September 2022 Newsletter



Member Layouts

As one of the layouts shown at the 32nd National Garden Railway Convention tour held in the Bay Area in 2016, Keith Johnson shares photos of his outdoor railroad HERE.

Member Trips

Larry Schneider tells us more about his summer travels in the Pacific Northwest.  “Peggy and I rode the Coast Starlight train from Olympia-Lacey, WA to Portland, OR on August 6 and returned on the same train on the 7th.  The photos are of the trains we saw and the stations at both ends.”

“Portland has returned to using street cars.    In the early years, the city enjoyed one of the largest electric railroads in the country carrying passengers all over Portland and surrounding areas.  The last cars ran in the 50s when service ended. It's now back as a modern transportation system for the city.  The Portland Streetcar is a system that opened in 2001 and serves areas surrounding downtown Portland. The 3.9-mile NS Line runs from Northwest Portland to the South Waterfront via Downtown and the Pearl District.”

“The Amtrak train was very comfortable, not too fast moving but a nice ride. Unfortunately, our return trip, which was also very nice, was 3 hours late arriving in Portland from Los Angeles.  We did enjoy the 2½ hour train ride.  This same route also has 4 daily trains operated under the Washington/Oregon train service called the Cascade Trains. These operate from Vancouver BC to Eugene OR.”

Click HERE to see photos of their latest railroading adventure.

Club News

The current Lionel Project Railroad (Timber Cove) along with the two previous Jubilee of Trees HO layouts are nearly ready for sale.  Complete details of the layouts and pricing will be posted to our website and Facebook pages soon.  

Now that some club members have made their purchases from the club’s HO, HOn3, and N collection, the remaining inventory spreadsheet was submitted to Trainz, Model Train Market, and All About Trains for liquidation.  Whichever company offers the best price gets the collection. 

Depending on your model railroad’s value, insurance coverage (separate from your home owner coverage) is available from https://americancollectors.com/insurance/collectibles/.  (Probably old news for most members.)

In an effort to grow membership in our NHRA Southern Utah Division, Professor Dave Merrill crafted an announcement to appear in the October issue of the NMRA Magazine.  Currently Jim Harper, Dave Merrill, Professor Dave Merrill, and Lloyd Thomson are members of the Division.

Modeling News

Lionel's New Union Pacific Legacy 2-12-4 - First Run on the Layout https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBmx1TPZykU 

Sundance Central Railroad – An exquisite 1:20.3 Narrow Gauge Layout https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPHASpKgRtQ

Prototype Railroading

Building A Diesel-Electric Locomotive Start to Finish!   https://trainfanatics.com/building-diesel-locomotives-start-to-finish/ 

Do Utah and the West need more passenger trains? These groups make the argument. https://www.ksl.com/article/50460328/do-utah-and-the-west-need-more-passenger-trains-these-groups-make-the-argument 

How GM’s Diesel Electric Locomotives Changed the World https://www.motortrend.com/features/gm-diesel-electromotive-division/ 

What locomotive generators do. https://www.trains.com/trn/railroads/locomotives/what-locomotive-generators-do/ 

A Cab Ride Back in Time - Southern E8A 6901 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfNtVoj2LHY 

Cab Ride with Freight Train over Albula Pass - Part 5 (from Thomas Eckhardt).  “A delightful six-part video of a narrow-gauge cab ride in the Swiss alps. This is the part with plenty of loop backs and spiral tunnels. Although now a secondary line to St. Moritz, replaced by an efficient tunnel at the base of the mountain, it is a UNESCO world heritage site, with still plenty of rail traffic, including the Glacier Express.”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awQO2vJoyx4

Railfanning

Cass Scenic Railroad Locomotive Shops http://hawkinsrails.net/preservation/cass/cass_shops.html 

12 Top Rated Train Trips in USA America https://www.orientrailjourneys.com/blog/12-top-rated-train-trips-in-usa-america/

Until October, All Aboard !!
Lloyd Thomson