More pics from our Brandermill Church outing.......
Peter
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The layout looks great Peter, Tom, and everyone! How did the children like it??
In this past week's Photo Fun, I put pics of our annual Chesterfield County Fair event.....last weekend (Saturday, the 28th), we ran trains at the Virginia Train Collectors train show in Charlottesville.
The Fall train season has begun!!!!!
Peter
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The modules look great, and it looks like it was a good weekend!
Peter. Everything looks great. Nice variety.
The Scenery and Electrical Committees have been very busy putting the final touches on the layout to get it ready for the Fall season. Electrical upgrades, done. Now, we are replacing ballast and ground cover. We are aiming for a November 13 finish......
Pivital members of the crew: OGR Forum members Kanawha and Gilly@N&W......
Have a great and safe weekend, folks!
Peter
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@Putnam Division posted:The Scenery and Electrical Committees have been very busy putting the final touches on the layout to get it ready for the Fall season. Electrical upgrades, done. Now, we are replacing ballast and ground cover. We are aiming for a November 13 finish......
Pivital members of the crew: OFR Forum members Kanawha and Gilly@N&W......
Have a great and safe weekend, folks!
Peter
Good morning Peter, are all those ground throws? Are the buttons the power on/off switches for the sidings? Looks very interesting.
Looks great! I was wondering the same thing as Dave!
@Putnam Division posted:The Scenery and Electrical Committees have been very busy putting the final touches on the layout to get it ready for the Fall season. Electrical upgrades, done. Now, we are replacing ballast and ground cover. We are aiming for a November 13 finish......
Pivital members of the crew: OFR Forum members Kanawha and Gilly@N&W......
Peter
Now THAT is one amazing yard... I am envious!!! Wonderful job guys 
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:Good morning Peter, are all those ground throws? Are the buttons the power on/off switches for the sidings? Looks very interesting.
Yes!
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@Mark Boyce posted:Looks great! I was wondering the same thing as Dave!
Yes!
This picture shows me trying on a cap (I was trying to figure out how to protect the button while I was sloshing glue around.....
Peter
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Looking good, you guys have been busy.
I like the switch idea.
Great work Peter. Nice yard.
Nice work Peter. That's an impressive yard, especially considering that it's portable.
Bob
Christmas Train 2021 unveiled at the recent Virginia Train Collectors show.....
Now comes our busy time......the annual Science Museum of Virginia show began today......
Tear down and set up of our layouts is always a team effort.....
Sunday evening take down above and Monday AM set up below......
Peter
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Very nice Peter.
Great Christmas train, Peter - I’m sure it will be a crowd pleaser. That being said, you grew up in the Bronx... you must know that the three wise men don’t arrive at the manger until January 6th - you should move the wise men car further back in the consist and move it closer every week 
Look great, Peter!
Paul, that is an interesting idea for the wise men on the train. You are correct, they were not in Bethlehem for the manger.
@Mark Boyce posted:Look great, Peter!
Paul, that is an interesting idea for the wise men on the train. You are correct, they were not in Bethlehem for the manger.
Actually, Mark, there is an old tradition (at least in the New York City area - I think it came from Italy, although my German/Irish aunt used to do it) where the three wise men wander all around the house, only arriving at the manger on January 6th. Nowadays, few people still gave the house decorated that deep into January!!!
@Apples55 posted:Actually, Mark, there is an old tradition (at least in the New York City area - I think it came from Italy, although my German/Irish aunt used to do it) where the three wise men wander all around the house, only arriving at the manger on January 6th. Nowadays, few people still gave the house decorated that deep into January!!!
My mum always kept the decorations up until January 6th. She grew up Lutheran (Italian German). She became Presbyterian (Scottish) when she married Dad. My wife takes the inside decorations down right after New Years. I leave the outside lights on and outdoor manger up until January 6th. Maybe I should have the wise men move around or not put them out until then.
Mark, you brought up something interesting. The Season of Christmas begins on Dec. 25th and ends on Jan 6th as you have noted. Because of our over exposure of all things Christmas since the day after Halloween, our culture can't wait to put away Christmas as soon as possible. Most radio stations stop playing Christmas music the day after. Our ancestors wouldn't dream of singing Christmas carols before Christmas Eve (By the way most of us are unaware that the popular carol "Joy to the World" is not and was never intended to be one. It does fit well with Advent).
As a side story, my son's HOA had a rule that Christmas decorations had to come down in his new neighborhood by New Years day. He had no trouble convincing them that Christmas didn't conclude until Jan 6th.
