The Relay V1I2 Fall 2009 - NMRA

-
The
Relay
A publication of the Chesapeake Division of the Mid-Eastern Region of the NMRA
Volume 1, Issue 2
View From The Cupola
Fall 2009
By Kurt Thompson
If any of you read the NMRA President’s
editorial back in the June or July Scale Rails, his
words are pretty much on target. If we do not go
out as a Division and meet the public, press the
flesh, glad hand the public, they will not know or
care that there is a Division here to help them enjoy
this hobby. I cannot stress enough that if we enjoy
our hobby, we have to be the ambassadors to the
public so they can be brought into the fold and
enjoy the World's Greatest Hobby. (Sorry, I hate PR
tag lines and normally wouldn’t be caught dead
repeating one, but this one I feel is on the mark).
Well, here we are. The second issue of The Relay
is in your hands (or more correctly, on your
monitor). By this time, if you have an email address
on the NMRA Members Database, you have
received several emails about various upcoming
events in the Division. And the last email you
received was to tell you that this edition of The Relay
was available on our website.
For a quick recap of the last three months: the
Division was hosted by Arthur Boyd at his home for
a layout tour/display and a meeting of the Division
Board and membership. Meeting minutes are on the
website. A couple of the action items under way are
the Member’s Survey, which you have received, and
the development of a Division tri-fold handout to
use at public shows, including train shows and train
gardens.
continued on page 5...
In This Issue . . .
View From The Cupola ..........................................1
Bylaws Revision Proposed .....................................2
Contact Information ................................................2
Membership and Article Submissions .................2
Water Effects on the CC&C ....................................3
Member Survey ........................................................4
Training Your Mind: A Collection of Trivia ........5
Chesapeake Division Meeting Minutes ...........6-7
Railpass Trial Membership Form ..........................7
Annual Meeting on November 7 ..........................8
Model Engineers Support Chesapeake Div. .......8
Last Chance for Officer Nominations ...................9
Speaking of train shows, on December 5 and 6,
Chesapeake Division will be back at the Timonium
Fairgrounds at the Greensburg Train Show. I am
coordinating the volunteer schedule for that show,
so contact me if you’re willing and able to help out
(we can make it two-hour shifts if we get enough
volunteers). Being visible at the train shows (and the
Christmas train gardens) is our part of the process of
letting the model railroading and general public
know that the NMRA has a local division here that
is active and is supporting and encouraging model
railroaders here in the Baltimore metropolitan area.
The Relay/Chesapeake Division/NMRA
1
Fall 2009
Bylaws Revision
Proposed
The Relay
The official publication of the Chesapeake Division of the
Mid-Eastern Region of the NMRA, a tax-exempt organization.
By Arthur Boyd
The Relay is published quarterly. The opinions expressed within
do not necessarily reflect those of the Chesapeake Division, MER
or NMRA officials. Commercial suppliers, supplies and materials
addressed in The Relay in no way constitute an endorsement by
the MER or NMRA. Copyrighted material that appears in The
Relay is used for educational and historical benefit only and does
not constitute infringement of the copyright holder.
How could that be? A lot of sharp model
railroaders spent hours crafting just the right
language for the bylaws of the Chesapeake Division,
but now we’ve discovered a deficiency!
Superintendent: Kurt Thompson
[email protected]
When the nominating committee met to begin
recruiting candidates for the three offices coming up
for a vote this November, they needed to be able to
tell candidates when the term of office begins. No
problem – just look it up in the bylaws. Problem:
the bylaws did not specify a date, making it “upon
termination of the annual meeting,” but that could
be anytime during October-December, and a
candidate could not be sure when his term would
begin or end.
Assistant Superintendent: Jeff Hedge
[email protected]
Director-At-Large: Arthur Boyd
[email protected]
Paymaster: Gerhard Klose
[email protected]
Clerk: Ivan DeMay
[email protected]
Achievement Program: Greg Meeks
[email protected]
Great minds to the rescue! Your nominating
committee proposes the following motion to be
voted upon by the membership at the November 7
mini-convention. This motion would make the
beginning of a term of office the same as the
beginning of the fiscal year, on a set date, being
January 1.
