Clinics are a big part of any Convention, and this will be no exception. More than 45 rail clinics will be scheduled from Thursday afternoon through Saturday afternoon. Several will be offered more than once. In addition to “traditional” classroom style we will offer several “hands-on” clinics for you to make and take a model. If you would like to present a clinic please contact our Clinic Chairman, Bill Brown, MMR by clicking this link to send him an email at larcproducts@yahoo.com
SOLD OUT! Modeling With A Master SOLD OUT!  SOLD OUT! Digital University SOLD OUT!  
Parts 4, 5 & 6 Thursday evening 7:00 – 11:00 PM, Tom Nelson will offer a session on LCC (Layout Command Control), and Chuck Diljak, will cover “Using JMRI Ops Pro.” These clinics by Tom and Chuck are open to all convention attendees at no extra fare. Make & Take Clinics Lighting Your Structure Interiors with Roomettes Barry Silverthorn Fri. 01:00 PM Onondaga Room G $10 Fee There are more opportunities for lighting structure interiors than ever, yet many modelers haven't explored their options. This make-and-take clinic will show you how to assemble and install Roomettes interiors in your buildings. We'll also discuss integrating them with Woodland Scenics' Just Plug system. Clinic fee: $10 so one Roomettes kit will be provided. Bring an X-Acto knife and one of the following finished DPM structure kits: 10100 - Kelly's Saloon/Big Deal Pawn/US Post Office; 10200 - Robert's Dry Goods; 10300 - Cutting's Scissors; 10900 - Townhouse #1/Main St. Apartments/Valley Apartments; 11100 - Townhouse #3/Grand House/River Pass Apartments; 11600 - Carr's Parts/Don's Hardware; 11800 - 1st National Bank/Patriot Appliance.
Full Clinic Schedule Click here to download a Printable PDF of this Schedule Empire Junction 2019 Rail Clinics in Chronological Order Sept. 19-22, 2019 **Schedule is subject to change and cancelations at anytime** Last Updated on May 5, 2019 THURSDAY 2:00 PM, Sept. 19 Railroads in the Streets of Syracuse Jeff Paston Thurs. 02:00 PM Cotillion Room 1 This is a Power Point presentation with historic photos and drawings showing where railroads once operated through the streets of Syracuse NY. What is remarkable is that there is so little left just 75 years later that it is indeed hard to find remnants of what was so prominent in the city's history. This program will also include some ways to find where the tracks once ran. Powering Your Accessories Ed Olszewski Thurs. 02:00 PM Cotillion Room 2 How do you power your accessory lighting and animations? What do all those numbers and specifications on the wall wart I'm using mean? Why can't I have more than five lights powered on? What are all these wires on the computer power supply for? Learn the answers to these and other questions about powering all your accessories in this clinic. The focus will be on all things related to accessories including lighting, animation, switch motors, and more. Shortcuts and Tips for Building Models Malcolm Houck Thurs. 02:00 PM Cotillion Room 3 PowerPoint slide show presentation of models, methods and techniques representing shortcuts and tips for building models - Motive Power, Rolling Stock and Scenery; -- all of which have been subject matter submitted for several NMRA Achievement Program Certificates awarded. Digital University Parts 1, 2, and 3 Erich Whitney & Kaylee Zheng Thurs. 02:00 PM Onondaga Room G JMRI is a public open-source software that has help change how model railroaders interface with their DCC systems. This course of clinics will give attendees a concrete foundation on establishing, navigating, and operating the JMRI software. The first part of this three-part series, attendees will learn how to install the JMRI software and hardware. Part two will explain CVs and their purpose. Finally, the series will conclude with speed matching locomotives. Attendees are encouraged to bring their laptops as well as their USB to DCC interface hardware, i.e. Digitrax PR3, to this series. Additionally, attendees are also encouraged to bring two DCC equipped locomotives to practice speed matching. THURSDAY 3:30 PM, Sept. 19 Building the Beaver Creek Lumber Branch Line John Feraca Thurs. 03:30 PM Cotillion Room 1 I have recently expanded my Stone Canyon RR by adding a lumber branch line. The clinic will be a PowerPoint presentation starting with a brief history of the SCRR followed by a detailed description of the lumber branch line addition that includes the following: planning, CAD layout design, benchwork, track work, scratch built structures, backdrop painting, scenery and operations. (Near) Zero Derailments: Tune-Up Tips for Rolling Stock David Babson Thurs. 