Garden Railway Tour Video

Here is a tour of some different Garden Railroads.  Colorado style.  Excellent video with short tours of  9 different Garden layouts.
To watch please click here:

 

They Just Have To Go Sale......
40' Double Door Boxcars Moving Sale
Starting Immediately Until 11:59pm June 30th,2012
MSRP $104.00 MOVING PRICE $39.95
www.aristocraft.com/moving

The Veterans have canceled today's visit

Carl just called and said he has heard from Jeanne.  Because of the forecasted thunder showers they have decided to cancel today's visit.  They still have three more visits scheduled.
 

Garden Tour rolls into Pat and Carl's.

Carl and Pat have been busy!  Carl just called and said he had the best time today!  He said so many people where happy and I guess he just had a ball entertaining them.  He also picked up four new members from the 50 or 60 that visited.  He did not have any MGRS help so he only had one train running.  But, it did not seem to matter as people were happy with the garden and enjoying rides through the trails.  "God's garden"  Carl called it.  Gunner went with him some times and people loved him and said how nice he was and how good it was for him.  The weather was very nice.  The Garden tour has greeters and guides and provides box lunches.  Next year he will schedule it on our Event Listing as an official MGRS event.  This year he wanted to test it out and he said it turned out very very good!

Thinking about it.

   I am working on a draw bridge. (Today I was painting some of it).   The span is 36 inches x 18 inches.  It is a simple open girder bridge with two 30 inch high supports for each end that are painted grey.  They have metal plates that make contact with the bridge and control power to all 4 rails.  It is also nice and sturdy but the problem is that it is heavy.  I am afraid it will come crashing down and hurt someone.  So what I am thinking about is using a couple "Castle towers" like the ones shown sitting next to the bridge.  With a little modification I think I could turn it all into a working drawbridge that will use counter weights and pulleys to balance the weight of the bridge.  There would be a chain coming out the little windows to the bridge.  Obviously,  the wall would be gone and the catwalk could either stay or go.   I have looked at pictures of draw bridges and there are so many varieties that I am beginning to think why not a castle tower bridge?  I made a quick test with small pulleys that I have and I think it will work.  The main objective  is to make it safe and easy to operate.

Jim Jenkins Open House

 Carl called and said Jim has just scheduled an Open House for August 4th.  Thank you Jim!  Please see the Event Listing for more details.   We had a great time last year and we appreciate your hospitality.

As a reminder please check the Event Listing if you notice the date last updated has changed.  For instance a new group is visiting MGRS from Gorham named "The Inn at the Village" on July 10th.  Also the Veterans will be here in 6 days (June 26th) for their first visit this year.

If you are thinking about hosting an Open House, please do.  All you need to do is coordinate it with Carl.
Thank you!

Keep Cool

Today will be Extra Hot!  Relax, enjoy and try and keep cool.
Click here for refreshing video.









Thanks Tiny

Garden Railroad with Helicopters plus more.

Here is a great G scale Garden Railroad that someone has in Germany.  Good flying demo also.  Looks like fun!

Take a look click here:  

Original California Zephyr Back in Reno

This is from 2007 but shows the original California Zephyr Cars that I believe Scott use to see as a boy in Colorado.  Take a look: Click here

Amtrak Northeast Corridor AEM-7 Cab Ride

Take a high speed ride with a view from the cab.  Click here:

Happy Father's Day

Always fun to browse a catalog.  To view USA click here:






To view Aristo-Craft click here:

Garden Railway Magazine - Free access

Click here for free access to Garden Railway Magazine this weekend.
Note: Received this in email: If looks like it works but I have not checked it out completely. 

2012 Mall Layout Update

 Norm and Carl had discussed adding a couple more diorama squares to the Circus display.  We should have some extra risers left over from last year that we can make use of.  The drawing above shows a 6x3 riser added to the circus display area.  Once the snow blanket is added it will blend together nicely.  

We have another 6x3 riser available if the guys in charge of the Lionel display decide they would also like to expand their area. That would expand each area to approx 10 x6 or  60 sq ft.

