North Raleigh Model Railroad Club

Meeting Notes Archives

Highlights of the Club's May 2009 Meeting
Fuquay-Varina, May 6, 2009

Fourteen members and one guest attended the Club's May meeting Hosted by Jim Reske. Thanks Jim. Kim Parker joined the club; welcome Kim.

The evening began with a cookout provided by Jim and Peggy Reske that was enjoyed by all. Thanks to Jim and Peggy.

President Royse called the meeting together at 7:10pm. The Treasurer's report for April was approved. Members who have not yet paid their 2009 Dues were officially removed from the Club's Roster.

Beginning with the next meeting the Monthly Meeting Notes as published on the News page of our web site will be considered to be the unofficial Minutes of Meetings, with approval sought at the next meeting. These Notes are not intended to replace the detailed Minutes kept by the Secretary, and which are not normally published.

A number of train shows were discussed.

• The Spencer Rail Days show will be June 13 & 14. Linwood Wells visited Spencer and came back with detailed drawings and dimensions of the roundhouse space so we can now begin planning the layout. We have module commitments from most members and from Lynchburg. The French Broad and Central Carolina clubs will be invited to participate.

• An update was provided to members on progress by RANTrak re the planned 2010 N Scale Convention. Activity is underway to secure dates and a location; RANTrak will issue an update email in the coming weeks.

A little more tweaking of Raleigh Yard is required following the extensive testing it received in the New Bern layout.

There has been no further progress to report on a potential sharing of a clubhouse with the Neuse River Valley club.

Education Committee Chair Pete Slugg is looking for volunteers to present programs at the July, August, October and November meetings.

The Show Operating Procedures have been updated to include the Raleigh Yard and Geezer Gate Operating Instructions. Other minor changes were made throughout the document to reflect current methods. This document will be sent to members via the email list for comment.

Members committed to building another 5 modules per the Dave Thompson methods. The club approved the funding to replace a broken glass mirror sign.

With the success of the cookout President Royse asked members if there is any interest in a family picnic meeting. This will be pursued via the email list.

The business meeting ended at 7:41pm.

Following our refreshment and socializing break John Janosko represented a program on Painting Module Backdrops; he made it look very simple with very good results. Thanks, John.

Following the program Jim Reske's layout was open for viewing, where a couple of locomotives had Bullfrog Snot applied as discussed during the April meeting.

The June meeting will be hosted by Joel McCurry.
 

Highlights of the Club's April 2009 Meeting
Chapel Hill, April 1, 2009

Ten members attended the Club's April meeting Hosted by Mark Blaustein. Thanks Mark.

President Royse called the meeting together at 7:30pm. The Treasurer's report for March was approved. Members who have not yet paid their 2009 Dues will receive a "Final Notice" in the next few days.

A number of train shows were discussed.

• The Carolina Coastal Railroaders Show in New Bern was a great success and enjoyed by all who attended.

• The Springmoor Nursing Home show was also a great success with many residents of Springmoor coming by to see the layout. We have already been invited back next year.

• The Spencer Rail Days show will be June 13 & 14 this year instead of in April. NCTM has expressed a desire to have our layout at the show. A workable layout concept has developed and initial attendance received. Layout planning will proceed.

• The space occupied by the furniture store at South Hills Mall is now vacant. We will pursue the possibility of a train show at the Mall in conjunction with a Craft Fair the weekend on May 2. More information on the email list.

A little more tweaking of Raleigh Yard is required following the extensive testing it received in the New Bern layout.

There has been no further progress to report on a potential sharing of a clubhouse with the Neuse River Valley club.

The business meeting ended at 7:55pm.

Following our refreshment and socializing break David Derway presented a 5-Minute Clinic on the use of Bullfrog Snot to improve the traction of N Scale steam locomotives. Thanks, David.

Since the scheduled program was canceled those who attended the meeting joined in a discussion about the hobby. Specific topics were Build-to-Order vs. Build-to-Stock, and the complexity of sound decoders over non-sound decoders, but well worth the effort.

The May meeting will be hosted by Jim Reske; he has suggested convening at 6:30pm instead of 7:30pm for a cookout. More information will be provided on the email list.
 

Highlights of the Club's March 2009 Meeting
Raleigh, March 4, 2009

Twelve members and one guest attended the Club's March meeting Hosted by David McDowell. Thanks David.

Vice-President Wallis called the meeting together at 7:30pm; President Bill Royse was traveling. The Treasurer's report for February was approved. The club has received payment of the proceeds from the Derby City Express National N Scale Convention in Louisville in June 2008. There was discussion of reserving some of these funds to purchase Digitrax UR92 bi-directional radio transceivers when they become available.

A number of train shows were discussed.

• The Carolina Coastal Railroaders Show in New Bern is scheduled for This weekend (March 7 – 8, 2009). All arrangements for our participation are in place. A last minute change to the layout plan was made when it was learned that one module would not be available.

• The Springmoor Nursing Home show will be Saturday, March 28, from 8:00am – 4:00pm. Don Cariss is Superintendent for this show; he will contact members via the email list. Layout size is 8' x 12'. Run steam locomotives as much as possible.

• The Spencer Rail Days show will be June 13 & 14 this year instead of in April. NCTM has expressed a desire to have our layout at the show. After significant discussion on our email list and at the meeting, the club agreed to participate in this show. Use will be made of our inside corners to better fit our layout to the available space.

