Small Beginnings Bring Great Things PG 24 Continued on Page 3 New Annual Trainfest Award PG 25

JANUARY 2012 Volume 2 • Issue 1

www.trainfest.com 2012 Small Beginnings Trainfest November Bring Great Things 10th - 11th By Angela Podewils What’s Inside From the two bedroom apartment where railroader for as long as he can remember, their club began, the Milwaukee Operators found that this great group of modelers MTH, Meeting the Organization (MOO Crew) has grown and was the perfect situation to keep his Technology Challenge developed over its 24-year history. It was modeling going despite space limitations. PG 4 the mid-1980’s when a group of friends Wishes from Walthers got together and decided to form the The first task for the MOO Crew was to PG 19 Moo Crew as a way to come together and find somewhere to build their layout. The small two-bedroom apartment of one of display their modeling work. HOW TO: the single members was selected as the A Signal Bridge, Three When founding the club, most of the layout’s construction zone. It wasn’t long Decades in the Making members were in their twenties and before they had taken over the apartment PG 20 thirties, some newly married - and barely leaving that member with a kitchen all lacked the room to build their own and a bedroom to call his own. Passing on the Hobby home layouts. Paul Rathkamp, a model see Small Beginnings Bring Great Things PG 24 Continued on page 3 New Annual Trainfest Award PG 25

Trainfest 2011 Wrap-Up SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION Starting on page 7

Kids Activities PG 7

Prize Winners PG 10

Trainfest 2011: Fun for All Ages PG 12

40th Anniversary Awards PG 13 Trainfest Thank you so much for the invite to Trainfest. It helps our business very much. [Hiro operates Train Hobby Shop of Japan and has visited Trainfest for the past 4 or 5 years]. From the Sponsoring Publisher I’ve attached a photo of you at the site and Wisconsin Southeastern my favorite wired Northeast scene [David Caboose (WISE) Division, Inc., NMRA Now that the dust has begun to settle, I Harrison’s Acela Express-Northeast Corridor would like to personally thank everyone layout]. It reminds me of when I lived in the — who participated and volunteered to help at Northeast during the mid 60s [the layout is] Publisher so full of my young memories packed in it. Trainfest 2011. With your help and dedicated John H. Tews, MMR effort, our 40th Anniversary of Trainfest was the Thank you for taking care of me on every visit largest show yet! [email protected] and I hope you have a nice Christmas... Trainfest 2011 broke the all time attendance Sincerely yours, Contributing Editors record with a total attendance of 23,764. On Angela Podewils both Saturday and Sunday, we had the largest Hiroyasu Ushijima adult attendance in the history of Trainfest. Our Bonnie Moyer Topczewski 4th annual Friday Product Showcase set a new Jody Delie attendance record of 210 attendees too. Receiving letters and notes like the one from Hiroyasu mean a lot. I thank all of you again This record breaking crowd not only for you tireless help and dedicated support represented a mix of serious modelers and during the past 20 years, which I have served Newsletter Design, young families interested in model trains, but as your Trainfest director. Because of your Web & Advertising also individuals representing countries from enthusiasm and continued dedication, around the world including Japan, Australia we have been able to make Trainfest – Mercury Communication and Germany - to name just a few. Trainfest America’s largest (and best) operating Partners, LLC model railroad show. truly has become a worldwide event. 262-782-4637 This global attraction extends to Trainfest Nancy and I would like to wish you and your www.mercuryww.com EXPRESS which electronically reaches over families a Prosperous and Joyous New Year. 12,500 subscribers hailing from across the Photos Contributed by United States and Canada, plus New Zealand, In the spirit of Model railroading...Happy Spain, Germany, England, Australia, Japan, Holidays and Clear Signals Always, LaRoy Chisley China and more. A special welcome to the Jeremy Topczewski nearly 3,000 new subscribers who have joined us this fall. John Since Trainfest 2011, I have received many TRAINFEST, Trainfest EXPRESS John H. Tews, MMR thank you emails commenting that this year’s and the Trainfest LOGO are Executive Director – Trainfest show was one of the best, with the most registered trademarks of the efficient set-up and tear-down ever. One such Wisconsin Southeastern (WISE) note was from a Trainfest visitor from Japan and I would like to share it with you, as quoted Trainfest EXPRESS is sent free via email as a Division, Inc., NMRA. below, PDF or can be viewed on the Trainfest website in an interactive, online paging-style format. You can Dear John, also print out the pages or articles you desire.

