North Raleigh Model Railroad Club

News & Information

Highlights of the Club's 2016 Annual Meeting
Raleigh, January 6, 2016

Nineteen members and one guest attended the Club's2016 Annual Meeting at the Golden Corral restaurant on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh.

Following dinner President Ohegyi called the meeting together at 7:07pm. The Treasurer's Report for December 2015 was reviewed and approved (Motion: Blaustein; Second: Derway). The 2016 Budget was approved following the addition of funds for the additions to Apex Diorama to make it into a T-TRAK module (Motion:Hicks; Second: Derway). A motion to approve spending the funds for the Diorama additions was passed (Motion: Sadler; Second: Shoffeitt).

The minutes of the December Meeting as posted on the Club's web site were approved. (Motion: Derway; Second: Hicks).

The Central Carolina Club train show in New Bern in February was discussed. Superintendent Derway announced our layout would be NTRAK only this year, and asked for module and people commitments as soon as possible as we must request our desired space very soon.

The Club opened nominations for Officers and a Director for 2016, as follows:

When no further nominations were made a motion to close nominations was made (Motion: Blaustein; Second: Derway). The above named were elected by acclamation. Gerry Foster has agreed to remain as Education Chairman and David Derway becomes the new Chairman of the Standards Committee.

Paperwork to transfer the club's Registered Agent from John Wallis to David Derway was completed and will be submitted to NC and the IRS. Ownership of the club's Yahoo Groups Email list has been transferred to Paul Ohegyi.

The February meeting will be Wednesday, February 3, 2016 at 7:30pm, hosted by Dave Koss.

• 5-Minute Modeling Tip: Repairing Trucks under Heavyweight Passenger Cars — Rick Dellafave

• Casting Custom Concrete Bridge Abutmernts — David Derway

The meeting adjourned at 7:27pm.

The Club's annual Gift Exchange then took place Several items were "stolen" during the event, with three items reaching the "safe" category (stolen twice).

Following the Gift Exchange the statutory meeting of the Board of Directors was held, and then adjourned.

Highlights of the Club's December 2015 Meeting
Cary, December 2, 2015

Thirteen members, 10 in person and 3 by Skype plus two guests attended the Club's December 2015 meeting hosted by Joel McCurry. Thanks Joel.

President Ohegyi called the meeting together at 7:31pm. The Treasurer's Report for November 2015 was reviewed and approved (Motion: Derway; Second: McCurry).

The minutes of the November Meeting as posted on the Club's web site were approved. (Motion: Derway; Second: Blaustein).

Several train shows were discussed:

• Neuse River Valley Train Show — November 7 – 8, 2015 (John Wallis)
  Good Show along with our friends from the Central Carolina N Scalers. Linwood Wells' Engine Service modules was "Certified with Exception"; he will prepare an Application Note on setting up Engine Service if he is not present. Had some issues with setup of Red Rock Junction, since resolved. Thanks to Lori Wheatley for Sunday lunch. Suspected faulty DCC equipment tested OK.

• Train Collectors Association Show, December 5 – 6, 2015 (John Wallis)
  Layout plan prepared. Setup starts at 1:30pm on Friday, December 4

• Central Carolina Club Show (New Bern) — February 20 – 21, 2016
  David Derway is NTRAK layout Superintendent and Dave Thompson is T-TRAK layout Superintendent. The DCC "Committee" will look after the DCC setup.

• Train Collectors Association Show, April 30 – May 1, 2016
  This two-day show will be in the Scott Building at the Fairgrounds.

A number of Standards issues were discussed:

• The FitzGerald Yard construction team is continuing the scenicking of the yard modules, with current emphasis on ballasting track. One problematic track section was replaced.

• The committee to consider and recommend the future of the NRMRC web site starting in 2016 continues to be active, and has stated the new web site should be ready for prime time by the end of February. Module descriptions need updated photos.

