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The
Columbus |
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Sign
up NOW for October Meeting, Train Ride |
Richard Abler |
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Barbara Abler |
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Rain Dampens
Affair-of-the-Hort at Inniswood Metro Gardens Month |
Richard Abler | |
| Garden Tour Summary - 2000 - Part 2 | Richard Abler | |
| Host needed for NOVEMBER (How to Host a Meeting) | Richard Abler | |
| Rail Bender Missing | Richard Abler | |
| Polar Bear Train #2 | Margo and Tom Lemke | |
| Century Express Visits Cincinnati - Part 2 | Peter & Edy Wine | |
| San Diego Garden Railway Convention comments - Part 3 | Richard Abler | |
| Model Train Rides at Galion | Richard Abler | |
| A Caution on Bird House Structures on Your RR | Dave Polsdorfer | |
| About CGRS and this Newsletter | Richard Abler | |
| Deadline for Next Issue | Richard Abler | |
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Visit Our Advertisers:
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Sign up NOW for October
Meeting, Train Ride and |
Richard Abler |
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Our October meeting on Sunday the
22nd will involve a whole day of railroading - with both G-gauge and
full-size trains. The day begins with a early meeting at the shelter house in Rising Park in Lancaster. This meeting will begin promptly at 10am. Coffee and donuts will be served. Hank Falken will show his rot-resistant, termite-resistant roadbed. The meeting will adjourn at 10:45 to allow plenty of time for the 32-mile drive to Nelsonville. Nominal driving time is about 45 minutes.  In Nelsonville we will board the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway (www.hvsr.com) for the 12-noon departure. This will be a 14-mile round trip to Haydenville. The train will make a brief stop at Robbins Crossing - a restored historic village. (Snack food available here). The train is scheduled back at the station at 1:45pm. As of this writing we are assigned to our own private coach. However, things can change as this is the railroad's most popular time of the year - fall foliage tours. Train Tickets: These will be provided to you by a CGRS member when you arrive at the station in Nelsonville. Remember to sign up in advance for the tickets. The deadline is Monday, October 16th. You can sign up online. Train Notes: Train operates rain or shine; no air conditioning; no restrooms on train; food and drink is permitted on train - but not served. Therefore, bring your own snacks for lunch or plan to have lunch in Nelsonville afterwards. Note also the train has vintage equipment, therefore wheelchair access cannot be guaranteed.  After
the train ride, the Garden Accents Store in Logan will be open for CGRS
members. The store is an outlet store for Logan Clay Products Company. A
wide variety of decorative terra cotta lawn and garden products are on
sale there. Barbara and I were there a few weeks ago. Many products were
on sale at 50% off of regular prices. CGRS members will get an additional
10% off the sale prices. CGRS member Jack Frost will have product
brochures and discount vouchers available during the train ride. Garden
Accents is easy to find: Exit Hwy 93 in Logan and look for Wendy's; the
front gate to the store is just past Wendy's.Also after the train ride three garden rail-roads will be open to CGRS members and guests in Lancaster. A brief description of the railroads follows: 1. Hank Falken has a new layout which has just been under construction this summer. It is basically a double loop built upon Styrofoam roadbed. Also included is an automated mine track. Hank has built a beautiful curved trestle with a double track steel bridge. He will being operating mostly Aristo-Craft locos and rolling stock with Bachmann mine dump cars. Plans for expansion are already being formulated. 2. Richard (Butch) McElfresh has been working on his layout for two summers and has installed a great pond and waterfall with fish. His layout is a figure eight (up and over) with a nice cedar bridge. He will be operating Aristo-Craft and USA Trains rolling stock. Some buildings and plantings are in process. The layout is raised up about 8" above the rest of the backyard and is coming along nicely. 3. Bob Stetson has the oldest layout of these three. It was started about four years ago. The location of the layout in the backyard was usually under water during heavy rains, so the layout was raised about 8". A pond was installed with a waterfall and mill wheel, with the water flowing under two bridges. With ten turnouts (track switches) which are radio controlled, two trains can run on separate loops. Storage tracks in the basement crawl space are accessed through a pair of automatic switch-operated doors. Most of the buildings are constructed of wood; there also are a few small Pola houses which were gifts. Bob operates mostly Bachmann locos and rolling stock. Most all trains have sound systems to keep the neighbors awake! A map and driving directions and miscellaneous travel information appear further back in this issue. Our thanks to Hank Falken for providing the map and driving directions. Thanks also to Bob Stetson for providing the railroad descriptions. (Details) Timeline summary: |
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The Plant Manager |
Barbara Abler |
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Modern and Ancient Arts Some times you find the most
interesting things in the strangest places. If you are not
interested in modern art, the catalog of the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
might be one of those strange places. Richard's and my tastes differ
considerably and MOMA is not usually to his liking. The catalog
generally features what MOMA considers the best in modern design and we
were both taken by one of those designs - a pair of lopping shears and a
set of pruning shears made by Fiskars. |
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Rain Dampens Affair-of-the-Hort at Inniswood Metro Gardens |
Richard Abler |
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As in past years, in lieu of our
regular monthly meeting in September we ran trains and staffed an
information booth at Innis-wood Metro Gardens annual "An Affair-of-the-Hort."
