Estes Valley Model Railroaders

-- (posted July 31, 2010) --

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TCA Train Shows and Events ...

ROCKY MOUNTAIN TOY TRAIN SHOW
at the
COLORADO RAILROAD MUSEUM
August 7th - 8th, 2010

A Toy Train Extravaganza!

• 75 Tables of Toy Trains for sale - All Gauges
• See the Denver Garden Railway Society's Garden Railway
• See the Denver HO Society's Denver & Western Layout
• Ride on the Galloping Goose (available at extra fare)
• Ride on the Diesel Passenger Train (available at extra fare)
• Door Prize Drawings
• Admission includes full access to the Colorado Railroad Museum.
• All ticket sales go to support the Colorado Railroad Museum

Adults $8  Child $5
FREE PARKING

Colorado Railroad Museum
17155 West 44th Ave
Golden, CO 80403

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ROCKY MOUNTAIN TOY TRAIN SHOW HOLIDAY MEET
at the
DENVER MERCHANDISE MART
November 27th - 28th, 2010

BIGGEST TRAIN SHOW WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI!

***TCA MEMBERS***
REGISTRATION STARTS
AUGUST 9, 2010!

TABLES AVAILABLE!

Plans are in place for the RMD Holiday Meet at the Denver Merchandise Mart, November 27th - 28th, 2010. The Rocky Mountain Toy Train Show at the Denver Merchandise Mart drew over 5000 TCA members & public last year. This year we hope to double the size through a 50% increase in advertising.  As a TCA member you can join in this great event.

• 2009 Attendance 5000+
• 2010 up to 120,000  Sq. Ft.
• 2010 Advertising  +50%
• 2010 up to 600 Sales Tables
• 2010 more than 35000 Sq. Ft of Layouts
• Santa Claus
• Kids Club
• Manufacturers
• Demonstrations
• Bring a Layout

Online registration starts August 9th 2010
www.RockyMountainToytrainShow.com

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RMD TCA September Auction Saturday & Sunday September 25-26 2010  Denver, CO

Over 850 lots of excellent Toy Trains,
Including Pre-War Lionel,  Post-War Lionel,  Modern Lionel,  MTH, K-Line, Williams, & Several other Modern Manufacturers. Over 40 Post-War & Pre-War Steamers

• Five Post-War Outfits
• Many Pre-War Freight & Accessories
• Large variety of Post-War Freight, many in OB’s
• Nice selection of Scale Fighter Aircraft, WW II Vehicles, &  50’s Automobiles

$5 Catalog admits TCA members.
You must be a TCA Member to register for the auction.

For catalog & information,
send check for $5 payable to RMD/TCA:

Steve Fowler
15155 Thornbird Ct.
Colorado Springs, CO 80921
719-487-8489
sdfandslf@msn.com

Ed Mularz RMD Auction Co-Chair)
Emularz1124@aol.com

-- (posted July 31, 2010) --

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New Info in the President's Cab ...

--- Update on Milliken display of UP#844 ... and ... a Note from the Ed Mularz ---
--- More information is available on the President's Cab page. ---

-- (posted June 25, 2010) --

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Denver Union Station Field Trip 2010...

The Esstes Valley Model Railroaders took a field trip on May 22, 2010
to visit the "O"-scale layout in the basement of the Denver Union Station
Visit the Gallery page for the field trip report
Or the Gallery/Union Station page to view photos !!!

-- (posted June 20, 2010) --

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Modeling with the Modelers ...

Scenery at the Oldeberg's April 14th
DCC at the Thut's April 28th.
Visit the Special Interest Groups page for more information !!!

-- (posted April 11, 2010) --

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Rails in the Rockies XIII Drawing Recipient ...

Paige Elliott (Age 8) received one of the train sets donated by Lionel for Rails in the Rockies XIII.
Visit the Rails in the Rockies page to see the photos of the happy young rail enthusiast !!!

-- (posted March 26, 2010) --

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RPO 54 Restoration Update ...

