Skip to — Geoff Bunza — Bill Decker — Eric Gagnon — Rob Kirkham — Matthieu Lachance — Dave Marecek — Tim Schwartz — Chris Van der Heide —
An Operating Steam Throttle
Geoff Bunza
Model railroaders have often imagined themselves in the cab of their favorite steam locomotive driving a train through their layout. This clinic describes a project enabling a modeler to take another step in that direction We will review the construction of an operating steam locomotive throttle which connects directly to a JMRI WiFi server, or a DCC-EX WiFi server, or any DCC WiFi server that supports the JMRI WiFi protocol.
Model railroaders have often imagined themselves in the cab of their favorite steam locomotive driving a train through their layout. This clinic describes a project enabling a modeler to take another step in that direction We will review the construction of an operating steam locomotive throttle which connects directly to a JMRI WiFi server, or a DCC-EX WiFi server, or any DCC WiFi server that supports the JMRI WiFi protocol.
Geoff Bunza started as a Model Railroader when he received a Mantua train set for Christmas, at age 6. He fed his interests through college becoming a member of the Tech Model Railroad Club (TMRC) at MIT while getting his doctorate and three other degrees in Electrical Engineering. He models the New York Central Railroad, and Maine narrow gauge in HOn30. Scale model animation in HO is one of his great interests. Geoff has authored numerous articles on animation for Model Railroad Hobbyist, the New York Central System Historical Society Modeler Magazine, and Railroad Model Craftsman, and The HO Collector. He has presented clinics for the NMRA at Division, Regional and National meets, the RMMBC Meet, and the National Narrow Gauge Conventions. He is blessed with his wife, Lin, in marriage for 44 years and their two terrific sons. He is a life member of the NMRA and holds an Extra Class amateur radio license.
Fleshing Out Eugene and Springfield on the SP Cascade Line
Bill Decker
City and industrial development along the West Coast used different architecture and construction materials than typically represented by injection molded structure kits. Efficiently capturing the different appearance uses various techniques. Also discussed are modelling information sources.
Bill was bitten by the railroad bug early in life. Retirement provided time, resources and a return to his native Oregon finding him filling a large basement with his rendition of the SP Cascade Line. His focuses on both prototype modelling and railroad operations requires a constant balancing act.
Blog! Paper! Scribblers! Kingston’s Hanley Spur Layout Development
Eric Gagnon
It all happened at once. A desire to recreate CN and CP operations in HO scale on my home layout led to archival research. Gathering text, data and photos and organizing them on my Kingston’s Hanley Spur blog resulted in two published books. I’ll describe how I researched structures and vehicles; learned what went where, when and why; found prototype car and locomotive numbers, and created a layout that feels like I’m back in the 70’s as I switch local industries. In my basement!
Eric Gagnon is a life-long model railroader and railfan, born in Montreal and living in Kingston from the age of five. He launched his Canadian railway blog ‘Trackside Treasure’ in 2008, and has created eight books: four on VIA Rail Canada, two on Western Canadian Trains & Grains, and now two on Kingston’s industrial waterfront. After modelling Winnipeg, Vancouver, then Vermont, Eric brought his modelling ‘home’ in 2018, modelling Kingston, circa 1970. Eric is married, with two grown children and three grandchildren, now retired after a 33-year career as a medical laboratory technologist.
Shadow of the Dominion Car: the CPR’s boxcar fleet 1890-1930, a high speed review
Rob Kirkham
The CPR contributed some of the classic freight cars of the first half of the 20th century, including the “Dominion” boxcar & the steel “minibox”. This presentation will provide an overview of the rest of the CPR boxcar fleet in that era.
