	The
	Beltline
	October, 2000
	(Internet Version)

Vol. IX No. 08

The Official Newsletter of the National Capital Trackers O Gauge Model RailRoad

Tracker Meeting On Different Date!
Meeting set for Thursday, October 26

Because of the York TCA Train Meet on October 20-21, our October meeting will be held on October 26 instead of October 19.

We will still be at the JOHN C. WOOD Municipal Center, which is located at 3730 Old Lee Highway just behind the Fairfax City Police Station. We’ll be in Room #1 and the meeting will start at 07:00 p.m.

Brunswick Railroad Days
Trackers appearing on Oct. 7-8

Once again, we will be exhibiting our railroad at the Brunswick Railroad Days on Saturday and Sunday October 7-8. Ed Beaver is trackmaster and a layout is enclosed. Setup time is at 08:00 am on Saturday morning. Show hours are 11:00 am until 05:00 pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

Fall For Fairfax
Trackers appearing on Oct. 7

Not only will we be at the Brunswick Railroad Days on Oct. 7-8, we will also be appearing at the Fall for Fairfax festival held at the Fairfax County Government Center. This event has been growing each year. Last year they had over 30,000 attend. Admission is free which helps with the crowds.

We will again be setup in the lower hallway. The same place we were last year. As you approach the Government Center from the front, we will be on the left side of the building. Follow the bike path on that side of the building and you can drive right up to the side door (you have to climb a pretty steep hill). This makes unloading and loading very convenient. Bill Buschmeier is trackmaster and a layout is enclosed. We will start setting up at 07:30 am on Saturday, Oct. 7.

New Member

We would like to welcome Granddad's Hobby Shop as a new member. They joined after the Greenberg show in Upper Marlboro. Welcome aboard.

Upcoming Events

(New additions in bold print)

-------------------------- 2000 ------------------------

Oct. 07 Fall for Fairfax Festival in Fairfax, VA (NCT is scheduled to appear)

Oct. 07-08 Brunswick Railroad Days in Brunswick, MD (NCT is scheduled to appear)

Oct. 20-21, York TCA Meet

Nov. 11-12 Rockville Lions Club Train Show in Rockville, MD (NCT is scheduled to appear)

Nov. 25-28, Festival of Trees in Easton, MD

Dec. 02-03 Fairfax Station Railroad Museum Train Show in Fairfax Station, VA (NCT is scheduled to appear)

Dec. 06-31, National Christmas Tree exhibit on the ellipse in Washington, D.C.

Dec. 23-29, B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore (NCT is scheduled to appear)

Dec. 30-31, Greenberg Show at Capital Expo Center in Chantilly, VA (NCT is scheduled to appear)

-------------------------- 2001 ------------------------

Feb. 10-11, Greenberg Show at The Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro (NCT is scheduled to appear)

Aug. 18-19, Greenberg Show at Capital Expo Center in Chantilly, VA (NCT is scheduled to appear)

Apr. 27-28, York TCA Meet

Oct. 19-20, York TCA Meet

-------------------------- 2002 ------------------------

Apr. 19-20, York TCA Meet

In Process:

Bill Creech is working on an appearance for next March with the scouts in Woodbridge.

Brian Turner is working on an appearance for next August at the LOTS convention being held at the Baltimore Civic Center.

The Far-Side (Maryland) View
… By Ed Beaver

September was very busy on the North side of the Potomac. Under Bill Buschmeier's leadership and Dan Danielson's substitute Trackmastering, Greenberg's Upper Marlboro show was an operational success on September 16-17. Jack Schmidt, Carl Condon, Tom Hunter, Brendan Lynch, Brandon Seyfried, Jeff Battles, Keith Webb, Skip Sheetz, and Ed Beaver were assisted in their setup by Jack Frost and John Zampino, who had moderate success with sales of Bill Oehrli's collection. It sure seemed unusual without Bill's locale perspective at Upper Marlboro. Tom Hunter and Brandon Seyfried have added functioning block and semaphore signals to increase the operational realism on their modules. The small crowds have focused Greenberg Shows to a revised a mid-November date for this event in 2001.

The Trackers were featured by name in the Gaithersburg Olde Town Day program which carried an "All Aboard" theme aimed at raising MARC commuter awareness. The event on September 24 had good crowds. Our layout had four new features. Tom Hunter debuted his extended outer-loop yard that covered the length of the layout and allowed frequent changes of trains. Ted Rabusseau and family provided four Gargraves straight modules that combined with Carl Condon's and Jack Schmidt's modules to operate 50% of the layout with Gargraves track. Jack Schmidt also debuted new rounded corners with curved switches that support middle track operations. Bob Wilson's new military theme exhibit spanning his modules and one of the club corners was very popular with the boys. Other folks operating modules included Gil Baldwin, Brendan Lynch, Skip Sheetz, and Ed Beaver. Brendan was the first to operate his new 1966 Metroliners from Williams at prototypical speeds.

