These excerpts from our club newsletter the Waybill have been selected from several past issues. For more newsletter clippings, see page 2 and page 3.
by Steve Politowski (published July/August 1996)
Here is a capsule summary of some of the things that have made the past year so interesting for the SJSG.
by Ed Claypoole (published July/August 1996)
Hank Worrell reported on the trip to Russ Down's factory (Downs Model Railroad; DMR). Hank indicated that they saw the manufacturing of Russ's modern tank cars and his new chemical car project. Those in attendance had a real appreciation for what goes into the making of some of our rolling stock. Hank added that Russ's operation, while small in size, was extremely labor-intensive.
Dave Pierce indicated he could arrange a tour of a fabulous layout in Chadds Ford, PA. for any members who may be interested. Joe Sullivan brought up the Cape May Seashore Lines, Inc. tours which are now running from Cold Spring Historic Village and the Cape May County Zoo. Details will be available to anyone interested. This one looks like a winner! (Hey gang, this is the real thing. . .12 inches to the foot scale!)
Walt Mumie brought up the opening of the Flyertown Toy Train Museum on Rt. 9 in Claremont, N.J. The Matchbox Museum in Newfield, N.J. was also discussed as a possible trip destination.
by Ed Claypoole (compilation of SJSG Minutes column from several newsletters)
The [the club meeting] attendance at Henry Mortimer's house did not set any club records, but was not far off. 29 persons, two of which were guests, invaded Mort's house. Not quite like the invasion of Attila the Hun, but it does point out how this club is exploding in members. Also, Mort is in the process of constructing a very fine layout, using code .148 track, his own home-made power source, and some of the superstars of American Models, such as the Alco ABA and GG-1. And from what this writer could see, the equipment ran flawlessly.
A new SJSG membership directory was created by Joe Sullivan and passed out at the business meeting. New SJSG membership cards, laminated by Jim Oliver, were also passed out. The possibility of hosting another Christmas clinic at Chick's Hobbies was mentioned. This will, once again, be a good will gesture by the club to provide lubrication and cleaning service to the general public on American Flyer locomotives.
Wayne Schneyer reported the layout committee has been meeting on Wednesday nights. Pat Tentarelli has built two new straight sections and the layout is now four feet longer. Some of the items donated to the club layout include a cattle loader, Talking Station, a 761 Semaphore, the Guilford Diner, track switches and roadbed. The club is looking to buy a Log Loader and Barrel Loader and is also seeking loans and donations. Six club members will be making the trip to Connecticut the weekend of August 23-25 in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of AC Gilbert Co. The club layout and trailer are expected to be ready for our first out-of-state presentation.
by Bill Moore (published July/August 1995)
I want to thank all the members who participated in the SECRET PROJECT contest that was held in April at the home of Ken Davis. Special congratulations to John Kosick, who won first place for his Frank Titman "Square Signal Tower" kit. John beautifully customized it with his own interior details. A job well done by a fine craftsman. [Second place went to Bill Moore for his kit-bashed American Models hopper car converted to a ballast car, Ed.] Congratulations also to Joe Sullivan with his third place award, garnered for his well constructed 4 foot single-track Warren truss bridge, made for his hi-rail Flyer layout. Plus, a big round of applause for 7-year old Dori Bigley, who won honorable mention for his custom-built Gilbert Erector Set bridge. Many thanks to the 14 members who submitted entries to the SECRET PROJECT contest. Finally a plaudit for the club members who judged our contest; I could not have been more pleased with their fairness of judgement.
by Joe Sullivan (published January/February 1995)
On a recent visit to Chick's Hobby Center last week, besides being treated to the usual great service and great product selection, I witnessed the latest career move for our illustrious Chick Viggiano; Television! Recently, Chick participated in a local cable TV series of programs that highlighted various Gloucester County businesses. Chick's interview was terrific and he displayed remarkable poise as he extolled the virtues of S Gauge model railroading. Chick shared the spotlight with several beautiful pieces of American Models and American Flyer equipment. I hope Chick brings a copy of his TV debut with him at our January meeting! It was truly swell!
by Ed Claypoole (published May/June 1996)
Some thoughts on the recently completed Greenberg Train and Dollhouse Show of March 2-3. The March minutes have already touched upon the success our club had at the Greenberg Show. I think it is necessary to add a few things regarding that weekend, since it marked a real milestone with our club.
Make no mistake about it, the weekend was a smashing success on many levels. First and foremost was the simple fact that we took first prize out of the seven layouts that were in operation during the show. When I ask myself what merited our ribbon, I have to think it was a number of things. The trains ran beautifully all weekend, even to the point of double-heading 080's and GG-1's, which is not a common sight at train shows, especially in S! And then there was the constant variety our club was able to put on display, everything from Gilbert AF to Lionel AF to American Models. The club members donated their accessories, buildings and other scenery materials to give the layout a surprisingly finished look, despite the fact that only half the layout has any scenery at all.