• The question of future NRMRC projects was discussed:
  
  New Trailer to transport modules and equipment
  The Club trailer can be stored at either Paul Ohegyi's or Joel McCurry's home. David Derway will update pricing information for review at the next meeting. David Derway will list the old trailer on Craig's List with an asking price of $200.00.
  
  Apex Diorama
  A meeting was held November 14 to begin discussions leading to a plan for this diorama. A plan has been suggested which will be used as the basis for detailed engineering of the project. Work session to be planned. Packaging for transport considered a major issue.

The Club opened nominations for Officers and a Director for 2016, as follows:

There was discussion of the functions of the Secretary being primarily that of a Director of Communications.

The 2016 Annual Meeting will be held Wednesday, January 6, 2016 beginning at 6:30pm, at the Golden Corral on Glenwood Avenue. Official notice of the Annual Meeting and Membership Renewal will be sent to members between Christmas and New Years.

Purchase of a new computer for use at train shows and as our Skype computer was authorized by the Board of Directors. This acquisition is complete.

5-Minute Tips and Programs are needed for 2016. Advise Gerry Foster if you wish to present a Tip or Program. See the listing below.

The January meeting will be our Annual Meeting and Gift Exchange to be held January 6, 2016 at the Golden Corral on Glenwood Avenue.

The meeting adjourned at 8:31pm.

John Wallis briefly discussed use of the new Woodland Scenics Light Hub for applications where LED dimming is needed. He also showed an example of the Martha Living small dot LED strings available at The Home Depot. These tiny LEDs can be very useful for lighting buildings, etc.

Joel McCurry presented the 5-Minute Tip on Making Your Own Bridge Rectifiers, showing the theory involved, and provided materials so each attendee could construct their own. Thanks Joel.

Joel McCurry presented the Program on Constructing a DCC LED Tester, providing material for each attendee to construct his own. Thanks Joel.

Highlights of the Club's November 2015 Meeting
Chapel Hill, November 4, 2015

Eighteen members, 12 in person and 6 by Skype attended the Club's November 2015 meeting hosted by Al Guckes. Thanks Al.

President Ohegyi called the meeting together at 7:28pm. The Treasurer's Report for October 2015 was reviewed and approved (Motion: McCurry; Second: Foster).

The minutes of the October Meeting as posted on the Club's web site were approved. (Motion: McCurry; Second: Guckes).

Several train shows were discussed:

• Windsor Point T-TRAK Show — October 24 – 25, 2015 (John Wallis)
  Our three-table T-TRAK layout was in a recreation room in the health care part of the building. Small space, but a different configuration would have been better for the few visitors that attended. The layout operated well.

• Neuse River Valley Train Show — November 7 – 8, 2015 (John Wallis)
  Names for ID tags required for free admission submitted to NRV. Layout plan finalized. Setup will start with loading at the storage shed at 10:30am on Friday, November 6, then at the Graham building at 11:00am. Our donated LGB train set will be raffled; Dave Koss will prepare tickets, etc.
  
  The Club will select one "outstanding" module in the layout for photographs and a description to be submitted to NTRAK for the new "How To" book.

• Train Collectors Association Show, December 5 – 6, 2015 (John Wallis & Paul Ohegyi)
  Have confirmed our space with TCA. Setup starts at 1:30pm on Friday, December 4

• Central Carolina Club Show (New Bern) — February 20 – 21, 2016
  David Derway volunteered to be NTRAK layout Superintendent. Need T-TRAK layout Superintendent and Digital Masters for both layouts.

• Train Collectors Association Show, April 30 – May 1, 2016
  This two-day show will be in the Scott Building at the Fairgrounds.

A number of Standards issues were discussed:

• The FitzGerald Yard construction team is continuing the scenicking of the yard modules..

• The committee to consider and recommend the future of the NRMRC web site starting in 2016 continues to be active..

