The coupler volume 3 issue 10 by John Pate

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Steel City Coupler Publication of the Steel City Division Southeastern Region - NMRA

Volume 3, Issue 8

https://www.facebook.com/birminghammodelrailroading

August 2013

Steel City Division Meeting Please plan to attend the next meeting on

Thursday, October 17th, 2013 7:00pm Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church, Room 203

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This Month’s Meeting Layout Tour Along the Line – Prototype Railroad News Superintendent’s Office Clerk’s Desk NMRA and SER News Photo of the Month Timetable

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October Meeting: Moving Frisco 4018 Besides a railroad train, what has 96 wheels and can carry very heavy objects? Our October presentation by John Stewart will give you a detailed view at the move of the Frisco 2-8-2, #4018, in February, 2009. Stewart was involved in the planning and execution of the move and will show a step by step story of the move from the Fairgrounds to Sloss Furnace. Many natives of Birmingham will know that the 4018 moved to the Fairgrounds in 1952 and remained there for 57 years. It was a symbol of Birmingham for many kids as well as railfans for over half a century. The Mikado type wheel arrangement was the workhorse freight locomotive in the United States. While not as glamorous or noteworthy as “Big Boys” and other well-known icons of the rails, the Mikado 2-8-2 type locomotives numbered about 10,000 units or about 1 out of 5 freight locomotives at the time of WWII. But just how do you move a locomotive that weighs over 160 tons and a tender that weighs over 35 tons empty? What issues have to be considered? Do you move by rail or by road – or both? Who you gonna’ call? How much will it cost and how do you pay for it? These are some of the questions that the move team had to answer. Hear the story and see the pictures including videos every step of the way. Join us on Thursday, October 17th at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church, Room 203 at 7 pm. Souvenir DVD’s “The Move of the 4018” will be given away on a first come first serve basis. The Steel City Coupler – September 2013 1

Opportunity for Service – Steel City Division Elections Are you itching to offer your services to the NMRA? Are you working on your “Volunteer” Achievement Program Certificate? Are you tired of seeing and hearing the same old folks at the front of the Division Meetings every month? Well, here is your chance! If you have a desire to help your Steel City Division as Superintendent, Asst. Superintendent, Secretary, Treasurer (or in another role) please contact Jason Parham, Division Secretary or John Stewart, Division Superintendent by November 1st, 2013. Dr. Carey Ketchum is our current treasurer. Currently, the Asst. Superintendent position is vacant with Jeff Johnson relocating to Texas. If you want to nominate someone other than yourself for one of four elected positions, please provide the person’s name and their permission/agreement to run to either Jason or John by November 1st, 2013. Our contact information is in this newsletter. The Division will consider nominations and hold elections at our November meeting. Thanks!

October Layout Tour: Paul Dawkins We hope all of you who attended Joe Fiore’s layout last month enjoyed it. We are truly fortunate to have such a wonderful layout in our area. This month we have another jewel in Paul Dawkin’s HO-scale Birmingham Southwestern & Gulf. Paul’s layout dates back to 1988. Built with the help of Hunter Womble and Bill Hudson, it features a large steel mill complex (unfinished), oil refinery, roundhouse & turntable, diesel facility, large cityscape, and surrounding wooded hills. A sizable rolling stock roster includes over 60 diesels, 18 steam locos, and 500 railcars. Many nicely kitbashed and scratchbuilt structures are scattered amongst the layout as well. Portions of the railroad feature automated railway signaling and road crossing signals. We certainly hope you can make it. Paul will be opening his layout on October 19th from 10am until 1pm. This layout promises to definitely be worth your while!

