February 2015 The official newsletter of the Pikes Peak Division

Milepost
The
Volume 35, Number 2 — February 2015
The official newsletter of the Pikes Peak Division
Rocky Mountain Region — National Model Railroad Association.
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NEXT MEETING:
Friday, February 13, 2015 at 7:00 PM
Sand Creek Police Station
4125 Center Park Drive
(Southeast of the intersection of Fountain/Academy)
Colorado Springs, Colorado
1.
Information
The Milepost is published monthly and is the official newsletter of
the Pikes Peak Division, of the Rocky Mountain Region, of the National Model Railroad Association. Our meetings are usually held
on the second Friday of each month at the Sand Creek Police Station, 4125 Center Park Drive (southeast of the intersection of Fountain and Academy), Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Program For
February’s Meeting
© John Allen, Gorre & Daphetid Railroad.
Information On The Milepost And Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Program For February’s Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Who’s Who In The Pikes Peak Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
January 2015 Meeting Minutes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Superintendent’s Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Superintendent’s Graduating Class Of Operations 101 . . . . . . . . . 4
Follow-Up On JMRI Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Upcoming Events` . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Murdock’s Siding (Editor’s Column) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
January 2015 Contest Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Modular Musings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Support Your Local Hobby Shops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2015 Monthly Contest Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2015 Monthly Clinics/Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
TECO Show Schedule Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Rocky Mountain Train Show Flier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
OFFICERS
Superintendent
Wade Mountz — (719) 380-9060
[email protected]
Assistant Superintendent
Charles Marchbanks — (719) 641-3567
[email protected]
The Friday, February 13th meeting’s program will feature a video
presentation on John Allen and his Gorre & Daphetid Railroad.
Two-weeks after John passed away in 1972, his masterpiece model
railroad was destroyed by a fire. John has spent almost his entire life
in the building of this layout. It was believed that only photographs
of his layout were all that existed. However, at some point, movies
of his layout have been discovered. This video will showcase those
movies. Don’t miss out in seeing this incredible look back at one of
the most famous model railroads of all time.
Table Of Contents
Who’s Who In The
Pikes Peak Division
Treasurer
Frank Pareso — (719) 591-9470
[email protected]
Secretary
Robert Allen — (719) 661-5960
[email protected]
Chairpersons:
Achievement
Jack Sousa — (719) 576-7017
[email protected]
Contest
Jerry Bond
[email protected]
Door Prizes
Frank Pareso — (719) 591-9470
Membership
Bob Binder — (719) 339-5264
[email protected]
Members Aid
John Emmot — (719) 380-8421
[email protected]
Editor
Michael Murdock — (719) 502-9864
[email protected]
Module Group
John Emmot — (719) 380-8421
Monthly Program
Charles Marchbanks — (719) 641-3567
Public Relations
Kristin Phillips
Joe Costa
&
[email protected]
[email protected]
Swapmeet
Dusty Thomson — (719) 651-7064
[email protected]
Webmaster
John Emmot — (719) 380-8421
[email protected]
2.
January 2015
Meeting Minutes
The last meeting was on Friday, January 9, 2015.
Meeting was called to order at 7:00pm by Superintendent, Wade
Mountz. Total in attendance was 27.
We had two visitors:
Scott Schnell — has lived in the Colorado Springs area
since August 2014; models in N-scale;
the Delaware & Hudson is his favorite
prototype railroad.
Dennis Snider — works in HO and HOn3. Likes any railroading dealing with the Rocky Mountains and has just started a layout.
There were no minutes approved for the December 2014 meeting
because it was our annual Christmas party.
The Treasurer’s Report was presented by the Treasurer, Frank
Pareso. The division is in the black. Also, the 2016 convention account has now been opened and the initial seed money has arrived
from the region.
ing the March 2015 meeting devoted to them. Perhaps members could bring in model railcars, that they would be willing
to part with, as part of a raffle or contest prizes for the youth.
Division trip ideas were also brought up — such as going
to the Colorado Model Railroad Museum, in Greeley, Colorado.
Frank Pareso held the raffle for this month for gift certificates and
gift cards.