• The question of future NRMRC projects was discussed:
  
  New Trailer to transport modules and equipment
  It has been determined that a Club trailer can be stored at either Paul Ohegyi's or Joel McCurry's home. David Derway will provide all dimension for the trailer options being considered.
  
  Apex Diorama
  This module has now been sitting unused in the storage shed for about two years; a lot of work by many in the club went into constructing this diorama, and it is time we put it to use. The suggestion is to construct 4 adapter modules (two for NTRAK and two for T-TRAK) and bases/legs as necessary to use in NTRAK and T-TRAK layouts. The consensus is that the T-TRAK adapter modules be constructed first. Terry Baker volunteered to chair a team, consisting of Joe Austin, Al Guckes, Paul Ohegyi, Joe Peacock, Todd Shoffeitt and John Wallis, charged with developing a plan to make this happen. A meeting is planned for November 14 to begin discussions leading to a plan for this diorama..

John Wallis provided an update on the NTRAK Board meeting on Monday night. He indicated information on NTRAK 2.0 has been provided to the Board, with balloon module descriptions and photos to come. There was also discussion of upcoming conventions in 2016 (NSE Kansas City; NMRA Indianapolis).

The Club opened nominations for Officers and a Director for 2016, as follows:

David Derway had earlier agreed to be Chairman of the Standards Committee.

The 2016 Annual Meeting will be held Wednesday, January 6, 2016 beginning at 6:30pm. Since our normal location, the Golden Corral in Cary has closed, Todd Shoffeitt will make a reservation for us at the Golden Corral on Glenwood Avenue.

Purchase of a RRampMeter, Accessory Bus Power Supply and LocoBuffers previously approved has been completed..

5-Minute Tips and Programs are needed for 2016. Advise Gerry Foster if you wish to present a Tip or Program. See the listing below.

The full listing of members for the inclusion of NTRAK Newsletter subscriptions has been submitted to NTRAK. The renewal date will be March as this gives us the ability to weed out anyone who does not renew their membership, which is due in January.

The December meeting will be hosted by Joel McCurry on Wednesday, December 2, 2015. The 5-Minute Tip will be Make Your Own Bridge Rectifiers, and the Program is Soldering, both by Joel McCurry.

The meeting adjourned at 8:27pm.

Al Guckes presented the 5-Minute Tip on Dental Instruments & Railroad Modeling, showing how various dental instruments could be used for modeling. He also provided a selection of instrument that members could take.. Thanks Al

Todd Shoffeitt presented the Program on Ballasting Kato Unitrack, showing how he does it along with the "low tech" tools used. In particular he recommended using cheap latex paint on the slope of the track to improve adherence of the ballast. Thanks Todd.

Highlights of the Club's October 2015 Meeting
Chapel Hill, October 7, 2015

Seventeen members, 10 in person and 7 by Skype attended the Club's October 2015 meeting hosted by Mark Blaustein. Thanks Mark.

President Ohegyi called the meeting together at 7:30pm. The Treasurer's Report for September 2015 was reviewed and approved (Motion: McCurry; Second: Blaustein).

The minutes of the September Meeting as posted on the Club's web site were approved. (Motion: Hicks; Second: McCurry).

Several train shows were discussed:

• Danville Old 97 Rail Days, September 26 – 27, 2015 (Tim Hammack/John Wallis)
  Great layout design provided a little more space for operators. The layout and DCC system operated well. A maximum of 11 operators were simultaneously using WiThrottle. Several members were trained on the correct setup procedure for Red Rock Junction.

• Selma Railroad Days, October 2 – 3, 2015 (John Wallis)
  This show was cancelled due to the heavy rains in Eastern North Carolina, only the second time in the Club's history a show has been cancelled.

• Windsor Point T-TRAK Show — October 24 – 25, 2015 (John Wallis)
  Our T-TRAK layout will be in a 2-' x 20' recreation room in the health care part of the building so that more residents who are handicapped can view the layout. The layout will be 3 tables large. More information via the Email list.

