Happy St. Patrick's Day

Seniors Travel Irish Rail for Free

On St. Patrick's Day, Tourism Ireland launched a brand new rail offer called the Golden Trekker program. This new opportunity allows senior visitors to Ireland to travel across the country by rail for free.

MGRS Spring Luncheon Meeting

 I had fun, I hope everyone that went enjoyed themselves!  The food was good, the desserts were a real treat and I loved the soft serve ice cream cone at the break!

Well done guys, it was a very good meeting.  We had the nice function room reserved just for us. I did not count the people but the room was completely full.  For a large group eating together, the buffet is the way to do it.  It works out very well that way.




 We had a nice business meeting.  We are in a good financial position.  A delegation of four (Carl, Terry, Mac and Scott) are headed to the ECLSTS  with an appropriation of a thousand dollars to spend for the Club on operating equipment for the Mall display.   Carl announced the appreciation that the Mall has for us and the fact that they consider MGRS a permanent partner and integral part of the Malls Holiday Season.  So we are definitely going back but we may have to relocate to the Garden Court.  (Known to the old timers as where the "Big Clock" used to be).

After the lunch and the business meeting, Jeff Jacobs assisted by his wife presented an excellent slide show on the British rail system.  The history and construction of the viaducts and related stories of his recent rail travel adventures in 2013 across Briton was very interesting and very well done.  Thank you Jeff!

Thanks to the many who attended and especially those that drove long distances to get here!
Happy garden railroading!

Thank you Andy

 I forgot to mention it was also "pin day".   Andy brought the Year-4  Mall attendance pins in and Terry passed them out at the luncheon.  Carl has them and I know you can pick yours up at the Annual Extravaganza or sooner if you give him a call.  I showed mine to Gigi when I got home and she thought they looked very nice!

Shout out to Bill & Robin

 Look what I found,  a great picture of two of our favorite "long distance" members from Cape Cod.  We hope all is well with you both and you are looking forward to Spring and the start of a great year of enjoying trains.  For those that do not know, Bill has made great videos of the Mall train display every year since it began.  I remember last  year when he brought in a stack of trains over 6 feet tall to run for the weekend they came up to visit.

Quick Update:  Did not get a chance to talk much, but saw you both at the Spring Luncheon.  You look great and thank you for driving all the way up to Maine to join us.  Go Sox!

Today Sunday March 16th ~ MGRS Spring Luncheon & Meeting.

Note: Outside entrance only.

The date is Sunday March 16, 2014.  The location is the HomeTown Buffet  located off Exit 45 at the Main Mall in South Portland.   And the time is 1:00PM.  MGRS has a private room reserved so be sure you say you our with the "Train Group".   Our price is $13.25 which covers everything including all taxes and gratuities.  You choose exactly what you want from an extensive buffet menu and go back as often as you like.  Also a wide selection of desserts and non-alcoholic beverages.

Plus, we have an interesting meeting and speaker planned.  Jeff Jacobs has spent time in England studying some of the amazing railway structures which dot the British countryside.  Jeff has put together a presentation with emphasis placed on the Viaducts.  The title is "Riding the British rails, Jeff Jacobs 2013 visit to England".
.

 Scott will also have his new PIKO engine on display.  It is also expected that Carl will bring some club vests to the meeting which will be available to purchase.  Plus,  Andy plans to bring the pins of appreciation for last years Maine Mall display.  Please plan to attend.  There will be plenty to discuss including upcoming events.   It is a great way to start off a new year of enjoying a great hobby together.

Click on map
for detail directions.

MGRS Spring Luncheon & Meeting is Today!

  A beautiful day to meet to enjoy a great afternoon together.  If you need maps or more information please click here.   
We will meet at the HomeTown Buffet at 1:pm.  Hope to see you there!

MGR Michigan Garden Railway

 Opened in July 2008 and expanded in 2010, the Castle Farms Garden Railroad is one of the largest model railroad layouts in Michigan. 

Link to their Website: Click Here


Watch a video of the Trains

Here is another one: Click here

Power and Precision

Raw cockpit footage taken during a Blue Angels Air Show.   
  Click here to watch:

I know, I know, but this IS worth watching!

