Christmas Party

It's a great big "Thank You" to Bill and Debbie for hosting our annual Friday Night Group Christmas party. We've "morphed" from a "sit-down" lasagna devouring evening to an evening of hors d'oeuvres and delicious dessert on account of the larger number now in the group. With that, twenty-two folk arrived Bill's place to enjoy eats and treats!

That's Bill over to the right checking out something in the china cabinet. Hmmm...maybe it's a new Atlas diesel locomotive he's hidden from other select family members! Looks like the crowd in the living room is enjoying itself.

Hmmm....what's all the good-looking food items on the dining room table? Yes, Mike and Sandi have been up to their antics again. Their creativity overflows and never ceases to amaze the folks in the group. Indeed, those are gingerbread train stations with each member of the group's railroad line listed on each rooftop!

Let's see...a couple of B&Mers in this group as well as the "Denver and Intermountain" with the CN and NYC lines shown. The other railroad names appear on the far rooftop sides across the track, so you'll just have to imagine them!

Oh Christmas tree...Oh Christmas tree...what kind of trains will you bring me?

We see Mike M. Sandi, Stan and Suzie (Wally's wife) enjoying a laugh or two! Suzie is now on her way back to Colorado with Wally. We'll miss you both! You'll recall Wally's modelling in an earlier post which showcased his work with catenary and trolley cars.

And here we have the "Three Wise Men". From left to right, we see Jim, Chris and Gerry. Jim models the Esquimalt and Nanaimo...a railroad located on Vancouver Island. Chris is building his CN/BNSF/NAR railroad. He began the layout just over a year ago and it is coming along fabulously. Gerry is planning a maritime layout depicting the scenes in and around Halifax, Nova Scotia in N-scale.

It was really nice seeing Dave make it out for the party. Whoever took this shot of Dave and me certainly had been into the "drink" for sometime! Or...perhaps we're just two fuzzy characters. (Dig the stash there Davey!)

Dave is a proficient model railroader who grew up in Massachusetts. He models the B&M and has scratchbuilt the beautiful North Conway station.

He-e-e-e-r-e-'s J-o-h-n-n-y!!! Yes, John is accepting his New York Central gingerbread station from creator Mike Mueller before he heads out with Kathy.

Judging by the smile on John's face, he deems the station sufficiently detailed to take permanent residence on his NYC layout! John's layout was showcased in the post immediately preceding this one.

Mike and Sandi are renowned for their creative creations for our social events. At another party, Sandi found some small figurines and hand painted them into the likenesses of each member of the Friday Night Group. Every member, to a man, has cherished this little trinket and they all can be found nearby each member's respective layouts!

Here we see a close-up of Sandi and Mike's fine work!

Lorna and Bob sit back and relax and enjoy the many conversations going on around the room.

Bob enjoys working on the real equipment at Ottawa's National Museum of Science and Technology and he is now finding time to construct his own model railroad. Hey Bob, when's the inaugural operating session?

Is that Diet Coke, Peter? NOT! Ah yes, our resident Brit and master modeller, Peter Cunningham knows a good drink when he sees one! Peter is the lad who built the B&M snowplow showcased in an earlier post. He looks dapper in that Christmas tie! Peter is also a master painter whose works are commissioned by railroaders from all around.


Ahhh! While all were enjoying the superior food and drink, Chris and I snuck down to the train room to run a train or two just to get our "fix" of trains for the evening.

"What's that funny looking thing on the fascia?" I gasp. "Oh, my God...Chris...would'ya look at Bill's throttle holder!"
"Forget the holder, Mike" Chris replies. "Grab the throttle and start the engine!"

"This is fun, Chris!" Hey, let's switch out the IVACO plant. Should take a short while then we can head upstairs for dessert!"

"Good idea, Mike" Chris mentions as his stomach rumbles.

"What...running the layout or heading back upstairs for dessert!" I call back.

"How about both!" Chris laughs.


We get the opportunity to check out the latest scratchbuilding exercise Bill has undertaken...the creating of unique bulkheads for some of his flatcars in the plant area. When we were given the tour of the facility a few years back, Bill had snapped a variety of pics outside and he learned that there were endless variences on the bulkheads...so he decided to build a few from scratch with this one being the first one completed.

