REDWOOD EMPIRE DIVISION JULY - SEPTEMBER 2012 CALLBOARD · 2012. 7. 27. · REDWOOD EMPIRE DIVISION JULY - SEPTEMBER 2012 PAGE 2 Empire Staff Roster DIRECTOR Dave Croshere 1331 Enos

REDWOOD EMPIRE DIVISION JULY - SEPTEMBER 2012

PAGE 1

In this EditionFront Office

Page 3

Achievement ProgramPage 6

Business MeetingPage 8

Tips and TechniquesPage 10

PCRContest Results

Page 12

Model ChallengePage 13

CALLBOARDAugust 18th at the Ranch!

Reserve August 18th for the Redwood Division Annual Picnic meeting.This year we travel slightly North to Healdsburg and Ron and Pam Kaiser’s “West Side Farms”. Things begin to get going about 10:00 AM and will continue until mid afternoon.We’ll have fun, food and railroading RED Style. Pack your picnic for fun and don’t forget “SHOW & TELL”. We’ve all had all summer to think about the next project and now is the time to show your stuff! MAP ON LAST PAGE OF CALLBOARD -READ IT.

West Side Farms 7079 Westside RdHealdsburg,CA

RED will have an information and display booth at the Santa Rosa Home and Train Show September 21, 22, and 23 this year. We need

members of RED to help staff the booth for a few hours each day. Please contact Carol Alexander at (707) 484-5428 or

[email protected] to volunteer to help share our hobby with our neighbors.

Schulz Airport

file://localhost/Users/Dick/Desktop/Oct-Dec%20CallBoarrd/page%201%20Xmas%20greeting.odtfile://localhost/Users/Dick/Desktop/Oct-Dec%20CallBoarrd/page%201%20Xmas%20greeting.odtfile://localhost/Users/Dick/Desktop/Oct-Dec%20CallBoarrd/page%201%20Xmas%20greeting.odtfile://localhost/Users/Dick/Desktop/Oct-Dec%20CallBoarrd/page%201%20Xmas%20greeting.odtfile://localhost/Users/Dick/Desktop/Oct-Dec%20CallBoarrd/page%201%20Xmas%20greeting.odtfile://localhost/Users/Dick/Desktop/Oct-Dec%20CallBoarrd/page%201%20Xmas%20greeting.odtmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


PAGE 2

Empire Staff Roster

DIRECTORDave Croshere

1331 Enos AvenueSebastopol, CA(707) 829-‐9220

E-mail- [email protected]

SUPERINTENDENTStewart Benson

131 Casa Verde Ct.Sonoma CA 95476

(707)938-5941No E- Mail

CHIEF CLERKVerne Alexander907 Grouse Lane

Petaluma, CA 94954(707) 763-9072

E-mail: [email protected]

CONTESTSGiuseppe Aymar

1330 Medical Center DriveRohnert Park, CA 94928


MEMBERSHIPGus Campagna

1915 William DrPenngrove CA 94957-9524

E-mail :[email protected]

NOMINATIONSOpen

ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAMGiuseppe Aymar

1330 Medical Center DriveRohnert Park, CA 94928


ESTATE COUNSELORDon Clauder

305 Garfield Park, Santa Rosa, CA 95409 (707)539-3510

CALLBOARD EDITORDick Foster

219 Avenida Barbera,Sonoma CA 95476

707-935-6215E-mail: [email protected]

Director’s Reportby

Dave Croshere

Since our last meeting, there hasn’t been anything to report from the board. The next meeting (Picnic) is at Ron Kaiser’s vineyard farm August 18th. This summer meeting is a real treat. Bring something to BBQ, a potluck to share and your wife, who will also enjoy this outing. There are picnic tables under oak trees for shade and good conversation. We also manage to get into the train room and run a loco or two. Ron has a truly fantastic layout. This is a don’t miss, relaxing meeting.

The November meeting is in Santa Rosa and will have a model contest along with the usual meeting. Contest rules can be found elsewhere and need to be reviewed.

I previously indicated I want to persuade more members to participate in the Achievement Program. What better opportunity than the November contest. Many of us will make a model, either scratch built or highly modified kit, for the contest. If you haven’t had a model judged, why not make this contest model a first. One of the best things about the AP judging is you are allowed to have a model judged as many times as you want. This lets you to make changes to improve your model and score. The other advantage is, as you make changes you learn and can apply these techniques to subsequent modeling projects.

The whole idea of the Achievement Program is to learn, to improve your skills, and receive recognition for your modeling abilities.

I’ll see you there, hopefully with a model.

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


PAGE 3

A Message from the Front Office

Superintendent’s ReportStewart Benson

Proto Type Report- The SMART rail laying program is under way in Santa Rosa, and heading south with concrete ties, new ballast and welded rail. Much activity to see.A personal plea! - From what I have seen at our meetings many of you are terrific builders. But we need more entries - built/or in progress. This isn’t a contest but a sharing moment to show what you can do or have done recently. The RED has a reputation for being a top group in many aspects of the hobby. Let’s keep that reputation going!Last of all -Thank you to Dave Croshere for offering your assistance during my eye surgery time. See you all on August 18th at Ron Kaiser’s wonderful home and layout.

RED Meeting May 19, 2012 At Monroe Hall

Verne Alexander, Chief Clerk

Following a period of socializing and viewing the models brought by members for “show and tell,” President Stew Benson called the 24 attendees to sit for the briefest of business meetings. The minutes of the previous meeting, printed in the Callboard, were approved, and it was noted that our bank balance stands at $2311.11.Dave Croshere introduced himself as our new representative to the PCR, encouraging members to bring any concerns they have for him to pass along. The PCR directors are currently dealing with the issues of membership involvement, the increasing age of the membership (Ed Merrin contributed a paper on this matter) and the cost of the Branchline. The next PCR Conventions will be held in Dublin in 2013 and San Luis Obispo in 2014. There was no old business. Nor was there new business! President Benson elicited comments from members who attended the joint PNR/PCR convention in Medford, and this feedback was uniformly positive. Chief Clerk Alexander noted that the items for the raffle and door prizes for today’s meeting had come from six different sources, five of those sources being members and one being Hobbytown USA in Petaluma. Alexander encouraged members to bring some of those items from home, for

Type to enter text


PAGE 4

which they have no use, to the meeting to be door prizes for other members who might just have a good use for them. Carol Alexander was the big donor, contributing an HO scale ATSF U23B new in the box.Attention now focused upon the show and tell session, wherein members bring a model and share the “story” of that model in their personal history. I found these stories fascinating, and will relate them.Stew Benson showed an HO UP 4-12-2, with Gresley valve gear (3 cylinders), noting that it could out-pull a Big Boy. He also brought a model of a through truss bridge that was constructed sturdily enough to bear the weight of the 4-12-2. Stew confessed that he once inadvertently tested that construction when he tripped and fell right onto the bridge, and it emerged unscathed!Steve Skold brought some pictures he took at Train Mountain, one of the Medford Convention activities. He told of derailments, rain, hail and faces that remained smiling through the whole experience!Dave Grundman brought an old Woodlands model of a gas station that he had personally known in his youth. He went to Google Earth and discovered that the station is still there!Rick Mossholder, who has been modeling in Hon3, brought an N scale DM&IR 4-8-8-2 Yellowstone, with a caboose. Very expensive, says he, but it is

responsible for returning him to his first love―N scale!Frank George brought an HO Passenger train consisting of an extremely short coach and a very tiny industrial diesel. He also brought us the joke―the little Passenger train is for our Short Lines!I brought the first Craftsman Kit I ever built, back in the 1960’s, the Alexander Haunted House. It is (or was―is he still alive?) the residence of Laslow Bascomb, founder of the Magnesite Reduction Plant at Chewelah on my layout. Bascomb hasn’t been seen for years, but every so often a vehicle is seen driving up the bluff upon which the Mansion sits. Later it leaves. What is going on . . . ?Ed Merrin brought a photo that won first place at Medford. He then told us how he thought it was probably the weakest of his three entries, but it won and his personal favorite did not. Go figure!Dave Croshere brought a Trix 2-8-2 that he initially procured because it looked “right” and was on sale. When he got it in his possession he liked it so well that he immediately bought another one, and considers the two of them his best pulling locomotives. He did some detailing on the engine, and admits he was extremely happy to have a second copy on hand to show him how things went back together! The fine looking model is lettered for his A B and old C freelance railroad, and is lightly weathered.


PAGE 5

Ancient Bill Williams, with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek, showed us a shadow box containing a locomotive-looking-thing that is constructed of nuts and screws and the like. It has to be seen to be believed. Bill believes we should have fun with our modeling!Don Clauder showed a beautiful O scale brass model of one of the IC Commuter engines. The locomotive came in kit form, as was common back in the 1950s and early 60s because the import duty on a kit was significantly less than for a built-up model. Don says he was nosing around at a train show and spotted a box under the table. His inquiry produced little information from the seller, who didn’t even know if it was all there, but resulted in a price that had Don leaping for his wallet. He later learned from another source that in his early years, before getting out onto the road and into the history books, John Luther Jones probably ran a loco just like this one in commuter service on the Illinois Central.The piece de resistance was Giuseppi Aymar’s model of an oil loader, a mass of pipes and hoses and ladders and framework that took him literally hundreds of hours to construct. It won first place at Medford. But the exquisite model work is only part of the story. Giuseppi took about 200 pictures of this structure in, I think, 2002. And good thing that he did, because it went away a couple of years later and no longer exists! If we think we may want

to model something at some point in the future, the message here is to get the foundational measurements and photographs right now!Everyone seemed to enjoy the show and tell stories a lot, and of course enjoyed seeing the models from which the stories were generated. However both Giuseppi Aymar and Dave Croshere were quick to point out some of the advantages of submitting models for judging as well as telling. Among these advantages are pushing one’s skills to a higher level and being motivated to devote more energy to one’s projects. Dave is a recent recruit to the Master Model Railroader program. We will undoubtedly be hearing more from both Dave and Giuseppi about putting models in a contest for judging, as both of them are high energy guys with strong commitments. Whether one favors contests or simply showing and telling, a quite positive result was achieved at this meeting. Out of 24 attendees, 10 brought 11 models for viewing. That is 42%! I hope that this trend toward sharing continues!Dave Sheber, assisted by Kent Hinton, gave an enthusiastic and fast-paced clinic on how to construct a static grass-planting tool for about $35.00. Yes, the ones that sell for about $190.00 when on sale! It was very entertaining and instructive. We learned that the best source for the requisite ionic generator is clear down in Australia! And I learned that the reason I was getting such


PAGE 6

unimpressive results with my commercial model is that the grass material must be synthetic. Dave promised to put all of the requisite information on the RED web site.Roughly 10 people held winning tickets for an assortment of door prizes. The irony of the raffle was that the big prize, the HO scale ATSF U23B, went to N scaler Noble Emery! Noble said he would re-donate it to the Napa Club, where he has been a long time member. The name of the winner of the Hobbytown USA gift card has fallen from this Senior’s memory!In summary, this was a very good meeting. We did get some criticism afterward―to the effect that it was too short! Do make every effort to attend our next meeting, the summer picnic at the Kaiser place on Westside Road beside the Russian River in Windsor. Along with the usual elements of a picnic, Ron’s HO scale transition era Western Pacific layout will be on display and up and running. This is a large layout and it runs flawlessly. Ron’s excellent scenery construction keeps expanding with time. You will be handed a throttle and will have a thoroughly enjoyable experience.Financially, the Kitty car was a little light this time, at $14.00. The raffle brought in $37.00. Someone bought hard copy delivery of The Callboard for $6.00. Our bank balance is now $2368.11.

Achievement Program by Giuseppe Aymar

Congratulations are in order to Dave Croshere ( newly minted RED Director) on receiving his second Certificate of Achievement from the NMRA. This one is in Civil Engineering. Dave now has racked up two Certificates in a few months and is ready to tackle his third and fourth Certificates. At the last RED meeting at Monroe Hall, Rich Mossholder introduced himself as a new member in RED and immediately informed me of his intention of joining the AP. Besides being very talented, Rich is also much younger than most of us, thus bringing with him a fresh look and relentless enthusiasm. You know what he said? I could have some Certificates just from stuff I have done in the past, but I want to EARN my Certificates by going forward and not looking back. Now, that is the enthusiasm I am talking about. That, is what will keep RED alive in years to come. Bravo Rich!!! Our Callboard editor, Dick Foster is also in line to receive his Certificates for author and Volunteer.Steve Skold already has Certificates for Volunteer and Official.

(Continued on page 7)

REDWOOD EMIRE DIVISION JULY - SEPTEMBER 2012

PAGE 7

(Continued from page 6)

Myself included am a stones throw away from my 5th, 6th and 7th Certificates.It is interesting to learn from many of you how wonderfully gifted you all are in many and disparate areas of the hobby. In fact, many of you reading this column have already, without being aware of it, have completed the requirements on Merit Certificates toward MMR; or at the very least are a few steps away from acquiring them. I encourage you to get in touch with me to see where you stand. The layout you have built or are in the process of building, is the very resource that will earn you those Certificates. All you need is a guiding hand to match your accomplishments to the requirements.

Why is the AP so important in my view? I view the enthusiasm created by a bunch of modelers who are striving to reach a lofty goal as the spark and the fuel that keeps our Hobby alive. Aspiring to MMR involves more than just a wish; it involves a commitment to becoming a better modeler, to become altruistic and giving, It spikes our enthusiasm to learn, teach; a beacon to hopefully inspire others to achieve more. A modeler who has mastered a specific field, let’s say building structures, will now feel comfortable and ready to give a lecture or demonstrating hands-on the techniques learned. Thus this person has now become a teacher, a giver and likely an inspiration to others. He has then lifted the spirit of many of us. If we all maintain the “Status Quo” of mediocrity, “ I know what I know and that’s all I want from the Hobby “ then who is there to teach us new things, to make our meetings interesting? Who?

The famous phrase” If not me, who? If not now, when? “ echoes in my mind. Let’s have this echo reverberate through the hills and valleys of the great RED. Let’s pay attention to it and take action.

Let’s go RED, let’s go RED!!!


PAGE 8

PACIFIC COAST REGION OF THE NATIONAL MODEL RAILROAD ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING

Friday, May 2, 2012 Red Lion Hotel, Medford, OR PCR/PNR Joint Convention "Siskiyou Summit"

Minutes

The meeting was called to order at 7:35 AM by President Pat LaTorres

A. QUORUM VERIFICATION

Secretary Tom Crawford verified that a quorum was present. There were exactly the required 35

signatures on the sign in sheet. All were members of PCR.

B. APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS BUSINESS MEETING MINUTES

The minutes of the previous Business meeting were approved without comment.

C. OFFICER'S COMMENTS

C.1. President Pat LaTorres thanked the outgoing board members for their service. He discussed the

issue of poor voter participation in the last election even for the contested offices, and ask that people

return their ballots.

C.2. Vice-president Ed Merrin commented on how well the convention was going and thanked the

convention committee for their efforts.

C.3. Treasurer Larry Altbaum was not available, but President LaTorres noted that we are financially

stable even though we still have a minor deficit due to a drop in interest rates.

C.4. Secretary Tom Crawford gave the highlights of the Board of Directors Meeting held May 2, 2012.

Those highlights are attached separately.

D. NMRA OFFICERS' COMMENTS

No Comments

E. MEMBER COMMENTS (comments regarding matters not on the agenda)

Steve Wesolowski proposed that we give out door prizes for voting.


PAGE 9

Business Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 2 May 15, 2011

Bob Ferguson offered that we should put the address for sending in ballots in the electronic version

of the Branch Line.

Tom Van Horn offered that we need to support efforts that bring people into our hobby and PCR

organization, such as the efforts of our local hobby shops.

Chuck Harmon solicited photos that people take and articles for the Branch Line.

F. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

There was no Unfinished Business.

G. NEW BUSINESS

There was no New Business.

H. CONVENTIONS

H.1. Comments regarding this convention: Convention co-Chairman Providenza was tied up in

convention business, but through the VP thanked all for coming and acknowledged the convention

committee.

H.2. Dennis Stokely noted that the 2013 Convention will be in Dublin, CA on April 3-7, 2013, and gave

a short review of what was in store.

H.3. The 2014 convention will be at the Sands Hotel in San Luis Obispo in either the first or third

week in May, 2014. The 2015 convention will be in Coast Division.

Door Prizes were handed out to a number of people.

I. Announcements

I.1. The next business meeting will be at the Holiday Inn Express in Dublin, CA on April 7, 2013.

J. ADJOURNMENT

Steve Wesolowski moved (and it was seconded) that we adjourn. The motion was approved on a voice

vote and the Meeting was adjourned at 8:12 AM.

Respectfully Submitted,

Tom Crawford

PCR Secretary


PAGE 10

This is a short series of tips and techniques that have come from our

fellow members as well as from some of the best craftworkers in our hobby.

Big Red’sWorkbench Tips and Techniques

I have always cleaned my rails before operating sessions. And I have tried many methods to keep my track clean in the past. I have tank cars that dispense alcohol, I have a flat car with flappers. I have used metal polish and I have used barber shop oil. And I have sore fingers from rubbing rails clean with an alcohol soaked T-shirt. OK, I like to have my track clean. Getting electrical through the rails is the only way to have the locos run smoothly.

At Medford, I heard of a product called No-Ox. It is an antioxidant used in the electrical world to insure electrical continuity and prevent corrosion in harsh climates. This product has been around for 85 years and was even used on the prototype steam locos. The word is it is pretty good at keeping your model track and engines operating smoothly. No stranger am I to trying a new ideas, I wanted to get some. I found it can be purchased through Walther or on-line. I’m impatient and went looking locally for antioxidants. (continued on page 11)

NOALOX


PAGE 11

Support Your Local Hobby Shop

10% RED Member Discount

POGGIES TRAINS100 FOLEY ST

SANTA ROSA, CA 707-545-7643

(Continued from page 10)

I found Noalox. This stuff is great! Spread the SLIGHTEST amount on two feet of clean track with your finger. Run one of your poorer preforming engines on the track you just put the Noalox on. You will see a real improvement. It’s like your loco is hard wired into the power, no balking and no flickering lights. If the applied coat of Noalox is very thin you shouldn’t experience much slippage. In any event wait a day for the material to dry. When it is dry, I think your traction will improve over previous conditions without Noalox.

After you have become a convert, apply Noalox to all your track and locos. Also apply it to any place on the loco where you expect electrical pick-up, like wiper to wheels, and the throw bar post on steam locos. Don’t put any in the motor.

A 1/2 oz tube of Noalox by Ideal (maybe a life time supply) costs @$5.00 at Home Depot or Lowes. You will find it in the Electrical Department.

It has been almost three months since I first applied Noalox. Everything is still running better than ever and I haven’t reapplied it or wiped the track since. More time for modeling.

If you have a trick or technique that you would like to share, please send your idea to the CallBoard Editor.


PAGE 12

Contest Report at Siskiyou Summit 2012 Giuseppe Aymar

The joint PCR/PNR Regional Convention in Medford, Oregon is now a footnote in history . The Contest, comprising of models, photography and Arts&Crafts, was a resounding success with over 135 entries from 105 modelers signaling the rebirth and rejuvenation of a key ingredient of successful Conventions. RED had an impressive success rate in the number of award winning entries.