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Model Railroad Name: Birmingham Southwestern & Gulf Owner's Name: Paul & Diane Dawkins Street Address: 2600 5th Street NE, Birmingham, AL 35215 (Center Point) Phone Numbers: 205-854-9770 Prototype vs. Freelance: Freelance Locale: Non-Specific Era: Late 1940s – Mid-1960s Scale: HO-Scale Approx. Size / Shape: 26.5-ft. x 36-ft., “L”-Shape with Center Island and Shelf Extensions Layout Style: Loop w/ Walk-Around, one Duck-Under Backdrops: None Trackage Length: Approx. 500-ft. Height: 42” Benchwork: L-Girder, Wood Roadbed: Homasote / Cork Trackwork: Mostly Code 100 NS Turnouts: Shinohara & Atlas, #4-6 Curve Radius:24” to 32” Grade (Max. %): 4% Scenery: 50% Complete, Celotex ceiling tiles, metal screening, plaster Electrical Controls: DC, Converted to DCC, local Control Panels for Siding Power and Turnouts Turnout Controls: Tortoise & Twin-Coil mix, controlled by Powered Stinger Wire touched to Panel Screwheads Operating Sessions: None at this time Wheelchair Accessible: No st Visitation Date & Time: Saturday, April 21 10am – 1pm Directions to Home: From AL-75 Center Point Pkwy. turn right (East) onto 25th Ave. NE, past Malt Drive, turn right (North) onto 5th Street NE. From I-59 North, take exit 141 to Trussville/Center Point. Turn left onto Chalkville Mountain Road, proceed over mountain past Grayson Valley, cross straight over Old Springville Road, you are now on Sweeney Hollow Road heading West. Turn left onto 25th Ave. NE at Taylors Methodist Church. Proceed past Y-Intersection (23rd Ave. NE splits off to left), continue to right on 25th Ave NE for a short distance, turn left (North) onto 5th Street NE. Proceed one block to stop sign, turn left at T-Intersection (26th Ave.), looking for 3rd house on left (in curve), Dark Brown Brick Ranch Home with Rose Bushes in front yard, steep driveway. Look for name & house number on white mailbox. Please park on the straight portion of the street, not in the curve. Directions to Layout Room: Enter through Front Door, Sign Registry, Train Room is in Basement

Along the Line – Prototype Railroad News Soulé Live Steam Festival and Meridian Railfest November 1st and 2nd will be the annual Soulé Live Steam Festival and Meridian Railfest held downtown Meridian Mississippi. Admission is free for the event and exhibits will run from 9am-4pm unless noted. Exhibits will include: 

Amtrak’s Exhibit Train which is an updated version of their 40th Anniversary Tour which travelled the country in 2011 and 2012. Included are workable signals, virtual sleeping accolodation tours, a locomotive control stand and air horns. In addition, photos, uniforms, vintage advertising, and memorabilia from Amtrak’s beginning in 1971 all the way to

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the present will be on display. The train will feature two locomotives, renovated baggage cars, and one bistro car all of which will be in historic paint schemes. 

The 11th Annual Soulé Live Steam Festival offers visitors a great variety of exhibits including real steam engines operating on live steam including the Soulé Spee-d-twin and Soulé Rotary Steam Engine originally manufactured at the historic factory. The museum’s collection also includes a 1905 WattsCorliss engine and an 1870 Manchester engine. A collection of scale model steam engines will be operated as well. Steam whistles will sound periodically during the day on the east side of the building. Inside the Soulé factory the line shaft and belt-driven machine shop will be in operation. It features the largest operating line shaft in the country and powers lathes and other equipment. Blacksmithing demonstrations will be held at regular intervals. Broom making, antique steam-driven print shop, potter’s wheel, spinning/weaving and other industrial related demonstrations will be shown. Owners of antique hit-and-miss engines, tractors, and automobiles will display their favorite “toys”.

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A travelling Smithsonian Exhibit called “The Way We Worked” chronicalling the strength and spirit of the American worker through rare photographs, videos and interviews (Oct 5th – November 12th).

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A “Sparks in the Dark” Iron Pour by Alabama Art Casting will return Saturday Evening. Be ready to watch sparks fly as molten iron pours into molds. This year an educational component will be presented at 5pm called “Iron and It’s Place in Industrial Development.” This 45-minute talk will outline the importance of iron in industry and our everyday lives. Light-off of the iron furnace will begin at 6:30pm and molten iron should begin pouring around 7pm. Bleachers will be provided on a first-come-first-served basis. Want to make a unique piece of art? Mold-making classes will be held Saturday morning at 10am at a cost of $20 (Nov 2nd from 5-7pm)

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Fall Rally of the Carousel Organ Association of America. Listen to large and small organs play their tunes. Small street organs opertaed by C.O.A.A. members wearing period costumes will literally “crank out” the music from an age when travel was by train, steam was king, and mechanical music was all the rage (Nov 1st & 2nd).

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Meridian Railroad Museum Railfest. Several new exhibits will be on display and the Meridian model railroad Club will be operating their extensive HO scale model railroad. Railroadiana and model railroad vendors will also be on hand selling their products during the event.

