Elkhart Model Railroad Club Announcements
The Elkhart Model Railroad Club meets Friday Evening at 2703 Hawthorne Street in Elkhart, Indiana.
Members of EMRRC met on Friday, June 26th for our weekly open run session. Plenty of hand sanitizers, social distancing, and masks were in use. Unfortunately due to the recent uptick in virus cases in Elkhart County the club has decided to hold off on opening the club to visitors. Hopefully, things will turn around in the near future and we will revisit opening the club at that point. We have to make sure that members and guests are in a safe environment . 
Several locomotives and trains were on hand Friday for "Friday Night Running at the club. Member Matt Glassman brought a couple of locomotives he is working on. They include CSX #3256 which is basically a Frankenstein locomotive that Matt is putting together out of spare parts. But I gotta admit it is a good looking engine. 
The other engine is a GE BQ23-7. The Q stands for crew quarters. Mechanically it's identical to B23-7 but was equipped with a larger cab for up to 4 crew members. This was produced during the era railroads were stopping the use of cabooses. Since they were eliminating the job in the caboose the crewman rode in the cab. As of 2001 all of these engines were scrapped. Matt got the body from Pacific Northwest Resins and fit it to an Atlas chassis. He plans to paint it in the Seaboard Coastline colors. 
On the layout, we had the usual suspects running NYC. NS, CN and the Rock. Keep an eye out for a OO Scale tank engine on loan from London North Eastern Railway. It goes through fast. Also watch for Gary Pressnell's NYC caboose #21500, a newly built kit. Click Here to see our latest "Friday Night Running at the Club" video. Click Here. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains. Have some fun with model railroading. News for June 19, 2020,
Several members of EMRRC attended our first in person club meeting since March of 2020. The meeting was held outside comfortably in the shade under a large oak tree. A limited amount of items were covered. Member Ben Brubaker presented a list of safety guidelines that will be posted inside the clubhouse. The club is planning to open to the public on Friday, July 10, 2020. Please follow this webpage or our Facebook page as we move closer to this date for changes or updates. Also, congratulations to Ben as he has completed his probationary period and is now a full member. 
While we were still outside Matt Glassman lei us take a look at his new drone as he took a couple of shots of the club from the air. Afterward, several members went inside for the AC and to run trains. 
We had a lot of modern diesel running along with a B&O passenger train pulled by steam. Click Here to see our latest "Friday Night Running at the Club" video. Click Here. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Member, Gary Pressnell has been working hard on his new NYC caboose. He just finished painting and is moving on to adding decals. Gary posts his project on our Facebook page so be sure to look at this great project he is meticulously building. Have some fun with model railroading.
News for June 5, 2020,
Members showed up for some running for the first Friday in June 2020. EMRRC. The Elkhart Model Railroad Club is still closed to all but members. Member Gary Babcoke ran a Zoom Clinic on the ESU Programmer and Sound Customization. We probably will repeat this clinic in the fall to give members more hands-on experience with the programmer. member Gary Pressnell has been working on his new club cars and they are looking good. The cars are all numbered 1950 but Accurail supplied alternate decal numbers with a background that matches the car's color. Here's Gary's process for attaching the decals." I left the decal to soak pretty well. Then lift it out with an artist brush. And move it around with an artist brush. Sometimes you have to bump the bristles against the edge to move the decal. And after that use Solvaset by Walters,. When you apply the Solvaset it should be just a tiny bit to not cause the decal to float. Just to tack it down. Like at one corner. Let it dry. And apply more at another location. And finally, do the whole thing. You can have it dry more quickly if you siphon away some of the decal setting solution at the edge with a napkin or paper towel. 
Trains running Friday night included Wabash, Union Pacific, New York Central, Pennsylvania Rail Road, and The Rock. The Rock Island started in 1847 and since then has had many names starting with the Rock Island and La Salle Railroad Company, and shortly after the familiar Chicago and Rock Island Railroad. After several acquisitions and name changes including ownership by Union Pacific and Maytag Appliances, the railroad in 2017 became a new startup company that owns the rights to the Rock Island name has been operating in the southern United States. The new Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad LLC is primarily a shortline holding company, while also providing numerous other railroad services, such as switching, railroad management, railcar fleet management, railcar storage, and locomotive maintenance. The company acquired its first railroad in early 2019 with the acquisition of the Mississippi Delta Railroad. The company rosters 8 locomotives. On April 18, 2020, work completed on painting one of their GP38 locomotives, RILX 4310, into the famous "The Rock" paint scheme. On May 23, 2020
, (Here's where the locomotive that ran on our EMRRC trackage shows up) another of their GP38 locomotives, RILX 4373, completed being painted in the same scheme. In late May 2020, the company acquired Canadian National 2127 a GE Dash 8-40C, and repainted it into the same Rock Island livery, to become RILX 2127. 2127 was modified and painted by member Matt Glassman. As a quick side note, a spur of the Rock Island Railroad that ran beside a small hotel in Eldon, Missouri owned by the grandmother of Mrs. Paul (Ruth) Henning also inspired the popular television show "Petticoat Junction" in the early 1960s. Ruth Henning is listed as a co-creator of the show, along with her husband Paul, who also created "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Green Acres." Click Here to see our latest "Friday Night Running at the Club" video. Click Here. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Have some fun with model railroading. NEWS for May 2020News for May 29, 2020,
The Elkhart Model Railroad Club is slowly moving back towards a normal presence after being closed for about 70 days due to the pandemic. We started on Thursday, May 14th with a Zoom meeting in which 19 members participated. On Saturday, May 23rd the club had a get together outside the clubhouse for members to catch up on dues and buy club cars. 
Then on Friday, the 29th members showed up for our main business, running trains. We had several trains show up including Penn Central, New York Central, Norfolk Southern, B&O, and Union Pacific. 
We had a Norfolk Southern coal train run through (looks like the cars have never been used). A Penn Central with a New York Central pulling a long freight. A couple of steamers pulling passenger cars, and a Union Pacific pulling an unusual car that none of the members had ever seen before, except one. We have so many members with years of experience stretching back into their teens and some of these guys are in their seventies now with pretty good memories. Don't get on the wrong side of them.
One unusual car that showed caught member Gary Pressnell's eye is member Eden Marshall's Alturas and Lone Pine boxcar that promoted Whit Tower's iconic railroad "The Lonesome Pine Route". Mr. Towers was the longtime editor of the NMRA Bulletin and died in 1999. Parts of his layout are supposedly in storage at the NMRA Museum. We are opening slowly and will be open June 2nd for members only for cleanup and maintenance. On Thursday, June 4th at 7:00 pm we will have a Zoom meeting with a clinic by Gary Babcook on the ESU Programmer and Sound Customization. When will the club open for members and guests? I'm guessing after the July 4th holiday. More information on this will be on the website as that decision is made. In the meantime Click Here to see our latest "Friday Night Running at the Club" video. Click Here. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Have some fun with model railroading. 
As a PS I had a run-in with an old friend, NS caboose 555005 running on the Grand Elk line I see this caboose about once a week in The Elkhart area. 
