Happy Easter

NH Dinner Train

This is a great looking dinner train and it is in New Hampshire.  Please click here for web site and be sure to watch their VIDEO!

This is the GE 45-ton side-rod diesel locomotive I recently got on eBay.  I hope to be able to use it at the Mall to run as an addition to the Sawmill display.

Take a look at the first draft of a possible 2013 layout

Click on image to view

  I know we have not even met yet but here is a compilation of everything I have heard about so far,  and it simply represents a starting point.  I do know three things for sure from a meeting Carl had at the Mall.   (1) We are invited back to display our trains once again in Center Court and the Mall is planning to move Santa Claus to his own area. (2) Our platform size can increase to an oval 36 x 40 feet in area. (3) We can introduce the use of real water into the layout design.   Based on that plus other things I have heard from different members which include lowering the height so children can see it better.  Having Thomas and James run 'underneath' a waterfall.  Add a point to point Trolley line.  Have a switcher engine move logs back and forth around the sawmill.  The Mall has also said they plan a change on the snow blanket, replace it with a green grass like covering on the main platform and use the snow on the higher elevations.  Tiny has a nice new 7 foot long bridge that he has offered for us to use.  I hope all the Interactive displays will return as well as a  new item I would like to try out which is a Merry-go-round that I  picked up with the display in mind.

I know Carl and other members may have bought some new electronics that they will be testing out.  Plus new buildings and all the new ideas yet to come from meetings and committees.  It will be another fun year to take part in planning our Fourth Season at the Maine Mall!  So here is a beginning point. Let's start.

No Train Horns allowed

Orange County California has used silent crossings for a couple of years.  Here is a picture of an Amtrak which  looks like it is moving pretty fast going through a crossing without blowing it's horn.  I tend to believe in the use of horns and do not think people who move into a crossing area have much of a case when they complain later on.  But, in Orange County many are happy with the quiet zones.  Here is an article which explains how they work.  Please click here:   (Sorry, looks like the link is being worked on). JJ

Memorial Bridge News

   Tiny has been to the construction viewing area and kept his eye on the project.  Now that the weather is improving it will be even more fun to watch.  He has seen the house where the operator will be and the huge weight that will help move the bridge up and down.  Here are some web sites that follow the progress if you can't make it down there yourself:

http://www.memorialbridgeproject.com/

http://www.portsmouthbridges.com/NewMemBridge.cfm

 

Old pictures

 Ok, I promise to try and NOT post these old pictures.  But, I can't help getting inspired for Spring's arrival   (like today, I went out and bought grass seed).   I am so ready to see all those bright colors bloom again!   I find myself looking back to pictures of  previous summers and it gets me all psyched up for this year.  So bear with me one more time as I came across this old picture and immediately 'liked it'.

 If you look back and come across old pics of  your garden in bloom that you want to share, please email me. Thanks.

Wild and Windy Train Ride

Thanks to member John Phillips of Kezar Falls who sent in a video for us to see. As John points out, watch the trees tops! This was caused by a tornado which hit this moving train. Somehow they had a video camera running to capture this wild ride.
Thanks John for being an MGRS Contribitor!

Note:  This was originally published July 2009.  Every post is saved on the blog.  You can go back to any month and year and see them.  This was so unusual,  that I re-posted it again today.

It's only 2 mins.  Every time I watch it, I put it on full screen and say the same thing to myself when it ends. 
Yikes!   

2013 ECLS Train Show

Thanks to Tiny for finding all these pictures about the 2013 ECLSTS.   For all of us that could not go here are lots of pictures of what we missed.   Click here to start.     Then you can click "slideshow" and sit back and watch.

Bill Green interviews local historian.

   To see Channel 6 Bill Green's segment on the history of Maine's Grand Trunk Railroad which recently aired please click here:    Thanks to Denneth Lee who found the link for us.

"Spring" what a wonderful word!

I took this very sad looking picture this morning about an hour after Spring arrived.   The nice thing I know is that it will not be that long before it will turn into a beautiful array of colors and pleasant warmth!

From way up north

Thank you Paul!   These are very good photos you have taken!   It  must have taken a long time to clean up all those cars.  It also must have made a terrific noise around the local area.  Thank you for sharing them with us.

John,
The tank train derailment in Mattawamkeag was about 4 miles from my home in Lincoln. Here are some photos that I took of the accident if you would like to use them in the blog or share them otherwise.
Paul Smith

Please click here for link to picture album
Hint: click on key to the left of pics to go to next image.

