Mall Opening Time on Friday, November 17 Changed to 5:00pm

The Mall opening time on Friday November 17 has changed to 

5:00pm. This is the “soft opening” for employees and families. It will run until 9pm.

Once the area opens again at 10am on Saturday, the sliding doors will remain open through December 24^th. So it will be the same as in the past when they layout was in one of the “common areas” of the Mall.

Model Train Village Returns to L.L. Bean from Nov 17 to Dec 31

The Model Train Village is returning to L.L. Bean in Freeport from November 17 to December 31. The hours are 9am to 9pm, and it is part of the Northern Lights Celebration

Details can be seen at Northern Lights Celebration

Model Train Village

MGRS Topsham Layout in Brunswick Times-Record on Nov 6th

The G-Scale layout at the Topsham Show was featured on the front page of the Brunswick Times-Record on November 6th.

Here is the first picture in the article:

The article can be viewed at Model Trains Chug Along In Topsham

MGRS Layout at Great Falls Show in Topsham on November 4th

Art Shean brought his portable table, trains, buildings and accessories to Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham. The layout has grown to 12' x 20' since it appeared at the Annual Meeting in July.

Banner at the Great Falls Show

Setup began on Friday at 4pm. Art had help from John Middleton, Ben Braithwaite, and several Great Falls club members.

During the event we signed up two new members. Visitors included Doug Johnson, Terry Norton, Jim Jenkins, Ben Braithwaite, Grace Miller, David Blue, Neville Lewis (Sale table), Mike Tarbox, Sam Carr and Scott Gould. Art noted that there were two vendors at the show with G Scale products for sale.

We now have an updated Club Photo Book that includes this summer's layout visits and the Mill Field Festival. Paul Smith's Bagley Mountain and Plant Pot Railway are also included.

Art and Ben handled the move out with help from some Great Falls members.

There were several interesting buildings and layout scenes.

Coaling operation - will be coming the to Mall

Here are two videos from the show

Topsham Trains and Terry with a Handcar

Trolleys on Back and Forth Line

Trackside Loading Platform

Bride and Groom Leaving the Church

Telephone Pole Repair and Tree Removal - very timely!!!!

Container Handling and Shipping - also coming the to Mall

Makenzie's Ski Shack - coming to the Mall for the Cable Car

Jim and Ben hamming it up

Holiday Train Display Setup and Status

Thanks to Terry, here are some pictures from the Mall. We are nearly finished, and will go back in when the Mall is done with their preparation and cleanup.

Here is the front of the main platform, overlooking the Thomas & Percy area on the left. 

Overlooking Downtown

This is a side view of the "Downtown" area. You can see the edge of the Control Area on the right of this picture. There is a lot of ballasting to cover the fuzzy "snow" cloth.

Triangle Motors with the Post Office behind

Here is the Mountain with the Ski Lift on top and a small train running around half way up. Both are operated by buttons.

Mountain with Ski Lift and Train Around

The Campground and Farm are beside the Ski Lift and behind the Mountain. You can see the "Portland Harbor" track and "water" on the right of this picture. The open sides of all the tables will be covered with white cloth to block them off.

Campground and  Farm

Thanks to the crew that worked to set this up. They include Terry Norton, Ben Braithwaite, Art Shean, Dennis Farrell, Norm Waycott, Andy Hendrickson, Jim Jenkins, Carl Churchill and Sam Carr.

Neville Lewis G Scale Sale Table at Topsham Show on November 4th

Neville Lewis will have a table at the Fall Model Railroad Show this coming Saturday from 10am-3pm. He will have engines, accessories and track for sale. The show is at the Mt Ararat High School Gym, 73 Eagles Way, Topsham, ME 04086.

8th Annual Holiday Train Display will run from Nov 17 through Dec 24

Our train display at the Maine Mall will run from November 17 through December 24. We are back beside Santa in the old Bon Ton space. The layout is 16’ wide by 60’ long with nine trains. This year we have a mountain with a train around it halfway up and the ski lift running up to the top. 

Please sign up to help at the Mall to provide fun for children of all ages. We have 17 shifts open in November and 33 in December. You can click the SignUp button on the blog or contact Sam Carr at secarr1@comcast.net or 207-865-4467. You can also use the Sign Up button to view the current schedule.

The shifts are as follows:

·   November 17 to December 14: Monday through Saturday 10am-3pm or 3-8pm. Sunday 10am to 6pm single shift

·   December 15 to 23 from 9am-3pm or 3pm-9pm

·   December 24 from 9am-1pm or 1pm-5pm

Thanks to those who already signed up including Mike Tarbox, Preston Chadwick, John Middleton, Art Handman, Norm Waycott, Andy Hendrickson, Bill & Robin Goodrich, Ben Braithwaite, Dennis Farrell and Sam Carr.

Setup Day Two at the Maine Mall

Today we finished the track on the 30" platforms. Dennis & Ben finished the two main loops while Terry and Courtney worked on running the wiring. The outer main line has run a train!!