Division Newsletter: Joe Cucchiaro
[email protected]
Webmaster: Russell Forte
[email protected]
http://www.trainweb.org/chesapekmernmra/index.html
“Amend Article IX Terms of Office by deleting
‘Members elected will take office upon termination
of the Annual Meeting’ and substituting ‘Members
elected will take office January 1 of the year
following the election.’”
Membership, Subscriptions
and Article Submissions
To become a member of the Chesapeake Division of
NMRA, please contact any Board member, fill out the
form for a free Railpass (see page 7) or join us at our next
meeting, which will take place Saturday, November 7
from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mt. Pleasant United Methodist
Church in Cecil County (see page 8 for full details).
Then when we elect people to serve as
Superintendent, Clerk and Paymaster at the
November mini-convention, they will know when
their awesome powers begin.
To receive electronic versions of this newsletter, send
an e-mail to Ivan DeMay at [email protected].
If you’d prefer printed copies, please send a check for $6
(payable to the Chesapeake Division, MER, NMRA) to
Kurt Thompson, 350 Ternwing Drive, Arnold MD 21012.
And you thought the only reason to go to the
Division’s mini-convention was to enjoy clinics, sell
(and buy) stuff at the white elephant table, see great
models on display (and bring yours to show), see
modular layouts, and much more!
To submit an article for future publication in The Relay,
please send it to the newsletter editor, Joe Cucchiaro,
at [email protected]
no later than Saturday, December 12.
Arthur Boyd, for the nominating committee (Joe Botts,
Gerhard Klose, Arthur Boyd)
The Relay/Chesapeake Division/NMRA
2
Fall 2009
Water Effects on the CC&C
By Arthur Boyd
There are many methods of simulating water on
model railroads. I used different methods at
different locations depending on the desired effect
for that type of waterway.
For Great Gorge and its waterfall, I used artists’
acrylic gloss gel. It dries clear and holds its shape.
For the falls, I painted the area to be covered by falls
black, then I painted on the gloss gel, let it dry, and
brushed on white shoe polish in a streaking
manner; then
after that dried,
I added more
gloss gel. For
the stream from
the falls to the
railroad bridge,
rushing
fast
over rocks, I
continued with
the gloss gel, making it intentionally bumpy. After
it dried, I dry-brushed the bumps with white shoe
polish, let it dry and added a top coat of gloss
medium (like matte medium, only gloss).
For a wide, slow-moving (and therefore calm)
river, I used the two-part resin EnviroTex Lite, since
it dries absolutely flat and clear. The stream bed
was first painted shades of greenish brown to
enhance the reflection of overhanging trees. For
Clear Creek, which is fast flowing and darkened by
mine tailings (from the adjacent Clear Creek Mine
#1), I painted the stream bed shades of brown and
black, then used Woodland Scenics Water, since it
dries with a slight yellowing that enhances the
muddy stream effect. I added a wash of browns
and blacks between coats, to add more
“muddiness” closer to the mine and clearing as it
got further away.
Clear Creek joins Pleasant Run, a mountain
stream, where the water tumbles over rapids. There
I painted the stream bed “natural rocks” tan color. I
put on one coat of Woodland Scenics Water, let it
dry, and brushed white shoe polish on the downstream side of the
rocks trailing out to a
point, then added
another
coat
of
“water.” As the final
coat dried, I “teased”
it in places to add
turbulence.
This
“teasing” to make
turbulence or waves
is
easier
with
Woodland Scenics
Water than it is with
EnviroTex,
which
insists on returning
to absolute level until
after you have given
up and gone to bed for the night! EnviroTex would
not have worked on the steeply sloping stream
anyway - it would have all puddled at the bottom!
The Relay/Chesapeake Division/NMRA
At the relatively
level
but
deep
mountain stream at
Summit, EnviroTex
gave the needed clear
depth over the rockstrewn stream bed.
Once dry, stippling
on gloss gel gave it a
slight
turbulence
instead of that mirrorflat appearance.
There are more waterways to go, and more
experimentation with different materials to achieve
the desired effect in each location. A log retention
pond will have a black bottom from the tree tannin.
A port will be gloss brown paint with no
discernable depth in the murk. Next time you look
at waterways, ignore the concept that it is “water;”
look instead for color, texture and light. Then think
about what materials would mimic what you see,
and think beyond materials sold for making model
railroad “water.”
