE RR -Yard
To yard lead/ crossovers
Siding
connections to CSX
Kemira Group Spur
Siding
CEMENT
PLANT
(Yard Limits)
CSX Track
CSX TRACK
North
South
Mile Post 22.06
Sometimes modelers can over complicate track work or not design it efficiently on a model railroad. This is
an area where the prototype can provide guidance. Switches are expensive and it takes man and machine hours to deliver freight cars to on line industries, which means there is a cost in dollars and this has to
be managed to ensure profitability. Thus prototype railroads take care and planning to use their resources
efficiently and cost effectively. As a result, on the GA NE RR, the layout of the tracks serving the plant, interchange and yard are very clean and functional. It is worth the effort to view prototype track while rail-fanning
to glean ideas for the model railroad and the Elizabeth Yard compacted a lot of operations in a relatively small
space for a one to one scale railroad.
28
Another call out is that there
are two industries – chemical
plant and cement plant - located within the limits of Elizabeth Yard that I saw. By definition yard limit means that a
train can operate without having train orders from the dispatcher within a specified sector of track. This allows the
railroad to have flexibility to
operate and not have the dispatcher involved in the movements and is especially useful
when industries are collocated
adjacent a yard complex.
In closing, the prototype can
be used to pattern model railroad operations. Some of the
key learning points have been
highlighted in this article, interchange, plant switching, effiTank car spotted at the Kemira Chemical Plant in Marietta, GA.
cient track arrangements or
design, and the practice of locating industries within yard limits. The model railroader is encouraged to replicate prototype techniques to enhance operations and the enjoyment of their layout. If you happen to be in
Marietta, Georgia, be sure to check out the Georgia Northeastern Railroad!
NMRA Magazine
29
Saluda Diorama
By Ken O’Brien
“Could you build a display about the arrival of
the railroad to Henderson County, North Carolina, in the late 1800s for the Henderson County
Heritage Museum?” This was the request made
to the Apple Valley Model Railroad Club (AVMRC) in early
2012. The museum was planning an exhibit titled “The Golden
Age, 1879-1929: The Coming of the Train”. The club was
asked to depict the railroad from Hendersonville south and
east to the beginning of the legendary Saluda Grade at Melrose in Polk County. The Saluda Grade was the steepest standard gauge mainline grade in the United States at just under
five percent. Railroads in South Carolina had to either ascend
the steep grades through Henderson and Polk Counties or
swing up to the north through Charlotte to continue to Asheville and points west. The route through Saluda and Hendersonville was selected as being the shortest and most cost effective. Due to the steepness of the grade, there were a num-
Museum display with diorama, story boards and the G scale
display.
merce for the Henderson County area, carrying local farm produce to outside markets and bringing in tourists in the summer
months. The tourists were seeking relief from the summertime
heat and humidity encountered closer to the coast.
One of the wrecks along this section of the railroad.
ber of wrecks and fatalities on the Saluda grade; special operating instructions and two runaway tracks were finally installed
on the grade to reduce the accidents. And it was an operational bottleneck, often requiring the doubling or tripling of the
hill for ascents. The arrival of the railroad opened up com-
The AVMRC leadership organized a small group to evaluate
the project. They knew they had a twenty foot square room in
which to work; the walls were reserved for artifact displays and
a fairly generous aisle way was required for public access. A
scale model of the project was assembled and shown to the
directors of the museum. The directors gave an enthusiastic
green light to the project and more AVMRC members were
added to the project to begin fact finding in the four largest
towns and settlements the railroad ran through. Due to the
space constraints, the diorama would be built in N scale to
permit the use of kits and rolling stock for the route, while still
including as much of the surrounding areas as possible. With
that in mind, the diorama’s time frame would be towards the
later years of the museum’s title era. Sanborn Fire Insurance
maps from the 1920s, historical topographic charts and
Google Earth pictures were studied to lay out the track and
structures. Additional research was conducted by visits to local
and county historical societies in both Henderson and Polk
Counties, along with both county library systems. And several
live interviews were conducted with people who were involved
with local railroad activities in these counties.
A crew of carpenters assembled the base boxes for the diorama. The bases had to be sturdy, yet transportable. The dio-
First runaway track one mile south of Saluda. The switch is
set for a runaway. The switch man will set it for the main once
the engineer of the down bound train signals that the train is
under control, speed under 8 miles per hour.
30
A helper for part of a train going up to Saluda.
we did acquire a G Scale Southern Railway passenger train
and installed it on a narrow shelf just above the doors and
windows in the diorama room. A backdrop with photos of the
mountains surrounding Hendersonville was installed behind
the track and a picture of the Hendersonville depot was added
as a stop. A pushbutton activates this train and it does one lap
around the room each time the button is activated. The train
has a sound decoder installed so that as the locomotive chugs
around the room it can ring its bell and blow its whistle. A
number of sensors were installed under the tracks to activate
those features.
The many members of the AVMRC put in a lot of time and
effort constructing this diorama and display. If you have the
opportunity to stop in Hendersonville, please stop in at the
Historic Courthouse. It’s open from 10 AM to 5 PM, Wednesday through Saturday. And 1 PM to 5 PM on Sundays.
Diorama with G Scale display showing the backdrop and Hendersonville depot.
rama will eventually be moved to another room in the historic
Courthouse building from its current location on the first floor.
The grades and terrain were formed with foam insulation panels and set into the base boxes. A large work party began ordering and building the numerous N scale structures. The four
depots were all scratch built by one of the club members.
Some of the structures, primarily in Hendersonville, were constructed with a card stock modeling program due to the unusual shapes. A number of other buildings were kit bashed so
that they more closely resembled the structures in photographs of those businesses. The terrain was painted and
scenery added, including several apple orchards. One of the
tourist camps was added on Lake Summit, south of Zirconia,
to tie in the area’s tourism.
Since much of the museum is interactive, push button activated lights were added around the diorama bases to tie in
those locations with information on the story boards located
above the diorama. One club member worked with the State
Museum of Transportation, in Spencer, NC, to obtain numerous artifacts for display on the walls around the room. She
was very persuasive and a number of interesting items are on
loan from the state and displayed at the museum.
