$3 THE HotBox THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NORTH CENTRAL REGION, NATIONAL MODEL RAILROAD ASSOCIATION VOL. 57, NO. 2 SUMMER 2016 RAILFANNING the PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD Panhandle Division of Bill Neale, MMR BASIC LAYOUT NORTH CENTRAL CONSTRUCTION 101 part 2 EXPRESS 2016 OPS event news!! X-FACTOR! part 1 RR HISTORY – TYPES OF TRAINS FOR MODEL RAILROAD OPS PLUS- RR History, Timetable, NMRA-NCR-Division News & more! HotBox Editorial Barry Hensel, Editor OK!! Yeah!! Spring/summer is here! While that means more outdoor The HotBox activities than indoor, aka model railroading, here’s hoping you can keep SUMMER 2016 the passion and modeling going through the warm months! Yes, as Vol. 57, No. 2 mentioned here before, our hobby is mostly a fall/winter activity, but it EDITOR can and should be a year-round activity. There are several ways to do Barry Hensel that... round robin groups, your local Division meetings and local model 43642 Lotus Dr railroad clubs. Of course, with good weather, we could all take-up garden Canton, MI 48188 railroading!! It is a very intriguing idea and expansion of our hobby. 734-649-3056 barry76Lt@wowway.com Maybe your spouse or significant other would join in! Certainly kids or grandkids could help as well. Model railroading – the family affair! Editorial Advisers Of course, warm weather also means other hobbies (Camaros for me!) Dave McMullian & the NCR Board and activities, but it can also mean an expansion of our model railroading hobby. How about doing some on-site research of a structure you want Proof Readers Marge Hensel John Beres to model? How about some rail-fanning on a local steam line, or even the Marty LaForte prototype main or branch line? Pictures and good time can be had by yourself or with friends! Not too far for most NCR members is Fostoria, The HotBox is published quarterly by the Ohio and the “Iron Triangle”! The newly finished railroad park, made just North Central Region of the National Model Railroad Association. Publication for rail-fanning, is a great place to see LOTS of mainline action, all in one dates are- spot! Sounds like a good day trip! SPRING, March 1 SUMMER, June 1 Lastly.... the NMRA National Convention is always during the summer AUTUMN, Sept 1 WINTER, Dec 1 months. In 2016, the convention is “local”, Indianapolis, Indiana! The dates are July 3 through July 10.The National Train Show is always the The HotBox is available online at- www.ncr-nmra.org last 2-3 days, Friday-Sunday, July 8-10. Convention attendees get in All material, articles and advertising must early and for free! Sounds like another day trip!! be submitted to the Editor. All material should be electronic, preferably MicroSoft Well, time to do some model railroading… Word or Powerpoint. Pictures should be in Jpeg format and color. Material can be Thanks for reading… Barry emailed or sent via US Mail on cd-rom. Materials will not be returned, unless return postage and envelope are MODEL included. Material submission deadline is FIVE weeks before publication date. RAILROADING Business ads- 1/2 page $20 per issue or $65 per year IS FUN! full page $30 per issue or $100 per year business card $10 per issue or $35 per year -or- free business card for exchange of websites and/or sales of HotBox Pike ads- $15 small, $30 double and $60 quad for a 3 year period! HOTBOX CORRECTIONS NCR "OOPS"…. NCR Division Event ads- FREE To pay for any ad space... send your Always striving to be correct is something we will do with the HotBox. payment to the Editor. All checks/money But, we are human and mistakes can/will happen. Please forgive us, orders need to be made out to "The North Central Region, NMRA" these are NOT intentional! The corrections for the March 2016 edition of the HotBox are - minor grammar and spelling! Send address corrections to the Registrar- David Simmons FRONT COVER PICTURES- Bill Neale’s PRR Panhandle Division - A 734-662-9807 pair of I1 decapods rumble past Steubenville Station in the afternoon, david@aarailfan.com heading east with a long coal train (The Pennsy called them “Mineral Feel free to contact the Editor via email, with any comments, questions or Trains”); NCX logo; OPS X-factor! Basic Layout Construction 101 part 2 corrections. REAR COVER PICTURES- NCX 2016 logo; Div 6 layouts of Don Barron and Ted Pilchak, OPS X-Factor part 2 2 the HotBox SUMMER 2016 NCR - NORTH CENTRAL REGION, NMRA OFFICERS and DIRECTORS President Resident Agent Dave McMullian 419-878-4888 Dean Pyers 586-979-7319 Davemcmullian@earthlink.net dpyers@aol.com Division Three Bob Jones 260-459-6339 Vice-President