 Thank you Mr. Lee.  Tiny says he has visited this museum twice before and that it is a beautiful place.
You can take an on-line look by clicking here:

EagleWings Iron Craft Bridges

Here is an interesting website to explore.    This year Denneth Lee has said that we can use his metal bridges on our new Maine Mall Layout.  The company is called EagleWings Iron Craft. Thank you Tiny!  To take a closer look at their products, Please click here:

Nice Day for an Outing

   Make that a Great Day for an Outing!  A blue sky and a dozen MGRS Members arriving to help out Carl, and an equal number of guests were there to celebrate and enjoy the sights.  Trident, a group of independent seniors from Gorham and Westbrook accompanied by their community sponsors got the grill going and cooked up a wonderful tasting lunch.  Another lady from Gorham Community TV conducted interviews and filmed a segment for upcoming television.

We all had a very good time together as we exchanged ideas and caught up with people and events.  The weather was perfect and the golf carts were exploring all the trails and spotting wildlife.  We also made progress on plans for the Mall as the 20 ft diameter curves have arrived and Tiny brought in his beautiful heavy metal bridges for measurement.

The garden and trains looked very good!  Take a look.  To view a short video please Click here:

Totally New for 2012 - MGRS Layout in the Round

 New Location, New Shape, New Track, but with the same Commitment and Comradery!  Yes,  Have we got something different and exciting to look forward to this year at the Maine Mall!    Our layout is growing. This year we will occupy an overall area approaching 1400 square feet. Trains will look very realistic as they glide around our 200 foot long double main line with impressive 20 ft diameter curves. Our middle elevated line will  itself feature large 10 ft diameter curves and our Level-3 elevated line will use 8 foot curves.  We will virtually be able to run almost any train on any level.
  
 In addition we will have more room for buildings and decorations, bridges, tunnels and even an operating chair lift!   We will have a drawbridge entrance to our new control area.  We hope to feature both new and returning Interactive areas including the popular Lionel, Circus and Thomas displays.  We will be located in an area which actually receives more foot traffic then where we were last year and our goal is to increase  public awareness and interaction with MGRS.


 The Maine Mall is planning to build a  36 ft diameter circular main deck with risers to surround the new Mall tree display at the center of our layout.  This will stand at the same spot where the original "Clock" was located in the middle of what is now named "Garden" Court.  A very appropriately named location for us and one in which the Maine Mall hopes we will return to for many years to come.  So do we!
So, All-aboard, we have a lot to look forward to and prepare for.  Above, please see a copy of diagram recently approved by the MGRS Board of Directors.

Toy Trains, Spaetzle, and Linzer Tortes

More than two dozen MGRS members and their guests braved heavy rains on Saturday to visit the Hartmann Model Railroad Museum in Intervale, New Hampshire.  Hosts Roger and Nelly Hartmann introduced the group to their magnificent museum, then treated us to an excellent Swiss luncheon of pork chops and spaetzle, followed by a linzer torte of almonds and raspberries prepared especially by Nelly.  Roger also shared with us some of his worldwide experience in trains, both real and miniature.

The Hartmann Model Railroad Museum has an unmatched collection of toy trains from the United States and Europe, ranging from Lionel to Bing, and from Marx to Marklin.  Also included in the collection is an 1898 tinplate Marklin set passed down from Roger's grandfather.  The museum features several operating layouts, and contains every scale from Z to Buddy L.  The collection also includes numerous displays of planes, firetrucks, and cars.  Look for more pictures in the next Iron Horse.

A great time was had by all.  Thank you Roger and Nelly for  hosting this wonderful event, and thank you Dick Rubin for bringing us together with the Hartmanns.

Good News

The Maine Veterans have scheduled four visits this summer to MGRS.  Once each during the months of June, July, August and September.  Please see the 2012 Event Listing for the exact days.  They love to come out and visit, have a picnic lunch, enjoy the trains and the garden as well as golf cart rides.  If you have never been to one of their outings please stop by and enjoy it yourself.