CREST/ARISTO-CRAFT RCC REMOTE SWITCH DEVICE 2

October 2012
Steam-O-Rama 2012
It started out looking like a repeat of the 2011 Steam-ORama. Saturday was another rain out; however, Sunday was a
much better
day. The
attendance
on Sunday
was very
good. Those
that were not
able to get
out on
Saturday
were making up for it on Sunday. The following photos are a small
sampling of the action around the OGRS layout on Sunday.
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A BIG THANKS GOES TO ALL WHO HELPED MAKE THE OGRS LAYOUT AT THE 2012 STEAM-O-RAMA A SUCCESS!
October Meeting
October’s meeting will be at Dennis and Martha Rayon’s in Mt. Vernon on Saturday the 20th. Their address is
10587 Lawrence 1140, Mt Vernon, MO 65712.
Dennis and Martha will be providing some food. Dennis will include details when he sends out the newsletter. Be
sure to bring chairs.
Contact Information: Phone: 1-417-849-0588 Email: [email protected]
Directions: Either take 174 from Republic, or I-44 from Springfield, take exit 49 (174 highway exit) off of I-44, turn
right go about 2.5 miles. If coming from MT Vernon, take 39 highway north to Farm Road 1140. go to third left ,
watch for RR signs.
Things Too Remember

Elections for OGRS officers will be coming up in November. Also, a new recipient for the Phyllis Lavanti
award will be chosen by secret ballot; so be thinking of the member you think is deserving of this award.

All back issues of the newsletters beginning November 2010 are archived on the OGRS website. The web
address is: http://www.ogrs.org/. Then click on the newsletter archive link.

If anyone has something to submit to the newsletter such as how to articles, tips, trivia, history of
railroading, pictures of your projects, etc. Send email to Glen Carlisle. [email protected]
Meetings For 2012

Nov. – Jim and Bonnie Schneider in Osage Beach MO
NOTE: The club voted at the August meeting to have the November meeting on the second
Saturday instead of the third Saturday. This is due to the possibility that some members may be gone for
Thanksgiving. Also, at this meeting the election for OGRS officers will be held.
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
Dec. – Christmas Dinner in Bois D’ Arc MO.
Scheduled Clinics For 2012