03:30 PM Cotillion Room 2 Tired of that one car (your prettiest, or most expensive, following Murphy's Law) that just won't stay on the track? Ready to sell it on eBay at a 50% loss, or run it in an Addams Family op session? This clinic will give you tips on adjusting trucks, couplers and bolsters to solve these problems, in a less expensive or final manner. Steam Locomotive Modeling, Soldering and Fabrication Malcolm Houck Thurs. 03:30 PM Cotillion Room 3 PowerPoint slide show presentation of models, methods and techniques representing shortcuts and tips for building Steam locomotive models, methods, specialty tools (including shop-made tools and tooling), and prototype information relied upon. THURSDAY 7:00 PM, Sept. 19 Logging Railroad Design Elements Bruce DeYoung, MMR Thurs. 07:00 PM Cotillion Room 1 Using the concept of ‘Design Elements’ popularized by Tony Koester, this clinic will look at key elements of any logging railroad. Using both prototype and model photos, attendees will explore concepts such as: Track and Roadbed, Bridges and Trestles, Logging Railroad Structures, Logging Equipment, Logging Company Structures, and Motive Power. Inexpensive Trees From Natural Materials Bill Brown, MMR Thurs. 07:00 PM Cotillion Room 2 Bill will use Powerpoint and live demonstrations of the creation of many types of trees made from very inexpensive natural materials that can be found easily in nature or manufactured from scratch. Digital University Part 4 - Introduction to LCC Tom Nelson Thurs. 07:00 PM Cotillion Room 3 This clinic provides a non-technical introduction and overview of Layout Command Control, covering the following topics: What it is, what it is NOT, and why it exists: Its relationship to DCC; LCC development history; Its benefits relative to DCC and other existing systems for layout control; Ability to incrementally adopt usage, protecting existing investment; Ability to control signals, turnouts, and other accessories without an attached computer; Robustness of technology with simplicity of installation; Long-term benefits; What products are currently available, both commercial and DIY. Digital University Part 5 – Advanced LCC Tom Nelson Thurs 07:00 PM Cotillion Room 3 This clinic provides a highly technical overview of how LCC works 'under the hood,' covering LCC protocols, nodes, and how they communicate, the current interconnection technologies, and using JMRI to configure a basic LCC signal and turnout control system. Relationship between LCC and OpenLCB will be explained. Recommendations will also be presented for those interested in creating DIY or commercial LCC products. THURSDAY 8:30 PM, Sept. 19 Miniatur Wunderland Irwin Nathanson Thurs. 08:30 PM Cotillion Room 1 Miniatur Wundertand in Hamburg, Germany is the world's largest and most famous model railroad. Join Irwin for a tour of this awesome HO scale world. Your tour will include floor plans, photos and videos. Railroad Projects Using The LARC Graphics CDs Bill Brown, MMR Thurs. 08:30 PM Cotillion Room 2 A live demonstration of the myriad of projects that can be enhanced using the LARC Products Railroad Graphics CDs. This will include the creation of photo backdrops, background buildings, including 3D building flats, structure enhancements such as window dressings and interiors. Also demonstrated will be container loads for flat cars and shipyards and many, many more uses. THURSDAY 9:00 PM, Sept. 19 Digital Univ. Part 6 - JMRI Operations Pro: Computer Switch Lists Chuck Diljak Thurs. 09:00 PM Cotillion Room 3 When model railroaders hear the acronym, JMRI, most think of Decoder Pro for programming their DCC decoders. However, did you know that JMRI also contains a module called Operations Pro that generates switch lists? And, you don't even need to have DCC to use the program! Part 1 of the clinic will cover how to get started with a simple example by defining locations, cars, routes and trains, developing good habits when working with the JMRI, and troubleshooting issues. Digital University Part 7 Advanced JMRI Operations Pro Chuck Diljak Thurs. 09:00 PM Cotillion Room 3 Part 2 continues with more advanced topics, including manifest comments, adding locomotives and cabooses, custom loads, staging, interchanges, fiddle tracks, and classification yards. THURSDAY 10:00 PM, Sept. 19 Gulliver's Gate Irwin Nathanson Thurs. 10:00 PM Cotillion Room 1 Miniatur Wundertand in Hamburg, Germany is the world's largest and most famous model railroad. But it's not the only one. We now have Gulliver's Gate, a relatively new model world located right here in New York, in Manhattan. After a brief survey of other similar/large model railroads, you can join Iwin for a tour of this awesome HO scale world. Your tour will include floor plans, photos and videos. The video of its operating airport is truly fascinating. Western Adventures Bill Brown, MMR Thurs. 