NMRA Central Director broadwaylimited15@yahoo.com Scott Kremer 734-420-2314 Peter Magoun MMR skremer@wideopenwest.com 231-941-1669 Division Four centdir@hq.nmra.org Mark Baldwin 616-437-9851 Secretary mbaldwin@taskadvisors.com Bill Neale 248-477-7875 Photo Contests wneale@mi.rr.com Howard Andrews 734-728-4697 Division Five hwandrews@wowway.com Andy Keeney 517-316-5660 Treasurer hunter48820@yahoo.com Robert Baird 734-665-6408 Achievement Program Baird3990@aol.com Larry Wolohon, MMR Division Six 734-454-4816 Mark Ellis 734-421-2673 Registrar Larrywolohon@comcast.net emark@sbcglobal.net David Simmons 734- 436-1164 aarailfan@gmail.com Division Eight Phil Doolittle 248-375-2513 Directors doolittlep@comcast.net Glenn Joppich 734-464-6004 Division One steambigot@yahoo.com Jim Lang 419-874-6962 Division Nine jlang@buckeye-express.com Frank Zajac 269-598-7107 Skip Luyk 616-363-3453 ssw819@gmail.com heluyk@yahoo.com Division Two Dave Capron 231-271-3352 Division Ten Jay Qualman 248-676-0234 dcglnrr@gmail.com Don Westcott 810-513-5787 jayqualman@yahoo.com dwwestcott@yahoo.com RAILROADING "WHAT THE ???" NCR HUMOR It seems that “OOPS” happened all through railroading history, as evidenced by the photo here.... It’s some time between March 1895 and September 1926, William Edwards is the NYC conductor standing on the right side of the cupula! William is the grandfather of Robert Fuerch, who passed this photo on to the HotBox offces. Robert is a good friend of Div 5 member Bob Truax. THANKS for sharing!! OOPS!! SUMMER 2016 the HotBox 3 PRESIDENTS OBSERVATION by Dave McMullian As Spring breaks forth in full glory, we are rapidly Well, the idea has really approaching another national convention right in caught on. Here’s an our backyard. I don’t think there’s a place anywhere update on names so far: in the country that’s been so close to so many Division 1 – The Black THE DAVE NMRA conventions in recent years. Since 2005, Swamp Division, Division 2 McMULLIAN we’ve had nationals in Cincinnati, Detroit, – Tip of the Mitt Division, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, Cleveland, and Division 3 – Three Rivers Indianapolis this year. That’s six in twelve years Division, Division 5 – The within a few hours drive. It’s a big savings when Capitol Division, Division 6 you don’t have to fly, and it’s great to have your – Motor City Division, Division 8 – Clinton River own car on hand for touring as well. I’ve attended Division, and Division 10 – The Tenwheelers. all of these conventions and enjoyed each one’s Thanks again to Division 8 for originating the idea, uniqueness. I’ve learned not to worry about specific and congratulations to all the other Divisions on expectations because inevitably I discover new your new names. Let’s all get busy on developing things, learn new skills, and make new friends. My logos for our new identities. We will be working to fondest memories are usually things I did not incorporate the names and logos into our expect or plan on! I just go, jump in, and have a publications, websites, and other communications. blast. Now I realize that sometimes time and/or money can put a crimp on attending a weeklong And one more reminder – if you have not registered event, but did you ever consider customizing a for NCX-North Central Express 2016, get on board “mini-convention”? You could drive down to Indy now! Our Fall convention will be hosted by Division early Wednesday morning and have two full days of 6 on October 6-9. Those guys have lined up a ton clinics, tours, and onsite activities, then catch the of action, education, and good times. There will be National Train Show on Friday and be back home all of the usual events you’ve come to expect from for the weekend. If you team up with some buddies, an NCR convention and they are trying plenty of the costs amortize out even better and the innovative twists as well. It’s a bargain you can’t fellowship completes the package. If you’ve been beat for three solid days of non-stop model sitting on the fence, unsure about this year’s railroading. Check out the convention guide here in convention for whatever reason, I encourage you to the Hot Box and join in the fun. think outside the box and find a way to be there at See ya on down the line..... least part of the week. Dave McMullian, President, NCR Hey, do you remember I told you in the last Hot Box about the new naming initiative for NCR Divisions? JENNY’S ENGINE by David J. Vinci NCR FEATURE When my daughter was 2 years old, she and I visited the Conrail Yard in Ashtabula, Ohio. While there, we were invited to climb into the cab of Conrail GP40 No.