Modular Group News, Update 3/14/24

Just lots of stuff to get the large layout in running order......

The layout to raffle at a possible upcoming train meet is coming along fine.

The Station Module team works their modules as they redesign and refresh.....

Some inspection and planning for a ballast refresh.....

More art going up on the walls.....

Electrical work being addressed....

New club-owned LionChief engines placed on the wall....

Have a great and safe weekend, folks!

Peter

Busy bees making lots of headway!

It's been about 3 weeks since an Update.

We started a ballast refresh.

We had a few train-running sessions.

We had a fun one this AM from 0800-1200.

Here are some pictures.......

A good time was had by all......

Peter

Just a few short videos......

Have a great and safe weekend, folks!

Peter

Peter;

Great work. I am assuming that you are responsible for the NYC 4-6-6T and it’s consist (I have no idea what gave me that idea ). Was it prototypical to have milk cars in short (commuter???) trains??? I have read about NYC commuter trains including mail or baggage cars (some delivering newspapers), but not milk cars.

Looking good, Peter!  Three weeks already!  Time flys!  You had a good turnout of members

@Apples55 posted:

Peter;

Great work. I am assuming that you are responsible for the NYC 4-6-6T and it’s consist (I have no idea what gave me that idea ). Was it prototypical to have milk cars in short (commuter???) trains??? I have read about NYC commuter trains including mail or baggage cars (some delivering newspapers), but not milk cars.

My 4-6-6-T was diverted north of White Plains in non-electrified territory.......and they needed it to help out ......so, it picked up what was around.....

It's great when you can run whatever you want!

The whistle steam is cool!

Peter

Great attendance at a "Fun Run" this AM......the highlight for me was modular group member, Ken's (OGR Forum name: Kanawha) Virginian electric.....please enjoy the pics and video.....

It is speatacular!

The Menard's lumbar yard is a new addition.....  

This layout, built on a hollow core door, will be raffled at the Virginia Train Collectors show, May 22-23.....a 2 day raffle.....you get what you see.....layout, train/transformer and buildings....

Have a great and safe weekend, folks!

Peter

Glad to see you folks got to run them!!  The Virginian electric unit is wonderful!

Getting ready to host the Virginia Train Collectors monthly meeting on 4/22.....

The 6x11 and 12x15 layouts have been up and running.....we've put a lot of work into the big layout (13x42) to get it in "show off" condition.

We are also highlighting the two layouts Gilly@N&W has built......that have been featured in OGR Magazine......1st, Gilly's two layouts....

Next, the 13x42.....

The Station Module is still needing attention......

Lighted vehicles by Jack Pearce of Canada are always "attention getters"

L

Peter

Peter, the modules are really shaping up nicely!  I like the plaques telling a bit about the Timesaver and Halloween modules.

Everything looks great Peter. Nice to see the trains running again.

Bob

Last night, the River City 3 railers hosted the monthly meeting of the Virginia Train Collectors... their 1st meeting since last year. We opened our 3 layouts for viewing. Every half hour for 90 minutes we switched operators.....lots of different trains were run. Everyone had a blast!

Here are some of the videos.....

A great time was had by all!

Peter

Lot's of nice trains running Peter.

That NS First responder set is a beauty.

@Putnam Division posted:

Getting ready to host the Virginia Train Collectors monthly meeting on 4/22.....

. . .

. . .

Peter

Nice work, Peter, Gilly & Crew.

Peter:

Do you have more photos of the warehouse in the background of this photo? I have the Korber 2005 and 2010 Warehouse kits and was planning to combine them into something similar.

Looks like a great day of train running!

@AGHRMatt posted:

Nice work, Peter, Gilly & Crew.

Peter:

Do you have more photos of the warehouse in the background of this photo? I have the Korber 2005 and 2010 Warehouse kits and was planning to combine them into something similar.

Matt.....

Built in the summer of 2017.  I will dig up pictures for you over the weekend.

Peter

@Putnam Division posted:

Matt.....

