PEMRC Newsletter May 2021

PORT ELIZABETH MODEL RAILROAD CLUB Newsletter

May 2021 #05/2021

Every gauge welcome!

Happy Mother’s Day!

In this issue: PEMRC Digital Library

PEMRC Calendar

US Virtual Model Train Show Smoke & Steam

Modelling water with plexiglass EnterTrainment Junction

Mailbox

Performing Rolling Stock Check-ups

Market Place

DDA4OX Centennial

Committee

Layout ideas

Famous Layout: Bommelerdam How diesel locomotives work Into Canyon Country

This top publication is now in our digital archive, click on the image to access the archive.

Either Mr Google, Roel or Frank can assist should you need some text translated…

The first virtual model train show to replicate the in-person train show experience, an event dubbed World’s Greatest Hobby Online, will take took place on April 17th. The event is sponsored by the World’s Greatest Hobby, a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization.

It will feature digital exhibits and keynote addresses from some of the best-known model train companies including Atlas, Bachmann, Kalmbach, Kato, and Walthers.

World’s Greatest Hobby Online will differ from previous virtual train shows in that content will be user-selected. Attendees will be presented with a variety of booths on a virtual “show floor” and will be able to enter and leave these booths as they like. Merchandising will be a part of the virtual event too. Online retailers will be present, offering special deals on their e-commerce outlets to attendees of the show. More information can be found at www.wgh.events including exhibiting information and an advance registration page for attendees.

For those who missed the show: Included with this newsletter is this 24 page booklet: which was available at the show “Getting Started in Model Trains”. A selection of the video presentations from the show including a number of featured layouts, new product launches, key note talks, how to’s, etc. have been collected and can be accessed here;

PRE ORDERS NOW BEING TAKEN - Smoke & Steam is a new quality publication brought to you by Warners Group Publications, also responsible for BRM, Traction, Garden Rail, Narrow Gauge World and Engineering in Miniature magazines. Our Price: £9.99 (plus postage) UK Delivery£1.99

European Delivery£4.99

Worldwide Delivery£6.99

PEMRC CALENDAR

PEMRC is not organising any group activities during the pandemic

9-11

29-30

14-21

July 2021

National Train Show Santa Clara California,

Oct 2021

CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19

USA Eurospoor 2021 Event & Exhibition Centre Jaarbeurs Utrecht, Netherlands

NMRA National Convention 2022

Aug

Birmingham, UK

2022

https://www.nmra2022uk.org/

COMMITTEE 2021: Chairman:

Roel van Oudheusden

roelvanoza@gmail.com

Treasurer:

Attie Terblanche

terblalc@telkomsa.net

Clubhouse: JP Kruger

juanpierrekruger@gmail.com

Editor:

Roel van Oudheusden

pemrailroadclub@gmail.com

‘Shop’:

Graham Chapman

chapman22@telkomsa.net

Workshops: Mike van Zyl

carpencab@gmail.com

Subscriptions for 2021 remain at R300 for the year.

EFT is preferred, but the Treasurer may be persuaded to accept cash.

Bank account:

Port Elizabeth Model Railroad Club

FNB Walmer Park, branch code 211417, Account no. 62386122057

Tell us about your PEMRC Newsletter experience

What was your favourite article?

Which type of article should be stopped or published more of?

How do you access the newsletter?

Do you find it easy or difficult to access and read the newsletter?

Did you explore most of the hyperlinks for more detail and/or video?

Any other comment or suggestion.

Write to: pemrailroadclub@gmail.com Or via SMS or WhatsApp to +27 82 739 7679

PERFORM ROLLING STOCK CHECKUPS Keep your HO scale freight cars on track with these tips

By Jim Hediger Good rolling stock plays a major role in the operating quality of any layout. On most model railroads, the car fleet represents more potential problems than any other single element, so here’s how I check every car before it goes on my Ohio Southern Railroad, using just a few handy tools, 1.

Trucks and wheels The majority of current HO cars come with RP-25 contour wheels, so I use an NMRA Standards Gauge to check every wheelset to make sure the wheels are in gauge and properly centred on the axle. After checking the gauge, I spin each axle and discard any with wheels that wobble or don’t run true.

If a wheel adjustment is required, I grip the metal axle with a pair of needle nose pliers and use my fingers to twist the plastic wheels until they match the notches in the NMRA gauge.

