(Volume 26, No. 8)
Presidents Soapbox
This summer has gone by very fast for me, and the October Railshow is looming on the horizon. We still have much to be done on the layout as well as some other items needing completion in preparation for the event. Finding a time when the board can meet to discuss the issues remains a large issue. Some weeks ago, I put together a list of my concerns leaving space for others input and probably gave it to someone else not necessarily as an assignment but as a guide for action. The board should get together and review this list in detail as soon as possible. Why, might you ask, are you putting this in the newsletter instead of asking the Board members individually? Good question, but it has always been a challenge finding a time when everyone on the Board could agree on a suitable time. Now with some of us putting extra time working on the layout, the common time becomes even more elusive. Most of us also have contended with company (it seems like I have had the same for a month) and even a few travels of our own. These factors further complicate the issue.
On my most recent travel to the SP&S-NP Conventions in Portland, I was very impressed with the variety of activities offered and gained a greater respect for those who were responsible for its organization and implementation. We were fortunate that a large number of former SP&S employees were active in the organization and still living in the area. Considering the fact that the railroad ceased to exist more than 30 years ago, many of them only had a few years of service before the merger into the Burlington Northern and continued to work in the same area.
We were taken on a tour of the Brooklyn Roundhouse where both the former SP 4449 and SP&S 700 steam engines were stored and where the 700 and other engines are undergoing repair. Part of this tour included visits to all of the major rail yards in Portland with a couple of retired and present employees serving as guides. One interesting area was the extensive industrial area where the crews switched cars in and out on some of the most interesting track arrangements one could imagine. Other parts of the tour included a stop at Boise Cascade's paper mill in St. Helens, OR, and a visit to the huge lift span bridge over the Columbia River. One of the presentations covered the engineering, design and construction of this bridge. The presentation included a report of an accident involving a large ship which damaged the bridge, closing it for a time while repairs were made. The repairs constituted creating a larger span offsite, then removing the damaged section and installing the new span intact. The logistics aspect alone was quite intriguing to me. The report on all the Convention activities is too lengthy for this column so I hope to get it together as a separate article for a future newsletter.
I note that since we are exchanging our newsletter with other regional clubs they are taking note of what we are doing and expressing an interest in seeing the completed project. Even as we continue in the process of learning and construction, I am finding myself increasingly eager to see the first phase completed. Since I have recently begun following the Yahoo group IDSIG (a layout design organization) forum, I note that very few projects will go from design to completion without a lot of modification, the use of railroad planning software notwithstanding.
Therefore, patience please while we sort through the design issues and learning process of actual construction. Footnote, lets all try to clean up after ourselves - I, for one, prefer to work in a clean area.
Leo Harker
Timetable
Because we have taken down the modular section of the layout, all meetings will be work nights until further notice.
Piezo Motor
In this prototype of an H0 model railway engine both pantographs can be raised and lowered with a remotely controlled piezo motor. Elliptec AG is the manufacturer of this device. The photo is from their website.
The motor produces a stopped force of more than one Newton while only occupying 20 x 8 x 5 mm3 of space inside the train engine.
Thanks to an adjustable slow speed, the piezo motor delivers a very smooth realistic movement of the pantographs.
Alan Udy
Open House
As you can see by the timetable, our fall meet is rapidly approaching and we still don't have trains running on the new section. Also, as Leo mentioned, we need to clean up the area so it will make visitors feel a little more welcome.
Let's take pride in our work and do some cleanup so we will be presentable. Even on our work nights we have had visitors. The other day, I had a visitor from the Northern Virginia Model RR Club. I did not feel I could take him down to our club because of the mess. Take a little time to clean up when working.
Doug Herrmann
Material Needed
If you have material for a future Eagle Tracks, please send it to the Editor.