And, the Winners are !

 First , Thank You to all the people who voted on the Poll.  There was also a check sheet circulated at the meeting with the same two winning designs virtually tied!   There were several motions approved by the members relating to the pins & patches.   One involving colors.  The 'blue' design was a heavy favorite over the 'red' one.  Bill &  Robin suggested a change to a steam engine which was also a clear choice and the members voted to approve patches for all members and pins to volunteers.

The next step is to turn over the updated designs to directer Andy Hendrickson, who is the contact person on pins and patches.  Together with the Board of Directors they will make the final decisions on things like size, quantity, price, and any other factor needed to have a finished product available to the members in time for the annual meeting in July.

 One more quick note:   Another winner was the enthusiasm for the MGRS to visit the Seashore Trolly Museum on August 11th of this year.   Fifteen more people signed up to attend the outing which will include the Museum, Stores, Shops, All day Rides, Tour and Picnic Lunch for MGRS members and guests!  We were also very pleased to meet new member John Middleton who is a very nice gentleman and a  great representative of  the museum.  We look forward to our visit very much.  If you are interested in joining the outing on August 11th,  please contact  Dick Rubin at  rjrubin100@aol.com
Thank you Dick, much more on this later. 

    

Great day for MGRS Spring Luncheon/Meeting!

Is was an excellent choice!  The private meeting room was perfect. We had 6 large tables that nicely fit the size of our group with over 30 members. The food and the deserts were excellent and it was very nice to meet new members and old friends again.  Thank you Board of Directors  for choosing such a good spot. Thank you Terry Norton, MGRS Secertary for leading the meeting shown underway below.

We had two very good speakers.   First was Scott Gould who gave an excellent talk and demonstration of LED lighting.   He explained in professor like fashion why we want things like capacitors,  regulators,  resistors and rectifiers.  But, in much more understandable terms like, how to make your LED's work in either direction, not flicker, or not blow out from being over powered.  A very good follow up to the last Newsletter.  Seeing the actual lighting capability of LED being demonstrated in the coaches was very impressive.  The low cost, long life and reduced power consumption is very attractive and  hard to resist trying on our own layouts.

Next Art Handman gave another very interesting presentation.  Art is a meteorologist as well as transportation consultant and described advantages of weather gathering sensors  on locomotives feeding data  into systems that can help manage by milepost accuracy issues pertaining to safety, maintenance, departures, hazardous materials handling, and other weather dependent decisions.  Advance warning  of  fog,  frost, slippery rails, washouts, lightning and many other weather related factors can contribute to improved rail safety, better cost performance and  increased market for rail transportation. 

Both Scott and Art did a terrific job and were very much enjoyed and appreciated by all.  Well Done and THANK YOU!

Chevy Truck Plant

This incident happened in the Oshawa CP Rail yard which ships out the GM vehicles. One of the railcar men who attaches and detaches the car haulers, accidentally unhooked a set of train cars without having the brakes applied. The Oshawa rail yard has a slight incline to it, so when the set of cars was unhooked from the engine it started to roll down the hill, it smashed through the stop block and then through the fence and continued into the parking lot where GM stores the new vehicles that come off the line.   Over 300 vehicles were damaged.
 I guess this is where the guy just takes his lunch box and goes home. 

 Sent in by Tiny.   

Breaking News

   Carl recently made a telephone call to guess who?  SANTA CLAUS and MRS CLAUS!
And you thought we only talked to him at the Mall.  Well besides being an MGRS member he is a terrific  gentlemen.  He is truly generous and kind as evidenced with his work with the children and the Maine Veterans.  Carl was happy to report they survived some dangerous storms in the area and they are well.
I am not sure if he checks the Blog but he may and if so we all want to say hello and let you know. . .'We Love you, Santa"!

Mid-Coast Model Festival

Owls Head Museum is holding its Mid-Coast Model Festival on March 24 and 25th. The festival features car, plane, ship, and railroading models and modelling groups from Maine and elsewhere in New England. Doors open at 9:30 each day. The charge is $12.50 for adults and seniors. Children under 18 get in for free. You can see details http://www.ohtm.org/*ModFest_10.html.

MGRS member Jim Jenkins is also a member of the Owls Head Museum. He is interested in having the MGRS participate in the festival. If you are interested in helping with Jim, please either phone him at 443-4979, or talk with him at the MGRS luncheon this coming Sunday in South Portland. (Exhibitors get in for free.)

Please help us choose- Cast your Vote.

On this ballet you can vote for more than one item and you can even change your vote.  But, you can only end up voting one way.     It is kind of fun to do, we have not had a poll on the blog for a long time.  This is not binding, but it may help the Board of Directors make a decision.  We plan to have a show of hands on this at the Spring Luncheon and that will include more people than just those that look at the Blog. 
 

But for those that do, you can choose which design you like the best.  You can also state your preference if you prefer a Pin or a Patch.
  
Here are the 4 Designs so far:

 Please Vote on the Poll on the Left of the Blog directly under our MGRS Logo, Thank you.
 

Can't wait

 

Ok, this is from last year, but I looked today and saw some bulbs all ready starting to come up.

Here is another colorful screen shot from the water garden last year,     Can't Wait !

 

The nice thing about Winter is that you really look forward to Spring! 

