Overcoming intimidation ...

Today, I continued painting the WBOW radio station building that was exquisitely 3D printed by railroad friend and fellow modeler Carl Schoenenberg. I have shared with some of you that painting has been quite intimidating to me ... maybe aging eyesight and unsteady hand have something to do with it. 

Radio station with roof yet to be attached.

But I remember something fellow modeler and good friend Dave Abeles said several years ago when he was in the embryonic stages of building his outstanding Onondaga Cutoff model railroad, and I paraphrase, "there comes a time when you just say 'today, I'm going to do it regardless of outcome'", and today was the day for me.

I painted the red brick several months ago, but have been putting off every since the detail work ... porch, steps, etc. It took a lot longer to mask it off than the applying the little bit of paint. We'll see tomorrow when the tape comes off.

Followers of this blog will remember this is the radio station in Terre Haute, Indiana, at which I got my first DJ job in 1960. Roommate and friend ever since, John Jerman, found a "fuzzy" black and white photo, and that combined with a 1950 Sanborn Fire Maps plat map were the only guidelines that Carl had to create this nearly perfect likeness of the structure that has been gone for more than 30 years. It will resurface on the Paducah Switching railroad as WPAD-AM, an actual Paducah station, also discovered by John Jerman.

Ft. Madison/LaPlata Adventure

Fifteen of us ... 14 by Amtrak from Ohio (I drove from St. Louis) met at Ft. Madison, Iowa, Friday evening for a weekend of rail fanning at favored Virtual Rain Fam camera locations.

The restored, complete with museum, station at Ft. Madison

Following Friday evening and all day Saturday at Ft. Madison, they were to continue by Amtrak (and me by auto) to LaPlata, Missouri, about 120 miles away. That was the plan. But that was before a bridge - or two - along the Amtrak route burned near La Junta, Colorado, cancelling all Southwest Chief trains both directions for several days, thus stranding the Amtrak gang in Ft. Madison. They learned of the cancellation when they arrived for breakfast Saturday morning. Trip planner Bill Snyder learned of it at 3 a.m. via a special alert from the railroad. Following literally dozens of calls to the railroad, the reserved hotels in both Ft. Madison and LaPlata, and bus and livery companies, it was determined the group would take a 15-passenger van to LaPlata, arriving Saturday afternoon. But not before some train watching.

East bound on the busy Transcon just before crossing the river.

Fans of the Ft. Madison fan cam will know this is where BNSF Transcon line between LA and Chicago crosses the Mississippi River on a swing bridge, and there is significant tow boat barge traffic to watch as well.

Headed south on the Mississippi; a common sight at Ft. Madison.

At this point, it was thought the Southwest Chief would be running by Monday morning, the Ohio group's original departure time back to Chicago and on to Ohio. That was the plan. Sunday morning breakfast brought another "oh no ...". It was learned over waffles and cereal, that the train line was still shut down for several days. Two options were left: both included a van ride. One included an hour trip to Ottumwa, Iowa, to catch Amtrak's California Zephyr to Chicago, with hopes that it would arrive at the windy city (it was running several hours late) in time to make connections on to Cleveland; the other was an eight-hour van ride to Chicago's Union Station. But not before some train watching.

East bound at LaPlata Station, currently undergoing a substantial updating, including siding.

One really interesting lash-up witnessed during a day of watching trains from the Observation Point about a half mile east of the station in LaPlata was this one, with two in BNSF livery on the head end, followed by a BC Rail running third, and a Canadian National engine extolling its 100th birthday in fourth.

Two BNSF, a BC Rail, and a CN 100.

Back to the drama. The group left Monday morning to van to Ottumwa and take the Zephyr into Chicago. And ... believe it or not ... enroute, the van hit a deer ... really. The van, with some front end damage, was able to continue. Not so, the deer. No photos of that.

But the Zephyr, and the Ohio gang, arrived in Chicago in time to make their connection to Cleveland and on home to Ashland ON TIME Tuesday morning!

It has to be reported that through all of this, with rising and falling blood pressure, that tour organizer Bill Snyder did yeoman's work in keeping it all together, both personally, and group wise.

Still smiling ... kinda. Great work, Bill.

One final note ... make that additional sidelight ... the final note comes when the group gets back to Cleveland ... is that when the wind is high, as it was all weekend (25-45 mph), they have to use TWO tow boats - one on each end, to keep the large tow (sometimes as many as 15 barges, five long and three wide) straight through the narrow swing bridge opening.

Small tug on the front end, running backward, to aid in keeping the tow in line through the bridge.

More later.

Another passing ...

Rick Pfarr, who for the past few months had been working on the Paducah Switching and keeping my nose to the grindstone, passed away October 29, after attempted heart bypass surgery. Rick was an outstanding modeler, and brought grace and energy to the hobby. He was a member of our Thursday night group, the Gandy Dancers, and his good humor and fellowship will be missed. More than his help and modeling expertise, I'll miss his friendship and his positive outlook on life despite his health issues. He was one of a kind, in the kindest of ways.

Starting to take shape

 Ground cover and ballasting continues. We - Rick Pfarr and I - have now  have completed about 75% of the basic ground cover and track ballast. 

As I said before, its a several step process, starting with the first layer of grey ballast, followed by real dirt, grass material, and clump foliage to create bushes, etc. Only a small portion has had all four layers ... plus ballast ... applied. I hesitate to say completed, because I'm not sure scenery on model railroads is ever complete.

This area, at one end of the railroad, has had all four layers plus ballast applied. The building is a wholesale produce warehouse; it was originally on the late Bob Buschart's model railroad. Checking the interior of structure, I learned it was built in 1999 by Dave Roeder MMR. Dave is a prolific modeler and local, regional, and national contest winner, who is a long time member of our Thursday night group the Gandy Dancers.

I'm at the point where I need to start placing buildings, so as to work the scenery around them. That leads me to the point where I need to start building the buildings. Its starting the be really fun.

An icon has passed

A lot has been written the past few weeks about Tom Davis, following his passing October 5, at age 91. Tom was the founder, owner, and innkeeper of the Station Inn rail fans bed and breakfast in Cresson, PA, just a few miles west of the Horseshoe Curve along the former Pennsylvania Railroad in the Allegheny Mountains. All of the heartfelt thoughts are justified, and more. I share with my friends their sense of loss, their grief, and their prayers for Tom. 

Tom was a Ph.D. from Harvard (a fact known only by his diploma hanging on the wall in the ‘saloon’ in the basement of the B&B), set out from his native New Jersey-NYC area home around 1990 to establish a rail fans bed and breakfast along the Pennsylvania RR between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. As Tom told the story, he found the Cresson property early in his quest, but he and the owner were significantly apart on assessment of its worth. Tom continued the search, and a year or more later, went back to the Cresson location and this time they were able to reach agreement. The Station Inn took on its current role in mid-1993.

At the time, the large facility, which at times had served as a hotel since it’s beginning in 1884, was a rooming house with several - six or more - residents. Tom went to each resident and promised that none would be asked to move, that only when they left of their own volition, would he take over their room(s) and transition them into his dream. In fact, the last resident, Alice, did not leave until the early 2000’s. 

Over its 28 years of existence, it has been the nexus for an eclectic collection of characters to become a special blend of friends … locomotive engineers, bridge engineers, ceramic engineers, firemen, state troopers, hospital administrators, dentists, property developers, undertakers, teachers, a Catholic priest, book sellers, a European air marshall, television managers, college professors, financial managers, and on occasion, even a few wives. All came with a common interest, watching, photographing, “chasing”, and learning about trains. The common denominator was Tom Davis. He made the Station Inn special with his knowledge, his caring, his willingness to share, his personality, his individualism, his insight. 

One thing that may not be known by many is the origin of Oldtimers Weekend, now an annual staple of early February each year. It didn’t start that way. In the early days, Tom worked very diligently courting major eastern newspapers to visit and write about the B&B.  One January, he heard from a travel writer for the NEW YORK TIMES, who wanted to visit in early February. Success … dream realized. Except, early February in the Allegheny Mountains is cold, really cold. Even the most ardent rail fans wait another month or so before venturing out. And a B&B with only one or two, or even four or five of its 26 beds filled, is not a good look. But Tom, ever the promoter, got on the phone to several of his most loyal guests and invited them for a free weekend. Result: a full house, a pleased reporter and great story in the Times, a thankful Tom Davis,  happy guests, and the birth of Oldtimers Weekend. 

Another quick story: when Ken Heyl’s wife passed away suddenly in 2003, I called Tom and said don’t be surprised if Kenny shows up seeking a few days of solace. Tom’s immediate response, “we’ll have a room for him.” And when Kenny remarried a few years later and decided that part of his Honeymoon would be spent at the Station Inn (friends of Kenny will understand) he and new bride Laura arrived to find the only room in the Inn with a double bed remade into a honeymoon suite, complete with flowers, chocolates, and champagne.

 

We were more than innkeeper and guests. We were friends who shared breakfasts and evening front porch conversations, celebrations and disappointments.

Tom, your B&B was, just as you were, unique. Yours is the touchstone by which all such establishments are judged. It may remain great, and I hope it does. But it will never be the same. I miss you, special friend. Rest In Peace.

 

Starting ground cover

 The sometimes laborious task of installing ground cover is under way. The accompanying photo of the beginning stages of laying down ground cover is kinda boring ... but then so is the task at times.

The initial "layer" is ballast material from a company in northeast Ohio, and provided by model railroad friend Ken Heyl. It's gray in color and actually finely ground stone. Next comes a light layer of dirt, and that will be followed by various grasses. Each layer adds texture, and improves the look of the railroad. This "ground cover" process will be followed by ballasting the track. The entire railroad is an industrial area; thus the ballast will be somewhat haphazard and random, rather than the "sculpted" look of modern day mainlines.

Railroad friend Rick Pfarr got me started on this process, and it's simply a combination of a white glue and water mixture about the consistency (and color) of milk painted on the painted plywood, followed by a sprinkling of the ballast material. Another afternoon or two, and the first layer will be complete and awaiting dirt.

Remember ... hit enter !

Start with that absolutely nothing about a computer or computing is intuitive to me. Add to that the fact I can read and usually follow not-too-complex instructions. So the scene is set.

After a year's absence due to a serious case of procrastination, I finally returned to the railroad room to start work again on the Paducah Switching layout. Following two days of cleaning, discarding, setting up the work bench, and putting things away, I turned to installing fascia, and then, the second NCE throttle. Fascia installation went well, with good friend Don Loso stopping by and assisting with holding and clamping Masonite strips. And the installation of the two throttles, likewise went fine ... the primary worked just like it was supposed to, capturing engine addresses ... horns, lights, everything. I then carefully measured the distance between the two throttle insertion points to eleven feet (the auxiliary throttle conveniently comes with a twelve-foot connecting cable), drilled the necessary holes, and attached the face plates. I even got down under the benchwork -  with significant effort and even some pain - and strung and attached the connecting cable, as per directions.

Back in an upright position above the benchwork, I anxiously plugged in the auxiliary throttle, and ... nothing. Nada. Bumkus. Oh, the LED message window in the throttle lit up, but it would not accomplish any functions. No engine address capture, no horn, no lights, etc. Let's see, where are those directions? Do I remember something about the throttles also each having an address ... and did it say each had to have its own unique address? Ah, here they are, and yes, each throttle has to have a unique address and there are the four simple steps to set them.

Went through the four steps. Nothing. Maybe I hit a wrong key with my fat fingers. Do it again, more deliberately this time. Give it a try. Again, nothing. Thirty maddening minutes of reversing cables, exchanging throttle hookups, and every conceivable iteration I could think of, all with the same results ... nothing.

Next I did what I always do when I'm at my wits end on the railroad, call David James in Cleveland. David, readers of this blog will remember, is a dear friend, my model railroad mentor, and a devotee of the NCE system. Reached David ... he is on his way to a Chris Stapleton concert and off the top of his head, can't help me without the instruction book to check. But he does give me the phone number for Lee, from whom I purchased the system, and who is the absolute guru about all things NCE. Called Lee, got his answering machine. By now, I'm late for a dinner gathering with the neighbors, so shut everything down and left for dinner.

it was on the short drive to the restaurant and still thinking of the previous hour's frustrations, that a thought occurred: the throttle has an "enter" button, which I never pushed. The simple directions did not say "hit enter" and I didn't. I wonder ...

Returning home to a ringing telephone, it was Lee. I explained all that had gone on, adding the "enter" issue and asked if that could be the problem. He thought yes, told me go down and try it, and to call back if I still had problems. Went downstairs, turned everything on, carefully went through the four steps outlined, AND HIT ENTER.

SHAZAM!!! It works fine. Now on to non-computer stuff, like putting down ground cover, and building scenery, and running trains, and ...