July 30-31, Live Steam Returns to Union Station. Noon-4pm both days Unique opportunity to view NH Garden Railway Society’s traveling outdoor display of live-steam G-scale locomotive and freight cars 12 Noon to 4:00 PM at the Heritage Park Railroad Museum, 1 Chapel St., Union, NH.
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Thursday, July 21, 2016
Another MGRS - Minnesota Garden Railway Society from Jim Muthig
For the past seven summers I have been working for a nonprofit educational organization (Project Lead the Way- PLTW) training teachers across the country in high school engineering curriculum. Basically PLTW sends me to a participating university to teach teachers their curriculum. This year I was sent to the University of Minnesota at Mankato. The training lasts two full weeks so I always have the weekend in between to venture out.
This year I found the Minnesota Garden Railroad Society which just so happens to share our initials :) So I drove up to Wayzata Minnesota and was treated to a weekend of Garden Railroading AND railfanning. In speaking with the club members on hand Wayzata is the only public garden railroad display of its kind in the midwest.
Every Sat and Sun from June to Oct Club members sit alongside the layout and assist. Inside the railroad, museum adjacent to the layout, are shelves of rolling stock and engines donated by club members. I sat alongside a few club members and watched as local kids brought out and made up a train and then walked around with the wireless throttle. The kids were junior members of the club and the senior members did provide guidance as the trains made their way around the layout. As shown in the picture below the layout sits alongside an active BNSF line and both days coal trains rolled by as expected.
Inside the museum/depot a volunteer mans the stations telegraph office. He answers visitors questions about all the old refurbished equipment in the office that includes a vintage working antique Coke machine while also watching a display on a laptop computer that uses ATCS (Advanced Train Control System) feed that shows the local BNSF subdivision train activity. Every once in a while I would wander inside the old station and inquire of the status of the next train. Right on schedule both coal trains, really longgg trains came slowly rolled through town.
On Sunday two of the club members invited me over their houses to show their home layouts. Quite the hospitality! So if anyone is headed to the St.Paul/Minneapolis area be sure to visit the Wayzata Depot.
This year I found the Minnesota Garden Railroad Society which just so happens to share our initials :) So I drove up to Wayzata Minnesota and was treated to a weekend of Garden Railroading AND railfanning. In speaking with the club members on hand Wayzata is the only public garden railroad display of its kind in the midwest.
Every Sat and Sun from June to Oct Club members sit alongside the layout and assist. Inside the railroad, museum adjacent to the layout, are shelves of rolling stock and engines donated by club members. I sat alongside a few club members and watched as local kids brought out and made up a train and then walked around with the wireless throttle. The kids were junior members of the club and the senior members did provide guidance as the trains made their way around the layout. As shown in the picture below the layout sits alongside an active BNSF line and both days coal trains rolled by as expected.
Inside the museum/depot a volunteer mans the stations telegraph office. He answers visitors questions about all the old refurbished equipment in the office that includes a vintage working antique Coke machine while also watching a display on a laptop computer that uses ATCS (Advanced Train Control System) feed that shows the local BNSF subdivision train activity. Every once in a while I would wander inside the old station and inquire of the status of the next train. Right on schedule both coal trains, really longgg trains came slowly rolled through town.
On Sunday two of the club members invited me over their houses to show their home layouts. Quite the hospitality! So if anyone is headed to the St.Paul/Minneapolis area be sure to visit the Wayzata Depot.
Sunday, July 17, 2016
MGRS Outing and Annual Meeting Recap
We had another sunny day for the Outing with a nice breeze so it was cool in the shade. It all starts with getting here, and here is one of our antique auctioneers arriving in his antique vehicle.
Then its time to check in with Terry, vote for officers, buy raffle tickets, and talk to old and new friends over coffee
Lunch comes out but everyone saves rooms for all those desserts.
That gets everyone a little sleepy for the Annual meeting.....
There was a spirited bidding competition between a group of New Hampshire members and certain well-known members from Maine. Comments like "Walmart Shopper" and "I made that in rehab" were made and accepted in good fun.
Then its time to check in with Terry, vote for officers, buy raffle tickets, and talk to old and new friends over coffee
Lunch comes out but everyone saves rooms for all those desserts.
That gets everyone a little sleepy for the Annual meeting.....
- Election results were announced
- President Carl Churchill
- VP Art Handman
- Treasurre Dennis Farrell
- Secretary: Terry Norton
- Directors: Hunk Erskine, Mac McLaughlin, Norm Waycott, Frank Howard, & Paul Corbett
- The discussion on purchasing a club trailer will be continued
- Carl proposed a donation of $1,000 to Angel Flight, which takes WWII Veterans to visit the veterans memorials in Washington, DC. The club approved the donation
Raffles were drawn
- 50/50 Raffle for $100
- Members Only G-Scale Freight Car
- Child's Railroad Quilt
- Adult Railroad Quilt with Pillowcase
The auction this year had a large number of items. Terry Norton and Frank Howard, our regular auctioneers, brought on Ben Braithwaite to help. Ben has a great "patter" and helped moved things along.
One "blind auction item" box was met with great interest. Another proud winner took home a complete set of Model Railroader Magazine in bound volumes - what a find! Side deals were made to trade already purchased items as the auction moved along.
And then was time to pay up!!
Norm had a large circus rail yard with a parade as the circus began to unload
Monday, July 11, 2016
Steel Caboose July 2016 on the way via email and U.S. Mail
The July edition is on its way to members via email and U.S. Mail. Topics include
--Open House and Annual Meeting this Saturday, July 16
--North Berwick Historical Society Train Display on August 20
--Scarborough Veterans Home
--Holiday Train Display
--Passing of Dick Soderberg
--Upcoming Railroad Events in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont
--Toy Train News
See the full edition at Steel Caboose July 2016
--Open House and Annual Meeting this Saturday, July 16
--North Berwick Historical Society Train Display on August 20
--Scarborough Veterans Home
--Holiday Train Display
--Passing of Dick Soderberg
--Upcoming Railroad Events in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont
--Toy Train News
See the full edition at Steel Caboose July 2016
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