3
Fall 2009
Member Survey: We Value Your Opinion!
Please print, fill out and mail to Kurt Thompson (see page 2 for mailing information)
Aspects of the hobby you are interested in
and your level of desire/expertise
Your name (first and last):
_____________________________________________
N=Novice, Needs Help
I=Intermediate
City and county you reside in:
Model Building:
_____________________
Layout Construction:
_____________________
Tracklaying:
_____________________
(handlaid or prefab)
Layout Design:
_____________________
DCC Installation
Layout:
_____________________
Decoders:
_____________________
Operations Group:
_____________________
Model Photography:
_____________________
Scenery Building:
_____________________
Module Layout Building: _____________________
Module Layout
Operating Group:
_____________________
Traction Modeling:
_____________________
(light rail, interurban, trolley)
_____________________________________________
NMRA number and expiration date:
_____________________________________________
Email address:
_____________________________________________
Favorite Modeling Scale (the one in which you
model most): _________________________________
Other scales you dabble in: _____________________
Other (please list it here): _____________________
_____________________________________________
Do you have a home layout? ______ yes ______ no
What stage is the layout in?
Benchwork completed:
Roadbed in place:
Trackage in:
Scenery in place:
_____________________________________________
Favorite Railroad(s) & Prototype(s) Modeled:
_____________________________________________
______ yes ______ no
_____________________________________________
______ yes ______ no
______ yes ______ no
Is there anything else you think we as a Division
need to know about you to serve you better?
Remember, the Division is only as good as the
information we receive from our members.
______ yes ______ no
Is your layout “complete/finished?”
(GASP!!)
______ yes ______ no
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Are you willing to host a layout tour? (See Arthur
Boyd’s article in the inaugural copy of The Relay.)
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
______ yes ______ no
The Relay/Chesapeake Division/NMRA
E= Experienced
W=Willing to help others
Thank you for your time!
4
Fall 2009
...View From The Cupola continued from page 1
As an aside, in the President’s column, he
congratulated one Division for garnering four new
members with Railpasses when that Division had a
table at a train show. I felt great pride in the success
the Chesapeake Division had as a result of our twoday effort back at the April Timonium show.
Twenty-four Railpasses netted and one full-pay
NMRA membership brought to the MER. Not bad
for a starting effort. If National thinks getting four
new members at a major show is impressive, we
here in the Chesapeake need to show them that four
is a drop in the bucket when we put our minds and
hearts and hands behind this membership effort.
How many can we get between now and the
Greensburg December show? I’d hope we get more
that 24 - maybe 36, 48?
it is before beach traffic (ugh!!!) really gets going
along Rt. 50. If we wait until June, July or August,
getting around the area will be next to impossible.
Before the show mentioned above, our first
Annual Group Meeting (AGM) will be held
Saturday, November 7. The location is listed on the
website. We are working on a schedule of clinics
which right now includes two sessions involving
the Layout Design SIG talking about (what else)
layout design ideas and issues. Another Division
member, Fred Scheer, will also be giving a clinic on
what it is like working with a custom layout design
service. Also, we will have a “Bring and Brag” table,
model judging for Merit Awards (please let Greg
Meeks know if you want to be judged for AP/Merit
so we aren’t short-handed on judges), plus one or
more of our local modular groups will be set up.
And of course, we will have a brief AGM vote on
two by-law changes, announcement of Howard
County’s move to the Chesapeake Division, and
voting on three of the five Board positions.
The signal ahead displays “APPROACH.” Let’s
keep the Division rolling.
As you complete your member’s survey, please
cut and paste your reply into an email. Once we
have received some back, the Division Board will
compile the information and work on keeping this
Division moving toward more fun.
I feel like a really bad gypsy fortune-teller. With
this column, I’ve pretty well foretold the past. I
hope my crystal ball continues to work well for
future events as well. Only time and the efforts of
you, my fellow Division members, will tell us how
successful we will become.
Training Your Mind
A Collection of Trivia
1. What is the world’s oldest railroad bridge
still in use today?
2. What is the correct order of the railroad
properties on a Monopoly board, starting at
“Go”?
