Modular Group News, Update 8/27/24

The "Train Display" season is now open....

Midlothian Days......

October 20th. About a 1000+ people usually attend....

Peter

Ashland Rail Days.....November 3rd.....

About 3-4000 people saw the layout

Peter

Getting ready for the Annual Science Museum of Virginia Show.....11/23-25....

Putting in LED lighting for the underground station.

Peter

You folks are busy!  That sounds like great turnout for Midlothian and Ashland!!

Busy weekend for the group......Train Show in Hanover on Saturday....

Peter

Kudos for doing this. It's fun (and work) for your group and great for the public and model railroading.

MELGAR

Nice job in Hanover, everyone!!

Back after a trip to the grocery store.......

Set up for the Science Museum of Virginia annual train show.....next weekend 11-23 through 25.

This is the small layout from yesterday.....now it will have a Christmas motif...

The raffle layout is in the foreground.....

Now, we're really getting into the Christmas spirit!

I'm responsible for this 18' stretch.....

One of the fellows did a panoramic shot......

Peter

Thank you for the kind words, gentlemen....

Peter

Wow! I should make a trip back to Richmond just to see the show!  It’s been 25 years since I was in the area and went to the train show at the Science Center.

Congrats on Hanover.  Look forward to seeing you and your layout upgrades on Friday.  I will be working the caboose trailer pictured in the background of your pics.  Looks so tiny compared to your club layout.

Those are some terrific modules, all those set-ups are a lot of work but you guys seems to really enjoy having all the fun that goes with them.  What a great way to spread the word about how great the hobby is.  This gives people an up and close look at how much fun it is and the things that can be done.  Your group looks to be very well organized and it shows.  You all have your stuff together and that is terrific.  Thanks for sharing with all of us.

Watching all of this almost makes me wish I lived up your neck of the woods.......nah, even living in the armpit of the great State of Texas being a border town, I'd really miss my Tacos, enchiladas, tamales, burritos, chili verde, chili colorado, the refried beans, the boracho beans, the guacamole, chili beans and those wonderful little empanadas (small baked pies usually with pineapple in the middle) and then I'd also miss the Cattleman's Steakhouse Restaurant, steaks that literally melt in your mouth.  But, I definitely wouldn't miss the dust storms that we have from February thru June.

Thanks again for sharing.  Keep up the great work.

Our busy time of the year......huge crowds at the annual Science Museum of Virginia show.....

Peter

Few more quick videos of Christmas trains.....

Enjoy!

Peter

It does look like a nice crowd!  The layout looks great!  I’m glad it went well!

Great job, as always, Peter & Co.!!! Looks like you had a great attentive family crowd. 

As we said back in Brooklyn, youz guyz done good    

Enjoyed visiting the folk's from the River City Three Railers today.

Nice photographs Matthew!  Thank you for posting!

Great to see you again Peter!  The Science Museum show was fantastic; you and your club did a great job with this show.  As a result of conversations between our club leaders it is hopeful that our ECRR club and the River City Three Railers will be able to run trains together sometime in the not so distant future.  We'll be operating our ECRR modular layout at the SETCA show in Raleigh, NC Dec. 2 & 3 and will surely be inspired by what we saw Saturday.  Keep up the good work and good luck at the Greenhouse.

I want that everyone for their kind comments. We had a blast. It was especially fun re-connecting with fellow TCAers (Steve and friends from the No Carolina modular group) and Steve and Matt from the Trackers of the DC/Balto/Annapolis metro area.....Steve and Matt brought this fabulous Christmas decorated Norfolk Southern Dash 8......here are some pics:

A tracker box car and an RC3R box car standing side by side......

Peter

Peter, Those are some nice photographs of equipment from TCAers (Steve and friends from the No Carolina modular group) and Steve and Matt from the Trackers of the DC/Balto/Annapolis metro area.  That is neat they got to visit!

I also have to give another shout out to Tom (Gilly @N&W) for his skill at backing our 24' trailer into a door with barely a foot clearance on each side........it was done effortlessly and in the dark to boot!

You cannot have a successful modular group with out skilled people, and we, the River City 3 Railers, certainly do have them!

Now, to the Great Big GreenHouse for an 8 week run!

Peter

So once you get unloaded at the Big Greenhouse Tom can take a rest from backing for a while!  