Built in the summer of 2017.  I will dig up pictures for you over the weekend.

Peter

Thanks.

Matt, check here:

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...e-build-for-aghrmatt

Peter the first two videos must be your trains running.  Looks like your club did a great job hosting the first meeting in over a year.

We couldn't have had a better time!

We partnered with the Virginia Train Collectors for their spring Swap Meet.

It was held this past weekend in Midlothian, Virginia. Thee selling floor was in an adjacent storefront with free access to the River City 3 Railers three O gauge layouts.

It was a two day show (9-4 Saturday and 9-3 Sunday). Over 800 people came through the doors...600+ were paying attendees; 125+ were VTC members who had free admission. Children under 12 were free and there were hordes of them!

No vendor packed up early and all had big smiles.

However, myself and all the club members also had big smiles because this was what we live for as modular group members.....public displays. The reaction to our layouts was fantastic!.

Here are some pictures and videos:

This is modular group member BenS who gained the raffle layout. It was won by a local grandfather who has two grandsons who were thrilled with getting thew layout and everything you see on it.....except the hand sanitizer.

We already have the next one planned......November 20-21. Make plans to join us!

Peter

Looks like a great day, Peter!

On a more personal note......we got to meet with model railroaders from all over the area.......and recruited about 6-8 new members.

SteveK and his son, Matt, both members of the National Capitol Trackers came down from NoVA and joined the group.

CarlT (Pingman on the Forum) came up from TideWater and snapped this picture (below) of Tom (Gilly@N&W) and me....

Forum member DJones came up from North Carolina to join the fun. Here is our picture:

The next story is very personal........I graduated from Cardinal Spellman HS in the Bronx in 1971. We have a closed FaceBook group where the class keeps in touch.

One of the members, BobV, lived in Leesburg. about a year ago (about 2 hrs northwest of Richmond, on this side of the Blue Ridge), we discovered that we were both train guys.....the pandemic kept us from meeting up......well, this is our 1st meeting is 50 years!

We plan to meet up again, soon.......and not wait 50 years!

Peter

......and how could I forget, the inaugural run of the JayCela.....

One more video (for the Long Islanders in the crowd)......

Enjoy.....Peter

Congratulations on a great show. Go HAYES!  😁

@Putnam Division posted:

One more video (for the Long Islanders in the crowd)......

Enjoy.....Peter

That's pronounced Lawn-Guy-Landers, BTW!

Say what you will about social media but to be able to reconnect with a former classmate after 50 years is cool.

Great job as always Peter. Thanks for sharing all the pix and videos.

Bob

@Putnam Division posted:

We couldn't have had a better time!

We partnered with the Virginia Train Collectors for their spring Swap Meet.

It was held this past weekend in Midlothian, Virginia. Thee selling floor was in an adjacent storefront with free access to the River City 3 Railers three O gauge layouts.

It was a two day show (9-4 Saturday and 9-3 Sunday). Over 800 people came through the doors...600+ were paying attendees; 125+ were VTC members who had free admission. Children under 12 were free and there were hordes of them!

No vendor packed up early and all had big smiles.

However, myself and all the club members also had big smiles because this was what we live for as modular group members.....public displays. The reaction to our layouts was fantastic!.

Here are some pictures and videos:

This is modular group member BenS who gained the raffle layout. It was won by a local grandfather who has two grandsons who were thrilled with getting thew layout and everything you see on it.....except the hand sanitizer.

We already have the next one planned......November 20-21. Make plans to join us!

Peter

Hi Peter, is that "Kanawha"s  C&O M-1?  If so I thought he had the set of "The Cheesie" passenger cars that would go with it.

Ron

@PRRronbh posted:

Hi Peter, is that "Kanawha"s  C&O M-1?  If so I thought he had the set of "The Cheesie" passenger cars that would go with it.