A great deal of testing and tweaking has been performed on Raleigh Yard to get it problem free. It will receive its first full test at New Bern.

Our response to the NRV proposal to share space was provided to George Lasley, based on comments made by our members on the email list. Basically the most important requirement for NRMRC is unlimited access without requiring an NRV member to be present.

A new web page covering LocoNet and LocoNet cables has been placed on the web site.

The business meeting ended at 7:54pm.

Following our refreshment and socializing break updated photographs of club members were taken; 3 members were photographed.

Kim Parker, The Train Buddy, conducted our program on locomotive tune-ups. In particular he provided details on the cleaning and proper lubrication of N Scale locomotives, both diesel and steam. An important point that Kim made is to use the proper lubricants for the various parts of the locomotive: light oil for bearings, grease for gears and conducting lubricant for anywhere a moving part conducts electricity. He specifically recommended the lubricants manufactured by Aero-Car Hobby Lubricants, Inc. as being optimum for locomotives. Thanks, Kim.
 

Highlights of the Club's February 2009 Meeting
Wake Forest, February 4, 2009

Sixteen members and three guests attended the Club's February meeting Hosted by David Koss. Thanks Dave.

Vice-President Wallis called the meeting together at 7:30pm; President Bill Royse was involved in an automobile accident on the way to the meeting; he and the other party involved were not injured. The Treasurer's report for January and the 2009 Budget were approved. The Treasurer received dues payment for 2009.

A number of train shows were discussed.

• The Carolina Coastal Railroaders Show in New Bern is scheduled for March 7 – 8, 2009. The layout plan has been finalized and the host club has agreed to our requested size. It appears that there are sufficient members who will attend to handle the number of modules involved. Transportation also does not appear to be an issue.
  
  Members agreed that we should arrange for our own group dinner on the Saturday night, rather than participate in the host sponsored dinner. The restaurant will be decided during the show on Saturday March 7. Members were also reminded of Lori Sadler's offer to obtain lunch for us on Saturday and Sunday at the show.

• The Srpingmoor Nursing Home show will be Saturday, March 28, from 8:00am – 4:00pm. Don Cariss is Superintendent for this show; he will contact members via the email list. Layout size is 8' x 12'. Run steam locomotives as much as possible.

• The Spencer Rail Days show will be June 13 & 14 this year instead of in April. We have discussed among ourselves and with our partner Clubs about participation based on our experience last year. John Wallis to contact NCTM to determine their interest in having us participate, then we will discuss and decide.

• The French Broad eNpire Club in Hendersonville, NC has traditionally held a two-day Autumn Rails Show in the Fall. This year they will host two one-day shows, Spring Rails on April 25 and Autumn Rails on October 10. Details are on our Shows page.

Joel McCurry will contact UNC-TV re NRMRC participation In Festival 2009 during the time when a railroad program is being broadcast. He will advise the group and seek volunteers via the email list.

George Lasley and Frank Simmons of the Neuse River Valley Model Railroad Club (NRV) discussed the loss of the lease on their clubhouse after 8 years, and their search for new space, including their willingness to have other clubs, such as NRMRC, co-locate with them and share the expenses. They have found a space that is 5,500 sq ft, which is more space than they need. It was agreed that NRMRC members would discuss this offer on our email list; John Wallis began the discussion with a email on February 5.

The business meeting ended at 8:10pm.

Following our refreshment and socializing break updated photographs of club members were taken; 13 members were photographed.

Host Dave Koss had his ACL Spartanburg Division railroad operating, which was enjoyed by all present. Thanks, Dave.
 

Highlights of the Club's 2009 Annual Meeting
Raleigh, January 7, 2009

Seventeen members, eight spouses and one child attended the Club's January meeting, the 1009 Annual Meeting, held at the Golden Corral Restaurant.

Following dinner President Wallis called the meeting together at 7:30pm. The Treasurer's report for December was approved. The Treasurer received dues payment for 2009.

A special "Thanks for Making Our Life Easier" presentation was made to David Derway in recognition of his efforts in the design and manufacture of Geezer Gate and the NTRAK Joiner Track Measuring Gauge.

Several members volunteered to host club meetings in 2009, as listed on the "News" web page. June, July and September are still open.

Volunteers to present Programs and 5-Minute Modeling Tips for 2009 are solicited.

Nominations for Officers positions for 2008 were opened, then closed when no further nominations were made. For the first time in more than ten years there was actually a vote, for one of the Club Director slots. The following are the results of the election:

During the election and counting of ballots a number of train shows were discussed.

• The Carolina Coastal Railroaders Show in New Bern is scheduled for March 7 – 8, 2009. Discussion via the email list.

• Karen Cariss will determine a date on a Saturday in March for our annual show at Srpingmoor Nursing Home.

• The Spencer Rail Days show will be June 13 & 14 this year instead of in April. David Thompson is retiring as Superintendent for this show, so we are looking to find a volunteer to replace David. Also, we need to discuss among ourselves and with our partner Clubs if we wish to participate based on our experience last year.

Once the election results were know the gavel was passed to incoming President Bill Royse.

The business meeting ended at 7:54pm.

Our annual gift exchange program then took place with eighteen participants. This was an enjoyable event with several steals.

A brief meeting of the new Board of Directors was held, per North Carolina law.
 

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Last updated: Thursday November 5, 2009

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