More 2013 Autumn Steam Excursion Announced – Another 630 Second Helping Well, it isn’t exactly another trip to the Birmingham area but these are within reasonable driving distance. Please visit http://www.tvrail.com/pages/21stcentury-steam to buy tickets for any of these trips. Saturday, November 9: Chattanooga, TN to Attalla, AL (Attalla Autumn Adventure) This trip will operate over Norfolk Southern’s Alabama Division main line (former Alabama Great Southern) on a 174-mile round trip. Passengers will be able to detrain in Attalla to browse the many shops in this historic town, which grew up around the railroad. Departing from TVRM’s Grand Junction Station at 4119 Cromwell Rd (free parking onsite), the train will travel over the former Southern right-ofway, onto the East Chattanooga Belt Railway, and will enter the Norfolk Southern at 23rd Street. Departure time from Grand Junction is 8:00am, arriving in Attalla at 11:45am (10:45 local time) for a 2-¼ hour layover, departing Attalla at 2:00pm (1:00pm local time.) Return to Grand Junction in Chattanooga is scheduled for approximately 5:45 pm. Tickets are $65 per coach seat without meal, or a limited number of coach seats at $85 with a meal in the dining car (choice of one seating.) Everyone age 3 & up requires a ticket; under 3 is no charge if not occupying a seat, no food included. Meal choices must be made at same time as reservation: Breakfast at 8:30am or 9:00am, or Lunch at 10:45am, 2:00pm, or 3:15pm. Upgraded seating: $115 for premium coach, or $135 for observation lounge. Both of these extremely limited seating options include buffet-style breakfast items, unlimited snacks and soft drinks, and choice of lunch seating in the dining car. Sunday, November 10: Chattanooga, TN to Oneida, TN (East Tennessee Autumn Adventure) This steam-powered train will operate with diesel assistance over Norfolk Southern’s Central Division main line (former CNO&TP famed “Rathole” route toward Cincinnati) on a 282-mile round trip. This route travels through some of the most scenic vistas in Tennessee, which includes the 300-foot tall New River Bridge and numerous tunnels. Passengers will be able to detrain in Oneida to browse the beautiful city park adjacent to the tracks. The City of Oneida and Scott County are planning an outdoor festival upon our arrival to include food vendors, craft booths, live entertainment, and a classic car “cruise in.” Departure from TVRM’s Grand Junction Station at 4119 Cromwell Rd (free parking onsite) will be at 8:00am, arriving in Oneida around 12:30pm for a 1 ½ to 2 hour layover, Departing from Oneida around 2:30pm, return to Grand Junction in Chattanooga is scheduled for approximately 7:00pm. A commissary car will be The Steel City Coupler – September 2013

included on the train selling snacks, soft drinks, and light food. A gift shop will also be featured on board for those wishing to purchase souvenir items. Tickets: Starting at $80 per seat for passengers age 3 & up, as shown below. Everyone age 3 & up requires a ticket; under 3 is no charge if not occupying a seat, no food included. 

Coach Class: $80 (with out meal – see note about commissary car above)

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Coach Class: $100 (with meal - either breakfast or lunch, not both) Meal choices (with coach tickets) must be made at same time as reservation: Breakfast at 9:00am or Lunch at 10:45am, 2:00pm, or 3:15pm. Dining Car Breakfast: Eggs and sausage, biscuits and gravy, grits, juice, fruit, milk or coffee; Dining Car Lunch: Homemade Soup, Smoked Ham and Cheese Croissant, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Dessert, and Beverage.

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Premium Coach: $135 with continental breakfast, lunch, and unlimited refreshments; (Dining Car Lunch: Homemade Soup, Smoked Ham and Cheese Croissant, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Dessert, and Beverage.)

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Observation Lounge Seats: $155 with continental breakfast, lunch, and unlimited refreshments. (Dining Car Lunch: Homemade Soup, Smoked Ham and Cheese Croissant, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Dessert, and Beverage.)

Saturday & Sunday, November 16 & 17 ~ Knoxville, TN to Asheville, NC (Asheville Autumn Adventure) This steam-powered trip will operate over Norfolk Southern's “River Line” which parallels the beautiful French Broad River for much of the 256-mile round trip route. Departure time from the former Southern Railway Passenger Station in Knoxville is 7:30am, with return expected around 8:00pm. Passengers will detrain in Asheville at the Historic Biltmore Village around 12:30pm for an extended layover with opportunities for shopping at the many specialty shops, departing at 3:00pm. Enjoy lunch on your own at one of many local restaurants, and patronize a variety of boutiques and retail outlets. Parking is available in downtown Knoxville at one of two patrolled public lots at no additional charge. A commissary car will be included on the train selling snacks, soft drinks, and light food items. A gift shop will also be featured on board for those wishing to purchase souvenir items. Tickets: Starting at $105 per seat for passengers age 3 & up, as shown below. Everyone age 3 & up requires a ticket; under 3 is no charge if not occupying a seat, no food included. 