Nice Job there Bill. The area around your plant is coming together nicely!

Chris and I headed back upstairs where our evening of great company continued and a wonderful time it was! Merry Christmas to all and may you all enjoy a peaceful and restful holiday season! Cheers, Mike

Last Session of 2006

Last night the boys descended into John's basement for what would be the last train ops session of 2006. His Canada Southern/New York Central layout is a joy to behold and a blast to operate. Eleven gentlemen were present and all were kept occupied throughout the course of the evening. John's layout now requires a half dozen operators simply to man specific posts on the layout. That's before train crews are called to take the crack passenger runs and mainline and local freights along the rails of the NYC/CASO and C&O lines as well as manning CPR passenger trains.

I'm honouring John's request to have just a few pics posted. In this first shot we see an NYC train that has arrived the Michigan Central Terminus bound for Chicago. A number of headend cars had to be switched out here in Detroit and it was my job to ensure all the proper cars were assembled for fellow operator, Harry's train. John's terminus building sure stands in as an imposing backdrop! The Canadian Pacific train arrived shortly before Harry's and it required some servicing as well!

John's layout is a double-decked gem with lots of activity taking place on both levels. The big yard at Buffalo is situated immediately below the yard at Detroit. This means that the Detroit yardmasted "doubles" as the Buffalo guy...and, yes...that's me. I guess I do have a "split personality, being able to be in two places at the same time! You've gotta be impressed with this line-up of NYC and C&O trains awaiting departure from Buffalo!

Let's briefly follow a train on its circuit around the layout. Here we have a hotshot New York Central freight train that departed Chicago earlier in the day.

It's spotted snaking through the yard in Detroit. I've aligned the switches to the main and the crew is proceeding slowly nearby the terminus.

This ABA set of F's in the different New York Central tones certainly look handsome on this fast freight!

I've routed the train successfully through the yard and aligned it through the Detroit River tunnel on the far tracks.

This is one of the "landmark" scenes on John's layout and one of the first completed. It's great having such creative modellers in the group who are unafraid to scratchbuild a scene that cannot be "purchased from the hobby shop shelves" and John and his team are such modellers!

The train has reached Buffalo and is ligned for Track 2 as it ducks under the road overpass. Our paperwork shows that the fast freight will continue on to New York although Buffalo is the "end of line" on the modelled portion of the layout.

Yes, John's layout is big and it still has much scenery to be completed, but one thing is certain...it is a joy to operate!

Thank you Harry for snapping this picture with one hand on the camera and another on the throttle. We try not to let the railfanning interfere with the train operations, sopo the single hand shutter shot is a wee tad shaky. This image shows how Detroit occupies the upper level with the large Buffalo yard below. That's little ol' me wearing my new red T-shirt sporting the "Support Our Troops" ribbon.

It's a great big "thank-you" to John for hosting the boys on his turn in the round robin! Have a Merry Christmas and a safe holiday everyone! Cheers, Mike

Getting "Juiced" at Wally's

Well, no ice storms or blizzards befell Ottawa this past Friday evening as had been the case the previous week, so all the boys of the Friday Night Group were able to descend on Wally's place for a farewell party...and, yes...some train running!

For all you "juice" fans, aka "traction" nuts, Wally had some wonderful examples of his work to be found running on his tabletop traction layout. Some of the fellas were admiring these works of art as others were kept busy running two of Wally's other railroads, an LGB sized pike suspended from the ceiling with intricate switching manoeuvers and a...errrr...shall we say...a newer layout just completed in time before the lads arrived. More on that one later.

Let's examine more closely some of Wally's fabulous work. Most of his trolley cars are brass models that he has painted and lettered for favourite roads. Some were purchases that required stripping and repainting as well.

The orange car to the right is Interstate #150. Wally painted this car andhe tells us that it is some forty years old, a real antique. It sure looks nice under catenary on your small tabletop layout Wally!