10:00 PM Cotillion Room 2 Bill will present a fun and exciting multimedia presentation of photos, videos, and stories from his many trips of exploring railroad sites through Colorado and New Mexico. Sit back and enjoy the beauty of the countryside and laugh at the tales garnered from the journeys. FRIDAY 8:30 AM, Sept. 20 Build a Small Switching Layout Roger Beiswenger Fri.08:30 AM Cotillion Room 1 Inspired by two articles in MR, the CNY Division built The Port of Oswego, a small switching layout to share the joy of our hobby and the NMRA. It has been a big attraction at shows. We have trained many children and adults as engineers, enjoyed more conversations with attendees, and recruited more members. There has been much interest in building a similar layout for home or train shows. A PowerPoint presentation will share the story and details of construction, including alternate suggestions for a personal home layout The layout will be displayed and available to operate at the convention. Moving Cars on the Shreveport & Central Mississippi James Mayo Fri. 08:30 AM Cotillion Room 2 Car cards, routing cards and spotting orders. How they are used on the Shreveport & Central Mississippi. Its the Little Things Susan Cooley Fri. 08:30 AM Cotillion Room 3 Discussion of the little details and techniques to take your structures and layouts from “ordinary” to extraordinary! FRIDAY 10:00 AM, Sept. 20 A "Sound" Idea for a Clinic Robert E. Wilkins Fri. 10:00 AM Cotillion Room 1 Would sound add another dimension to your layout? As the police car prepares to pull over the errant speeder, the sirens can sound. As the tug pulls away from the dock, you can hear the gulls and the horns in the near distance. Or as you look down at one of your city/town streets, you can hear the sounds of horns, car motors and people talking. None of the parts and pieces of making sound happen is very expensive. The sounds are available free of charge once you know where to look. When you dig around in your junk drawer, you can find some of the devices needed to make sound another part of what makes your layout realistic. NeoPixels, An Introduction to James (Jim) Kline Fri. 10:00 AM Cotillion Room 2 A NeoPixel consists of three discreet LEDs (Red, Green, Blue) plus an integrated controller assembled as a very small package that can be controlled by a micro controller. Any combination of the three LEDs can be activated at various brightness levels, making many different colors possible. They can also be switched on and off independently thus giving the illusion of occupancy within the structurer. Their small size and ease of programming make them an excellent choice for illuminating the interior of structures and for animated displays. A single controller can control 100 NeoPixels or more. Building a Helix Bob Hamm Fri.10:00 AM Cotillion Room 3 Building a helix can be a daunting task. Without proper design grades or track radii can cause serious operational issues. A former mechanical engineer, Bob has two helices on his railroad and developed a design method and construction procedure that works well. He uses laminated plywood to create a continuous roadbed and threaded rods to separate the layers and adjust the grade. His presentation shows each step used in building one of his helices including cutting and gluing the arcs together followed by assembling it with the rods on the layout. FRIDAY 1:00 PM, Sept. 20 Making "Nightime" on Your Layout Robert E. Wilkins Fri. 01:00 PM Cotillion Room 1 Using ideas presented in a “"Model Railroader"” from several years ago, I would talk about how I made “"nighttime"” happen on my layout. Once you make your train cars, homes and businesses light up, you may want to run the train/s in “"night"” mode. By adding proper general lighting and stars in the sky, you can see enough to still run your train/s plus see all your lighting projects to best advantage. Using inexpensive lighting devices and pieces of items sold for other reasons at your local home improvement store, you will see the possibilities of running in “night” mode. Using Mobile Speakers for DCC Sound Kaylee Zheng Fri. 01:00 PM Cotillion Room 2 Listen my children as you will hear, the tale of two speakers fight ear to ear. And on the right we have the champ, but on the left we have a new stamp. Refreshed with new samples and things to learn, come one, come all for this is no turn! This clinic will discuss using mobile (cellphone) loudspeakers for DCC sound. It will explore why most of these model railroading speakers fail to deliver, and how cellphone loudspeakers can be a valuable alternative. These speakers will also be available for purchase after the presentation. Building Rocks Bob Hamm Fri.I 01:00 PM Cotillion Room 3 Bob Hamm goes through all the steps of mold making, casting, installing and painting rocks and rock faces. He starts with selecting the masters using real rocks or coal then goes through the steps of making molds using liquid latex. Castings are next using plaster of Paris. While single rocks can be added directly to terrain, large rock faces need some planning and support structure. Bob explains the procedure and goes into the actual installation including: building the supports, fitting the castings and cementing them in place using a joint compound- based goop. Painting is the last step. Bob will show you his technique using acrylic paints creating added detail and realistic sunny areas and dark shadows. Lighting Your Structure Interiors with Roomettes Barry Silverthorn Fri. 01:00 PM Onondaga Room G There are more opportunities for lighting structure interiors than ever, yet many modelers haven't explored their options. This make-and-take clinic will show you how to assemble and install Roomettes interiors in your buildings. We'll also discuss integrating them with Woodland Scenics' Just Plug system. Clinic fee: $10 so one Roomettes kit will be provided. Bring an X-Acto knife and one of the following finished DPM structure kits: 10100 - Kelly's Saloon/Big Deal Pawn/US Post Office; 10200 - Robert's Dry Goods; 10300 - Cutting's Scissors; 10900 - Townhouse #1/Main St. Apartments/Valley Apartments; 11100 - Townhouse #3/Grand House/River Pass Apartments; 11600 - Carr's Parts/Don's Hardware; 11800 - 1st National Bank/Patriot Appliance. FRIDAY 2:30 PM, Sept. 20 Scratch Building a Working Semaphore Signal Dana Brown Fri. 02:30 PM Cotillion Room 1 This clinic describes a project that Paul Allard and I took on a couple of years ago. Paul wanted to add working semaphore signals to his layout to protect single tracks heading into long tunnels. We based the design from an article in Model Railroader in March 2003. This clinic is posted on the Green Mountain Division web site and the NWV Model Railroad Association web site (our local club). The project turned out remarkably straight forward after we tweaked the design on the prototype model. Demystifying the Achievement Program: Paperwork John McHugh Fri. 02:30 PM Cotillion Room 2 This clinic will highlight what makes a good presentation when submitting AP documents. The focus will be how PowerPoint and Word were used to create the necessary documents for the Model Railroad Engineer - Electrical and Model Railroad engineer - Civil certificates. LCC – Another Option to Control a Layout Jeff Gerow Fri. 02:30 PM Cotillion Room 3 When Jerry McDonald asked me to help with wiring his layout, I considered the many options available for controlling switch machines, signals, dispatcher control, and so on. This clinic will review that process and describe the alternatives, leading to my conclusion that Layout Command Control (LCC) is the best option available today. How LCC works, what it can do and its advantages over alternatives will be discussed. I will show the programming that allows individual tracks in Jerry's staging yard to be connected to the main (with multiple turnouts). I'll end with a discussion of what's available now that already allows robust LCC capability and share recent announcements from manufacturers creating exciting new directions for this technology. FRIDAY 4:00 PM, Sept. 20 Ops 101: Getting Fun From All The Work That You've Done Ed O'Connell Fri. 04:00 PM Cotillion Room 1 An introduction to operations and how to integrate them into a model railroad. Including the discussion of the various methods of operation and resources available to assist in the process. Using Arduino & Raspberry PI: DCC for under $150 Scooter Youst Fri. 04:00 PM Cotillion Room 2 This clinic will demonstrate how simple and easy it is to use a $35 Raspberry PI computer to run JMRI and as a wireless interface to use WiThrottle and/or Engine Driver apps to run your trains. We will also show how to use a $17 Arduino Uno type mini processor with a $22 Arduino type Motor Shield to make a 2 amp (4 amp peak) DCC+ + base station to power your layout. We will touch on the option of building a 10amp booster(s) for your layout if you need more than 2 amp. The Booster station will work with all brands of DCC. Making Coal Loads for Hopper Cars Robert Mohowski Fri. 04:00 PM Cotillion Room 3 I will cover the various grades of coal, including how to find pieces, how to identify the grades; crushing and screening; making a base for a load, carving and shaping