Standard Coach Class: $105 (without meal – see note about commissary car above) ~ Passengers travel in modern coaches with contemporary fixed seating.

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Deluxe Coach Class: $125 (without meal – see note about commissary car above) ~ Passengers travel in traditional coaches with upholstered reclining seats.

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Premium Coach: $175 (with food service as described) ~ Limited seating in a low-capacity coach with upholstered reclining seats. Includes buffet-style breakfast, unlimited snacks and soft drink service throughout the day, and light afternoon buffet during the return trip. Sample breakfast menu: pastries, fresh fruit, coffee, and fruit juices. Sample cold buffet menu: cold cuts, cheeses, salads, condiments, and assorted beverages.

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Observation Lounge Seats: $225 (with food service as described) ~ Extremely limited seating with a view of the receding rails from rotating lounge chairs. Includes buffet-style breakfast, unlimited snacks and soft drink service throughout the day, and light afternoon buffet during the return trip. Sample breakfast menu: pastries, fresh fruit, coffee, and fruit juices. Sample cold buffet menu: cold cuts, cheeses, salads, condiments, and assorted beverages.

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Superintendent’s Office Of Beaches and Trains and Other Things By John Stewart, Superintendent My wife “made” me go to the beach last week with friends. It’s a tough job but someone has to do it. After all, the government is shut down and something has to pump the economy. So, off we went to the beach. In truth, it was a very nice trip that we take from time to time with another couple who are very good friends. It is fortunate to have “good enough” friends that you can travel with them and get along. And for those of you who are interested, this beach trip caused me to have to reschedule my monthly operations session on the Birmingham District MRR. We moved to the second Friday night for the month of October and are open to all comers. November should be back to the first Friday evening. About the time we arrived at Destin, there began to be news about a ‘big storm’ brewing in the Gulf and the weather news media began to indicate that we were going to have a wet beach trip. So, we began lining up other things to do. The wives planned “more” shopping, friend Pete announced that he would read “more” of his new book on the Battle of Gettysburg; and I announced that I would go to Milton, FL and see the train museum there. I had heard about it from our Steel City Member Lee Singletary who was one of the ringleaders of getting Milton started. So, we figured Friday would be a wet day and turns out the West Florida Railroad Museum (www.wfrm.org) is open on Friday, so that was a plan. If you followed Tropical Storm Karen you know she sort of fizzled out. But once a plan is made we stick to it. So, sunny though it was I set out for Milton Friday morning. It’s about an hour plus trip from Destin and it was pleasant. I arrived at the museum and several of the regular crew were on hand. I am sorry I didn’t write down the names as they gave them since I can’t remember names well at all. This is a nice facility with a variety of exhibits including a wonderful L&N Depot, rolling stock, lots of railroadiana, a nice model railroad and a surprising gift/hobby shop. The museum is located along the CSX mainline just south of the town of Milton, FL on FL-191. It is convenient to most of the popular beaches for a day trip. I was interested in visiting Milton for “train reasons” which most of you readers will understand. I was also interested in visiting to see what a group of dedicated volunteers can do over a period of time with a dedicated venue like the wonderful Milton L&N Depot built in 1907-09. The Steel City Coupler – September 2013

