MGRS Trailer Update - Ready for Prime Time at the Outing on July 15th!

The trailer will be appearing at the Annual Outing in Buxton on July 15th. In addition to the large decals on the outside, the interior has new shelving that holds our Garden Railway equipment. Terry planned this project, and Sam helped him set it up. Terry is getting more bungie cords to secure the equipment. At the Outing  we will pick up the additional totes still at Carl's. Then some of the boxes can go into them for easier handling.

Next Stop Mill Field Festival in North Berwick on August 19th!!!

Shelf Test Fit Before Unloaind

Shelves Installed and Attached to the Walls

Trailer Reloaded

MGRS Operating Display at the Mill Field Festival in North Berwick on August 19

In addition to layout visits during the summer, MGRS is returning again to the Mill Field Festival in North Berwick on Saturday, August 19th. This is another chance for members to get together and have fun with other members and Festival visitors!!

The 16' x 32' outdoor layout will have a town and country railroad along with Thomas, Percy, and a trolley line. Many other fun activities and lots of food. Mill Field is located at the intersection of Main St and Market St. For GPS please use the Fire Department, 14 Market St., North Berwick, ME 03906. Here is a link to the flyer

 Mill Field Festival Flyer

Here are pictures from last year's event

Four Layouts to Visit This Summer

Members and families are invited to visit four layouts this summer. This is a chance to talk to other members, run some trains and learn more about “motion in the garden”. Visits will run from 1-4 pm.

     August 5, Jim & Ann Jenkins, 11 Adler Drive, Gray, ME 04039.  Please bring trains to run, and a chair if you want to.

A & J Railroad

August 26, Doug Johnson, 8 Lawn Ave, Gorham, ME 04038, 207-839-2046. Doug is building a second layout with a pond, waterfall, and cog railway.

Doug Johnson's New Layout

    September 9, Scott & Kris Gould, 25 Hunts Point Road, Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107, 207-799-9799

Aberdarion Station

·      September 16, Terry & Sue Norton, 1957 State Road, Eliot, ME  03093, 207-748-3009. Terry and Sue are adding buildings and Moxie rolling stock.

Moxie at Cash Corner

You are invited to the MGRS 16th Annual Open House and Business Meeting on Saturday, July 15th

MGRS members and families are invited to our largest get together of the year on July 15 from 10am to 4pm at Carl & Pat Churchill’s at 82 Carll Road in Buxton. Come to visit your friends and meet new ones

The club will provide hot dogs, hamburgers, drinks, ice, plates and utensils Please bring a side dish, salad, or dessert to share. Dennis Farrell will be our grill master.

The fun begins at 10am when you get your tickets for the door prize, 50/50 raffle and the 2^nd Railroad Quilt Auction (thanks to Sue Hoffman!). Lunch will be at Noon with the Annual Meeting at 1pm. The quilt drawing and charity auction will follow at 2pm.

Please bring items for the auction. And if you can, please volunteer to help with setup on Friday July 14 at 9am by contacting Sam Carr at 865-4467. The setup committee includes Frank Howard, Mary Garland, David Blue, Grace Miller, Sue Hoffman, Sam Carr, and Ben Braithwaite

MGRS Mobile Advertising

Here is a picture of Terry's truck. He is having fun advertising for MGRS with magnetic signs on his truck. Folks have talked to him about it and mentioned the Holiday Train Display.

For Sale - American Flyer 4730A Nickel Plate Switcher Train Set

This complete set includes the engine, cars, track, transformer and a number of original boxes. Run only at Christmas for about 10 years. List and description available. Price $350. Cash. Call 929-6335 evenings

Thanks for MGRS Participation in STRIVE Rocks

MGRS participated in Strive Rocks this past March and made a donation to the program. Strive serves tweens, teens and young adults with intellectual & emotional disabilities. For more information or to donate please visit https://www.pslstrive.org/

The STRIVE program of PSL Services is designed to address the many issues faced by tweens, teens, and young adults (ages 11-24) with developmental disabilities. Areas that we focus on include: improving fundamental academic skills, developing leadership potential, improving economic opportunities through continuing education, enhancing or upgrading work skills, integrating literary and social skills into occupational/vocational opportunities, fostering career opportunities through education and training, and promoting peer support for parents and siblings of this young population.

We received two notes of thanks.

