North Raleigh Model Railroad Club

Meeting Notes Archives
2013

Highlights of the Club's 2013 Annual Meeting
Cary, January 9, 2013

Fifteen members, five spouses and five others attended the Club's 2013 Annual Meeting held at the Golden Corral Restaurant in Cary.

President Blaustein called the business meeting together at 7:00pm. The Treasurer's Report for December 2012 was reviewed and approved (Motion: Derway/Second: Foster), and the 2013 Budget was reviewed and approved (Motion: Thompson/Second: McCurry).

The minutes of the December meeting as posted on the Club's web site and as corrected were approved (Motion: Ohegyi/Second: Sadler).

President Blaustein briefly mentioned several train shows, but none were discussed in detail since none will be held prior to the February meeting.

Election of Officers and a Director for 2013 took place once nominations were closed (Motion: Foster/Second: Guckes). Since there was only one candidate for each position, the following were unanimously elected:

Outgoing President then handed the gavel to incoming President Gerry Foster.

The Club's February meeting will be hosted by Dave Koss on Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 7:30pm. The 5-Minute Modeling Tip will be LED in Series Lighting by Terry Baker, and the Program will be Weathering by Jim Kalenowski.

David Derway indicated club shirts had been shipped and would be available at the February meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 7:13pm.

Our annual Gift Exchange then took place with eighteen people participating. Clearly the most popular gift was a big box containing a bouquet of Union Pacific "Portland Roses". The extra rose for each lady present was a very nice touch.

The Club's Board of Directors held a meeting as required by the North Carolina Non-Profit Corporations Act.

Highlights of the Club's February 2013 Meeting
Wake Forest, February 6, 2013

Sixteen members, one guest and one "Skype" member attended the Club's February 2013 meeting hosted by Dave Koss. Thanks Dave.

President Foster called the business meeting together at 7:30pm. The Treasurer's Report for January 2013 was reviewed and approved (Motion: McCurry/Second: Derway).

The minutes of the January meeting as posted on the Club's web site and as corrected were approved (Motion: Derway/Second: Blaustein).

There was extensive discussion about the proposed changes to the Club's Bylaws. Some suggested changes will be made to the words which will then be submitted to the Membership for discussion. The intent is a final approval vote at the March meeting.

Several train shows were discussed:

• Train Collectors Association, February 17, 2013
  Our T-TRAK layout will be located in the Scott Building at the Fairgrounds. Setup will start at 8:30am and the show will be open to the public from 10am to 3pm. Module commitments have been obtained.

• RANTRAK Operating Session, February 16 – 17, 2013
  Jim Kalenowski and Joe Peacock will attend this session in Ashland VA.

• Carolina Coastal Railroaders Show, New Bern, NC, March 1 – 3, 2013
  Superintendent David Derway indicated that 10 members have committed to this show, the same number as last year. Layout space is the same, and the layout plan is very similar to last year's layout. Members going to New Bern are asked to meet at the storage shed at 9am on Friday, March 1. We will then proceed to our lunch at Wilbur's Barbecue in Goldsboro and then to New Bern. Setup should start at the Sudan Temple around 2pm. Superintendent Derway will send out the proposed layout plan via the email list.

• Apex Halle Center, March 12, 2013
  The Club will have use of the upstairs theater room at the Halle Center. Setup can start at 1pm, with the show open to the public from 6 to 9pm. We will exhibit our Apex Diorama and a T-TRAK layout. Joe Austin will confirm with the Historical Society re presenting a clinic on Model Railroading.

• Chapel Hill Senior (Seymour) Center, Date TBD.
  Mark Blaustein will contact the Senior Center to determine a date for the show.

• Springmoor Retirement Home, Date TDB.
  Don Cariss will contact Springmoor to arrange a date for our annual show.

• Windsor Point Retirement Home, Date TBD
  Jim Reske will contact Windsor Point to determine if they would be interested in the Club setting up an NTRAK layout on a weekend in May.

• 2013 NMRA National Convention, Atlanta, GA, July 14 – 20, 2013
  The National Train Show is July 19 – 21 with setup on the 17th and 18th. The NTRAK layout has been accepted for the show. T-TRAK modules from our club have been submitted to the T-TRAK coordinator.

The following item from the Standards Committee re the Ampere Station module reconstruction was discussed:

• Joe Peacock resigned as prime Project Manager and David McDowell resigned as Assistant Project Manager for the Ampere Station reconstruction.

• Joe Peacock showed a section of track using both flex track and Kato Unitrack that had been scenicked and ballasted to demonstrate how Kato Unitrack could be used on an NTRAK module. The result was stunning. One significant advantage of using Unitrack turnouts is the fact they are fully self-contained. No under table turnout machine and linkage is required that will need to be adjusted from time-to-time. Joe pointed out that he used Z scale ballast ion the Unitrack turnouts due to the ties not being raised as much as usual for track.

• Jim Kalenowski expressed concern at the cost of refurbishing Ampere Station with either Peco/Tortoise or Unitrack turnouts/machines. He suggested that we not try to match the existing Ampere Station layout. Jim will put together a proposal and send it out for comment via the Club's email list.

President Foster indicated that 5-Minuite Tips and Programs are set though June.