The orange and cream Lake Shore Electric Railway car #178 has been in Wally's collection some 35 years or more and is a brass scratchbuild.

From 1901 to 1938 the Lake Shore Electric claimed to be—and was considered by many—"The Greatest Electric Railway in the United States." It paralleled the shore of Lake Erie, connecting Cleveland and Toledo with a high-speed, limited-stop service and even pioneered a form of intermodal transportation three decades before the rest of the industry.

Wally then brought out this trio to share with the lads. These models are of the Pacific Electric Company's express line painted in their familiar red colours. Wally has certainly captured their beauty and elegance to the "T". Car number 1370 holds honours in the lead this day.

The three unit train pretty much takes up the entire scene along the front of the layout. Wally ensures us that after he relocates back home in Colorado, he will create a larger traction layout, perhaps one that is sectional that can be set up at shows.

This three car orange set Wally painted and decalled for the Denver and Intermountain RR. This rail line was originally constructed in 1892 as the Denver, Lakewood & Golden, a steam powered line. By 1909,the Denver and Intermountain had taken control of the line, electrified the passenger service and purchased new rolling stock. Today, only one car remains preserved, car #25.
Wally painted and decalled these three cars adding that all windows and doorframes were meticulously completed before intense eyestrain set in!

This green car with the burgandy roof represents the Terre Haute, Indianapolis and Eastern. Wally says that these models are over forty years old and he built and painted them all. Car #45, a wood combine, holds the point today.

Not only does the detailing impress upon first glimpse, all these cars run with their trolley poles up! What a great sight it is to see such beautiful models ply the rails even on this very small layout!

One of Wally's latest projects was finishing up this black steeple cab and caboose. Here we see it posing outside the barn before heading out to do some work.

Not only is the detail superb on this model, this image clearly illustrates the quaility of workmanship required for a traction layout.

Now we spot the steeple cab earning its keep as it trundles past the car barn. Note the freight shed in the distance! That headlight ensures that all pedestrians and motorists will steer clear and give a wide berth when this little brute appears rounding a corner!

Wally, you have proven yourself to be a master builder of anything traction! Let's look at some other things you have on the go in that soon-to-be-abandoned train room.

I mentioned earlier another layout Wally had created in the room that was operational...yes, a large scale model railroad suspended high above everyone from the rafters with metal wire and hooks. Stepstools were required by the brakeman and everyone who operated this line was suitably entertained!

Indeed, this is a steam engine and pitstops for water are in order! Why the stopwatch, you ask? Ah ha! To add to the challenge of this railroad, we were "timed" to see if we could complete a series of moves in the requisite time frame! We did just that, eh Stan!

Now...as for the third layout. Well, I must confess, it posed the greatest challenges of all for operations as you can see by my scratching of "me head". Hmmm...where do I start?

And, if you think I was having problems, get a load of Bill and Chris! Those switching moves sure can prove challenging especially on a Friday night after a long weekend!

Meet Wally Weart! Wally is a retired locomotive engineer who has driven trains on the Georgetown Loop and for a railroad called the Colorado Western hauling sugar beets near the foothills of the Rockies. Wally never got to drive trains on this line through the mountains but their peaks could always be seen on the distant horizon as he plied the rails.

Wally is a traction nut as all these images indicate and a brilliant modeller. Wally, it's been great having you in our midst over the past couple of years. We'll miss you greatly...and remember...you will always be one of the Friday Nighters!

An Historical Event - Train Ops Cancelled

Of course, we know that three feet of snow and below zero temperatures would never be enough to halt a Friday Night train operations session! But freezing rain and sleet turning road surfaces in the Ottawa Region into "record sized" skating rinks certainly would. "The lives of our train operators are first and foremost!" superintendent Hamer was quoted in today's Ottawa Citizen. "We know this is a first and we understand the disappointment in the hearts and minds of the lads, but we want them to live another day to keep the group strong!" So, the Friday Night boys stayed home and "road out" the storm in the comfort of their own layout rooms.