Getting in the Mood

  This is a great picture!  It came off a website  from a man that builds the lighthouses.  They are beautiful but expensive.  Sorry, I lost track of the site's address but the picture put me in the mood to start planning for spring and my own layout.  So far all I have done is buy 5 packets of different colorful flowers seeds.  But just that made me feel good!  I would like lots of bright flowers this year.   I am about to buy some spring bulbs.  They always come up good, and are easy to do.  I wish they last a little longer but they do get you off to a good start.   I have not had much luck planting roots but bulbs seem to do well.  Gigi does a great job on our deck with hanging plants and pots and container plants.  It really is something to look forward to,  here's hoping you are too!

Update:  Thanks Tiny ~ Here is the website:  http://www.americanlawnlights.com/   He has the Nubble Light, it is beautiful.  To nice to bring into the Mall (my opinion)  You can get a cheap substitute at Christmas Tree but you do get what you pay for.   I bought one last year and I liked the look of it out by the water garden. The solar light came on at night and drove me crazy!  luckily it did stop working in about a week. 

From Paul Smith in Florida

Hi John!

Greetings from Fort Myers Florida! A couple of weeks ago, a friend down here took Brenda and I over to the Shell Point retirement community which is just a couple of miles from our new winter home here at Palmetto Palms. We had lunch there and then he took us to the model railroad layout that they have within the complex. It is in HO scale and the layout is shaped like the State of Florida and features key geographical areas of the State through "selective compression". I wanted to go back and take some pictures to send to you for the blog, but the link below goes to their web site and does a much better job than I could do of capturing the layout. They didn't have any large scale trains, but they did have a small display showing N, HO, S, and O scales.

Paul

http://www.shellpoint.org/trainroom/

Note:  Click on link above and be sure to play the video.
 

Boston Trolley Derails in Tunnel

     

Hey that is not supposed to happen.  Luckily, I do not think there were any serious injuries.  Near Fenway Park in Boston.
Read the story here:

Portland Flower Show photos 2014

Take a look at the display photos direct from their website:

  Click here to view:

Time to make a change

Daylight Savings Time Begins this Weekend.
Turn your clocks ahead one hour on Saturday night ~

Thousands of Trains!

Link to ECLSTS   Click here:       

Coming up at the end of March 5 days after the Spring Meeting. 

Day and Night ~ The Salt Boat

Tiny sent me this, pretty cool.  You know it's winter when boat loads of salt arrive and are unloaded in Portsmouth, Maine.   These came from the Bridge cam website.  http://www.portsmouthwebcam.com/tugboats

Railroad for sale

Thanks to Dennis for finding this.  Always fun to see what a house and railroad costs.  This is the video the sales person  made.  See video below. Click on image to watch.

  Jan 26, 2014

Video Tour of 18055 SW Seiffert Rd Sherwood Oregon If you love trains then this railroad home for sale  with it’s own railroad might just be the perfect dream home for you and  your train collection.

The home at 18055 SW Seiffert Rd in  Sherwood Oregon sits on 19 plus acres and features a miniature railroad  that winds around the property. The home is listed for 3.5 million  dollars which is estimated to be about half the cost of what it would  currently take to build this railroad estate.

Portland Flower Show heading into its 17th year

Very nice article sent in by Richard Young.
Please click here to read:

Flower Show Update from Rich Young

Big weekend getting the Flower Show set up!!

Fellow MGRS member Chris Libby stopped by to check in on the progress.

We ended up laying 2 8" blocks on top of each other, which the track will lay on.  We are only allowed 15 yards of mulch and I think we are getting to the end of our allotment.

The stream is running and the bridges are in place.  I ran one train around the track a few times, much to the amusement of all the other exhibitors.

Opening Night is Wednesday and is open to the general public Thursday through Sunday.

If anyone wants to come and run trains and talk to the public, please send me an email.  richyoung2@gmail.com

I am also looking to see if anyone has a Thomas the Tank train set.  I'd rather not purchase a train I am never going to use.

Today, all of the colorful plants will be placed!  I will be taking more pictures.

Attached are 2 pictures.  

Hope to see you there!!  Think Spring!!

Rich

http://portlandcompany.com/flower/

Jan - Feb Iron Horse Newsletter is available on-line

Thank you Art ~  We do love our Newsletter.  Art wanted to remind us all the up coming Spring Luncheon is just 2 weeks away and that our cost per person for MGRS is actually  $13.25 which does cover all tax and gratuities.  
 

Train Auction

Tiny keeps us up on the auctions events. http://www.jwauctionco.com/toytrain.htm 

Next one is in April, Looks like all O gauge.
 Here is a link to the Photos: Click here