Dear Maine Garden Railroad Society,
Thanks for your time and model building talents at STRIVE Rocks 2017!. Thanks to your help we raised over 86K during the weekend, enough to fund our next 12 months of programming for young adults with disabilities.
-STRIVE-

Dear Maine Garden Railway Society,
STRIVE would like to thank you for your donation of $500 toward ours programs. We have earmarked it as a STRIVE Rocks 2018 sponsorship and will be sure to include the MGRS logo on all event materials. In the meantime, rest assured that the dollars are being used for a great casue - on field trips, class materials to help students learn or succeed at wor, and morE1

Thank you,
STRIVE Rocks & STRIVE
Eben, Nick, Ryan, Pete, Stefanie, Chadd, Michaila, Betsy M.

Military Model Train Video from Togus

This video was taken at the Togus VA Medical Center in May 2017. Click on the link to see the video.


Military Model Train

The Challenger locomotive is pulling WWII vehicles including a canvas-topped Truck, Sherman Tanks, a Half-Track, Jeeps, and a variety of military rolling stock

G-Scale Trains at the Moxie Festival on July 8 in Lisbon Falls

There will be G-Scale trains at the Moxie Festival in Lisbon Falls on July 8.  The indoor space is 10' x 20' so the layout will be about 8' x 14' to allow space to walk around on 3 sides.  It will also be simple because the setup time is 6:30 to 8 am with operation from 8 am to 4 pm. Information about the Moxie Festival on July 7-8-9 can be found at http://moxiefestival.com/  The Moxie Congress will visit and hold their annual business meeting at  Seashore Trolley Musuem on Sunday, July 9. For details please visit https://trolleymuseum.org/event/moxie-day-seashore-trolley-museum/

The idea is to run rolling stock related to Moxie and other beverages. The likely trains are

G-Scale RC Cola Train with Moxie "Trailer on a Flat Car", Coca-Cola and Poland Springs water cars.

G-Scale Trolley on back and forth line

O-Scale Coca-Cola Train with Coke engine/caboose, Tab, Fanta, Sprite and Moxie cars

Here is the trial layout. Anyone interested in joining the fun can contact Sam at 865-4467.

Winterization Project on the Bagley Mountain Railroad -** Nursery Info added on 6/6/17**

Paul Smith sent in this information about protecting the live trees on his layout. His notes and photos speak for themselves.

The plants came from Iseli Nursery, http://www.iselinursery.com/  A local nursery special ordered the plant from them

Last year (fall of 2015) I put a burlap “shield” on the northwest side of my Jeans Dilly trees to protect them from the prevailing winter winds. That didn’t seem to help as I had those brown limbs on the trees the following spring. This photo was taken October 2015.

October 2015 Barrier

Last winter, I came home from Florida in the spring and inspected my plantings in the railway to see how they did. It was a low snow year, so there wasn’t much shelter from the winter weather. My south facing hillside which my tunnel runs through is covered with Jeans Dilly tress with a couple Pixie Dust interspersed. I found that I had some browning of the Jeans Dilly trees, but the Pixie Dust trees did fine. I didn’t know if it was the lack of snow that contributed to the dead limbs or sun exposure as the sun reflected off the low volume of snow and then hit the trees. So, last fall I set up a burlap “screen” on the south side of that hill to shield the trees from direct exposure to the sun. Of course we also had a much larger amount of snow this past winter. However, upon my arrival back home a couple weeks ago, I found all of those trees in good shape. Here is a photo of the shield that I made using a metal frame with burlap attached to it using clothespins.

 

Winter 2016 Barrier

MGRS at Topsham

John Middleton, representing Maine Garden Railroad Society, took his “G”” scale ‘TimeSaver’ modular layout to the Spring Model Railroad Show sponsored by Great Falls Model Railroad Club.
The ‘TimeSaver” was operated from 10 AM to 3 PM  for several interested visitors.
We had at least four persons who actual got to move a car or two to its destination.
And there were a few inquiries about MGRS and “G” scale.
Almost everyone that came to the show, including Terry Norton, at least got a look at the layout.
John wants to thank member Ben Braithwaite for providing transportation for the layout from Kennebunkport to Mt. Ararat High School, Topsham, and back.
And thanks to members Art Shean, Scott Gould, Doug Johnson and Ben for your assistance in setting up, during the Show and at take down.