Ed Merrin - always a prolific and distinguished photographer 1stplace - “model scene” – Cumberland Blues3rdplace- “model scene”- locomotive3rdplace- “track and structures”- Healdsburg throatStu Benson3rdplace – “diesels and others”- Southern Pacific F7ABA 3rdplace- “diorama”- SchoolhouseGiuseppe Aymar1stplace- “structures”- “SECO” oil loading facility for SP tank trainBest in Show- “SECO” oil loading facility for SP tank train

Being the Contest chairman I am obviously proud of “ our little RED “ and what it was able to accomplish. Having said that, I must admit that, what I treasure most, was the amount of effort given to the Convention and the unequivocal imprint left by the RED members who helped running the Contest.

Carol Alexander spent many hours developing the electronic program to run effortlessly all those names, numbers, scores, lists of awards so vital to achieve efficient and precise reports.

Carol Skold ran the Contest’s front desk effortlessly and with her typical aplomb and style.Giuseppe Aymar was Regional Co-chair of the Contest with John DeSteese of the PNR . Stewart Benson, Dave Croshere, Steve Skold, Carol Alexander, Mary Moore-Campagna and Dick Foster, gave their time and talent to judge all those entries.So, kudos to all of you listed above for having stepped forward and because of your effort made Contest a winner, gifting all the Convention attendees a super Convention experience.I know there are many of you in RED who are just as capable and would like to give of your time and knowledge. It is easy to do so, just volunteer. It’s that simple.

GO RED, GO RED


PAGE 13

As it was brought out in the last edition of the CallBoard, we’re going to let all of you be the modeler for November, so the readers have a chance to see what you can do with a modeling challenge. All we are asking is for you to use your creative mind to build a small model, to the contest specs, and bring it to the Fall meeting at Monroe Hall on November 17, 2012.

1. The structure can be built in any scale, but must adhere to the basic dimensions listed in #2.

2. The BASE that the structure sits on is to be a maximum size of 60 scale feet by 40 scale feet. The FOOTPRINT of the structure is 20 scale feet by 30 scale feet. For example in HO, the Base would be a maximum of 8-5/16”X 5-9/16” and the Footprint of the structure would measure 2-3/4” X 5-5/8”. The base and the structure can be smaller in any gauge - Do not mix scales in same entry.

3. The structure may have as many doors and windows, etc., wherever you choose to place them. You may also add porches, chimneys, attached lean-to, fences, a fully detailed interior and any other details unique to your building. Figures, animals, vehicles and scenic details can be included.

4. Any type of material such as wood, plastic, resin /hydrocal /metal casting, or even cardboard may be used. In other words use materials that you have used before, but also be adventurous and explore new modeling techniques.

5. Take pictures along the way and possibly the CallBoard will use them to illustrate the winners article in the next CallBoard. Your finished model can stand alone or be a model to put into your own layout.

2012 MODELING CHALLENGE

REDWOOD EMPIRE JANUARY - MARCH 2012

Coming Down the LineAugust 18th - RED Summer Picnic - 10:00-3:00 PM Ron Kaiser’s Westside Farms - See front Cover for detailsSeptember 21-23 - Santa Rosa 4th Annual Train Show. Friday 1:00-7:00PM; Saturday 10:00-7:00PM; Sunday 10:00-6:00PM.Senioors $4.00. Need volunteers. See signup details n this issue.November 10-11, 2012 36th Annual International Railfair- Saturday 10:00 - 5; 00 PM Sunday 10:00 - 4:00 PM Placer County Fairground, 800 All American City Blvd, Roseville, CA.November 17, 2012 - RED Fall Meeting at Monroe Hall Santa Rosa, CA Doors open 12:00 Meeting starts 1:00 PM Show and Tell and Model Building Challenge Review.December 25th Christmas - New toys under the treeWinter meeting for RED at Napa - Date TBA

Documents

REDWOOD EMPIRE DIVISION JULY - SEPTEMBER 2012 CALLBOARD · 2012. 7. 27. · REDWOOD EMPIRE DIVISION JULY - SEPTEMBER 2012 PAGE 2 Empire Staff Roster DIRECTOR Dave Croshere 1331 Enos