Date/Time
Date(s) - Saturday, May 30, 2015
Location
Fairview Village Church
3044 W Germantown Pike
Eagleville, PA 19403
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Categories
The May meet will be held in the “Fireplace Room” at the Fairview Village Church. This promises to be both a romantic and religious model railroading experience, if such a thing is possible.
To access the facility, enter from Germantown Pike at the east drive, which is the one nearer to Rt 363 – N. Park Ave., (rather than the west drive, which is next to the barn where we met last time.) It’s the drive by the sign. Drive around to the back to park. There are signs that say “Guests.” Enter the building under the “port-couche” or covered driveway entry that is labelled “Main Entry.” Enters the lobby and bear to the right towards the cafe. At the hall containing the cafe, go left and pass the cafe. The Fireplace Room is the double door entry just down the hall. With any luck there will be signs posted.
Doors open: 8:30am.
Meeting begins: 9:00am.
Meeting Highlights:
Annual Business Meeting/Elections
Mike Prokop: “Light Up Your Layout with LEDs”
Rob Hinkle: “Researching and Designing a Reading Company Layout”
White Elephant Table – sell your stuff
Display Table/Bring ‘n’ Brag – bring your models and talk about them if you like
Door Prizes
50/50 Raffle – Take a chance and win half the pot
Division shirts and patches for sale
Refreshments: Coffee, tea, donuts, and Philly pretzels
Afternoon open house layout tours
Afternoon Layouts:
1. Earl Paine
Earl’s layout attempts to replicate the Reading Company main line from Conshohocken to Beltline Junction above Reading, PA. The PRR is also represented on a separate 150′ loop which interchanges with the Reading at Birdsboro. The layout is a triple deck partial mushroom design, which fills 3/4ths of his 38′ x 42′ basement. It was started in 2003 as a 30-year retirement project and is “on schedule” at year 12. The layout has Abrams Yard and the Norristown area as a major operational feature, and is set in 1974 using first and second generation locomotives. The completed linear main line is loop-to-loop and consists of over 500 feet of multiple track with continuous running show loops built in for simultaneous display of multiple trains. Scenery and operational planning are underway. Scenery is approximately 20% complete. DCC control using JMRI “layout editor” and wireless panels are in the process of being installed.
2. Jerry Powell
Jerry’s freelance layout modeling the Reading and Pennsy is located in his 28′ x 40′ basement. It is a loop-to-loop design with 40′ radius curves so he can run large steam equipment. His scenery is in a near complete state. Jerry said he has about ten scale miles of mainline and a branch line 2 1/2 scale miles long. There is an interchange yard for exchange of traffic between the two railroads. There are many trees and over a hundred buildings. The layout has been converted to DCC from its original construction as a DC layout.
3. Schuylkill Valley Model Railroad Club
The Schuylkill Valley Model Railroad Club started in 1968, and held its first open house in 1975 and then every year thereafter. The Schuylkill Valley Railroad has a prototypical theme, being modeled after the Reading’s main line from Philadelphia to Reading with many of the towns along that route. There are several points of animation along the route which are activated by pushing a button on the fascia, including an operating backhoe at an excavation site, an oil rig pumping, fire engines responding to a fire, and a carnival with rides. The railroad is a point to point design. The scenery is nearly completed.
Layout maps and directions will be available at the meet.
Look for more meet details and directions to the church in the April issue of The Dispatcher.
All NMRA members welcome! Feel free to bring a guest you think might be interested in joining. Free, 6-month, introductory membership applications will be available.