Ben and Sam ran the trolley tracks on the Mountain Platform. It was adjusted to run around the Mountain to the base of the Ski Lift. This will leave an area open for buildings and avoid having the trolley running under the ski lift cable.

Terry testing wiring while Ben finishes the Trolley Line

The Holiday Train Display will have nine operating lines

• Thomas Loop (button #1)
• Percy Figure 8 (button #2)
• Freight Outer Line
• Amtrak  Inner Line
• Trolley Reversing Line
• Mountain Tunnel Loop (button #3)
• Trolley Loop on "water feature"
• Reversing freight line on "water feature"
• Circus Train (button #4)
• 
  

             The Ski Lift will have button #5

Setup will resume on Thursday to test the tracks, wire the mountain track, and put the mountain in its final position. Buildings and decoration will start on the Thomas/Percy and Town Platforms. The Mall will be doing final touch up on the weekend, so buildings on the Mountain Platform will wait until next week as will the water feature track and buildings.

Here is the current plan showing the Percy Figure 8 (thanks to Art Shean)  and the changes in the trolley around the Mountain (thanks to Terry).

Percy changed from Oval to Figure 8

Trolley Around the Mountain

MGRS at Mt. Ararat Show in Topsham on November 4th

MGRS will have a layout display at the Model Railroad Show sponsored by the Great Falls Model Railroad Club on November 4th. We will be using Art Shean's portable layout that you may have seen at the Annual Meeting in July.

The show takes place from 10am-3pm at the Mount Ararat High School Gym, 73 Eagles Way, Topsham, ME 04086.

We need help setting up starting at 4pm on Friday, 11/3, and during show on Saturday. If you can help, please contact Sam at secarr1@comcast.net.

The fall and spring Mt. Ararat events are the largest, regular model train show in Maine. Its worth your time to help MGRS, recruit new members,  and have a chance to talk to other model railroaders.

Setup Day One at the Maine Mall

Today was our first day of setup at the Mall. The trailer was unloaded on Friday, and our equipment is in secure storage near the layout. The Mall Staff had already placed the tables and covered them with white cloth that looks like snow.

The crew today included Andy Hendrickson, Ben Braithwaite, Terry Norton, Dennis Farrell, Art Shean, and Sam Carr.

This picture looks across the train platform. The mountain built by the Mall is in the center. You can see the Jackson Drawbridge towers on the right and two other bridges on the left. By this time the crew had adjusted the tables to fit the bridges with help from Paul Pettengill of the Mall.

Looking from the back across the Town, Mountain and Circus Areas

Here you can see Terry and Ben working on the mountain before we put it up on the table. They are fitting the top of the Ski Lift into place and making sure we can still take off the cover. The mountain has a ski slope down the front and a train going around it about half way up. Both will be operated with push buttons.

Setting the Ski Lift on the Mountain

This 3rd picture shows the setup of the Jackson Drawbridge and the picket fence along the back. This fence will go around the part of the layout with the 30" platform. The 12" Thomas & Percy area will have the short, white fence as in past years.

Jackson Drawbridge and Picket Fence

By late afternoon the four bridges and most of the track were in place. Andy & Dennis worked on the Main Lines and Circus. Art Shean laid the track for Thomas & Percy. Terry & Ben set the bridges, tested the Mountain train line, and started the wiring.

On Tuesday Terry and Courtney Goodwin will be working on the wiring while the rest of the crew works on the last of the main line track. Then the Mountain will be put into its final position so the trolley line can be run around it.

Later this week we expect to start on roads and buildings.

Mall Setup starts October 16 and Layout Opens November 17

The trailer has been unloaded at the Mall. Setup will begin on Monday, October 16 at 10am. The plan is to lay track and wire up from Monday through Wednesday, and then start placing buildings and decorations. The tables are in place and covered with a white "snow" cloth.  MGRS will open along with Santa on Thursday, November 17, and the layout will run through December 24th

Please come in during the week and donate some time and energy to making this one of our biggest layouts. Enter through the sliding glass doors on the mall side of BONTON's near where we were last year.

Volunteer to run trains during the hours below

From 11/17 through 12/14
Monday through Saturday Noon to 8pm with shifts 10am-3pm and 3-8pm
Sunday 10am to 6pm  single shift

From December 15 to 23
9am to 9pm with shifts 9am-3pm and 3pm-9om

December 24
9am to 5pm with shifts 9am-1pm and 1pm-5pm

Mall Setup to Start During the Week of October 16-20

Setup of the 2017 Holiday Train Display may start during the week of October 16-20. The display will be with Santa in the space previously occupied by the Bon Ton store. This area will note open to Mall visitors until Santa beings his work in November.

Details to follow after a Board of Directors meeting during the week of October 9-13.

Holiday Train Display Update

Here is the updated plan for the Mall. The layout is now 16 feed wide. Thomas is now 1' high and has expanded to 12' deep. Santa may start as early as November 4th. Our schedule is not yet set.