the base, securing coal to the base; and weight for cars. Also, I will provide a list of anthracite and bituminous coal haulers; coal loads for steam tenders; and similar methods for stone and ore cars. (I stress eye protection when crushing coal.) FRIDAY 7:00 PM, Sept. 20 Meet the Editor of Railroad Model Craftsman Otto Vondrak Fri. 07:00 PM Cotillion Room 1 I think it's safe to say that I have wanted to work for a railroad magazine ever since I was a little boy and started reading Model Railroader in the school library. Soon I learned there was a whole variety of magazines about trains and I was hooked. You may recognize my name from the NER "Coupler" newsletter and the OpSIG "Dispatcher's Office" journal. I never imagined my journey would take me to Carsten's Publications and the staff of Railfan & Railroad, and later White River Productions and the editor's chair at Railroad Model Craftsman. I'll discuss the history of the magazine, how the publication is produced each month, and how your work can be featured! Modeling Era Specific Gas Stations Bruce DeYoung, MMR Fri. 07:00 PM Cotillion Room 2 In the prototype world, gas stations are one of the more common structures that we encounter in our travels. They are also one of the easier structures to detail to match to (and establish) a specific era. Luckily, gas station kits are plentiful in all scales. This clinic will use prototype and model photos to teach attendees how to make era specific gas stations Model Electricity to Your Model Town Bruce Robinson Fri. 07:00 PM Cotillion Room 3 We will be touching on electrical utility transmission, distribution, building electric service and utility pole lines. With all this prototype knowledge under our belts, we will explore how to model these every day features in our model town by making poles, laying out pole lines and bringing model electricity to our model buildings. We will also discuss the difference between pole lines along the railroad right-of-way and pole lines carrying electric power. Modeling with a Master Jack Ellis Fri. 07:00 PM Onondaga Room G Jack Ellis of Bar Mills Scale Model Works will present a three-hour hands-on clinic. Participants will construct, finish and weather two walls of a Bar Mills kit under Jack’s tutelage. You will take home the kit to finish on your own, along with several samples of weathering powder and a container of Jack’s own mix of stain. The session is limited to 15 at an extra fare of $10.00. FRIDAY 8:30 PM, Sept. 20 Improve Your Trucks & Trains Lou Sassi Fri. 08:30 PM Cotillion Room 1 Lou discusses the materials and techniques he employs to convert and detail vehicles from manufacturers such as Gorgi and Ertl (found on eBay) into realistic representations of their prototype counterparts. He also explains the techniques he uses to improve not only the looks but also the performance of the rolling stock on his On-30 SR&RL Railroad with emphasis on the fact that these same procedures are adaptable to any modeling scale. Railroads and Nat. Ice Industry: A Symbiotic Relationship Bruce DeYoung, MMR Fri. 08:30 PM Cotillion Room 2 The harvesting of natural ice to preserve food and cool drinks began in the early 1800’s on farms and homesteads. However, buy the middle of the 1800’s, it became a large industry. Like many other industries involving heavy, bulky commodities, the ice industry turned to the railroads to transport their product. For the next 50-60 years, the natural ice industry became huge customers of the railroads. At the same time, shipping refrigerated products by rail increased dramatically, and the railroads became huge customers of the ice industry. A symbiotic relationship indeed. In this clinic, Bruce will look at the commercial process of harvesting, storing, and shipping natural ice and the role that railroads used in the process. 3D Printing in Model Railroading David Yale Fri. 08:30 PM Cotillion Room 3 This clinic will explore the use of 3D printing in model railroading, including present technology and future applications. It will explain where the 3D printing industry is today and some of the items that can be 3D printed including structures, detail parts, vehicles and figures. Various technologies available in both home printing and through commercial print services will be discussed. Current limitations are explained, and how improvements to the technology may allow expanded use in the future. Examples of 3D printed objects will be available for inspection, and a home 3D printer that retails for under $200 will be displayed in operation. 