Australian Hobby Store Ad - Model Dockyard Melbourne - thanks to Gary Newton

I recently came across this old ad for the Model Dockyard Melbourne, I went there many many times, they had everything in Models, trains cars and tools, taps and dies and model planes & boats downstairs. Now well gone and there is still nothing like it.

 

Fun to note that the "Transformer" is described as "for driving your Models from the electric light socket"...

TRAILER

Just got the trailer back from SIGNARAMA

Neville Lewis G-Scale Items for Sale

Neville Lewis has engines and rolling stock for Sale. He also has track for $2 per foot and electric switches with controllers for $25. There are vehicles and accessories. LGB and USA Trains boxes are available for free.

Bachmann

Black Pardee & Curtin Lumber Company Shay Locomotive #11, battery power, $150

LGB

2017 Green “LGB” 0-4-0 Green team locomotive and powered tender $200

2018-D Green & red 2-6-0 D.S.P.&P.R.R. Steam Locomotive & Tender $200

2085-D Green 0-6-6-0 Hanomar Steam Locomotive & powered tender $500

4011 Orange OEG work car with six opening hatches $25 (goes with 4042)

4024 Brown low sides gondola with scrap barrel load $35

4042 Yellow work car with crane $30 (goes with 4011 &41210)

4059 Gray Express flatcar with yellow rails & two Mercedes sedans $35

4060 Red Southern Pacific stake car with log load $35

4051 Gray depressed center flatcar with green Trafo Union Generator $70

4061 Red Southern Pacific flatcar with sides and steel load $35

4071 Green Railway Express Agency Refrigerator Car $40

41210 Green low side gondola with doors and sand load $25 (goes with 4042)

76826 Brown high side gondola with doors $35

992015 Black & red 0-4-0 Steam Locomotive $125

USA Trains

R19041B2 Brown Westside Lumber Co #11 boxcar $35

Set of Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Rolling Stock $40 each or set for $150

            #84 Green boxcar (R-1923)

            #86 Green boxcar (R-1924)

            #96 Red Boxcar

            #324 Stake car with log load

            #558 Red caboose

Please contact Neville about items you like or to set up a visit to see them. He can be reached at 207-354-8055 (home), 207-650-3510 (cell), or email barometershop@roadrunner.com. Directions and a map can be found athttp://www.barometershop.net/directions.htm . He will also have a table at the Mt. Ararat show in Topsham on April 29.

MGRS Spring Meeting Results

The Spring Meeting was held at the Hometown Buffet at the Maine Mall at 1pm on Sunday, March 19th

Strive Donation: The Strive attendees enjoyed the MGRS train display, and we will be returning next year. A donation of $500 to Strive was proposed. This will get the MGRS logo on the 600 T-shirts and other items made for STRIVE ROCKS 2018. The donation was approved

Club Trailer Graphics: Our trailer was used for the first time at the Strive Rocks Events. This coming week it will have MGRS graphics put on. Here is how it will look

Side of Trailer

Back of Trailer

Maine Veterans Home Donation: A donation of $1,000 was proposed and approved.

July Annual Meeting on Saturday July 15th. 
--Food will be potluck and you need to bring a dish or food to share
--Beverages will be provided by the Club
--Donations are needed for the auction
--Raffle will be another quilt that Sue is going to make
--Setup will be on Friday, July 14 and help is needed
--Setup Committee includes Frank Howard, Mary Garland, David Blue, Grace Miller, Sue Hoffman (quilt), Sam Carr, and Ben Braithwaite

MGRS Display at Mt. Ararat Show on April 29 from 10am-3pm - please visit us
--The show is at the Mt. Ararat High School Gym, 73 Eagles Way, Topsham, Maine 04086
--Space at this show was approved. Sam has sent in the application including electricity.
--Display will be John Middleton's timesaver layout
--Location requested is next to Neville Lewis' Sale Table
--Friday 4/28 John and Ben bring the display from Kennebunkport to Topsham. Setup begins at 4pm.
--Saturday 4/29 show hours are 10am-3pm. Bill Goodrich will cover 10am-1pm, and Scott Gould       from Noon-3pm. John and Ben will be there all day/ Doug Johnson and Art Shean may be there
--Saturday 4/29 3pm display will be taken down and returned to Kennebunkport.