• Neuse River Valley Train Show — November 7 – 8, 2015 (John Wallis)
  NRV have confirmed an increase in our space to 30' x 80' for our NTRAK layout. Received layout plan from CCNS for their modules. NRV will require a list of attendees so they can issue admission badges; club name badges will not be accepted for free admission.

• Train Collectors Association Show, December 5 – 6, 2015 (John Wallis & Paul Ohegyi)
  More information to come in November.

• Potential shows in 2016 are:
  
  George L Carter Railroad Museum show in Johnson City TN on June 3 - 4, 2016 (Friday/Saturday), possibly an ENL show.
  
  Bedford show relocated to Altoona PA. Possibly same week as Spencer.
  
  Danville 2016 will be combined with a TCA show, possibly with a 611 visit.

A number of Standards issues were discussed:

• The FitzGerald Yard construction team has competed the trestle for the Mountain track, and scenicking of that track is underway. The location of buildings and roads have been marked on the module.

• The committee to consider and recommend the future of the NRMRC web site starting in 2016 continues to be active. The URL is nrmrc.eastern-n-lines.org. Connect and explore. One of the aims of the new web site is to allow members to do updates. A User Manual will be required.

• The question of future NRMRC projects was discussed:
  
  New Trailer to transport modules and equipment
  Paul Ohegyi has obtained some information on trailer storage. The facility where our unit is would charge $20/month. There is no space now, except a space out front which could be used until a space becomes available. Paul will investigate other locations where the trailer could be parked (churches, apartments, etc.). He will also investigate a 10' x 20' storage shed with sufficient height to store the trailer inside and with a ramp rather than a curb.
  
  Apex Diorama
  This module has now been sitting unused in the storage shed for about two years; a lot of work by many in the club went into constructing this diorama, and it is time we put it to use. The suggestion is to construct 4 adapter modules (two for NTRAK and two for T-TRAK) and bases/legs as necessary to use in NTRAK and T-TRAK layouts. The consensus is that the T-TRAK adapter modules be constructed first. Terry Baker volunteered to chair a team, consisting of Joe Austin, Al Guckes, Paul Ohegyi, Joe Peacock, Todd Shoffeitt and John Wallis, charged with developing a plan to make this happen. This will be a project starting in October/November.

The Club still needs volunteers for critical positions like Vice-President (2015) and Secretary (2016). Digital Master (2016), Plans are in place for other needed functions. Nominations for 2016 Officers and a Director will open in November.

The club approved (Motion: McCurry; Second: Guckes) the purchase of two LocoBuffer-USB devices and a NCE P515 Power Supply for club DCC operations. Approximate cost is $165 plus shipping.

5-Minute Tips and Programs are for 2016. Advise Gerry Foster if you wish to present a Tip or Program. See the listing below.

The full listing of members for the inclusion of NTRAK Newsletter subscriptions is complete and being prepared in the format required by the NTRAK Business Office. Submission will be in a few days. The renewal date will probably be March as this gives us the ability to weed out anyone who does not renew their membership, which is due in January.

The November meeting will be hosted by Al Guckes on Wednesday, November 4, 2015. The 5-Minute Tip will be Dental Instruments & Railroad Modeling by Al Guckes, and the Program is Ballasting Kato Unitrack by Todd Shoffeitt.

The meeting adjourned at 8:40pm.

John Wallis presented the 5-Minute Tip on Operating Trains with a Smart Phone, showing the setup required and what the user needs to do. He also mentioned he is going to test Virtual Router software in the Club's laptop computer, which would eliminate the need for a separate router. Thanks John

John Wallis and Paul Ohegyi presented the Program on Implementing the Accessory Bus. John explained the requirements and how to implement the bus, along with some examples on his T-TRAK modules. Paul conducted a hands-on demonstration showing how to add the bus to his modules, lighting up the buildings on them. Thanks Paul and John.