I was interested in this aspect since I am a member of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society (R&LHS) Mid South Chapter, which operates out of the historic Georgia Pacific Depot in Leeds, AL, northeast of Birmingham. Our group is newer than the Milton group and our depot space is not as large, but it is a great example to view and consider the possibilities. A number of Steel City Division members are also R&LHS Folks. One thing that was positive was that there were two young mom’s with kids visiting the museum followed by a picnic next to the tracks. Therein lies the future of the hobby and it is good to see families promoting an interest in trains. One project that I have been “thinking about” is my need for steam era L&N cabooses for the BDMRR. I have pretty much settled on what L&N folks refer to as a “Little Woody”. These were fairly standard looking wooden 32 foot off center cupola cabooses. In case you’re wondering, there was indeed a “Big Woody” as well. These were made from recycled wooden boxcars and were both “with and without” cupolas. The small cupola applied to the Big Woody’s made them somewhat ungainly looking. While they are of great interest as a somewhat unique model, my esthetic sides with the Little Woody. In my “project” the Little Woody could be kitbashed from a readily available wood side caboose model. This is because the few Little Woody’s made are pretty expensive – one of the nicest ones is in brass by Division Point models and they sell for about $275. My Scottish heritage won’t support that expense for a caboose. So, I have my “project” that I am working on… So, with all this in mind I have been gathering information about L&N’s wooden cabooses, including great help from our member Lee Singletary who is one heck of a modeler and a serious L&N fan. Based on research, I remembered that there was a Little Woody in Pensacola, so I asked the guys at the Milton museum how to find the caboose in Pensacola. They were a good help and gave me directions to the T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum (http://www.historicpensacola.org/) which is located near the historic waterfront of Pensacola. Although the museum building is closed for renovation the caboose is located outside in the nearby historic village and was photographed over an “historic” picket fence. And by the way, Pensacola has an interesting railroad related history as the L&N built to a significant ship to rail port facility there shown here about 1885. L&N actually owned and operated a steamer fleet that operated between Pensacola and Caribbean ports for coal, timber and naval stores. But that is another story. The caboose I found was not a disappointment. I had one picture of it from the internet, but I was able to take a good many more for future modeling efforts. Note that I am not a rolling stock modeler, nor a scratch builder, YET! But I have high hopes that I can do this project. Lee Singletary kindly furnished information from his L&N archives and those of the L&NHS of which Lee is an officer. This builder’s sketch show the caboose and information provided indicates that these were initially built starting in 1918. This certainly works with my layout timeframe which I have decided is 1925-1955, more or less.

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One thing that is interesting to me about this caboose is the safety handrails to the roof. The arrangement is fairly distinctive and is reflected on the prototype photo I took in Pensacola. One interesting thing that Lee suggests is the cupola may be matched by one from an old Athearn kit of a “work caboose”, so I am looking for that. And I have found a possible kit bash source from a Model Power caboose that is based on a Pennsy N6-a caboose. I bought two last spring at a train meet in Nashville, thinking that my TCI trains could use them. The excuse being that the TCI/US Steel bought them from Pennsy Lines West at auction and sent them to Birmingham. At the time I didn’t realize that they might be a basis for a Little Woody kit bash project. Model railroading is an interesting hobby! So that is what I did on my beach trip when it was supposed to rain but didn’t. Pretty good way to spend a day with train related activity and work on some projects while having fun. And that’s what model railroader should be all about. So, now I am home and it is back to the reality of getting ready for the next operation session on the BDMRR. It is amazing how quickly a month passes and it is time to do it again. I have to figure out how we are going to move ahead in our efforts to run more trains. We have added a dispatcher and that has been pretty successful. This has included the use of inexpensive walkie-talkie radios so the train crews may talk to the dispatcher. Last month we added a new terminal area switcher and crew to focus on our work around the Birmingham L&N Station and the interchange tracks. That seemed to work well and helped solve congestion. So, I think that this month we are going to finally add passenger service to Birmingham. If you know your local rail history you know that Birmingham’s first passenger station was located downtown on Morris Avenue between 18th and 20th Streets. This station served all Birmingham traffic until the building of Terminal Station which opened in 1908. From that time the “old” station served only L&N and AB&C/ACL The Steel City Coupler – September 2013

Photo by Herron Rail Video from L&N archives, U of L, colorized by J. R. Herron

passenger trains. All of Birmingham’s other 7 trunk lines used the Terminal Station. So, in my time frame the L&N Station would have a moderate set of trains to choose from. The L&N had the all Pullman Pan American from 1921 forward. This was a steam powered all Pullman Green consist. After the 1940’s the L&N began “streamliners” along with many other railroads. L&N started with a steam powered consist for the South Wind which soon changed to diesel. By about 1946 L&N started repainting old equipment blue rather than Pullman Green, and they began using new light weight smooth side cars in a handsome dark blue scheme. So, we have to figure all of that into the operating scheme. It should be interesting to add passenger trains considering that two months ago we had terrible congestion on the railroad. Passenger trains are supposed to run on a schedule! So, even though my wife “made” me go to the beach, I managed to salvage a pretty good day of train related fun. Did I mention that we ate too much – life’s a beach!? Tough job but someone has to do it. Welcome New Division Members We had a number of new members join the Steel City Division including several at the National Convention in Atlanta last July. Our newer members include the following folks. Please go out of your way to make them welcome. If you recognize on of these names please contact them and invite them to come to a meeting or visit a club activity. We do not yet have email for all of these folks but have contacted the ones with email. Several have already attended Division meetings and/or visited local club activities. Robert Adkins