3. What year did construction begin on the
first section of the B&O railroad, and where
did the first section end?
4. What town hosted the 1927 B&O Railroad
Centenary Exhibition called ”The Fair of the
Iron Horse”?
There are two more future events to put on your
calendar now. First, we will be participating in a
joint spring Mini-con with the Potomac Division.
The date is set for April 17, 2010. For our May event,
I’m hoping we can gather enough layouts in the
Anne Arundel County area to have a layout tour. I
need to hear back from the layout owners in AA
County so we can begin planning this. The tentative
date is Saturday, May 15. The reason for this date is
Answers: 1. Carrollton Viaduct, located over Gwynns
Falls in Baltimore; 2. Reading, Pennsylvania, B&O, Short
Line; 3. July 4, 1828, ending at Ellicott’s Mills (now known
as Ellicott City); 4. Halethorpe, MD; 5. The “Baltimore
American” newspaper.
The Relay/Chesapeake Division/NMRA
5. Where were the first timetables of the B&O
Railroad published?
5
Fall 2009
Chesapeake Division Meeting Minutes
Sunday, July 26, 2009
NEW ITEMS:
The meeting was held at Arthur Boyd’s home in
Baltimore City, with 26 Division members
attending. Board members in attendance (5 of 8)
were: Kurt Thompson (superintendent), Gerhard
Klose, Greg Meeks, Russell Forte and Arthur Boyd.
1. Potomac Division offers the Chesapeake
Division to co-sponsor with them an April 2010
Mini-convention, location South Columbia Baptist
Church, Columbia, Howard County MD. We have
been offered a cut of the door proceeds. A motion
was made, seconded and approved to co-sponsor a
mini-con with the Potomac Division in April. A
Chesapeake Division contact person is needed to
coordinate our volunteers to help. This is a great
opportunity to “shadow” the organizing of a minicon with folks who have a successful track record
of this. If interested, contact Kurt.
The program included a tour of Arthur’s layout
before the meeting, and a “show and tell” about
Arthur’s layout design concepts and operations
system following the meeting. Simple refreshments
were provided.
OLD ITEMS:
1. November 7 (Saturday, all day) will be the
Annual General Membership meeting, election of
the Board, and Mini-convention. The location
(tentative) is Port Deposit, Cecil County MD. The
church at which the event will be held will provide
food, and the MARS group and the Harford club
may have modular layouts. There will be a “white
elephant” sales table and a display table for
members’ models. Hal Olson is the clinic chair, and
welcomes folks who would be willing to do a miniclinic (first-time presenters especially invited!). A
volunteer is needed to be the overall coordinator or
chair, and others to help out – contact Kurt if
interested.
2. Having tables at train shows was discussed.
This was successful and fun at the fall Scale Show,
and folks would like to do this again at other shows.
Kurt will inquire about the October 10-11 Scale
Show. Bill Wolf will update and make available the
very professional-looking display board he
produced. Kurt will inquire with “Christmas Train
Garden” displays if they would be willing to have
handout material from us. It was suggested that if
there is a calendar of such displays in the Division
territory we should post it (link to it) on our website
and put in The Relay.
3. Hal Olson is compiling a list of clinic
suggestions and clinician volunteers. Interested
folks should contact him. Greg Meeks described
events at the NMRA national convention in
Hartford CT, and gave his impressions of the model
contest and judging. He participated as a judge,
and found it very informative. He offered to do a
clinic on model contest criteria etc., perhaps at our
next mini-con.
2. The proposed March 2010 Public Show was
discussed. Given the invitation to co-sponsor a
mini-con with the Potomac Division in April (see
below), a motion was made, seconded and
approved to not hold a March 2010 public show.
3. Joe Botts gave a Nominating Committee update.
Positions to be filled this year are Superintendent,
Clerk and Paymaster. So far only the incumbents
have placed their names in nomination. An
“invitation to serve” was placed in the newsletter,
and will be placed on the website. The Nominating
Committee discovered a deficiency in the bylaws
concerning when the newly elected officer takes
office. A bylaws change will be presented to the
membership for a vote at the November general
meeting, to set January 1 of the year following
election as the beginning of the term of office. Joe
asked Arthur Boyd to write up an article about this
for The Relay and the website.