The museum directors kept asking for an operating train; due
to the constricted curves and the fact that the diorama depicts
a point to point railroad, we could not make that happen. But
Scratch built Hendersonville depot with the Carolina Special
on the main.
31
Div. 4 Spring Swap Meet
By Ed Dice
The Old Fashioned Tailgate Swap Meet was held on Saturday,
20 April 2013. The weather was absolutely fantastic. The Friday rain was soaking all day Friday, but it did not leave soggy
grounds around the RR Museum for the Saturday Swap Meet.
Thank You, Mother Nature!!!
Tom Walkup and Keith Rapley also on the Loading Dock
did not get one). Then preparations continued at the Depot
with the coffee pot set up by Art, parking lot ropes, opening
buildings and more table staging. Sellers started showing up
at just before 7 AM and kept arriving all morning.
Swap Meet sellers and buyers in the very sunny Courtyard
We had about 31 sellers. Most had heeded the advertising
flyer and pre-registered for a seller spot outside in the Courtyard or inside the Freight House. Still we had a few "DriveUps" that we were able to accommodate. Advertising was a lot
of work and resulted in decent coverage. Even Channel 3 put
an item in their Community Calendar during their Friday evening broadcast, which is how some sellers and buyers found
out about the swap meet.
All of the 16 parking spots in the Depot Courtyard were filled
for most of the entire morning. Plus, we had folks on the Loading Dock, outside the Depot Building, in the Freight House,
and in the Baggage Room. Things wrapped up mostly by 1
PM. Everyone seemed satisfied, both sellers and buyers.
All of the folks rated the swap meet as a success. All of the
worry and worked paid off.
Paul Karzcewski and Orlando Gomez.
flatcar on right?
See the new 1/8
The next swap meet is expected to be in the Fall on the third
Saturday of October. When the date is locked in, it will be
posted on the ECGRC and WFRM event calendars. Stay
tuned.
Jack Grill (light colored jacket) set up at his usual Loading
Dock spot
Preparations started Friday afternoon with marking off the 16
parking spots in the Depot Courtyard. Tables were staged for
easier access on Saturday. Dave Ramirez of Trains By Johnson set up his two tables late Friday afternoon. Saturday
morning started at 5 AM with picking up three dozen freshly
baked Krispy Kreme donuts (all eaten by mid-morning; dang, I
32
UPCOMING
EVENTS
Please send info on your eve nt to the Sout hEr ne R at least 6 months prior to the
next deadline f or it to appe ar in time or before your e vent takes place.
LOCAL SHOWS & EVENTS
GEORGIA
July 14th thru 20th
Atlanta
NMRA National Convention - Peachtree Express
Waverly Hotel, Atlanta, GA
July 19th thru 21st
Atlanta
NMRA National Train Show
Cobb Galleria Center
• The World's Best Known Manufacturers
• Over 144,000 square feet of exhibit space
• Hands-On Demonstrations
• 35,250 Sq. Feet of Modular Layouts
• Ask The Collectibles Appraiser
The 2013 National Train Show® (NTS®) is a separate and distinct
entity from the NMRA National Convention. The 2013 NTS® will
be co-located with the convention events in the Cobb Galleria Convention Centre. Convention registrants are entitled to three days of
admission to the NTS® at no additional cost. The hours are:
Registrar’s Note
Steve Prevette
Membership in the Southeast Region continues
to grow. We have gone from 1,184 members in
January 2011 to our current level of 1,261 members. Almost all divisions have shown an increase in membership over the past year.
Thanks to all of you for choosing to join and participate in the
NMRA!
Please be sure to keep your email and postal mailing addresses
up to date with the NMRA. If you do need to submit an address
change you may either send it directly to NMRA in Chattanooga
through the NMRA website, or drop me an email at prevette@atlanticbb.net or phone 803-392-7684. Please be sure to
contact me if you have any other membership or subscription
questions.
prevette@atlanticbb.net
or by phone at: 803-392-7684
or send a note to:
DIVISION MEETS
Steel City Division 2 - Regular Meeting
Steel City Division meets the 3rd Thursday of every month except
December, at 7 PM in Room 203 of Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church. Call (205) 744-0758 for meeting information
Friday, July 19: 9:00am - Noon: Convention Registrants
and Trade only
Friday, July 19: Noon - 6:00pm: Public Show
Saturday, July 20: 10:00am - 6:00pm: Public Show
Sunday, July 21: 10:00am - 5:00pm: Public Show
Smoky Mountain Division 12 - Regular Meeting
1st & 3rd Sunday of every month
August 10th
Land O'Sky Division 15 - Regular Meeting
Quarterly, third Saturday of January, April, July & October.
Locations vary. Call (828) 384-8045 for program information
and directions.
Norcross
45th Atlanta Train Show
Piedmont Division 5 - Regular Meeting
2nd Tuesday of every month, Elks Lodge, 1775 Montreal Rd.,
Tucker (Atlanta - East Side) Website: www.piedmont-div.org
Saturday, August 10, 2013
North Atlanta Trade Center, Norcross, GA
November 4th
Mineral Bluff
Tri-State Model Railroaders - Silent Auction Fundraiser
Monday Eve, Nov 4, 2013. Start time to be announced later.
Mineral Bluff, GA vicinity. Definite location to be announced.
Forty years separate the Peachtree 73 & Peachtree Express convention cars shown here. My first NMRA convention was at
Peachtree 73 when I lived in Florida. Not shown here is the convention car for CrossRoads Atlanta (1995) which I helped put
on. Now it is 18 years after CRA’95 & 40 years after Peachtree 73 - I hope y’all will enjoy the Peachtree Express!
Photo by Doug Alexander
33
Next Year’s 2014 SouthEastern Region Convention Update
Come All Ye Rounders!
By Mike Fleming
The Bluff City Division and the Memphis Railroad and Trolley Museum will
be hosting the combined Southeastern and Mid-Continent Regional convention in Memphis on June 13-15, 2014! Memphis is a logical choice for
such a convention since is sits on the border of the two regions. Memphis
historically is a railroad town and it still is, with 5 class 1’s and 2 regional
railroads serving it. All of the class 1’s have done major facility improvements here in the last several years. Trolleys are represented here with
the Memphis Area Transit Authority downtown trolley system bringing
back memories of the Memphis Street Railway. Many facets of this history
will be featured in convention events.
