April 2013 - San Joaquin Valley Toy Train Operators, Inc.

Web Page sjvtoytrainoperatorsinc.com
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DISPATCH
MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT
The Gandy Dancer
1) Get Started! Lay your roadbed and track, test it, and
start running trains. That’s why we choose this hobby! Most building and scenery can be added later.
Don’t wait to get it all planned out perfectly. Just
jump in and have fun.
2) If you want a ballasted look right away, paint gray
“roadbed” and spray it with gray Plas,-kote Fleck Stone
Paint. It’s a good look for now. You can do a “serious”
ballast later as you finish in the layout.
3) Remember Safety! Pilot Lights are good for furnaces
and heaters. Keep ven,la,on when appropriate. I can
save a trip to the Urgent Care, or worse. Pay a5en,on to
your workspace. Paints and other fuming chemicals don’t
mix well with pilot lights.
Ed Cathcart
As we go forward in the next few months,
we will need a lot of help from CLUB
members. First we need help cleaning the
Garden Railroad, pulling weeds, raking
leaves, and planting trees, and flowers.
We will need help with the HO gauge, the
“G” Scale inside layout and the “O”
gauge.
We are in the planning stages for E-5 . This
building is where all the layouts will be.
This building also has 10 outside windows
which need a display in them.
The board of directors is changing out
Logo. We want to separate ourselves, from
TTOS. The new Logo we will be our sign
at the Fair.
I would like to thank everyone for helping.
President Ed Cathcart
Brief History of
Modesto & Empire Traction Co.
A story of the Modesto & Empire Traction could well be divided into
three chapters: The Early Days, with passenger service and experiments
with various forms of motive power; The Average Days, when the railroad
was much like any small freight-only switching road, rough track, handsome old steam engines and a few dependable shippers; The
Modern Days, as represented by the railroad since World War 11. Truly a
boomer switchman who had not seen the railroad in the past ten years
would be lost! Gone are the aromatic steamers, replaced by three shiny diesel-electrics. Light 60 lb. rail has been relaid with heavier on the main line.
And industries! There are three large canning plants, frozen food plants, a
carton printing plant , a winery and many more. Probably the most difficult bit of modernization for our boomer is the two-way radiothat eliminates those sometimes delightful “dead miles”. Efficiency first! There is no
double hauling, and shippers orders may be processed almost as quickly as
they can be telephoned to the company’s traffic headquarters. It takes but a
moment for the yardmaster to pick up his radio phone, call Engine 600,601
or 602 as the case may be and tell the crew what to do.
There will be other story next month on the History of Modesto & Empire
Traction co..
The Square Round House
Toy Train Repair & Sales
1488 Lander Ave. Turlock CA
In the garage behind the house
Tuesday thru Friday 9am to 5pm
Closed for lunch 12-1:30pm.
Saturday by appointment only.
Spring Classes –2013
OFFICERS & BOARD MEEMBERS
Are still going on here are the
dates for classes left.
04/06 Assembling Plastic Kits
Continued (hands on)
President: Ed Cathcart:
edrailroadman@aol.com
Vice President Harry Lindquist
sjoanie445@aol.com
04/13 Assembling Plastic Kits
Continued (hands on)
Treasurer:: Vern Cowan
mrverns57@gmail.com
05/11 DCC-Digitraxx, MRC, NEC
Director: Howard Regelmann
05/18 How to program DCC
Director: Ed Wilson
edwilsontrainnut@yahoo.com
YOU MUST RSVP AT ROGERS
RAILROAD JUNCTION 209-3345623.
www. rogersrailroadjunction.com
Event: Bill Mclimans
wmclimans@sbcglobal.net
Web person Joanie Lindquist
sjoanie445@aol.com
Secretary: Dolores Herrera
doloresherrera36@yahoo.com
trainguy40@charter.net