The Gandy Dancer
The Official Publication of
The Alameda County Central Railroad Society
December 2002
| The Gandy DancerThe Official Publication of | December 2002
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| Club Officers: | |
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| President Gary Lewis |
Vice President Henry Chandler |
| Secretary Dean Lewis |
Treasurer Cathy Chrisman |
| HO Trainmaster Andy Herrera |
O Trainmaster George Cumming |
| Newsletter Editor Bob Johnson |
Webmaster Jim Ferreria |
| Visit the club website | |
If you have any information that would be of interest to the membership please contact Bob Johnson, so that it may be included in the next issue. The deadline for submitting information for the January 2003 issue will be Friday, December 27 with a goal of being mailed and uploaded to the website by Sunday, December 29. Members are encouraged to submit photos, announcements and other club and model railroad related material for use on the club website. Please contact Jim Ferreria with items for the website, or questions relating to the website. |
| Go to November 2002 Issue | Return to Gandy Dancer Index | Go to January 2003 Issue |
| General News | HO Scale News | O Scale News | Test Your Word Power |
November 30 & December 1 (Thanksgiving weekend). Hours are 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Please note: there are lots of people that attend GATS that arrive before the show opens. It might be a good idea for the early shift to arrive in time to open by 10:00 AM to catch the early birds as well as attending to the usual pre-show setup and cleanup.
Elections for club officers were held during the November business meeting. Prior to the voting it was announced that the candidate for Vice-President had withdrawn from consideration and that it would be necessary to select replacement candidate(s) for that office. Two members were nominated for the office of VP. One of these members was elected as VP. Since there was only one candidate for the offices of President, Secretary, and Treasurer, these offices were filled by the incumbents.
The end results of the election are as follows:
| President: Gary Lewis | Vice President: Henry Chandler |
| Secretary: Dean Lewis | Treasurer: Cathy Chrisman |
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December Business Meeting:Since the December Business Meeting would fall on the same date as the annual potluck, the next Business Meeting will be held on January 3, 2003. Annual Club Holiday Party Scheduled.The annual club holiday potluck is scheduled for Friday, December 6th at 7:00 PM. Please join us for our annual holiday season kickoff. Bring your spouse and children to the most festive occasion on the club calendar. The sign-up sheet is posted on the refrigerator door. The sign-up sheet is designed so that everyone will be able to see what others are bringing in order to avoid duplication of others efforts. |
Membership Dues are Now Due.If you have not paid your dues yet, time to start scratching up the funds, please see the Treasurer and ante up! Members are reminded that dues are $24 per year. |
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A delegation of four club members attended the memorial service for Kirby Churchill. Members that attended the memorial were Henry Chandler, Jim Ferreria, Len Ferreria and Bob Johnson. The East Bay Model Engineers were also represented by a delegation of several members. Thanks to the members who took time out of their schedules to remember Kirby.
On behalf of the entire club membership The Gandy Dancer wishes to express sympathy to Cathy Chrisman on her loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with Cathy at this time.
Several HO members have used the DCC programming station since its installation. A rotary switch allows selection of HO (On30), O, or On3 scales for programming or testing decoder-equipped locomotives. Additional controls permit the selection of programming or testing mode.
Happy Holidays: |
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The editor of this newsletter would like to express the wish that all members and their families have a Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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December schedule for run nights.
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(The letter "A", on the calendar, denotes an analog run night. The letter "D", on the calendar, denotes a DCC run night).
The following remarks are from the Phoenix Project Manager.
Well, I can hardly believe a month is already behind us. Many members have requested updates on the progress of the City construction and I am happy both to comply and to continue to see progress! This month we have focused on several areas but the most visible progress is the additional construction of the freeway ramp that will lead traffic under the city through a tunnel portal. It may also serve as an underground turn-around for an automated roadway (more on this later). Carl Klenk has the lead roll in the foundation construction and has devoted at least 8 hours a week completely rebuilding the foundation of the ramp, the foundation of the abutment area, and the engineering of the Portal. Thank you Carl, for your interest, contributions and your time. Thanks to Gary also for reconfiguring the roadbed and risers of his section of roadbed. The coordination of these projects has helped.
In other areas we have created initial templates for sidewalk construction and overall appearance, Jeff is leading this effort and I am grateful. We also researched Street designs, lighting and some buildings. Thank you, Bob for your continued help here! I will shortly be talking to Andy about acquiring Street Lighting, Traffic lights, Street landscaping (retaining walls and Tree placement), Signage, a park and other details. If anyone has prototype or layout pictures that you have found particularly attractive please see me. I welcome all ideas and will implement (with your help) the best most attractive ones, and basically anything that is practical.
