April 1997

Volume XXNumber 2

©Bruce NailPhoto

Bulk Up Your American Flyer® LayoutWith Our New Bulkhea

. _^i^ «>IM - ' __JMB£?: V - ,

I i

fll Iff ffl IP!

Photo by Bob Werre American Flyer51 Accessories courtesy of Rick Ziegler

Introducing The first New Ready To Run S Gauge Flatcar In 50 YearsFeaturing 7 Colorful Building Materials Loads

* Fully assembled, ready-to-run' Removable building materials load' Runs on flyer "two-rail" track' Affordably priced at just $49.95

' Die-cast metal body and sprung trucks7 roadnames and loads are availableAvailable at fine hobby stores nationwide, or order direct"Grip 'n Go" operating couplers

Add new realism to your pike: Our latest offering is here and ready to go with 7 colorful building materials loads.Right out of the box and on to your layout. If you have been waiting for something truly NEW, these are the carsfor you. To order direct or obtain more information, including a list of hobby shops carrying The Showcase Line'sproducts, call 1-800-465-0303. Ask for our free S-Helper Service 8-page, 4-color catalog. Visit our Web page athttp: / / www.showcaseline.comAmerican Flyer® is a registered trademark of Lionel Trains L.L.C.

Tl-iE Sl~lOU/CXISH LllMEThe right trains. The right size. The right price.

from S-Helper Service Inc.2 Roberts Road • New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1621

NASGDISPATCHOfficial Publication of the

NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONofSGAUGERS

The NASG DISPATCH welcomes art,photographs, letters, articles and otherS-gauge-related materials contributed bythe membership. Send all such materialsto the editor:

Jeff Madden438 Bron Derw Ct.Wales, WI 53183414-968-3729TLMadden@EXEC PC.COM

NASG membership runs from Julythrough June, including all DISPATCHissues for the membership year, irre-spective of enrollment date. All applica-tions, renewals and membershipquestions should be directed to:

The Membership SecretaryNASG, Inc.c/o Dody Stevens9619 NW 71st St.Kansas City, MO 64152-2403816-741-1505E-Mail: Craft.RR@Genie.COM

Reproduction in whole or in part isprohibited without permission of theNASG, Inc.

The DISPATCH — ISSN 10457178 ispublished bimonthly by Goellner PrintingCompany, 301 South Main Street, St.Charles, MO 63301-3498.SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 1 year $12.00,which is included in the $17.00 annual dues.All subscriptions payable in U.S. funds.Second class postage is paid at St. Charles,MO. Printed in the U.S.A. All rightsreserved. POSTMASTER: Send addresschange to The Database Manager, NASG,Inc., % Dody Stevens, 9619 NW 71st St., Kansas

^City, MO 64152-2403. A

COVER:

RGS Goose #4 on Dry CreekTrestle. Scene is on the Denver arealayout of Mark Kramer.© Photo by. Bruce Nail.

ORDERBOARD

Volume XX, Number 2

L- — «-̂

APRIL 1997

President's Message Alan Evans 4Railmail 4Jeff's Junction 5New Products Report Jeff Madden 6Colorado Prototype Railroading 8Denver Clinics & Layouts Jerry Porter 1035 Years For The S Gaugian . . . Jeff Madden 12Meet An S Ganger Dick Kloes 13Short and Easy Kent L. Singer 14Module Corner Ted Larson 15S-Pikes 16Posthole Mine Ernie Horr 18-22Sn3 Symposium Bob Sherwood 23'S'traight & Narrow David Heine 24Club Sandwich Dave Pool 28Extra Board 30

iS-Calendar 31 *

STAFFJeff Madden EditorTerry Madden Graphics EditorKent Singer Contributing EditorJeff Madden New Products EditorDavid Pool Club EditorTed Larson Module CornerDavid Heine Narrow Gauge EditorBob Werre Staff PhotographerJeff Madden Advertising ManagerBob Jackson Editor EmeritusPete Mihelich Publisher

THE DEADLINES for articles are the 1st of February, April, June, August, October and Decemberfor issues dated April, June, August, October, December, February, respectively.

TO READERS: All warranties and claims made by advertisers in theI DISPATCH are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. The NASG reserves the right toI refuse any advertising material which it feels is not reputable. The selection and/ or use of theI products or services, and the application or results obtained from these advertisers is the sole^k responsibility of the reader.

ADVERTISING RATES: Inquire regarding B & W or color rates. For additional information, contact the NASG DISPATCH, c/o GoellnerPrinting, 301 South Main, St. Charles, MO 63301.

President's Message...Bottom Line: The Cost of the Presence of SFriends: In my previous column I asked readers to respondif their club was missing from the list of operating modularor portable layout. I received these notes on layouts missedin the February issue and one regarding layout costs.

Craig Stair of Piano, Texas, wrote: "Shame! You left us.out of ycmr Dispatch editorial, The Trinity Express S Sealers:operate a portable S scale layout that is at most local showshere in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. This weekend i t .willbe at GATS at Fair Park in Dallas." . . .:

Ernie Horr sent this information along with newsletters."The Inland Empire 3 Gaugers Association of the PacificNorthwest (IESGAPN) has a sectional layout 8 x 12 feet.We last had it in operation in 1991. It needs some work, butwe are planning on repairing and updating it for. an upcomingtrain show in Spokane in October. We, as a group, havebeen lax in promoting S in our area. We are hoping to changethat. One step has been the re-issuing of our monthlynewsletter last May. I am sending you the first three issuesof 1997 so you can see how we are coming along."

Mike Shea from Roches ier (I TY) provides a perspective onthe cost of the presence cf 3, "A few comments on your'President's Message' in the February Dispatch. I totallyagree that we all could be doing more to promote S scaleand keep it before the public, especially in the form ofoperating layouts. But you seern to be suggesting that wedo so regardless of the cost. I don't know about yourorganization, but ours just doesn't have any well-heeledphilanthropists as members. This effort of ours has to havesome measure of self sufficiency or it will simply cease toexist.

"A scenicked, 2 x 4 module costs us about $100 to build.Corner modules run about $150. Our total moduleinvestment to date is some $1400 (with more planned), andwe are looking at another $3000 or so to buy and outfit atrailer to store and haul them. And all of this comes beforewe put an engine or piece of rolling stock on the layout, ordo a lick of maintenance and repair work.

"I am a relative newbie to S scale, with a tenure of some 4years or so. Along with my participation in the RochesterArea S-Gaugers, my plans include a mostly Sn3 layout"someday." I have built (and paid for) two modules which

are used for club shows, as well as purchased twolocomotives and some rolling stock that will never see therails of my own future NG layout, but this is about the limitof what I can afford for a model railroad that runs only fouror six times a year, especially if my home layout is ever tobecome a reality. And I am not alone.

"The bottom line is that the costs associated with our S-Mod layout are ones we simply cannot completely underwriteourselves. And since American Models, S-lieiper Service,Pacific Rail Shops, Crown Models, Lionel/Flyer, etc., aren'texactly lining up to help us promote their products, the moneyhas to come from somewhere else. And that 'somewhereelse'is the local show promoters."

"Forunately, this is not a big problem in our area. The areagroups with portable/modular layouts all seem to face thesame financial constraints. Each group requests,approximately the same fee, so the local show promotersdon't benefit from comparison shopping. And our fees arelow enough ($75 to $100 per day) to be considered nominal.

"Yes, if S scale doesn't continue to grow we will all suffer.But the answer isn't to just get out there and 'preach to thecongregation' regardless of the cost. Cost is something thatmany of us must take into account. Now, if only the NASGand/or the S scale manufacturers were willing to helpout...oops, I guess I was day-dreaming."

To answer part of Mike's question, the Central Ohio Club Ibelong to was fortunate to receive a donation of money, code148 rail and track, a trailer and some helpful startupinstructions from the Cuyahoga Valley S Gauge Club in1985. This was a BIG boost to our fledgling club. We tookit from there, designing the layout, handlaying track (a first-time experience for all of us.), adding scenery and buildinga trailer to haul the sections. Our results didn't happenovernight to say the least. The main fund-raiser since buildingthe layout has been our annual all-gauge train show (welearned not to call it a "flea market" when concrete geesevendors wanted to display). This has helped create revenuefor improving our layout and paying for the trailer license.It's okay to have money in the bank, but its lying there doesn'thelp improve the layout/modules— that's why we've returnedmost of it where we earned it—back into the layout.

I invite other clubs to elaborate on how they finance theirlayout. We can all benefit from some successful techniquesto help with the presence of S.-Alan

REMEMBER! DUES ARE DUE!

Send to Dody Stevens by June 30,1997. Regular membership dues are$17, family memberships are $22and contributing memberships are$27. Contributing includes theHelper Ad listing. Make checks pay-able to the NASG.

Flyer or Scale?Responding to last month's editorial, a reader writes that hecan't make up his mind whether to run all scale or just Flyer.This is how he solved the problem. He has Flyer locomotiveswith knuckle couplers and scale locomotives with KDs. Hejust couldn't convert to one or the other. His solution was toput scale wheels and KDs on one end of each piece of rollingstock and a Flyer truck with coupler on the other end. This

way he can run a Flyer engine with the cars coupled Flyer-KD-KD-Flyer, etc. Or, with a scale engine, the cars would becoupled KD-Flyer-Flyer-KD. Most of his track is code 148so having one truck on one end of a car with scale wheelsetsand a Flyer truck on the other should cause no problem. Hisbranchline does have code 100 track, however, and in thiscase at least one end of each car would not bump along.A. Prilfools

Ex-Editor WritesI just finished reading the Feb., 1997, Dispatch. As an ex-editor, I cannot keep myself from writing you.

Jeffs JunctionIs Your Home Layout Finished?Many home layouts languish m an unfinished state oncethey 're started.

The excuses modelers give (in any scale) are pretty muchstandard cliches — not enought time, not enough money,I'm not good at,.., I can't get anybody to help me, etc.Modelers in S can lean a bit on having less easy-assemblyplastic structures and roiling stock available and a highercost factor than in HO or N;

Yet, it is only natural that in the role of spectator, S gaugers(like any ganger) obviously prefer seeing other layouts, eitherm person or in publications, which are the most complete.

Now, having stated that the lack of completion of homelayouts is a negative, I want to turn the idea of an incompletelayout into a positive. So listen - you with cobweb coveredlayouts with little or no scenery !

Jri the last several veers, I have enjoyed operating on 4^finished horae layouts here in the midwest. Thesehappened to a" be HO layouts (is there a message here)which are in an unfinished state. All consist of track andpenchwblrk wife minima: scenery. Structures :are eitherplastic kits set in place, cardboard mockups or shoeboxeswith industry names an them. Townsite names are either .written in marker OB the Hoaiosote or are indicated1 by a'

BUT! ifjey ajj jjaye one thing in common •— - trackwork:asa Tvirifig are mostly complete, and they can be operatedin a realistic fashion. These particular layouts operate with3 central dispatcher who communicates by 2- way radio to;li$3 various crew laemisrs who either operate a fixed yard^orran throagli train?:, Operaiiera is by iimeiaiie and card'order system, All Iievs traditional wiring wife rotary switchesto routs pov/e? ic the various rnshiline cabs. Most turnoutsare meraaal aad withis easy reach of the operators.

THE POINT FOR S — From what I see and hear, S homelayouts are notorious for being in an unfinished state. Ifyou fit in this category, maybe the following ideas, which Igleaned from the above mentioned experiences, can spursome interest. We'll start from scratch, but many of you

I got a kick out of Ernie Horr's musings about the MillerAlco switcher. As a young man in the 1960s I longed for oneof these models. Over the years I managed to acquire twodouble-motor power trucks as well as the locomotive frameand superstructure kit - enough to build the entire locomotive.The lead weight fully filled the inside of the long hood.

Running light, the merest trickle of current caused thelocomotive to accelerate. The higher the current, the fasterthe acceleration! There was no throttle position that wouldproduce a constant speed. Keeping the locomotive fromobeying the law of inertia (i.e., going straight ahead as the

Continued on page 26

may already have gotten to one of the stages below.

1. Plan your layout for some sort of operation.2. Recruit crew prospects (even if it's only 1 or2 or familymembers) to help operate and build.3. Get the benchwork up with basic blue sky backdrops inplace (where needed). A bench work crew can usually throwup a pretty big layout in a day or so.4. Get the track down.5. Get the wiring done, (traditional wiring may be preferredfor many home layouts because it's usually less expensiveand is easier to troubleshoot). But command control systemscan save a lot of time since there's much less actual wiringneeded.6. Once the layout is up and running, place finished structureson the layout if you have them. For ice remaining industriesand stations use cardboard mockups or just Blain boxes astemporary buildings/Label all towns, junctions and othergeographic locations with file cards.7. Set up a card order system for your rolling stock andindustries. See Russ Mobley's article in the April, 1994,Dispatch for one example. Making up a car card on eachpiece of rolling stock can be a fun and useful way of doingan inventory.8. Start operating trains as soon as possible. Crew size, ofcourse, will vary from as little as 1, to several, dependingon layout size and scope. Operating sessions should generallybe scheduled from 1 to 4 hours depending on layout size.

NOW, your layout assumes a purpose instead of just beinga lump of benchwork. From here you can proceed to thescenicking and detailing. Operating your layout in a realisticfashion will probably work to stimulate layout completionrather than delay it because you'll be tempted to havesomething new to show the crews each time they show up,

NO, the above mentioned HO layouts won't be replicated intoo many S basements since they are rather large, but thephilosophy can work for any size layout including modular/portable ones. ;..• ' . '• . i ' :a • • .- a- :

Just imagine Frank Titman's Spiral Hill or Brooks Stover'sBC&G without much scenery - they could still be operatedwith a purpose.

And by sharing operation with other modelers, cameraderieis developed and interest in your own layout is maintained,-Jeff

NEW PRODUCTS REPORTBy Jeff Madden

AMERICAN MODELS (10087Industrial Drive, South Lyon, MI48178). A little update from AM. PS-23 bays should be shipping now. Dittowith the 4 bay coal hoppers. Tooling hasbegun on the F7B. The steam engine isdue around June or July. The SD60 willbe later. The code 148 turnouts are beingredesigned to accept electric motors.Ron has ads on cable shopping networkspeddling the Amtrak and freight sets.Now the rumor mill. Probably 1998 willsee a 2-8-2 mechanism under the steamboiler with a couple of new steam erafreight cars to go with it - a steel reefer,a woodside reefer and a woodsidecaboose.

Again, the steam engine is due bysummer. Some problems with the smokeunit caused a bit of a delay. The smokeunit will use "Big Puff manufacturedby Bart's Pneumatics Corp. AM will sell2 oz. bottles for $3.00 each. Orders oncredit cards to AM will not be chargeduntil each individual is notified. BothB&O and Southern Crescent paintschemes will not be re-run. Those tryingto order after March 31 will have to pay$677 for the sets and $357 for thelocomotive.

The 4 bay ribbed and offset AAR 70ton hoppers should be available as youread this. Most of these hoppers wereoriginally built between 1930 and 1947.Many are around today as rebuilds. TheAM model features a diecast underframeand one-piece ABS plastic body withdetails engraved on. Precision brasswheelsets and couplers are included ineither scale or hi-rail versions. Thesecars are RTR at $33.95. See theDecember issue for roadnames.

Listed on the Internet were some newlocomotive paint schemes to be offered:S-12 - 1C orange and white and UP.Prices will be hi-rail $209.95, scale$184.95. The S-12 will also be offeredin a CB&Q scheme for- hi-rail $214.95and scale $189.95. Alco ABA PA setswill also come in SP Daylight andD&RGW for $550

Note: American Models has changedtheir internet web site to --

www.americanmodels.com and E-mailto -info@americanmodels.com.

BILL'S TRAIN SHOP (P.O. Box 561,Seffner, FL 33583). Good news and badnews on the Hartoy AHL truck series.Good news is the Jack Frost Fordcabover has arrived for $9.95 each. Badnews is that the classic AHL series isbeing discontinued in favor of theP.E.M. (modern series) which is beingkept. These will soon increase to $48.

Bill is contacting Pacific Rail Shopsabout doing some NYC boxcars withoutnumbers. Give him a ring if you areinterested as these will be a special orderitem.

Look for late June for delivery on theGP30s.

BACHMANN INDUSTRIES, INC.(1400 E. Erie Ave., Philadelphia, PA19124). For the 50th anniversary ofPlasticville Bachmann is releasing 4 new"O" buildings: A 2-story farmhouse, astation, a larger switch tower and apedestrian overpass. I haven't seen thesein person yet, but my guess is that theywill be undersized for O, just like theoriginal series. The 3 structures list for$20 each and the overpass is listed at$10.

DBS PLAINES HOBBIES (1468 LeeSt., Des Plaines, IL 60018). Theundecorated version of the modern coalporters should be ready around the timeyou read this. Matching decal sets willbe available as well. Cars will come withtrucks, but not couplers. Pockets aredesigned to accept KD 802s. Cost to beannounced - probably in the $35 range.Decorated cars will come later.

ERTL (See your local discount storeor farm implement dealer). I spottedthree new 1/64 Farm Country Play setbuildings in a dealer catalog: A singlestory ranch house with attached garageand an assortment of details like apropane tank, grill, etc.; a round gablebarn from the early 1900s with crib,fencing and so on and a HogConfinement set which has two shed likebuildings plus a bunch of piggies. All

are due in the Fall of '97. AvailableSpring and Fall 1997 are severalvehicles with John Deere markings -available only at John Deere dealers.Included are some tractor trailers, somepickups, pickups with trailers and shortflatbed trucks with tractor loads. Whatinterested me most was the 1950 Chevypickup with Deere logo, a 1950 Chevyflatbed truck with tractor load and a1997 Dodge Ram truck with Deere logo.

PACIFIC RAIL SHOPS (P.O. Box867, Coos Bay, OR 97420) announcestwo new roadnames for the 40' steelreefer. They will be a URTX MilwaukeeRoad and a Rock Island. They will comein a 2-car set of one of each or two ofsame road name. Prices: $42 each.

PORT LINES HOBBY SUPPLY (6Stoneybrooke Dr., Newburyport, MA01950). Three new road names areavailable now for the wood side reefers- A&P, Hoods Milk and Strohs Beer.Reefers are $36.95 each plus $4.00S&H. Due soon are three new structures- roundhouse, Greyhound bus terminaland an icing platform. The roundhousewill have precast brick sides. Roofsections will be wood, and windows willbe Grandt Line. The footprint for thisbuilding will be front, 10"; rear 16" anddepth 20.5". See a current ad in the Spublications for current available TwinWhistle structures and other items.

S HELPER SERVICE (2 RobertsRd., New Brunswick, NJ 08901) nowhas the 40' steel rebuilt boxcars in stock.The roadnames are listed on the nextpage. RTR at $39.95, each includes hi-rail and scale wheelsets and comes withFlyer compatible coupler and mountingholes for KD 802s. Ditto thearrangement for the stock cars, and dittothe list price.

Updates: SW9 testing is progressing.Look for a late summer delivery. Lookfor a May delivery for the bulkhead andstandard flatcars. The TOFC flat carsare expected this summer. There maybe more roadnames offered for the C&OC-25 caboose than originally announced- stay tuned.

WHAT'S NEW ?

A first for S in molded plastic arethe 4-bay ribbed and offset hoppersbeing offered by American Models.These 70-ton hoppers were builtbetween 1930 and 1947 and manyrebuilds are still around. These willbe available in both scale and hi-rail/Flyer versions for $33.95 each. Theycome ready-to-run.

Now in stock from S-Helper is thefirst run of the 40' re-built steelboxcar which will be available in 8roadnames (many with 2 numbers).Cars are RTR plastic bodies withsteel grab irons. They come withFlyer compatible trucks andcouplers as well as scale wheelsetsand KD mounting holes.Roadnames are: undec, C&O,C&NW, DL&W, Frisco, NYC (PMKY),SF Scout, SF Grand Canyon andVermont Ry.

This resin cast garage kit is fromDepots By John. By converting thedoors this structure can be madeinto a MOW shed. Kit is $18.95. SeeDecember for address.

S-Helper 2nd run stock cars are nowavailable. Road names are: undec,CN, CB&Q, MP, Katy, and UP. Carslist for $39.95.

COLORADO PROTOTYPE RAILROADINGBy Glenn Sponholtz and Karl Sellers

Colorado has always been knownfor it's natural beauty and trainchasing gives you a chance to

indulge your hobby and see Coloradoat the same time. You will see some ofthe busiest railroads and the finestmountain locations in the country. Eventhough the names of the railroads havechanged, I will refer to the routes bytheir traditional names.

Cheyenne: The first trip will be northout of Colorado to the Union Pacific insouthern Wyoming. If time is importanttake 1-25 for the hour and half ride toCheyenne If you have more time takeUS 85 to Cheyenne. On US 85 you willfollow the UP main line from Denver toCheyenne, the first railroad intoColorado. On the way you will want tostop in the town of LaSalle. This wasthe junction of the Denver-Cheyennemain line with the Platte Valley line tothe east. There is a small yard with aGP-15 or GP-38-2 and some olderequipment stored here. On display inLaSalle is a restored UP depot andcaboose. Further north in the town ofGreeley is another nicely restored UPbrick station. US 85 follows the railroadto the town of Nunn, then the highwayand railroad take different routes intoCheyenne.

In Cheyenne it isn't hard to find theUnion Pacific Railroad, it's in the middleof town. This is the Union Pacific'sOverland Route, and it is one of thebusiest main lines in the country. Thereis constant action. Good viewinglocations are the highway overpasses atthe east and west end of the yard andfrom the streets that parallel the yardon the north and south. The depot isover 100 years old and many of thebuildings that face the railroad are from

8

the turn of the century. While inCheynne you can also find theBurlington Northern yard with its oldroundhouse on the north side of town.If you want to see the UP on ShermanHill you can take 1-80 west fromCheynne, however the highway andrailroad do not follow one anotherclosely over the Hill. The easiest placeto view trains is in the area of Bodie,where you can get off 1-80 for trainwatching. If you have time continuewest on 1-80 to Larimie or just return toDenver to complete your tour.

Moffat l\mnel: On the next trip, headwest out of Denver to see the Rio Grandeand Moffat tunnel. Take Colorado 72west from the city of Arvada, to followthe general route of the railroad. Aftercrossing Colorado 93 look to the south-southwest and you will see the reversingcurves that makeup the Big Ten curvesand the hopper cars that are used as awindbreak. Continuing west therailroad crosses over the highway andstarts its assault up the Front Range ofthe Rocky Mountains. You can stop atthe railroad overpass and take a short1/4 mile walk up the roadbed to tunnel# 1. The tunnel or the railroad bridgeare excellent photo locations.

Further west on Colorado 72 therailroad and highway rejoin at thevillage of Pincliffe. On the way aremany locations to view the beautifulIndian Peaks range that are theContinental Divide in this area. Where72 joins Colorado 119, make a left turnand continue south to the town ofRollinsville. At Rollinsville take the dirtroad heading west on the north side ofthe railroad overpass—this road will takeyou to the east portal of Moffat tunnel.The road follows the railroad and

Boulder Creek and offers many finemountain views and photo locations. AtMoffat tunnel there is a parking area onthe north side of the track. Along withthe tunnel structure there are severalhouses remaining from the constructionof the tunnel, a maintenance buildingand a wye. The best time to see a trainusing the tunnel is in the mornings when3 or 4 trains including Amtrak enter orexit the tunnel. It is especially excitingto see a train exit the tunnel as the tunnelcurtain will go up and the train seemsto burst out of the tunnel. The ForestService road to the north, about 1/2 mileeast, is the old grade of the Denver andSalt Lake railroad and will take you tothe top of Rollins pass. On the returntrip turn south on Colorado 119 atRollinsville; this will take you U.S. 6and return you to Denver.

Tennessee Pass: Another trip to take isto the mountains west of Denver to viewthe Rio Grande line over TennesseePass. This line was originally narrowgauge and was changed to standardgauge in 1890. It is the original Denver& Rio Grande Western standard gaugemain line through the Colorado Rockies.On the west side of the pass the averagegrade is three per-cent, and the line hasalways been a helper district. In the daysof steam it would take three 2-8-8-2shelpers to get a train up the pass and itstill takes the same number of moderndiesels to do the same job. Head westfrom Denver on 1-70 for the two hourdrive to Minturn and take exit #171,U.S. 24. Minturn is the helper stationon the west side of Tennessee Pass wherelocomotives are added to east boundtrains. There is usually plenty of actionwith locomotives being added to trainsand the activities of a small locomotiveservice facility. When coming intoMinturn take the road to the left thatcrosses the tracks at the north end ofthe yard. This will put you on the eastside of the yard with many good viewingand photo locations.

Going south out of Minturn highwayU.S. 24 goes over Battle Mountain asthe railroad and the Eagle river sharethe narrow canyon. Just south of theabandoned town of Oilman there areplaces you can pull off the highway towalk to the edge to the canyon and viewthe railroad, the river, and the old Eaglemill several hundred feet below you.Also at each end of the large highwaybridge at Red Cliff are access roads thatwill take down to the level of the riverand railroad. There are several photo

locations here where you can getimpressive shots of trains beside theriver and colorful rock work of thecanyon walls. Going south on U.S. 24the highway follows Homestake Creekwhile the railroad follows the EagleRiver.

About 7 miles south of Red Cliff thehighway and railroad rejoin at Pando.In Eagle Park on the east side of thehighway you will see the location ofCamp Hale and a memorial to the 10thMountain Division which trained hereduring WWII. On the west side of thehighway is Pando siding, a long passingtrack and siding that served the camp.Usually there is some maintenance-of-way equipment stored here. FromPando the railroad climbs out of thevalley on the west wall and rejoins thehighway near the old Mitchell siding, abig photographic "S" curve is locatedhere. At the summit of the pass therailroad passes through a half-miletunnel and the highway goes over thetop. On the other side of the pass thehighway and railroad separate, therailroad going down the Arkansas valleyto the Royal Gorge and Pueblo and thehighway to the town of Leadville.

Leadville was one of Colorado's richestmining towns. Looking around townyou can find the old C&S station androundhouse which are home to theLeadville, Colorado & Southern, atourist line which operates a picturesquetrain ride up Fremont Pass. FromLeadville take Colorado 91 north to I-70 and back to Denver.

Joint Line: For the next trip you canfollow the Joint Line south from Denverto Palmer Lake. Before 1918 the SantaFe and the Rio Grande operated parallelsingle track lines from Denver to Pueblo.In 1918 the USRA ordered the railroadsto operate the lines as double track. Itworked so well that it is still operatedthat way to this day by the BNSF andthe UP. The line is used by up to 50trains a day, most of them BNSF coaltrains. All south- bound trains requirehelpers from Denver to Palmer Lake.Start by taking U.S. 85 (Santa Fe Ave.)south; the highway follows the railroadfrom Denver to Castle Rock. Just southof Littleton is the Santa Fe's formerintermodal yard, Big Lift. Now the yardis used for local switching and storage.At Castle Rock take 1-25 south and exitat the Larkspur exit #173.

Just south of the exit is a 300 foot Santa

Fe bridge over the highway and creek;this is a favorite photo location. As youcontinue south, you will see a veryunusual track alignment and theapproaches and abutments for abridge.This was the location of an overpass onthe single track lines that was taken outwhen the two lines were changed todouble track. At Palmer Lake the twotracks go to one and helpers are cut-offfor a return trip to Denver. There is anice picnic area for watching trains atthis location if you have the time.

Denver Area: If you don't have time totake one of the above trips there areseveral locations for good rail fanningin Denver. First, the Pecos street exitoff of 1-70 will take you to Rio Grande's(now Union Pacific's) North yard. The48th Ave. overpass offers anopportunity to view the activity at Northyard and BNSF's intermodal yard. Thisend of the yard has a tower andlocomotive fueling facility. You can seeequipment of the RioGrande, SouthernPacific, Union Pacific, BurlingtonNorthern and the Santa Fe. Going northon Pecos street will take you to the westend of the yard and the location of UtahJunction. The water tank is the onlystructure standing from the old Denverand Salt Lakes shops that were at UtahJunction. To the west is the newSouthern Pacific maintenance-of-way

equipment service building.

Next head to the BNSF yard east of I-25 at 38th Avenue. You can'view thesouthwest end of the yard and servicefacilities from the 38th Avenueoverpass. There is a locomotive serviceshop and turntable located here, and theold passenger yard is used formaintenance, miscellaneous and Amtrakequipment storage.

Finally, east of 1-25 at 8th Avenue isthe Rio Grande's Burnam shops andyard. Burnam is the Rio Grande'soriginal yard and locomotive shops andis now operated by the Union Pacific.There is a large locomotive shop andturntable here, and the cars of the SkiTrain are stored in the yard. In the pastthe Rio Grande stored a large numberof older locomotives here, but the UnionPacific has been disposing of them overtime. Also, on the east side of Burnamyard, is the Regional TransportationDistrict's light rail service shop.

These trips are in the Denver area orare less than a day's drive from Denver.We will have maps at the conventionfor them. Colorado offers many otherinteresting locations for train chasingand opportunities for mountainrailroading. We hope you can come toDenver Zephyr '97 and have a greatColorado vacation.

This vista is typical of Colorado. Railroads often are hugging themountainsides or are winding their way through narrow valleys. Thisoverlook is near Red Cliff on the UP's Tennessee Pass Line. Originally theline was D&RGW and then SP. Lots of coal trains use this line. This summermight be the last to see trains on the Tennessee Pass-Royal Gorge Routeas new owner UP plans to abandon it. Photo by Karl Sellers

9

J D E M V E R Z E P H Y R ' S / ACLINICS AND LAYOUTSBy Jerry Porter

In the last couple of issues, Glennexplained why you should come toColorado and visit us (MESA) for

our 1997 NASG National Convention;and to bring your family for a nicevacation. Now, I would like to detailsome of the clinics and layout tours wehave coordinated. Many of us have alsobeen putting in a lot of time on theBuckingham Mall S-scale club layout.

CLINICS that we have on tap currentlyinclude:*Resin Casting — to be conducted byGlenn Sponholtz—He will explain the"how-tos" of making epoxy resincastings using rubber molds.*Michael Elkins will give a clinic onweathering freight cars, and Michael'saward winning techniques will bedemonstrated in the program.*Steve Shoe, former Managing Directorof the Model Railroad IndustryAssociation, will present an interestingclinic on maintenance-of-wayequipment.*I (Jerry Porter) will give a clinic onModeling the Prototype in Scale. I'llcover designing a layout to operate andlook like the prototype. The materialwill show how we developed theBuckingham Mall S-scale Club layoutbased on the D&RGW/ATSF ColoradoJoint Line which operates betweenDenver and Pueblo, Colorado.*Jim Haggart will give his clinic onpainting and weathering "scene makers"—the little details.*The people from Accurate Dimensionsare going to put on several "hands-on"tree making clinics, and everyone willgo home with a fine tree to add to theirlayout.*Doug Hertkamp of Design Tech willgive a clinic on constructing, paintingand weathering resin structures. Wehope to make this a hands-on clinic.

Several additional clinics are beingprepared. They range from foamscenery making to modeling prototypefreight cars in S-scale.

If you desire assistance in putting onclinics contact Glenn Sponholtz at (303)427-2976 or Jerry Porter at (303) 254-7728.

LAYOUTS:. As to layouts to see, wehave something of a dilemma in thatthere are more S-scale layouts in theDenver Metro area than we can visit.To that end we will have one or twolayouts on site at the hotel and ninelayouts on tours (three per tour). Weplan to provide direction sheets for self-guided tours of layouts that the tourbuses will have to by-pass.

On Thursday evening three layouts willbe on tour. The first stop is planned fora large Sn3 layout with a double helix.It has track heights from 30" to 80" inelevation. The engineering andbenchwork is worth the visit. Colorado& Southern equipment is modeled, andthe layout is controlled by WangrowSystem One (DCC). This layout seemsto have a John Allen flair to it.

The second layout will be that of TimMyers—an early '70s version of theChicago & Northwestern's Alco line inwestern Minnesota. This modest sizedouble-deck layout shows what can bedone with limited space and a modestbudget.

The last layout on the Thursday tourwill be that of Glenn Sponholtz. ThisH'x34' double-deck layout is not thelayout some of you saw at the 1991NMRA Convention. Glenn has built anall-new loop to loop with helix designbased on the Rock Island and CB&Qrailroads in the mid-60s. This layoutfeatures mostly hand-laid track andturnouts. Glenn's layout also featuresSystem One (DCC) control.

Friday evening we will visit three morelayouts. First will be Dennis Hagen'scirca 1900 Sn3 layout which featuresmostly scratchbuilt equipment andstructures in a 20'x24' room. Part ofthe backdrop was painted with a razorblade used as a palate knife. This layoutdemonstrates a very artistic approachto model railroading.

The second layout on Friday night willbe another Sn3 gem—that of MarkKramer—which features a mixture ofColorado's many narrow gaugesincluding double-headed trains on a 3.5percent grade—it's sure to please all.This layout has been featured inRailroad Model Craftsman.

Mark Kramer's railroad consists of alarge 12'x24' loop. Scenery varies fromthe flat landscape of Dolores to thebluffs of southwestern Colorado andeven some rolling hills and Aspengroves. Mark's layout has a variety ofC&S, D&RGW and RGS trestles andbridges that employ constructionmethods ranging from pile trestle to benttrestle to single span heavy timber.

The last layout on the Friday eveningtour is that of the Buckingham Mall S-scale Club. In order to better appreciatethis layout it is suggested that you tryand attend the clinic on prototype layoutdesign by Jerry Porter if your schedulepermits. The club's 22'x90' store-frontlayout is located at a major shoppingmall in Aurora, Colorado. The layoutitself is 14'x 67' and is designed toemulate both the operation andaesthetics of the Colorado Joint Line.

The USRA implemented this operationin 1918, and the railroads involvedcontinued the arrangement by mutualagreement until 1974. On the visibleportion of the layout we are modelingboth the north and southbound mainlinesfrom Larkspur via Palmer Lake toColorado Springs. Denver and Puebloare represented by hidden staging yardsbeneath the main level.

Scenery will be autumn and era will bethe mid-50s. The trackage was ownedby the D&RGW and ATSF with someRock Island trackage rights in ColoradoSprings. Tenants C&S (CB&Q) andMissouri Pacific also operated trainsover the trackage. Leased power fromthe Katy, NP, GN, MP and UPfrequently headed trains of varioustypes.

It is planned to close the on-site displaysand vendor rooms to give everyone anopportunity to visit this layout and allowfor adequate viewing time. If you careto bring equipment to operate, pleasecontact Glenn Sponholtz or Jerry Porterat the numbers mentioned previously.

On Saturday we will visit the multi-gauge layouts (Sn3 / American Flyerpre-war standard gauge) of Neil Miller.Neil has a beautifully restored BlueComet and is one of the premier trainphotographers of the Rocky Mountain

10

The Buckingham Mall S Scale Club is progressing on the huge layout above which is based on the Joint Linebetween Colorado Springs and Pueblo. In its heyday in the 50s the Joint Line would see motive power from theD&RGW, ATSF, Rl, C&S (CB&Q), Katy, MP, NP, GN and UP.

region. With Sherman Hill in Wyomingas one of his favorite locations, he hashad hundreds of photos published.

We'll round out the Saturday tour withthe Northwestern Pacific Railroad ofBill McClung. The NWP (parentSouthern Pacific) had a branch runningeast from the Pacific Ocean 25 milesinto the mountains to a small townnamed Christine. At one time surveyswere made to extend the railroad fromChristine to connect with the NWP mainline at Healdsburg, California. Theconnection was never made so thebranch remained an orphan with its onlylink to the outside world being byschooner. Bill's railroad reflects what"would have been" in the early 1950s,if the road had connected to Healdsburg.

Located in a 26'x47' basement, therailroad is under construction and hastwo and a half miles of hand-laid S-scalemainline with 42" minimum radiicurves. Benchwork consists mainly ofone by threes and blue foam board.Some scenery is already in place. Aswith the prototype, motive power islimited to small diesels, a 2-8-0 andsmaller steamers.

Some of the tour layouts will be openon Sunday afternoon for additionalviewing. These will be self-guided tours.We, the membership of MESA, wouldlike to see as many of you as possiblejoin us this summer in Colorado forZephyr 97.

Note: The Holiday Inn Phone numberwas incorrect in Dec. Dispatch.Correct # is —(303) 452-4100.

CONTEST CHANGES

Change: the category of MODEL PHOTOS to PHOTOGRAPHY.

Delete: COLOR PRINTS and BLACK AND WHITE PRINTS.

Add: MODEL(S) ENTRIES: **COLOR PRINTS, BLACK & WHITE PRINTS, 35mm COLOR SLIDES,OTHER TRANSPARENCIES (120, 4x5, 8x10).

PROTOTYPE ENTRIES: COLOR PRINTS, BLACK & WHITE PRINTS,35mm COLOR SLIDES, OTHER TRANSPARENCIES (120, 4x5, 8x10).

**NASG contest procedures, note 3.2 applies.3.2: Photos/slides must depict a scene of which 50% or more has been createdin l/64th scale.

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11

35 YEARS FOR THE S GAUGIAN

T hirty five years agotakes us back to1962, a year many consider

the "Dark Ages" of S gauge, whenA.C. Gilbert was on a downhill slideand slot cars were about to take overthe hobby world. Gilbert did bringback the Hudson that year for$34.98, and Kinsman, Miller,Regal, Enhorning and S&P were allbig names in the S world. HO wasbecoming entrenched, and otherhobbies like slot cars diluted thetrain market.

But, like the proverbial Phoenix, anS gauge publication, which is stillwith us 35 years later, had itsbeginning in that year. A 14 year-old schoolboy in Tolono, Illinois,by the name of Don Heimburgerissued the first S Gaugian as a two-page "experimental" S gauge clubnewsletter. The first issue was inNovember of that year, and then itpublished every two months thereafter.

Frank Titman wrote a bit about Don inthe Spring 1965 issue of the 5 GaugeHerald, "At the ripe old age of 17, hehas accomplished more in and for thehobby than many old timers." Franklauded Don for being a doer. Even then,besides the S Gaugian and organizingthe all S Okaw Valley club in Tolono,he participated in many high schoolactivities including the student council,track, basketball, dramatics, themarching band, glee club, pep band,other musical activities and the schoolnewspaper.

The Herald article continues, "WhenDon discovered a Model Railroadermagazine on a drug store shelf, he wasoff and running. Before much longerhe discovered the Herald and theNASG and really started pounding thehigh iron! He organized the OkawValley Club, and with his fellow clubmembers began printing a club paperwhich is still distributed to interested Sgaugers throughout the U.S. andCanada, (remember this is 1965) Donhas won 21 trips through deliveringnewspapers, and on eight of these hetraveled via cross-country streamliner.This gave him a lot of ideas to use onhis own Denver & Western."

"I predict a great future for this young

12

1995 photo of Don Heimburger, publisher andeditor of the longest running all S gaugepublication.

engaged who would print, assembleand mail the magazine. Don said,now he even got a proof copy beforefinal printing. The first issue with4-color was March, 1979, the sameissue Fundimensions announced thereissuing of American Flyer trains.Besides a 4-color cover,Fundimensions ran the first colorad in the S Gaugian.

Now, here's a current statementfrom Don concerning the 5Gaugian and the future of S: "Asfar as the magazine and its history,I've loved every second of it! It'srewarding to serve S scale because

man! If he pursues his future vocationwith the enthusiasm he's shown so far,he'll probably end up a 29 year-oldmillionaire! At any rate, he'll always bea welcome member of the S gauger clanand one who already has gained a greatdeal of our respect."

After the newsletter stage, the SGaugian was done by offset printing,but collating, assembly and mailingwere still done at home. Don says, "Ihad been going to Champaign, Illinois,8 miles north of Tolono for printing, butnow I went about 20 miles north toRantoul. This proved a good move andquality improved greatly."

There were only two instances whereDon gave up the editorship for shorttimes. The first was when he took aninternship in New York City withMcGraw-Hill Publishing, and theinterim editor was Ron Johnston ofTexas. Being drafted into the Army wascause for the next temporary editor whowas Gene Glendinning. Gene was ajournalism major and fellowChicagoland S gauger. Don lived inChicago prior to his Army stint.

While in the military at Fort Knox,Kentucky, Don became editor of thebase paper, but would run home onweekends to help put out the S Gaugian.Still family members pitched in foreverything but the printing.

we're such a fine group ofmodelers. The scale is reallypeople, and people are what makesthe scale what it is! There's a great

interest in S scale and a loyalty perhapsnot found elsewhere. Our readers reallylook forward to each issue and then readit over and over again. This is somethingthat's been happening since the firstissue, and it continues. We've beenblessed with good staff, good readersand advertisers, and, of course, we'reblessed with the BEST scale! I reallyhave never considered any other scaleto model in, because S is the ideal size."

"As for the future of S, I can rememberwhen any new item on the market was abig boon. A new detail part wasconsidered big news, and having a newmanufacturer come into the scale wasan event to talk about for weeks! I canonly see good things happening in thefuture for S. So many new products arehere or coming that the market willdefinitely grow just because of theabundance of these products. Plus, somuch of what is being produced is sowell made - even better than what'savailable in other scales. This helpsgrow the scale even more."

"We intend on continuing to promote Sscale as much as possible, and I wantto thank all those who helped the SGaugian reach its 35th Anniversary!"

Congratulations go to Don and the 5Gaugian from the NASG for thisremarkable milestone!

Finally, in 1977,topping 2000, a new

with circulationprinter was

Meet an » gaugerDick Kloes

We'll let Dick tell his ownstory...

My first introduction to the Sgauge world was back in 1949when my brother and I receivedour only train set. Naturally, itwas an American Flyer 300 ACAtlantic set. We played with itfor several years until wediscovered girls. Then the setwas packed up and stored in thefamily attic.

It wasn't until early 1971 thattrains again interested me. Aftervisiting an O scale club openhouse, my interest in modeltrains was rekindled. Backhome I got our Flyer train downout of the attic and set it up onmy living room floor. I wasmarried by this time and had 2boys of my own. At this timemy oldest was 7 and was justas excited as I was when I washis age.

The next several years werespent building my first reallayout. It was 13' x 17' and allAmerican Flyer. This layout islong gone, and in its place is ahi-rail layout which takes upabout 17' x 24'. It's basically

an around-the-wall layout with onepeninsula. I use mostly AmericanModels code 148 track and rail whichgives me the opportunity to run scaleand Flyer. I have both scratchbuilt andAM turnouts on my layout. I also enjoyscratchbuilding structures, and most

will be by that method.

Over the years I have beenpresident, secretary, directorand module planner for theBadgerland S Gaugers. Sinceretiring in 1994 I have beenactive in the West Allis(Wisconsin) PresbyterianChurch, busy traveling,working on my layout, andparticipating in Badgerlandactivities..

Dick lives in West Allis,Wisconsin, and is very activewith the Badgerland modularsetups. In 1996 he helpedorganize two setups - one toCentral Illinois and one at anNMRA show in Madison,Wisconsin. This year he hasalready coordinated theMadison show in February,and still to come are the NMRANational Convention (also inMadison) and the MilwaukeeTrainfest in the fall. - Jeff

Dick Kloes checks over a Tom Hodgson Hiawatha Flyerconversion as it operates on the Badgerland modularlayout at the 1993 Trainfest in Milwaukee.

Dick's home layout reflects awestern logging theme with thesescratchbuilt wooden trestles asevidence. This around-the-wallportion connects to a peninsula tothe right with a sawmill complex,and to the left the layout eventuallyhooks in to a modular yard.

Short and Easyby Kent L. Singer

CHEAP HOPPER LOADSThis neat idea comes from Ernie HornEach of us has to make our own decisionon money versus time when it comes tothe choice of Buy or Build. In order tocreate loads for his numerous hoppercars, Ernie had to come up with a moreeconomical method than using thosebeautiful, but pricey, (in quantity)commercially available loads.Paraphrased here is how Ernie solvedhis problem. The accompanying minearticle by Ernie in this issue shows youwhy Ernie needs all those loads.

What I do for loads is buy a sheetof 112 inch styrofoam. The pieces arecut to size to fit the specific car, andwith a model knife, I shape the load.Then it can be painted for whatever theload is: black for coal, gray for gravel,gray-tan for sand and yellow-white for

wood chips. When you carve the shapeof the load it is rough enough torepresent any of the above. Make sureyou use an acrylic water base paint onthe foam since acetate paint will dissolvethe foam. Editor's Note: You can alsospread a coat of white glue on top ofthe load and add a single layer ofwhatever it is you 're trying to represent.

Fasten strips to the inside of the carabout 1/4" below the top of the sides tohold the load. Then slip the load intothe car and send it on its way. Oh, bythe way, the foam load won't add verymuch weight to the car.

Editor's note: You may wish to addsome ballast in the bottom of the hopperbays to bring the car up to NMRArecommended practice - about 5 oz.for

a twin hopper and 7 01. for a 3-bayhopper. One way of doing this is to poursome loose shotgun pellets into the verybottom of the hoppers. These can beheld in place with some white glue,which in turn, is covered by a shallowlayer of goal, gravel, etc., to match thefoam load. Do this as minimally aspossible so the ballast will look likeresidue in an empty car.

As Ernie says, "Cheap and it looksgood."

NAS6 COPY SERVICECopies of articles from back issues of the N ASG Dispatch are availablelo NASG members following the below procedure:

1. Request a specific article, photo(s) or pagcfs). Entire issues willnot he copied.

2. Cite a specific Dispatch issue if possible. A search will only bemade on a time available basis and may not yield results.

3. Enclose an SASE. No other charge is in effect at this lime.4. Note your NASG number. This service is available only to members

in good standing.5. Send your request to NASG Copy Service, c/o Kent L. Singer,

912 N. Rogers Ave., Endicott, NY 13760.

_r4JL

T

HOPPER LOADS

Got An Idea? Perhaps you've created some detail to stick along your right-of-way, set on a loading dock, dress up a building, etc., etc. We'realways looking for fresh projects. If you'd like to contribute, the rules are simple: The project should be somewhat related to railroading, and itshould be capable of being completed in one or two evenings. You needn't worry about drawings or photographs. We can do the drawings andhave photos taken. All that is necessary is a sketch of the project with some dimensions, a list of the materials and a short description of how tobuild it. Submit your ideas to: Short and Easy, c/o Kent L. Singer, 912 North Rogers Ave., Endicott, NY 13760.

14

From the Connecticut S Gauger's ArchivesHAND LAYING TRACK ON MODULESBy Guest Author Bill Krause1. Decide which side of module is the"Normal Viewing Side" (NVS). Theother side will be the "NormalOperators Side" (NOS). Mark theseinitials on both top and bottom sides ofmodules.

2. Draw centerlines for all tracka. Draw module centerline

which is 7-1/2" from NVS.b. Draw track centerlines for

Outside Main (OS) and Inside Main(IS). These are 2-3/4" from each other,but 1-3/8" from the module centerline.

c. Draw centerlines for theOutside Yard (OY) and Inside Yard (IY)tracks. Each track is 2-3/4" away fromits nearest main track. Note: This is ifyou want passing sidings on themodules.

3. Laying Homa-Bed as the track base.a. This roadbed comes in

halves which allows it to be laid alongthe centerlines. (See Fig. A)

b. Because Homa-Bed is apaper product, it is important that youseal it from moisture. This isaccomplished by painting all sides andends of each section.

HOMA-BED in 32" lengthsFig.A.

c. Use Carpenter's Wood Glueto glue the roadbed down. Start witheither OM or IM. Spread glue with astiff brush to keep it smooth. Staggerhalves as shown in Fig. B. Seal any cutends with the glue. Use 3/4" 18 gaugenails to hold the roadbed in place. Keepout of future spike alignments. Makesure nail heads don't stick up.

d. Lay roadbed for IY and OY.

4. If Hand Laying Ties? If using flextrack you can ignore the rest of thisarticle.

a. I prefer Kappler scale ties.These are 7"x9"x8'6" and come 850pieces to a pack. These scale out to 1-5/8" in length. Remember thisdimension.

b. Stain ties. I use MinwaxJacobean.

c. Tie Spacing: Mainline trackshould have about 38 to 39 ties per foot.Yard spacing is about 32 ties per foot.If you consider the OY and IY aspassing tracks you can use the mainlinespacing.

d. Laying ties: If you useHoma-Bed, it is 1-7/8" wide at the topsurface. Pick one side and draw a line1/8" away from one top side. This willkeep your ties even at the ends.

e. Glue down: Spread a thinlayer of Carpenters Glue (about 1 footat a time) and place ties flat in the properspacing mentioned above. Whensatisfied with the spacing use a levelboard to press down on the ties. It's bestto keep a weight on the ties until theglue dries.

f. Sanding: When dry it's agood idea to use a sanding block with120 grit aluminum oxide sanding paperto lightly sand the ties to allow for anyheight differences.

5. Spiking the Rails.a. Laying the first piece of rail.

Use of a special jig (Fig. C) will help

w i t hg e t t i n gthe rails seton the ties sothat the distancefrom the rail to theoutside of the ties iseven on both sides.

b. Also, before thefirst rail is spiked in placeremember: Rail will start 2" infrom the end face of each moduleto allow for the bridge sectionbetween modules. Undercut a tie ortwo for rail joiner space where the railwill start. Space must be made for railjoiners where rails join anywhere. Abrown marker can be used to cover upany bare spots on these ties.

c. Spike the first rail, afterhaving located the rail with the abovejig, about 1/2" from the end on bothsides. Ditto at the other end of the raillength. Make sure rail stays straight andequidistant from the centerline. Continuespiking this rail inside and out untilsatisfied the rail will stay straight.

d. Spike the opposite rail usingthe NASG track gauge.

e. Do the OM and IM tracksfirst, then do the yard (passing tracks)later.

re-

ig. B

~Ti • • I

\,'s^** \<'.*/'?7W-3<vh^

.Strip Styrene.lOOx.125

Sheet Styrene .030",t

Fig. C15

S-PIKES

A DENVERLAYOUTON TOUR

On tour in Denver will be Mark Kramer's Sn3 modular home layout. It has aRio Grande Southern theme and was featured in the November, 1995,Railroad Model Craftsman, (above) Leased D&RGW outside frame 2-8-2 isshown on Parker Creek Trestle, (below) RGS consolidation at milepost 101at Turkey Creek © Photos by Bruce Nail - all rights reserved

f»»*r^TO'

16

A DENVERLAYOUTON TOUR

Another fine Sn3 layout to be seenin the Denver area is that of DennisHagen. H is 1900 era theme contrastswith that of the 1940s era modeledon Mark's layout - previous page,(right) Shown here is Cascade CreekWye on Dennis' D&SJRR. (bottom)The town of Keystone on this layoutfeatures this well detailed generalstore.

© photos by Bruce Nail

S-PIKES

W.Y

17

Build this mine structure for your S pike.

THE POSTHOLE MINEBy Ernie Horr

Pesthole Mine1/2 S Scale

Front Elevation

To Mine Tunnel -

18

I had an area on the Tinplate Road that lent itself to ashort spur. Because it was below a steep hillside, I decideda mine on the spur would be appropriate. My mine is

based on a photo of a model mine I had seen in one of themodel publications. Employing a bit of humor, I visualizedthat post holes were mined here - get it?

Materials List:Based on wood, but styrene could be substituted.Basic Mine Building1/16" scribed sheet - 1/8 or 3/32 inch spacing.1/32" scribed sheet -1/16" spacing.1/16" square stripwood for walk supports and landingplatform.1/32 x 3/32 inch stripwood for corner trim.1/32 x 1/16 inch stripwood for window and door trim andwindow sash.(Grandt Line windows of comparable size could be used aswell).1/32" square stripwood for walkway and stair railings.1/16" scribed sheet with 3/16" spacing for foundation.1/16" x 3/16" stripwood for foundation supports.1/8" square stripwood for posts holding building that extendsover tracks.1/16" x 3/32" stripwood for bracing for the building supportsabove.1/32" sheet for flooring inside building.Corrugated sheeting or board and batten siding with 1/8"spacing for the roof.1/8" thick card stock for hopper loading sheet.Some N scale track.N scale ore cars.

The plans shown are 1/2 for S scale so you might want toblow then up on a copier to 200% so that you can work rightfrom the drawings. A tried and true method is to tape waxpaper over full-size plans so that you don't have to worryabout getting glue on the plans. Bracing can be laid out righton the plans then.

Mine Building Sides:Cut the building sides, front and back from the 1/16" scribedsiding with 1/8 or 3/32" scribing. Match sides with each otherto make sure they're equal. Trim out window and dooropenings. On my mine I fabricated the double hung windowsfrom stripwood. It might be easier to buy Grandt Linewindows - but, if you do, buy the windows before you cutthe openings. Doors were fashioned from 1/32" sheet andcard stock. Again, Grandt Line doors could be substituted. Itwould be advisable to paint the sides before installing windowsand doors, especially if they are a different color than thesides. If the same, just assemble and paint. It's a good ideawhen painting wood to paint both the outside and inside ofwalls - prevents warpage. Some interior bracing doesn't hurteither. If the windows and doors are painted a different color,paint them separately before glueing to the sides. Tape orglue clear plastic (frosted) to the inside of the windowopenings. Now assemble the sides of the main mine structure.

Roof:Cut the roof pieces to size, paint and glue to main building.On the corners and under the eaves glue the 1/32" x 3/32"trim. Brush paint the trim to match the sides.

Foundation:The foundation below the mine entrance section is made from1/16" thick, 3/16" scribed sheeting. !/16 x 3/16" stripwood isattached vertically (wide side glues directly to sheeting) foroutside supports. If your terrain is different where your mineis located, you might adjust the plans to suit.Set aside and attach later to main building after the floor isinstalled.

Floor:The floor is 1/32" thick sheeting. Cut to size, paint and glueto main building. Now the foundation can be attached. Oneoption here is to use the sheeting described below for thewalkways and make the floor and walkways one huge pieceor maybe a couple glued together. This way the walkwayswill not have to be attached separately and will be stronger.

Walkways:Walkways are 1/32" thick sheets with 1/16" scribing. Attach1/16" square stripwood support bracing , cut to length,beneath the walkways as shown on the plans. (See aboveidea).

Support Framing Over Tracks:Use 1/8" square stripwood extended down from the outsidewall to support the extension over the loading track. Thesecan be cut to fit your mine location. Add 1/16" x 3/32" crossbracing.

Strairs and Landings:Add the stair landings from the 1/32" thick sheets with the1/16" scribing. The top landing could be part of the largefloor piece as described above. Stairs can be constructed from1/32 x 1/8" stripwood.

Mine Trestle:Build a trestle from the mine opening to an opening in thehillside. Mine goes out and down. You might want a leveltrestle to the mine opening. An option would be to put acovered conveyer section (see side views) angling down fromthe headhouse into the side of the hill. The trestle could thenbe used for a slag dump. Trestle plans are not shown, soyou're on your own here. Install N gauge track on the trestleleading out of the mine building. Make sure you add awalkway alongside the track on the trestle.

Railings:It might be easier to install the railings once the building is inplace on the layout. Use the 1/32" square stripwood for therailings. Put railings on the trestle as well.

Loading Chute:Fashion a loading chute above track under the mine buildingout of 1/8" thick stripwood or card stock.

Finishing Up:Paint all unpainted surfaces now and put in place on thelayout. One idea is to put the whole mine complex on a sheetof homasote, complete with track, so that it can be removedas one hunk if necessary.

Now you have a complete mine for those farmers who needpestholes.

19

FLOOR PLAN

's1 SCALE

I •-!-jf--« J

Ik,REAR

ELEVATION

21

Views of the PostholeMine on Ernie Horr'sTinplate Road.

Side view of the Posthole Mining Co.structure. Size of the mine makes itideal for a narrow shelf layout.Farmers who need lots of fencesmake use of the mine's output.

tltfViews above and left show closeupsof the intricate looking walkwaysand stairs. Photo at left also showsthe ramp with the N gauge trackwhich indicates how the pestholesare retrieved from the mine. If a rearsidehill entrance is used instead,this trestlework could be for a slagdump.

The left and front sides of the mineare shown here. Can't tell if thoseore cars are full of postholes orempty

All photos by Ernie Horr

STANDARD'S CHAIRMAN VISITS THE Sn3 SYMPOSIUM IN PHOENIXBy Robert Sherwood

February - middle of winter withthoughts of snow, ice andtemperatures in the 20s, teens and

lower covering most of the nation. Toescape this reality 140 modelers andmanufacturers journeyed to Phoenix,Arizona over President's Day weekend(Feb. 14-15) to attend the 12th annualSn3 Symposium. There skies were blueand temperatures were in the 70s.

While the Sn3 Symposium generally hasno main theme, other than focusing onS scale narrow gauge, this pastsymposium changed gears and featuredD&RGWs "Chili Line" as a theme. TheChili Line was D&RGW's narrowgauge line from Antonito, Colorado, toSanta Fe, New Mexico. Clinics wereeven themed to the Chili Line. Theyincluded The Chili Line Then byRichard Dorman, The Chili Line Nowby Dan Pyzel, Chili Lines' Tales byJohn Coker and Desert Scenery byRichard Dick.

The contest also had the Chili Line asits theme. There were 34 or more entries.No judges here, this was a popular votecontest. At least 115 of the 140registrants participated in the voting.Interesting was the fact that 18 differentmodels received votes for the Best ofShow award.

Ironically, the layout tours consisted ofDuane Danielson's On3 D&RGW/RGSlayout and Don Stewart's outdoor Gscale layout. Both were excellent.

This well-detailed Sn3 model of theChama depot demonstrates thequality of the many entries in thecontest at the Symposium. The realthing still resides at the main yardof the Cumbres & Toltec ScenicRailroad.

Photo by Bob Sherwood

One of the Sn3 locomotive contest entries at the Symposium.Photo by Bob Sherwood

Notable in the manufacturers' displayswere several items shown by Pete Smithof Buildings & Structures. I took in hisnew Sn3 #6 stub switch which consistsof a 4-piece mini-kit with code 55weathered rail. It was operated with aslow-motion switch machine - neat. TheColumbia Gazette structure was alsodisplayed. According to Pete a freighttransfer station is in the works.

Manufacturers in attendance were:Banta Modelworks (structures), BerlynLoco Works (brass, car kits, parts),Bill's Train Shop (brass, car kits, detailparts and structures), BK Enterprises/Trout Creek Engineering (car kits, rail

and switches), CDS Lettering Ltd. (drytransfers), John Coker Art (RRpaintings), Larry Larson Graphics (drytransfers - including Sn3), PEL (brass,car kits, parts, structures), Rio GrandeModels (car kits and parts), RockyMountain Model Works (structure kits),Ron's Art Graphics (RR art), SceneryUnlimited (brass, car kits, books,magazines, parts), Stewart LocomotiveWorks (brass, freight car trucks andloads), Building & Structure Co. (rail,switches, parts and structures) and TheDivision Point (brass).I'm sure some of these samemanufacturers will be at Denver.

The 'Straight & NarrowFrom David L. Heine

V News and Reviews on the Narrow Gauge Front >

The Interchange ProblemMost narrow gauge railroads eventuallyinterchanged with a standard gaugerailroad. Of course, there wereexceptions to this, such as the WhitePass & Yukon, but most had to makethe interchange. This column will coversome of the methods.

In the very early years, even the standard(and broad) gauge railroads movedfreight from "our" cars to"their" cars. They soonrealized that it was cheaperto just let the cars continueonto the end destination andthe concept of interchangewas born. However, if therailroads are of differentgauges, this is not so easy.

TransferringPassengers and livestockgenerally were not aproblem. Passengers couldwalk on their own acrossthe platform to a new train.Besides, other than forsome first class (Pullman)passengers, they had to dothis anyway when changingstandard gauge railroads.Livestock had to be fed andwatered periodically, sothey were not the worstcase either. But what abouteverything else?

Initially, freight was just transferred bymuscle power, since men with strongbacks were cheap. This even includedbulk goods, like coal and ores, whichwere reloaded by shovel from onegondola to another one. Just about allnarrow gauge railroads had to transfersome freight this way. Less than carloadfreight was transferred this way untilthe end.

Some railroads used gravity to do someof the work. An example of this is thetransfer on the Eastern Tennessee andWestern North Carolina at Johnson City,Tennessee. They had an over/under bulkgoods transfer. Both the upper and24

lower tracks were dual gauge standard/3' so that freight could be transferredboth ways.

The Denver & Rio Grande Westerninstalled a rotary car dumper at Salidain 1924. This was used to transferlimestone which came off the narrowgauge Monarch branch into standardgauge cars. This was known as the"barrel transfer". Evidently this was

very hard on the wooden narrow gaugegondolas. Why do think there are somany pictures of high side gondolas withrepaired side stakes? This rotarydumper replaced a lot of shovelers.

Another option some railroads used wasto install a crane to move loads fromone car to another. A well knownexample of this is the Timber Transferat Mount Union, Pennsylvania, on theEast Broad Top. This was builtprimarily to transfer lumber loads from3' narrow gauge cars to standard gaugecars, however, it was used for otherpurposes also.

The other option was to change the

gauge of the cars by changing the trucks.In more modern times, the East BroadTop is somewhat famous for this. Also,the 42" gauge Newfoundland Railwaydid this in its later years. However, thiswasn't really anything new.

In the early days of narrow gaugerailroads, this was actually a commonpractice. At that time, the narrow gaugeand the standard gauge cars weresmaller, and generally closer in size.The common practice was to jack upthe sides sills and swap out the trucks.However, the railroads soon found outthat moving standard gauge cars onnarrow gauge trucks was not always thesafest thing to do. These larger carswere top heavy and had to be handledcarefully. Too often they wound up ontheir side.

The East Broad Top startedmoving standard gaugecars in 1933. They alreadyhad the Timber Transfercrane which they could useto lift up the end of a carso they could swap thetrucks. They used a specialtrucks with heavierjournals and steel platesover the side frames toengage the standard gaugecar's bolster when it wasswaying. They also had aspecial adapter made forthe standard couplers sothat they would mate withthe smaller narrow gaugeones. The first car that thiswas done with was a tankcar of Barber Asphalt.

My Solution:One question I had, couldsomething like this be done

with models in S? Our trucks arescrewed on, but one could build twomodels of a car, one with each gauge oftrucks. Then just swap them out usingthe 0-5-0 switcher. I decided to try it.

I took a Pacific Rail Shops 40' boxcarand removed the standard gauge trucks.I took a pair of Athearn HO Bettendorftrucks and regauged the wheels to Sn3.I just could not see putting a standardgauge steel car on narrow gauge archbartrucks. I found that on this car I coulduse the same screws that held thestandard gauge truck in place. I addeda washer between the truck and bolsterto give me a little more clearancebetween the brake rigging and the

wheels. I realized almost immediately,that the clearance between the wheelson the "B" end truck and the moldedchain (and rod) that goes to thebrakewheel staff was very close. If youplan to operate one of these particularcars in this fashion, you may have toremove part of the chain and rod,depending on the minimum radius of thecurves you will be operating on. I wasable to get the car around my 30" radiuscurves, but the wheels were touching thechain and rod in question. If you weredoing this with 42" gauge trucks, thiswould not become a problem until asmaller radius was used.

The coupler height worked out fine. Ihad Kadee #802 couplers on the boxcarand these mate fine with the standardHO couplers most commonly used forSn3. The coupler height even workedout without any problems. The couplerface of a #802 is higher than that of a#5, etc. so that you actually have a littleslop. The Kadee "glad-hand" on the#802's is a problem, and will have tobe either removed or rebent to stayabove the top of the rails. I generallycut mine off, so my test car did not havethem on.

Once I set this car on the track coupledto a 30' narrow gauge boxcar, the sizedifference between the cars reallybecame apparent. There is definitely aheavy overhang when the standardgauge boxcar is on the narrow gaugetrucks. If you want to operate with someof these cars you will need to havestandard gauge clearances where theyoperate. You will also have to makesure the car is adequately weighted.

If this type of operation appeals to you,some limitations may need to beenforced. For example, theNewfoundland Railway would onlychange trucks on boxcars that were notover 40' long.

In conclusion, it is possible to operatestandard gauge cars on S scale narrowgauge layouts, at least Sn42" and Sn3gauges. If you want to do this, you willhave to make sure that you provideadequate wheel clearance for the curvesthat will be encountered, and take careof the coupler glad hand problem. Inaddition, make sure that you haveadequate lineside clearance for the car.

Contributions or Comments:David L. Heine, 5758 Bel Air Dr.,

Coopersburg, PA 18036E-mail: a322@lehigh.edu

Pacific Rail Shops 40' boxcar is shown here on Athearn HO trucks whichwere regauged to Sn3. A gantry crane as shown on the opposite page liftsthe car ends so the trucks can be swapped out.

End view of the standard gaugeboxcar shows how the car sits onthe narrow gauge trucks. If you wantto do this on your narrow gaugerailroad, make sure you test sideclearances, especially on curves orin cuts. Like the prototype, standardgauge cars tend to be top heavy.

Photos by Dave Heine

This photo shows the dramatic difference between the size of the standardgauge and narrow gauge boxcars. The East Broad Top used a special coupleradaptor to enable the cars to run together. The standard gauge car muststart out on dual gauge trackage where the trucks are swapped out.

25

Railmail continued from page 5

track curves) required continualworking of the throttle betweensomewhat-on and totally-off. On the"up" side, the unit coasted veryrealistically to a long, smooth stop.

The Miller Alco's operation under loadwas actually worse. Once started, theloco would walk away with a train ofany length, but starting anything but theshortest train was not possible withouta "helping hand."

These problems are all due to themotor's basic design. The segmentedwheels function as the motors'commutators. The electromagneticforces within the armature are too weakto turn the motor from rest when thereis any appreciable drag, such as a trainbehind the locomotive. Once in motion,the gearless motors seek their limitingRPM, which is very much higher thandesirable for a model railroad.

I eventually traded my Miller powertrucks to Virgil Crosby, a local friend,who was happy to get them for hisdummy switcher. Another friend, GaryJordan, custom-built axle-hung powerunits for me that are based on smallSagami motors with a double gearreduction. The last time my Millerpower trucks ran for Virgil, they torestraight off a curve into a concrete wallat about 320 scale miles per hour.

Next: Ted Larson's letter on page 22asks if anyone uses an On3 hopper forstandard S gauge. I wrote and publishedan article on building and adaptingCB&T's On3 East Broad Top hopperin the April/May 1991 issue of 3/16"S"cale Railroading. I got the idea forthe project from a converted CB&T carI saw Josh Seltzer running on theCuyahoga Valley portable S gaugelayout at the joint NMRA/NASG1990Pittsburgh convention. Both Josh's andmine are lettered for freelanced roads.

Next: I particularly enjoyed readingRichard Lind's article on building thePRS boxcar. I learned some things thatwill save me some time and grief in thefuture. I have developed some shortcutsof my own during the course ofassembling over a dozen of these carsthat may help your readers.

To solve the paint touch-up problem Itrim the sprue scars with an X-actoknife. If you must use sandpaper or ajewelers file, stop short of the final

26

smoothing stroke and finish the part'scontour by scraping with a No. 11 bladeheld at right angles to the part's surface.

To save scraping off paint to get partsto adhere to each other, I just useTester's Liquid Plastic Cement (asolvent type cement), applied with a No.00 paintbrush. Just touch the tip of thebrush to the joint and capillary actiondraws the solvent into the joint. Thesolvent dissolves any paint on the joiningsurfaces so the parts weld together.

1 like the Thompson method of drillingand gluing from the inside. However, ifyou have a steady hand, you can deposita droplet of the Tester's cement withineach mounting hole and seat the part(grabiron, ladder, etc.) without leavinga cement scar on the car.

My way of handling the four pipes thatfit into the dimple on the rear of the triplevalve is not nearly as elegant asRichard's. I create a deeper, widerdimple with a drill bit (#44 or so); itgathers the pipes nicely. No one exceptthe builder will ever study the undersideof the car enough to spot this shortcut.

Finally, there is an error in the articlerelating to coupler height. If you areusing the Kadee coupler boxes and youdon't choose to shim between the boxand the carbody, you must lower thecarbody on the trucks. The washerrecommended in the article will raise thecarbody - beware!- Dick Karnes, Mercer Island, WA

Dear Jeff,Your February editorial brings to mindmy own situation. Like many Flyerpeople, I was one who had AF growingup, then went to HO, then Lionel Ogauge brought me back into tinplate andI started picking up Flyer equipmentagain. By 1987 I decided to go all S.

Now my life has evolved to the pointwhere another change is in order. Myinterests vary with my own railroadexperiences. Recently, a good part of mylife has been working for the BN andthe Montana Rail Link. I started inrailroading back in New York on the NYCity Transit System (1965-77), but nowI have a strong interest in more modernrailroading - SD40s, newer freight cars,etc. So, being on a tight budget, I'veaccumulated quite a few modernrailroad models in HO.

So after a planned retirement move to

North Dakota in July of 1998, I'mplanning to model both HO and S. Withthis in mind, I'm selling off all my AFcollectibles with the exception of theSilver Rocket PA set and a few otherdear-to-my-childhood items. I may evenreduce my 1902-1930 era rapid transitfleet (written up in the Dispatch severalyears ago).

The remaining S fleet will be commonsteam and freight cars of the steam-diesel era. The HO roster will consistof trolleys and 1st and 2nd generationdiesels and rolling stock. Passenger carswill be stainless steel plus someSuperliners. The HO fleet might includea couple of steam engines.

Tentatively, I plan a bi-level layout suchas I had when I had both Lionel O gaugeand Flyer. I think it would be visuallybetter to have the smaller trains on thehigher level, but since some of the Ssystem will consist of elevated transitoperation, I'm expecting that the HOwill go on the bottom.Ed Davis, Sr., Laurel, MT

Dispatch OriginsThe beginning of what became theDispatch was the NASG "Newsletter",first printed on April 1, 1978. It was abi-monthly publication and was editedby Bob Ristow. He was editor untilApril, 1979.

In June of that year I published/editedthe newsletter which I named theDispatch. This issue was volume II, No.1. Volume III was the No. 1 issue,February, 1980. I continued as editor/publisher through December, 1980.

Those were rather hectic days. I paidfor printing and postage for the first fewissues and sent the expense bill to theNASG treasurer for reimbursement.After that, the printer billed the NASGdirectly, but I continued to pay for thepostage out of my own pocket, until Icould be reimbursed. With 400 issuesat that time, it could get expensive.Fortunately, Billy Click furnished melabels.

Geoff Graeber took over as editor inFebruary, 1981. Since then there havebeen five editors culminating in yourself,and with each succeeding editor thepublication has improved. It is now awell organized magazine.

I hope this answers the query from theFebruary Dispatch. However, a

volume XX in 1997 doesn't seem tojive with a start of 1978.Erinie HorrThanks for the history, Ernie. But asfar as the volume is concerned, actuallyXX is correct. It does seem logical tojust subtract 20 from 97, but if youassign a volume to each year startingwith 1978, 1997 comes out as the 20thyear of the Dispatch.

More S in CTTJeff, I would first like to say how muchI enjoy your hard work on th&Dispatch.I noticed 5 in Non-S Publications underExtra Board and think that's great. I'dthought I'd let everybody know aheadof time that I will have an article on mylayout in the July 1997 issue of ClassicToy Trains and one is scheduled forNovember about the 1957 Flyer catalog.

I've been one of those folks pushing formore S in CTT. From talking with thoseat CTT, I believe they are interested inmore S. They tell me they like photosthat are close up that show detail.Upcoming for CTT I'm working on a

rocket launcher article and one on the1961 White's set with the rare C1001White's car. I encourage fellow Flyerand hi-rail S gaugers to write articlesfor CTT.Ted Hamler, Granville, OHYes, we need lots ofS of any kind in themainstream modeling magazines. TheDispatch welcomes rejects and photoswhich are unused in any work you orothers do. - Jeff.

Re: Feb. President's Message:Dear Alan, I had some comments basedon your President's Message in the Feb.issue. First, I wanted to add the SouthJersey S-Scaler's Code 148 portablelayout to your list of club modular/portable layouts. It has been in severalGreenberg Shows in the Philly areawhere it has garnered at least two "Bestof show" awards. I have relocated toSouth Central, Pa., and have prettymuch been out of touch with them, butI'm sure one or more of the fellows inthe club has also notified you of theirlayout.

Also, there is a very important way thatHOME layouts can also get the messageout. I was part of the NMRA MER NJDivision (quite a mouthful) for severalyears. Once a year, I opened my layout forone of the self-guided home layout tours.Mine was the only S scale layout among atotal of about 50 that were open throughoutthe year. Some of our SJSS guys beganopening their hi-rail layout too, so that allaspects of S were covered. These openhouses were always well attended byprospective modelers and veterans alike.

I have started my "dream" layout hereat my new residence and hope to findways to open it to the public when it is"showable." Making home layoutsavailable during NMRA conventions isanother way for the public to see S-gauge. there are many ways to promoteS, and I suppose if we all stick togetherand work hard at it, it will stay aliveand well and,have the great future thatwe want it to have. Keep up the goodwork.Roy Hoffman, Orrstown, PA.

The plastic gantry crane kit stat the right is actually HO, treally is just right for S or Snlyou have to do is install a GiLine S door in place of the HCand use an S scale ladder. Iknow if this is currently bproduced, but I picked two u|year in a hobby shop. Therecent manufacturer is, or wasLike - kit No. 1333.1 will have piof my conversion in an upcoissue. This crane would fit ri<with David Heine's article irissue. - Jeff.

;• \7

'Where We Make Tasty Sandwiches Of Your Club News'

THE CLUB SANDWICHBy Dave Pool

The Bristol S-Gauge Railroaders(BSGR) had a busy Winter withtheir attendance and setting up

their portable layout at the Springfield,MA., show in February and their ownshow in Topsfield, MA., in late March.The latter show is at the MasconometRegional High School Fieldhouse andincluded over 200 tables with operatinglayouts, food service and ample parking.Member Doug Peck coordinated theshow which featured the layout of theBSGR group to "showcase" S gauge.One feature of the show was a chainsaw artist who offered RR figures forone's front yard. What a way toadvertise the hobby to your neighbors !

The Bristoliner, newsletter of the group,is edited by Doug and always includesa listing of train shows and relatedevents for the members' reference. Thenewsletter also included a schedule ofthe Denver Zephyr '97 convention somembers could see what they might beenjoying at the next S gauge national,convention. The BSGR had a meetingat Gene Kelley's in April and JerryRivit's in March. Charlie Ciarleglio,President, hosted the group in February.Skip Readio is preparing a video forpromotional use at the 1997 NASGconvention to entice membership toattend the convention which the BSGRis hosting in 1998.

The BSGR is planning a meeting atRon Mistretta's in May, and their annualpicnic in June. For those "surfers"among the members, a listing of RRwebsites was included in the Jan./Feb.issue of the newsletter.

The Connecticut S Gaugers(CSG) held a recent meeting at

the home of member Bill Fuhrman,where his collection of AF could beviewed and trains operated on his hiraillayout. Bill Krause gave a talk onmaintaining the club members' modulesand covered details which can makesetting up and operation most efficient.The CSG set up their modules at theCheshire.CT., train show in March andthe Housatonic Model Railway ClubTrain Show in early April. Housatonicis an HO scale club with enoughforesight and vision to allow the CSG

group to display and operate their Sgauge modular layout at the show. CSGmember Bruce Carter coordinates theparticipation as a member of the hostclub.

Bill Krause, coordinator of the CSG andnewsletter editor, included a critique ofthe group's modular layoutpresentations in a recent newsletter. Inoperating scale and AF equipment onthe same Code 125 rail trackage foralmost ten years, the members of thegroup who bring modules have learnedthrough experience. Bill outlined someof the pitfalls and problems which havearisen and how they can be avoided,lessened, and eliminated. The CSGplanned to meet at the home of DavePlourde to view his new layout, and atthe home of Craig O'Connell in May.

Stan Stokrocki is planning to host ameeting of the group in the near future.Stan is moving his layout from itspresent location to the basement of hisnew home. This could be the beginningof a large well detailed S scale layout,judging from the quality of his presentlayout.

The Rochester Area S GaugersBlasdell(Buffalo) area swap meet/

show. The group set up modules andran trains to showcase S gauge. TorbyB arker of Tonawanda has become a newmember of the group. The RASG hada meeting in Pittsford at Charlie Smith'shouse and showed movies and photosbrought by Ted Larsen from his trip toMinnesota. The group attended theStrong Museum show and brought theirmodules to operate. Mike Hollandcoordinated the show and worked outdetails of the group's participation.

The RASG holds regular Thursdayevening get togethers at member MikeShea's for module, model and otherrepairs. The host is advised of anymembers who might come prior to theget togethers. This type of activity isgood to have a more informal meetingto repair train related items and havehelp from another member who mighthave direct useful experience withrepairs or design.

The Potomac Valley S Gaugers helda meeting at Robbie Carter's home

in Herndon, VA. Members wererequested to bring something that theyhad done or something that they wereworking on which could be describedto those present at the meeting. This isa good way to encourage others toundertake a project and get out of thearmchair. The March meeting of thePVSG was held at the home of Richard& Nancy Lind, in Frederick,MD.Module tables will be set up in thefinished attic and the process of layingtrack ( S gauge ) will be underwayaccording to The Call Board, newsletterof the group.

A recent issue of The Call Boardincluded an article describing Nancy andRichard Lind's train trip on the EastBroad Top during a Fall Spectacular.They rode in the business car"Orbisonia" with an honarary conductorwho was a blacksmith on the line beforeit was abandoned in 1956. He was aconductor on the line for many yearsbefore it was resurrected for tourist use.The PVSC newsletter included adescription of modular layout systemconstruction kits along with the standarddesigns available from Modular LayoutSystems. The experience of the groupwith the module kits is that they are wellmade, assemble easily and can be easilyset up and taken down. The kits producemodule frames which are light,accurately framed, dimensionally stable,and have interchangeable legs. Imaginehaving all the legs from your clubmodules in a pile and being able to takeany one to install on any module duringset up. Your column editor has seenmodules set up where each leg is specialto one corner on one module. Thismakes the process of set up, timeconsuming and tedious. The PVSC ispleased with the kits from ModularLayout Systems.

Newly elected president GreggMiller and V.P. Hap McGunigal

of the Altoona Area Train CollectorsClub(AATCC) are S gaugers andreported on plans for the group. Theyplan to set up their layout at the ValleyView Nursing Home and at a train meetthe club is sponsoring at the FrankstownArmory. The AATC is organizing atrip to Detroit, MI. in May which willbe a several day event and include stopsat Greenfield Village, Henry FordMuseum, Lionel Factory, and Carail.The group will stay at the DearbornHoliday Inn. Sounds like a re-run of

28

the NASG convention last Summer, anda worthwhile trip for those of theAltoona area who missed theseattractions.

The Baltimore Area AmericanFlyer Club(BAAFC) set up their

portable layout at the TTOS Meet inAnnapolis,MD. , the Arbutus Toy &Train Show, and the Greenberg Train& Toy Show, Timonium,MD. SecretaryRon Kolb reports on various train showsand meets in the area where the BAAFCgroup is located. The group held ameeting at the B & O Railroad Museumand twelve members attended along witha new member, Bob Davison. Thegroup held a short business meeting andhad free time to examine the museumexhibits as they desired. The first partof the group's get together included atour of the museum with a guide.

Member Ken Schnepp hosted the Aprilmeeting of the BAAFC and it wasdecided to install rubber roadbed undertrackage on all the club's portablemodules. The group is consideringattending the Train Collector's Show,New Haven,CT., in August. Attendancelast year was rewarding but involvedsome hassle getting there. Memberssign up for working at the various trainshows which they attend.

T he Flyer is the newsletter ofthe Suncoast American Flyer

Enthusiasts(SAFE) as edited by MarkBriggsandEdBittman. The group helda meeting at the home of Joe Spinellarecently. Another meeting was held inFebruary at the home of Evan and RuthEarle, where an extensive collection ofAF trains was on display.

Dennis McDonald explained how hebecame re-interested in AF trains andhis involvement with SAFE, in an articlewhich was published in their newsletter.Member Bill Corder's layout wasfeatured in the Jan./Feb., 1997 SGaugian.

The State Line S Gaugers(SLSG)recently brought their layout to a

train show in Rockford,IL. Dave Pippittwas chairman for this two day event heldat the Harlem High School NorthCampus Gym. Art Doty was chairmanwith Dave Tanner and Dave Oberholtzeras Co-chairmen at another two-dayshow held at the Lena Jr. High School.They had a modular latout plus threetables at this show. A new member,Doug Allen, was welcomed into the

group. The recent SLSG newsletter hada picture of a railroad motif customtrimmed hedge growing in the backyardof Adrian Powell, Bristol, England. Thehedge is formed into the replica of asteam locomotive, complete with tender.It is approx. full size, and trimmed oncea week to keep it in shape. Vera Geerts,newsletter editor, does an excellent jobof keeping the members informed.Results of the annual train races wereannounced in a recent issue of thenewsletter.

S outheastern Michigan SGaugers(SMSG) held a recent

meeting at member Gary Chudzinski'sand another at the home of Don Gates.The May meeting is planned at GaylordGill's. The SMSG attended the AnnArbor Model Train Show at theYpsilanti High School . At a meetingof the group at Dan Navarre's home,the results of a recent survey werepresented by Pres. Gaylord Gill. Thesurvey indicated that there weremembers who felt that the modularlayout was not useful, and others whowanted to scrap the present layout andconstruct a new one. The idea of havingmembers work on individual homelayouts, with each having a specificassignment at a meeting was suggested.

T he Lakeshore Special is thenewsletter of the Cuyahoga

Valley S Gauge Assoc.(CVSGA) isedited capably by member GeorgeRicketts. A recent issue of the NASGDispatch highlighted the activities ofDan Jansky,Age 6, S gauger, and sonof member Joseph Jansky. The CVSGAis considering replacing their modularlayout, according to the newsletter. Thenew layout should be easy to set up, funto operate, and flexible with room forscenery. An all AF layout is also underconsideration by the group. Joan & RonMistur were welcomed as new members.The 10th annual Spring S Spree isscheduled for May 16/17 at the HolidayInn,Richf ie ld ,OH. Member GaryIppolito is handling orders for theDomino Sugar tank car sold inconnection with the event. Chuck Fondais Pres. of the CVSGA.

Central Ohio SGaugers(COSG) recently held a

meeting at the home of John and SueGafney, in Dublin,OH. The group hasa new trailer in which to transport theirportable layout. The layout is in needof repair/upgrading. They are in theprocess of deciding whether to repair

the existing layout or construct anentirely new one. The possibility ofhaving individual members ownmodules is being considered. Art Loftonhosted the group in New Albany inMarch, and Tom Brinker,UpperArlington, hosted in April. John F.Myers was welcomed as a new member.

A rt Pratt hosted a recent meeting/\of te Badgerland SGaugers(BSG),in Milwaukee,WI.Dave Baule was host in March andRudy Stemplinger planned to host inApril. Ron Schlicht edits the newsletterof the group. John Wickland wrote adetailed description of the Fall S Festwhich he chaired, which was publishedin a recent newsletter of the BSG. JimBrown is president of the group. Thegroup holds swap meets at the RedCarpet Bowling Lanes in Waukesha,WI.They are looking for a possible othersite for future meets. The BSGmembers are bui lding additionalmodules for their layout and are strivingto have backdrops on the modules for abetter presentation in the future and atthe NMRA National Convention thissummer in Madison..

AF S Gaugers of the St. LouisArea(AFSGSLA) had a recent

issue of their newsletter edited bymember Paul Wehrle. The Famous-Barr window train display was a greatsuccess for the ninth year in a row. Thegroup held a meeting at the home ofNorm Pilarski. Barry Dolan hosted theAFSGSLA at his home in February.David Stevens hosted the group inMarch, and Larry Strassburger was thehost in April at his home inChesterfield,MO. The group isplanning to meet at the home of MartyGlass in St. Louis in May. The groupis planning to bring their portable layoutto the Gateway Area Train Show,Belleville,IL in Sept. Moe Berkcoordinates the AFSGSLA.

T te Rocky Mountain Hi-Railers(RMHR) met at the

Lewer household in March to have awork session and reconfigure theirlayout. The group met at Steve andKaren Blackburn's early in the year.Steve used the Internet to get help fromJim Bunte,V.P. of Lionel, on a problemwhich he had with a Lionel AF diesel.Steve has had good luck locating AFparts sources on the Internet, accordingto reports from John Eichmann. Johndescribed the use of a product calledVinylbed Classic Roadbed, available

29

Club Sandwich cont.

from Hobby Innovations, Mountain City,TN. The material comes in 3 foot lengths,with two thicknesses, 3/16 & 1/4 inch,and can be used under S gauge track asa roadbed base. The RMHR areplanning to attend the Treasure ValleyTrain Show in July.

The S-Train Rail is the newsletterof the Inland Empire S Gangers

Association of the Pacific Northwest(IESGAPN). Ernie Horr hosted the firstmeeting of the year at his home and theTinplate Road was operated. The groupattended a model RR swap meet at theSpokane Community College, and Sgauge literature was distributed from atable. Cliff Baxter rented the table andmade space available to advertise Sgauge. Tom Bangs, a new member wasat the show along with other members,including Craig Olsen,Larry Hopkins,Phil Slocum,Pat Spino, Pat Castle, JessBennett, and Dale Weiler.

The Bay Area S Sealers (BASS) hada meeting at the home of Don and

Barbara Harper early in the year. Theyhave an excellent narrow gauge layoutwhich was operational for the meeting.The group held a meeting in March atthe home of Ed Loizeaux. Ed has beenworking on a backdrop for his layout,along with hardshell scenery andtexturing in the logging area of the layout.Lee Johnson has built numerous box carkits and has assembled a couple ofstructures, according to newsletter editorBarney Daehler. Bill Roberts writes asection of the newsletter on the module

EXTRA BOARD

news.

Forward your club news to:Dave Pool

11 Bittersweet TrailWilton, CT 06897

PROMOTING S PARTI -FOOD& FLYERThe Neshaminy Valley American FlyerClub (northwest of Philadelphia) hasoperated their portable layout at severaltrain shows recently. The latest was atthe first Family Heritage RestaurantTrain Show on Friday, January 31,1997. YES FOLKS THAT'SRESTAURANT! The show hours werefrom 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. to enable us to usea banquet room DURING normal dinnerhours. Admission to the show was free,which gave us exposure to a largesegment of the local population. An A.C.Gilbert 312AC Pennsylvania K-5Pacific smoked and hauled freight duringthe entire show. A 499 New Haven GEElectric EP-5 transported passengers,and later gave way to a new AM GG1with railsounds.

A 290 Pacific smoked up a storm, andvisitors said they could smell smokeoutside the layout room. Two childrenrushed over to tell us their father hastrains like these. Over 1,000 peoplewalked through the crowded banquetroom to see LGB, Lionel, our AmericanFlyer, N and Z gauge layouts plusseveral vendor tables. A vendor said,"Our sales made the evening wellworthwhile." We couldn't count howmany children watched in awe as a cowjumped off the tracks, a log was sawedand loaded into a gondola, a log loaderoperated and many other accessoriesentertained.

The parking lot was totally full, and wehave heard that many people were turnedaway. A restaurant representative said,"934 dinners were served" and not

everyone who visited the show stayed fordinner. The restaurant staff said theywere dizzy trying to keep up. At the nextproposed show the banquet manager saidthey want to give our layout more space.We had 80 information bulletins, andthey were gone in the first hour. Weemphasized that American Flyer was stillalive and available.Glenn Ritter, Kulpville, PA. (NeshaminyValley American Flyer Club)

PROMOTING S PART IIThe Badgerland S Gaugers, for the 2ndyear in a row, set up their extensivemodular layout at the Madison,Wisconsin Train Show, an NMRADivision sponsored 2-day show whichfeatured many layouts, displays andvendors.

Two things stood out concerning theBadgerland setup. One was a long train,and the other was a series of AmericanFlyer modules spliced into thepredominantly scale modules.

The long train was about 36 feet longwith 40 freight cars. So, big deal. Well,maybe it is, because the power wasChuck Porter's Rex Dockside and JimBrown's Rex Suburban. They crankedaround the 28' x 34 1/2' modular setupfor about 3 hours.

The four 4' straight American Flyermodules were built by member RonSchlicht. What was unique about thiswas that they were spliced into the restof the Badgerland modules which all havecode 148 scale/hi-rail track. To make thetransitions where the Flyer modulesjoined the scale modules, a composite 9"

Badgerlander Ron Schlicht (left) oversees his Flyer modules which arespliced into the mostly scale modular system. Photo at right demonstratesRon's interest in structures and details. Note new MTH farmhouse.

section track made up of 1/2 code 148and 1/2 Flyer tinplate track solderedtogether was used. The key in thetransition piece is to match the railheights and inside rail surfaces of the twodifferent types of track. When the tiesare shimmed to match the Flyer track onrubber roadbed, the joint is smooth.

The sections handled all trains (Flyer andscale) without a problem. Builder, RonSchlicht, hovered around the modules allduring the weekend show acting like acarnival barker. He would gather theflock of onlookers in and demonstrate viaremote buttons an operating milk car, anoil drum loader and Sam the Semaphore.These modules were neatly constructedand made one long scene complete withhighway, Plasticville buildings, backdropand lots of vehicles and figures. Therewas even a nun spotted leaving thePlasticville police station.-Jeff

DEPT. OF CORRECTIONSThe plans on page 21 of the Februaryissue are not to full scale as stated - theywere supposed to be. About 142 percentenlargement should bring them up to size.Dick Karnes also pointed out that in lastissue's Extra Board that Bernie Thomaswas not the first General Director, ClaudWade was.-Jeff

DUES DUEMembers: It's dues time again. Send inNOW to make sure you don't missgetting listed in the MembershipDirectory. Yearly dues are still $17,family memberships are $22 and aContributing membership is $27 (thisincludes $10 for a helper ad or listingwhich is shown in the Directory. Makecheck payable to the NASG. Mail toDody Stevens, 9619 NW 71st St.,

Kansas City, MO 64152-2403. Note: Donot send renewals to John Metzger.

ATTENTION CLUBS:Make sure your club is listed in theMembership Directory, or make sure anyaddress changes, etc., get corrected. Lookover last August's Directory and see ifyour club is listed correctly. This is animportant listing since new or currentmembers would have no other way offinding out if there is a club in their area.Even an informal group could be listedhere. Direct these changes to theDispatch editor.

S IN NON-S PUBLICATIONS- March 1997 NMRA Bulletin - Guesswhat? The main feature article covers infull color the layout of Steve Amitrano.This is a very nicely detailed layoutwhich is portable in 10'3" x 10'8" space.The track plan is included.- April Model Railroader - NASGmember Bob Nicholson has a trackplanarticle based on an S scale layout he plansto build.- The May Classic Toy Trains has a niceproduct review on S-Helper rolling stock.A quote winding up the review states,"...it is easy to understand why boosterssay maybe it's time for N and HO scalemodelers to step up to S." There is also aTinplate Prototype article on the AFAtlantic in this issue by Carl Byron.- The 1997 issue of Model RailroadPlanning (Kalmbach) is a good sourcefor trackplanning articles. Non are S -specific, but most will easily adaptincluding one by yours truly based onthe East Broad Top. If you read thisarticle note that Bob Nicholson's design,mentioned above, is based on the sameroom dimensions as my HO one. - Jeff.- March Trains - For those going toDenver this summer, there's a good articleon UP's Tennessee Pass line.

S-CALENDARMay 15-18,1997: 10th Annual SpringS Spree. Holiday Inn, Richfield, Ohio(Cleveland area) sponsored by theCuyahoga Valley S Gaugers. Forregistration packet contact: GaryIppolito, 5311 New Haven Ct.,Sheffield, OH 44054. (216) 934-9349.E-mail: gippolito @ Clev.frb.org

July 9-13, 1997: NASG NationalConvention in Westminster, Colorado(Denver area). The Denver Zephyr '97convention will be held at the DenverNorthglenn Holiday Inn, East 120th and1-25, on the north side. Registrationforms will be inserted in the DecemberDispatch. For information contact GlennSponholtz, 4550 W. 90th Ave.,Westminster, CO 80030. (303) 427-2976. Hotel Phone No. (303) 452-4100.

July 28-Aug. 2,1997: NMRA NationalConvention, "The Lake Junction",Madison, WI. Contact Ross E. Pollock,Registrar, 3539 Mill Creek Road,Mineral Point, WI 53565. (608) 987-3396 or Toll free 888-525-3528.

Aug. 23,1997: Gilbert property tour inNew Haven, Connecticut area, followedby a picnic at A.C. Gilbert's ParadisePark. Info - contact John Vanacore (203)239-1346.

Nov. 21-23, 1997: Fall S Fest at theSouth Beloit (Wis.) Holiday Inn. Call(815) 963-8773 for room reservations.

July 8-12, 1998: NASG NationalConvention in Worcester, Mass.,Lincoln St. Holiday Inn. Contact JohnCiarlegliodays: (617) 695-3504 or evesand weekends: (508) 358-6622.

July 21-24, 1999: NASG NationalConvention, joint with the NMRA. willbe in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Bids Open for NASG NationalConventions -- 2000 and beyond.Contact Dave Held, ConventionChairman, 6154 Lanake Ln., Imlay City,MI 48444. (810)724-5499.

The Neshaminy Valley AmericanFlyer Club portable layout on displayat a restaurant in Pennsylvania - yes,that's restaurant. Children and adultswere thrilled with S gauge trainsalong with the chance to enjoy ameal. Photo by Glenn Ritter

31

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Ribbed Sides:

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