Click HERE for a pictorial update on the restoration of RPO #54

-- (posted March 6, 2010) --

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Modular On30 Club Layout in Design Process ...

Check out the new club layout that is currently being designed...
Visit the Modular On30 page directly -- or -- find it linked through Special Interest Groups.

-- (posted January 14, 2010) --

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Jack Heier's layout featured in "Dispatch" ...

Jack Heier's fabulous layout is featured in the Northern Colorado Model Railroad Club "Dispatch" October 2009 issue.
--- Take a look !!! --- They also have listed Rails in the Rockies XIII in Upcoming Events -- (posted November 15, 2009)

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Eagle Scout Project ...

Jan Verschuur has a right to be proud of not one, but two, grandsons !!! ... Here is his daughter Ingrid's message along with the picture of the Eagle Scout installation ceremony held 7/17/09, where a proud grandfather appears with his two newly promoted Eagle Scout grandsons, Jonathan and Alex Layman.

As our members know, Jonathan and Alex have participated in Rails in the Rockies for a number of years with their popular LEGO lay-out, and their parents Mark and Ingrid Layman have consistently done so as well. Mark was instrumental in helping us conduct successful Scout merit badge programs at these events several years.

To fulfill the Eagle Scout requirements and thus attain the highest rank in Scouting, Jonathan contacted the Fort Collins Municipal Railway and sought out a project to benefit their program, affectionately known as the "Trolley" on West Mountain Avenue. Jonathan planned and promoted the entire project of restoring the Trolley Barn, a 2100 sq. ft. building. He advertised the project at various Scout Troop meetings in Fort Collins and produced and circulated flyers about the project details. In all he recruited some 20-25 scouts, family and friends who donated a total of 250 volunteer hours to scrape, prime and repaint the entire barn. He demonstrated keen management capabilities to plan, motivate, coordinate, execute and deliver by bringing the project to successful and timely conclusion. ("Before" and "After" pictures are also furnished.)

Meanwhile, his one-year younger brother Alex, who also participated vigorously in the Trolley restoration, thought up and executed an Eagle Scout project of his own that fully met Scouting's top rank requirements. Alex recruited a team, which, under his leadership created and produced an outstandingly detailed colored map of the world on the grounds of the McGraw Elementary School in Fort Collins with attendant educational educational benefits for all concerned.

We look forward to seeing this enterprising family back at Rails-in-the-Rockies in 2010!

-- (posted September 20, 2009) --

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Hal Carstens Passes Away ...

Hal Carstens peacefully died this morning (June 24) at his home near Newton, New Jersey.
He had been in good health, happy, and spry enough to have been a dinner speaker at a recent NMRA gathering in Texas.

He did a lot for the hobby, and a short list of accomplishments includes (from the NMRA):

"Carstens, Harold H. NJ President Carstens Publications, Inc., Publisher Railroad
Model Craftsman and Railfan & Railroad. Editor, Author, HO, train collector.

Holds NMRA Distinguished Service Award 1962,
Past President Hobby Industry Association 1971-1972,
Model Railroad Industry Association 1977-1978,
Train Collectors Association 1964-1965.
NMRA Life Member.
Member NMRA Museum Committee.
Secretary, Eastern MRR Manufacturers 1956-1962.
HIAA Meritorious Award of Honor 1979.
HIAA MRR Division Big Wheel Award 1987.
NMRA Model RR Man of the Year Award 1989.
MRIA HALL OF FAME 1996.
Listed in Who's Who in America.
Train collection has been displayed in Williamsburg; Trenton State Museum, and
National Geographic Hall, Washington.

Arrangements are currently being made."

--- from Rex Beistle --- (posted July 6, 2009) --

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Colorado Railroad Museum Aerial View ...

The following is from Carl Arendt's "Small Layout Scrapbook" website:

COLORADO: MUSEUM PRESENTS A FULL-SIZED 'LINN WESTCOTT PLAN'

Recently, in the Small Layout Design discussion group on Yahoo!, Loren J posted a link to an aerial view of the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, Colorado USA (below is the Google Maps view). Loren's comment was, "This 'railroad' could be modeled 1:1." Indeed, one group member commented, "Wow, a prototype that actually looks like a Linn Westcott plan!"

The three-foot gauge (91cm) oval track is 1/3 mile (.5km) around, holding over 100 historic locomotives and cars. The museum also houses the Denver HO Model RR Club's Denver and Western layout. The Denver Garden Railway Society also has a G-scale garden railway on the grounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Award Presentation to Al and Barb Crisi ...

Al and Barb Crisi were presented with a model of UP Challenger locomotive #3985 on Wednesday, November 5, 2008. Al and Barb, charter members of the Estes Valley Division, are now honorary life members of the Estes Valley Model Railroaders. Congratulations !!!

--- (posted November 9, 2008) ---

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Locomotive 20 Challenge ...

Please help us meet this challenge!

Locomotive 20, built in 1899, is currently undergoing a complete restoration to bring it back to service at the Museum. The work is being done by the shops of the Strasburg Railroad in Pennsylvania under the direction of Linn Moedinger.

We here at the Colorado Railroad Museum appreciate the care and meticulousness that Linn Moedinger has taken in the restoration of this storied locomotive.

It is an expensive, labor and materials intensive process. We have recently received a challenge donation of $250,000 to help defray the costs of the restoration. We have received nearly $30,000 in donations to meet the match, but we have a long way to go.

As friends of the museum, we would like you to please consider a donation to the Locomotive 20 matching fund. You'll have the satisfaction of knowing that your contribution helped restore this important icon of narrow gauge railroad history.

Please call the museum at 303.279.4591 or toll free at 1-800-365-6263 with your pledge of support, or you can mail a check to the Colorado Railroad Museum, 17155 W. 44th Ave., Golden, CO 80403.

 

Rex Beistle -- (posted October 9, 2008)

This is about as much as I can learn about the matching grant monies available for the work on RGS number 20.

I have contacted three trustees as well as the Executive Director and learned that there is no near term time limit and that contributions should simply be made out to The Colorado Railroad Museum with notation pointing to 'The RGS 20 locomotive restoration.

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Engine 315 and the SN Enginehouse ...

Jim Mount shared his fine video of the restored D&RGW class C18 number 315 last Wednesday. I mentioned that the Silverton Northern Enginehouse in Silverton was claimed to be in the process of being cleaned out for use as a storage spot for the locomotive, as well as for other railroad restoration uses. I just found the following post that confirms the plans for the future use of the very old engine house and thought I would share it. I highlighted the sentence that refers to the rails having been removed more than 60 years past.

This material came from http://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/read.php?1,115281,115615#msg-115615
For anyone interested in narrow gauge, and Colorado narrow gauge in particular, this site is very informative.

Re: Silverton Northern enginehouse
Posted by: Fritz Klinke (IP Logged)
Date: September 03, 2008 11:31PM

The use of the SN engine house is a cooperative effort between the owner of the structure, the San Juan County Historical Society, and the Durango group. We first met informally about this earlier this summer, then had an on-site visit with the people involved in both groups, and then the D&S lent its support to the project. As reported, work has started on rearranging contents of the structure to allow use of one bay for the storage of the 315. The D&S has been in contact with their primary private contractor, Maisel Construction in Silverton, rail has been obtained, and the D&S will provide the 2 switches needed. We also met in Silverton with a representative of the Colorado Historical Society who was given an outline of the proposed relaying of historic track, and then she was given a tour of the property, with a grant request to be written and submitted for the October submittal deadline.

The outline of the former SN trackage is plainly visible on a frosty morning as each location of the ties, removed some 60 or more years ago, pops out in the early morning. The connecting grade from the SN line that went from the engine house up Cement Street to the siding now occupied by mostly drop bottom gons is still very evident and largely undisturbed. The CHS is willing to fund projects that can be documented and this track connection is relatively easy to establish.

Existing town ordinances dating from 1881 and 1882 and then again in 1896 allow for the use of certain streets and alleys for railroad use. In this instance, permission will be sought to use a portion of Cement Street for track at street grade since the parties involved are non-profit groups and not the D&S, which has rights 'for ever' to operate its tracks in the public right-of-way.

One part of the proposal is to ultimately utilize the entire engine house for the 315 and for freight car restoration work. The structure has power installed and will need a water and sewer connection. As for being isolated, the 315 couldn't be much closer to an operating railroad and that eliminates the risky trucking situation except for visits to Chama, and maybe elsewhere. The other aspect of isolation is moot to the 400 or so folks who live in Silverton year round, and US 550 sees heavy traffic all months of the year. The engine house also solves the D&S position of dealing with a non-railroad owned piece of equipment on its property from a liability and insurance stand point.

For Silverton, having the 315 housed here is a great plus. We have a strong historical society--its president, Bev Rich, won a National Honor award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the top preservation award given in this country, for her work on behalf of historic preservation. We can now start in earnest in working on the long stalled 'rail freight museum' started by the D&S a few years back, and with the support of Al Harper and the D&S staff, I think we will start to see some positive action here in Silverton. The thought of rebuilding the SN on to Howardsville and further is in the thinking of most of us involved, and now maybe we will have the first 100 feet or so of the SN relaid. It's an exciting project.

 

Rex Beistle -- (posted September 7, 2008)

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Modeling with Wood

--- Thanks to Bob Trump for writing up the presentation on Modeling with Wood. -- (posted August 8, 2008)
This presentation was made at the August 6, 2008, meeting and is also linked to on the Meetings page.

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New Pictures in the Gallery ...

View some pictures of the 2008 Rails in the Rockies XI Train Show event !! -- (posted August 7, 2008)

--- Here is a magnificent one-square-foot scene ! -- Take a look at Jack Heier's Cabin. -- (posted November 30, 2007)

--- Greeley Freight Station Museum pictures will be available soon. -- (posted August 14, 2007)
--- Cookout / Picnic pictures are available on the Picnic 2007 page. -- (posted August 14, 2007)
--- Mining Museum pictures are available on the Mining Museum 2007 page. -- (posted August 14, 2007)

--- Library Story Time -- (posted August 25, 2006)
--- Kitbashed Critters -- (posted July 14, 2006)
--- Layout Tour at Jack and Linda Heier's home in Loveland -- visited on July 7, 2006.
--- Layout Tour of Mike Broadstreet's On30 model railroad. -- (posted June 1, 2007)
--- Modeling with the Modelers -- the first session held June 14, 2006.

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DCC News !!!

For the benefit of those who might not have seen or heard about this news. This is good news for model railroaders the world over. This press release was copied from the Model Railroader Magazine weekly news letter.

Patent holder for DCC sound does not respond to NMRA challenge

June 10, 2008

The National Model Railroad Association has announced that Real Rail Effects has not responded to the NMRA's challenge of a patent awarded for Digital Command Control (DCC) with sound technology.

Real Rail Effects was granted its patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office based upon its claim that the company invented technology for using sound with DCC. To protect its patent, Real Rail Effects subsequently filed lawsuits against some model railroad manufacturers that use DCC sound technology.

The NMRA, with the technical and financial support of a number of DCC manufacturers and hobbyists, filed the challenge stating that the patent was granted for technology that was already in existence.

Based on the NMRA's filing, an examiner at the patent office determined that the position of the NMRA had merit and compelled a new analysis of the patent. Real Rail Effects had two months to respond to the re-examination request.

The deadline to respond to the NMRA's patent challenge passed with no response from Real Rail Effects, attorney Robert J. Amsler Jr., who is representing the NMRA, announced on June 6.

The matter now awaits a decision from the patent office.

-- (posted June 13, 2008)

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Modeling in Styrene

--- Thanks to Jim Thompson for writing up his presentation on Modeling in Styrene. -- (posted April 12, 2008)
This presentation was made at the April 2, 2008, meeting and is also linked to on the Meetings page.