Contest
The contest for Bulkhead Flatcar With Load was cancelled because
only two members submitted entries. Three are required. Page #5
shows the models that were entered.
Next month’s contest, for February 2015, will be ReadyTo-Run Railcar With Graffiti.
After a break, Joe Costa gave a presentation on using Java Model
Railroad Interface (JMRI) on one’s train layout. Please see Joe’s
column, Follow-Up On JMRI Presentation, on page #4, for additional information.
Meeting ended at 8:43pm. The next meeting is Friday, February 13,
2015, at 7:00pm.
Old Business
Discussion about previous talks on trying to get the NMRA to
change their current logo. Many people expressed the opinion that
they didn’t think the NMRA would change their logo any time soon.
Editor’s Note: I heard some people at the meeting were not aware
of this issue and did not know which logos were old or current. Here
are the previous and current logos of the NMRA for reference:
Superintendent Wade starting the meeting.
Old Logo
Current Logo
New Business
1. Andy Buco gave information concerning the financials for the
December 2014 TECO show and the dates for next year’s shows
were reviewed. It was reported that 450 people attended the December 2014 TECO show.
Joe Costa giving a presentation on controlling a layout with JMRI.
2. John Emmot gave information concerning the module group —
please refer to last issue’s Module Musings for more information.
3. Dusty Thomson talked about the spring train show. There was
discussion about when to have the swap show meets at the Trinity
United Methodist Church. Approval was given to Dusty to pick
the actual dates as needed. He will try for a show in May 2015
and another one in October 2015.
4. Wade Mountz brought up the discussion for division goals and
plans for 2015. Many ideas were suggested. Talked about getting Youth In Model Railroading involved — possibly hav-
The JMRI demonstration area.
Dusty controlling a HO engine
with his cell phone.
3.
Superintendent’s
Notes
by Wade Mountz, Superintendent of PPD, NMRA.
Well, we’re into February already — but the weather has been great.
At least when you consider what the East and West coasts have been
getting. I was saddened this last week to hear that the wife of one of
our foremost members, Jim Lipper, had passed away. Karen Lipper
and Jim were active in the division during the 1990’s into the first
few years after 2000. The module group still uses a module that Jim
constructed many years ago. Jim was one of our very best members
for many years and it will be sad thinking that his wife has passed.
We are all sorry for your loss Jim.
I am very excited about a program that John Emmot is presenting this week about John Allen’s long gone layout. Anyone who
has been in our hobby for very long, or has read very much, knows
about John Allen. He was a “mover and a shaker” within our hobby.
Since our last meeting, there has been talk about a spring picnic, lets
talk more about it Friday night.
I have to go now, some young punk is painting graffiti all
over some of my rolling stock! I’d sure like to catch one of these
young hoodlums and learn some of his style techniques!
Wade
Superintendent Wade Mountz Announces
Graduation Class Of Operations 101
1. Robert Allen
2. Andy Buco
3. Joe Costa
4. Chris Dueker
5. Charles Marchbanks
6. Kristin Phillips
All six graduated with flying colors, having learned and demonstrated on an operating layout that they are ready to move up within the
hobby to bigger and better operations.
Wade
Follow-Up On
JMRI Presentation
by Joe Costa
A hard core group of members braved the cold and fog at last
month’s meeting to participate in a presentation and demonstration
of JMRI software and NCE hardware to run DCC engines using cell
phones and tablets.
John Emmot and Wade Mountz were so impressed that
they “volunteered” Joe Costa to set up JMRI on the club notebook
and hook it up to the module group’s NCE system so we can do the
same thing at the next TECO train show in April.
The JMRI interface does a lot more than allow for wireless
running on trains — Frank Pareso uses it for programming decoders. Future programs might include creating rosters, panels, manifests and more.
Upcoming Events
The following list are the events that were handed in, or known
about, before The Milepost deadline. If you know of any events that
should be on this list, please e-mail them to the editor. Please note
that dates and times sometimes change, so please check this column
each month for the latest information. Thanks!
FEBRUARY 2015
13 — PPD-NMRA Meeting (7 PM, Sand Creek Police Sta.).