Highlights of the Club's September 2015 Meeting
Holly Springs, September 3, 2015

Eighteen members, 13 in person and 5 by Skype attended the Club's September 2015 meeting and cookout hosted by Jim Reske. Thanks Jim.

President Ohegyi called the meeting together at 7:30pm. The Treasurer's Report for August 2015 was reviewed and approved (Motion: McCurry; Second: Derway). The club passed a motion for Joe Johnston, Assistant Treasurer, to be added as an authorized signer for checks (Motion: Wallis; Second Austin).

The minutes of the August Meeting as posted on the Club's web site were approved. (Motion: Blaustein; Second: Guckes).

Several train shows were discussed:

• Train Collectors Association Show, August 8, 2015 (John Wallis)
  This was the first show that utilized the new banquet tables and our new T-TRAK signs. Several members tried their hand using smart phones as throttles for the first time. Enjoyable and successful show.

• Danville Old 97 Rail Days, September 26 – 27, 2015 (Tim Hammack/John Wallis)
  Modules for the layout committed, and DCC plan designed. Setup will start at 10:30am on Friday, September 25. Advise Tim Hammack whether you will attend lunch on Saturday (provided by the Museum). Our usual cookout will be Saturday by the station starting around 5pm. Book your hotel in Danville ASAP, as several are now sold out for that weekend.

• Selma Railroad Days, October 2 – 3, 2015 (John Wallis)
  This year's layout would be T-TRAK rather than NTRAK. Setup will start on October 2 at 7:30am. The show will be open to the school children on Friday from 10:00am to 4:00pm on Friday and to the public from (9:00am to 5:00pm on Saturday. More information and member/module commitments via the Email list.

• Windsor Point T-TRAK Show — October 24 – 25, 2015 (John Wallis)
  Our T-TRAK layout will be in a 2-' x 20' recreation room in the health care part of the building so that more residents who are handicapped can view the layout. The layout will be 3 or 4 tables large. More information via the Email list.

• Neuse River Valley Train Show — November 7 – 8, 2015 (John Wallis)
  Have advised NRV that our NTRAK layout could be about 76' x 24' and our T-TRAK layout could be 34' x 16'. Central Carolina N Scalers will join us in the NTRAK layout. NRV will require a list of attendees so they can issue admission badges; club name badges will not be accepted for free admission.

• Train Collectors Association Show, December 5 – 6, 2015 (John Wallis & Paul Ohegyi)
  More information to come in November.

• Potential shows in 2016 are an ENL layout in Johnson City TN in summer, and a T-TRAK layout at the MER "Tracks to the Triangle" convention at the RTP Marriott, October 20 – 23, 2016. There was also mention of participation in the NSE Convention in Kansas City next June, possibly with FitzGerald Yard and some other modules in the NTRAK layout.

A number of Standards issues were discussed:

• The FitzGerald Yard construction team has been working on abutments for the Mountain Division track along with the bridges for Mountain. A number of buildings and details have been purchased and are being assembled; some buildings will be lighted.

• The committee to consider and recommend the future of the NRMRC web site starting in 2016 is active and discussing options via Email. The URL is nrmrc.eastern-n-lines.org. Connect and explore. The committee is looking for more member comments; send your comments to the committee using the club's Email list. PDF documents from the existing web site have been transferred. Larry and Chris will start adding past meeting programs. The committee is moving forward to cut over from the current web site in the next few months.

• The requirement that any accessories (lights, etc.) be powered from an Accessory Bus rather than the Track Bus has been confirmed Paul Ohegyi and John Wallis will present a program on the Accessory Bus for NTRAK and T-TRAK modules at the October meeting.

• The question of future NRMRC projects was discussed:
  
  New Trailer to transport modules and equipment
  The next step is to determine a place for storing the new trailer; this must be done prior to purchasing the trailer. Joel McCurry has agreed to haul the new trailer.
  