The Relay/Chesapeake Division/NMRA
4. New meeting locations: a. Knights of Columbus
Hall, c/o Raymond Miles, have offered meeting
location for twice a year, 10855 Stang Road, Owings
Mills, MD., b. Covenant Church, Centennial Park
Rd, Columbia, MD. Ideas for additional places
should be sent to Kurt.
5. Formation of a new member contact and
greeting committee was discussed. Several people
volunteered to call new members. Kurt gets an
update from NMRA headquarters monthly. An
6
Fall 2009
“interests and skills” survey of the entire
membership now, and then of each new member,
was suggested. This would help build a “member
aid” resource list, find folks with home layouts
willing to host a Division tour, identify people who
might be encouraged to offer a clinic, etc. Gerhard
offered to compile a survey to consider.
8. The intention for The Relay newsletter is to do as
much mailing as possible via e-mail, and any
announcements of events between issues of The
Relay will only be by e-mail. Any NMRA member
who is not getting Division e-mails should notify
Kurt of your correct address.
THANK YOU:
6. Arthur Boyd had two folks so far respond to the
article in The Relay inviting people willing to host a
layout tour. He also received one “member aid”
request (regarding DCC shorting on switches in
HO). Anyone who might help this person should
contact Arthur.
1. Joe Cucchiaro on getting the first edition of the
newsletter out, and making it look so good.
2. Russell Forte for keeping the website moving
and updated. It is among the best Division
websites, even though it is just starting.
7. We have a tentative invitation to a private event
at Chesapeake and Allegheny Live Steamers in
September. Kurt will send details when confirmed.
3. The nominating committee: Joe Botts, chair, and
Gerhard Klose and Arthur Boyd.
Recorder for this meeting: Arthur Boyd
National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) Mid-Eastern Region
Application for Free “Railpass” Trial Membership
YES, please sign me up for a free six-month Railpass trial membership in the NMRA, which includes membership
in the Mid-Eastern Region and my local Division. During this six-month period, I understand that I may attend
conventions and meets, and participate in contest. I will receive Scale Rails, the monthly national magazine, and The
Local, the bi-monthly regional newsletter. I will not be eligible to vote, hold office or receive a New Member Pak.
I also understand that the $9.95 cost of this six-month Railpass trial membership is being paid by the Mid-Eastern
Region. (Regardless of who pays, six-month $9.95 memberships are available only once to each person.) At the end of
the six months, I may join NMRA, paying the regular active member dues.
During the past thirty months, I have not been a member of NMRA.
Name: __________________________________________________________________
Street Address: ___________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip: __________________________________________________________
Phone: (__________) ______________________________________________________
E-mail: __________________________________________________________________
Scale(s): ____________________
Date of Birth: _____________________________
Signature of Applicant: ____________________________________________________
Signature of “Recruiter”: __________________________________________________
When this form is completed,
mail it to:
Fred Miller, MMR
MER Business Manager
8960 Challis Hill Lane
Charlotte, NC 28226-2686
Do not mail it directly to NMRA
headquarters in Chattanooga, TN.
(A Regional or Divisional officer or board member)
The Relay/Chesapeake Division/NMRA
7
Fall 2009
Next Division Meeting on Saturday, November 7, 2009
Please join us for our first-ever Annual Group Meeting and Mini-Con on Saturday, November 7, 2009
from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The meeting will take place at Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church, 1713 Liberty
Grove Road, Colora, MD (Cecil County) 21918. The doors open at 8 a.m., with events and functions to
follow from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The following clinics will be offered: Layout Design and Theory, Dealing
With a Custom Layout Designer, Simple Operations Scheme and others to be determined. There will be
a White Elephant/Garage Sale table, along with an HO test track with DCC, and Bring and Brag to show
off your models, with AP and Merit Judging available. Of course, there will plenty of general model
railroad talk and socializing, followed by the Annual Membership Meeting at 12:30 p.m., when members
will vote on candidates and the by-laws change mentioned on page 2. We hope to see you there!