3D design will also be introduced with a basic demonstration of a design program. FRIDAY 10:00 PM, Sept. 20 Fri. 10:00 PM Cotillion Room 1 Scratch Building a Diesel Locomotive Tom Oxnard, MMR Fri. 10:00 PM Cotillion Room 2 Have you ever thought about scratch building a locomotive? I will show you how scratch building a diesel locomotive is more possible than you think it is. How do you chose an engine to model? What parts do the Motive Power AP allow you to use? What parts do you need to buy, and what parts can you scratch build? I will explain where to start and how the construction process goes. Finally I will discuss painting, decaling, and weathering. The Short Line Enterprises Story Bob Verkuyl Fri. 10:00 PM Cotillion Room 3 A tale of how four friends purchased 19th-century railway equipment from movie studios, refurbished it, and made it available for movie and television work, and excursions. Along the way, they worked on restoration projects for the California and Nevada state railroad museums. SATURDAY 8:30 AM, Sept. 21 Making It Look Real, It’s the Little Things That Count Tom Staton Sat. 08:30 AM Cotillion Room 1 This clinic will address the use of color, toning it down, shading; making plastic figures look human, autos aged, correct colors for roads, having foliage and trees that all look different and real, bringing your railroad alive and away from the toy look. There is much more to a railroad than just the trains. Tom will be doing demos and bringing samples to look at. Improving the Operation of Brass Steam Locomotives Bill Deen Sat. 08:30 AM Cotillion Room 2 Many thousands of HO brass steam locomotives from Japanese and early Korean builders were imported from the 1960s through the 1980s. They represent hundreds of prototypes, tend to have nice detail, and can still be found online or at larger train shops. The problem is that they often have substandard mechanisms, including poorly tuned running gear, crude gearboxes, and/or open-frame motors. This clinic will explain how anyone with average modeling skills, a few specialized tools, and an organized approach can get such models off shelves and onto layouts. Topics to be covered include deciding if a model is worth working on, re-motoring, re-gearing, and adjusting the running gear. Gatorfoam..."What Do I Do With This Stuff?" Dave Myers Sat. 08:30 AM Cotillion Room 3 Gator Dave is back again with another Gatorfoam clinic. Had enough yet? This time he'll answer the many questions he receives at shows and online. Step by step how to create concrete sidewalks, driveways, asphalt highways and bridges. Mounting photo backdrops on Gatorfoam and also constructing a module, a diorama base, "I" beam structural support and a strong base for your backdrop buildings and scenery. Tech sheets on getting the most from your Gatorfoam will also be available. SATURDAY 10:00 AM, Sept. 21 Silver Rails Through the Heart of the (Adirondack) Park John Taibi Sat. 10:00 AM Cotillion Room 1 This PowerPoint presentation will examine the history of the New York Central's Adirondack Division that ran through the Adirondack Park, as well as operations during the post-NYCRR period. Scenery Along the Right of Way Lou & Cheryl Sassi Sat. 10:00 AM Cotillion Room 2 Lou and Cheryl explain the materials & techniques they utilize to replicate various kinds and colors of rocks, specific tree types, woods, grass, and Right of Way fencing representative of that found on the prototype of his On-30 SR&RL model railroad. There will be a video showing how Lou mixes “Ground Goop”. Cheryl will give a step by step explanation of the construction of various species of hardwood and conifer trees. Hot Rod Chicken: Chicken Car and Live Poultry Transport Kaylee Zheng Sat. 10:00 AM Cotillion Room 3 The stock car is an iconic freight car that is the tag line of American railroading. However, the classic stock car has a little lessor know cousin that proved to be equally as important: the chicken car. Created by the Live Poultry Transport Company; together, they revolutionized the transport of fowl meats not only to American markets, but international markets as well. This clinic will discuss the history of live poultry transport, the engineering of the poultry cars, and the design of this model for a potential large scale production. SATURDAY 1:00 PM, Sept. 21 NYO&W Branch Lines Edward M. Koehler Sat. 01:00 PM Cotillion Room 1 This is a PowerPoint(R) presentation covering the history of the New York, Ontario and Western Railway's various branch lines. The opening of this presentation is a short photographic trip north from Weehawken, New Jersey. This presentation combines post shutdown images from the 1970's and images from the O&W Railway Historical Society archives to create a photographic tour of the lines to Kingston, Port Jervis, Monticello, Delhi, the Unadilla Valley, Utica, Rome, and concludes with a tour of the Oswego Midland's Auburn branch. Railroads in the Streets of Syracuse Jeff Paston Sat. 01:00 PM Cotillion Room 2 This is a Power Point presentation with historic photos and drawings showing where railroads once operated through the streets of Syracuse NY. What is remarkable is that there is so little left just 75 years later that it is indeed hard to find remnants of what was so prominent in the city's history. This program will also include some ways to find where the tracks once ran. PanPastel Weathering: Ugly is in Eye of the Beholder Ronald Stacy Sat. 01:00 PM Cotillion Room 3 PanPastels are finely ground, highly pigmented dry colors in a pan. They are relatively new to the world of weathering models. The advantages are easy setup and cleanup; airbrush and dry brush effects; good for rolling stock, buildings, bridges and roads; correctable and economical, a little goes a long way. Are they the absolute best weathering method? For me, they work well. Bring a car and give it a try. We'll provide the pastels and applicators. Take some micro-brushes with you. SATURDAY 2:30 PM, Sept. 21 Operating Trolley Museums in Pennsylvania Edward M. Koehler Sat. 02:30 PM Cotillion Room 1 The modeling of electric traction is a large and vibrant area of model railroading. In this PowerPoint(R) presentation the viewer is taken on a tour of the current three operating trolley museums in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Many of these pictures were taken on 'festival' days where a maximum amount of equipment was in operation but these has been supplemented with additional photography to enable full coverage of all of these interesting museums. As a bonus, a fourth operating facility, the long closed Magee Transportation Museum receives some bonus coverage. This presentation ends with a 'cavalcade' of trolley cars set to music, music which includes the Pennsylvania State Song. Using Arduino & Raspberry PI: DCC for under $150 Scooter Youst Sat. 02:30 PM Cotillion Room 2 This clinic will demonstrate how simple and easy it is to use a $35 Raspberry PI computer to run JMRI and as a wireless interface to use WiThrottle and/or Engine Driver apps to run your trains. We will also show how to use a $17 Arduino Uno type mini processor with a $22 Arduino type Motor Shield to make a 2 amp (4 amp peak) DCC+ base station to power your layout. We will touch on the option of building a 10amp booster(s) for your layout if you need more than 2 amp. The Booster station will work with all brands of DCC. Modeling the N.Y.O.&W. Ry. Malcolm Houck Sat. 02:30 PM Cotillion Room 3 PowerPoint slide show presentation of models, scenery, and "Signatures" of the NYO&W Ry. - to include structures, line side details, photographs of prototype(s) modeled, cars and locomotives; - many of the models and dioramas of which have been subject matter submitted for NMRA Achievement Program Certificates awarded for Master Builder "Prototype Models," "Master Builder" Cars," Master Builder "Motive Power, Master Builder "Scenery" and Master Builder "Structures." SATURDAY 4:00 PM, Sept. 21 Modern Freight Handling Facilities on Long Island Edward M. Koehler Sat. 04:00 PM Cotillion Room 1 This is a PowerPoint(R) presentation that photographically tours the facility of the Brookhaven Rail Terminal ("BRT") located in the Town of Brookhaven, New York. The BRT is a Class III terminal railway. We then visit the construction debris loading facility of the New York and Atlantic Railway in Pinelawn, New York; and take a quick trip over the former Long Island Rail Road's Bay Ridge branch to see an interesting use of a signal; the presentation talks about this type of arrangement. This presentation is accompanied by a handout and has been presented at the Spring 2018 meet of the Sunrise Trail Division of the NMRA. Mixing Colors Bernard Messenger Sat. 04:00 PM Cotillion Room 2 Using primary colors to utilize most railroad and building colors to paint your railroad. Lowering the Cost of Building a Model Railroad Leonard Amrhein Sat. 04:00 PM Cotillion Room 3
I will show you how to complete the scale details of a model railroad at a much lower cost. I will show what materials/tools to use to keep cost down in every aspect of model building. I will show how to use rubber molds for things other than "rock molds." We will “super detail” a model railroad at cost far below what you are paying now. If there is a structure in a magazine or in your area that you want to add to your pike. I'll show you how to do it. I will show you a tool to use to paint things and not using a paint brush. All forms of model building have gotten too high! We need to cut costs. |