John Wallis stated that the Piedmont Railroad Museum & Library was investigating obtaining a store front so they could get going. He asked if the Club would be interested in placing an NTRAK layout in such a storefront.; There would be space for working on modules, such as Ampere Station, as well. Members are very supportive of having a layout in such as facility.

The Club's March meeting will be hosted by Mark Blaustein on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 at 7:30pm. The 5-Minute Modeling Tip will be Modeling Grade Crossings by Dave Koss, and the Program will be Weathering by Jim Kalenowski.

David Derway brought club shirts for those who had ordered them.

The meeting adjourned at 8:50pm.

Terry Baker presented the 5-Minute Tip on LEDs in Series, using a PowerPoint presentation to show how he used LEDs to light an engine house on his layout. Thanks Terry.

Due to the length of the meeting the Program on Weathering by Jim Kalenowski has been postponed to the March meeting. This was done so there was time for Members to visit Dave Koss' N Scale railroad, the ACL Spartanburg Division.

Highlights of the Club's March 2013 Meeting
Chapel Hill, March 6, 2013

Seventeen members, two guests and two "Skype" members attended the Club's March 2013 meeting hosted by Mark Blaustein. Thanks Mark. It was crowded.

President Foster called the business meeting together at 7:34pm. The Treasurer's Report for February 2013 was reviewed and approved (Motion: Derway/Second: McCurry).

The minutes of the February meeting as posted on the Club's web site and as corrected were approved (Motion: Derway/Second: Blaustein).

The motion to approve the changes in the Club's Bylaws was approved unanimously. (Motion: Wallis; Second: McCurry); the requirement of a two-thirds majority of club members was exceeded by 9 votes.

Several train shows were discussed:

• Train Collectors Association, February 17, 2013
  A very good show with the layout configuration essentially the same as the December show. We did have some problems with an inside corner module.

• RANTRAK Operating Session, February 16 – 17, 2013
  Jim Kalenowski and Joe Peacock attended this session in Ashland VA. The layout configuration was changed, which featured three balloon modules. The layout worked great, although the turnout problem on Overlook Junction has not been fixed.

• Carolina Coastal Railroaders Show, New Bern, NC, March 1 – 3, 2013
  This was a great show with easy setup enjoyed by all. Three minor problems were encountered on the NTRAK layout as documented in the Superintendent's report.
  
  The T-TRAK layout was smaller than planned due to space constraints in the venue. The layout featured the first use of new junction modules constructed by Joe Peacock. The layout operated well.

• Apex Halle Center, March 12, 2013
  The Club will display our Apex Diorama, a small T-TRAK layout, and present "Model Railroading: The World's Greatest Hobby" in the upstairs theater room at the Halle Center. Setup can start at 1pm, with the show open to the public from 7 to 9pm. Additional information via the email list.

• Chapel Hill Senior (Seymour) Center, Date TBD.
  No response yet from the Senior Center.

• Springmoor Retirement Home, April 6, 2013.
  This show will run from 8am to 4pm. More information via the email list.

• Train Collectors Association, May 4, 2013
  This show will feature our T-TRAK layout. It will be located in the Holshouser Building at the Fairgrounds.

• Windsor Point Retirement Home, Date TBD
  Jim Reske will contact Windsor Point to determine if they would be interested in the Club setting up an NTRAK layout on a weekend in May.

• 2013 NMRA National Convention, Atlanta, GA, July 14 – 20, 2013
  The National Train Show is July 19 – 21 with setup on the 17th and 18th. The NTRAK layout has been accepted for the show. T-TRAK modules from our club have been submitted to the T-TRAK coordinator.
  
  NRMRC members going to the Train Show will have free access to the layout and the Train Show floor. All other activities (clinics, tours, banquets, etc.) will require Convention registration.

The following item from the Standards Committee re the Ampere Station module reconstruction was discussed:

• John Wallis will be ordering Powerpole connectors and 12ga zip wire. Please advise John of your particular needs.

President Foster indicated that 5-Minuite Tips and Programs are set though June, but we are looking for volunteers for the second half of the year. Two members volunteered to host the May and July meetings.

The Club's April meeting will be hosted by David McDowell on Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 7:30pm. The 5-Minute Modeling Tip will be N Scale Screened in Porches by Terry Baker, and the Program will be Signaling with the NRMRC Test Layout by David McDowell.

The meeting adjourned at 8:15pm.

Dave Koss presented the 5-Minute Tip on Modeling Grade Crossings, using Evergreen strips and sheets to ensure proper flange width within the track, and how to add the approaches. He then went on to show how to protect crossings using crossbucks and gates, including how to activate the lights in the crossbucks. Thanks Dave.

Jim Kalenowski presented the Program on Weathering, postponed from last month. He emphasized the use of flat finish materials such as paints, demonstrating how to weather locomotive trucks and fuel tank. He emphasized that paints should not be shaken, but stirred (the opposite of 007 shaken, not stirred). Several examples of weathering on freight cars were shown. He pointed out that rust is darker in the center, lighter at the edges. This topic will continue in July. Thanks, Jim.

Copyright © 1997–2013 North Raleigh Model Railroad Club. All rights reserved.
The NRMRC is a Not-For-Profit Corporation incorporated in North Carolina.
The various logos and heralds shown here are the property of their respective organizations.

Last updated: Thursday September 5, 2013.

North Raleigh Model Railroad Club
Webmaster: John M Wallis (Email)