A quick Hello to some new viewers

  Maine Garden Railway Society welcomes some recent viewers to the Blog.  Preston in Portland, Nochole & Pierre in West Gardner, Bud & Marion in Cape Elizabeth, Bob & Flame in Kennebunkport, Alison & Dan in South Portland, Mark in Dexter, Beverly in North Berwick, John & Marjorie in Kennebunkport,  James in Westbrook and Robert & Kathy in Howell, New Jersey.  Welcome Aboard!

Very Interesting!

Scott Gould discovered this and it is fun for us here in Maine to see how they celebrate Garden Railways over in the UK.   Their is a lot to look at, maybe we will pick up some good ideas.  Please click here:

Also there are interesting internet groups:  Take a quick look and enjoy Click here:

Take a look at a member video:  Click here: Scroll down to 'Tuesday Trains'.
It is very good,
Thanks Scott!

How about a nice PIN instead?

I received a new suggestion.  How about a pin instead of a patch?   I guess you can take any design and make up either item, I am not sure.  But anyway I came up with a pin design.  Not to big so it takes up a lot of space.  Something bright and eye catching.  Here are a couple of ideas:

The 7 stars on the pin were meant to represent one star for each week of the display.

MGRS plans day at Seashore Trolly Museum in Kennebunkport, ME. on August 11, 2012

  
Mark down August 11, 2012 on you Calendar.  Maine Garden Railway Society is planning to visit and enjoy all the sights at the famous Seashore Trolly Museum.   Here are some of the things they offer as taken from their web site:

•     Explore the Museum campus, visiting our Bus and Trackless Trolley Collections.
•     Observe the work being performed on various projects in our Town House Restoration Shop.
•     Tour our three exhibit carbarns that contain a sampling of our worldwide Streetcar Collection.
•     Ride an unlimited number of times aboard a variety of authentically restored streetcars.

• Your group can also head to our exhibit History in Motion: Public Transportation Connecting Maine Communities. Take a look at how the Atlantic Shore Line Railway, an electric interurban line, changed the communities it passed through in southern Maine. 
• Take time to look through our Museum Store, which is full of souvenirs, books, and some "hard to find" transportation related items. 
•  Enjoy a trolley ride on an authentically restored streetcar through the Maine countryside. Enjoy a tour through our exhibit mentioned above and hop on board for a 30 minute ride back to yesteryear.
•  Tour of the Grounds - After your streetcar ride on the demonstration railway, one of our docent's will guide your group through our exhibit carbarns which contain samples from our worldwide collection and over to our restoration shop.
   
• MGRS has made reservations for August 11.  We have a Group rate:    Adults $7.50   Children  Age 16 and under $6.00

View Seashore Trolly Museum Web Site:  Click here.

 The Museum hours are 10 to 5.  They do not serve food, but they provide picnic tables which are available if you wish to bring a box lunch.  That sounds like a fun thing to plan on.   If you have questions Dick Rubin  is the event coordinator.  He can be reached at  his email.  rjrubin100@aol.com.   There may also be a sign up sheet at the Spring Meeting and a chance to ask questions.

Time to think about a Patch.

Calling on all the folks out there who are creative.  Please contribute your ideas on a patch for last years Mall Train Display.   I used "Paint" program, but you may have something better.  Anyone who is interested is welcome to come up with a design or perhaps you just have the "idea" but do not want to draw it up.  Let me know, I will be happy to help if I can.
 Last year Andy did a great job working from an image that Scott, Terry and John collaborated on.  This year  I think we have several members that could come up with a good idea.  Please send ANY suggestions to mgrsadmin@gmail.com     

Thank you and here is just one of what I hope will be many suggestions:   We hope we can pick one at the Spring Luncheon.

Update from Eric

The big blizzard has hit!  These two engines really struggled to get through and the wind and snow continue…I think the line may be closed for a while this time!

Snowbound?

  Wow the forecast is for a possible foot of snow!  I guess we will  have to wait and see.  The tracks have been clear (outside) for a long time.  I was thinking maybe winter is all over. I should know better than that.  But, I am lucky because  I can still run trains in my basement.  I love puttering around my cluttered workbench and having the trains available to tinker with.  Today I took a little video.  Nothing special.  I have been adding power pickup to my passenger cars.  Still waiting for LED lights to arrive but if you look close you might see the incandescent bulbs which now light up from track power.
To take a look, please click here:

Trolly Update

   The trolley car is finished. I took the clamps off and the roof stayed in place.  After being told a canvas roof is not right for a Maine Two Footers, I decided to install a metal roof. The color was to be Red Lead primer but is a little off. I remember Red Lead to be more orange.  I plan to run the car as an excursion car.

John F

From New Hampshire

I forgot to mention 7/8 scale (See note from Scott on "What is the Difference" post below).
John Foley is one of the biggest advocates of 7/8 scale and we are pleased to show you a creation that John is working on.  Forwarded to us from NHGRS member and MGRS member 'Tiny' Lee.
Thank You, John we love to follow what you are up to:

From J. Foley (NHGRS)

As Norm Abrams said on This Old House program "you never have enough clamps."

I am building the Ferd's bagal Trolley using clamps to hold the pieces in place until the glue dries. The attached photos show the roof and all the clamps.

John F

Surviving Steam Locomotives in the USA

This is an amazing database if you want to do some research.  There is A LOT of information within this link:  http://www.steamlocomotive.com/lists/

How did that Happen?

I have heard the old saying about pulling yourself up by your own boot straps but this is pretty darn clever.   Please click here and enjoy:

In Between the Rails

  Here is a quick one (not recommended for anyone to try). But kind of fun to watch.  Click here to take a safer look: