Model Railroading
Derry Fun Night
April 5, 2019
Seacoast Division of the National Model Railroad Association is running their Derry Fun Night program for 2019.
The program is held the second Friday night of each month, 7:00-9:00pm, at the Marion Garish Community Center, 39 West Broadway, Derry, NH.
For our April program, we’ll take a look at how to build a prototypical grade crossing with operating gates and lights on your model railroad.
The prototype for this project is a B&M crossing on Granite Street in Manchester, New Hampshire.
We’ll take a look at the problem the railroad had to solve then we’ll build a model of it using some inexpensive circuitry, an Arduino computer module, and a pair of NJ International crossing gates.
You’ll learn a little bit about simple circuit design and some basic programming that brings this project to life! And you’ll be able to apply what you learn in this presentation to other automation projects on your railroad!
The total cost for this project as you will see is under $100 and the design is fairly universal so if you don’t need a gate but just want the signals, the same circuit will work.
We will set up a swap table so bring anything that you would want to give away, sell or swap. Remember, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.
If you are interested in model trains and would like to join other like-minded hobbyists from beginner to expert for a fun evening program come to Derry Fun Night the second Friday of each month.
For additional information go to the Division’s website at seacoastnmra.org/calendar.
May- TBD
June- One Square foot module
Early Spring President's Message
Hello Model Railroaders!
I hope that as many of you as possible have been diligently working on your own model railroads this Winter, and that much progress has been made. On my own layout, I am just about ready to begin laying down some track. This is all very good, but I have some research and then decisions to make, before I can begin dealing with the track. So, Spring will be here in just a few more days and I have more information to pass on to all of you.
But first, I just wanted to let each of you know that Chip Faulter was released from the hospital, yesterday, following successful surgery for removal of a tumor on his pancreas. He is at home resting and recuperating from his surgery. This was a difficult but very successful operation. He has about a 10 inch incision that extends from the middle of his chest down towards the right side of his waist, with approximately 50 staples holding it all together. It’s very painful for him to move. The surgeon said the tumor was able to be removed cleanly and there were no rough edges. There is no evidence that the cancer had spread to any other tissue or part of his body. Aside from the temporary pain, this is extremely good news! There is a possibility of follow on chemo-therapy that has yet to be decided. He has some dietary restrictions, but will slowly get back to eating normal food. Chip would like to rest up and try to relax as much as possible for the remainder of this week. I am sure he will try to answer any emails or text messages to the best of his ability.
Regarding the Model Train stuff, this is what I have for you:
Division Secretary
Our Seacoast Division is still in need of a Division Secretary. We need your help. There has to be someone out there that is willing to become our Division Secretary. I am looking for someone who is willing to spend a little extra time doing a very valuable service for all of us. We simply can’t function without someone stepping up and doing this. I have included the description of the duties of the Secretary from our Division By-Laws, below:
"The Secretary will maintain the Division's files and records, take minutes at Board Meetings and Meetings of Members (Annual or Special) and see that Division events and activities are publicized. At the request of the President, or in the absence of the President, the Secretary shall provide notices of meetings consistent with the provision of these Bylaws. The Secretary shall distribute copies of the unaccepted minutes of all Annual and Special Meetings of the Members and Board meetings to the Directors, Officers, Division webmaster and newsletter editor within 30 days following each meeting, or if sooner, at least five days prior to the next Board Meeting or Meeting of the Members. The Secretary shall also perform all of the duties and assume all of the power normally associated with such an office not in violation of or inconsistent with these Bylaws and other recognized lawful authorities, including the NMRA.”
Please note that there is no requirement to be on the Board of Directors for this assignment. I am hoping that one of you will be willing to volunteer to take on these responsibilities and duties. Please consider getting a bit more involved with the Division. We have a very vibrant and active Division and we could use your help with this assignment. If you have any interest and you think you can do this, please contact me. Thank you.
Maine Activities Coordinator
We are still without a new Maine Activities Coordinator. It is not possible for me to continue as your President and also perform the duties of the Maine Activities Coordinator. There is simply not enough time in the day for me to perform both jobs. We have a wonderful organization, but it depends on members like you to step up and assume some responsibility. This position requires the coordinator to organize both of the Division quarterly events that take place in the State of Maine. This involves soliciting presenters/clinicians,
I can tell you from personal experience, that this position is a great way to get to know people in the organization. I have met some wonderful model railroaders doing this job and have been able to better myself and my modeling because of it. It is not necessary to be a member of the Board of Directors, to have this position. I can promise you that you will have plenty of help if you choose to volunteer to do this. Please consider getting involved. Thank you.
2019 Summer Event Clinics
Your Division is in need of clinicians who are willing to do presentations for our upcoming 2019 Summer Event, scheduled for Saturday, July 20, 2019. As in the past, we like to have clinics that show our members how to improve their modeling efforts. If you have an area of expertise and are willing to share your knowledge with the members, please contact me as soon as possible, so I can put you on our schedule for the day. We have a lot of very talented modelers in our Division and we greatly appreciate it when you can share this knowledge with us. Thanks very much!
2019 NER-NMRA Convention
Registration is now open for the 2019 NER Convention “Empire Junction,” to be held in Syracuse, New York from September 19-22, 2019. This convention is hosted by the Central New York Division. We would love to have as many Seacoast members as possible attend the convention. You can get all the details by going on line to the CNY convention website www.empirejunction.org
2019 NMRA Convention, Salt Lake City
Registration is also open for the annual NMRA Convention, being held in Salt Lake City, Utah from July 7 to July 13, 2019. Please consider attending the convention. The NMRA has never had a convention in Salt Lake City, before. So this should be a good one. You can get all the information by going to www.nmra2019slc.org.
2019 Spring Event
Our Seacoast Division 2019 Spring Event will be held on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at the Old Town Hall in Newington, New Hampshire. The Old Town Hall is located at 336 Nimble Hill Rd. in Newington, NH. A Board of Directors meeting will commence at 0830 followed by the Division Event, which starts at 1000. We have 3 great clinics for you to enjoy along with the customary Show & Tell & Ask, plus the raffle and the “for sale” table. You will have to bring your own lunch if you desire. We will have 2 layouts that will be open for touring after the event concludes at around 1400. The first meeting notice was sent out last week and I hope you have all marked your calendars appropriately and are planning to attend. Please come join us for some fun!
Best regards,
Tage Erickson
President
Seacoast Division, NER-NMRA
The Empire Junction 2019 NER Convention is in Syracuse, NY hosted by the Central New York Division. The Convention will be at the Liverpool Holiday Inn, site of prior conventions in 2008 and 2012. Conveniently located at NYS Thruway exit 37, this is a modern, full-service hotel with on-site restaurant and lounge, and indoor pool. Room rate for single or double occupancy is only $115.00 per night. Note that this rate is in effect Wednesday night through Sunday night should you wish to extend your stay and enjoy more of what Central New York in the Fall has to offer.
Empire Junction takes its name from the fact that Syracuse is the crossroads of New York State. In the 1830’s the Oswego Canal met the Erie Canal in downtown Syracuse, connecting Lake Ontario and Lake Erie with the Hudson River. Later, the New York Central, the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western, the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg, the West Shore, and the O & W all passed through Central New York. New York Central and DL&W had extensive yard and engine service facilities. Until 1938 the Central ran down Washington Street through the center of the city. Today CSX, the Susquehanna, and Fingerlakes Railway intersect here, as do Interstate 90 and 81. Train- watching sites abound here, with plenty of mixed freight, intermodal and Amtrak trains.
Digital University features the Seacoast Division's Erich Whitney:
http://www.empirejunction.org/
Seacoast Division Winter Event Report
January 6, 2019
The Seacoast Division Winter Event was held on January 5, 2019 at the Westbrook Community Center in the Spruce Room, 426 Bridge St., Westbrook, ME. The Seacoast Division would like to thank Chuck Hastings and Tage Erickson for providing the venue. This was the first time the Seacoast Division held a meeting at the Westbrook Community Center. The Spruce room was the ideal size for the event and the community center staff was friendly and very responsive to our requests for additional tables, projection screen, etc. Overall a great location for the Winter Event
The “regular” Board of Directors Meeting was held at 8:30. Secretary Rick Mills submitted a separate report for that meeting.
Prior to the general meeting Chuck Hastings and several members of the Southern Maine Model Railroad Club set up a small modular layout in the back of the room. Meeting attendees were able to view and operate the layout during lunch and after the meeting. Thank you SMMRC for supporting the Seacoast Division and the Winter Event.
Glenn Mitchell kicked off the Event at 10:00 AM. 39 people attended and 37 were Seacoast Division members. The number of new attendees was not determined. After welcoming everyone and giving opening remarks, he introduced President Tage Erickson.