On October 7-8, the Trackers are back on the second floor of the Brunswick Volunteer Fire Department to increase the show content and increase their customer traffic. We will operate a figure-8 loop featuring the club's cross-over module operated by Brian Turner and family. Trackers should plan to use the rear (steps) or side (steep incline) entrances for unloading.

On September 19th and 22nd, yours truly had a chance to ride Amtrak from BWI to Boston's South Station and return. I had hoped to ride the new Acela Express but, alas, its debut is delayed. I also tried to use the Acela regional service which offers faster service (fewer stops and faster acceleration) by using two AEM-7s on a seven car upgraded Amfleet consist, but the schedules were not suitable.

Northbound, I rode Train 84 which was an all reserved thru-service seven car Amfleet consist powered by an AEM-7 "Toaster" to New Haven. In New York, we were "lapped" by the Acela Express in a test configuration filled with on-board labs in the coach seats. It is quite impressive to see, even at slow speed. In spite of catenary all the way to Boston, Amtrak changed to dual FP-40s at New Haven for comparable high speed operation into Boston. (Yes - there I was, riding behind a diesel under catenary.) I wonder if Amtrak has equipment shortages which are preventing electric operation all the way into Boston? Between New Haven and Providence, we operated English style up the left track.

Southbound, I rode a sold-out Train 175 which offered conventional "NortheastDirect" service stopping at each of the coastal towns in Connecticut. It used a single FP-40 on a nine car Amfleet consist. Operation seemed to have slower acceleration compatible with the 25 minute spacing between stops in Connecticut. In Hew Haven, motive power was changed to an AEM-7. The roadbed improvements featured concrete ties on the high-speed tracks all the way from Stamford Connecticut to Boston. The catenary system use I-beam girders with a height just sufficient for the catenary. This places the poles at about 50% of the height of the Pennsylvania Railroad catenary system south of New York. The Pennsylvania system used high voltage distribution above the catenary, presumably to handle their unique 25-Hertz power system. This 25 Hertz configuration was in use until the GG1's retired in the early 1970s. The 25-Hertz arrangement was based on the frequency of the original water turbine generators. Overall, Amtrak's service was good except for the long ticket lines in Boston. Train Depot Thanks

Thanks again to the Train Depot for printing our newsletters and brochures. This means a substantial savings to our club. So stop by their Manassas store for all your train needs and while you are there, say thanks to Dennis Driscoll.

Upcoming Shows

Please review this list of upcoming shows. We need quite a few more modules for some of them. Please contact the respective trackmaster if you can exhibit in these shows.

Nov. 11-12 Rockville Lions Club Train Show

Bill Buschmeier (703-266-1655) is trackmaster.. Participating so far are:

Bill Buschmeier (S2) Joel Wasserstein (S2) Thom McKinney (S2) Skip Scheetz (S2, T1) Carl Condon (S2)

Dec. 02-03 Fairfax Station Model Train Show

Frank Hale is trackmaster. Participating are:

Frank Hale (S3) Thom McKinney (S2) David Messerly (S1)

Dec. 23-29 B&O Railroad Museum Skip Scheetz is trackmaster.

Sidetracks

- The National Capital Division of the TTOS will hold a Swap Meet on Sunday, October 15 from 09:30 am - 02:00 pm. The meet will be at the Earleight Fire House. From the Capital Beltway take Rt. 50 east, cross the Severn river Bridge to Route 2 North, Exit 27. Proceed North on Route 2 thru Severna Park to Earleigh Heights Road. The fire house is on your right.

- The Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum, N.R.H.S Chaper and the Western Maryland Scenic Railway is sponsoring a Autumn Leaves Special Train Excursion on October 14 & 15 to cumberland or Oakland. For further information, contact the Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum at 301-739-4665.

- There will be an Inner Harbor Train Show on Sunday, November 5, 2000 at the B&O Railroad Museum, 901 West Pratt St., Baltimore, MD from 10:00 am until 04:00 pm. This will take place in the roundhouse.

- The Great Train & Toy Meet will take place on both Dec. 16, 2000 and Feb. 3, 2001 at the Knight of Columbus Hall, Columbus Gardens, Klosterman Ave. and Belair Road, Baltimore, MD from 8:30 am until 1:30 pm

Beltline Submissions

The Beltline is published 10 times a year on a monthly basis excluding the months of July and August. Its purpose is to provide notices of timely events, and information to its members. All inquiries, questions, and submissions should be addressed to the editor at: National Capital Trackers c/o Bill Buschmeier 15145 Wetherburn Dr. Centreville, VA 20120-3925 or e-mail at bush9@erols.com