Phillips Model Railroad and Hobby Show on September 30th

Here are some pictures of the G-Scale layout at the show in Phillips this past weekend. Art Shean and Jim Jenkins did a nice job with this. Several MGRS members showed up to see what was happening. Art believes we will be invited back next year

MGRS Trains in Phillips Sept 30 and Topsham Nov 4

We will have G Scale Trains running at the Model Railroad & Hobby Show in Phillips this coming Saturday, September 30th from 9am to 3pm. Phillips is the home of the Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes narrow gauge railroad.

Art Shean will have his portable layout up and running at the show. Jim Jenkins will be helping him.You may have seen the layout at the Summer Outing in Buxton. The Event and SS&RL ride information is at http://www.srrl-rr.org/operating-schedule/
Location is the Phillips Area Community Center at 21 Depot Street, Phillips, Maine.

The layout will also be at the Great Falls Model Railroad Show on Saturday, November 4th at the Mt. Ararat High School Gym, 73 Eagles Way, in Topsham from 10am-3pm. If you can help set it up on Friday, 11/3 at 4pm or at the show on Saturday, please contact Sam.

Here is the plan for Phillips Show.

Christmas at the Mall with Santa

This year Santa, MGRS, and other holiday activities like Wrap for a Reason will share space where the Bon Ton store was located. Details to follow! It will be good to be back together with Santa!!!!

Here is the overall plan for the space. The layout  is about double the size of last year because it is 24' wide instead of 12'.  It may be ten trains and about 900 feet of track.

Layout Visit with Terry and Sue Norton in Eliot

On Saturday September 16th MGRS visited Terry & Sue Norton's garden railway in Eliot, Maine. They have a backyard layout with several tracks and several new features. This visit brought out quite a crowd.

Around the table: Carl & Pat Churchill, Rachel & Paul  Corbett, and Mac McLaughlin

Standing: Doug Johnson,  Tom Norton (brother)

In the Background: David Blue, Grace Miller, Terry Norton

On the Bench: Kerry Norton(Terry's sister-in-law), Sue Norton, Dennis Farrell

Standing: Doug Johnson, Tom Norton (Terry's brother)

One of the this summer's new features is the Village Campground, built in an old rock quarry. It is fully booked through mid-October.

Vacation Campground with freight rolling by

Recently Added Playground

And there are some interesting plants

Miniature Boxwood Trees

Catonia Aster with small red fruit like apples

John Middleton and Doug Johnson planning a new bridge

Courtney Goodwin has been helping Sue and Terry with their plants and with animal scenes. Here are the horses behind the barn

Horses behind the barn

A Small Rodeo

Local  movie producer Ian has been shooting video here  for the

pilot of a new Godzilla video. For now the miniature Godzilla

robot is resting on top of a building while a train rolls by.

His scenery crew has been preparing another area for the next skirmish with Godzilla.

There is also an excavation for drainage to be used in future scenes.

Watch for Maine Layouts in Garden Railway Magazine

On Friday September 9th Nancy Norris from Garden Railway Magazine came to visit Terry & Sue's Norton's garden railway in Eliot. They had it ready, including carefully trimmed trees thanks to local arborist Courtney Goodwin.

Very realistic trimmed leaves

She toured the layout in detail, photographing trains, plants, buildings and scenery. Nancy and Terry also discussed his plans for a new water feature and a granite mountain that will be in the middle of the Vacation Campground.

Where to put the Mountain?

Nancy, Sue and Terry on the Visitors Bench

After visiting Terry and Sue, Nancy was heading north to see Scott Gould's layout in Cape Elizabeth and then to visit Eric Schade in Phippsburg. So watch for Maine layouts appearing the future issues of Garden Railway Magazine!!!

Westbrook Festival of Trees and "Maine Train Lines" Update

MGRS will provide the "Maine Train Lines" layout at the Westbrook Festival of Trees again this year. Paul Corbett has done this for many years, and will again provide the Garden Railway equipment, accessories and decoration.

This year some elves will run the trains. They include Doug Johnson, Art Shean, Dennis & Agnes Farrell, Paul Schnell, David Blue, Grace Miller, and Sam Carr.

The Festival runs from December 2-9. It kicks off on Saturday for "Breakfast with Santa". During the weekday mornings all the kindergarten classes in Westbrook come to see the trees, watch the trains, and have a snack with story time. It is also open for some Festival events and to the Public during specific hours.

The trees are donated by local businesses and decorated by charitable groups. Proceeds from dontations and contributions go to local charities.  If you would like to help  with the trains please contact Sam at 865-4467

Robin and Bill's Train Garden

Here is a very nice "armchair" layout tour of Robin and Bill's Train Garden in Middleborough, Mass. It has trains for grandchildren, good scenery, and a pool beside the layout to jump into on those hot days!!

Robin and Bill's Train Garden