Live Steamfest Racing

Check this out - From Denneth Lee in NH. It is part of the Aristo-Craft Forum

Steam Racing Video - click here;

Thanks tiny , very good!

Update on Maine Eastern Train Trip

Thank you to all that voted in the poll. The date for the trip from Brunswick to Rockland, Maine and back will be on Saturday Sept 25, 2010. The voting was going strong and we should have no problem getting enough people for our discounted price, we only need 10 more tickets to qualify. There will be a sign up sheet at the Annual Meeting on July 10, 2010. This will be a great trip and is perfect for us. If you are interested, please make sure you sign up next month. For details please click here:

Note: I deleted the Poll because you cannot edit it once voting has begun. And I found out at the last Directors meeting that the date of Sept 18 is no longer available because there is another MGRS sponsored event planned for that day. The Event Listing has been updated.

Union Pacific Train trapped on bridge

Here is a news story which Denneth lee came across. There is also a video that is attached to the article. Thanks Tiny!
To view story please click here:

Double heading...

If all you have is little locomotives, sometimes you need two to get the job done.

Ben and I each have a "Ruby" Forney that we have built. They are small engines and cannot pull too much around my track. When they work together, they can pull a fairly sizable train.

Here is a little video of them at work. I think this train is more than twice what each can pull by itself.

What keeps a train on the track?

Here is an interesting video I found Watch here:

Here is the explanation I came across - "The inside lip is only a safety device, if it was only thing keeping the train on, wouldnt there be a loud noise all the time right. if you look closely (again) you will see that the actual wheel is sloped, meaning that the circle area on the outer rim is smaller then the circle area on the inside (beside the lip/flange), so whenever a train is going round a corner the momentum makes the train shift either left or right depending on what direction the corner is going. by this shift the wheel on the inside has a smaller distance to travel then the outside which is on a bigger circumference. thus bring the train round the corner without the use of the lips. the train sways to and fro and eventually staightens out again."

Awesome Train!

Canadian Pacific Railway June 8, 2010
GE ES44AC, at MP 79 Heron Bay Sub. Neys, Ontario.

Remarks: One of CP's monster 12000 f.t 110's grinds its way up the ruling Heron Bay sub grade at Neys and the train can be seen over 2 miles away along the steep rock bluffs overlooking Lake Superior.

Downeaster Expansion Impact Report

Link to document:

Picture of a Railroad Drawbridge that we will travel over.

The Maine Eastern trip to Rockland will go across the St. George River Drawbridge shown above in South Warren Maine.

Courtesy of Railpictures.net photo by Vince Hammel Jr.
Remarks: Looking like a model railroad, Maine Eastern FL9 number 488 rolls train 3 across the St George River Draw Bridge on July 11, 2009.

GWRGR in ALASKA

Just finishing an Alaskan trip we started on 5/27 by taking a sleeper on Amtrak Shoreline LTD from Bos to Chicago: than Amtrak Empire Builder to Seattle Wa. From there we went to BC and boarded our Ship the Island Princess for a cruise up her to Anchorage. A couple of photos of a day excursion on the White Pass & Yukon Steam train from Skagway Ak. to White Pass Can.

Quick Test

Can you identify all these scales correctly?

Answer is show inside the red box below - Highlight it with the mouse to see it!

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| Z (1:220), N (1:160), HO (1:87), S (1:64), O (1:48), G(1:25) |
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|Picture of the real EMD F7 (1:1): Click here:

Nice Picture

To view an animated version click here:

Hearing Test

I am very fond of the PCC trolly car from Boston's MTA System. I am hoping Aristo-Craft will release them sometime. So 'hear' are two quick clips that I was looking at.

Clip-1

Clip-2

My question is: What is the person saying that is solar powered at the start of clip-2?
Thanks, John

From John Foley NHGRS

Here is a link www.mssls.info to the Michigan Small Scale Live Steamers.

There are lots of great photos.

John

Tiny; please pass along to the Maine group
------------------------
Thanks guys!

Megaweed!

Anyone have any idea what kind of weed this is? I have never seen anything so invasive. In the past two weeks, it has grown at jack-in-the-beanstalk speed throughout our garden. The flower is white with four petals, less than a quarter-inch across. Leaves grow at joints along a very slender stem. The only thing good about it is that it is easy to pull out. The citizens along the Vaguely Wiscasset & Quebec are becoming more concerned than ever that the VW & Q is doomed to be a branch line.

We are planning a train trip Saturday Sept 25, 2010!

