CGRS Annual Banquet a Blast!
CGRS
Successful banquets don't just happen - they are created by a joint effort of many people. Thus we'd like to thank Charles Weigand of G-Scale Junction for his donation of the new Aristo-Craft catalogs and a dozen Aristo-Craft figures; Jim & Joann Myers of Trains and Trowel Railway at Forgotten Thyme Gardens for donating an Aristo-Craft Ladybug Eggliner; Jim Kimmel for donating an original structure - a light house with attached attendant's shanty; and Bob Pennock of Cross Creek Engineering for donating an Aristo-Craft Ladybug Eggliner and bringing along lots of Preisser figures for our door-prize table.
Thanks also to Jack & Cecil Easterday for gathering the garden-related door prizes and the decorative balloons and centerpieces. Thanks to Joan Obusek and Barbara Abler for staffing the registration table and explaining the raffle rules to all attendees.
All those CGRSers who coordinated a project or hosted a meeting in 1999 were recognized with a Certificate of Appreciation. CGRSers who participated in the annual open garden tour were also recognized and were presented with an attractive silver-on-black, weather-resistant, engraved plaque.
A special thanks to our guest speaker, Edward H. Cass, who gave a great, entertaining, and humorous anecdotal presentation on the Ohio River & Western Railroad - a long-defunct narrow gauge line in southeastern Ohio.
And thanks also to anyone I may have inadvertently omitted. It was a great joint effort and a whole lot of fun! I'm looking forward to next year.
Welcome New Members
CGRS
News Flash
Barbara Abler
For those of you who don't know about it, the Philadelphia Garden Show is THE Premier Garden Show in the U.S. It is the U.S. equivalent of the Chelsea Garden Show in England, which is The Premier Garden Show in the world.
The hobby is making a name for itself and Paul Busse is responsible for making that name known in the best gardening circles. Congratulations Paul! We hope you have pictures that you can share with us.
The Plant Manager
Barbara Abler
Now that's a complex question. Some aspects of it are obvious but some are not. Essentially the cost of plants is a matter of economics, i.e., supply and demand. The rarer a plant, the more it will cost.
A plant can be rare for a couple of reasons: it has just been discovered or, for a plant that has been around for a while, it is difficult to propagate. A plant that has just been discovered will eventually come down in price if it is not difficult to propagate. It it is difficult to propagate, it will always be expensive.
Let's consider hostas as an example. A grower will do hundreds of hybridizations, i.e., cross-breeding one plant with another. From these hundreds of crosses thousands and thousands of seeds will result. These will all have to be planted and raised until the grower can tell what the seedlings will look like when grown. Out of thousands and thousands of seedlings perhaps only a dozen will exhibit favorable characteristics. These are grown on and the rest are composted.
When the chosen dozen are full grown a whole new set of decisions will have to be made. Is the plant vigorous enough to survive in certain conditions? Is it exactly what the grower is looking for or will it be used in further cross-breeding. If it is used for further cross-breeding the process starts all over again.
Letıs suppose that a grower comes up with one truly Magnificent plant. For hostas, the holy grail is an almost totally white leaf. Now that magnificent plant cannot be grown from seed. Itıs a sad fact that many hybrids are sterile or if they aren't, they don't come true from seed. That means that the plant has to be propagated vegetatively, i.e., cuttings have to be taken or the plant has to be grown until it is large enough to divide, if the grower wants to be sure that she will have more plants with the same characteristics.
At this point, the grower has a hosta that will be horrendously expensive because it is rare. If she wants to raise enough to sell and recover some of the expense that has been incurred to this point in developing the plant, she will probably resort to meristem culture.
Meristem culture is a technique
in which microscopic pieces of plant tissue are placed in a flask
containing a special nutrient medium and grown in sterile conditions.
The equipment needed for propagating a plant this way is not inexpensive.
Of course this will also be added to the cost of any of the little clones
that are obtained. If she is a small grower and can't afford the
laboratory set-up for meristem propagation, she may decide to sell or
auction the plant and let someone else do the propagation.
So let's say the plant is auctioned at a plant sale. Because it is
truly Magnificent, it may sell for several thousand dollars. Now the
new owner will propagate it by meristem and, if he's lucky, he will come
up with several dozen plants that are vigorous, i.e., alive and growing.
These plants may also be auctioned and now, because there are dozens, the
price paid will be several hundred dollars.
The new owners will grow the plants on and propagate them till they have
enough to sell. How much you pay for the plant when you finally get
a chance to buy Hosta 'Magnificent' will depend on how far along in the
repropagation cycle it is when you decide you just have to have it.
Hundreds of things can go wrong along the way in this process.
Mother Nature does not always cooperate with commercial growers any more
than she does with us amateurs. The plant can turn out to be
impossible to grow in ordinary garden conditions. It may not have
sturdy enough genes to keep it vigorous for more than a few propagation
rounds. The flasks in which the meristem culture is performed my
lose their sterility and the whole mess gets moldy. That's why some plants
are expensive.
Hostas are relatively easy to propagate and grow fairly quickly. Let's
consider dwarf conifers as another example. Many of these are chance
discoveries of aberrations in full grown trees. One such type of
aberration is a witches broom. Let's suppose that someone with a
good eye is walking through the woods and comes upon such a witches broom
growing in a spruce. (By the way, that's how the most popular of garden
railroad trees, the dwarf Alberta spruce was discovered.) Now this
witches broom is Truly Tiny.
The stroller recognizes the possible value of Truly Tiny and takes many
cuttings of it in order to propagate it.
Let me tell you that propagating conifers from cuttings is not the easiest
thing in the world to do and it is not a speedy process. To increase
the chances of success, the cuttings will be treated with growth hormones
and placed in propagation beds in greenhouses that are equipped with
misting equipment so the cuttings do not dessicate. As you can well
imagine this sort of setup becomes expensive.
Now lets say that this grower has been really successful and gets a
fantastic 100% of the 50 or so cuttings rooted. He still doesn't
know if Truly Tiny will survive for any length of time on its own but he
plants the cuttings out in pots and waits for them to grow. Well,
Truly Tiny is truly tiny because it grows extremely slowly. After 10
years of caring for these cuttings, our grower has maybe 45 left alive.
Do you really think he is going to sell them for $10? $20?
$50? To recoup his investment he will almost certainly price these
little gems in the $100+ range. In the mean time, he will be taking
cuttings from a stock plant to start the process all over again.
That's why some plants are expensive.
Now - why are some trains so expensive?
CGRS Garden Tour Information Form
Richard Abler
You will NOT have to do anything with this letter from the Parks Department. I will submit all the information which the Parks Department requires. I have that information on file for all who have been on the open gardens tour in the past.
The CGRS open gardens tour is scheduled for Sunday, September 10, this year. If you would like to be on the tour this year - and you havenıt been on the tour before, I will need to get a brief description of your railroad. I will also need directions to your place.
Because of publication deadlines of other garden railway society newsletters, the Columbus Dispatch, and Columbus Monthly, I will need to have everything organized about 8 weeks before the actual tour. That means first week of July. But that week is the week of the annual garden railway convention in San Diego. So I would like to have the garden descriptions and maps completed before I go to the convention. That brings the deadline forward to about the last week in June. And hey! that's only about 15 weeks away. Where does the time go?
Our open garden tour is our biggest event of the year. Each year hundreds of visitors come to see our garden railroads. Many are repeat visitors. Many CGRSers got interested in the hobby by visiting railroads on our garden tour.
Its not too early to make plans for this year's tour. Several of you have already said you plan to be open again this year. If you would like to have your garden railroad on the tour this year please contact Richard Abler now at abler@infinet.com or 614-885-0351.
There is a special interest in garden railroads which are under construction. Interested visitors always ask questions on how to build a garden railroad. So if you are under construction we extend a special invitation to be on the tour - so newcomers can see how its done.
Great American Train Show a Success
Bob Collins
This year, Mr. Craig Jaynes of Essentially English Gardens (and one of our supporting advertisers) loaned us all of the dwarf conifers (about 20) used in the display, some of which were actually sold before the show was over. Barbara Abler oversaw placement of and supplied several flats of plants.
Both days were busy without being maddening. Our spectator chairs were filled most of the time and we always seemed to lose a couple of them - which were replaced by our creative chair detectives.
It is always a treat to introduce people to large scale trains and garden railroads in particular. At one point I was conjuring up a semi-believable story concerning the Eggliner, but was distracted and lost another chance to tickle someone's' imagination.
Tear down was again done in record time. I believe that we were out of there by 5:45 PM. As usual, I was cautioned to stay out of the way by those who were on a mission. A large toot of the proverbial whistle and a round of thanks to the following: Richard Voit, Jack and Cecil Easterday, Glenn Babka, David Wythe, Jim and Barb Kimmel, Bob Duggan, Richard and Barbara Abler, Dan and Katy Hill, Tim Frederick, Bob Dana, Chuck Coghlan, Ron Mayer, Chip and Yadi Collins, Jim Shell, and my better half, Cora. Chip and Yadi filled in during the last hour on Saturday so that we could get to the banquet.
As in the past GATS we raffled off an LGB starter set. The winner of the raffle was Will Murray of Clintonville, who wanted to take the train home as soon as we called him to tell him he was the winner. And if the cat got in the way... too bad!
There were a couple of items for the lost and found; a gray house with white windows, black roof and red chimney. For those who brought trains and cars to run, there was a handrail recovered whilst we were packing. Please check your trains/cars for this missing 3 1\4" long item. Also, someone left a small baggie filled with Nestlés chocolate turtles, some mints, and some peppermint lifesavers. It was hard :-) , but we didn't dig in to these snackies! See the Editor to reclaim same.
Expo Center Model Railroads to Move
Jeff Roberts
After nearly 20 years at the Ohio State Fairgrounds the Expo Center has decided to use the Model Railroad Building for other purposes. Therefore we will be moving after the 2000 Ohio State Fair. Our tentative new location will be the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard.
We will be constructing our own building this fall with occupancy targeted for December of this year. Design work is currently underway.
Your donations to our building fund will help CONTRAK continue to offer a model railroad exhibit to the public.
Thank you for your continued support.
CONTRAK
PO
Box 14194
Columbus
OH 43214-0194
Adventures in Bachmannland
Ken Martin
Yes, I know. The Bachmann "Centennial" 4-4-0 runs backwards.... or does it? I spoke with Bud Reese of Bachmann recently and asked why it ran opposite from the generally accepted direction for G-scale locomotives. He explained to me that Bachmann is trying to meet NMRA standards. Apparently, for a given polarity, NMRA-approved engines run in the opposite direction from what G-scalers are used to. According to Bud, LGB has to take some of the blame. the polarity-direction relation we accept as normal was the way LGB did it and everybody else fell in line. Unfortunately, this relation was backwards from that of the smaller scales that NMRA is most involved with.
Now Bachmann is trying to correct the situation. It isn't hopeless. there are two solutions - one that those of you who already have these engines can do and one that will be put in place during the next production run.
The first correction is the most important to people who already have these locomotives in their possession. You can call Bachmann parts (800-223-3364) and they will send you a brochure describing what to do to make your loco run in the 'right' direction. I understand the process is somewhat labor-intensive but not too difficult.
For those of you who are still waiting for your engine, if you wait long enough you will receive an engine with a switch installed in production which will reverse the polarity to the motor, the 2-6-0 Mogul (due here in September) will also have this switch, I guess it is the wave of the future for the whole industry. Who knows?
In other areas, Bachmann has decided to upgrade the venerable "Big Hauler" 4-6-0 to the "Silver" line, similar to the current "Spectrum" series. Improvements will include things like metal side rods. Also, the engine will again be sold separately as it used to be. I didn't ask, but I am sure it will be available in sets too. These locomotives should be here sometime in the fall.
Bachmann is also going to make some improvements in their passenger cars in the form of track-powered lighting. I kind of liked the old battery-powered lights because they stayed on all the time and glowed steadily. Oh well, that's progress I guess.
The 1:20.3 freight cars Bachmann talked about building a few months ago are out of the picture for the time being. Sheez! Just when I need cars to run with my K-27. At least some cars that don't cost $200 each.
That's about it on the Bachmann front for now.
Plant Alerts
Barbara Abler
Just a reminder that you should
be checking Anderson's nursery throughout April to see if they have gotten
in their shipment of dwarf conifers from Isely's. These plants are
ideal for your garden railroad.
We have been assured that the price will still be under $6.00 this year
for the 4 inch pots. In conjunction with "Why
are plants so expensive?", these plants are a bargain for two
reasons - Isely is a mega grower and Anderson's is a mega retailer so
there is an economy of scale here. Also, although these plants are
not run of the mill, they are not rare and they are younger plants.
That's why you can get them for under $6.00 a pot.
The manager at Anderson's on the northwest side told us he's expecting the
Isely's shipment during the first week of April.
Plant Alert 2
Oakland Nursery already has a shipment of Isely's dwarf conifers and small
deciduous trees & shrubs (cotoneaster, barberry, and 2 dwarf elms).
These are priced at $7.99. Oakland honors the Golden Buckeye card so
us seniors can get 10% off.
Also, on Sunday, Mar. 19, there will be a talk at Oakland Nursery on
Oakland Park Ave. in Columbus on Alpine Gardening by someone from
Sunnyside Nursery in the Cleveland area.
New Locomotives use Cold Steam
for
Propulsion
Richard Abler
Well, I guess it was only a matter of time before someone thought of using this ultrasound principle to vaporize water into room-temperature steam as a new source of power for G-scale locomotives. And that is exactly what the American Train Company (ATC) of Huntsville, Alabama has done with the Bachmann Shay Locomotive. ATC was founded in June 1998 by three retired scientists formerly with the nearby Redstone Arsenal - a military research facility.
ATC has revamped the Bachmann Shay by removing the electric motor and then placing a small, lightweight ultrasound generator unit in the Shay's boiler. A 2-ounce lead weight was also added to compensate for the weight lost by removing the electric motor. The ultrasound unit is energized by power from the track.
The fuel bunker has been sealed along the bottom and side edges to make it water tight so it can serve as a water tank. A 1/8 -inch diameter plastic tube is used to deliver water to the ultrasound generating unit. This unit then vaporizes the water to give a 1700 fold increase in volume (and pressure) of room-temperature steam. This steam is then fed to the three cylinders of the Shay to drive the pistons which in turn drive the locomotive.
The fact that the steam produced by this method is essentially cold makes it is possible to use it as a power source for plastic locomotives such as the Bachmann Shay. This means that live steam can become a viable option for a larger segment of the garden railroading community. Current live-steamers can throw away their asbestos gloves. They will no longer need them to retrieve their hot-to-the-touch locomotives that have run out of fuel and died on the mainline. Indoor ultrasound live-steam operations will be a whole lot safer since the pressurized fuel containers of propane and butane will no longer be needed to produce the live steam!
We were impressed with the prototype sample we received for evaluation from ATC. The loco looked almost exactly like those which are supplied by Bachmann directly. Upon closer inspection though, a discerning eye will spot an operating relief valve on the steam dome and three additional grommets on the steam chests. These latter are to reduce steam leakage at the driving gear.
As indicated above, the model we received for testing relies on track power to energize the ultrasound unit. ATC says that a battery-operated prototype is under construction. And if their tests prove positive, this model will also be available later this year.
We gave our test model a good workout during the spate of warm weather we had earlier this month. We were impressed! Our results showed that... April fools day is right around the corner.
Questions & Answers
Richard Abler
Send them to the Editor]
Q. What are the advantages and disadvantages of floating track vs. anchored track?
A. First of all, before we discuss floating vs. anchoring your track let's briefly discuss some physics. You can't get away from the laws of physics.
I recall reading somewhere on the Internet recently - I think it was a posting by David Buffington of Buffington Publishing - wherein it was stated that a meter of brass track (approx. 39 inches) will expand and contract about one millimeter (about 25 millimeters in an inch) due to temperature changes between a hot sunny day and a cold winter day. That means a mainline track of about 300 feet will shrink and grow about 100 millimeters, about 4 inches! You will need to make provisions for this aspect of physics - the coefficient of linear expansion. You can't get away from the laws of physics.
For indoor railroads temperature changes are usually minimal and mainlines tend to be shorter. In these cases the expansion/contraction problem is hardly noticeable.
OK, so what's the best way to lay track? Well, it depends. It's a matter of preference I guess. Here in Greater Columbus there are two common ways to lay track. The first way is to fasten the track to a treated 2x6 lumber roadbed by using deck screws every few inches or every few feet. The lumber lays directly on top of the ground, or is dug down a couple of inches, or is propped up with 2x6 risers to give gentle grade changes. Optionally, the roadbed is finished off with a fine stone ballast. This method is fast, easy, and comparatively low maintenance. You'll have to mix glue with the ballast though, otherwise a good rain will wash it away. If you don't care about the ballast don't use any. That lessens your maintenance even more.
However, you'll still need to remember the laws of physics we talked about above. If you fasten the track to roadbed too securely, you'll run into kinking problems in the hot sun. (So do the real railroads. A derailment south of Powell a few years ago on a hot day was blamed on a "sun kink.") The track WILL expand, and it has to have some place to go. If you fasten track on a cold cloudy day, be sure to leave some track gaps at the rail joiners. They'll fill with expanding track on a hot day. My suggestion if you are going to use 2x6 roadbed is to be skimpy with the deck screws to allow the track to move with changes in temperature. You also need to be careful about using rail joiners. I use them only where I have real problems with the track pulling apart. For me that's been on curve tracks in the sunny loop of our railroad. I try using them only on one rail - the outside rail. If that doesn't hold, I reluctantly put a clamp on the joint of the inside rail as well.
I just recently saw an ad from Hillman Railclamps for their new track clamp which allows for expansion/contraction. I haven't seen one in person though. I'd be interested in seeing how and if they work.
Another popular method of laying track in this area is to just lay it on the ground and "backfill" with fine crushed limestone. It helps if you can elevate the track just a bit by attaching small wood pieces - approx. 1x1x2 inch blocks - about every six inches. Attach the blocks to the track by nailing with 1-inch wire brads through the top of the ties. The heads of the brad quickly rust and become virtually unnoticeable. This method was described about 10 years ago in Garden Railways in an article which I believe was entitled "Garden Railway in a Weekend" or something like that. I've used this method. It worked fairly well except at a low point in the railroad where water gathered. That became a problem in winter. The track there froze at an odd angle and I couldn't run trains because they tipped over on the angled track. I solved that problem the next season by using a track laying method described in the former "Outdoor Railroader" several years ago. Here's what I did. I removed the track from the problem area and dug down about eight inches. The article said to line the trench with weed block, but I didn't have any on hand, so I didn't. I put in about a 1 inch layer of #8 crushed limestone. Then I put in a 4-inch plastic perforated pipe and backfilled with more #8 crushed limestone up to 1-2 inches from the top of the trench. Then I topped off with #9 crushed limestone - which I also use for ballast on the rest of the track. This method has worked great for me. No more track freezing at odd angles; no more water collecting at the low point.
As for maintenance I need to top off with fresh ballast and level all of the track where necessary in the spring. I usually top off with fresh ballast again in the summer, usually about three weeks before our annual open garden tour. After about three weeks the new ballast has lost most of the stark-white color of fresh ballast. The new blends in with the old and looks like it's been there all season.
In summary then, the 2x6 track base method is easier, faster, and perhaps lower maintenance, but in my opinion, the trench and free-float method looks better.