| Amoung the weekly routines at the Depot, a current ongoing project is the construction of a Lionel O scale layout. The layout was donated by a family living in Orchard Park, not far from the depot, with the stipulation that we do a rebuild and put it on display. This layout was a father and son hobby that provided many hours of enjoyment for the entire family.. |
 "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Roger S., Alex T. and Jim S. carry in one of the six train board tables that will be used to reconstruct the new layout. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
After disassembling the layout, in the donors home, the Depot Crew carried it up the basement stairs, loaded it on Roger Smith's pickup truck, drove it several blocks to the depot and carried it inside. That was during a lucky break in our beautiful January winter weather. |  "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Roger S., Bob R. and Jim S. work on rebuilding one of the six new layout tables. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
 "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Six new layout tables with new plywood tops are ready for track! (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
The train boards from the original layout plywood proved to be too weak to be reused for the new layout. Roger Smith and Gary Ludwig used new wood to replace the old pieces and six new train boards were made. The original layout had good reusable folding metal table legs and they completed the building of the new tables. Two coats of white paint were applied by Bob Reynders to ready the train boards for track. Our new layout is about 10 by 14 and only two feet in depth in the shape of a square letter "O." |  "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Alex T., Jim S. and Roger S. construct new trestle pieces for the elevated setions of the layout. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
 "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Two levels of O Gauge track on the layout. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
The men's waiting room in the passenger depot was chosen as a suitable place for the layout. Once in place Gary Ludwig carefully drew a track plan using as much of the donated track as possible. The new design called for two levels of track. The lower level was in place by the last week of March and the raised track will soon follow. This plan mimics the donors original concept of two levels. |  "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Trestle pieces and supports are spaced out on the layout by Alex T. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
 "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - With elevated sections in place, a Steel Deck Girder Bridge is positioned. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
The work will continue for another month with a full crew before our attention turns to continuing the work on the BR&P caboose. Hopefully by that time the layout will be established enough so that two of the crew can continue the work adding scenery. |
 "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Alex T. and the Guys inspect the neew Girder Bridge. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
Our weather this spring has caused us to postpone any outdoor work allowing us more time to continue building our O scale layout. After assembling the track plan, the supports for the upper level of track were put in place by Roger S. and Gary L. with help from Jim S. and Alex T. Once both levels of track were screwed down, the scenery making process began. We used cardboard, glue, tape plastic wrap and plastercraft gauze to form the landscape. |  "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Alex T. and the Guys inspect the new Girder Bridge. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
 "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - West village is starting to grow! (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
Retaining walls made out of wood were cut and painted to look like concrete block. Gary did the walls, one of the two railroad bridges, two tunnel portals and an automobile bridge. Jim did a large section of simulated sedimentary rock at the north end of the layout and a corner hill now known as Jimmy's Hill at the south east end of the layout. Alex and yours truly did all of the plastering work. |  "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Twin steel deck bridges span the lower level track. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
| We did suspend layout work on Saturday May 17 so that the Orchard Park Garden Club could do their annual plant sale. Several of the Crew worked out of the freight station that day and managed to load a map cabinet on to Roger Smith's trailer for a ride to Lee Street. We also had our annual visits by the Ed U Kids, a preschool that walks their students to the depot for a half hour tour of our grounds. |  "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Ed-U-Kids visit our BR&P Caboose on a beautiful day at the end of May. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
 "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Roger S. on the scaffold waits for Gary L. and Jim S. to prepare another board. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
Our major project this summer has been the continuation of replacing the wooden exterior of the BR&P caboose. This project is headed up by Roger Smith with help mainly from Gary Ludwig and Jim Slomonski. Once the spring rains let up, Roger and Gary began tearing off the old siding and replacing it with new tongue-and -groove boards on the track side of the caboose. |  "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Track side of the BR&P Caboose now has all new siding. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
| Last year the street side was resided. Bob Reynders primed the new boards in the freight house before they were taken out to the caboose to be installed. Work progressed at a steady pace until a piece of rotted 4x4 frame wood at the edge of the roof was exposed. That rotted piece had to be replaced before work could continue. Now the track side of the caboose has all new siding. The copula is next and by the time this news letter is out much of that work will be well under way. |
 "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Roger S. and Gary L. cut another piece of siding. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
Our other ongoing project is the O scale layout in the passenger station. Since all of the track work has been completed and the basis for our topography is in place we are now doing scenery. We decided to change our original plan of a winter scene and make four seasons for the layout. Each one of the four sides will be one of the seasons. We have started with Fall on the hallway side. |
 "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Perry's Ice Cream truck drops off 180 gallons of Ice Cream!. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
Friday July 25th was the Ice Cream Social at the Depot. The Village of Orchard Park put on their annual party selling ice cream under the roof of the trackside waiting area while other activities took place around the depot and at the library across the street. |  "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - The line for tickets continued all day. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
 "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Families and Friends enjoyed Ice Cream on the waiting platform all day. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
 "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Tables were set up on the fron lawn which was perfect for groups. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
 "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - A wonderful fireworks show capped off the night! (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
| The fun began around 7pm and ended with a large fireworks display which took place on the lawn in front of the freight house. The Depot Crew sold water, pop and coffee from 7 until nine. Coming up on Sunday August 17th from 11am until sold out is our Chicken BBQ at the Depot, 295 South Lincoln in the Village of Orchard Park. Cost is only $9 a dinner and it is Take-Out only. Just stop by the depot to pick them up. All proceeds benefit the ongoing restoration of the Orchard Park station site. |