When I was a kid, Christmas time was my rationale for keeping my HO train layout up for a couple of months. So keep those Christmas decorations up, especially the little train that runs around the Manger* (the Magi need mass transit these days). and enjoy the fullness of Christmas.
The Reverend Earl P. Trygar
*Yes, it's true, my first train, a Marx set, ran around the Manger under our tree. Both came to be important parts of my life.
Not to hijack Peter's thread but looks like it's too late for that .....that's where the 12 Days of Christmas originated IIRC. My Italian mother (Brooklyn roots), always kept the decorations up until the weekend after the 6th. Now, our daughter's b'day is 1/8 so we have an additional excuse. The outdoor lights stay up and lit well into January unless a snow storm is predicted. I don't put them up until around now, probably next weekend if the weather cooperates.
Bob
Living in mid-state PA, any warm day within two weeks of Thanksgiving and my exterior illumination is in place. There were too many years when I couldn’t feel my hands during the process.
I do not believe Peter would mind this kind of hijacking on his Modular Group News topic Christmas train subtopic.
Conductor Earl, thank you for your input from your seminary and other studies. That is good your son's HOA saw fit to allow Christmas decorations until January 6th. We have a couple Orthodox congregations in nearby Lyndora, the town built next to the now gone Pullman Standard factory. Of course they observe Christmas on January 6th. One lady at work who was 'given' early retirement with me is Orthodox, and I have learned some of their tradition over the years. However, I do not know what that means as far as how long they leave decorations up.
I'm with Jay in that I put up the Christmas lights when I get a nice day, but turn them off until after Thanksgiving. They stay up, but off, until there is a nice day in February or even March. This year fall came a bit late, and I was still cleaning up leaves, and finally got the few lights I could up the day before Thanksgiving. I have had times I couldn't feel my hands either. I would not bother with them, but the Chief decorator loves the lights, so I am always glad I suffered through it to make her happy. I don't get the manger out into the yard until early December since there are several wooden pieces to move and bolt together.
Another Science Museum of Virginia show is now under our belt and a great time was had by all.......all of us club members and the public had a blast!
Now, on to the Great Big Green House for our annual 7 week run.........
Peter
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Peter, those modules are quite impressive! Excellent job River City 3railers!!
Yesterday was Kids Day in the Garden at the Great Big GreenHouse and our traditional take-down day......this completed our 2021-22 season at the GBGH......they are wonderful hosts and we thanked them.....and, we are already thinking about set-up day: November 28, 2022!
Have a great weekend......everyone please be safe today and tomorrow in this massive winter storm.....stay inside and run your trains!!!!!!
Peter
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That is an impressive display Peter. It had to have been fun to pull together and watch the expressions on the visitors faces. Congratulations on a feat well done.
Another impressive season! I can see why the Meadows' always invite you back!
Looking forward to setting back up tomorrow!
Some pictures of the 12x15 layout featuring Menard's buildings....you can appreciate the "cut-outs".....so, the building go the same place every time. It does cut down on set up time.....
.....and, the 21x43 poised to get put together.....
Have a great and safe weekend, folks!
Peter
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That’s amazing Peter.
That's really nice Peter and gang!!
That's one of the nicest modular layouts I have seen. I love that it is just not track but has all those buildings and scenery. Your club does great work!
I know you retired guys don't pay attention to clocks and calendars anymore, but you may want to edit the date Peter.......
Great work BTW!
Though I haven't post much here lately, we've been busy planning projects for the Spring and Summer as they lead into the Fall Winter train season.
We hosted a meeting of our parent organization, the RF&P.....which stands for the Richmond Freelance and Prototype RR club.......we consist of 3 special interest groups: HO, N and O G Gauge......this was our annual meeting:
....and, we are busy getting ready to be a big part of this show.....
In addition, if you click on the River City 3 Railer link by my signature, you will see that have launched a new website.......which is really super (and, created my modular group member and OGR Forum member Rick S).
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@RSJB18 posted:I know you retired guys don't pay attention to clocks and calendars anymore, but you may want to edit the date Peter.......
Great work BTW!
Envy is unbecoming, Bob 
That's a very nice update Peter on the last event and flyer for the next one. Catchy acronym for the Prototype Modelers club!
However, I was expecting to see photographs from the annual pancake breakfast??? Did I miss out?? 
From the recent Virginia Train Collectors Show......4/2-3 in Richmond VA.
These were taken by Modular Group member Jerry.....jec on the OGR Forum....
Have a great day!
Peter
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Very nice videos, Jerry!
From last weekend's Ashland Train Day......the group was set up in the Depot Restaurant, hence the dark......but it really highlights the Menard's buildings!
Happy Mother's Day to all!
Peter
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