A major upcoming effort is the street encasement of the trolley tracks. Dean Lauerman and a couple of other members are researching different alternatives; i.e., hydrocal, custom plates (materials?) etc. Obviously turnouts and other topographical problems need to be addressed. If all goes well, you may see visible progress on this next month. Next month also we should have the streets repainted and basic striping.
Unfortunately, despite all of our efforts only about half the planned construction time was available this month. Next month will be just as tight with the upcoming holidays. If steady, dare I say fast, progress is something you would like to see, then the only way is to involve yourself. Share your skills and ideas, and contribute. I invite all members to participate and spread out both the effort and the satisfaction of contributing. Whatever you can provide in contributions is welcome. There is plenty of work for small teams or individuals, either at home or on the layout. The choice is yours. Now is the time to speak up, as they say. We will all be grateful to have a fine city again, especially if it represents as many of us as possible.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone,
--Detlef Buescher and the City Phoenix Team
The following remarks are from the HO Scale Trainmaster.
Just a reminder, as if you didn't know, the GATS event is this weekend Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. Looks as though we could use a few more sign-ups for Sunday Dec. 1. We would like to thank Seth Abrahams for the nice installation he performed on the DCC programming track system. Credit is also due to "O" scaler Henry Chandler for the great job he did on the test track. This was a fine club effort.
Looks like Detlef and his Phoenix crew are making some great progress on the city project. Club President Gary Lewis is also making fine progress on his elevated street and bridge project.
Let's welcome new member applicants Paul and Gloria Newhouse. Paul seems to have gotten into the swing by running his passenger train on DCC. Former members Mike and Hope Hand have received applications for rejoining the HO side again. Mike's job at Amtrak has kept him busy on Friday nights over the past few years. At our next "HO" meeting in January, we can go over and schedule helpful clinics we discussed earlier, DCC programming, coupler installations, weathering, etc. Hope all of you plan to attend our annual Christmas get together on Friday December 6th . Until next time, Happy Holidays to you all.
--Andy Herrera, HO Trainmaster
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The following remarks are from the O Scale Trainmaster.
Please make an effort to participate in layout operations during the Great American Train Show, November 30 and December 1. This is one of our most well attended shows, and a great time to showcase The King of All Scales. DCC runners are especially encouraged to attend.
The NWSL wheels are "in," and if you haven't picked them up yet, your order is bagged and in the large O Scale locker. The amount due is shown. Please make checks payable to ACCRS, but send them to me, not Cathy, who is taking some well-deserved time away from Club matters. (And Cathy, the O Scalers join me in wishing you and your family the best, and our sympathies for your loss.)
--George A Cumming, O Scale Trainmaster
Listed below are this month's questions about American railroad slang. Some terms refer to people and others to equipment, facilities or actions. Answers will appear in the January issue.
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 I really wish this guy with the small chimney and G scale layout would switch to N scale! |
Politics and the newsletter:
Well it seems that I've struck a nerve last month with the editorial and the top ten list. The feedback that I've received indicates that in some quarters there are feelings that the newsletter has moved into the middle of "club politics". Politics is after all, "serious business".
While it may appear to be the case that the newsletter has moved into "club politics", my intent was to inject some humor into the November issue of the club newsletter by lampooning club politics; past, present and future. If anyone feels that what was mentioned, in the newsletter, hits too close to home, then they do not understand where I am coming from with what was written. If someone feels that what was written was in some way aimed at him or her, I am sorry but that was not the intent.
The editor has been involved with the club for a very long time. During that time he has known a great number of persons including both current and former members. What was written is a mosaic of different impressions, opinions, personalities and situations encountered since 1976, no one person, their actions or opinions were used as inspiration for more than a little bit of what I wrote.
Some things never change, that is the nature of the human condition. Over the years the editor has seen many people get hot and bothered about a variety of subjects, which seemed important at the time but in retrospect were actually molehills and not the mountains that the issues seemed to be at the time. From the perspective of the increasing distance of time, in some cases over ten years, these discussions can seem rather humorous and quite entertaining.
Over the years I have had the opportunity to hear and read the opinions of hundreds of people involved in the hobby. When the subject of belonging to a club comes up there is often a pause in the conversation followed by a comment that goes something like this "I used to belong to a club, but I quit because of the politics. I will never belong to a club again."
Back in 1976 when I became involved with ACCRS, the club was almost dead. There were only a handful of people on the club roster and there were often not enough members attending to conduct a business meeting. Over the years I have come to realize the thing that almost killed the club back then was "club politics". Currently the club is experiencing a welcome growth in membership and I hope that this will continue. I would hate to see the club start to waste away due to politics.
During my time on the nominating committee I got an interesting response from one person that I asked about running for a club office. He said, "I'm not interested in politics I just want to run trains." I hope that the majority of club members would agree with that statement. The club should be a haven from the real world, a place to enjoy and relax; there is too much "big serious stuff" in the real world, but the "serious stuff" at the club should be like our trains "small stuff."