Sawmill switcher

Last year Barry walked me around the layout and one of the things he suggested was adding a switcher engine that worked both sides of the sawmill.  So when I saw this GE 45 ton model on Ebay I did not need any more reasons to place a bid.  Overtaken with greed and the desire to win I gave it my best bid with just seconds to go. It was successful.   It comes unlettered but I drew a logo on the picture for fun.  It does have a lot of nice features and I am looking forward to getting it.  I think it would look nice slowly moving some scale logs back and forth around the sawmill.  

The Best Snow Plow Compilations

We are all probably ready to say goodbye to snow for this year!  So to help wind up the winter here is a compilation of snow plowing videos.

Part-1

Part-2

Portland Flower Show - Opening Night

 I googled Portland Flower Show and was surprised someone had made public lots of photos of opening night.  Click here and you can see a picture of MGRS member Richard Young's display.  Looks like he had a great spot and it was a lot of fun.  Click here:

Up Coming Auction

Wow - thanks Tiny!  This is some cool stuff!    If you don't go out to a big train show this weekend coming up, then check out this toy train auction.    Rt 16 Ossippee NH. Next to Green Mt. Furniture.

Click here for Auction info:

Erin go bragh

Talk about your 'Emerald Green'  take a look at the beautiful picture below:   Disused Railway Viaduct, Lispole, County Kerry, Ireland.  This image was taken from the Geograph project copyright Pam Brophy, licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike.

Penicillin

Yesterday, March 14, would have been my father's 110th birthday.  On this same day in 1942, the first person in the world was treated successfully with penicillin.  The War Department soon made production of the drug a medical priority, in order to have sufficient supplies ready for the Normandy invasion in June, 1944.  Virtually no penicillin was available for civilian use, and then only if other remedies had failed.  At the time, my father was the only doctor in a remote area of western Colorado.  One of his patients, a coal miner, had been injured in a cave-in.  The miner developed meningitis, which my father tried unsuccessfully to treat with sulfa drugs.  With his patient nearing death, my father persuaded the Boston doctor in charge of penicillin production to rush some of the drug to Colorado.  The Boston doctor agreed to do this because the miner's condition appeared to be exactly the right situation in which to test the drug.  The penicillin was flown to Denver, where the civil air patrol arranged to fly it into the mountain town where we lived.  But a snowstorm prevented the flight across the Rockies.  By now the patient was extremely ill.  Meanwhile, the race to get the drug to him became the subject of national news.  With snow forestalling flights, the penicillin was sent by train from Denver to Grand Junction.  Once there, relays of police cars drove it through the storm to Paonia, 70 miles into the mountains.  In just two days, the drug reversed the meningitis and the man was cured.  He lived to 75.  (My Dad lived to 87.)  This was the first ever successful use of penicillin to treat an adult civilian in the U.S.

(Note that this wouldn't have happened without help from the Denver & Rio Grande.)

The Truth about Casey Jones

The Truth about Casey Jones - Legends & Legacies - The Hingham Journal

Great videos of Maine 2 Foot Railroads and the Edaville Railroad

 From Eric who forwarded this on for all to enjoy.   This is a long video but a great video of a lot of the original films of Maine's most famous 2 foot Railroads and how some made their way to the Edaville Railroad operation.   This is an excellent documentary and I think it is a great find.  Thanks for sharing this!
Please click here to view:


SANDY RIVER & RANGELEY LAKES RAILROAD,  BRIDGTON & HARRISON RAILROAD, The Bridgton And Saco River, KENNEBEC CENTRAL RAILROAD, MONSON RAILROAD, The Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington, Edaville Railroad.

On TV this Saturday

Denneth Lee said that this Saturday Bill Green's Maine (Channel 6 at 7pm)  is scheduled to have a 6 or 7 minute segment on the Grand Trunk Railroad in Portland.

The Brute

Check out the "Brute" video!  This is good.  There are two parts: An Introduction and then a short Demonstration.  The original train was one of a kind!

CLICK HERE to watch:    

BNSF rolls through North Yarmouth/Cumberland

(file picture of BNSF)

  I was out on the Greely Rd this morning and came up on the "new" crossing upgraded for the Downeaster and the lights were flashing!  Oh boy, wish I had my camera.  To my surprise I saw three BNSF diesel engines roll by headed south and hauling a long line of freight cars.  A lot of them were different looking than I usually see.  I am not sure, they reminded me of gondolas with 'temporary' sides, so you could not see what they were carrying.  Mysterious, Aay?  

Comments from Tiny:  "Train probably stop in rigby yard and pick up more cars and will head west late tonight and pick-up another cut of cars at rockingham junction and lawence, ma on the way to ayer's  yard to make up a big freight train to deering yard. and keep going west."
 