Ron

Indeed it is my M-1 and I actually sold my MTH The Chessie set that goes with it for several reasons:

• The cars MTH made are based on Pulman Standard cars. The Chessie cars were built by Budd and are very different than PS cars.
• The Chessie never ran in revenue service. During the couple of years the M-1's ran they pulled standard Pullman green heavyweights.
• I'm waiting for 3RD Rail's accurate Chessie cars to be built, hopefully next year.

I love running this engine for our public shows as hardly anyone knows what it is so it generates a lot of discussion. Also its overhang is impressive. Almost takes down the crossing signal.

Ken

WOW!

@kanawha posted:

Indeed it is my M-1 and I actually sold my MTH The Chessie set that goes with it for several reasons:

• The cars MTH made are based on Pulman Standard cars. The Chessie cars were built by Budd and are very different than PS cars.
• The Chessie never ran in revenue service. During the couple of years the M-1's ran they pulled standard Pullman green heavyweights.
• I'm waiting for 3RD Rail's accurate Chessie cars to be built, hopefully next year.

I love running this engine for our public shows as hardly anyone knows what it is so it generates a lot of discussion. Also its overhang is impressive. Almost takes down the crossing signal.

Ken

Ken thank you for this response.  I thought you did have a set of the MTH cars.  And yes I knew the MTH cars were not Budd cars they just used their existing tooling.  I am surprised 3RD is going to do these cars.  Dose 3RD website show these?  Is 3RD also going to produce a M-1?

I for one like the coal turbine electrics since they are power plant on wheels.  I worked for an electric utility for 20-years and manufacture of power industry components 6-years before that.  So am enamored by the C&O M-1 and the N&W TE-1.

Ron

Ron.......if you like the Jawn Henry.......here it is.....an old video....2013, I believe.....

Peter

Thanks Peter, wish I had video of the last time ran my TE-1 and M-1.

Ron

@PRRronbh posted:

Ken thank you for this response.  I thought you did have a set of the MTH cars.  And yes I knew the MTH cars were not Budd cars they just used their existing tooling.  I am surprised 3RD is going to do these cars.  Dose 3RD website show these?  Is 3RD also going to produce a M-1?

I for one like the coal turbine electrics since they are power plant on wheels.  I worked for an electric utility for 20-years and manufacture of power industry components 6-years before that.  So am enamored by the C&O M-1 and the N&W TE-1.

Ron

3RD Rail has The Chessie cars on its website "To Reserve". Here's the link:

http://www.3rdrail.com/reservation.html#COHUDSON

I see where the L-1 Hudson is going into production, but my understanding from some time ago, that reservations for the cars have been slow. Scott did mention in one of his updates they would be scheduled for production next year so hopefully he will have enough reservations to proceed.

I also worked at an electric utility power plant for a few years so that could be one of the reasons I find these engines interesting.

Here's a YouTube video on The Chessie (not entirely accurate but its a nice summary).

Ken

@kanawha posted:

3RD Rail has The Chessie cars on its website "To Reserve". Here's the link:

http://www.3rdrail.com/reservation.html#COHUDSON

I see where the L-1 Hudson is going into production, but my understanding from some time ago, that reservations for the cars have been slow. Scott did mention in one of his updates they would be scheduled for production next year so hopefully he will have enough reservations to proceed.

I also worked at an electric utility power plant for a few years so that could be one of the reasons I find these engines interesting.

Here's a YouTube video on The Chessie (not entirely accurate but its a nice summary).

Ken

Ken thanks for the video albeit some of the "numbers" and "dates: quote there in differ form the book 'Chesapeake And Ohio Railway". Chesapeake and Ohio Streamliners, Second to None Volume I: The Cars.

Wish there was a way to copy and save the video!

Ron

Long awaited upgrades have been started and train running on our layouts continues.

Peter

Tom (Gilly@N&W) with some module updates.....

I believe pictures 1-3 are repeats......but, they give you some background to what Tom is trying to do......

More updates to follow.....these module additions will take our width from 19 to 21 ft. Our length stays at 42 ft.

Peter

Looks great Tom!  Thank you for the photographs Peter!

Great weekend running trains for the public.......we were paired with a craft show next door.....

Peter