The convention will be based at Harding Academy, a local Christian School with a wonderful facility centrally
located in an east Memphis neighborhood. The clinics, model displays and contests, meetings, and an encore
of our popular Friday night show from the 2006 Railin’ on the River Convention will be here. There is ample
space here for many activities and will be a convenient starting point for prototype and home layout tours.
The prototype tours we are working on include tours of several of these improved rail yards, a MATA trolley
shop tour, a steel mill tour, and of course the Fedex Superhub tour that was extremely popular in 2006. We
may extend the convention activities into Thursday to allow us to offer a third night for this tour. It is limited to
25 persons per night and will be first come first served so if you want to see one of the premier industrial tours
34
35
in the world get you registration with that request in early. We are working with MATA on including a pass to
ride the trolleys during the convention in your registration.
There are several high quality home model railroads available for tour including the late Louis Ertz’s West
Tennessee Central Railroad, an exquisite O scale layout that has been featured in Model Railroader and O
Scale Railroading magazines. We also have a unique situation in Memphis with all of the club model railroads
being housed in the same building. There are seven model railroads in six scales that will be shown. For all of
the OpSIG members the N scale layout modeling the L&N Memphis Sub is set up for operating sessions. It
has 22 scale miles of the 210 mile division modeled.
There are a couple of special events happening around convention time that will be included in the convention activities. Central Station, home of the Memphis Railroad and Trolley Museum will be 100 years old and
we are going to have special events throughout the year to commemorate that milestone. The convention will
be one of those events and we are arranging to have a special tour of the station for the convention. The
other event will be the opening of the Harahan Bridge walkway/bikeway which will allow you to walk or bicycle
across the Union Pacific Harahan Bridge. The opening is
scheduled close to convention time so it will be included in
convention events.
For the ladies, across the street from Harding Academy are
Dixon Gallery and Gardens and Audabon Park and Memphis
Botanic Gardens. Oak Court Mall and other fine shopping are
close by and some of the ladies here are planning several
other activities.
The convention website will be on the Memphis Railroad and
Trolley Museum website by mid June and will include the
ability to register on line. Be watching at:
www.mrtm.org
36
The Harding Academy
The O-scale “West Tennessee Central Railroad” of the late Louis Ertz
Photos by SER Editor Paul Voelker
37
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39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
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I hope you enjoyed this photo tour of the layout of the late Louis
Ertz. After the conclusion of the SER Board of Directors meeting
in Memphis, TN last February, we were allowed to view this fine
O scale layout. In addition to earning Achievement Awards for
both Civil and Scenery, Louis also received a Golden Spike
Award. All of the track was hand laid on individually cut ties. If
you have the chance to view this awesome layout at next year’s
2014 SER convention, by all means do so! And don’t forget the
FedEx tour which runs late at night but is well worth your time to
see. Take it from someone who has, it will blow your mind!
51
One of the MOST COMMON questions regarding the
NMRA/BSA Railroad Merit Badge Program is “Where
do we start?” This is a very logical question with a
Bill Ello - SER Boy Scout Coordinator
simple answer. You need to find out what a Merit
Badge Consular is and what he does. Fortunately for all of us, the BSA is a prolific publisher of Materials,
Guides, Pamphlets and Training Materials. Your Primary Merit Badge Counseling resource is a publication –
“A Guide for Merit Badge Counseling” (SKU 34532). This single tri fold pamphlet covers the most important
elements of Merit Badges, the counseling processes and procedures, adult responsibilities and requirements.
Most Merit Badge Counselors have more knowledge than is required by the actual Merit badge program and
requirements! The most important thing we as counselors can do is fairly simple. We need to remember the
age and experience of the individual Scout we are counseling –KEEP IT SIMPLE and EASY TO UNDERSTAND. Be persistent and have patience. There are no points for overwhelming and confusing Scouts. The
basic idea of Merit Badges is to introduce Scout to new subjects / interests, potential hobbies / avocations,
potential careers /vocations in a friendly non pressure environment and instilling confidence in each participating Scout. As adults we need to remember our promise to present materials and guide the boys through the
Merit Badge Requirements listed for the subject ---NO MORE, NO LESS. As interested parties in a subject, it
is easy for use to lose sight of the purpose of the program and try to create “experts”. You can throw in additional information for understanding, but not make the process complicated and difficult. THIS IS NOT A VOCATIONAL OR APRENTICE PROGRAM! The boys need to be held responsible for the LISTED REQUIREMENTS in a fair and consistent manner ---NO MORE, NO LESS!
The next questions usually are “What must be presented / taught / reviewed in the Merit Badge Program?” &
“Where can I find the materials?” Again, most of the work has been done for you by the National Scouting
Committee overseeing the Merit Badge Program. The National Merit Badge Program responds to the individual Scout’s interests and needs of the basic Boy Scout Program. There are usually between 110 and 130
Merit Badges being supported at any given time -- defined by needs and current interests. Each of these
subject areas has its own individual pamphlet published by the Boy Scouts and reviewed on a regular basis.
Each pamphlet contains all the information and requirements necessary to earn a particular Merit Badge
(again – NO MORE, NO LESS).
As Adults and responsible Merit Badge Counselors, it is our obligation to make sure we have and are using
the latest version or current printing of the Merit Badge Pamphlet. This will require SOMEONE to check the
Merit Badge rack at the local BSA Service Center or Scout Shop at reasonable intervals. As the Merit Badge
version / printing changes you need to take the responsibility to read and check out the new pamphlet and
insure you are presenting / reviewing and materials are up to the current program requirements. As you review the materials you may find some “inconsistencies” in the materials. As with all “committee” efforts,
sometimes things will go “out of sync” and materials may inadvertently “fall out” of the new publication. In the
current publication the FRED and SIGNAL materials are not complete or have adequate current examples.
This is your opportunity to fill in the blanks and provide badly needed “extras” to aid in the Scouts’ understanding and knowledge. Again, you cannot hold Scouts responsible for “extras” on the testing / review
phase. The Scouts need to complete the listed requirements --- NO MORE, NO LESS.