I check new trucks for moulding flash that may impede the car’s free rolling qualities. Needle-point axles provide the best rolling qualities, but occasionally, I find a tight rigid-frame truck that squeezes the ends of the axles and effectively puts the brakes on. To resolve this problem, I use a double-ended journal reaming tool called the HO Truck Tuner (Micro-Mark no. 82838).

Coupler test fixture To speed up my freight car coupler inspections, I made a simple text fixture, 2. I used a smooth piece of 1 x 3 as a base with a couple of Atlas no. 844 code 100 rerailers tacked along its centre line. I mounted a Kadee coupler gauge at each end.

To use the fixture, I set a car in the middle and move it back and forth so the rerailers put the car on the track. Then I push the car from end to end to check coupler heights and uncoupling pin positions at both ends. If an adjustment is needed, Kadee and Micro-Mark sell special pliers for this job.

I use Kadee no. 208 (.015″) and no. 209 (.010″) fibre washers to make minor height adjustments until the car matches the height gauges. However, if more than a washer or two is required, I set the car aside for further work on the coupler boxes to avoid raising the model above its proper scale height.

Appropriate weight My HO inspection fixture is marked in 1″ increments, and then I calculated and added the appropriate NMRA RP-20.1 weight alongside the length marks. The recommended weight for an HO car is 1 ounce initial weight plus 1/2 ounce per inch of the car length.) When a car is coupled to a gauge, I can easily read what it should weigh when I put it on the scale.

I use a postal scale to weigh each car. If any adjustments are needed, I add stick-on weights or use doublefaced pieces of foam mounting tape to add steel washers inside the car.

My last step is to adjust the truck kingpins – I tighten both trucks down until they’re snug. Then I loosen one by half a turn, and the other by a full turn. This produces a steady-riding car body, while the looser truck can still rock from side to side to pass over any small undulations in the track.

Maintaining the fleet After my initial fleet inspections, I find that my cars seldom need much attention. As I completed my car adjustments, the Ohio Southern’s quality of operation steadily improved. Today, most of my derailments are caused by human error, so any car that derails on its own is immediately set aside for a full inspection before it returns to regular service.

Homemade coupler test fixture with various tools, gauges, and parts.

1. Useful tools for tuning up rolling stock include a coupler test fixture, truck tuner, NMRA Standards Gauge, height gauge, and a trip pin pliers.

Checking coupler height on an HO scale tank car.

2. This test fixture makes it easy to quickly check coupler height and make sure they align. It also helps check the position of uncoupling pins on freight cars.

MARKET PLACE

Members can advertise their model rail related items here for free; All others pay a 10% donation of the value to PEMRC.

Neil Viljoen from Willowmore invites your bid on the following 21x HO, 11x N scale as well as 5 inch scale items. Please contact him directly on 081 484 9616 with your offer.

HO scale 1:87 new in original box; freight cars have been fitted with Atlas steel wheels by Neil.

Railway Company

Brand

Part #

Description

number

Central valley

1903

72ft single track plate girder bridge

Merten

2268

Locomotive personnel

Athearn

2403

GN Empire Builder

Great Northern

Athearn

7833

Passenger diner

Great Northern

Athearn

7834

Round roof passenger coach

Great Northern

Shinohara

141-E

200 code 100 joiners

Walthers

931101

GP9M Locomotive with brass flywheel

BurlingtonNorthern

1709

Walthers

931201

Alco FA-1 Locomotive

Great Northern

310A

Walthers

931601

50ft flat car

Burlington Northern

621857

Walthers

931613

40ft tank car

Amoco

1330

Walthers

931707

Locomotive & Caboose pack

BNSF

Loco 1600 Caboose 12620

Walthers

9322122

40ft Wood Box car with grain doors

Great Northern

31338

Walthers

9322571

40ft meat reefer

Swift

SRLX 14952

6 figurines

30

two packets of 100 ea.

Walthers

9323463

Walthers

9323601

Walthers

9323608

Walthers

9327451

Walthers

931372

North American 50ft smooth side box car North American 50ft exterior post box car North American 50ft exterior post box car

The Hubinger Co

NIRX 14004

Chicago & Northwestern

33045

Johnson Wax

JWAX

46ft USRA Gondola

Baltimore & Ohio

256506

GP-15 Locomotive with dual brass fly wheel

Chicago & Northwestern

Atlas

various straight and curved track pieces incl. diamond crossing

Atlas

one pair manual points

Atlas

3 ft. lengths flexible track

x 15

N scale Atlas

2548

single track plate girder bridge

Atlas

curved track pieces

Atlas

rail joiners

4 packets

Walthers

7842

GP 38 Locomotive

CSX

6638

Walthers

7351

E6A Locomotive

CNW

5006A

Conductor's choice

40ft reefer box car

Bangoor and Aroostook

9125

Conductor's choice

40ft reefer box car

Rasking Packing Co.