However, unlike previous years, this year we got rained on - real hard. Saturday's torrential downpours - almost 4 inches in some parts of the city - certainly created some problems, not only for us, but for the function in general. Since our info booth was located in sort of a low spot, a combination of water and mud led to cancellation of our activities on Saturday. Then, in a surprise move, the park shifted our booth to high ground. Not only to a spot that was high and dry, but also a spot right near the main pathway. Thus, despite a relatively light turnout on Sunday - with rain threatening again - a steady stream of visitors kept me busy answering questions about garden railroading. I was surprised at how many people didn't know there was a garden railroad adjacent to Innis House in the park - even some people who are regular visitors to the park were unaware of the railroad. This looks like the spot to be in future years - right near the main pathway. Sometimes it takes a crisis to figure out a better way to do things. Our thanks to Jim & Barb Kimmel for handling the staffing and coordinating activities with the Inniswood staff. |
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Host needed for NOVEMBER!!!! (How to Host a Meeting) |
Richard Abler |
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Since we have an opening for a meeting host next month, this seemed to be a good time to review what's
expected of hosts. Not too much really. What we ask of hosts is simple: 1) a small table which can used as a "registration table" to greet meeting attendees. 2) a table from which to conduct the meeting and which can be used, if necessary, by whomever is conducting the program or clinic for that meeting. 3) a few minutes of your time during the meeting to describe the history or special features of your railroad. (However, it is not necessary to have a garden railroad in order to host a meeting.) 4) refreshments - usually ice water, soda or lemonade in cans or 2-liter bottles, and some chips with dip or salsa. We're not looking for supper. Remember, CGRS will reimburse meeting hosts up to $15 for refreshments upon request. 5) directions on how to find your place and any parking restrictions - or construction detours - which may be in place, 6) and a statement as to whether or not you'll allow members to bring equipment to run on your railroad. That's about it. To volunteer to host a meeting contact Bill Logan at 614-846-1089 or wrlogan@msn.com. If you have any questions please contact Bill Logan or Richard Abler at 614-885-0351 or abler@infinet.com. Its not too early to volunteer to be a meeting host for next year, starting with March. Generally, we'll give preference to those who haven't hosted a meeting before. |
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Garden Tour Summary - 2000 - Part 2 |
Richard Abler |
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[Reports continue to come in from
CGRS garden tour hosts on our September tour. Here are two reports which
arrived after we "went to press" with the previous issue. (Ed.)] Open Garden Railroad Report -- Chip, Putt, & Deadwood Railroad By Shirley Green A completely successful day in every way. Only a light rain in the beginning but it didn't seem to hold the crowds down. I was open from noon to dusk because I didn't have anything else to do. It would be hard to judge how many showed up because it seemed so many were just spending the day. They said the sound of water combined with the music of the train whistles was so relaxing, and each time they looked over the railroads they saw something new. I had 7 lawn chairs occupied most of the time and many migrated to the deck and into the house looking around at the marionettes, fossils, and art work. I would guess 400 to 500 in all. I served nothing to eat or drink, trying to keep people moving. There were lots of children because of the fantasy railroad. Many adults came back several times with more children. Some parents were having to
put their kids under their arms and carry them out screaming because they
wanted to stay. Every child who came personally thanked me, as did most of
the adults. Of course this means a doubled area of fantasy next year! I
will then have room for my "big rock candy mountain" that the
train will pass through, a Jurassic park with dinosaurs, and Godzilla will
be chasing about 100 Japanese through Tokyo. So many ideas are popping
into my head, making the after glow very exciting. The three trains successful clickity clacking all day is because of my son taking over that part. I am electrically impaired. It was one big happy party and I loved every minute of it. I am certain Bill was up there holding a giant umbrella over our railroad. (I could now use his help in repairing the lawn.) Open House at the Davidson
& Hayden Run Railroad |
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Polar Bear Train #2 |
Margo and Tom Lemke | |||
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[CGRS Members Margo & Tom Lemke
live in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin]
Some may remember Trip #1 to
Church-ill, Manitoba, to see the Polar Bears. Three days on Hudson Bay and
No Bears. We booked our VIA Rail Canada a week later this year hoping for
better bear weather. Ah, Nature. |
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Century Express Visits Cincinnati - Part 2 |
Peter & Edy Wine |
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[Continued from last month] The train tour started at the rear
of the train, when we entered the private car. Although this isn't the way
MOST people traveled by train, its easy to see how a person could really
hooked on this mode of transport. There is an expensive feel back here.
Then it was into the work car - the postal express car. At one time, there
were 10,000 such train cars traversing the country. This started in 1900
(I know, you knew that from the title,) and continued until plane travel
became routine enough to take the bulk of the business from the trains.
This is part of what caused the passenger train to almost become extinct.
The mail cars were really the bulk of the income earners from many lines,
and when they shifted to planes, there wasn't enough money to pay the crew
from the pas-senger fares. (I hear someone screaming out there. Oh yes,
the car and the national highway system played a part in it too, as did
mismanagement and greed. There are you happy?) But for those old enough to remember an air mail stamp, you may have been on a train
that had a mail car in back.After the mail car, it was on to some refurbished passenger cars, where they had a series of displays that chronicled the history of rail, mail and just plain living throughout the last 100 years. Again, we were moving a little too fast to really take it all in, but for those who have never seen some of this stuff (and there were a bunch of young people,) it was either "wow, look at that" or "what IS this stuff" I suppose. I saw more of the "Wow" variety myself. We were "forced" off the train just before the good part, though. They wouldn't let us go into the engine. (Awwwwwwww.) I heard that even some high muckety-mucks weren't allowed inside, so I didn't feel so bad. (Misery loves company?) To make up for this, they did allow us to get somewhat close to the engine from the outside. There was (as mentioned before) a  stand of trees on the parking lot side, that blocked most of the
view from there, but the other side was clear. It also was clear all the
way to the street, so it was somewhat of a muted "victory." I
got a lot of shots, though, including one of the security guard on duty at
the head-end, Bill Simkins. He said "I've heard of people laying on
the tracks before, but I never thought I'd see it." Maybe not, but it
was a really incredible feeling, looking up at that Amtrak engine from
what would be the vantage point of the "damsel in distress" from
the Dudley Doo-Right movies. Fortunately, the train wasn't moving, and I
wasn't tied down. I got up, and went off to check out the other activities
of the day.
The Greater Cincinnati Garden Railway Society (GCGRS) had many of their modules set up behind the speakers podium in the main tent. Included was a "replica" of a downtown Cincinnati landmark Fountain Squares fountain, with a new addition: a replica of the Fiberglas pigs that have been popping up all over downtown Cincy. These are a take-off on last year's Fiberglas cows in downtown Chicago. I've heard that a few of the Cincy pigs have had a run-in with vandals. I just can't understand that "I've got to break it" mentality. I went down to see the Century Express with Wil Davis, and we ran into MVGRS members Sharon & Jack Wilson, and several GCGRS members. Oh, by the way, did I mention the
cost to see this exhibit? It was FREE! All you had to have, was a desire
to share in the history of the rails, and they let you in. (Oh, Ok, they
asked you to wait in line before they let you in.) |
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Rail Bender Missing |
Richard Abler |
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Does anyone out there know what has become of the club's rail bender? One of our
members loaned it to another member and forgot who it was. If you have it give
Bob Collins a call (614-436-4003). We have a new member who is ready to lay
track and would like to borrow the rail bender. Thanks. |
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San Diego Garden Railway Convention comments - Part 3 |
Richard Abler |
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[Continued from last month] San Diego Convention Profits Distributed We got a pleasant surprise a couple of weeks ago. Barbara, The Plant Manager, got a refund check of $75 from the San Diego Garden Railway Society (SDGRS) for her presentation at the national convention last July. It seems SDGRS made a profit on the convention and decided to send refund checks of up to $75 for convention registration fees paid by presenters who paid their own way to the convention. SDGRS also paid out $100 to each of 40 hosts on the convention garden tour and extended the membership of active SDGRS members one year from the convention profits. They also paid some much deserved money to a handful of convention organizers. The letter describing the payouts, along with complete financial statements from the convention is a bit much to reproduce here, but I'll have these materials at the next CGRS meeting for anyone who is interested. What an innovative use of convention profits; what a class act! |
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Model Train Rides at Galion |
Richard Abler |
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On Friday and Saturday nights, October 20
and 21, from about 5- to 9pm there will be model train rides in Galion on the 7
1/2 - inch gauge railroad of the Buckeye Rail Model Engineers (BRME). The ride
is being billed as a "non-scary" Halloween ride. BRME president, Ron Schultz,
says that small children become too frightened with scary stuff, and BRME doesn't
want to scare the kids. Admission to the layout is free, but BRME is asking for a $1 donation per child for the rides. Snacks, such as hot dogs, burgers, and soda pop will be avail-able for purchase at the layout. The BRME layout is located at 1420 Nazor Road. That's just east of Galion off of State Hwy 309. Nazor Road is the first left turn past the two car dealers, according to Schultz. For those not familiar with the size of 7 1/2-inch gauge trains, a typical boxcar is about the size of a foot locker. For additional information one may call Ron Schultz at 740-389-2807. |
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A Caution on Bird House Structures on Your RR |
Dave Polsdorfer |
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We purchased some of the inexpensive decorated bird feeders that have been in
the stores this summer. As we began to bring them in, we found some serious
infestation in the bases. It is recommended these be checked before bringing them in in case they may be carrying something undesirable into the house. |
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About CGRS and this Newsletter |
Richard Abler |
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This newsletter is intended as a medium in
which to air the news and views
of CGRS Members in good standing. CGRS is an informal group which meets
monthly or thereabouts to share a common interest in garden railroading and
to socialize. Membership is open to all interested persons. Most CGRS Member
Families are from the Greater Columbus area. Newsletter-related business, such as articles and classified ads, as well as changes to the membership list, should be directed to the editor: Richard J. Abler / Puddlefort Press 990 Blind Brook Drive Worthington OH 43235-1281 Phone 614-885-0351 Fax: Same, call first. E-mail: abler@infinet.com Membership dues and financial matters: Glenn Babka E-mail: babkag@aol.com Meetings, programs, and CGRS principal business contact: Bill Logan E-mail: WRLogan@msn.com Library/Archives/Books/Videos Cecil Easterday Webmaster: Peter Wine 1512 Walters Street Dayton OH 45404-1803 937-228-1491
Contributors to this Issue: |
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Deadline for Next Issue |
Richard Abler |
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The deadline for the next issue of the newsletter is
November 13th.
Then, on or about October 15th, we will meet at the Abler's to get the
newsletter ready for mailing: folding, stapling, labeling, and stamping. The
meeting starts at 8pm. All persons are invited (and encouraged) to attend these work
sessions. In addition to newsletter preparations, CGRS business issues are discussed and decisions are made. Call ahead (614-885-0351) so we know how much snackies to have on hand. |
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