NCR Black Swamp Division (Div 1) Officers
Superintendent - Marshall Stull Assistant Superintendent - Brian Burr Chief Clerk - Richard Marquard Treasurer - Randy Bosscher Trainmaster for Services - Steve Glass Director At Large - David McMullian Director At Large - Tony Kukwa
Appointments and Helpers
AP Program - Ron Gilbert Editor/Webmaster - Marshall Stull AV/Computer Support - Steve Glass AV/Computer Support - Steve Richwine New Member Outreach - Open
We Need Help!
We need stuff for the Train Order! Please submit any article/photo/information to the editor. any kind of information is great, please tell us what you are up to!! Even if it's just a photo of your layout, something you saw, or what's on your worktable we would love to see it.
Sharing is the best way to spread the hobby and ideas.
Train OrderOur mission is to promote education and fellowship through the sharing of information and the promotion of the world's greatest hobby. - Model Railroading.
From the Editor
To get ideas for our newsletter, I watch the newsletters from the other divisions, the NCR HotBox and the national publications. It's interesting to see the models and layouts featured by other NCR divisions. Most of these newsletters are available to anyone who cares to browse the division websites. The style and content between NCR divisions varies greatly. I highly recommend if you have some free time to take a look at a few and check out what the other divisions are doing. It may help you with new ideas! Below are a few links to other division newsletters that are available on line.
Capitol Division (5) Journal
Motor City Division (6) Newsletter
Clinton River Division (8) Carhouse
SW Michigan Division (9) Yardmaster
I am always open to new ideas to make the Train Order better. So please if you see something you like and wish we did it, let me know.
WANTED! - Photos and Articles for the Train Order!! New content is always needed, and new thoughts and ideas are the best. Even new twists on old ideas are great. Maybe you have a certain technique for ballast or car maintenance or a locomotive you just upgraded. Send a photo and a small paragraph. It does not need to be professional, just jot it down in an email and fire away. Any content is welcome. Email any content or ideas to the editor at blackswampdiv@div1.ncrnmra.org.
View from the Cab
With our Spring Modelers Meet next month, we WILL NOT have a meeting in March. We will also not have an issue of the Train Order for March. All resources will be on making the Spring Meet the best we can. We have a great lineup of clinics and layout tours thanks to the efforts of everyone involved. Please, if you are attending, bring a model (or something else) to share! This event is about sharing the hobby.
This month's open house will be Dave McMullian's The MaineLines in Waterville. Dave's Railroad fills a room 30' by 20'. It is controlled by a North Coast Engineering DCC system with Tsunami sound in some engines. His rolling stock and motive power are meticulously detailed and historically accurate. His structures have great detail. The layout includes a large waterfront scene which includes piers and warehouses with railroad sidings. Dave has also included a scratch built 400' ocean going cargo ship. The waterfront includes several detail scenes including potatoes being loaded onto the freighter from box cars. Make sure to check out Dave's very detailed scenes below street level!
OPEN HOUSE Dave McMullian's The MaineLines Saturday, February 24th, 2024, 1PM-4PM 279 S. River Rd, Waterville OH 43566
The layout tours are private residences so parking will be limited! Try to car pool if possible!
NCR Spring Model Railroading Meet Make sure to attend our NCR Spring Model Railroading Meet on March 23rd. We have a great start with several layouts open, nine clinic spots, a large model/show area and a warm location to host the event (you never know what March will bring).
To support the event we need volunteers for setup and teardown (it's mostly just moving tables and chairs around). Setup is scheduled for Friday 3/22 from 5-7PM while teardown will start around 2:30PM on Saturday. We also need help at the reception/check-in desk on the day of the event. If you can assist, please talk to us at the meeting or drop an email to blackswampdiv@div1.ncrnmra.org.
We will be providing additional updates at the meeting so please attend if you can.
I look forward to seeing everyone at the February 23rd meeting!!!!
Marshall Stull,
mstull@marshallstull.com
Superintendent
Clinic Corner
THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO FINE QUALITY 3D PRINTING
Dave McMullian and Jim Read have been working together for the last couple of years to design and produce some high-quality models using 3D printing. This clinic introduces the fundamentals of these processes and provides their recommendations with time for questions and discussion.
Dave will begin with an overview of the 3D design process and discuss his experience along with some advice and recommendations to get started. He will show slides to illustrate the design interface as well as some current projects and printed samples will be shown. Jim will then follow with a presentation on how 3D resin printers work and what's involved to make a print as he shows one of his printers and a wash/cure station. Jim will also have additional sample parts to show.
See you there,
Brian Burr,
Assistant Superintendent
February 23rd Meeting Agenda
Here is a quick breakdown of what to expect at the meeting:- Rip Track Table - Have items you want to sell or just give away? Put them on the table
- Business
- Show and Tell
- Break
- Door Prizes
- Clinic
- Closing Remarks - Announcements and Open Discussion Points
The lighter side of the hobby
Hide that Obstruction
How often have we all had an immovable object right where we want to put our layout. It never fails that some unsightly beam, edge or post will be in the worst place. As can be seen in these photos that did not stop Larry Hickman. Larry decided to turn what would have been an eyesore into a piece of his layout. We can all take a lesson from his ingenuity.
November Meeting Highlights
The following are some of the items people brought to our November Meeting. If you brought something and I missed it, please drop me an email with a photo and I will get it included in the next issue.
Steve glass brought an HO scale B&O tower with LED lighting that challenged his skills.
Nancy Whitehill brought a slide show of how they created a shelf for their G Scale garden railroad equipment. They can now drive their equipment directly into the house without having to carry anything into the basement. Nancy also shared images of the layout she has started building for her granddaughter.
Steve Kellogg showed three unique cars he created from various kits and parts he found.
Jim Konwinski brought a complete car shop built from two kits with lots of extra details.
Tony Kukwa shared the molds he has developed for various carload types.
Jeff Schumaker shared a brick structure he created by kitbashing portions from several kits.
Division Happenings
Last Month's Open House at Larry & Dalene Hickman's
The Open House went very well with around 19 people touring the layout. Below are some images from his layout in case you could not see it yourself. These are just a few images and truly cannot do the scenes justice. Larry's layout will be open again for the March 23rd Modelers meet.
Upcoming Events
If you know about an event happening in our division, please let us know so we can make everyone aware. If a club is having an open house, setup, or other activities, we could help promote it!