One idea that certainly was a factor was the supplying of footstools to allow children to see the layout better. This was extremely popular with both the show crowd and the Greenberg Staff. Kudos to our own Wayne Schneyer for that one.
I would be amiss if I failed to mention the teamwork that went into this effort. When it got down to crunch time, everyone was there to get involved and offer their time and expertise. It took the club a good two years to bring this whole thing to fruition, but it was not something that was going to be done by the seat of our pants. We owe a tremendous thanks to Pat Tentarelli, whose Sn3 sectional layout became the foundation for what we brought to the Greenberg Show. It was Pat's remarkable workmanship on the original Sn3 modules that gave us such a good head start on our club layout.
Chick Viggiano unselfishly spent considerable time constructing the fine turnouts we used on the layout; Hank Worrell was just always there, driving us and providing us with the kind of leadership that was invaluable in getting everything accomplished; Henry Mortimer was gracious always in allowing us the use of his basement during the nascent stages of the layout; Steve Cuccinotta worked hard to supply us with the stanchions we employed at the show.
Now that the first really big show is behind us, our club can look to a great future for the SJSS in terms of train shows and valuable exposure. To all of those who made this possible, go ahead and pat yourselves on the back. You've earned it!
Typed by Michael McConnell (published February/March 1997)
The US Standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet 8 1/2 inches. That is an exceedingly odd number. Why was that distance used as the standard railroad gauge? Because the American rail system was built by English ex-patriots, and that was the way they built them in England.
Great... so why did the English use that particular gauge? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people that built the pre-railroad tramways, and that was the gauge they used.
OK, so why did 'they' use that gauge for the tramways then? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that were used for building wagons, which used the same distance between the wagon wheels.
Uh huh, right... so why did the wagons use that same particular odd wheel spacing? Because if they tried to use any other wheel spacing, a lot of the wheels would soon break on some of the old long-distance roads because of the well-worn ruts already in the roads.
I'm almost afraid to ask... so who built old rutted roads with that odd spacing? Well, the first long distance roads in Europe were built by Imperial Rome for the benefit of their legions. The roads have been used ever since by travelers of every nationality. And the ruts? The initial ruts (which everyone else had to match for fear of breaking their wagon wheels) were first made by the multitude of Roman war chariots. Since the chariots were made for or by Imperial Rome they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing.
Ahaa... We have arrived at the answer to the original question. The United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet 8 1/2 inches derives from the original military specification for an Imperial Roman Army War Chariot (which just goes to prove how much specifications and bureaucracies can live forever!)
So, the next time you are handed a specification and wonder just what horse's ass came up with it, you may be more right than you know, because...
The Imperial Roman War Chariots were made to be just wide enough to accommodate the back-ends of two Roman war horses hitched side-by-side.
(For an interesting discussion on this topic, visit: Urban Legends Reference Pages)
by Ed Claypoole (published May/June 1996)
(This article is based on an article posted on America Online by "CWRailMan")
The first scale models were scratchbuilt, since no kits existed. Think of how good we have it today, with the likes of Lehigh Valley, Scenery Unlimited and other companies that supply us. When modelers in earlier eras modeled, they sometimes made extra parts and sold them to other modelers. Entrepreneurs arose and began manufacturing parts in quantities, then sold them to other modelers through hobby magazines.[...] Sometimes these early kits required much shaping and cutting of the materials included. Today's kits may require some tweaking, but the instructions are much better.
When buying materials for a scratchbuilding project, purchase about 50% more than is necessary. What is not used will be used later in subsequent projects. Stock up on a few packages of door and window castings, and organize them carefully according to size. What else do you need? An X-Acto knife with a No. 11 blade, some sandpaper, rubber bands, glue, paint and a lot of patience!
More about the glues. . . I suggest not using water-based products on wood, since it raises the grain. Also, water-soluble glues do not provide good joints in humid conditions. I suggest Ambroid, which permeates the wood and shrinks it, creating a tight bond. For wood to metal, I suggest a quick-drying two-part epoxy, which must be used sparingly since it does not shrink. For smaller wood to metal, metal to metal, or plastic to wood, I suggest using one of the "super-glues". The thinner super glues work great on non-porous materials, but the thicker glues are better for wood.
You can never have enough X-Acto knives. Each should have a different blade. It's pretty easy to find a good arsenal of these. A 6-8 inch T-square is good to have around for exact angle cuts. Or, if you like, a small miter box, with a fine-tooth hand saw that fits in the miter grooves. And, oh, don't forget the C-clamps. You never know how much they help until you are futilely trying to hold something together, waiting for the glue to dry!
The next time you go to a train show, check out the tables that have tools. You can never have too many small modeling tools!
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