14 & 15 — Rails In The Rockies model train show in
Estes Park, Colorado. See website for
more information:
www.estesvalleymodelrailroaders.org/rails.htm
MARCH 2015
7-8 — Rocky Mountain Train Show, Denver Mart, 451 East
58th Avenue, Denver, Colorado. See page #9 for a
flier of this show.
13 — PPD-NMRA Meeting (7 PM, Sand Creek Police Sta.).
APRIL 2015
10 — PPD-NMRA Meeting (7 PM, Sand Creek Police Sta.).
25 & 26 — TECO Show (see page #8 for more info).
MAY 2015
8 — PPD-NMRA Meeting (7 PM, Sand Creek Police Sta.).
JUNE 2015
3-7 — 2015 Rocky Mountain Region Convention in Denver
by the South Suburban Division. Please see the following website for more information:
http://www.sas2015.net/
12 — PPD-NMRA Meeting (7 PM, Sand Creek Police Sta.).
JULY 2015
5-11 — National Garden Railway Convention, Denver, Colorado. Please see the following website:
http://www.ngrc2015.com/
10 — PPD-NMRA Meeting (7 PM, Sand Creek Police Sta.).
25 & 26 — TECO Show (see page #8 for more info).
AUGUST 2015
14 — PPD-NMRA Meeting (7 PM, Sand Creek Police Sta.).
SEPTEMBER 2015
5 & 6 — TECO Show (see page #8 for more info).
11 — PPD-NMRA Meeting (7 PM, Sand Creek Police Sta.).
OCTOBER 2015
9 — PPD-NMRA Meeting (7 PM, Sand Creek Police Sta.).
NOVEMBER 2015
13 — PPD-NMRA Meeting (7 PM, Sand Creek Police Sta.).
28-29 — Rocky Mountain Train Show, Denver (Planned).
DECEMBER 2015
4, 5, & 6 — TECO Show (see page #11).
11 — PPD-NMRA Meeting (7 PM, Sand Creek Police Sta.).
4.
Murdock’s
Siding
by Michael Murdock, Editor of The Milepost.
Welcome to this issue of The Milepost. I was finally able to find
a lot more information on upcoming events, see page #4. It was
frustrating that many of the clubs around the state have not updated
their websites for a year or more. So one doesn’t know if they are
having an open-house or not. There are also a lot of links showing
a model train show at the National Western Complex, in Denver,
later this February — but if you check the official NWC website,
and the website for the Great Train Expo, they show no mention of
this show. The events I have listed, that are not part of our division,
I have tried to verify from more than one source. I also included
the event’s website if one wants more information. I would hate to
have someone drive a long distance only to find an event has been
cancelled or closed. I hope this helps.
In my travels around Colorado Springs, I like taking a look
at various railroad operations from time-to-time. I was pleasantly
surprised about a rebuilt grade-crossing installed by the Union Pacfic Railroad, southeast of Filmore and Nevada, in Colorado Springs.
This particular grade-crossing had previously sunk down, had a misaligned rail sticking up, and flooded during heavy rains. As shown
in the photograph below, the new crossing is level with the road,
features curved road wood beams, and looks great.
New grade crossing.
January 2015
Contest Entries
Unfortunately, the January contest, Bulkhead Flatcar With Load,
was cancelled because there were only two entries — a minimum
of three entries are required for a contest to be voted on. Below are
photographs of the two entries and a display model.
Entry #1. 30' flat car; Roundhouse; Kadee couplers; Boxcar Red
paint from Floquil; weathering with Earth tone pastel chalk; strip
wood — 4' x 4' x 6' pocket stakes, 3' x 6' bulkhead boards, 4' x
6' bulkhead angle braces; wood load is from Hobby Lobby craft
wood department, bulk pack of 1/8'' x 3'' wood strips cut to length
for trestle decking. HO-scale.
Entry #2. An HO, Athearn, L&N Railroad, 40' bulkhead flatcar
(#23054), built by ACF, 100 ton capacity, circa 1960’s-1970’s.