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DCC Basics

--- Thanks again to John Thut for writing DCC Basics - Installment 3 - Decoder Types. -- (posted February 22.2008)
This is the third part in the series John is writing on DCC Basics.
--- Thanks to John Thut for writing DCC Basics - Installment 2. -- (posted March 15, 2007)
This is the second in a series of articles John intends to write as a followup to his June 2006 meeting presentation.
--- For the introductory article, view DCC Basics. -- (posted June 2006)

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Rex Beistle's "Hilltop Station" Featured in Carl Arendt's Website

Rex Beistle is not only an author in the January 2008 Model Railroader this month !!!
His "Hilltop Station" module is featured in Carl Arendt's website -- Take a look at the Elegant Simplicity page of Carl Arendt's website.
Carl Arendt features "Micro Layouts for Model Railroads" and is part of our Model Railroad Links page.

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Black Canyon / Curecanti Nat'l Park D&RG Display Update

RR Buffs:

Black Canyon / Curecanti National Park will most likely be pulling the train off the trestle at Cimarron this coming summer to repair the trestle and perform maintenance work on the train.

After repair, the train goes back on the trestle and will probably not be available for a close inspection again for many, many years. The dates when it will be available for visitation have not been set at this time. However, it is important that you express interest to the park for "getting up close and personal" so that arrangement can be made.

If you are interested in having access to the train while it is off the trestle, please write (Black Canyon NP, NPS, 102 Elk Creek, Gunnison, CO 81230) or email Forest Frost at the park (forest_frost@nps.gov).

The static display on the original steel deck Pratt Truss trestle (1895) includes Baldwin C-16 (2-8-0) # 278 (1882) and tender (1935), box car #3132 (1904), caboose #0577 (1886). Other remains in the immediate area include portions of the original D&RG grade, the junction town of Cimarron with track and reconstructed stockyards, stock car #5620, work car (sleeper) #04414.

See also: http://www.nps.gov/blca/historyculture/cimcanyonexhibit.htm

Bill Butler -- (posted December 6, 2007)

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Update on C&TS #489 ...

-- The following is from an e-mail by Fred Carlson on June 14, 2007 ...

I was in Chama today looking around. The 489 is now projected to be ready to run in October. She has the new front flue sheet installed, but the flues and tubes have not been installed, and the superheater units still have to be made. In addition, many parts have been lost to other engines, so some fabrication of new parts will be necessary. The new driver tires are installed, but the engine is still a boiler on a bare frame, with no spring rigging, brake rigging or wheels. They were boring out the left valve chamber when I was there.

According to the shop crew, the next engine to undergo a rebuild might be the 483 or the 463! The shop forces think these two are the most economical to rebuild. According to the machinist I talked to, the boiler on 483 is in great shape. I was surprised that 497 or 493 were not mentioned, even though management would prefer a K-37.

I also noticed a lot of fresh ballast between Chama and Los Pinos. They've really been working on the railroad!

Lastly, the steakhouse at Los Pinos is once again open for business.

And an interesting tidbit. Soni Honneger was running the 488 today, and they made it from Chama to Cumbres with six cars in 1 hour and 10 minutes! I asked him if they had installed a supercharger over the winter! He told me the 488 was the strongest engine, with 484 second and 487 third. The 487 is down on power due to blowby, probably due to worn piston rings. It goes to show that three steam engines all of the same design do not have the same power. They're all individuals!

For a .PDF file containing photos CLICK HERE.

-- Fred Carlson -- (posted June 15, 2007)

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Another Wonderful Critter ...

Here are three pictures of an On30 critter by one of our newest members -- Mike Broadstreet Left click on any picture to enlarge. Use your "back" key to return to this page. -- (posted April 2007)

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Micro Layout Ideas

--- Visit our Related Links - Model Railroad page for a list of links with a batch of ideas for micro layouts. -- (posted June 19, 2006