Date/Time
Date(s) - Saturday, April 9, 2016
9:00 AM
Location
Elkins Park Train Station
7876 Spring Ave.
Elkins Park, PA 19027
Categories
Our early spring meet returns to the Elkins Park Train Station, on April 9, 2016. Located on the SEPTIC Warminster and West Trenton lines (historically the North Penn Branch of the Reading Company), the station building itself has been unused by SEPTIC for over ten years but the trains still stop there. The schedule can be found on the SEPTIC website at: http://septa.org/schedules/rail/index.html.
For more about the Elkins Park Train Station, check out the website at http://www.elkinscentral.com/.
Parking may be a little challenging. The folks at the Elkins Park Train Station Renovation Project have told is that there is plenty of street parking and an adjacent SEPTA parking lot on the opposite side of the tracks which is very inexpensive, but not free. It could also be crowded. If you can car pool or take the train, it is recommended. Last time it rained pretty heavily; hopefully we’ll get better weather this time.
The address for your GPS is: Spring and Park Avenues, Elkins Park East, Elkins Park, PA 19027. But why drive when you can take the train!!
Clinics:
Tunnel Liners: A Discussion on Design, Material Selection, and Techniques
Tunnels have always held an exciting place on our model railroads. We love to scenic our mountains and weather our tunnel portals…but few of us think of the subterranean modeling possibilities. With the advent of digital cameras and cell phones, we can instantly view any nook and cranny of our layout without the need to develop film. COFC (Camera On Flat Car) traffic is a fact of life in a modern layouts. This clinic will share a number of ideas and techniques to prevent visiting COFC traffic from exposing every naked 2×4 in your tunnels.
Turnout Controls: An Examination of Manual, Electric, and DCC Control Methodologies
How many ways can you control a turnout? Manual control is more than physically touching the throwbar; there are ground throws and there are systems of control rods. Electrical control is more than just twin coil and the Tortoise; there are a number of RC servo options as well. And if you are thinking of some sort of signaling system and DCC, don’t overlook the need of some kind of feedback to determine switch position on your JMRI control panel. This clinic will provide an overview of all the turnout control technologies as well as a list price per turnout comparison.
About the Clinicians:
Barry Rosier is an accomplished model railroader who has a passion for sharing this great hobby with everyone. Barry shares his love of trains with the world as the webmaster for the Strasburg Model Railroad Club and a producer of the YouTube Model Builders Shows. He primarily models HO and American Flier S-scale. He is currently working on restoring American Flyer trains collected during his boyhood, as well as creating a 1950s transition era layout featuring the PRR and LV. Barry is also actively researching Sn2 as his future primary gauge/scale. (The narrow gauge bug is contagious.)
Michael Dettinger is a model railroader with a passion for oddities, DCC, and animation. Mike has modeled Compressed (Shorty B-Train) Japanese N Scale (1/150), HOn30, On18, HOn3, HO, On30, and O-27/31. His animation projects include DCC control to the Tyco Operating Box Car, the Bachmann Action Caboose, the Lionel 0805 Nuclear Waste Car, and the Lionel 0834 Lighted Poultry Car. If it is obscure, Mike will build it and/or put a decoder in it. Mike is also a contributor on the “YouTube Model Builders Monthly Tech Show with Barry and Mike.”
Accompanying these fine clinics will be the usual fare: Model display table, white elephant table, 50/50 raffle, door prizes, and coffee, donuts and Philly pretzels. Two clubs and one home layout will be open in the afternoon. Come and enjoy the camaraderie. Hope to see you there!