Hello, how are you? I guess Milwaukee is much colder [now] than the Trainfest weekend. www.trainfest.com

Trainfest Committee John H. Tews, MMR Gary Kamin Joe Russ Executive Director, Trainfest Treasurer WISE Superintendent E-mail: [email protected] Ed Padgett Mercury Communications Richard Cecil Volunteer Coordinator Advertising Agency Asst. to the Director Kurt Wamser Trainfest is possible due to the dedication Cedor Aronow Floor Director and hard work of our volunteers and board Security members. If you would like to volunteer for Linda Sukup America’s largest operating model railroad Scott Porinsky Ticket Coordinator show, contact us via email: volunteer@ Computer Services trainfest.com. Trainfest is sponsored by the Terry Thompson Wisconsin Southeastern (WISE) Division, Inc.,2 HMA-MRD Advisor NMRA Trainfest

SMALL BEGINNINGS BRING GREAT THINGS A module from the Moo Crew layout which illustrates the industry of the Midwestern US. Continued from cover

Everything necessary for putting the layout together was (And yes, they did eventually help clean-up the done in the apartment — from cutting wood to screwing apartment where it all began.) and gluing all the pieces together. Multiple stations were set-up. Members worked on scenery pieces, structures, and track as they put the layout together. MOO Crew Today The MOO Crew layout is an HO scale freelance model There were challenges. Obviously the small space made railroad. North Coast Engineering DCC electronics are it difficult to maneuver around. The noise and activity of consistently used throughout the design. The club chose the club did not help their member’s popularity with his to make a freelance layout to cater to the creativity of neighbors or landlord either! Sawdust was everywhere its members, enabling them to create the module they and so ingrained in the carpet no amount of vacuuming wished. could get it out. White glue was on the walls. “Yikes! We — made a mess.” Overall, the layout covers a wide time period from steam engines to modern diesel engines. The only Their efforts were ultimately worth it; today the MOO continuity setting element of the layout is a general Crew layout is 44-ft. long and 22-ft. wide with 20 Midwestern United States location. The MOO Crew modules. The club currently has 14 members. While has maintained this feeling through their use of trees, many of the members now have the space for their home grasses, and ground cover indicative to that area. layouts, they still enjoy coming together to work on the ever evolving MOO Crew Layout. The scenes depicting heavy industry remind visitors of industrial centers of the Midwest. Continued on page 23 3 4 Metro Milwaukee Z From Roots in Scale Debuted New Tinplate Cars, MTH Module at Trainfest 2011 is Meeting the Technology Challenge In a time when video games and other electronics can draw away potential future model railroaders, MTH Electric Trains® is a company who is rising to the challenge by developing more advanced and realistic technology for the Model Railroading hobby.

Back in 1980, a college student named Mike Wolf had an idea how to cater to the nostalgia of modelers. MTH was launched to capture the opportunity from Mike’s parent’s home. Initially the company produced tinplate train cars much like those of the 1920’s and 1930’s.

Today they still produce the toy trains under a joint In the November issue of Trainfest EXPRESS we venture with Lionel Corporation Tinplate and Lionel mentioned the new module from Metro Milwaukee Z Electric Trains®. However, just as Mike matured so Scale to be debuted at Trainfest 2011. Built by Bill has MTH. Products focused on by the company are Hoeppner, the 2’x4’ module had its finishing touches developed to answer the demand of modelers for more being made as late as Thursday night before the show, realistic details in their electric trains. but it was looking great by show time!

Under the MTH and RailKing® brands, MTH offers several product lines. The MTH brand offers; the O gauge Premier Line and HO Scale MTH Electric Trains line. The RailKing brand offers; the O gauge RailKing line and the G scale RailKing One-Gauge line. Wisconsin Garden The Vision Railway Society at the To meet the challenge offered by video games and other hobbies, MTH has looked for ways to create a more 2011 Loretta Thomson interactive product so to keep the user’s attention and create more enthusiasm for the hobby. Christmas Fantasy

As model train technology has progressed in becoming House more and more realistic while still getting smaller in size, it can be adapted to be put into trains. Advanced Christmastime inspires memories of a train set making technology is the name of the game. According to its way around a tree. The Wisconsin Garden Railway Rich Foster, Vice President-Sales, MTH has invested in Society reincarnated this memory in its participation developing an operating system which incorporates as at the 2011 Christmas Fantasy House in Elm Grove, many realistic features as possible for their trains. Wisconsin. This event which occurred November One such advancement of realistic features includes an 5th through the 13th benefited the American Cancer HO scale electric locomotive with a pantograph operating Society. Keep a look out for other model railroad much like an actual electric locomotive. Another popular groups participating in community events. item seen at Trainfest 2011 was the synchronized puffing smoke and sound. Continued on page 6