McCalla, AL

Dennis Burns

Hoover, AL

Reggie Eady

Homewood, AL

Roy Lyon

Pelham, AL

Jim McCravy

Hueytown, AL

Bill Moran

Birmingham, AL

Mark Richardson

McCalla, AL

James Roberts

Anniston, AL

Steven Roberts

Birmingham, AL

Andy Smelley

Northport, AL

C. Smith

Northport, AL

William Whalen

Montevallo, AL

Magnolia Mini-Meet The Southeastern Region of the NMRA has a good way to raise consciousness across the region for the smaller divisions. Last month the SER held a good Regional Mini-Meet in Choctaw, MS on September 20-21, 2013. Former Wrecking Crew member Troy Hight heads the Magnolia Division of the Southeast Region of the NMRA. Troy lived in Birmingham area for several years, but has been home in Mississippi for a while. The Magnolia Division is a good bit smaller than our Steel City but we are neighbors. Choctaw, MS, near Philadelphia is a three hour The Steel City Coupler – September 2013

drive from Birmingham and several Steel City Division folks attended. We started Friday night with a great Dutch-treat Mexican dinner at Old Mexico Restaurant in Philadelphia. The mini-meet program continued Saturday morning with good clinics including one by our own Bob Beaty on modeling water. Other good presentations were made by Howard Goodwin on ballasting track and by Walt Liles on pulpwood modeling and operations. I wasn’t able to see all the clinics as I attended the Regional Board meeting during part of the morning. The highlight for me was the presentation by Cliff Powers on his Magnolia Route model railroad, the Mississippi, Alabama and Gulf (http://magnoliaroute.com/). If you have not seen this wonderful model railroad visit the website today. And we concluded with a visit to the largest outdoor G scale layout that I have ever seen. It had a real river with real water – even better than Bob’s water. All this was the good news. Driving over on Friday I wanted to stop in Meridian, MS to see the location of the club layout that operates in the old freight house next to the Meridian Depot. This group operates their layout on 1st and 3rd Saturdays and I wanted to see where they were located. After visiting the layout site (the layout wasn’t open) my car died in downtown Meridian. I had the car towed and delivered to a repair shop right downtown. I got a rental car at the last minute Friday evening and drove on to Choctaw, arriving in time for the dinner gathering. But, the mechanic said that car wouldn’t be ready till Tuesday or Wednesday the following week. That was all bad news. Nevertheless, we carried on and had a good time at the Mini-Meet. Fortunately, Steel City member and friend Craig Gardner came over Saturday morning so I dropped the rental in Meridian on the way home from Choctaw and hitched a ride home with Craig. I knew I would have to go all the way back to Meridian AGAIN to rescue my car when it was ready. That was more bad news. However, Craig had a great idea. When the car was ready, we could ride Amtrak from Birmingham to Meridian, pick up the car and drive it home to Birmingham. That was more good news! So that is what we did. It turned out that we went on Thursday, September 26th. We got one way coach tickets with a Senior Discount for about $31. My wife dropped up at Birmingham Station and we rode to Meridian in style. We had a good lunch in the Dining Car. It was a fun trip. Craig downloaded a “speedometer” app for his smart phone and clocked the train during our run. We experienced some significant “slow order” track where the train literally listed to starboard! But on the good track we hit 81 mph a couple of times which is actually over the 79 mph limit. So, that was fun. When we got to Meridian, we were able to walk a few blocks to pick up the car and its new alternator which cost a whole lot more than the train trip or the motel at the mini meet. Oh well. So for some of us the Choctaw Mini Meet was the gift that kept on giving. Just another day of “training”, but somebody has to do it…. – John The Steel City Coupler – September 2013

Clerk’s Desk Kid Shows and Model trains, Part 2: They’re two, they’re four, they’re six, they’re eight…shunting trucks and hauling freight By Jason Parham, Secretary While Mister Roger’s Neighborhood might have been one of the first kid shows to integrate model railroading into elements of the show, it definitely wouldn’t be the last. The story of Thomas the Tank engine has its roots way back in 1943 when the Reverend Wilbert Awdry’s three year old son Christopher was sick with the measles. The little boy was confined to his bed to recover and Mr. Awdry, after exhausting nearly every form of entertainment he could to keep his son’s spirits up, began to create stories about a group of engines on a fictional railroad. As the stories and their characters developed, the Reverend began to write them down to prevent making mistakes in retelling them. Awdry’s wife sensed potential in the stories and eventually persuaded him to seek publication. After many rejections, he eventually found a willing publisher and the first book entitled The Three Railway Engines hit the shelves in 1945 introducing the characters Gordon, Edward, and Henry. The success of that book prompted a second one soon after entitled Thomas the Tank Engine which debuted what would become Awdry’s most iconic character. It was the illustrator of that second book, Reginald Payne, who suggested drawing Thomas to be patterned after an E2-class 0-6-0T (with extended side tanks) from the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway as seen here. More books followed from Awdry with nearly one per year up until 1972. Over time, the home of the railway began to take shape with the name of Sodor, a fictional island in the Irish Sea between England and the Isle of Man Fast forwarding to 1979, Britt Allcroft , a British writer and television producer came across the series of books and expressed interest in bringing the stories to life. In 1983, she purchased the television rights to the stories under the name Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends with production beginning in Shepperton Studios in England. The decision was made to use live action models for the shows filming which for the pilot were scratchbuilt from plastic. Unfortunately, these models were not reliable enough and the producers instead sourced Märklin O-scale locomotives which had much more robust die-cast frames. On top of these chassis, new acrylic bodies with radio controlled moving eyed were added. A pair of servos inside the shells controlled the eye movement with one providing vertical movement and the other for the horizontal The Steel City Coupler – September 2013