  Apex Diorama
  This module has now been sitting unused in the storage shed for about two years; a lot of work by many in the club went into constructing this diorama, and it is time we put it to use. The suggestion is to construct 4 adapter modules (two for NTRAK and two for T-TRAK) and bases/legs as necessary to use in NTRAK and T-TRAK layouts. The consensus is that the T-TRAK adapter modules be constructed first. Terry Baker volunteered to chair a team, consisting of Joe Austin, Paul Ohegyi, Todd Shoffeitt and John Wallis, charged with developing a plan to make this happen. This will be a project starting in October.
  
  Expansion of FitzGerald Yard
  The need to expand FitzGerald Yard with 2x 4-foot modules was tabled for future discussion.

The Club still needs volunteers for critical positions like Vice-President (2015), Secretary (2016), Digital Master (2016), Registered Agent (2016), Chairman of the Standards Committee (2016), local Skype Master (2016) and ownership of the Yahoo Groups Email list (2016). The following decision were made:

• Digital Master
  It was decided to have a number of "Subject Matter Experts (SME)" trained in DCC rather than a single person. Dave Thompson, Joel McCurry, Joe Peacock, Jim Kalenowski, Chris Thompson, Larry Hicks and Joe Johnston volunteered to be SMEs.
  
  Dave Thompson will be the SME assisting the Digital Master at Danville, assisted by Mark Blaustein. Jim Kalenowski will be the SME at Selma.
  
  Paul Ohegyi, Joel McCurry and Chris Thompson will receive training in Danville on the correct setup of red Rock Junction using the updated instruction sheet and as directed by Dave Thompson.
  
  The following equipment is required for the Digital Master and SMEs:

• LED Tester — John Wallis to prepare parts list for individuals to purchase and bring to the December meeting for construction including soldering.
  
  Interface cable from LocoNet to a standard voltmeter to measure data line voltage. John Wallis to prepare parts list. Construction at the December meeting.
  
  RRampMeter for measuring DCC voltage and current. Motion made (Motion: McCurry, Second: Derway) to purchase RRampMeter. John Wallis to purchase. Requires construction of cable with Powerpole connectors and a banana plug with a tail light (for measuring voltage drop).
  
  Necessary DCC documentation will be downloaded onto a USB thumb drive for transfer to the club's laptop computers.
  
  Possible purchase of a router for the WiThrottle application.

• Local Skype Master
  Joe Johnston and Mark Blaustein have volunteered for this function.

• Registered Agent and Chairman of the Standards Committee
  David Derway volunteered for these functions.

• Owner of the Club's Yahoo Groups Email List
  Paul Ohegyi has volunteered to assume ownership of the list. The new Secretary will be added as a Moderator of the list.

5-Minute Tips are required for December and for 2016, and Programs for 2016. Advise Gerry Foster if you wish to present a Tip or Program. See the listing below.

John Wallis will contact Inge Trost, NTRAK Business Manager to determine what information is needed to subscribe all club members to the electronic edition of the NTRAK Newsletter, as agreed last month

The October meeting will be hosted by Mark Blaustein on Wednesday,October 7, 2015. The 5-Minute Tip will be Operating Trains with a Smart Phone by John Wallis, and the Program is Implementing the DCC Accessory Bus by Paul Ohegyi and John Wallis.

The meeting adjourned at 8:45pm.

John Wallis presented the Program on How to Be a Show Superintendent, essentially a repeat of a program presented in October 2013. Thanks John. David Derway and Dave Thompson volunteered to be superintendents for New Bern (NTRAK and T-TRAK respectively), and Paul Ohegyi volunteered for the TCA shows.

Highlights of the Club's August 2015 Meeting
Cary,August 5, 2015

Twenty members, 13 in person and 7 by Skype, and one guest attended the Club's August 2015 meeting hosted by Joel McCurry. Thanks Joel.