Mark Boyce posted:

So once you get unloaded at the Big Greenhouse Tom can take a rest from backing for a while!  

Not really. The small trailer for the 12x15 layout is on the hitch right now. Friday, in addition to opening night at the Great Big Greenhouse (big layout), we also will be appearing with the 12x15 at the Richmond Grand Illumination Ceremony at Main St Station. That parking lot is tight and the little single axle trailer can be a booger to back. You have to make your next correction before the trailer starts tracking in the direction you don't want it to go.

The 24' trailer with it's tandem axles on the other hand is a puppy to back up. The only trick to slipping it through that door was to line it up straight before backing. The trailer is 8' wide and the door is 10'. If I can see a foot on the driver's side, it's good to go.

Great Big GreenHouse

I have distant relation to the Meadows - my step-sister's ex-husband's sister married into the family.  Think I got that right.  They don't know me from Adam.    

The other Farmer Bill 

Set up and nearly ready to go at the Great Big GreenHouse.......while I'm fixing the ballast on the yard, I will unofficially open the festivities while the weekly Farmer's Market is going on at 10-2.....

I couldn't resist running a few engines when kids showed up!

Left side done!

Peter

You're a dedicated lot and a credit to the hobby spending that much time setting up, taking down, moving and displaying model trains.  We will be setting up the ECRR modular layout in Raleigh tomorrow and running trains Sat. and Sunday; and we think that's a big deal; Ha!

Really enjoyed your layout at the Virginia Science Museum.  The skills of your club really show.  The time and effort your club spent building and displaying your layout is impressive.

I worked our trailer Friday, next to your layout. Large crowd and the kids really enjoyed getting control of the Lionchief Polar Express.

Our small club had to really work to get enough members able to make the three + hour round trip each day to cover 3 days of the show, but it was worth it.  

Next up is our open house on the 8th.

Gilly@N&W posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

So once you get unloaded at the Big Greenhouse Tom can take a rest from backing for a while!  

Not really. The small trailer for the 12x15 layout is on the hitch right now. Friday, in addition to opening night at the Great Big Greenhouse (big layout), we also will be appearing with the 12x15 at the Richmond Grand Illumination Ceremony at Main St Station. That parking lot is tight and the little single axle trailer can be a booger to back. You have to make your next correction before the trailer starts tracking in the direction you don't want it to go.

The 24' trailer with it's tandem axles on the other hand is a puppy to back up. The only trick to slipping it through that door was to line it up straight before backing. The trailer is 8' wide and the door is 10'. If I can see a foot on the driver's side, it's good to go.

Oh, I didn’t realize you are setting up the smaller layout at another place!  Excellent !

Another great use of a beautiful old station......anyone who drives through Richmond VA on I-95 has passed within feet of Main Street Station.....after a few tries, it has finally surfaced as a successful event space. Our modular group (the River City 3 Railers) set up our 12x15 layout there last night to help ring in the holiday season. Last night was Downtown Richmond's Grand Illumination.

the train shed.....

the old Seaboard freight building next door.... 

Amtrak going through, heading north.....

Peter

Wow, Peter, you guys are busy!!! That is an impressive space - so glad it was saved. I’m surprised that they didn’t demolish it when the built 95... talk about close quarters  

Some pictures from the last few weekends.....

Peter

Another great event Peter. You guys run a first class club.

Are these NYAR Geeps? If so, they're a long way from Long Island....

RSJB18 posted:

Another great event Peter. You guys run a first class club.

Are these NYAR Geeps? If so, they're a long way from Long Island....

Yes.....new member......moved here from Long Island.....

Peter

Yes,

Since the Science Museum display we have had three new members join. Bill is our Long Island RR fan. 

Great to see the NYAR represented. Wish I could move off this %$#&%@ Island.

This past week we received 2 very gracious donations of old trains, which we will refurbish and run....

Donation # 1:

Peter

Donation # 2:

A lot of work ahead of us......but then, we will be fortunate to have a nice roster of PostWar trains to run....

Peter

A friend of one of our members did this "train level view" video (it starts just after the 2 minute mark) last weekend. Enjoy!

Peter

Finishing up the pre-Christmas half of the exhibition season with a few Christmas train videos.