axis. With these two servos, just about any movement of the eyes was possible. The space taken up in the shell prevented any further animation of the face, so removable faces for each character displaying different expressions were crafted from modeling clay. From there, a rubber mold was made for castings using a combination of resin and autobody filler. Those copies were reworked into the various facial expressions and then used to make the final silicon castings. An article in the April 1993 issue of Model Railroader stated that many of the supporting members of the cast have 5-6 basic faces that can be used. Thomas, on the other hand, has over 40. The factory MĂ¤rklin smoke systems could not produce enough dense smoke to show well on film, so the system was replaced with a home-brewed one developed by the shows staff to use titanium tetrachloride (TTC). A rubber bellows connected to a crank and geared to the wheels, pushed air across the TTC producing a chemical reaction and the desired effect. For steam appearing to come from underneath the engines cylinders and wheels, compressed air delivers smoke from two smoke machines through piped instated in the set. This same effect also produced fog and smoke for chimneys on buildings. Once the narrow gauge engines (seen at left) were introduced to the show around 1998, these models had to be built to a larger scale to maintain the room necessary inside the models for the smoke, eye movement, and drive mechanisms. To interact with these new little guys, a larger scale Thomas and Percy were built and later joined by a larger James. The sets themselves are usually 16x20ft not including the runoff tracks allowing the trains to completely transverse the scenery. Each set may appear in up to 15 episodes and once one set is completed all the necessary scenes for that season were shot at the same time. Grass is a synthetic material used for fruit and vegetable displays in grocery stores backed with a formed wire mesh. Random clumps of moss broke up the continuity. Often times the water is a sheet of clean black plastic (which provides a good reflection of the surrounding shore). For scenes when the weather turns sour, rain was simulated with an atomizer used for misting plants. Should a storm be required, a smoke machine was added to the water mist and churned up with a fan. Simulated snow came in the form of a very fine, dried paper pulp sifted onto the scenery, while large background areas utilized white felt. If an engine was required to plow through snow, powdered glass was used instead as it easily allowed the engines to push through it, though the wheels and track had to be brushed after every take to maintain electrical continuity. Large airbrushed canvas backdrops provided the sky with three different versions: 1) a blue summer sky with white clouds, 2) a stormy gray, or 3) a sunset which could also be used for sunrise with some additional lighting. In 2008 the 12th Series of the show saw big changes to the show. While the live action models had made the show a success and won the hearts of millions, unfortunately that method of production was quite expensive. Advancements in CGI animation allowed them to supplement and later replace the The Steel City Coupler â&#x20AC;&#x201C; September 2013

models in production. At first, this brought additional smoke effects, flying birds, and animated human characters such as engine crews, the Fat Controller (Sir Topham Hat in the US version) and other citizens of the Island of Sodor. By the 13th Series rolled around, CGI had replaced live action entirely and after 25 years the old models were retired for good. In 2009, these models were put on display in a special exhibit at Drayton Manor Theme Park's “Thomas Land” in Drayton Bassett, Staffordshire, England. – Jason

News from the NMRA Headquarters Editor’s note: Below is a special message from Pete Magoun, MMR current NMRA Central District Director:

Recruiting Tools Pete Magoun, MMR As I travel around the NMRA I hear a common theme rumbling at Division and Region levels: “How do we attract more members to the NMRA?” Sure, there are variations on this theme, like “What’s ‘National’ doing to attract new members,” or “What tools do we have to attract new members,” but the underlying theme doesn’t change. We need new members if the organization is to survive. That job is for each of us. This discussion came up awhile back at a Region convention, where I had been asked to comment after the banquet. The term used was “After-Banquet Speaker,” which is generally not a good idea around me, because I can talk about the benefits of the NMRA for a long time. This is a great hobby, and the NMRA makes it even better. But I digress…. The festivities included a slideshow of host Division activities, including modular shows in shopping areas, open houses, road trips and so on. That slideshow triggered a major change in my intended remarks, for I realized that it could be the basis for a completely different presentation. So let’s have a look at the discussion. It’s Tool Time! There are really only three tools you need to conduct a successful membership growth campaign. They’re inexpensive, and all of us have them. We simply need to use them! The first is our eyes. We need to make eye contact with a potential member. We can smile with our eyes (try it – it works!), and our eyes tell the new prospect a great deal about who we are and where we’re going. When we’re happy, enjoying ourselves and proud of our organization, this shows in our eyes. [So does the Grumpy Old Man part, so be careful!] The second is our mouth. We can smile with our mouths, and we can say a lot about the educational opportunities, fun, fellowship and so on we’re enjoying within our little corner of the NMRA. We can answer questions, provide invitations, and make folks feel welcome. The third is our hands. Use them for handshakes. Invite people in with a handshake. Make folks feel welcome. It’s not difficult, and it makes a world of difference to a prospective member. At some point in our NMRA experience, someone smiled, extended a hand to us, made us feel welcome, and invited us to join the fun. It wasn’t difficult, and it opened the door to us. Be that someone! Go for it!

Division Happenings The 11th Annual Piedmont Pilgrimage, the Southeast's premiere model railroad layout tour, opens Saturday, October 12, 2013. The Piedmont Division has arranged more than 80 model railroad open houses during the event, running each Saturday and Sunday from October 12 through November 23. For additional information visit http://www.PiedmontPilgrimage.com

The Steel City Coupler – September 2013

Photo of the Month Last month marked the 20th anniversary of a sad day in railroad history for not only the state of Alabama, but for rail passenger trains in this country. In the wee hours of the morning on September 22nd, 1993, a towboat and it’s barges on the Mobile River got disoriented in the thick fog and sought a place along the riverbank to tie-down until the fog lifted and visibility improved. Unfortunately, as the boat followed the bank it ventured out of the river’s channel and into Bayou Canot. Unable to see the front of the barge tow, the boat’s pilot felt a bump and realized he had struck something but did not know what. What he had hit was the CSX railroad bridge and the resulting collision had knocked one of the bridge spans about 3 feet out of alignment. Within a few minutes, Amtrak’s Sunset Limited struck the damaged bridge and as a result 42 passengers and 5 crewmembers lost their lives in the murky waters of Bayout Canot that night. This month, Howard Biby provides us a view of the memorial plaque installed at the end of the bridge so that we never forget their memory, nor the lessons learned from that event.

Until next month…... – Jason PS: I’m always on the hunt for interesting photos to use. If you have one you would like to volunteer for future use (either vintage or present day), please let me know.

The Steel City Coupler – September 2013

Timetable Piedmont Pilgrimage Layout Tours Saturdays & Sundays, Oct. 12 thru Nov. 23, 2013 Atlanta, GA http://www.PiedmontPilgrimage.com GM&O Historical Society Convention (Held in conjunction with Meridian Railfest) November 1-2, 2013 Holiday Inn Meridian, 100 North Frontage Rd Meridian, MS Soule Live Steam Festival and Meridian Railfest November 1-2, 2013, 9am-4pm both days http://www.soulelivesteam.com/ 21st Century Steam Autumn trips Please visit http://www.tvrail.com/pages/21st-century-steam to buy tickets for this trip. November 9, 2013 Chattanooga, TN to Attalla, AL (Attalla Autumn Adventure) The Great Train Expo Saturday & Sunday, Nov. 23 & 24, 2013 North Atlanta Trade Center Norcross, GA Smokey City Rails Train Show Saturday December 7, 2013 Pelham Civic Center Pelham, AL Piedmont Division Train Show Saturday & Sunday, March 15 & 16, 2014 Cobb Galleria Centre Atlanta, GA Steel City Division Meetings for 2013: 1/17, 2/21, 3/21, 4/18, 5/16, 6/20, 7/18, 8/15, 9/19, 10/17, 11/21

Steel City Division Officers Superintendent Assist. Superintendent Secretary Treasurer

John Stewart (vacant) Jason Parham Carey Ketchum

205-989-4889

jstew@bhamrails.info

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The Steel City Coupler – September 2013