News for May 22, 2020
It's been a crazy year for the club so far but there are some constants that will never change. One of those is the Memorial Day weekend, a time to remember those who've given their lives for our country. Also this year please remember the front line people who held things together. On Memorial Day you hear a tune.that is dear to the heart of many service members and Americans in general. Captain John C. Tidball, West Point Class of 1848, started the custom of playing "Taps" at military funerals. In early July 1862 at Harrison's Landing, a corporal of Tidball's Battery A, 2nd U.S. Artillery, died. He was, Tidball recalled later, "a most excellent man". Tidball wished to bury him with full military honors, but, for military reasons, he was refused permission to fire 7 rifles three times (21-shot salute) over the grave. Tidball later wrote, "The thought suggested itself to me to sound taps instead, which I did. The idea was taken up by others until it was adopted by the entire army and is now looked upon as the most appropriate and touching part of a military funeral." As Tidball proudly proclaimed, "Battery A has the honor of having introduced this custom into the service, and it is worthy of historical note."It became a standard component to U.S. military funerals in 1891. "Taps" is sounded during each of the military wreath ceremonies conducted at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every year, including the ones held on Memorial Day.News for May 14, 2020 
The Elkhart Model Railroad Club had its first monthly meeting since February. We are still closed and held the meeting over ZOOM and had 19 members in attendance. Items discussed at the meeting included: EMRRC will not be open to the public until at least after July 4th. The liability risk to a small organization like ours is too great. We will have a clinic on the ESU programmer on Thursday, June 4, 2020, at 7 pm. Gary Babcoke will handle the clinic and discussion using ZOOM. Our treasurer Steve Storey will be at the club on a future date to accept money to cover dues and for purchase of the EMRRC club car. Steve will decide on a date and time and post that on our groups.io page for the members. Ben Brubaker is going to come up with procedures for the cleaning and maintenance inside the club before our next meeting. We will have our June meeting at the clubhouse outside (weather permitting) on June 19, 2020. More information will be coming from Chuck and the board on when the members will gather for cleaning and maintenance. The Babcoke family has been providing lawn maintenance outside and the lawn is looking good. Now that the club members are getting back together information will start flowing again on the web page. EMRRC wants to thank everyone for their patience and understanding during this trying time for the country as a whole and our club. The Elkhart Model Railroad Club has been in business for 70 years. We will welcome back guests every Friday night starting this summer and look forward to the time when we are fully operational again. 3/23/2020Governor Eric J. Holcomb delivered a statewide address Monday 3/Ben Brubaker 23/2020 to order that Hoosiers remain in their homes except when they are at work or for permitted activities, such as taking care of others, obtaining necessary supplies, and for health and safety. The Stay-At-Home Order takes effect Tuesday, March 24 at 11:59 p.m. ET.The order ends on Thursday, April 30, at 11:59 p.m. ET, but could be extended if the outbreak warrants it. This order is mandatory. For the safety of all Hoosiers, people must stay home and prevent the spread of COVID-19. EFFECTIVE 3/16/2020 THE ELKHART MODEL RAILROAD CLUB WILL NOT BE OPEN FOR VISITORS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. PLEASE WATCH THE FACEBOOK GROUP OR THIS WEBSITE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. NEWS for March 2020News for March 13, 2020
News for March 6, 2020
We are only 2 weeks away from the 2020 Elkhart Model Railroad Club's 15th Annual Nappanee Train Show. The 2020 EMRRC Train Show will be at the Claywood Event Center on March 21, 2020, from 10:00, am to 3:00 pm est. This is the same great event center we held the tremendous 2019 show at. It's approximately 3 miles southwest of Nappanee, Indiana at 13924 N. 1100 W (County Line Road). CLICK HERE for more information and a map. The building has all the amenities and we will take up about 14,000 sq.ft. There will be 
plenty of direction signs to find your way there. If you are a hobbyist don't miss this show. All scales will be well represented with plenty of used and new items. If you want to bring the family, kids under 12 are free and it's just $5 for adults. Several operating layouts will be running to keep the kids' attention. There will be a restaurant on-site with hot Amish sandwiches, desserts, sides, and soft drinks. Be sure to join us on Saturday afternoon March 21st. You won't be disappointed.
EMRRC had a full house for the first meeting in March. Member Paul Ewing presented an interesting clinic using the Cricut for model railroading. He showed several examples of buildings he had constructed using card stock and cutting them out on the Cricut.
There is a learning curve to the Cricut but for the cost and precision, it's hard to beat. Paul estimates it costs about $2 or less in materials to construct a medium-size building HO-Scale.
Also, the club car arrived from Accurail and several members were able to get a look at it. Later in the evening, we had several trains running on the layout including the SP cab-forward, C&O steam, a long Peabody coal train plus GN and BN. Upcoming clinics include; Friday, April 4, 7:00 pm till 8:00 pm – Weathering Buildings – Ken Prager- Friday, May 2, 7:00 pm till 8:00 pm – Circus Trains - David Menges- Friday, June 6, 7:00 pm till 8:00 pm – Raspberry PI and Arduino on the N-Scale - Chuck Hart. Click Here to see our latest "Friday Night Running at the Club" video. Click Here. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area. This is the latest list courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here For information on the 2020 Train Show click here. Have some fun with model railroading.