As you develop your local program you will need to make decisions based on your group numbers, facility
strengths or weakness, staff quality, available room and resources. Some Divisions use some Classroom
presentations by necessity. If you use some of this classroom approach, please remember the Scouts go
through this process Five Days a Week in their school day lives. You need to keep attention levels high by
the use of videos, good “AV” materials. Keep the boys AWAKE by getting them involved at higher levels with
group and individual participation through question / answer techniques and discussions. As a general rule,
Scouting Programs use “Hands on Methodology” -- ”teaching by doing” in small groups. Scouts are accustomed with the use of Patrol groups and Round Robin Presentations. These familiar Scouting based approaches are more likely to get better results, higher interest levels and less “Scout interaction” problems with
Scout participants.
During the development of the Kennesaw Museum Merit Badge Program, our Piedmont Division group has
found that the requirements listed below present a well balance program with good results. The Program requires completing various kinds of requirements. Some of the requirements are specifically spelled out with
52
no “choice” and some are left to “choices”. Some requirements state “DO X number of the following”. I hope
that you will find the “outline /“curriculum” useful in your efforts.
Current Kennesaw BSA RR Merit Badge Schedule:
1 A -Name three types of modern freight trains. Explain why unit trains are more efficient than mixed freight
trains.
1 C - Using models or pictures identify 10 types of railroad freight or passenger cars. Explain the purpose of
each.
1 D - Explain how modern diesel or electric locomotives develop power. Explain the terms Dynamic Braking
and Radial Steering Trucks.
2 A - Explain the purpose and formation of Amtrak. Explain, by use of a timetable, a plan for making a Trip by
rail between two cities at least 500 miles apart. List the time of departure and arrival at your destination, the
Train number and name, and the type of service you want.
2 B - List and Explain the various forms of Public/Mass Transit using Rail.
3 A - Name four departments of a railroad company. Describe what each department does.
4 - Explain the purpose of Operation Life saver and its mission.
5 E - Tell what an automobile driver can do to safely operate a car at grade crossings and list three things an
automobile drive should never do at a grade crossing.
5 F - Explain how to report a malfunction of grade crossing warning devices.
5 G - List safety precautions a pedestrian should follow at a public crossing.
6 - Explain the appearance and meaning of the following warning signs and devices; advance warning sign,
pavement markings, crossbucks, flashing red light, crossing gates.
7 A - Explain how railroad signal operate and show two basic signal type using color or configuration.
7 B - Explain the meaning of three horn signals.
7 C - Describe a way to signal a train for an emergency stop
7 D - Explain the use and function of the “EOTD” (end of train device) or “FRED” (flashing rear end device)
used on the last car of most trains.
8 A 3 - Name the scale of four popular model railroad gauges. Identify the scale of four model cars or locomotives.
8 A 7 - Participate in a switching contest on a timesaver layout and record your time.
To support and ensure a high level of quality and consistency, the Piedmont Staff has developed an “Internal
Staff Guide”. This internal document is provided to our counselors as a resource for presentations and personal information. A Staff guide goes a long way to make the program more manageable for your counselors
and represents a worthwhile effort to insure an efficient and happy group of counselors. The guide is extracted from the actual Merit Badge Pamphlet and clearly addresses focus on the above Merit Badge Requirements covered in our program. Thankfully the BSA is not ”fussy” about reproducing Merit Badge materials for internal use in their Merit Badge Program. Some other “additional” or extra materials may be covered
by COPYRIGHTS and require permission for reproduction and redistribution. This is especially true for materials found on the internet and current or past publications. Non BSA materials could be problematic for your
use as course materials and may require additional care, investigations and follow up. You will need to do
some homework before including “outside” resources.
I am going to put our internal staff guide on the SER BOY SCOUT PROGRAM WEBSITE. This document
will be in a read only, non-downloadable “PDF” format to meet any “legal” requirements. This is NOT A PUBLISHED AND PUBICAALLY AVAILABLE DOCUMENT! It is not provided as finished product for your use, but
as an example or model so you can develop your own staff guide / curriculum. SO MUCH FOR DISCLAIMERS!!!
We are in the process of developing model PowerPoint Presentations for the staff’s use and to help in developing their own presentation materials. As these model presentations are completed, they will be put on the
SER BSA Program Website. These presentations will also be in a read only, non-downloadable “PDF” format. Again, these presentations are not provided as a published finished product for your use, but as a
model to develop your own division’s program materials.
Good Luck and Happy Counseling, Bill
53
Division 4 – Gul f N ews
James “Buddy” Black - black@novatechnologies.net
www.MODELTRAINSELLER.com
Officers and Directors
Gulf Division officers held an impromptu meeting during the Milton Railroad Days
event in April. The main discussion centered on coordinating events across the Division. We agreed to hold a Division meet in the Mobile area in the fall.
54
FULL
SERVICE
MODEL TRAIN
COLLECTION
SERVICES
SALES
VALUATION
ORGANIZATION
Membership
Membership has increased by 8 since May of last year. New membership continues
to be a focus area for the division.
Division Events
The Pensacola Section hosted the Milton Railroad Day event on 20 April. Model railroaders from across the area joined the public to celebrate railroading in the panhandle town of Milton. We are planning to have a two day Division Meet in the Mobile
area the first weekend in October.
The Panama City, Mobile, and Pensacola Sections all sponsored operating session
events during the quarter. A number of members attended each event.
Charitable and Educational Activities
We continuing to work on a Railroading Merit Badge kit that will contain a complete
set of the material and equipment a counselor will need to complete a merit badge for
a small number of scouts.
DON’T WAIT
PRE-ARRANGE
YOUR ESTATE!
Achievement
Program Activity
Buddy Black was
awarded the Volunteer and Chief Dispatcher certificates.
PERSONALIZED
AND DISCREET!
Jack Rowles earned
the Golden Spike.
WE PAY CASH FOR
YOUR COLLECTION!
Future Directions
Our focus for the
next two quarters will
be to prepare for the
Division Meet in October.
SEE OUR WEBSITE
FOR DETAILS AND
CONTACT
INFORMATION
Division AP Chairman Glen Hall, MMR (left) presented Jack
Rowles with a Golden Spike Award.
Division 5 – Piedmont News
Charlie Crawford, MMR cacrawford@bellsouth.net
www.piedmont-div.org
We’re right up against the dates for National Convention that will
be held here at the Cobb Galleria Center. Our committee under Convention Chair Bob McIntyre, aided by Assistant Chairs David Gelmini
and Perry Lamb, has been working diligently to make this a great convention. Many of the tours, prototype, layout and general interest have spaces available as of this printing. Check out our web-site and see if any of the open tours interest
you. We also can use some volunteer help. If you can spare a couple of hours let us
know when you register. With an event this large, we certainly will need the help.
Many of us here in the Atlanta area (and some of you in Birmingham and Chattanooga) are working hard to get layouts ready, new modules built or those contest models done. It always amazes me how a show or tour encourages modelers to add to or
improve their layout. I too, have been working on a couple of new modules for the train
show.
We are also happy to note that our own Joe Nichols, Jr. has completed the requirements for Master Model Railroader. He will be our divisions 5th in the last year
and a half. Joe is the tenth MMR (including the late Mike Callahan) from the Piedmont
Division. A couple of members are one certificate away from earning their MMR’s. I
certainly encourage everyone to take part in the wonderful program of the NMRA.
While the convention is taking up a lot of our attention and effort, we are also planning to participate at the Railroad Rendezvous event at the Southern Museum of Civil
War & Locomotive History in Kennesaw the weekend after the Convention. We will be
exhibiting our children’s O scale layout on Saturday July 27. If you’re in Atlanta that
weekend come by and see us.
We are already well into planning for the 10th Anniversary Piedmont Pilgrimage.
It’s hard to believe ten years have gone by. It seems like only yesterday that the event
was proposed. In the ten years we’ve gone from 12 layouts to over 80. It is a terrific
outreach to new modelers, families and friends.
Our monthly meeting attendance continues in the 100+ range and Howard Goodwin has arranged interesting clinics.
Come to see us here in Atlanta in July. We’ve got a great week planned.
Di visi o n 1 5 - L a nd O’ S ky Ne w s
Ken O'Brien - kobrien1600@live.com
The Division manned a recruiting table at the Western North Carolina Model Railroad Club show at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center (WNC Ag Center) in
March. We had conversations with several interested people and will have at least one
Re-rail member.
Several division members, who are active in the Operations Special Interest
Group (OPSIG) activities, traveled to Jasper, Georgia in April to assist the OPSIG Coordinator for the National Convention in Atlanta in restarting operations on his home
layout. It was a long day’s work, but our efforts were much appreciated.
Our quarterly meeting was held at the Fletcher branch of the Henderson County
Library on April 27, 2013. This was a week later than our usual meeting; we had to
deconflict with the steam excursion being conducted in Asheville the weekend of the
20th. There were thirteen attendees at the meeting, with no visitors. Two live clinics
were presented, followed by three short video clinics.
The meeting opened with “Favorite Caboose Models” on display; three members
showed ten different models. Well done by all involved. The show and tell consisted of
one member displaying a marker light housing. This led to a discussion about whether
to restore or just clean it up.
Both live clinics were in the theme of using paper and card in model railroading.
Ken O’Brien introduced some basics on materials, tools and techniques. Ben Bartlett
demonstrated Evans Design, a computer based card design program, and a product
CD of structure models from Clever Models. A good discussion on both products ensued. After a short break for resetting the computer system, the first two videos were
run on the use and construction of fences on your layout. The third video dealt with
photographing your models.
Due to activities surrounding the National Convention in Atlanta and the following
weeks, we informed the membership that we had decided to cancel the July meeting.
Looking further ahead, we will also have to de-conflict the October meeting with several other activities already scheduled for October weekends. The October meeting is
tentatively scheduled for October 19th, in the Enka-Candler Library. The division will
also be manning a recruiting table at the WNC Ag Center on 12 and 13 October.
Ke he ley L ak e South ern
Connec ti ng Routes wi th
Rex & Cla yton Southern
and S ha mr oc k S o uther n
Len Polinsky
General Manager
Mike Callahn, MMR
Design Engineer
lenpolinsky@bellsouth.net
55
T HE C LUB C AR
This is a list of clubs and organizations in the South Eastern Region. Most have some NMRA members. If you have a club
that is accepting new members or visitors, please send the information to the editor at: voelkerpv@msn.com. Please
note, you must provide a contact name and phone number! If you have a website you can send us the URL as well! 6/12/13
Atlantic Division 8 Conway, SC, Dean Belowich 843-457-5661
Coastal Rail Buffs, Savannah, GA, Nate Stone, (912) 354-2606
http://www.coastalrailbuffs.org/
Charleston Area Model Railroad Club, Citadel Mall in Charleston, SC
http://www.chamrc.com or Phillip E. Euper peuper@comcast.net
Golden Isles Model Railroad Club, Brunswick, GA. Helio Valdes 912-261-2478
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GIMRRC/
Bluff City Division 10
Bartlett, TN, Mike Fleming, (901) 467-7138
The Memphis N-Scale Road Railers
The Memphis Society of Model Engineers—The 1st Saturday Night Group meets at
the Highland Street Church of Christ, at 7:30 PM contact Ned for additional information
at: nssavage@juno.com
Central Savannah River Division 9 Graniteville, SC, Steve Prevette (803) 392-7684
Georgia-Carolina Model Railroaders, Augusta, GA, Roy Tritt (706) 733-6870
Cumberland Division 11 Brentwood, TN, Bob Hultman (615) 833-5158
Mid-South Live Steamers, Columbia, TN, Hank Sherwood (615) 665-0512
www.midsouthlivesteamers.org
midsouthlivesteamers@yahoo.com
Nashville NTRAK, Nashville, TN., Mike Curtis (615) 479-7663,
4900 Rucker Christiana Road, Christiana, TN 37037 macurtis@comcast.net
http://www.nashvillentrak.org
Nashville Garden Railway Society, Nashville, TN., Ross Evans (615) 292-6555
Tennessee Central Railway Museum, Nashville, TN,
Terry Bebout, (615) 244-9001 FAX -2120 terry.bebout@earthlink.net
http://tcry.org
Dixie Division 3 Montgomery, AL, Phil Hutchinson, (334) 272-1933
Central Alabama Model RR. Club, Montgomery/Prattville, AL
Phil Hutchinson, (334) 272-1933
MGB Model Railroad Club, Prattville, AL Visitors welcome. Meetings every Thursday evening and every other Saturday afternoon. Brett Scott (334) 799-3096
www.mgbrr.org
Southeast Alabama Model Railroad Club, Dothan, AL
Mike Porterfield, (334) 774-0720
mporterfield103@charter.net
Wiregrass Steel Wheels Sub-Division, Dothan, AL
Danny Lewis, (334) 803-0425
Empire Division 6 Bonaire, GA, Bill Attaway 478-954-9200
Columbus Model Railroad Club, Columbus, GA, David Cotton (706) 323-1417
Flint River Model Railroad Club, Albany, GA, Jimmy Swinn (299) 883-3517
MGMRC - Middle Georgia Model Railroad Club, Warner Robins, GA
Bill Attaway (478) 328-8790 mgmrc@cox.net
http://www.mgmrc.org/
CGMRC - Central Georgia Model Railroad Club, Macon, GA
Ken Preston, kenp22@bellsouth.net
MGRA - Middle Georgia Railroad Association, is a railroad history group
that meets in Macon and Gordon, GA Bill Jones, wrjones845@aol.com
www.trainweb.org/mgr
Thomasville Model Railroad Club, Thomasville, GA., Ben Strickland (912) 465-3730
Gulf Division 4 Panama City, FL, Buddy Black 850-624-6240
Caboose Club, Foley, AL Charles Ebert
Consolidated Model Railroaders (CMRX), Panama City, FL
Contact: Buddy Black 850-624-6240 black@novatechnologies.com
Emerald Coast Garden Railway Club monthly meeting usually on third Saturday of
the month at Noon in the Diner Car of the West Florida RR Museum, Milton FL, Jack
Grill (850) 994-7226 www.ecgrc.com
Miracle Strip Model RR Club, Shalimar, FL Ray Follacchio 850-865-8822
http: //miraclestripmodelrrclub.com
Mobile Society of Model Engineers. Dave Miller (251) 645-2296
Pensacola Model Railroad Club (PMRC), Pensacola, FL
www.PMRC.us HO Division - Steve “Chip” Borona (850) 384-3206
N Division - Terry Tucker (850) 723-5390; Z Division - Glen Hall (850) 982-2795
Southwest Alabama Railroad Modelers (SWARM), Mobile, AL
http://lots-trains.org/html/swarm.html/
Herb Kern (251) 660-1659
West Florida Model Railroad Club, Milton, FL Tom Augustine (850) 944-0471
West Florida Railroad Museum, Milton, FL www.wfrm.org
Headquarters Division 13 www.grampas-trains.com/headquarters.htm
Headquarters Division, Hal Crossland 423-344-0697, Don Johnston 352-391-4176
Chattanooga Area Model Railroad Club, www.camrc.org
Ed Juaire (423) 598-9925 railfan@ejpj.com
Chattanooga Society of Model Engineers, Dunlap, TN
http://csme.livesteamtrains.com Andy Morrision (423) 344-8502
Crossville Model Railroad Club, Crossville, TN, Mike Ferry (931) 788-1828
ferrym@citlink.net
www.crossvillemodelrrclub.org
56
Land O'Sky Division 15 Hendersonville, NC, Ken O'Brien 828-696-9436
Apple Valley Model Railroad Club, Hendersonville, NC, Ben Bartlett (828) 883-2799
Located in the Hendersonville Station, Open for visitors every Saturday 10 AM—2 PM,
We always consider new member candidates. http://AVMRC.com
French Broad e’N’pire NTRAK Club, Henderson, NC http://www.fbe-ntrak.com
Chuck Place (828) 685-2726 hmp3@blueridge.net
1396 Spicer Cove, Hendersonville, NC 28792
Western North Carolina Model Railroaders, Fred Coleman (828) 699-0983
Magnolia Division 14 Philadelphia, MS, Troy Lee Hight (601) 389-5370
Central Mississippi Model Railroad Association, Jackson, MS
Mississippi Ag and Forestry Museum, 1150 Lakeland Drive, Jackson MS 39216
Nils Larsen 601-432-4500 www.cmmra.org
Mid-South Division 1 Fayetteville, TN., Thomas Bailey (931) 433-4207
http://www.geocities.com/mta136/
Northeast Alabama Model Railroad Club, Guntersville, AL
Charles Dick (205) 878-2537 charlesdick@bellsouth.net
Redstone Model Railroad Club, Huntsville, AL
Palmetto Division 7 Greer, SC, Jack Varadi (864) 968-2436
Associated Model Railroads of Columbia (AMROC), Columbia, SC
Clark Gregory 803-781-7912 www.amroc.org
Central Railway Model and Historical Association (CRM&HA), Central, SC
Jim Reece 864-855-3379 www.crmha.org
Piedmont N' Southern, Greenville, SC
Michael Offik 864-884-2165 www.piedmontnsouthern.org
The Carolina Conspiracy (On30 modular club)
Andrew Gillette (803)-316-8128 amn_a_gillette@yahoo.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/carolina_on30conspiracy/
Station 187 Model Railroad Club, Greer, SC www.station187.net
Piedmont Division 5
Marietta, GA, Charlie Crawford 770-565-1845
www.piedmont-div.org
Atlanta Interlocking Model Railroad Club, Charlie Crawford 770-565-1845
http://home.earthlink.net/~wliles/
Chattahoochee Express Operating Group, Bob McIntyre (770) 518-8932
Georgia Association of Narrow Gaugers, Pat Turner (423) 744-0429
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/georgiangers
GeorgiaNGers@yahoogroups.com
Georgia Garden Railway Society, Dan Michel ggrschair@hotmail.com
www.ggrs.info/
Georgia Society of Ferroequinologists, Marietta, Bob Hoenes (770) 422-0081
Jasper Roundhouse, Jasper, GA, Jim Derr jaderr@alltel.net
Metro Atlanta N-Scalers, Atlanta, GA,
Charles Leak (404) 262-2969
Model Railroad Club of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, Terry Weldon (770) 979-0473
www.oscale-atlanta.info
North Atlanta O-Gauge Railroad Club, Roswell, GA, Jeff Pergl (770) 516-6378