The published articles of Paul Clegg, Stafford Swain, Russ Pinchbeck, Jim Little, Roger Chrysler, Joth McConathy and many others have created an invaluable baseline for those wanting to understand the CPR freight car fleet. In the ½ hour set aside for this clinic, we will attempt a very quick review of the remainder of the fleet up to the start of the Great Depression. The photo presentation will start in the 1890s, when the CPR house car fleet was a mix of small cars, built almost entirely of wood with iron fittings including truss rods. By the end of the presentation, we will look at many of the different cars operated by the railway, showing the transition from wood to steel; from smaller and lighter capacity cars to larger, stronger and higher capacity cars. Photographs include many shots collected from various archives, as well as photos of preserved equipment across Canada.
Modelling Pre-Nationalization Railways in Canada? Can do!
Matthieu Lachance
I’ve always been fascinated by the wide variety of Canadian railways that went on to create the future Canadian National in 1919. Many people would talk about them, but models of that era where almost inexistent. Grand Trunk was barely touched by a few brave souls but Intercolonial, Canadian Northern, National Transcontinental and the smaller players were left almost untouched. Most of dreamed looking at old CDS Lettering old time dry transfers, but rarely committed.
As a personal challenge, I’ve decided to create a small switching layout based on Southern Quebec in the 1910s late last year. The process involved kitbashing locomotives, 3D printing old time cars, creating new decals for obscure roads and pushing the limit with British scenery techniques. After a few months, I’ve been impressed by the interest of fellow modellers in reviving Canadian old time railways in a realistic yet pragmatic fashion. Nothing beats the satisfaction of seeing in full color a Grand Trunk caboose or a Quebec Railway Light & Power boxcar as they existed more than a century ago.
Matthieu Lachance is a practicing architect from Quebec City and has been a modeller for over 35 years with a focus on CN and Charlevoix Railway. Since 2010, he maintains a railway modelling blog called Hedley-Junction where he shares is thoughts and work from a designer perspective.
What I learned modelling the Trail Smelter and applying TT&TO for the CPR Yards in 1901
Dave Marecek
The video will describe the smelter as modelled following the smelting process for both Copper and Lead and what I learned about modelling smelters. The video will also describe the CPR train operations that supported the smelter and what I learned about 1901 TT&TO. I have modeled the full smelter in 1 scale virtually as it existed in 1901 using published mining reference material to guide in the modelling and operational processing of raw materials. I will share what I learned about modelling smelters in the video. I have modelled the CPR yards as laid out in Columbia and Western track diagrams from 1900. Time Table and Train Operations use a combination of a 1900 and 1906 CPR Employee Time Tables for scheduling and rules. I will share what I learned about early 1900 TT&TO and how I applied them to the smelter operations.
See Dave’s YouTube video.
Dave has been a modeller since childhood and has built O,HO,N and G scale layouts. Selective compression has always been his pet peeve and why he now models in Virtual scale where 1:1 scale modelling is possible for a very low cost with the comfort of a good chair. Dave models based on historical prototype information of a specified year and operates following TT&TO from Employee Time tables.
Laser Engraver – The Model Railroaders New Tool?
Tim Schwartz
From a few hundred dollars to multiple thousand-dollars, Laser engraver – cutters are becoming more affordable and thus more popular to the hobbyist. Considering a non-business use for the laser, and just model railroading, we will discuss pros and cons are for investing in a laser cutter to the average model railroader.
Tim is a NMRA member and has been playing with trains and model railroading in HO since childhood. He grew up in Transcona where CNR was to the south and CPR to the north of his house, so railways were part of his everyday life. As a geologist, he spent much of his career in Northern Canada and his model railroad is biased to a mining theme. Having interpreted ore deposits in 3D for his career, he brought that knowledge into 3D design and selling through Shapeways.com as Schist Lake Models. Recently he invested in a laser engraver – cutter and has been designing HO scale buildings based on old CNR designs.
Modeling Wrapped Lumber
Chris Van der Heide
You will learn how packaged lumber is loaded and secured on different types of railway flatcars and how to model packaged lumber using wood blocks and graphics printed on paper.
Into trains from a young age, Chris received his first train set as a child and never looked back. Currently he models and blogs about the Algoma Central Railway in HO scale, and has been a long time member of the Waterloo Region Model Railway Club in Ontario.