June 2024 Newsletter

The Lucin Cutoff is a 102-mile railroad line that runs from Ogden to its namesake in Lucin. The most prominent feature was a twelve-mile-long railroad trestle crossing the Great Salt Lake, used from 1904 until the late 1950s, when it was replaced by an earthen causeway.  More information found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucin_Cutoff

Club Business
Luncheon Dates June 7th and June 21st - Bloomington Country Club at 11:30am.  If you plan to attend, contact Bryan Enarson (bryanlax@aol.com) no later than Wednesday before the luncheon.  Unlike a typical restaurant which welcomes any number of patrons anytime during business hours, the country club arranges tables and chairs specifically for our luncheons.  Again, if you plan to attend, contact Bryan at the email above.

On Saturday June 1st the St. George Children's Museum held its 10th anniversary.  Located in the museum’s Construction Room, the G scale railroad shares space with a new Lincoln Logs building area and a new sit-on Excavator, both contributed by the Southern Utah Home Builder Association.  To augment museum staff with the influx of visitors, Bryan Enarson, Werner Balsterholt, Al Thorne, and Larry Schneider answered questions about the railroad at various times during the event.

From a generous donation of American Flyer equipment the club received several months ago, the layout destined for 2024 Jubilee of Trees, is progressing.  The project is led by American Flyer modeler Richard Schacht and assisted by Bob Mallory, Dan Mangiaracina, Larry Schneider, and Bryan Enarson. Stay tuned as the project develops.  Click HERE and scroll down to the June 2024 Update for a photo of the latest progress.   

Our own Keith Johnson authored “G Scale in the Desert” published in the Bay Area Garden Railway Society’s (BAGRS) Trellis and Trestle.  His article details the challenges he’s encountered while building his railroad in St. George’s unique climate.  Click HERE for the April 2024 issue of Trellis and Trestle.  Keith’s article begins on page 13.

Member Railroads
Two new G scale members are featured this month.  Beginning in January, Ricky Durrant has completed three large track loops and buildings will be coming soon.  He ordered a G scale Union Pacific Big Boy from LGB/Marklin which should arrive sometime this summer. He plans to operate mostly with battery but currently runs by track power.  Retired from Union Pacific, Ricky maintains his steam certification and acted as engineer and fireman on Big Boy's Home Run Express Tour last year.  Click HERE for photos of his railroad.

Ken Mickelson was originally an N scale modeler but since moving to St. George three years ago his G scale layout has grown.  Built in a dog bone configuration, Ken's track plan includes several sidings with a small shed used when trains are parked.  All trains operate under Train Control using track power and manually controlled switches.  Click HERE for photos.

Upcoming Group Meetings – G & HO scales
G-scale: Larry Schneider peggy.larry.schneider@gmail.com
HO scale: David Merrill atsgrr@gmail.com

Upcoming Conventions
Golden Spike Limited Annual RMR Convention
Salt Lake City, June
 
Surfliner 2024 NMRA National Convention
August 4-11, 2024
Westin Long Beach
333 East Ocean Blvd.
Long Beach, CA USA

Modeling News
After over 90 years in business, Kalmbach Publishing Co. was sold to Firecrown Media last month.  Kalmbach’s railroad related magazines are Model Railroader, Classic Trains, Trains, Classic Toy Trains, FineScale Modeler, Garden Railways, among others.  Firecrown Internet Publishing is home of FLYING Magazine, Plane & Pilot, KITPLANES, FreightWaves, Aviation Consumer, AVweb, Aviation Safety, IFR Magazine, Business Air, aircraftforsale.com, AvBuyer.

Railfanning News
Big Boy Flexes Its Muscles with Positive Train Control

Locomotive 4141 used for George H. W. Bush Funeral Train is unveiled in College Station pavilion

 

Until July, All Aboard !!
Lloyd Thomson