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.

Concept Bridge

     I  love to spend time drawing out thoughts about how something could work.  Most of the stuff I never actually build, but it's a lot of fun to think about.  In the past I have suggested a drawbridge, one that was large enough to walk through plus it would have to cut off the power on either side while the bridge was up. Of course I was thinking about the Mall layout.  The bridge would provide access to our control area within the layout.  The one in the drawing is 3 feet long and is open on the top to provide easy access to the track.  The bridge is wide enough for our double main line.   It has it own support legs that fit under the lip of the Mall platform.  They would be secured by screws to hold in place and used to align the bridge when lowered.

   Power would feed to a bridge support and be wired to a small metal bracket.  Another metal bracket on the lip of the bridge would make contact with it when the bridge was lowered and complete the circuit.
You would place a track insulator (plastic rail joiner) as far back on either side of the bridge as you wanted to control.   Maybe ten feet in each direction.  When you raised the bridge, the electrical contact would be broken and the power shut off to the control area. The hinges could be used to conduct power across the gap in the rails.   Or one nice piano hinge by itself and loop the connecting wires under the bridge.

 The fun of a concept drawing is that it lets you visualize your ideas without building anything and it helps you think of better ways to do something.  Plus in my case it provides lots of entertainment.  One of the nice features of our hobby is simply thinking about things that we might do some day.

No wrong way

The best thing about garden railroads is there are many ways to build it.  If you like it, it is the right way.  Here is a picture of one that uses concrete to make roadbed that changes elevation.

   

Small Town Celebration

Typical of towns across the Nation.  Please click here to see Falmouth High School Band play "Stars and Stripes Forever"
From 2012 Memorial Day Parade.
MGRS joins many others in paying tribute to all who served in the United States Military.

A Memorial Day message from Santa

As you know Santa does have a special place in his heart for our veterans.  MGRS received this email and wishes to share it:  

To Carl and to all . . . .  A peaceful Memorial Day.
Santa

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!   Saying a prayer for all our Men and Women in Uniform.

"Celebrate America" will be taping in New Orleans this year!  I want to leave you with this video to honor our Veterans.  Celebrate America  Here is a nice video I put together for hospitalized children, I hope you enjoy. lullaby  May God Bless You, Tim Janis Thank you, Forwarded to us by Dave and Valerie Chnupa

The un-official start of Summer

  Happy Memorial Day Weekend to all.  Many of us feel it is the start of the Summer season.  Maybe even a summer to do some traveling, who knows.  Here is a video ad by America by Rail - The best way to see America.  Yes, it is an advertisement and No, I am not promoting it, just found it on You-Tube but I could relate to it.    Click here to view:

Aristo-Craft Newsletter

Here is a link to Aristo-Craft Newsletter (Advertisement) .  If interested Click here:

Downeaster in Freeport

Nice picture from the Forcaster of the Downeaster in Freeport Maine for recent cermonies.

Click here for a summary of all the stations on the Downeaster schedule.  You can then check out the stop(s) that interest you.

Coming up on June 8th

Gorham Youth Group will be visiting MGRS at Carl's on Friday June 8th.  This will be a good chance to help out Carl if you can. Please call him for more info.  Thank you.

Amtrak's Train Ceremonies.

Videos from yesterdays ceremonies of arrival of Downeaster in Brunswick.
Clip-1       and   Clip-2

This is an older video, but it gives you an idea of what the 40th year anniversary train was like.  Please Click here:

Amtrak Dedication Ceremony - Today

click to view larger copy

From Maine Garden Railway Society

PIKO - Now at Carl's

Stopped by Carl's to get some SplitJaws and I noticed how he is really getting into PIKO.  Snapped a picture of a new Amtrak.

Want to Save some Money $$

First of all, Happy Train Day to everyone.  I do not usually post non train related material, but this is something we all (or a relative) can benefit from.   Thanks go to my wife for finding this:  Please click here:


Note:  Our own Mark Stephens  'The Brewster Inn' also offers a 10 percent discount to MGRS members.  (The only exception is the Strawberry Room).

Hudson for Sale

For sale, hudson steam engine,  battery powered,  air wire g2,  phoenix p8 sound, $1,000.

Going to sell my Hudson.....the one I ran at the Milford show. $1000....

Thanks,  Larry lvmosher@gmail.com

Source: Denneth Lee NHGRS

Hobo R.R. Celebrates National Train Day

Hobo Railroad Celebrates National Train Day
May 12, 2012

On May 10, 1869, in Promontory Summit, Utah, the last spike of the transcontinental railroad was driven into the ground that joined 1,776 miles of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railways. This Golden Spike represented the beginning of more than 100 years of railroading and forever transforming the face and character of America.

You are cordially invited to join New Hampshire Department of Transportation Commissioner Chris Clement, District One Executive Councilor Ray Burton and others at a ceremony in recognition of "National Train Day" on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at the Hobo Railroad, 64 Railroad Street, Lincoln, NH.

Festivities begin at 10:30 AM with coffee and treats. At 11:00 AM, listen to the following speakers discuss the past, present, and future of railroading in New Hampshire:

Benjamin Clark, Owner of the Hobo Railroad
Chris Clement, Commissioner, NH Department of Transportation
Peter Thompson, Coordinator, NH Highway Safety Agency
Thomas Mahon, Chair, NH Rail Transit Authority
Edward Foley, General Manager, St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad

There will also be tours of the state-owned Historical Train, "Flying Yankee" to follow. Please join us to celebrate National Train Day 2012.


Source: Denneth Lee NHGRS