November Keith Richardson: Mountains Exterior and Interior
December No clinic – Christmas Dinner
Some News and Photos from the 2012 National Garden Railroad Convention
The Chesbro Cooterville Depot (As seen in your July
Newsletter and at the meeting in Mt Home in June) took 1st
place at the 2012 National Garden Railway Convention.
CONGRATULATIONS CRAIG AND CHARLENE! WHAT
TALLENT WE HAVE IN OUR CLUB!
Charlene was pressured to "sell" to a Chicago garden
railroad, but didn't give in!
At Illinois Railway Museum at
Union, IL featuring lots of
trolleys (Charlene's favorite)
and trains, Charlene got
special treatment from the conductor.
Mary road on the "L" that ran from Howard Street to Central Street. Charlene and
Mary road many trolleys! Awesome how one remembers the noise and jiggles! It
was discontinued in the late 50s. WE ARE ALL INVIOUS LADIES!
Charlene and Craig Chesbro are setting in the lounge-observation car of the
Nebraska Zephyr.
Tom at the old East Union Station. Look at the size of
those windows!!
Nice detail with the
old cast iron USPS
mailbox.
Thanks for the
news update Mary!
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We also visited the Botanical Garden, Glenview IL. The G-Scale garden railway
was first built 13 years ago only as a one-year attraction. Look at it now! All
models are made of organic material and varnished every year. And the theme
is national parks and famous areas. This one is San Francisco with their trolley
and their famous Lombard (crookedest street) Str. going up to Coit Tower.
(Love the "Painted Ladies")
The Statue of Liberty .
Decaling
Part 1
The G-scale train market offers a large variety of road names. Many hobbyists can find plenty of rolling stock with
their favorite railroad’s name and logo. However, some may want to model a name that is not available while
others may want to make up a fictional railroad. In which case, there is nothing that can be bought over the
counter to meet these needs. Then there are the buildings. Most kits come with decals which some modelers
may find suitable while others do not. Some may want to have original names for their towns and businesses
found along their right-of-ways. If you fall under the category of not being able to find what you want on the
market, then your options are limited.
One of the options available for marking your rolling stock is dry transfer decals. They are easy to apply and look
good. However, there is one huge disadvantage; each sheet contains about three each of the whole alphabet and
most modelers will use only a few of the letters on the sheet. The rest of the decals are wasted.
Another method that I have tried for lettering rolling stock is stenciling. The draw back with this method is getting
the stencils positioned in the right place. With the size of stencils need for G-scale, the letters are all on one sheet.
This makes the positioning of the stencil difficult and sometimes even impossible. If the stencil is not lying tight
against the model, paint will get under it and the letters will be distorted.
Decaling offers a great deal of flexibility over other methods. You can make exactly what you want for your rolling
stock and structures. With a little planning you can make what you need with no waste.
Materials:
Decal paper can be purchased in clear or white. In most cases the clear will be the best choice for decals.
However, if you want to put white lettering on a model, the white paper will be the choice. I purchase my decal
paper from Micro-Mark (http://www.micromark.com ) in 8.5" by 11" sheets. The cost is $7.60 for a package of
five sheets. You can also get packages of 25 and packages of 100 sheets. If you purchase in the larger amounts,
the price in even cheaper. However, five sheets will print a lot of decals. Most hobby shops will have decal paper
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by their display of Testors products. However, these sheets come in 5.5" by 8.5" with six sheets to a package and
will cost around $10.
Decal solutions include a setting solution and a decal solvent; the names by be a little different from one brand to
another. The setting solution makes positioning the decal on the model easier. It is applied to the model before
the application of the decal. Once the decal is positioned, more setting
solution is applied over the decal. Once the decal has dried, the soften
solution is applied. The soften solution makes the decal conform to any
details or uneven surfaces of the model. It also helps make the edges of
the decal disappear so that it looks as though it was printed directly onto
the model. Micro-Mark has a decal finishing system, made by Testors,
includes 1/2 oz. each of the two solutions and three different clear coats.
The complete system costs $19.95. Badger's also makes these two
solutions and they come in one oz. containers and cost $2.60. Some hobby
stores carry the Badger brand and it can be found on e-bay as well.
A Clear coat is used for a fixative spray to set the ink to the paper. It also is used to seal the decal to the model
after it has been applied. However, not all clear coats are created equal. The decal will be moved around, soaked
in water and softened, so the clear coat that is used as a fixative must
be flexible. Otherwise it will crack and water will cause the decal to
fade. Testor's Dullcote is a good one to use for this purpose. However,
a 3 oz. can of Tester’s Dullcote costs about $4.50. I buy Krylon matte
finish acrylic coating. Also, it is UV-resistant. Michael’s and Hobby
Lobby both carry it. The price is around $7 for a 11 oz. can. Krylon
makes several different kinds of clear coats and some of their others
that I have tried did not work as well as this one.
Tools:
A computer with a design program is a must. There are several
different design programs on the market with a wide range of prices. It
is up to you how much you want to spend. The one that I use is Print
Master. It is for making cards, letterheads, labels, etc. I purchase d it off
of eBay for around $25. It is possible to use just a word document, but
there will not be as much flexibility with fonts and layering objects.
A printer is another must. It can be either a laser or ink jet. The decal
paper that Micro Mark sells comes in both types. The cost is the same
for either one.
Scissors for cutting out decals
Tweezers are needed to help slide the decal off of the backing paper. Micro Mark sells a pair of decal tweezers
that have a wide flat end and do not have real sharp edges. One
can probably use any tweezers that has a wider end; just make
sure that they will not tear the delicate decal.
Decal Blotter is used to help slide decals into place and remove excess water from them after they are in position.
Micro Mark also carries these. They consist of a stick with a
small sponge on the end. In the supply area of Hobby Lobby,
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they can be purchased in package of five or six for about the price that you will pay for one from Micro Mark.
Small Flat Paint Brush with coarse bristles is needed to apply setting solution and decal softener. I also use it to
help get the decal to conform to uneven areas on the model.
A shallow container is also needed to soak the decals in prior to application. It needs to be deep enough to cover
the decal but not so deep that it is difficult to them get out.
In next month’s newsletter I will be discussing where to find images, such as logos and vintage signs, to assist in
making decals for your buildings and rolling stock. I will also cover printing and preparing the decals for
application.
OGRS OFFICERS
President: Dennis Rayon [email protected]%20
Vice President: Tom DeGeere [email protected]%20
Secretary: Glen Carlisle [email protected]
Treasurer: Trish Sharpensteen [email protected]
Membership Chairman: Bob Eggleston [email protected]
Historian: Bob Newquist [email protected]
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