March 2023 Newsletter
You’d never know it from this month’s cover photo from Tim Fitch but Spring officially begins in about three weeks. On the other hand, considering the long-standing drought effecting much of Utah and the Southwest, we all welcome the extra rain and snow the storms are bringing our parched region. And according to the weather folks, there’s another storm coming this week. Later in this newsletter you’ll find links to snowy layout photos from Tim, Larry Schneider, and Keith Johnson.
Club News
A few weeks ago, Larry Schneider, Werner Balsterholt, Keith Johnson, and Bryan Enarson updated the Children’s Museum layout as Larry tells us here. “We removed the 4ft diameter turns and replaced them with 5ft diameter turns. Initially anticipated this to be a 3-hour job but actually took just under 5 hours. Turns out, when you have really great installation it is hard to take apart and then put back together. Once done ran several tests. We had to remove about 10 Inches of track from the long runs and about 5 inches from the short sides to accommodate the new turn radius. The Loco is still under repair looking for a connecting rod. Once we have it I will return the engine and do further tests but this should resolve the issue we have had with the engines breaking parts on the tight curves.”
Luncheon Dates
March 3rd and March 17th - Bloomington Country Club at 11:30am. If you plan to attend, contact Bryan Enarson (bryanlax@aol.com) no later than March 1st and/or March 15th.
Member Layouts
Ron Smith tells us about his G scale layout at his new home in Payson, Arizona. “Yesterday I completed my front yard landscaping project to accommodate a train. The 4 pictures tell the story. In the first view, you'll see my partially completed project with 3 holes dug for plants. In the next view, you'll see the plants. In the final two views, you'll see the completed layout with the addition or more rocks. Elk have been crossing my yard from the east to the west. The east side now has a lot of rocks. Elk don't like walking on rough, rocky surfaces. I'm hoping this will deter them. Only time will tell.
As with Sunriver, I'm still
collecting and planting rocks. My next
project is much bigger. I'm going to
order 4 cubic yards of dirt to raise the level of my backyard. Having removed my deck for greater fire
protection, my plan is to substitute the wood deck with flagstone, just as Dan
of Precision Landscaping did in my back yard.
I'll then construct a backyard train layout around my decking. Lots of work here.
Probably won't begin until March. For photos, click HERE
and scroll down to March 2023 Update.
Dick & Laurie Saunders update us on the changes they’ve made to their G scale layout. “We made some improvements to the depot and renamed our town Badgerton. I modified some LGB coal cars to better match our era with wood sides and rusty metal frames.” To see the photos, click HERE and scroll down to March 2023 Update.
Photos of Keith Johnson’s layout dusted with snow are HERE. Scroll down to the March 2023 Update.
Photos of Larry Schneider’s layout dusted with snow are HERE. Scroll down to the March 2023 Update.
Photos of Tim Fitch’s layout showing quite a bit more snow accumulation are HERE. Scroll down to the March 2023 Update.
Modeling News
Packing up a model train layout - https://www.trains.com/mrr/how-to/expert-tips/packing-up-a-model-train-layout/
G Scale Track Cleaning - https://www.trains.com/grw/how-to/stand-up-while-cleaning-your-gauge-1-track/
Riding the rails with the Lionel Hobo Sound Boxcar - https://www.trains.com/ctt/news-reviews/reviews/riding-the-rails-with-the-lionel-hobo-sound-boxcar/
The last run at Chuck’s amazing O gauge layout! - The UP & PRR Railroad - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uecHhYZndw
Upcoming Train Shows
Prototypes and Railfanning
Defect Detectors Used on U.S. Railroads - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defect_detector
And last, a bit of railroad humor courtesy of Tom Lantry can be found HERE.