Viva il Papa

Jorge Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires, one of five children of an Italian railway worker.  Today he became Pope Francis 1st.

Announcing the Annual Meeting Invitation contest

  I am pleased to pass along the information provided by Art Handman which was announced at yesterday's luncheon meeting that MGRS will hold a contest to design the invitation to this years annual meeting to be held on July 13th at Carl and Pat's home.   There is a $50.00 prize to be awarded to the winner.   Entries should be sent to Pat Churchill 82 Carll Road, Buxton, ME 04093 by the first week in May.

Here is the invitation which was used last year 2012 as an example:

High snow banks don't keep Eric from running his train

Nice pictures!
Thanks Eric

MGRS Spring Luncheon Meeting

 Today's meeting and Lunch was attended by about 40 MGRS members who met at the HomeTown Buffet at the Maine Mall.  It was a great sunny day and it was very good to see a bunch of familiar faces as well as new members!   I may be wrong but I believe Ernie Tarbox sponsered our newest youngest member and friends of Barry and Buckie have joined as well as Suzanne.  Plus it was GREAT to see how well Dick Rubin looked after his recent recovery from a serious health issue. I am certain other members exchanged many more equally great stories that I missed.  After all these big storms and a long winter it just makes you feel good to meet up with your friends again!   The Spring Luncheon is a great way to do that.  There was also an official meeting. and these are by no means complete notes but I will mention a few items that I do remember:

• There is an official contest to design an Invitation for this years Annual Meeting (I will post more on that later).  
•  VP Dick Cosgrove offered his thanks on behalf of the Club to the gift wrapping effort.  The Board of Directors will provide a pin of appreciation to the ladies who ran the gift wrapping and to all the members who helped support the 2012 train display.  A total of 63 individuals are eligible this year. 
• Members voted to support a motion to appropriate $1,000 dollars for approved purchases of additional MGRS equipment.   Approved, in this instance means coordinated directly with Carl.
• The BOD plans to create a Track Committee for this years display.  If you are interested please contact Carl.        

  We hope you enjoyed  the day. 

Thanks to all who attended!

  

MGRS Spring Luncheon Meeting Today !!

Sunday  March 10th at 1pm.

 

• Easy to Find
• Plenty of Parking
• Excellent Menu
• Great Price
• Private Room

 

The Home Town Buffet formerly called the Old Country Buffet  located off RT 95 at the Maine Mall.  We have our own room reserved for MGRS.  Ask for MGRS or even better wear your Nametag.  Excellent Menu with a wide variety to suit all tastes.  Only $12.50 per person.  Outside entrance located between Best Buy and Sears.  

Click on images to enlarge              

Take Exit 45 to Maine Mall Rd.  Enter by the Maine Mall Sign and head toward Best Buy turn right and the restaurant is just around the corner.   Outside entrance only. 

What is Eric doing?

I received an update from Eric that I am happy to pass along:  
"In preparation for the arrival of the New locomotive later this spring, the WW&F has outshopped some new passenger stock.  Two coaches and a combine.  The cars are based on WW&F RR coach 5 and combine 6 as well as W&Q Ry coach 3 which is currently at the WW&F railway museum.

Here are some photos of the combine."

Eric Schade

Portland Flower Show ~ Now Open

Here is the link to the Portland Flow Show Website
Thanks Terry for sending out an email.  Click on the link above if you need more information or if you need directions.   Good luck to member Richard Young and his display.  Here are just a couple of pictures to get the flavor of Rich's display.  It looks great!  If you go to the show be sure and bring your camera. If you have   pictures to share, please email John at mgrsadmin@gmail.com   I will try to put them all in one on-line album .

March 7, 2013

  Channel 6 News Story:  Read here

Bridge Project pictures

      Thank you to Tiny for following the Portsmouth Bridge project and for searching the Seacoast-online news to find a great photo album for all of us to enjoy.  To view please click here:

My two favorite things

From a Chocolate lover:   Guinness world record holder - Please click here for video:  

High Quality

Denneth Lee sent me this web site.  It is well worth taking a look at.  This is a one man operation that produces a really nice product! Plus he builds in 1:24 scale and has a section on Garden Railways.  Tiny, actually does have one of his lighthouses that he got at one of  the York PA shows.

  Please take a look  www.americanlawnlights.com

Tricked out Trains 3,4,5 and 6

The McKeen Car Nevada State RR Museum

.The Olympian Hiawatha

The Patron Tequila Car

The Georgia 300