Tage reported that he had recently visited with Chip Faulter and that Chip’s health continues to improve. We all wish Chip the best as he recovers.
Tage then called the Annual Meeting to order. It was determined that the 37 Seacoast Division members in attendance constituted a quorum. (Ten percent of the 183 Seacoast members are required for a quorum.) He briefly reviewed his 2018 President’s Message dated December 30, 2018 that had been sent to all members prior to the meeting. Treasurer Dave Kotsonis and Membership Chairman Lou Champagne gave brief financial and membership reports respectively. Tage continued on and discussed the process for the election of Directors by the membership. The election of 3 Directors began with the request for nominations from the floor. There were no nominations from the floor. The nomination committee, led by Bruce Robinson, had found three candidates: incumbent director Tage Erickson and two new candidates Dave Kotsonis and Mike Pedersen. All three candidates were unanimously elected by the members present. Congratulations to Tage, Dave, and Mike
Next, Larry Cannon, Maine AP Chairman, presented the Model Railroad Engineer - Civil AP Award to John McHugh (not in attendance) and Master Builder - Structures AP Award to Paul Lessard. We congratulate John and Paul for their hard work and dedication. Great Job!
The first presentation was by Chuck Hastings and was titled Modelling the Paper Industry. Chuck, who works in the paper industry, presented several overhead photos of several New England paper mill complexes of different sizes. He used the photos to explain how paper is made. The Pulp Mill converts pulp wood to pulp. Paper Mill converts pulp into finished paper. Some integrated Paper Mill Complexes contain both the Pulp Mill and the Paper Mill along with other supporting functions such as power plants. Some smaller non-integrated mills may only preform one of the processes. Chuck also described what types of rail cars are used by the various mill and support functions. Chucks outstanding presentation hit the mark with many Seacoast members who model New England railroads which all serviced many paper mills. Chuck also provided a copy of his presentation for posting on the Seacoast Division website.
Dave Delorey was the second presenter. Dave brought in a table top demonstration hardware which used a Smartphone to talk to a Raspberry Pi 3 computer which controlled two locomotives on the test tracks. This low cost approach to DCC control offers an easy way to expand the number of operators on a layout since almost everyone has a smart phone. Dave also described how the Smartphone operation offers a way of interesting younger people in model railroad operation. Great job Dave.
The third and last presenter was Jack Lutz. Jack’s “into the Woods” presentation was both informative and humorous. Jack taught the audience about the trees of New England and how we can correctly add tree detail to our layouts. He described which tree species grew here, how tall various species grew, and how the appearance of the trees (where the leaves or needles showed) varied with location and environment. Everyone had a great time at this presentation – thanks Jack. Jack also provided a copy of his presentation for the Seacoast Division website.
Rick Mills ran the “Show, Tell and Ask” part of the Event. Rich Breton described the work he is doing to help catalog Neil Falby’s extra motive power and rolling stock and provided a list of items for sale. Paul Lessard brought in a couple of heavily weathered cars that looked incredibly realistic. Paul taught us all a new technique – rust and weathering decals – applied to his covered hopper. Larry Cannon showed painting and weather techniques for small items which can be used as car loads or scenery details. Thanks to all for participating in the Show, Tell, and Ask.
Finally, closing remarks included thanks and Certificates of Appreciation for Chuck Hastings, Dave Delorey, Jack Lutz and the SMMRRC crew.
We would like to thank Stan Jordan for brining in the coffee and donut holes. Thanks Stan – everyone appreciated it.
During the event a table of model railroad sale items were available for purchase by members and Larry Cannon held the raffle of 5 items.
The Fall Event was adjourned around 1:30
Following the Event, a Supplemental Board of Directors Meeting was held. Tage Erickson was elected President of the Seacoast Division and Glenn Mitchell was elected Vice President of the Seacoast Division
Upcoming events are:
Seacoast Division Spring Event – April 6, 2019
Newington Old Town Hall
336 Nimble Hill Rd., Newington NH
Seacoast Division Summer Event –TBD, 2019
Great Falls Model Railroad Club
144 Mill St., Auburn, ME
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Following the conclusion of the Fall Event, Rob Selberg and Lou Champagne held open houses for their layouts. Rob and Lou – thank you for supporting the Seacoast Division.
Respectfully Submitted,
Glenn Mitchell
Vice President, Director, and NH Event Coordinator