Baltimore Society of Model Engineers
Supports the Chesapeake Division
On November 1, the Baltimore Society of Model
Engineers hosted an open house for the Potomac
Division as well as the newly formed Chesapeake
Division. The following is an excerpt from their web
page (www.modelengineers.com) and tells about
the club and the layouts they have.
a look at how trains have changed through the
years. The HO Layout models the fictitious railroad
the Chesapeake and Western, which operates a
double track mainline from Baltimore, MD to
Wheeling, WV, so the scenery reflects that. The city
trollies are undergoing restoration and expansion
as the citizens look for green transportation
alternatives.
“The Baltimore Society of Model Engineers is a
model railroad club located in Baltimore Maryland,
formed in March 1932. We have the largest
permanent display in the mid-Atlantic region, with
2500 square feet of steam and diesel freight and
passenger trains as well as trollies and interurban
running from the overhead wire. We are the oldest
exclusively model railroad club in the United States
and the third oldest modeling society in the world!
The club also has displays of railroad history
and lore, including 34 authentic heralds from the
1950s. Displayed around our layouts are railroad
manufacturers’ publicity photos and a prototype
steam engine bell, whistle, headlamp and builder’s
plate.
The society is always interested in welcoming
new members, regardless of modeling skills. Part of
the club’s activities help beginning members to
become skilled in all aspects of the hobby. We also
have plenty to keep the experienced hobbyist
interested and challenged.”
The society operates both HO & O Scale layouts.
The O scale layout is set in early 1950s, the late
steam and early diesel era. This means the majority
of the trains will be Steam and first generation
Diesel Trains, but you will see an occasional modern
passenger or freight. The O scale layout also has a
trolley system running the 65’ length of the layout
running off the overhead wire! You will city trolley
models of Baltimore Streetcars as well as interurban cars running on the line.
The Baltimore Society of Model Engineers is located
just north of the Baltimore Inner Harbor area at 225
West Saratoga Street, third floor. On-street parking
is free on Sundays, plus they are half a block from
the light rail station and just over a block from the
Lexington Market subway station. We encourage
everyone to stop by when you get a chance!
The HO scale layout operates modern SD-90
diesels next to a ten wheeler (4-6-0) steam train with
40-foot boxcars. This is primarily to give the visitor
The Relay/Chesapeake Division/NMRA
8
Fall 2009
Last Chance to Submit Nominations for
Officers of the Chesapeake Division
By Joe Botts
The Chesapeake Division, MER-NMRA has
and appoints the Chairpersons of all committees
Nominating Committee is soliciting the division
represents the Division when attending MER Board
with the approval of the Board. The Superintendent
begun the process of electing officers for 2010. The
meetings and serves as an ex-officio member of all
membership for persons interested in leading the
committees except the nominating committee.
Division through its infancy over the next couple of
years. This will be an exciting time to serve on the
B – The Clerk serves as the Division secretary, with
Board of Directors as an officer of the Division.
duties that include taking and publishing minutes
of all meetings, maintaining a roster of active
This year, the Division will elect officers in the
members, maintaining the Division records and
positions of Superintendent, Paymaster and Clerk.
sending correspondence and notices of meetings.
Elections for these positions will be conducted
during the annual meeting this coming Saturday,
November 7, 2009. Officers will serve for two years.
C – The Paymaster serves as the Division treasurer.
The process of nomination has been under way
funds, receiving and disbursing funds under the
Duties include the care and custody of Division
direction of the Board, and preparing financial
since summer to ensure that we have a well-vetted
reports as required by law. The Paymaster keeps
slate of candidates who can be presented to the
proper books of account showing all monies
membership for their consideration. Your assistance
received or distributed by the Division. The Position
is essential. If you think you or someone you know
would make a solid officer of the Division, please
of Clerk and Paymaster may be held by a single
let me know. Here are the position descriptions:
individual if two persons are not elected.
A – The Superintendent presides over the Division and
If you wish to lead this Division into the future,
Board Meetings and is the chief executive officer of
please send me an e-mail at [email protected]
supervision and management vested in the office of
short paragraph describing your experience and
the Division, with the general powers and duties of
nominating yourself or someone else. Include a
President of a not-for-profit organization. The
why you would be a strong candidate for that office.
Superintendent is responsible for seeing that the
Please include all contact information (address,
resolutions and actions of the Board are carried out,
The Relay/Chesapeake Division/NMRA
email, phone numbers, etc). Good luck!
9
Fall 2009