NEW GWRGR

Hi Everyone, Having finally started laying down the new track lines on the GWRGR.

I thought I would share a few photos of the " passing test ". Now to start leveling & ballasting.

I will try and keep you posted. Mike

new loco on the W&Q

I bought Ben a new Loco for his birthday---

It is a Bachmann Davenport diesel. cute as a barrel of puppies. Now to battery power it

I cut the brown and black wires and inserted a double pole-double throw switch so I could switch between track and battery power. I ran two wires down though the speaker grill and under the engine to the rear buffer wher I will install a connector

Windmill Train

This is a follow up to Ray's post the other day. Tiny Lee sent me the link. It is interesting to me how they can transport such a long piece of material. This picture shows a different angle and is pretty amazing.

I am also impressed with Ray and Denneth. It you look at the date of the picture it is 5/23/2009. Ray and 'Tiny' both posted on the very next day. How you guys find new information so quickly and track down things is also pretty amazing!
Link to more information - click here.

Happy Memorial Day

Image of U.S. Army Illinois Engineers, Company A, waving their caps and hanging out the windows of a Chicago Milwaukee Railroad train. This picture is of our troops from WWI.

For some recent clips of todays Memorial Day activities in Falmouth, Me. Please see below:

Interested in 7/8 scale

Here is a note from 'Tiny' Lee. If you are interested in 7/8 scale then you might want to contact John Foley who sound like he is headed toward the 2011 Narrow Guage Convention. see below:

hi john don't know if anybody in the maine grs has 7/8th scale trains or modulars at home that would be interested in adding to john foley's layout. maybe even making up a modular to add to john's layout for the 2011 narrow gauge convention in north carolina and a vacation to that part of the country. the narrow gauge convention was in portland in 2007.

tiny

More Good Deeds

Just a quick note of appreciation to Carl Churchill, Paul Corbett and Mac McLaughlin who made the effort yesterday to travel to the home of MGRS member Betty Reilly and her husband of New Harbor Me. Betty is a kind, sweet and enthusiastic member who appreciated the help to get her layout up and running. The guys did all the maintenance and track work including replacing 4 foot diameter curves with wider diameter. Thanks to all that volunteered and helped out. No photos but lots of smiles!

SCGRR's New Barn Raised and other new buildings, etc.

Here' a picture of the new barn's resting place. Just in time for "Milking Time".


The new Water tower! Oh, there's a new coal bunker also! And the increasingly popular Solar lights, in rustic Brown.


Here's "Herb's Garage". He's just getting started so he hasn't been able to afford a Sign yet or gas pumps! The pumps are on order. OOOOPS! I just realized he needs to do something about support for those steps to the front door. Sometimes details get lost when you try to get a new business up and running.

Brrrrrr!

Saturday was warm and sunny when I put the goldfish outside under their new rock house in the water garden. I ran the Trolley for it's first run and all was good. But, that was yesterday. Today it's simply, Brrrrr!

Go Figure

I came across a very well- written series of articles by Chris Walas on sculpting figures at mylargescale.com. If you'd like to try making your own inexpensive figures, the series is well worth a look. The old gentleman in the picture is modeled in 1:20.3 scale (next to a smaller 1:22 scale Preiser figure). Chris' technique involves making an armature out of aluminum foil, then building the model with successive layers of Premo modeling clay (available for $3.00 at A.C. Moore). The layers are baked for a few minutes at 275 degrees. He recommends acrylic paints for the final figure, including washes of burnt or raw umber. The only tool you need is a toothpick. Unless you're trying for super detailing (I wasn't), you can make a figure easily in one evening. You can find the articles by going to http://archive.mylargescale.com/articles/articles.

I believe Eric Schade is also coming out with an article on making figures in an upcoming issue of Garden Railways Magazine. Given Eric's considerable skills, it should be worth watching for.

The Shepherd gets a new delivery!

SCGRR has some action going on at their newest editions above the original layout.

Looks like some new toys for the local Shepherd!

The first video is the train crossing the Blueberry Bridge headed for the loading dock with the goodies.



The next video is the train pulling into the loading dock near the farmers ranch! (Looks like a Rookie Engineer, by the way he bumped the bumper!)

Thanks Eric!

Thanks Eric for the great 'Open House' ! It was a lot of fun and I am sure everyone had a very good time. I did not take enough picture to show off your layout, but I got a couple of quick videos of your live steam engine and your very talented friends. Thanks again you were a great host!

Please click here for slide show and Video Clips

Snow is gone in Phippsburg...

The snow is gone here and the Covered Bridge Line is running...I am looking forward to hosting an open house on Saturday!

If you have battery or steam power please feel free to bring it along. if you want a favorite car as part of a train bring that too!

