Weekend Reading Material

Most model railroaders in the dominant scales of HO and N would be hard pressed to name an S Scale layout they had seen in person.  I am talking about S Scale and not American Flyer which is still fun but usually is considered part of the toy trains realm. So when folks hear 'S Scale' they tend to tune out the message.  Perhaps it is time to listen up and look what is going on in S Scale.  One of my favorite publications is the S Scale Resource.  This is a free publication and worth the time to peruse the every other month issues.  The new issue has a large point to point layout designed for operation in it.  This should make us rethink our preconceived notions of what is S Scale.  Follow this link to the current issue.

[This post is from my personal model railroad blog Trainvision and used by permission]

JRD Members Meeting Survey

JRD members who are on the mailing list should have received an email with a link to a survey about the last meeting.  Please take some time and fill out the survey.  Ross has put together a way for you to tell us anonymously what you think about the meetings.  We do review the remarks and try to adjust things where we can adjust them.  Thanks for participating.

Great JRD Meeting Saturday

We had a great meeting the past Saturday.  John told us about Chain Link Fences while Martin explained contest judging and how to use it as a tool to make better models.  George opened his large and impressive layout to us. Thanks to all who helped setup and put away the chairs and tables.  The contest had some great entries and was well run by my Mike and Howard. Don and Jerry manned the entrance desk.  Thanks to all who made a great meeting.

John has provided a copy of his presentation as a downloadable handout.  The Chain Link handout  file comes in either full size or compact size.

Meeting this Saturday

Meeting this Saturday The James River Division of the NMRA will meet this Saturday in Palmyra VA.  Directions to the Fluvanna County Public Library and details are available through this LINK We will have two clinics.  John will be talking about modeling chain link fences which are appropriate from WWI to present while Martin will be discussing how the NMRA Model Judging can be used to improve your modeling. SALE - Ken is at it again helping a fellow modeler with disposal of his collection due to health conditions.  Deliveries will be at the meet.  Please follow this LINK  to letter from Ken, Order Form and the multiple spreadsheets.  Yes, multiple spreadsheets.   The contest will be photographs.  Bring your model and prototype photos.   Layout Tour - George Gaige's GGRR which has been seen in MR Trackside photos.  George has done a lot of work since his last open house.  Come and see Traffic Alert - There is a major event about a mile west of the library on Route 53.  If you are coming from Charlottesville on Route 53 you may experience a delay.  We recommend you come to the Library from the Palmyra end of 53.

Crossties New and Improved

Congratulations to our out going editor Ken and our incoming team of Rod and Richard on producing a magnificent issue of Crossties with a new look.  Please take some time to review the issue which is now the equal of and in many ways superior to any model railroad magazine now available.

Crossties February 2016

Timetable & Train Order Clinic Next Weekend on Saturday January 9th

Are you interested in operations?  Below is a summary of the clinic for next week along with a bio of our presenter.  We hope to see you in Fredwricksburg.   Click here for location and times

Timetable & Train Order Operation
By Steve King


This 3 ½ hour class will teach the basic timetable and train order operating rules used by prototype railroads to control the operation of trains into the 1960's.  The class will cover the key operating rules and then use those rules to simulate operation on a railroad.  Attendees will also copy a train order and prepare a clearance form.  Bring a pen or pencil, your thinking cap, and step back into the pre-CTC and pre-Track Warrant Control days of railroading.


Bio:  Steve has been a model railroader for over 60 years.  He grew up in Dayton (OH) with the opportunity to operate on the many great railroads of the time.  He was an operator and train dispatcher for the B&O and CB&Q in the early 1960’s before venturing off into other transportation pursuits, including almost twenty years in Chicago with United Airlines.  Steve’s model interest has always been focusd on operation and over the past 30-plus years on Timetable & Train Order operations.  He co-authored the Operation SIG TT&TO book, “19 East, Copy Three” and has authored numerous articles on the subject. 

Have a Good Holiday!

As we embark on the final week of or so of the holiday season we hope you and yours will have a happy week operating your trains with family and friends or just relaxing with them yourself away from all the activity.  We hope that you will join us on January 9th to hear Steve King talk about Timetable and Train Order operation.  Have a Happy Holiday!

Innovation in the hobby

For years now many of us have discussed the need for vertical staging to save space and many ideas were discussed to push the idea forward.  The ideas were usually some variation off a garage door opener or a pully system. None seemed to be satisfactory as such a system needs to be flawless and remotely comtrolable.  Well our British cousins seem to have found the answer.  Pleas watch the following YouTube for Nelevator.

https://youtu.be/tyfDjAn_fJI

This is a radical improvmwnt even with heavy cost. It not be worth selling a few sound locos you never will use to make the down payment. Improvements like this give me hope for the hobby

Great Meeting Last Saturday

The JRD had a great meeting last Saturday.  Frank Walker familiarized us with the various aspects of the history of railroading in Orange.  There were many ideas that could be explored for modeling from the Civil War to the present day in either standard gauge or narrow gauge depending on era.  Our second clinic was given by Andrew Dodge who gave us not only the history of the Colorado Midland but how to make the choices to take the history and topography of the line into a workable model railroad.  In addition, we learned about the need to make choices regarding era to motive power and rolling stock on planning the layout. A hearty Thank You to both clinicians for sharing their time and expertise. 

The meeting had an excellent display of 16 Cabooses in multiple scales with many road names.  It was heartening to see such excellent participation.  Congratulations to First Place winner Alan Bibb, Second Place (tie) winners Gerard Fitzgerald and Bob Minnis and Third Place winner Jean Raas
Let's have the same amount of participation for the next theme which is Switch Towers. 

Thank you again to all those who came and made this such a great meeting.

Do You Speak Caboose?

There was a time when almost every train had a caboose or even two when enough crew members were working the train.  A caboose was permanently assigned to one conductor in the early days while later they became part of a pool assigned to a division.  Even today there are many transfer runs or branch lines will have a caboose to protect a back up move at crossings

Do you have a special caboose in your collection?  If you have done work on it either building, painting, weathering or detailing bring it for the Modeling Theme.  If you are working on something else no matter the stage of completion then bring it and put it on the In Progress table.

We hope to see you not he 14th in Orange for what we expect to be a great meeting

Orange County Railroading is History You Want to Hear

The November 14th Meet at the Historic Southern Station in Orange, VA will include a talk by Orange County Historian Frank Walker.  Most know that Orange County currently hosts both Norfolk Southern and the Buckingham Branch.  How many know that besides predecessor owners Southern and C&O there were two other railroads in Orange County?   The Radian Railroad went West from Orange through Wolftown to the Mountains as a narrow gauge railroad.  The Potomac, Fredericksburg and Piedmont which switched between standard gauge and narrow gauge while only ever making it from Fredericksburg to Orange.  Prior to all this Orange County was significant to the American Civil War in the area of railroading among many other areas.  Frank Walker will inform us about these areas.  If you model either of the two main railroads in the county or are looking for something new to model then come and explore.