This pause in operations gives us good excuse to profile a fellow Friday Nighter who has relocated to the "Left Coast" as he calls it, Parksville on Vancouver Island. Indeed, we're talking about our good friend, Marty Phillips. And, what has Marty been up to recently, we ask. "Scenery!" he responds, "Scenery, in a big way...and here's a picture for you Mike, of what our Friday Night group has been up to over the past little while.!"

After viewing this image all the Ottawa contingent are shaking their heads..."Finally...some scenery," they all shout..."Marty's been gone how long now?"

Indeed, we knew that Marty's layout would be resurrected in his new home on Vancouver Island in no time at all, and it was. Benchwork appeared almost overnight with track settling in shortly thereafter. Marty managed to install the backdrops and add some building mockups, but the scenery seemed to be on hold. While I cannot take credit for this turn of events...hmmm...perhaps my two trips out west to visit Marty made him wonder..."Geez, Hamer's been out here twice and there's still no scenery for him to see! And...if I leave it too long, the little bugger will charter a plane and come and do it for me!" (big grin)

Well, Marty Man, judging by the scenes in the above two images, you are in great hands with that talented group of local island modellers you've assembled. Yes, we know that some further detailing is required such as ballasting to fully complete the scenes, but you are well on your way to owning a truly "Great Model Railroad"!

Let's examine how the two scenes above managed to materialize. Marty had already laid the track and built up the backdrop just as I had on my BM layout. Everything will be painted black before any scenery goes in including the blue styrofoam. This photo shows just how our group works together and assists each other. Dave Haney from our Ottawa group built the ball signal seen here at Whitefield. It protects the crossing of the B&M with the Maine Central.

Before any of the scenery making begins, Marty masks all track areas with the green masking tape. It is the preferred choice of tape as its adhesive is less gummy than the regular tape leaving less residue on the rails making track cleaning easier.

Note how Marty has also protected the bridge spans and the abutments I scratchbuilt for him and shipped across the country. The foam making the land contours is now painted black and polyfibre sprinkled with ground foam will be glued on the backdrops before the tree planting goes into effect. The river's really looking good in this picture, Marty.

On the other side of the backdrop is the "developing" town of St. Johnsbury.

When Marty lived in Ottawa, we brainstormed this scene with the long and winding river and the two bridges. The area where the river hits the backdrop is effectively hidden with a sharp curve in the river's course. Marty has placed a cloudy sky commercial backdrop at this location where the river valley occurs.

Here's a closer view of the area where the river winds its course below the bridge span. I really like the use of the sloping landscape and rocks forming the further bank of the river.

This shot clearly shows the use of the polyfibre along the backdrop to provide texture in case viewers can see through the trees. This is better than seeing a flat backdrop between the branches.

This shot looks back down the river the other way showing just what was involved in creating this marvellous scene.

Marty's layout is located in his garage. The garage doors were removed and the a door and window put in along with a wall and added insulation. There are no basements in his subdivision...and living in a bungalow, Marty has no need to take on stairs to reach his layout room. Lucky bum!

Here's a great shot Marty sent me of some of the lads working feverishly in the area. Man, that Marty's a workhorse and his enthusiasm and energy rubs off on his other group members, it seems! One thing's for sure...judging by the smiles on their faces, they're having one heck of a good time.

They don't look like model railroaders at all! Why, they look like a bunch of drunkards who've just stepped out of a corner pub in England!

Indeed, when you model New England as Marty and I do, your layout requires a ton of trees...and I mean a "ton". When we were together in Ottawa, I taught Marty and Mary the Spirea technique for tree-making...and it appears to be very contageous judging by this image. Apparently the only known cure for this euphoria is a pint of ale!

It's nice to see those piers and abutments survived the shipping from Ottawa! This area on the layout depicts the river scene on the way to the paper mill at Gilman which is visible in the distance.

Note how Marty has placed a photograph of the prototype so visitors can see what the completed scene will look like!

Well Marty, it may be one heck of a long time until freezing rain cancels one of our train ops sessions again, but that will not stop the Ottawa contingent of the Friday Night Group from checking in on the Vancouver Island contingent every now and then. Hey, maybe by this time next year the Gilman scene will have been completed, scenery and all!