I'll set up a table for show and tell and swap.

I plan to provide burgers and dogs and a gas Bar-B-Que plus soft drinks. Additions and specialties are welcome. We are non-drinkers so make sure to take home any alcohol you bring.

call me at 207-386-0129 if you have any questions.
-Eric


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Crazy little lights

These are neat little lights. The pictures were taken right after they came on and about 10 min later.
When it was completely dark the lights were very bright and they are perfect if you want to reference a given point. but, they do not provide any illumination for the surrounding area. There was no reflected light from the stones and you could not tell that the station was there. They were like little mystery eyes in the night. The top is easily removed and could sit on top of a building with a flat roof and do a good job of lighting the interior. The bulb is at the top and it reflect off the bottom lens to produce a larger bright spot. If you want to light up an area (I put the church on top of the waterfall area and shine a little solar search light on it. It lights up the building and the waterfall very nice). In fact I experimented with it last night and moved it to the front yard and it cast a good light up to the top of the flagpole. My wife got it at Xmas Tree for me recently for about $5 to 6 dollars. The 12 volt transformer wire may still be the most versatile because you can adapt it to lots of situations and you can 'clicker' them on or off. A little something for everybody!

I love Animals

Remember I grew up in a big city and thought there were only two kinds of birds, pigeons and sparrows, so I love (we both do) living 'out in the woods' so to speak. Enjoying the bird feeders and we have our favorite pair of Mallard ducks that fly in every day. He is so gallant as he stands guard while she eats. Plus turkeys come by every day and look so funny as they 'run' across the back yard. It is amazing how they all work around each other to enjoy the cup of cracked corn I set out back. Plus a rabbit (we call it 'bunny' sorry about that) and yesterday a fox and today a deer. It really is an enjoyment to watch and see what will be next. I had just come in from sticking the solar lights in the ground next to the station when the deer came out to nibble up what was left.

From NHGRS

Hi guys I was sent this photo of Keene , NH roundhouse late 50-60’s.. Thought the club members would like to see it. Below is the list of locos.

Canadian Pacific 4-6-0 #1098 was sold to George Hart and restored in Jim Thorpe, PA. It was operated by Rail Tours Inc. during Sep-Oct 1994 and then stored.

Canadian National 1395 class H-6-g 4-6-0 sent to Edaville in June 1959, currently at Coopersville , MI

Canadian national 5288 class J-7-b 4-6-2 sent to Edaville in September 1961, currently at the Tennessee vallry RR Museum, Chattanooga , TN

Canadian National 2-6-0 #96 was sent from Bellows Falls to Scranton but never made it. It went only as far as Binghamton , NY when it was traded to a private owner from Canada in deal to get DL&W #565. 96 was later sold to the Ohio Central Railroad.

Meadow River Lumber Company Shay #1 - two truck disposition unknown

steam at Alna...

Sue, I and the Boys visited Alna and rode the train today. It was cool and overcast but pleasant enough.

We hopped off the train at the Alna Center Station and walked north along the track past the end of the newly laid rail and along the old road bed until we came to the missing Carlton Brook bridge, at the sight of the "Masons Wreck" of 1905. The old road bed is quite visible but suffers from a few washouts and downed trees.

There were Easter eggs hidden for the kids around Alna center. The guys at the museum do a first class job and have a lot of fun too! by the way, the train was only $3.00 for adults today, but never very expensive even in high season.

There is a chance to play trains again in two weeks, this is Spring Work Weekend. The plan is to ballast and tamp the track laid by volunteers last fall.

Steam trains at Alna Maine Saturday

The WW&F railway Museum is running Steam tomorrow Saturday...They plan to run a Freight train before lunch then several passenger trains starting about noon.

I plan to go early afternoon.

www.wwfry.org

-Eric

Worlds Largest Miniature Railway

I just ran across this. It's pretty neat.

http://www.bofunk.com/video/8477/worlds_largest_miniature_railway.html

On the Lighter side

This is sent to us from our friends in NH. Click here to view.

Nice weekend for house planting in the Garden

I am not the first to play in the garden over the weekend, I see, but here is one of the things I did.

On Sunday, I had a chance to play trains and do some serious planting. I placed this house so it has a good view. It is on a sloping lot which required some re-grading and (moss) lawn planting; after digging and building the natural stone foundation. I have a Diamond saw blade on my 4" grinder that I had used to cut tile. it does a great job with granite too. I used it to "carve" granite front steps for the house and to trim some of the foundation stones. I also cut some stone posts to support the porch.

Oh! and the track crew was out too getting the track in shape for the first train...a load of general freight which had accumulated over the winter. Not too many derailments!

--eric