North Atlanta Rail Barons, Howard Goodwin 770-529-2103
North Georgia Lego Train Club, James Trobaugh (770)-844-1076
http://www.ngltc.org OR questions@ngltc.org
North Georgia Modurail, Jon Cook (770) 993-9620
Northwest Georgia N Track Club P.E.P.S.I. Lines, 220 Washington Street, Gainesville, GA
Railroad Model Club of Atlanta, Bob Peppel, (770) 934-4067
S-COG Southern Crescent Operating Group
Joe Gelmini (770) 460-8873 papagel@comcast.net
Southern O Scalers, Dan Mason, 470-385-6638 , daniel@masonlawfirmga.com
Tri-State Area Model Railroad, Inc., Leonard James, (423) 496-5006
lencaroljames@bellsouth.net
Volunteer Garden Railroad Club, Vines Botanical Gardens, 3500 Oak Grove Road,
Loganville, GA 30052
Smoky Mountain Division 12 Loudon, TN, Larry Burkholder (865) 408-9903
Knoxville Area Model Railroaders, Oak Ridge, TN,
Larry Burkholder, (865) 408-9903
Mountain Empire Modular Railroaders, Johnson City, TN
East Tennessee State University - George L. Carter Museum Business meetings held
3rd Tuesday of month at 7pm at ETSU Campus, Brown Hall Science Bldg. Rm. 312
Dr. Fred Alsop, III (423) 929-3733 fredjalsop3@earthlink.net
http://memrr07.t35.com
Steel City Division 2 Birmingham, AL, John Stewart 205-989-4889
Black Warrior Model Railroad Society, Tuscaloosa, AL, Bob Way 205-556-3073
Mobile Society of Model Engineers, Alabama Gulf - Chapter, NRHS
2800 Graham Rd., S. Mobile, AL Call Dave Miller (251) 645-2296 for information
Wrecking Crew Model RR Club, Call Tom Cusker for information 205-621-1778
Division 8 - Atlantic News
Dean Belowich, MMR - railroadart@hotmail.com
Carl Blum - carl.blum@comcast.net
I would like to announce to those who do not know it yet, that Carl
Blum of Johns Island has volunteered to be my Assistant Superintendent for the Atlantic Division. Carl brings a ton of experience in operating train shows and modeling knowledge to the position and I look forward to working
with him in re-energizing our Division. Welcome and thank you, Carl!
Summer is here! That usually means much less modeling work as we migrate to
the outdoors, which is a good thing if you have a garden railway! Your season is just
starting. Here along the coast of the SER, our summer begins earlier than some parts
of the region, and modeling may have already been put on the back burner. One thing
I would ask the Atlantic Division members to do this summer while working the usual
warm weather pursuits is to think about what you would like to see our Division do for
group activities.
Our division is long and narrow and centered around the three large coastal areas; Savannah, Charleston and Myrtle Beach. Each now has a train show in the fall or
winter. In the past there have been efforts to hold Divisional meets during these
shows, and they have met with some success.
We would like to continue and build on that effort. Carl Blum and I have briefly
discussed having some Divisional NMRA type activities during the Charleston show
this November. Some of the possible activities include some simple ideas such as
clinics, and model displays, and maybe more involved things such as layout visits and
operating sessions. We would like you to think about what you, as Division members,
would like to see as part of this show. With Charleston in the basic center of our division, this is a logical starting point for a Divisional NMRA meet.
The Danny Jones Armory is a relatively small venue, and therefore we may not be
able to hold too many activities at the site. We do not wish to take away from vendor
space.
Additionally, we want to have high quality events that people will remember and
take some knowledge away with them, so fewer at first is the best start. If we spread
out too many loosely planned activities, participation and enjoyment may wane.
Clinics will be relatively simple to do and require only a table and a few audience
chairs. This has worked well at the Myrtle Beach show for Ed Sharrett and though it is
right in the midst of the show, he always has a full house! Model displays take some
table space, but require security to keep models from being handled and walking off,
so it would best be held off of the main train show floor.
Other ideas such as layout visits and operating sessions are best held in the evening that way no one misses out on the show. If there were layouts nearby, then a
shuttle for certain times could be run.
Those are just a few ideas, but we want to hear from you the member! If you know
any non-NMRA members that might be interested in such activities and are waiting for
the Division to become active before gaining membership, please alert them. I know
there are a lot of people who ask “What can the NMRA do for me?” but we need to
know what you are looking for as well! Please contact either myself at: railroadart@hotmail.com or Carl Blum at: carl.blum@comcast.net
Home 404.973.9566
Cell 404.217.3673
prr123@bellsouth.net
Let’s make this next train show a new beginning for the Atlantic Division!
Di visi o n 6 - Em pi re Ne ws
Bill Attaway - attawayw@mac.com
The MGMRC will be putting on it's annual show at the Museum of Aviation in Warner
Robins Thanksgiving week. http://www.museumofaviation.org/planestrains.php
I tried to get info about the status of the Columbus Club and its layout that was involved in the Manchester Mill fire in January, but no one with information would respond. No info on the Railroad Museum that was in the Mill or Manchester Railroad
Days either.
57
Division 7 – Pal metto N ews
Jack Varadi - jackvaradi@yahoo.com
1
2
On Saturday, March 23rd, forty people attended our spring
division meeting at the Cottages of Brushy Creek in Greer, SC.
Three clinics were given. The first was "Using Phones and
Pads for Throttles and Panels (JMRI)" given by Steve Todd [1].
This was an overview of where new technologies are being used in
model railroading. Steve will be presenting a more thorough clinic at the NMRA National Convention in Atlanta this summer.