President Ohegyi called the meeting together at 7:30pm. The Treasurer's Report for July 2015 was reviewed and approved (Motion: Blaustein; Second: McCurry).

The minutes of the July Meeting as corrected and posted on the Club's web site were approved. (Motion: Foster; Second: Hicks).

Several train shows were discussed:

• Train Collectors Association Show, August 8, 2015 (John Wallis)
  Arrangements complete. Our layout will use 5 of our new tables..

• North Carolina Transportation Museum Spencer Train Show. August 22 – 23, 2015 (Gil Brauch/John Wallis)
  Due to reconstruction of the floor in the Backshop we will not be able to have our normal large layout. The Museum has made a small space available which CCNS will use for a layout.

• Danville Old 97 Rail Days, September 26 – 27, 2015 (Tim Hammack/John Wallis)
  ENL participation in this year's Old 97 Rail Days has been confirmed. Please advise Tim Hammack of module availability.

• Selma Railroad Days, October 2 – 3, 2015 (John Wallis)
  This year's layout would be T-TRAK rather than NTRAK.

• Windsor Point T-TRAK Show — Date TBD (John Wallis)
  The club recommended dates of either October 17/18 or 24/25, or November 21/22. John Wallis to contact Windsor Point.

• Neuse River Valley Train Show — November 7 – 8, 2015 (John Wallis)
  Have advised NRV that our NTRAK layout could be about 76' x 24' and our T-TRAK layout could be 34' x 16'. Central Carolina N Scalers will join us in the NTRAK layout.

• Potential shows in 2016 are an ENL layout in Johnson City TN in summer, and a T-TRAK layout at the MER "Tracks to the Triangle" convention at the RTP Marriott, October 20 – 23, 2016.

A number of Standards issues were discussed:

• The FitzGerald Yard construction team has sanded down the right end of the yard to remove the slight upward slope. A number of buildings and details have been purchased and are being assembled; some buildings will be lighted. Plans made for scenicking the Mountain track through the yard.

• The committee to consider and recommend the future of the NRMRC web site starting in 2016 is active and discussing options via Email. Chris Thompson demonstrated sample pages using Flickr. The URL is nrmrc.eastern-n-lines.org. Connect and explore. Send your comments to the committee using the club's Email list. An excellent feature of the "new" web site is the ability to format automatically for viewing on any device (desktop, smart phone, tablet). Member pages can be changed by the member.

• The requirement that any accessories (lights, etc.) be powered from an Accessory Bus rather than the Track Bus was confirmed at last month's meeting. Refer to Application Notes (DCC for T-TRAK Layouts and Electronics for Accessories powered by the 15VAC Accessory Bus) available on the club's web site. These documents will be improved with more examples. Paul Ohegyi and John Wallis will present a program on the Accessory Bus for T-TRAK modules at the October meeting.

• A motion was made (Shoffeitt) and seconded (Blaustein) to proceed with the purchase of 4 signs for T-TRAK layouts with a width of 28" wide and 29" high so they can be placed at the end of the 30" banquet tables. Chris Thompson will do the purchasing.

• The question of future NRMRC projects was discussed:
  
  New Trailer to transport modules and equipment
  David Derway provided some price information on trailer purchases from four suppliers with some options, based on 5' x 10' dimensions. Recommendations were made based on the perceived quality of the four suppliers. Delivery would be 5 - 6 weeks after order. Further discussion via the Email list
  
  David canvassed members via the Email list for information on whether their vehicles can tow a trailer. So far only two are able to tow a trailer.
  
  Apex Diorama
  This module has now been sitting unused in the storage shed for about two years; a lot of work by many in the club went into constructing this diorama, and it is time we put it to use. The suggestion is to construct 4 adapter modules (two for NTRAK and two for T-TRAK) and bases/legs as necessary to use in NTRAK and T-TRAK layouts. The consensus is that the T-TRAK adapter modules be constructed first. Terry Baker volunteered to chair a team, consisting of Joe Austin, Paul Ohegyi, Todd Shoffeitt and John Wallis, charged with developing a plan to make this happen. This will be a project starting this Fall.
  