URTX 60708

Conductor's choice

hopper

Frisco

SL-SF 90491

Conductor's choice

40 ft. cattle car (stock car)

CNW

Conductor's choice

Chemical tank car

Union Carbide

Conductor's choice

box car

CN A Rail Box

15040

553093

5 Inch scale:

Simplex frame with wheels.

Axles and axleboxes.

Crankpins on wheels.

5 inch Gauge Simplex left side Cylinder complete with rods and motion.

Right side cylinder for Simplex complete with rods and motion.

Motion brackets included both left and right side.

Feedpumps for 5 inch Gauge Simplex. One driven from eccentric on axle,other operated by hand.

5 inch gauge Simplex smokebox with Chimney and smokebox door

5 inch Gauge Simplex Boiler with Steam dome.

5 inch Gauge Simplex Steam Turret with Valves.

FAMOUS LAYOUTS – BOMMELERDAM IN MÄRKLIN HO Ton van Bommel has always remained loyal to his Märklin, even though Trix-Express was actually on his wish list. During his childhood in Utrecht, a large layout from the Nuremberg company could be seen in the store of “Vroom & Dreesman”.

That was what he wanted. An automatic level crossing was also very important. He had seen it in the window of the “Serré” toy store. Every time a train arrived, the barriers closed and when they passed they opened again. How nice. Only his decades old classics are allowed on the system.

Although electrical engineering is not Ton's specialty - the control panel is proto-typical. The wiring was carried out strictly according to Märklin specifications.

The announcement of the NS / SBB's TEE train as an HO model was a sensation at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in 1965. Märklin delivered it as a three-part unit, the fourth car could be purchased separately. In 1966 the price for the basic set was 135 guilders. According to today's standards, that's around 330 euros.

A Märklin HO model railway with the fictional town of Bommelerdam as subject. It is a junction of train connections between Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland with, among other things, steam locomotives of the series 24 and 86, E-locomotives of the series E18, Swiss 'Crocodile' and NS 1100.

Except for the Faller church and 4 mountain houses, all buildings are self-built, including the station, the coal mine, the gas factory and the cable car.

BR 81004 with two Open wagons with coal loads on their way to the coal bunker.

On the right you can see the

automatic

rail

crossing from the starting pack, working

which

is

reliably

still after

almost 70 years.

Click on this image (left) to view videos of the layout posted by

the

Bommel

modeller, including

catalogue from 1951.

Ton

van

Märklin

Crafty Arts 10% discount via their discount card scheme.

Collaborate with Aubrey de Chalain on building dioramas and exhibits in their newly extended premises.

Dream trains No shipping costs for combined orders of R2000 or more.

Shop online and fill your cart, even if less than R2000, then contact PEMRC Graham Chapman, to combine your order with fellow club members and all will save.

Mini World Models Shop online and use this special coupon to claim your unique discount

PEMRC

member

LAYOUT IDEAS

LARGE PUBLIC LAYOUTS 7379 Squire Ct, West Chester, OH 45069

EnterTRAINment features 2 world class attractions!

YouTube video:

At 25,000 sq. ft., (2,323m²) Train Journey features the World's Largest Indoor Train Display.

“The most impressive G-Scale Model Railroad layout I've ever seen! I spent the entire day there and still wasn't able to see everything. It's worth the drive even if you're 1,000 miles away.”

This enormous layout takes you through 3 eras of railroading with so much detail you think it's real. Also includes 5000 sq. ft. (465m²) indoor kid's play area, The American Railroading Museum, and outdoor kid's rides running seasonally. Plus the new AMaze-N FunHouse with tilt room, mirror maze, games room and black light walk through.

Special events include Thomas the Train months in February & August, our popular kidfriendly Halloween event Jack O'Lantern Junction, and our incredible Christmas at the Junction with special Christmas train displays and our new Winter Wonderland where you meet Mrs. Claus and Santa.