Next was “Building Cardstock Models the Modern Way” by Ed Traxler. Ed brought
us up to date with new model building methods using a computer and printer. Ed had a
winning cardstock model at our last division meet.
“Some layout animation” was our third clinic presented by Joe Norris [2]. This
clinic summarized past clinics given at other meets and locations. It was an excellent
overview with working models. As usual, Joe had his excellent handouts available.
We had 8 entries in the model contest [3-4]. First place went to Joe Norris for his
scratch built engine house. 2nd went to Mark Parson for his refinery. Third went to
Markus Weller for his German air field [5].
We also had 8 entries in our new category, tips and techniques. Joe Norris got
first for his structure gluing jig. The addition of this category was well received and will
continue to be a part of future meets.
In another development at the meeting, several members expressed interest in
exploring holding the 2015 SER convention in Greenville, SC. With the help of Fred
Coleman and Palmetto Division member Ron Lown, this has become a reality. Ron
has a committee formed and site selection is in progress. The dates and location will
be confirmed prior to the National Convention in Atlanta this summer. More information
will follow!
The date for our fall division meeting has been set for November 16, 2013 at the
Cottages.
Looking forward to Atlanta!
Jack Varadi, Palmetto Division Superintendent
Division 9 - Central Savannah River News
3
4
5
Steve Prevette - prevette@atlanticbb.net
The National Convention in Atlanta approaches. Division
members Don Barnes and Steve Prevette will host operating
sessions through the Operations Special Interest Group (OPSIG)
operating sessions program. Don's Baltimore and Ohio layout
will be operated the Sunday before the convention kickoff, and
Steve's Burnt Hills and Big Flats will be the Sunday after. These sessions are
handled through the OPSIG, but if any group of SER members would like to come
for a regular Tuesday night session or a special weekend session, that can be
arranged. Many of the local operators joined the OPSIG in order to buy the new
"19 East, Copy Three" publication as both Don's and Steve's model railroad sessions have been moving towards Timetable and Train Order.
Kalmbach has announced the 2014 Great Model Railroads publication will include the museum display HO model railroad in the restoration of the Aiken (SC)
train station. Those who came to the minimeet in Aiken last fall had an opportunity to see the station. The station is free admission and open to the public, with
details on their website at http://aikenrailroaddepot.org/.
Our division membership has increased by six members in the last 10 months
(a 30% increase!). New members include Tuesday Night Operators Jack Connors, Don Barnes, and Walter Riechel. James Riggs and Drew James from Georgia also joined in this time period. We welcome all of our new members.
The Division annual meeting will be slated for the October timeframe. No elections are due, but with new members, and renewed interest from last Fall's minimeet and the upcoming National, we need to look to see if there are activities we
would like to take on as a group. I am open to suggestions for location for the
meeting.
See you in Atlanta!
58
Division 12 – Smoky Mountain News
Larry Burkholder - labtexan@chartertn.net
The Smoky Mountain Division held a “mini-meet” at the Baneberry
Community Center in Baneberry, TN, on Saturday, April 6th. Only
about twenty-five people attended, but it was not advertised to the
public and was meant to be more of a division social gathering. We
had a company store operation that was quite successful, four clinics,
an operating n-scale layout courtesy of the Knoxville Area Model Railroad Club, and
lunch. Net-net, the division cleared $39.
On May 9th the regular quarterly division meeting was held. Sixteen members and
two guests attended. A slide presentation of NS and CSX train photos was presented
by Scott Lindsey, President of the Southern Appalachian Railroad Museum and avid
prototype railroad photographer. Our next meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, August 8th.
Of interest, a non-NMRA member in our division area (but planning on joining) Bob
Noblit, had his HO layout featured in the May issue of Model Railroader. On April 28th
he held an open house which was well attended by area division and KAMR club
members. None of us even knew Bob's layout existed until we saw it in the magazine.
It turns out he had submitted the material to MR'er six years ago and it just now got
published. Bob was so disgusted with MR'er that he had canceled his subscription.
Four of our division members attended the Mid-Central Region annual meeting in
Dayton, OH. There were about two hundred attendees. There were the usual clinic
presentations, but the emphasis was on operations. Around a dozen layouts in the
Dayton/Cincinnati area offered three hour operating sessions. Many of these layouts
are well known in the MR'ing world. I participated in three of them. On Sunday there
was a self-guided tour of these and a number of other layouts. I stopped at three of
these on the way home. Workmanship on the ones I saw was of museum quality.
Truly works of art.
Yours truly is happy to report that I was recently issued AP Certificates for
“Association Volunteer” and “Author”. Application for “Dispatcher” has been made and
is pending.
Division 14 – M agnolia N ews
Tr o y Hi ght - Tr Hg6@aol . c om
You are invited to the Magnolia Division mini meet on the weekend of
September 20-21st, in Philadelphia, MS. We will convene Friday
night at a local Mexican restaurant for dinner and then gather for a
layout design mock-up of the "new" Pearl River Valley & Gulf Railroad of division superintendent Troy Hight.
Saturday activities will begin at 9:00 am with the first of three one hour long clinics.
Presenters will cover a range of topics that will be of local interest related to the timber
industry and agriculture. The fall Board of Directors meeting will begin in an adjacent
room and start 9:00 am, also. The home layout tour on Saturday afternoon will include
three different scales, one each in HO, O (3 rail) , and a large outdoor G.
The KCS Railroad serves Philadelphia on a branch line that connects with the
"Meridian Speedway" at Newton. The restored former Gulf, Mobile and Northern depot
will also be open for a tour Saturday afternoon. The depot was built in 1905 and is still
in its original location. It currently serves as office space for our local Community Development Partnership and Tourism Office. The railroad serves several local costumers including a local poultry feed mill, agriculture and bulk feed distributor and the
Mississippi operations for Weyerhaeuser.
This event is open to everyone. You do not have to be a NMRA member to attend.
Please invite and bring a friend. There is no cost to attend this event. For additional
informational you can contact me via e-mail at: TrHg6@aol.com , or by phone at (601)
416-7617.
See you in September! Troy
59
The Trolleys of Lisbon
Photo Montage by Charlie Mason
60
61
62
63

Summer 2013 - ser

Transcription

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