Work done to weather the car: 1. Metal wheels painted, trucks and
springs weathered; 2. Kadee couplers added and painted, and uncoupler removed; 3. Wooden deck added and stained — prepped
for lumber; 4. Wooden lumber load (not shown), banded and cut to
24' lengths; 5. Non-railroad employee taking an unauthorized ride!
Notice how the wood beams curve with the rails.
You can hardly tell you are driving over this grade crossing because
it is so smooth. If you’d like to see this crossing up close, follow
these directions: From Filmore/Nevada, drive east on Filmore to El
Paso Street (about two blocks). Turn right (south) and drive about a
half-mile south until the road curves east (left) and turns into Harrison Street — the crossing is about a half block further.
Michael
HO display model, not part of the contest, by Wade Mountz. Fairmount
speeder used in the 1970’s. Smallest model ever built by Wade.
5.
Modular
Musings
by John Emmot, Chairman of Module Group
Much is quiet on the modular front. The next TECO show isn’t
until April, so we have time to work on modules. Joe and Kristin
have jumped in to put scenery on the inside corner. Plans are to create cliffs along the Colorado River for the background and a river
running through it. Joe is also hard at work on a wireless control
system to augment the NCE radio cabs. It will work with Wi-Fi
enabled smart devices. It is a relatively inexpensive system that
uses existing smart phones and a computer connected to the NCE
Command Station. One of the biggest advantages is that it works
on a frequency not associated with the single NCE radio channel.
It won’t interfere with any other layout who might want to use the
NCE radio or even another Wi-Fi system. Our NCE radio cabs are
still usable as long as no one else wants to use NCE radio. It does
not interfere with our Aristocraft DC radio control and DCC can
always be plugged in. For those who are interested, you will need to
speak with Joe about what apps to install on your device.
Quiet time is good for lots of things. I have been working
on more passenger cars made with the help of the library’s laser
cutter. If I get a consist ready, we may well see the Denver Northwestern & Pacific running on the modules. Making things is good
for the soul.
Those who have been around for awhile may remember
Jim Lipper and his Old Colony railroad. He was a long time member of the PPD and was the de facto module chairman before I was
railroaded the first time. We recently learned that his wife, Karen,
passed away on February 2nd, 2015. Our deepest sympathy goes to
Jim in his loss.
I have a good supply of blue modeling foam that needs a
home. Let me know what you can use.
That’s about it this month. Hope to see ya at the meeting.
Picture #2. Detail view of the oversized tank car.
Picture #3. Close-up view of the reporting marks and capacities.
John
P.S.: I have included some photographs of Jim Lipper’s HO-scale
entry in the April 2005 Bent Screwdriver Contest #1. The reporting
marks and number, HOAX 4105, stand for: Halfast Oil Associates,
April 1, 2005 (April Fool’s Day). The capacities are self-explanatory. The tank test was two years prior by the Gorrie & Defeated
Railroad. Hope you enjoy.
Picture #4. The middle part of the super tank car.
Picture #1. An overview of Jim Lipper’s entry in April 2005.
6.
Support Your Local
Hobby Shops
2015 Monthly
Contest Schedule
Contest entries are submitted and judged at each monthly meeting
based on the schedule below:
February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ready-To-Run Railcar With Graffiti.
March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weathered Tank Car.
April . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kitbashed Structure.
May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flatcar With Load.
June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Diorama With Railroad Theme.
July . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Weathered Steam Engine.
August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weathered Reefer Car.
September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scratch-Built Structure.
October . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weathered Diesel Engine.
November . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kit-Built M.O.W. Equipment.
December . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No contest.
2015 Monthly
Clinics / Programs
There are dates open for 2015. Please contact Charles Marchbanks
if you are interested in doing a presentation or would like more information. Please note that this schedule is subject to changes, so
please check this column each month for the latest information.
February
Presentation on John Allen’s Gorre & Daphetid Railroad.
March
{ open }
April
{ open }
May
{ open }
June
{ open }
July
{ open }
August
{ open }
September
{ open }
October
{ open }
November
{ open }
December
No program — Christmas party.
7.