5 A display from the MTH Electric Trains booth at Trainfest 2011. FROM ROOTS IN TINPLATE CARS be some of the smoothest running trains in the industry Continued from page 5 … it’s also another example of the companies’ work “By adding more operating and sound features, MTH toward prototypical accuracy. Trains provide more action, better prototypical operation, and more fun, says Rich. This has helped our products A large factor in attracting and maintaining interest in compete with electronic and video games because MTH the hobby is bringing advanced technologies to newer trains are more interesting and compelling.” modelers. MTH has made available entry level “ready to run” train sets with their most advanced ProtoSound 3.0 system. “This allows even first-timers to see the The Technology advances the hobby has made in sound, features and The goal of the MTH operating systems ProtoSound control,” says Rich. 2.0 and ProtoSound 3.0 is to get a realistic prototypical experience. In addition to an advanced sound, drive and digital control system, they also include scores of MTH at Trainfest sound and operating features that increase the operator’s Train shows offer consumers an opportunity to see experience. MTH trains operate and to see how their products have changed, as well as overall how the hobby is The electronics behind the engines run the motors in progressing. Rich especially enjoys the Trainfest a precise manner allowing the trains to run at accurate experience and its ability to blend hobby enthusiasts and scale miles per hour. It’s why MTH trains are known to future generations of modelers.

The realistic features of MTH Trains displayed at Trainfest 2011 drew visitors to the MTH booth.

6 Trainfest 2011 40th Anniversary SPECIAL PULL-OUT SECTION KIDS

KIDS Kids Activities ACTIVITIES Circus Train Ride and Train Races Returning Children’s favorites, the Circus Train Ride and Train Races gave kids the opportunity to not only ride a train but run the trains as well!

Kalmbach Publishing Kalmbach Publishing presented their Trains4Kids rest stop area, with story time and coloring offered both days. The area was a hit with all young railroad fans.

7 Special Thanks to Our Sponsors: Athearn, Bachmann, Heritage Art Editions, Horizon Hobby Trains, Kalmbach Publishing, Lionel Railroad Club Milwaukee, Marshall Publications, Sendik’s Food Market, Train Collectors Association, Walthers KIDS

KIDS Kids Activities ACTIVITIES Radio Disney® Sunday afternoon Radio Disney’s Road Crew cranked up the fun with activities, dancing, prizes, and train-themed crafts.

Face Painting The 40th Anniversary brought about some new and exciting kids’ activities. Free Face Painting was a very popular addition. The most requested design?.. Trains, of course!

8 Special Thanks to Our Sponsors: Athearn, Bachmann, Heritage Art Editions, Horizon Hobby Trains, Kalmbach Publishing, Lionel Railroad Club Milwaukee, Marshall Publications, Sendik’s Food Market, Train Collectors Association, Walthers KIDS

KIDS Kids Activities ACTIVITIES LEGO® Area The American Institute of Architects presented a build and play LEGO area. It was the perfect opportunity for young modelers to build some displays themselves.

Uniformed Scouts There was a great showing of uniformed scouts and active military who received free admission into Trainfest as a part of the 40th Anniversary Celebrations.

9 Special Thanks to Our Sponsors: Athearn, Bachmann, Heritage Art Editions, Horizon Hobby Trains, Kalmbach Publishing, Lionel Railroad Club Milwaukee, Marshall Publications, Sendik’s Food Market, Train Collectors Association, Walthers PRIZE

PRIZE Trainfest Promotion Prize Winners WINNERS

Three Generations The true mission of Trainfest could not have been more apparent than in this family of three generations coming out to the show and passing on an interest in the hobby.

10 Special Thanks to Our Sponsors: Athearn, Bachmann, Heritage Art Editions, Horizon Hobby Trains, Kalmbach Publishing, Lionel Railroad Club Milwaukee, Marshall Publications, Sendik’s Food Market, Train Collectors Association, Walthers PRIZE

PRIZE Trainfest Promotion Prize Winners WINNERS Sendik’s® Food Market In the weeks leading up to Trainfest 2011, Trainfest partnered up with Sendik’s Food Market in Milwaukee to hold Train Set giveaways in their stores. Here are some of the winners from the Whitefish Bay, Mequon, and Grafton Stores.

40th Anniversary Celebrations As part of the 40th Anniversary Celebrations, several lucky visitors went home with their very own new train set. It was certainly inspiring to see the looks of excitement on the faces of a new generation of model railroaders.

11 Special Thanks to Our Sponsors: Athearn, Bachmann, Heritage Art Editions, Horizon Hobby Trains, Kalmbach Publishing, Lionel Railroad Club Milwaukee, Marshall Publications, Sendik’s Food Market, Train Collectors Association, Walthers 2011

2011 Trainfest 2011, Fun for all ages TRAINFEST The 40th Anniversary of Trainfest did not disappoint. With record setting attendance, Trainfest 2011 was the largest show yet!

From demonstrations and workshops to hobby dealers and manufacturers, show goers - young and the young at heart - all found something to satisfy their love of all things trains.

12 Special Thanks to Our Sponsors: Athearn, Bachmann, Heritage Art Editions, Horizon Hobby Trains, Kalmbach Publishing, Lionel Railroad Club Milwaukee, Marshall Publications, Sendik’s Food Market, Train Collectors Association, Walthers AWARD