I’ve never been to an actual model railroad operating session other than watching club layouts during visiting hours and my own home layout activities with my kids. I am so grateful for the effort that folks have put into sharing their sessions on DVD and YouTube, especially Joe Fugate and Charlie Comstock, and for the published guidance from writers like Tony Koester. I’m hoping my naivete works to my advantage somehow as I adapt what I’ve gleaned to the special case of a classroom full of eager, chatty kids.

More progress on my Island Model Works South Shore/NICTD electric MU car build up. We're adding appurtences and such.

Come by my Up Dunes Junction blog to see more, as well as the occasional railfan pic and other news.

Starting another thread here, the original one has gotten too long.

I finally finished my thing-a-week locomotive! Here is CATS #12, a small 'modernish' electric locomotive. She is based off of an IHC, HO gauge GE 50-ton centercab chassis. As shown in other blog posts I have made, the cab is scratch-made from styrene, pantograph came from an IHC GG1 bought LONG ago, painted by hand. YES, I know I need to redo the weathering on the chassis. You don't realize how heavy the weathering is and how...coarse it is until you photograph the model. :P

There were still a few more fundamentals to become acquainted with before we could get rolling. Because there was no scenic treatment of any kind on this Inglenook the kids’ attention was focused on the trackwork and it quickly became apparent to me that even this was entirely new to them. I showed them how flipping the lever on the ground throws moved the switch points. Even that tiny bit of animation drew exclamations of surprise, “Oh, I get it!”

I decided to start a blog on the events that take place at our model railroad club. Instead of just being a look at what we did or what event we are hosting etc type of posting I thought I would do something different. Some info on those types of things may enter in to the blog but I thought the focus would be on the camaraderie of the membership. I would also post some of the humorous things that happen when a bunch of grown men are playing with trains, doing maintenance and making improvements to our building.

I enjoyed seeing photos of all my models on the website. I had 64 entries on the tables and received 19 awards including 5 first place. Articles are possible on any of interest. 

I was thinking Contact Cement (like on Formica) would make a very strong bond between pieces of masonite.  Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Now for something completely different - traction!

My Milton and Dorchester RR is a combination of the New Haven RR MIlton Branch and the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Mattapan - Ashmont High Speed trolley line. It is a U shaped 4' x 12' that uses half of the spare "hobby" room of our apartment in Lewiston ME. The setting is the late 1950's which allows the NH orange and black "McGinnis" diesels intermixed with PCC trolleys and the occasional "type 5" in its last year of operation.