(Click Pictures to enlarge)

Maine Garden Railway Society is planning an outing on Saturday September 25, 2010 to get all the members together that enjoy taking a nice train ride up the coast of Maine while the weather is nice and the tourist activity is quieter. Carl has talked to Maine Eastern and has come up with the following:

We will meet at the new Maine St. Station in Brunswick which was built to extend service for the Downeaster starting this summer. We will leave Brunswick at 10:20 AM and stop briefly at Bath before continuing up the coast line as we travel to Wiscasset and head up to our destination Rockland, Me. A beautiful trip that takes 1 hour and 55 minutes which put us in Rockland at 12:15 just in time for lunch. We have a little over 3 and a half hours to spend in Rockland which is perfect for a nice lunch and site seeing on a beautiful Main Street with lots of interesting shops. There is also the Farnsworth Museum which features 3 generations of famous Maine artists (Wyeth's family) art work. Plus the Rockland Station has food and train souvenirs, plus other interesting things to see. We depart Rockland at 3:55 and enjoy a nice ride back which pulls into Brunswick Station at 5:50PM. There is a snack car on the train and it is a great ride for members to enjoy together. 

Very comfortable and clean and we can guarantee a discount price of $33.60 per person for the round trip. If you bring someone under 16 years old their round trip cost is $18.90  MGRS will need to collect the fares ahead of time as we will be charged by Maine Eastern for the total cost. We have about 40 people who want to go on the trip. 
Thank you and All-aboard for MGRS !

Sorry ~ Discount Tickets Sale has ended.   You are still welcome to join us but you must purchase your own ticket from Maine Central.  

39 People have bought tickets for the trip! We will meet at Brunswick Maine Street Station  between 9:30 and 10am on Saturday Sept 25th.
Photos - Crossing the St. George river Drawbridge - M/E Brochure Cover - Maine Eastern No. 488 At Maine St. Station Brunswick. - No. 488 pulling in for a quick stop at Wiscasset.

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Fire Extra Sent to Quebec

The Winnegance and Quebec has run an extra train this morning to support fire fighters in their efforts to control massive wild fires in the woods around town.

The fires started when campfire sparks landed in tinder dry leaves, according to spokesman. The campers had been staying at an old logging camp well out of town. they had worked hard to stamp out the flames but lack of water in the near by stream made their job nearly hopeless. While no charges were brought against the campers, Oliver LeVesque the town fire warden did give them a strong lecture.

While Winnegance's finest will work with local authorities until the fire is out, John Morse said he thinks they will have little effect on the large fire. "there is just not enough water in the ponds and streams in the area that we can carry to fight the fire. we brought the W&Q's tanker with us as well as our pump truck and will do our best!"

Happy Memorial Day

Military Songs of the Army, Navy, Airforce and Marines

This is a good time to announce that the Maine Veterans return to visit MGRS on Tuesday June 22, 2010. Any member who would enjoy meeting the Vets and enjoy a day with trains, golf-carts and conversation over lunch is encouraged to come and take part in the veterans first visit of the year to Pat and Carl's Overlook Garden Railway in Buxton. Starts about 10:00am and goes to mid afternoon.

Thank you from Polk's Hobby

This is a copy of an email sent by Polks Hobby: A Memorial Day Weekend message from Lewis M. Polk, president of Aristo-Craft Trains and Walter M. Matuch, president of Ready Made Trains/RMT

MEMORIAL DAY

Monday, May 31, 2010

May 21, 2010 Bloomsbury, NJ To All: Every year, the RMT/Ready Made Trains website is updated with a special Memorial Day Tribute to our fallen veterans. I would like to invite all our new ARISTO CRAFT TRAINS friends to view these Memorial Day - 2010 images at... www.readymadetoys.com Thank you to all our veterans and those serving today in our Armed Forces.

Walter M. Matuch

President/Ready Made Trains, LLC

A nice looking Memorial Day Train

This picture was taken in 2009 as Train # 311 pulls out of Alexandria, Virginia on a nice Friday evening before Memorial Day with a GP39 in the lead, pulling former Metra Galley coaches, and a Gallery cab bringing up the rear.

Item for Sale ~ Please Note these are old items and may no longer be available~ Thank you.

I am selling a 1:20.3 Accucraft 3 cylinder Shay.
http://www.accucraft.com/index.php?show_aux_page=36
The shay was to be a 7/8th conversion but I have
moved on to other plans. The loco has a "steam" RCS remote control system
installed and also a Dalliee sound system. (for whistle and bell sound).
Very limited run time. The loco is big enough to be converted to a very convincing
shay for your logging railroad.

I am asking $1600 USD plus shipping.

John Foley

John Foley is VP of NHGRS You can find his contact info on the NHGRS web site which can be found about half way down the left hand side of the Blog.