Front Range

Here is the 4th Quarter Callboard report for Division (16), the Front Range Division:

The Front Range Division is continuing to meet by Zoom. Schedule and contact information are at the end of this note. Please join us. We have members and friends logging in from as far away as Portland, Iowa and San Francisco. 

Our Zoom meeting in October had Gary Ratay giving us an overview of High Speed Rail in Europe.

These are passenger lines operating over special rail lines in speeds of 124 mph to 155 mph. They give the passengers a first class ride with terrific amenities.

We were further enlightened on the freight operations throughout Europe. There are significant differences in freight cars or wagons. There is an emphasis on containerized freight - this includes gondola style containers, tank containers, and wood chip containers.

There are significant challenges to freight operations in Europe. The rail lines are primarily electrified but not uniformly. They need to deal with differing operating voltages, differing voltage cycles, and AC or DC operations. A challenge to rail freight in Europe is that the rails are not a uniform gauge. That means that freight or containers must be transloaded to continue the rail journey.

Another unique element in Europe is that the rail lines are separate entities and for a price any rail operator may utilize the rails. This gives rise to a number of competing operators to provide service on the lines.

This was a fascinating look at European rail operations.

A layout tour was the feature of our November meeting.

Glenn Runkewich took us on a tour of his Grand River Railroad. The tour enlightened us on the development of the rail plan. It is a two level plan occupying a 7 foot by 20 foot space in the lower level of the home.

This railroad is evolutionary as he had a number of layouts before and the last one was a prototype model of D&RGW. This layout is a freelanced railroad set on the left coast of Never Never Land. The railroad services the towns of Glenport, Paradox, Fred’s Bay, and North Cove. It serves the Kryptonite producing Avalanche Mine. And, since there is a port at Glenport, he was able to incorporate a ship model in the scene.

As he was developing the structures at Paradox, he had shown this in a previous meeting and further on several show and tell sessions. He was careful in the removal of his previous layout and was able to incorporate much of the material salvaged. He utilized the sub roadbed, roadbed, track, and some turnouts. He re-purposed a bridge with two approach arch bridges into two tunnel portals and a Grand River bridge.

As a freelanced model, he will need to do a lot of re-painting of locomotives and rolling stock.

This is a great railroad, and we will follow his progress on this undertaking.

The December meeting was an exciting journey through the history of Lionel Trains.

Ken Cook gave us a tour of his walls of trains. His collection includes his father’s train and his grandfather’s train. He has nicely preserved Lionel steam locomotives from 1937, 1947, and 1957; along with a GG-1 in an all-black paint scheme.

The collection includes full catalog sets of trains, including a Girls Train, and a Space Train.

Along with the sets, Ken has collected the separate sale cars available for those sets. He has several sets of the Santa Fe Warbonnet scheme F3 locomotives. The 6464 box car runs are well represented with the collection completed with the exception of the four rarest examples. What a collection!

Of course, none of this could be complete without an operating layout to show off some of the trains and to include a number of operating accessories. His operating accessories include the operating Icehouse, a Sawmill, a Lumber Unloader, a Freight House, and the always messy Coal Dump.

This is a terrific collection and a timely review for the Christmas trains that were the catalyst for many modelers.

In normal times the Front Range Division meets the third Monday of the month at 7:00pm at the Colorado Railroad Museum in the Delay Junction building.

We are hopeful that we may once again hold in person meetings during 2022. The meetings start off with a clinic, followed by a “Show and Tell” session and is concluded with a short business meeting. We do not hold meetings in August and December.

In August, we have the FRD picnic and in December we have a Christmas Party off site. Both of these have been cancelled this year.

However, we do meet by Zoom the third Monday of the month at 7:00pm. Click on https://zoom.us/j/86897654169 if you have downloaded Zoom, which can be done at https://zoom.us/support/download. Anyone who wishes to join us please feel free to do so. 

Allen Grasmick

Secretary/Telegrapher Editor

Front Range Division - NMRA