All Set ~ Looking Good ~ Smoking Good

   The BR-64 stop over is creating big excitement in Littleville Falls.   Thank you Scott.

   Note:  Compared to posting on UTube  same video  but looks better.

Smoke testing

   If you buy a new expensive engine. . .do not leave it at my house.   I might start fiddling with it.
Scott's new BR-64 ran great but somehow we could not get the smoke unit to go.  Anyway, Scott insisted I try it out for a while.  I did not tell him what happened but he will be glad to see this video and see what a "ball of fire" it turned out to be!   I guess PIKO really does know how to make things smoke!  Check it out below:

The smoke unit works great!  There is a switch behind the front cover plate which must be on.  Be liberal with the smoke fluid.  I used a straw which I put in the bottle and placed my finger on the top.  That gave me plenty of fluid without spilling it.  There is enough slack in the connecting wire so I was able to place the unit in a separate dish for testing,   I wanted to make sure it was not  leaking.

More PIKO owners

Honest, I am not promoting PIKO for any reason.  But, I know other members have gone right after the chance to buy the new PIKO offerings.  One is Tiny, he brought his new Canadian National 7470 steam engine and train to the Mall last year.  It looked and sounded great!  I caught it on the video I took that day.  You can see it close up and in the background views at 1:00 and 2:00 mins.

In fact it feels good to see the clips from just a couple of months ago.  The Mall layout and trains really do look good.  Click here to watch:

Scott's new BR 64 from PIKO

  Scott loves his G scale European styled locomotives.  Especially the big steam engines LGB has produced.  Well now a new G scale leader is emerging and becoming very popular here in America.  It is PIKO which also manufactures its products in Germany.  Carl Churchill is a PIKO dealer and Scott got his new BR 64 a short time ago.  I was lucky enough to have Scott bring it over to my layout for its first run around my indoor loop.  It ran great.  What a beautiful engine! It looks good pulling those European coaches which Scott found and told us about last year. The quick video does not do it justice but take a look:  Click here:

Thank you Scott!  I love the pictures of the real engine, you can hardly tell the difference.

The folks at Littleville Falls RR, say "Hello"  to the BR 64 engineer.

Chicago's Station Magical Piano

This is pretty clever.  Amtrak had something to do with setting this up in Chicago's Union Station.  Take a look, Enjoy Click here: 

Trans Europe Express (G scale and Actual)

 Here is a set of videos I found from Germany that show the TEE.  The link will take you (I think) to video 16-of-33.  I watched 16,17,18 and 19.   They show a model railway Club, A Train Show and the actual train itself plus I assume many other videos.  I thought they were interesting.  To take a look click here:

 (2/7)  I looked at the remainder of these. All are good but especially liked #2 for detail of lighted interior and sound system,  #5 for Smoke.  "For the real train" #20 shows interior of cars and cab, and #27 for great views of a long train and the countryside.  Only a couple I skipped through and didn't like.  I can see why this is such a popular train and PIKO did a great job of reproducing it in G scale.

ECLS Train show preview

OK, not exactly.  But it is a very good recap of Vendors, Clubs, and Items  from a previous show. Next months 2014 Show will likely cover many of the same things.  To take a look:  Please Click here:

PIKO Catalog

Always fun to look at a train catalog!  Especially on a snowy day.

This is from July 2013.  To view please click here:

Here is another interesting video I found.  I also noted that I had been pronouncing 'PIKO' incorrectly.  At least according to these fellows, and they should know. (One of them is the president of PIKO).  Take a listen click here:  

Note from a Good Friend . .

We received the following email from Ernie Tarbox to pass along .

         Hello One and All ,

  Spoke to Norm to night and found out he had a close one. His only kidney shutdown and after a few minutes in the ER,like ten,he was off to the OR.

He's home resting and getting better! So,please pass the word and if you can give him a call. I can't start to say how much Norm does for us all.

   Thank you

Best wishes from us all Norm!

PIKO BR 64

  I know at least one member that has ordered this beautiful new engine from Carl that PIKO is rolling out.  What a beautiful big locomotive!  It is an exact reproduction of the real item. Here is the link if you are interested.  Click here:   You might have to hit translate as it is printed in German.  

  Carl ran some PIKO engines at the Maine Mall.  Not only are they very well detailed, they run beautifully!
The quality and performance to me is just as high as LGB.  I cannot wait for this years show, I hope to get a chance to see this one in operation!

Happy Groundhog Day ~ See what happened

 . .  Click here:

Headed this way . . .

Portland Flower Show in March 2014

More on the Flower Show to come.

Also headed this way in just 2 weeks:
Whitefield Lions Club 
Model Railroad and Dollhouse Show 

  Here is the link Click here:

Update on Vests, Pins, and MGRS Spring Luncheon at TOP of Blog.

Our best to Walter for a speedy recovery!

Walter stepped on a piece of wire that pushed up into his foot.  He could not feel it and it became very infected and he has been in the hospital since Saturday.  He has been operated on to have it removed.  Today he will have another surgery to repair the damaged area.  He hopes to go home tomorrow.  He sounded very good on the phone and we all wish him the absolute best recovery and a quick return back home.  
Update~ Walter called Carl, he came home as scheduled.  Feeling well and resting.  

The Clayton Tunnel

I like tunnel portals and castles so this was a natural for me.   Take a look at the interesting story of the Clayton tunnel.  Click here:

Interesting Links

These came off the NETC website:  Take a look click here.

The Great Northern New England Train Show

Coming up on Saturday, Feb 22, 2014

 Sent to us by Tiny:  For info on all the details, Click here:

Amherst Society Train Show Jan 25th

  Video from this years show just completed:  Click here to watch.

If you missed the show here is a recap.  I know some of our members were there.  Dick Rubin also had his big State of Maine train running.   I recognized it in another video where Ralph set up a large display for Great Falls.   To see it please click here:   Good job guys, that must have been a lot of work. 

MGRS Board of Directors

click on image

In recognition of our Board of Directors

Possible Desktop

Click once on image.  I thought it was kind of neat.

The Arctic Circle Express

I know we think we live in the Arctic Circle some of the time but I just watched a really good show on the same subject.  Chan 10 had  a excellent show titled The Northern Railway: A Journey Across the Arctic Circle.
Traveling nearly 500 miles on Norway's Northern Railway, from Trondheim, across the Arctic Circle, to Bodo on the Atlantic coast.  It is not the same train ride but  I found a link that is similar.  Click here: