Cannon Ball Winter 2004

Season’s Greetings Official Publication of Northeastern Region THE SUNRISE TRAIL DIVISION, INC. National Model Railroad Association VOLUME 34 NUMBER 4 WINTER 2004 STD CONVENTION CONTESTS PRODUCE 2 MERIT MODELS & A PHOTO SWEEP PHOTOS BY STEVEN PERRY IT IS ALWAYS GOOD NEWS when the quality of a model is judged to be of merit award status. Two models ex- ceeded that 87.5 point threshold at the Sunrise Trail Division's Annual Convention for 2004. Contest Chairman Joe Bux's model of New York Ontario & Western inspection engine no. 26 received an average point score of 92.67 in the very chal- lenging Motive Power - Steam category, no doubt gratifying this long time fan of the “Old & Weary”. Ed Neale's model of a Boston & Maine crossing guard shanty, built from the kit developed by Walter Neumen for the Sunrise Trail Division’s Participation clinic in September, earned an average score of 93 in the Structures category. Both modelers entered in the Craftsman class. In the Photography Contest, John MacGown received first, second, third and honorable mention prizes in the Proto- type Photo - Color category with wonderfully composed pic- tures of a snowplow, a passenger train negotiating the Georgetown Loop, a Manitou & Pike's peak shay taking on water, and engine 3254 at the Colorado Railroad museum. (continued on page 6) Sunrise Trail Division president, Kevin Katta, presides at the 2004 Convention. ALL-CLINIC WINTER MEET SET F0R JANUARY 15TH IN WESTBURY THE ANNUAL WINTER MEET of the Sunrise Trail Divi- what might be the best all-round detector, advice on how to sion will be held the afternoon of Saturday, January 15th at build it and circuit schematics and analyses. Westbury Memorial Library, located at 445 Jefferson Street in 2:50–3:35 Layout Design with3rd PlanIt – Part II Westbury. The Meet is open to NMRA members and non- The second part of Bill Mahaney's fascinating clinic on de- members alike, and there is no admission charge. Doors will signing a layout with a computer CAD application specific to open at 12:30PM, and the first clinic will begin at 1:00PM. model railroads brings you a layout plan in the final stages of The Meet will conclude by 5PM. Nominations for officers and completion, then lets a computer-generated train run on a directors will be accepted at a business meeting following the three dimensional version of it. clinics. 3:45–4:15 Switching Layouts & Prototypes – Part II The clinic lineup features the conclusions of three clinics Walter Wohleking wraps up his look at switching layouts by begun at the recent Sunrise Trail Division Annual Conven- presenting a number of track plans, which can be used as tion, as well as a new offering on modeling the elements of a Layout Design Elements for various New York harbor rail- farm. Here is the schedule of events. roads. 1:00–1:45 Modeling Farm Crops and Structures. 4:15-4:45 Business Meeting Ray Muntz conducts a table-top clinic illustrating techniques Nominations for Officers and Directors for creating realistic farm-related scenery and structures. (Sunrise Trail Division members only) 1:55–2:40 Train Detector Applications – Part II Directions to the Westbury Memorial Library are on page 11. Steve Perry concludes his treatise on these useful devices be- For more information contact Walter Wohleking at gun at the Annual Convention with a recommendation for (631)757-0580 or via email at [email protected]. children a similar experience with those Mixed Consist same trains. By then, however, the ta- editor’s commentary / WALTER WOHLEKING ble had become a collection of tables, EDITOR and PUBLISHER ‘TIS THE SEASON the track plan had grown in size and Walter G. Wohleking When we were kids, Thanksgiving complexity, and the equipment roster 5 Howard Drive weekend marked the beginning of the was corpulent. But everything ran just Huntington NY 11743-3032 train season for my brother, Jack, and fine, and, as before, the whole affair (631) 757-0580 (Phone) (775) 540-9743 (Fax) me. It was on Saturday that the went up Thanksgiving weekend and [email protected] benchwork—an old, one-piece, ping- came down at January's end, leaving ASSOCIATE EDITOR pong table that sagged slightly in the my kids, as it did Jack and me, still John MacGown middle—was moved from its storage wanting more. THE CANNON BALL space along the wall of the laundry Viewing those events now from what is published 5 times a year by Sunrise Trail Division, Inc. room into our knotty-pine paneled some regard as scale railroading’s loft- of the Northeastern Region of the National Model Railroad Association, Inc. for the benefit of the model basement and erected on somewhat ier perch, I am often struck by the railroading community. spindly legs, where it would stand thought that with all the preparation SUBSCRIPTIONS proudly until the end of January, when that had to take place before Christmas start with the first issue of a volume. Rates for the U.S. and possessions: $7.00 per year, $20.00 for three the trains would be put away until the Day, never once did we fail to have an years. Please make check or money order payable to next Thanksgiving. On its pockmarked, operating layoutat the time designated Sunrise Trail Division. Send requests for new subscriptions, renewals or address changes to Cannon green surface would eventually rest for it. We could always run trains. That Ball, c/o Walter G. Wohleking, at the above address. cardboard houses, arranged along what was what it was all about. CONTRIBUTIONS painted roads and illuminated by old, An informal poll taken at a recent Articles, photographs and artwork are welcome in pointy Christmas tree lights. Sunrise Trail Division clinic revealed, either hardcopy or as computer files. Copy is generally due at least one month prior to publication and should Serving this tiny community was a somewhat to the surprise of the pollster, be sent to the Editor at the above address. Submitted tinplate transportation system known as that well over half of the clinic atten- material will be returned upon request. “Lionel Lines” with a track plan that dees had layouts that “were in the plan- changed little each year. But that was ning stage”. In other words, they didn't an advantage, because that stamped have layouts. They didn't run trains. metal trackwork would remain screwed The pollster's surprise was more than a in place, ready for impatient kids to run little misplaced, by the way, because he trains almost as soon as they could get was one of those “planners” himself. them out of the box. We have so many ways to enjoy this SUNRISE TRAIL DIVISION, INC. That opportunity was fleeting, how- greatest of all hobbies that we seem Kevin Katta, President ever, for Jack and I were initially al- often to forget the most satisfying thing [email protected] lowed to operate the trains only until for a model railroader just might be Walter G. Wohleking, Secretary [email protected] the weekend was over. After that the model railroading. Kenneth Szekratar, Treasurer basement was off limits till Christmas Nowadays this wonderful time of the [email protected] morning, when we'd dash down the year provides us with a rare opportu- DIRECTORS John Jaklitsch stairs to see the miniature wonderland nity to see club layouts in operation. [email protected] our father and grandfather had made And who knows? That experience John MacGown of that bare tabletop. Each year it man- might convince at least a few of the [email protected] Michael Martin aged to be different in some way from “planners” among us to end our pro- [email protected] anything that had gone before. And crastination, set up our ping-pong ta- Steven E. Perry [email protected] each year it contained something new bles, lay track and realize our dreams. Michael H. Siegel my grandfather would scratch build for In other words, maybe it's time to start [email protected] Fernand Washington the occasion. playing with trains. After all, as model [email protected] A generation later I tried to give my railroaders, don’t we deserve it? Andrew Wasowicz [email protected] NER DIRECTOR for help in determining if you have Steven E. Perry enough points. ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM Achievement Michael H. Siegel If you are someone who has received Program a score of 87.5 or more in any NMRA PUBLICITY awards & certificates / MICHAEL SIEGEL John MacGown sanctioned contest and you have not Steven E. Perry IF YOU ARE AN NMRA MEMBER received an NMRA Merit Certificate, CONTESTS and a member of a modular club and please send me a copy of the judging Joseph Bux [email protected] have been present for most of your form (or your contest award certificate, WEBSITE group's set-ups over the last few years, if it contains the score you received). www.SunriseTrailDiv.org you may qualify for the Association The paperwork for Joe Bux's Author John Jaklitsch, Webmaster [email protected] Volunteer AP Certificate. Contact me AP Certificate is in thepipeline . 2 THE CANNON BALL reflections on a notable event / TOM & MARIA FELTEN Conway Convention Journal PHOTOS BY ANDREW WASOWICZ UNLESS NOTED UPON LEARNING THE NORTHEASTERN REGION glory, this ride would be positively breathtaking. We arrived was having this year’s Fall Convention in North Conway, in North Conway about 3PM and checked into the North New Hampshire, we thought we would turn it into a mini- Conway Grand Hotel, which was also Convention Head- vacation.

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