Peter, I’m exhausted just reading the schedule of events 😄
@Mark Boyce posted:Peter, I’m exhausted just reading the schedule of events 😄
That's why in October, I tell the team to get new sneakers and have them broken in by the 3rd week of November......
Peter
@Putnam Division posted:That's why in October, I tell the team to get new sneakers and have them broken in by the 3rd week of November......
Peter
That’s a necessity for sure!! 😄
Thanks @Putnam Division. I appreciate the insight. There's no way I could do that with my schedule haha but even still, maybe I could figure something out.
From our Open House this past weekend.....
Peter
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We have been busy this Spring and Early summer with all sorts of activites.
In April, we journeyed to York with our our smaller portable layouts, including the one with a Lionel Display Layout D-27 simulation and participated in Ashland Rail Days.
Visits from two area nursing/assisted living facilities.....and, an Open House yesterday, the 24th of June.....
Purple Hall set up....
Ashland Rail Days....
Our Open House......
Scott and Josh Smith journey from Roanoke to runs trains with us at our Open House....
Mike McCutcheon and his family were on vaction and dropped in to our Open House as their route back to Maine took them through the Richmond metro area.....
Have a great weekend, folks!
Peter
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That’s great Scott and Josh trekked over from Roanoke, and Mike was able to stop in for an open house when passing through!. I would certainly do the same if we plan a trip down your way.
We just keep rolling along......these pics are from a recent workday/run session. This week, we host our 4th Nursing Home/Assisted Living Facility outing this summer.
Later in the week, we will set up for our annual 9 day run a the Chesterfeild County Fair....
These short videos really highlight the added dimension that the RailSounds boxcars provide!
Have a great and safe weekend, folks!
Peter
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That's quite a schedule you keep! Do you mean you have setup at 4 different Nursing Home/Assisted Living Facilities? The Chesterfield County Fair has certainly grown since I was there in 1976 if you are setting up for 9 days! Have a great couple weeks!
@Mark Boyce posted:That's quite a schedule you keep! Do you mean you have setup at 4 different Nursing Home/Assisted Living Facilities? The Chesterfield County Fair has certainly grown since I was there in 1976 if you are setting up for 9 days! Have a great couple weeks!
Mark.....we used to go to Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities but set up was usually tough, space was limited, access poor and participation most times very thin.....
Most facilities nowawadays have their own handicapped-equipped busses which can transport a group at a time.
The response has been much better because the facilites are staffed for outings have a dedicated staff for the purpose of taking the residents out on local trips. At our storefront, the stripmall set up is ideal because we have ground level access and handicapped compliant restrooms.
We are very fortunate to have the space we have to keep the layouts up and running.
Peter
Peter, having had relatives in several different care facilities for years, I completely understand! Yes, taking folks to you would work out much, much better!! 
Peter, it is a lot of work transporting a layout and assembling it in a public venue. And then having to take it down and move it and store it isn't exactly a picnic either. My hats off to you and your guys for making that happen, especially for old folks who probably appreciate it as much or more than young kids do.
I would bet that the fellowship and comradery with the guys in the club go a long ways toward making up for it. I learned a long time ago that this hobby is so much more fun when it is shared.
Thanks for what you are doing and thanks for sharing it with us.
Art
@Putnam Division, Peter, what is that green monster rolling around the tracks? It looks like a Pacific, but I cannot make out the rail line on the tender. MTH?
It’s an MTH PS 2 Central of New Jersey Pacific………It’s owner is an actual train engineer….
Peter
We are in the midst of our 13th year displaying O Gauge trains at the Chesterfield County Fair......remaining days are today and tomorrow from 11 AM till 11 PM......here we are at set up......
This is the 1st event of our annual Fall/Winter display season.......
Have a great and safe Labor Day weekend folks.......
Peter
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You guys look like you're having fun!
Hey, I know some of those guys. Hope to see them at York in a month Peter. Keep up the great work.
This message will be going out on our website and Facebook page later this week:
Hello Everyone,
With this announcement we bring good news and sad news.
The good news is - Richmond area businesses continue to do well and grow.
The sad news is - The storefront we have been staying in has been rented to one of those businesses.
We no longer have a place to keep our displays permanently set-up. We will go back to housing them in storage, and bringing them out when we have a scheduled display.
We are forever grateful to the management of Westchester Commons Shopping Center for their generosity - hosting us for the past 4 years, and we encourage everyone to continue to support and shop at the Shopping Center.
Am I sad, yes. Am I discouraged, no.......
We've been togehter since 2009-10 and for the first 10 years of our existence we ran the club out of our trailers, setting up when we had a show. We built two small layouts for short-term/small venues. We will just go back to our old business plan with an eye to look for another opportunity to be set up on a more permanent basis.
That being said, we are not going to notice this much in the next few months. This is our upcoming schedule:
1. We return to York for the Eastern Division TCA Show from October 1921. We are INSIDE the Orange Hall, booth CC6. We are returning with our 6x15 small venue layout that has a module with the Lionel D-27 disappearing train simulation.
2. On Novemeber 18-19, the Virginia Train Collectors has their Fall Train Meet and we will be there with our 12x15 Fastrack layout and our 6x15 D-27 simulation.
Here is the show flyer:
3. Next day, November 20th, we start setting up for the annual Science museum of Virginia Train Show. We set up our 21x47 high rail layout and our 12x15 Fastrack Layout.
This is a multi-gauge show with 8-9 layouts and runs November 24-26.
More info on their website's events page: https://smv.org
4. Then, Sunday evening , we pack up the 21x47 layout and bring it to the Great Big Green House in BonAir/Midlothian, Virginia......set up starts Monday November 27th with an opening on Friday, December 1st. We run trains there Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until Saturday, January 20th. (we also have unscheduled runs on Mon-Weds).
So, we will be busy! Plan on coming to see if if you can!
Peter
Gonna need track shoes Peter.
Sorry to hear about the storefront but it was a good run. The management of the center should be commended for their generosity.
Love to see your layouts in person one day but NY to VA is a little more than a day trip. 
Good luck with everything and can't wait to see the photos along the way.
Bob
Peter, that stinks. Hopefully something will come up and change things so you all can get back to having a permanent home for the layout, hope that it comes before next year. See what comes I guess.
Here are a few take down pics.....as you can see, we have a lot to do.....
When you are in a space about 3 years, you accumulate a lot of "stuff".
Have a great week, everyone!
Peter
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Peter, I do hope that somewhere near to where you all were, that there is another opening just as homey as this place was. Maybe with this door closing, a better one will present itself. I have always been a firm believer in that when stuff doesn't go right, that my feet will find the right path to walk on, and that seems to have served me pretty well so far. Here's to hoping. Cheers, see you in a few weeks.
Peter, I’m sorry too you are losing that space. I know everyone will adapt! That is a busy schedule. I hope all goes well at York so the club will continue to setup and I can visit when I get a chance to get back to York. It won’t happen this time, but hopefully next year!
Well, the "Winter Train Season" is in full swing!
Even though we lost our "permanent space", our schedule is full time late January.
We had a great time showing our 6x15 layout with the D-27 simulation at York. Thanks to all who came by.
Now we have a very busy schedule.
November 18-19, we'll be exhibiting our 12x15 layout at the Virginia Train Collectors Fall Show. It is held in a storefront in the Westchester COmmons SHopping Center.
The next day, Nov 20, we set up at the Science Museum of VIrginia for their annual Holiday Train Show. We are there (with 8 other layouts) on November 24-26.
The following day, Nov 27, we set up at the Great Big Green House in BonAir/Midlothian Virginia. We open, Friday, December 1, a run that lasts through mid-January.
Yesterday, a group of the gang met at my house to build the "Raffle Layout" that we annually raffle off in the Holiday Season.
It was a beautiful Fall day and a great one to work outside!
Check our website for showtimes.
Peter
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Looks great Peter. I have to be honest though, I'd be floating around on that lake in that canoe drowning some worms. 
Beautiful view.
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Peter it's wonderful your club spreads the "Gospel of O" with that raffle layout every year. You guys must be so familiar with the construction of it you can probably bang one out in no time at all.
We are ready for our 10th year at the Great Big Green House…….we start running trains officially at 3PM on Friday, December 1st……
We be running trains Thursday through Sunday until Saturday, January 20th.
Come see us if you are in the area!
Check our website for the GBGH website for details.
Peter
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Congratulations Peter, that is quite an impressive undertaking. It looks amazing.
Jay
Looks great Pete! I’d love to make the trip up from Myrtle Beach to see it but Richmond is just a bit too far to make it a day trip.
The layout looks great once again! If I have reason to travel to Virginia again, I certainly will try to make the trip when River City club layout is set up !
I'm hoping the rain stops soon!
Luckily, it's just a few drops and when the run session is over the PowerCart can be moved since our umbilical has some length to it.
Peter
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Well, that’s a bummer, but it’s tough to keep a greenhouse roof sealed properly, especially if there are vent sections that open and close. Hopefully, all will end well!
This is our 10th season being hosted at the Great Big GreenHouse in BonAir/Midlothian VA. The General Manager of our location, Doug, has been very good to us and to celebrate the event with had a custom box car done up.
Here are pics from the presentation.....
We just concluded another successful raffle and look forward to another 4 weekends of train running at the GBGH!
Peter
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Congratulations and Merry Christmas Peter. You folks put a lot of work into this.
Jay
I had not updated this thread for a while.
In late January, we finished our 10 week Holiday season run with our 8 weeks at the Great Big Greenhouse nursery. It was our 10th consecutive year at the GBGH and we are already booked to set up for our 11th yeat, the Monday after Thanksgiving.
This is a time of rest for all of us, and......catching up with home projects. Repairs are also a big thing that we try to accomplish this time of year. Led by modular group member Rick (RickS on the Forum), a major overhaul of our plexiglass barrier storage and transport was done.
I thought that I would share the magnificent work of my fellow modular group members to the rest of the O Gauge community.
We now have specalized boxes to store and transport our plexiglass!
Have a great week, everyone!
Peter
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You work/play with a very innovative team Peter. Organization and ease of transport have to be tantamount to the success of your endeavors. Very impressive.
Jay
@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:You work/play with a very innovative team Peter. Organization and ease of transport have to be tantamount to the success of your endeavors. Very impressive.
Jay
It certainly helps when you can draw on the collective education, skill and experience of the group. We have at least 5 engineers (mostly electrical, followed by mechanical), an industrial designer, members who have furniture-quality woodworking skills, one avionics tech, and, lastly, lots of enthusiasm.
My skill set and specialty is being a good "go for".
Peter
Peter it's good that the members have both knowledge and skill. Often we may have one without the other with less than stellar results.
This picture reminded me of the post when Gilly made the power cart. Of particular interest to me was the circuit breaker protection added. I've got a Lionel KW I want to use and copied the specs, DCC Specialties PSX1-AC 3-Rail Power Shield Circuit Breakers, set @4.8 amps. Would it be possible to get some pictures of the installation?
@coach joe posted:Peter it's good that the members have both knowledge and skill. Often we may have one without the other with less than stellar results.
Joe……the carts are on the trailers at this time. I think your best bet is to email Gilly directly…….his email is in his profile.
I can give him a head’s up at breakfast tomorrow.
Since we lost our storefront, the group tries to meet for breakfast at least once or twice a month.
Peter
