Front Range

The Front Range Division meeting attendance is slowly growing. We contact all new or renewal members by phone (thank you, Doug Whetstone!) and follow up with an emailed copy of The Telegrapher. The personal interaction has been well received.

The May meeting featured a PowerPoint clinic on the movement of the Big Boy 4014 from Covina, CA to Cheyenne, WY, by Paul Brennecke. It was pulled by SD70 #4014 and SD70 #8448. Significant crowds met the Big Boy at each town and grade crossing and automobiles were lined up for miles following the engine across Nevada and Utah.

The FRD tries to get a mix of prototype and modeling clinics to entertain and educate attendees. June was highlighted with a modeling clinic by Rodney Black. Rodney is the computer whiz behind Pat Lana’s MMR CRANDIC railroad. In addition, he is the developer of the CATS dispatcher program found on JMRI. His clinic was titled Wiring for Signaling, and included way more than how to string wires (lol!). Components were discussed for signaling, train detection, turnout control, turnout feedback, signals, lights and more.

Rodney Black leads a clinic on Signal Wiring which was much more than the title might suggest.

The clinic theme in July remained in the modeling realm. Jack Haptonstall and Paul Brennecke presented a PowerPoint show of some of the tour layouts featured in the Rocky Mountain Region Convention, Smoke and Steam in 2015, sponsored by the South Suburban Division. There were many good layouts available for tour and, while we didn’t make all of them, a load of good photos of exceptional models and layouts were shown.

Jack Haptonstall is getting ready to present slides from the Smoke and Steam in 2015 layout tour. In the meantime the attendees are introducing themselves to a new member. We do that by going around the room, introducing ourselves and talking about what we model. It is a good way to break the ice with a new attendee.

Each of the FRD meetings features a “Show and Tell” where modelers talk about their work. The number of participants continues to grow and many wonderful models and techniques are presented.

Each FRD meeting includes time for “Show and Tell”. Here Bob Crowe talks about a small brass engine, probably used for hauling sugar cane. Several scales were represented.

The Front Range Division meets in the main building (Delay Junction) of the Colorado Railroad Museum at 7:00 pm every third Monday to the month. Exceptions are in August when we have our picnic and December when we have our Christmas party.

Paul Brennecke

Superintendent

Front Range Division-NMRA