The Express
Newsletter of the Tinplate Trackers, Austin, Texas
January/February 2002 – 33rd Edition
A newsletter will be sent out every two months to the current members, past members, and visitors of the club. Please contact Steve Wise at 512-444-3310 or E-Mail him at swise@aoot.com if you have any information you would like to have included in future newsletters. All comments/submissions welcome!
From The Editor
Hey again!
Over the last two months we’ve had a few workdays and a few events to keep us all busy. We’ve made some major bug fixes to our modules and begun work on more improvements.
Keep up the great work!
Stevo.
PAST
CLUB EVENTS
Club Workday - January 25th and 26th, 2002
We had a very productive work session in January at the BCE clubhouse. Here are some of the things that were accomplished:
· The 072 switches were ground down to be smoother.
· Our voltage drop problem was debugged. The problem ended up being faulty wiring in a module and this was fixed.
· The crossovers were replaced on the switch modules and the alignment improved. It seems the alignment was creating most of the problems.
· Siding alignments were adjusted.
· Track E was added to the third corner module.
· Plugs were cleaned
· Power was tested around the layout. With just the wires, we are now showing only a 1volt loss around a 5x5 layout without jumper and completion of the loop. When we set up we should not even see this.
· Several track problems were addressed: replaced track, solder joints, adjust pins, adjust alignment
· Fixed wiring in some modules
· Rebuilt one corner so legs can be fastened.
· Refastened deck to frame on another corner.
· Fix trailer door
· Made new legs. We did not have enough to set up all of the modules. If you have not made legs for your modules, please do and bring any you have at home.
Thanks to everyone who attended and pitched in!
SAMRA
Train Show – San Antonio – February 2nd, 2002
The general consensus is that the SAMRA show went very well! The time the club spent at the workday working on modules really paid off. There were no major power drops and our trains ran very smoothly. Also, track alignment was good, thanks in part to Randall and Ryan who leveled the layout after we had set it up.
We had a couple of operating accidents, but that always happens. A couple of times an operator was distracted when running two trains on the same track and one train rear-ended the other. Once someone was bringing a train onto a siding and dialed the wrong track number on the CAB-1 so the train overshot the end of the siding and collided with the train waiting to exit a siding. Once we somehow got two trains switching places to get out of synch so one went into reverse when one went into forward, both on the mainline at opposite ends of the siding. Eventually, we got one train on the siding, where it was controlled independently.
Pictures of the event are on-line at our web site, http://www.trainweb.org/ttat, under the “Photo Album” section. Check it out!
Overall, there were very few operating problems and everyone had fun. Thanks to all of you who participated.
Board Meeting –
February 12th, 2002
The meeting was held at 11:30am at the Fuddruckers on IH-35 and St. Johns. Those in attendance were: Buddy Burk, Ron Fiebelkorn, Ira Schneider, and Scott Smiley. The detailed minutes for this meeting are posted on our web site in the “Members Area”. Check there for details about the meeting.
The next meeting will be held March 19, 11:30 at Fuddruckers, IH-35 and St. Johns. Feel free to contact one of the board members if there is anything you want added to the next agenda.
Club
Workday – February 23rd, 2002
Saturday, Feb 23rd, some of the club members met at Ed Weltens’ house for a workday. The task at hand: build 2 new corner modules. In attendance were Ed, Bob, Steve, and Adrian. R.J. Casey, a prospective member, and his friend, Jay, also showed up to look at Ed’s layout, talk trains, and lend a hand. The new corners were built and painted. They are club green and everything is done except the track and wiring. With the completion of these two corner modules, the club will own 4 corners.
Thanks to all who attended! And a special thanks to Ed for doing all the legwork on this project (and all the geometry J).
GATS
– San Antonio – March 2nd & 3rd, 2002
The show went great. We had a terrific layout. For those of you who missed it, we had a 6x3 layout. It included Ed's bridge module and Scott's accessory modules. We also had several new scenery modules: Scott's city scenes and two accessory modules containing Ira's Ferris Wheel, Carousel, Aquarium, and Operating Drive-In Diner and Adrian's Bus Terminal and Grocery Store.
Pictures will be forthcoming! Stay tuned to the website…
We placed 4th in the layout competition. After adding the fee paid to us for doing 4 workshops, we got a check for $140 from GATS. I believe this more than covers our club's expenses of traveling to the show.
Jon Weinstein came buy on Sat and commented on how much the layout had improved in appearance and excitement. A comment like that from Jon carries a lot of credibility.
Thanks to all who helped make this a successful show for TTAT!
FUTURE CLUB EVENTS
Club Fun Run – BCE
Clubhouse - March 15th /16th, 2002
We are still pending on this event. Watch the email for details and whether we actually have it. We’re still trying to drum up enough interest to set at the BCE clubhouse, do some maintenance, and run a few trains.
Model Railroad
Jamboree - New Braunfels – April 20th, 2002
We are committed for the New Braunfels show on April 20. Stay tuned for more info as this date approaches. Check out http://www.nbhrmsmuseum.org/ for information on the Jamboree and its sponsors, the New Braunfels Historic Railroad and Modelers Society.
Note: we have canceled the BCE fun run on the following weekend.
2002 Club Event Schedule
Please submit comments as well as news about any other prospective events to the TTAT members email reflector, ttat-members@aoot.com.
|
|
DATE |
SHOW |
PLACE |
STATUS |
|
|
Jan 25/26 |
Club Workday |
Branch Creek Clubhouse |
Confirmed |
|
|
Feb 2 |
SAMRA Train Show |
Live Oak |
Confirmed |
|
|
Mar 2/3 |
GATS |
Live Oak |
Confirmed |
|
|
Mar 15/16 |
Club Fun Run |
Branch Creek Clubhouse |
Confirmed |
|
|
Apr 20 |
Model RR Jamboree |
New Braunfels |
Confirmed |
|
|
Apr 26/27 |
Club Fun Run |
Branch Creek Clubhouse |
Canceled |
|
|
May 17/18
|
Club Fun
Run |
Branch
Creek Clubhouse |
Confirmed |
|
|
June 1 |
Railfair |
San
Angelo |
Pending |
|
|
July
12/13 |
Club Fun
Run |
Branch
Creek Clubhouse |
Confirmed |
|
|
Aug 17 |
Train Show |
New Braunfels |
Pending |
|
|
Aug 24/25 |
Rail Fair |
Burnet |
Pending |
|
|
Sep 21/22 |
Temple
Train Show |
Temple |
Pending |
|
|
Sep/Oct TBD |
Annual Club Meeting |
Luby’s Cafeteria |
Pending |
|
|
Oct 5/6 |
AMRE
Train Show |
Live Oak |
Pending |
|
|
Oct 25-27 |
Club Fun Run |
Branch Creek Clubhouse |
Pending |
|
|
Oct 26/27 |
Czhilispiel |
Flatonia |
Pending |
|
|
Oct 26 |
Austin Jamboree |
Round Rock |
Pending |
|
|
Nov
30/Dec 1 |
GATS |
Fort
Worth |
Pending |
|
|
Dec 6/7 |
Club Fun Run |
Branch Creek Clubhouse |
Pending |
OTHER NEWS
2002 Dues Are Due!
Just a reminder that if you haven't paid your 2002 club dues yet you can send your $20.00 to:
Joe Maverick
211 Oak Valley Drive
Wimberly, TX. 78676
Or to:
Ron Fiebelkorn
2304 Fuente Cove
Austin, Texas 78745
Or give the money to one of the board members at our next event.
Tinplate Trackers Year In Review - 2001
Ron has kindly created a 2001 Year In Review document reviewing all that we accomplished in 2001. It is on-line under the “Club Articles” section of our web site, http://www.trainweb.org/ttat. Thanks for doing this Ron!
Texas State Railroad Historical Park Excursion
HOT G-Gauge club is planning an excursion to the Texas State RR Historical Park on the weekend of April 27-28. They invite any TTAT members and friends who are interested to join them!
The itinerary goes something like this:
- Sat AM: travel to Rusk individually.
- Sat 1pm: tour all train facilities at Rusk. This is a private tour at no cost that will go into as much detail as group wants. This means shops, engines, whatever they have is supposed available to us on this tour.
- Sat eve: group dinner...optional
- Sun 11-3: Train to Palestine and back
- Sun late afternoon: return to Austin.
Check out http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/railroad/railroad.htm for more information on the park, its history, and the trains.
The train ride fee is $15 round trip for adults, $9 for children age 9-12. HOTG is looking into getting group rates for
this, and making group reservations.
Motel: Weston Inn & Suites. Locally
owned...$49-$89 (Queen to Suite with rates
in between). You must book the motel on
your own. If you plan to go, they are
advising that you book your room ASAP.
There are other places to stay, but this place was the most convenient
location-wise.
If you are interested, please call Bob Stettner (263-3320) or David Ranney (990-9699) for more info or if you are coming so they can get tickets reserved.
Email Archive Search Engine
I’ve added an on-line search engine to our ttat email archives. You can fill in a form and submit it to find past emails that meet your search criteria. I use this extensively to produce the newsletter! The search form is in our “Members Area” on the club website at http://www.trainweb.org/ttat so check it out!
Alternate
Operation Mode For Our Layout
By: Scott Smiley
Editor’s note: I agree with Scott’s recommendation. We should only run the transformers in conventional mode. It makes life simpler. So please read this and lets make it SOP…
Although we are doing well with the transition from one person to the next and asking if the track is on command or conventional, we still have some questions as how to change the track from one mode to the other. Remember that tracks 1 and 4 require you to turn the switch on the side of the PowerMaster. Tracks 2 and 3 are switched from the CAB-1 unit by addressing the track and pushing L and set (under the door at the bottom). Conventional is M and set.
The alternate method is to always leave the track in conventional mode. When you want to use a command control
engine, address the track (TR 2) and dial the knob up to the level of power you
want. Usually this will be full power but if you are going to let someone
else run your train, you can leave the power level a little lower and then you
are assured that the train will not leave the track on the corners. Then
address your engine (EG: ENG 54) and dial the knob up as if you were in command
mode. This will start the engine and
everything else is as if in command mode since you will always is an ENG
command. This way the mode is never changed and we will not have a run
away when we put a conventional engine on a track in command mode.
Standard Operating Procedures & FAT Controller Duties
Ira has published electronic versions of the SOP and FAT Controller Duties documents on the club web site in the “Members Area”. We should all review these and provide feedback/review comments.
Potential Trailer Storage Crisis
Jim Smiley says there is a good possibility that in a few weeks the trailer storage area at Branch Creek Estates may be eliminated (Not just for us but for everyone that keeps something in this area). If this happens, we would need to find a new place to keep the trailer.
Let Ron know if you have any suggestions for a new home for the trailer in case we have to find one.
2002 TEXAS TRAIN
SHOWS
March 16 & 17, 2002 – GATS at the Rodeo Center, 1818 Rodeo Drive, Mesquite. All GAT Shows are open to the public both days from 11am to 5pm. For more information and a $1.00 off coupon go to www.GATS.com
April 20th, 2002 – New Braunfels Historic Railroad and Modelers Society’s 15th Annual Model Railroad Jamboree – New Braunfels Civic Center – 380 Seguin Ave, New Braunfels, Texas – Saturday April 20th 9am to 5pm – Admission: $5 adults, $1 youths under age 18 - http://www.nbhrmsmuseum.org/
May 26, 2002 – 22nd Lone Star Railfair at the Will Rogers Memorial Center (Amon G. Carter Exhibit Hall) in Ft. Worth. Doors open from 10am to 5pm with over 50,000 square feet of air-conditioned dealer space and will also include operating layouts. For more information contact Terry Adams, 4220 Shannon Dr. Ft. Worth, 76116. Phone: 817-732-2117; e-mail: tadams1@worldnet.att.net
August 17th, 2002 – New Braunfels Summer Model Train Show. 380 S. Seguin St. New Braunfels, TX - August 17, 2002 9:00am to 4:00pm - Admission: Adult $5, 17 & under $1, Family $8 - Contact information: Bryan Weidner, P.O.Box 134 Fischer, TX 78623, 830-935-2517
October 5th & 6th, 2002 - A.M.R.E. Train Show – Live Oak Civic Center, 8101 Pat Booker Road, Live Oak.
November 9 & 10, 2002 – GATS at the Pasadena Convention Center Complex, 7902 Fairmont Parkway, Pasadena. All GAT Shows are open to the public both days from 11am to 5pm. For more information and a $1.00 off coupon go to www.GATS.com
November 30 & December 1, 2002 – GATS at the Fort Worth Convention Center, 1111 Houston Street, Fort Worth. All GAT Shows are open to the public both days from 11am to 5pm. For more information and a $1.00 off coupon go to www.GATS.com