  Expansion of FitzGerald Yard
  The need to expand FitzGerald Yard with 2x 4-foot modules was raised for future discussion.

The Club still needs someone to volunteer to be Vice-President. A Digital Master is also needed. These positions are critical.

5-Minute Tips are still required for November and December, and a Program for December. Advise Gerry Foster if you wish to present a Tip or Program. See the listing below. A suggested program is the correct method of operating of FitzGerald Yard.

The club voted to include the purchase of NTRAK Inc. membership and subscription to the Email version of the NTRAK Newsletter in club dues, without any increase in dues (Motion: Blaustein; Second: Foster).

The September meeting will be hosted by Jim Reske on Wednesday,September 2, 2015. The 5-Minute Tip will be Dental Instruments and Model Railroading by Al Guckes, and the Program is How to Be a Show Superintendent by John Wallis.

The meeting adjourned at 8:40pm.

Jim Reske presented his 5-Minute Tip on Fine-Tuning Con-Cor Passenger Cars. The fine-tuning required is the removal of flash on the inside of the truck frames that rubs on the track and causes derailing of the trucks. Thanks Jim.

Todd Shoffeitt presented the program on Kitbashing to Fit Your Space, using a PowerPoint presentation, now available in the Files section of the Yahoo Groups list, showing several examples of what he has done to fit his own layout. Thanks Todd.

Older Meeting Notes

To access Monthly Meeting Notes older than 6 months Click Here to access the Meeting Notes Archives page for 2015. For meeting notes in PDF format for 2014 click on the link below:

 
For meeting notes older then 2014 please contact the Club's Secretary.
 

The following are future Train Shows in which the NRMRC is planning to participate:

David Derway is taking orders for Club shirts. Estimated price is $20 + shipping for shirts without an embroidered name and $25 + shipping for shirts with name embroidered. Different shirts available are:

• Blue denim shirt with long sleeves and pocket including NRMRC Logo, with/without embroidered name.

• Blue denim shirt with short sleeves and pocket, including NRMRC Logo, with/without embroidered name.

• Light gray Polo shirt with short sleeves, no pocket, including NRMRC Logo, with/without embroidered name.

The Standards Committee has a number of projects underway, as follows:

Wednesday, February 3, 2016 at 7:30pm

Host: Dave Koss

If you are visiting this area or you are a non-Member and would like an invitation and directions to this meeting, send us an E-mail.

NRMRC monthly meetings are normally held the first Wednesday of each month in various Members' homes, starting at 7:30pm. The Annual Meeting each January is normally a dinner meeting held at a local restaurant held the second Wednesday, and the July meeting is normally the second Wednesday to avoid the July 4th holiday. Meetings generally include a business meeting, a program topic (see below) and socializing.
 

February 19 – 21, 2016

21st Annual
Carolina Coastal Railroaders Model Train Show

Riverfront Convention Center
203 E. Front Street
New Bern, North Carolina 28560

Hours, Saturday: 10:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday: 10:00am – 4:00pm

Admission: $6.00
Children under 12 with Adult: Free
Ticket good for both days.

See ten operating layouts in N, HO, S, O, Standard Gauge and G scales, and Thomas and Friends. New and used model railroad equipment available. There are hourly door prize drawings. Concessions available.

For more information call (252) 474-4153 or go to the Club's web site at http://carolinacoastalrailroaders.org/2015.asp.

To read articles from TRAKing Ahead, the former Newsletter of the North Raleigh Model Railroad Club, click in the appropriate box below for prototype or model railroad oriented articles, or for stories of actual train trips taken by our Members.
 

Copyright © 1997–2016 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 February 4, 2016

North Raleigh Model Railroad Club
Webmaster: Chris Thompson(Email)