East Coast Large Scale Train Show on March 24-25
--Terry, Norm and Carl will be attending
--For the club they will be looking for Amtrak passenger cars and a steam locomotive
--If you want them to look for something, please let them know

Bachmann 4-6-0 Steam Engine Upgrade
--Terry told us how to replace the chassis on this engine that some members have
--The old chassis has plastic gears. The new one has steel gears
--You only need to take out 4 screws to replace the chassis. It includes the lower body, gears and wheels.
--A new chassis can be bought from the Bachmann Web site.
   1. Browse to Bachmanntrains.com and
   2.  click on "Parts, Service and Information".
   3. Then click on Order Parts and on Large Scale Parts. 
   4.When the locomotives pictures appear, click on 4-6-0 Standard and then on 4-6-0-Shells-and-Chassis. Select and order the model number that matches your engine or set.

Summer 2017 Open Houses
--Doug Johnson proposed that we start holding open houses again to get members together and     recruit the new members we need. They should be in June, July (Annual Meeting), August and September. He offered to hold an Open House at the end of August when his layout upgrade will be complete
--Terry Norton said he will host an Open House
--Sam will check with other members who are interested
--The idea may be more of a layout visit so people can get together. The host can serve refreshments but a meal is optional
--Members bringing trains to run could be an option
--Sam is looking at having a small display at the Moxie Festival in Lisbon Falls on July 7-8-9. John Middleton mentioned that the Moxie Congress is meeting at Seashore Trolley Museum on July 9

Mall Display Feedback: The members at the meeting were asked for positive and negative comments about the 2016 Train Display at the Maine Mall. Here they are

--Protection from little fingers

--Single level – see the whole thing

--Need white/snow

--Need more operators to help – 2 people at a time; setup and teardown had enough people

--May need more than 2 people at a time if we are in a storefront – kids will hang out

--Mall asked if we could do 2 layouts in 2017 – we said no

--Fought to get signs and we got one – at the wrong end

--Layout blocked from main aisle by Christmas Trees; some people could not find us

--Need benches for people to sit on

--Protection for the layout could be rolls of automotive plastics with rubber edge on top OR reject sheets from CYR fabricators in Sanford. Mike is willing to work on the plastic edges

--Put Thomas (9” high in 2016) up on same level as Main Platform (30”)

--Run Thomas in place of Circus Train; Circus Train can run on Thursdays when Norm and Andy come in

--Thomas fencing is good

--Passenger cars need some figures in the seats; kids noticed they are empty

--Many thanks to Ben for his many shifts, willingness to come in, and getting parents to take pictures of their kids holding Thomas or Percy

G Scale Price Guide from Charles Ro Supply

Charles Ro Supply has a G Scale Price Guide on their web site. You can view it at

 http://www.charlesro.com/pdf/gscale.pdf

In addition to product information, the last several pages list

Bachmann brass track and switches
Split Jaw rail clamps
LGB Track and switches
USA Track, Switches, and Wheel sets
Kadee Couplers


You can sign up to have it sent to you by email or U.S. Mail. Just call Customer Service  at 800-225-4424 or 4425 and ask

MGRS supporting STRIVE

Great day at the Cross Arena in Portland.
I arrived at the doors at 0645 and was soon joined by Paul Corbett, Ben Braithwaite, and Sam Carr with his son Sam. Setup started at 0700 and during construction we were joined by Carl with Brian , Dennis Farrell and Mike Curry.
Operations started before 1000 and John Middleton came in soon thereafter.
There was a petting zoo and costumed individuals. Miss Maine was there with Miss Teen Maine.

Spring Meeting Come Early for Lunch and Discount

Two things about our Spring Meeting at 1 pm on March 19

Please plan to come early to eat lunch. That way you will not be stuck waiting in line during the meeting.

If you mention that you are with the Maine Garden Railway Society, you should receive a discount on your meal.

Hamster Powered G-Scale Model Railway

Here is a neat video courtesy of Gary Newton in Australia.

Hamster Powered Train

It came from the site UK and Ireland Heritage Railways. Its worth a visit to check out the pictures, video and detailed information about heritage railway in the United Kingdom and Ireland

G Scale Collection for Sale - Updated March 18 2016 at 6pm

This collection is for sale. To order please contact Sam via email at secarr1@comcast.net or by phone at 207-865-4467.  Everything is new in the box unless noted as “used” or “no box”. Items ordered by March 6 can be delivered at the MGRS Spring Meeting on March 19. Payment can be cash or check.