Off the Rails

Are we having fun, yet?!

One of my friends and a fellow member recently reminded me that the NMRA is (supposed to be) about fun!  Well, sometimes as an official we get side-tracked by some of the administrative responsibilities, but I wholeheartedly agree - we are supposed to be about fun.  So in fact, fun is another responsibility I must assume.  Sounds like this is easy, but sometimes we get caught up in all the other intangibles: paperwork, administrative duties, e-mails, websites - it is sometimes overwhelming.

So for fun, what did I do this month?  I went to an operating session and dispatched at our Club Ops.  I put together and presented a clinic on Livestock and Meatpacking operations at my Division meeting, and brought some new models for the monthly Show 'n Tell.  I made it to two other Division meetings to hand out some AP awards, and am sorry I couldn’t make it to Utah for awards in both of those Divisions this month (but I made it to Wasatch Rails in November, at least!).  I worked on ballasting and scenery on the Marshall Pass loop of my club layout.  I joined my fellow club members for our monthly breakfast, and a few of us for a quick bite to eat prior to our Wednesday work sessions, and a late night breakfast with my Division members following our Division meeting – model railroading works up a big appetite!  I went to a benchwork clinic at Caboose Hobbies last week and am going to one on Bridges & Trestles this week, both presented by good friends.  Of course, writing several Callboard articles is fun (hopefully it will be fun for you to read them).  I got two Tichy Group flat car kits and two more Walthers Sherman tanks at Caboose Hobbies last week to build for my WWII train. Gee, I need to work more in my train room.  The list of projects keep growing and the number of projects that I am working on simultaneously, is more than I’ve been able to keep track of (so to speak).

More fun …….

I’ve been kicking around some ideas for this year’s Region model contest at the convention (see the Contest Chair article in this issue of the Callboard) …..

I’ve been developing an official general tracking tool to present to the Board for Referendums in general and help me track progress on our Referendum in particular…….(fun?)…….

I’ve solicited Frank Koch for some of my ideas on improving consistency in some of the gray areas (they’re all gray!) in the AP judging ……..

Still have work to complete from the last Board meeting, get ready for the election and get set for my final Board meeting in May (that will be fun!).

Making Tracks

Some of my previous articles featured trackwork on my club layout, the Scenic Line Modelers, Inc. layout.  I thought it may be fun to give you an update on some of our current progress, showing the track now integrated with more scenery.

Ballast now lies in the Marshall Pass snowsheds.

A gentle curve replaced a tangent below the Pass.

Approach to the snowsheds looking a lot better.

The hill of gentle tailings and final structures on the Colorado Fuel & Iron tipple have greatly improved the area.

The ‘new’ crossover (which has been in place for quite some time) is now getting some additional scenic details.

Region Website - http://www.rmr-nmra.org/