This is all that I have to say about politics, for the present. I hope that I won't have to revisit this subject; but, if I feel that a shot of humor or levity is needed it will be provided. In the world of humor, there are no sacred cows, including politics!
Now back to trains!
Two lawyers were out hunting when they came upon a couple of tracks. After close examination, the first lawyer declared them to be deer tracks. The second lawyer disagreed, insisting they must be elk tracks.
They were still arguing when the train hit them.
A large train with two locomotives was crossing America. After they had gone some distance one of the locomotives broke down. "No problem," the engineer thought, and carried on at half power.
Farther on down the line, the other locomotive broke down, and the train came to a standstill.
The engineer decided he should inform the passengers about why the train had stopped, and made the following announcement:
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that both locomotives have failed, and we will be stuck here for some time. The good news is that you decided to take the train and not fly."
A large variety of jokes, including those above, are available at Aha! Jokes.
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Southern Pacific 2472 to run trips in December. |
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Two weekends of excursions with the former SP 2472 are scheduled in the near future. These trips are fundraisers for upcoming work needed to meet current federal boiler regulations.
The first weekend is Saturday, November 30, 2002 and Sunday, December 1, 2002. The trips depart San Francisco at 9:30 AM for Redwood City, and return to San Francisco at 12:30 PM. On the evenings of these dates a special Trains for Tots run will be operated to collect toys for needy children. The toy trains will depart San Francisco at 5:00 PM each day, note the toy train will not be carrying paying passengers.
The second weekend is Saturday, December 28 and Sunday, December 29. The trips will depart San Francisco at 9:30 AM for the first trip of the day and at 1:30 PM for the second trip of the day. Both departures will run to Redwood City and return on both days.
Coach tickets are $40.00 per person with First Class tickets (El Capitan coach) priced at $80.00 per person. Tickets are available from Tickets Plus by phone (877) 750-4400. Additional information.
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Fans of the Orchard Supply Hardware calendar will be able to add to their collections as the 2003 OSH calendar will be available again this year starting December 26th. This year' calendar features a special pull-out poster and a page of coupons. Larry Fisher is the artist for the 2003 calendar. Click on the calendar image, at left, for more information. |
This report is the fourth in a series of reports on railroad-related sites and both rail and non-rail related museums visited by the editor during his recent vacation. The following article covers the Cody Park railroad display in North Platte, NE.
The Cody Park railroad display is located in a section of the 90-acre Cody Park in North Platte, Nebraska on Highway 83. Other attractions in the park include an Olympic sized swimming pool, water slides, softball fields, tennis courts, carnival rides including a Herschell/Spillman 2 row portable carousel circa 1913, a campground, a memorial to the memory of Buffalo Bill Cody and an enclosed area with ducks, geese, peacocks and deer.
The railroad display contains a number of railroad artifacts. The largest item is the UP challenger 3977, built in 1943 by American Locomotive Company. 3977 was donated to the railroad display in 1968, and received new smoke lifters (elephant ears) and was freshly repainted into two-tone gray in December 2001. Other equipment in the collection includes a modernized heavyweight baggage, a Harriman 60 foot Railway Post Office car, a CA-3 class caboose and Centennial diesel 6922. The 6922 was built by EMD in 1969 and developed 6,600 horsepower and was added to the collection in 1985. Other items in the collection include the Hershey, Nebraska depot with complete operators office and order board, a water column and a semaphore signal.
The baggage car and RPO car contain displays of smaller artifacts including the train status board from the North Platte passenger station. The locomotives are hooked up to electricity so the headlights, class lights, number boards and lights beneath the running boards and cab are illuminated. The cab of the 3977 is open for visitors, is accessed by a set of stairs and all of the equipment that is supposed to be in the cab is actually is in place and labeled.
During the hours that the display is open the display attendant is on hand to answer questions of take a photo of visitors with the equipment.
Heading east on US 30 while still in North Platte is Memorial Park, which is home to U.P. C-57 class locomotive 480. The 480 is a 2-8-0 and was built in 1903 for $16,483.00. The 480 is also hooked up to electricity to run the lights and sports a pair of white flags indicating that she is running as an extra. Like the display at Cody Park the 480 is taken care of by a group called The Volunteers for the Preservation of Railroad Displays in the City Parks.
All of the equipment displayed in North Platte is well maintained and the steam locomotives look to be in the best condition of any equipment that I saw during this trip. There is no charge to visit either railroad display and they are worth a visit if you are in the North Platte area. Photos.
The next report will cover various railroad related sites in the Grand Island and Hastings, Nebraska area. There is plenty of railroad history to be examined at numerous locations.
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