 "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Left to right: Gary Ludwig, Roger Smith, Jim Slominski, Bob Reynders work on BR&P caboose at Orchard Park Depot. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
For the months of August and September the Depot Crew finished replacing the wood on the track side of the BR&P caboose and moved up top to the cupola. Project leader Roger Smith along with helpers Jim Slominski and Bob Reynders began the work from the inside. At some point in the cabooses lifetime the inside of the cupola was covered with plywood. All of that was removed to allow |  "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Roger Smith working on inside of BR&P caboose at Orchard Park Depot. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
| for an inspection of the framework of the cupola before any rebuilding could be done. After parts of the framework were replaced the exterior wood was removed on the left and right sides of the cupola. Those sides were then resided with new wood. We plan to continue the work for as long as we have good weather. |
 "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Left to right: Alex Trank, Bob Reynders cutting grass at the Depot. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
Grass cutting and maintenance at the depot continued throughout the summer. Bob Reynders and Alex Trank did their share of the grass work as did Duane Warchocki. Issues like depot light bulbs that burn out sometimes take some cleaver solutions to get fixed. Bob Reynders and Jim Slominski could not get the right ladder to replace a portico light bulb so they improvised. Kids, don't try this at home or anywhere else for that matter. |  "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Left to right: Jim Slominski, Bob Reynders replacing bulb under the station platform. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
| Think their method would pass the OSHA safety test? Sometimes "you just gotta do what ya gotta do." |
 "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - O scale layout at the Depot. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
The donated layout project is in a constant building mode. Scenery is added in an ongoing basis. The most recent addition is a water effect. A section of the train board was cut to form an area for a canal. Next plaster rocks were made and added to form the canal side walls. A dark colored paint was applied to the canal bottom in preparation for the artificial water. The rock cliffs will be painted first and to finish it off two canoes with two figures in each canoe will be added once the faux water has hardened. |
| Coming up at the depot on the first Saturday on December 6th, will be the annual Holiday in the Park. Mr. & Mrs. Claus will be on hand, in the ladies waiting room, to listen to young children with Christmas wishes while the Depot Crew will be selling hot chocolate and coffee in the baggage room. Trains will be running on the new layout in the men's waiting room and the depot will have its usual seasonal decorations. Work parties at the depot are every Wednesday and Saturday from 9 till noon and the depot is open to the public at that time also. |
 "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Left to right: Roger Smith, Gary Ludwig and Jim Slomionski put plexiglas on the layout to keep everything safe for the viewing public. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
The Orchard Park Depot Crew continued to work on the O scale railroad layout during the months of October and November to make it ready for the annual Holiday in the Park celebration which is partly held at the depot. Last year we had around four hundred children, plus their parents, come through the depot to pay a visit with Santa and Mrs.Claus (AKA Mr. & Mrs. Fran Hogenkamp). This year the visitors will pass by the layout on their way to see Santa. Roger S., Gary L. and Jim S. put plexiglas on the layout to keep everything safe. |
 "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - The Orchard Park Garden Club rented the passenger station in October for a preholiday craft sale. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
The Orchard Park Garden Club rented the passenger station in October for a preholiday craft sale. Every inch of the main floor was filled with crafts, collectables and good things to eat. All reports indicated that it was a huge success. |  "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Every inch of the main floor was filled with crafts, collectables and good things to eat! (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
| Nestor Arauz from the HDC stopped by in October to pick up the remainder of a large map cabinet. Jim Slominski, Roger Smith and Bob Reynders helped load the pickup that Nestor brought to transport the cabinet back to the HDC. |  "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Nestor Arauz from the HDC stopped by in October to pick up the remainder of a large map cabinet. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (150K)") |
| Decorating the passenger station was the main focus for the month of November and despite a complete shutdown of everything in Orchard Park the week of the 17th due to almost 7 feet of snow, the station was made ready for Holiday in the Park. Bob Reynders put electric candles in every window and then built a new table to hold the Christmas tree in its new location. Recently we lost a dear friend and a great friend of the Depot when our beloved mayor of the Village of Orchard Park, John Wilson, passed away suddenly on November 5th. John lived across the street from the Depot and paid us visits frequently. He always had something good to say about what we were doing. He always tried to do what every he could to help us out. He was fun to be with and he will be missed. Our condolences go out to the family. Work will continue at the Depot through the winter months every Wednesday and Saturday from 9am till noon. |
 "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - The Orchard Park Garden Club set up under the portico with their wreath/table decorations sale. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (125K)") |
This past December 6th the Depot was once again part of Orchard Park Village's annual Holiday in the Park. Bob Reynders put up the Depot's electric holiday candles in every window, the village strapped large wooden candy canes to the roof support posts street side and the Orchard Park Garden Club set up under the portico with their wreath/table decorations sale. Santa and Mrs. Clause arrived around 6 and visited with 400 children and their parents. |  "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Santa and Mrs. Clause arrived around 6 and visited with 400 children and their parents. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (125K)") |
 "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Everyone had a chance to walk past the donated O scale layout. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (125K)") |
This year the line to Santa was redirected so as to cause everyone to walk past the donated O scale layout. This was a surprise treat for both young and old. The layout had trains running all evening under the control of engineers Alex Trank and Jim Slominski. Many of us heard positive comments about the layout and it is possible that we have started a new tradition for Holiday in the Park. |
| Even though the winter season has made getting to the Depot difficult at times, work at the depot has not stopped. The layout gets scenery work on a regular basis and work on various other projects continue. Gary Ludwig has been assembling, from scratch, the all wood doors for the BR&P caboose and Bob Reynders has been working on restoring three large freight house windows. |  "(c)2014 Robert Snyder - Gary Ludwig has been assembling, from scratch, the all wood doors for the BR&P caboose. (10K) - CLICK to Enlarge (125K)") |
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