Operations were on the schedule for the last Friday in February 2020. We had 20 members and 10 guests show up to run or watch formal operations with dispatcher Nathan Overmyer and chief dispatcher Ron Breniser. The session was the first with the dispatchers moved to their own area and it worked well. 
The new dispatchers board hanging above the dispatcher and a lot less noise and chaos all contributed to a successful evening. 
The front room area reverted to its normal crew lounge area where visitors and crews waiting on their trains could enjoy refreshments and talk about trains and railroading.
Some announcements during the evening include. EMRRC's club car is being finished up at Accurail and delivery is expected this month. As noted earlier the EMRRC Nappanee Train Show on Saturday, March 21st is sold out of vendor tables. Tuesday night was spent sending out information packs to all the vendors.
Thanks to the envelope stuffing, data input, and letter folding members who 
showed up for the job. Upcoming clinics include; Friday, March 7, 7:00 pm till 8:00 pm – Using the Cricut Machine - Paul Ewing - Friday, April 4, 7:00 pm till 8:00 pm – Weathering Buildings – Ken Prager- Friday, May 2, 7:00 pm till 8:00 pm – Circus Trains - David Menges- Friday, June 6, 7:00 pm till 8:00 pm – Raspberry PI and Arduino on the N-Scale - Chuck Hart. Friday, March 6th starts with maintenance and work night and continues with open running starting around 7:30 pm. Click Here to see our latest "Friday Night Running at the Club" video. Click Here. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area. This is the latest list courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here For information on the 2020 Train Show click here. Have some fun with model railroading.
Friday, February 21st was the EMRRC monthly business meeting. Two new probationary members were voted into the club, Ryan and Aaron. Congratulations to both and we're sure they will be valuable club members. Final preparations were discussed for the March 21st Nappanee Train Show and as mentioned before vendor tables are sold out. Chuck Hart has been working on a Raspberry PI interface for the N-Scale layout and has it working along with automating the switches from members' phones.
Chief Dispatcher Ron Breniser is moving the dispatchers' office to the computer room which will be more convenient for everyone involved. Ron and helpers put up the dispatcher's board and it's looking good.
Jerry Piatt has added 2 new buildings to the Chateau Wood Products area and is busily rebuilding bridges and highways. Other areas under construction include the Hammes Yard Roundhouse area and the new interchange with the Grand Elk railroad. Gary Pressnell is adjusting track leading to the turntable, alignment is critical, and has laid the track for the new interchange. Ken Prager is starting to lay track in the North Wall and the interchange with the Grand Trunk.
Paul Ewing & Jim Ford are working on the EMRRC brochure and we should have delivery before the March 21st Train Show. Also, Paul is working on the EMRRC Club Car and is expecting delivery on March 10th. The Elkhart Model Railroad Open House and 70th Anniversary Celebration will be May 16th and more information will be coming on that event. Also, the Anniversary will be promoted at the Nappanee Train Show. The West Wall area backdrop is finished and looks great.
Upcoming clinics include; Friday, March 7, 7:00 pm till 8:00 pm – Using the Cricut Machine - Paul Ewing - Friday, April 4, 7:00 pm till 8:00 pm – Weathering Buildings – Ken Prager- Friday, May 2, 7:00 pm till 8:00 pm – Circus Trains - David Menges- Friday, June 6, 7:00 pm till 8:00 pm – Raspberry PI and Arduino on the N-Scale - Chuck Hart. And finally, Formal Operations will be next Friday, February, 28th at 7:00 pm. The era will be modern, sorry no steam. Please be on time and if you are new to operations we will put you with an experienced operator.
After all of that, it was time to run a few trains. Plenty of members, plenty of guests all were either watching or running trains. Some of the unique trains showing up were a beautiful SP Cab Forward. In the 1920s, the Southern Pacific had a need for powerful locomotives but found that the new articulated 2-8-8-2's did not work well for them. They were a hazard to the crews when traveling through the long tunnels and snow sheds on their system. The exhaust fumes were capable of blinding and suffocating crew members, so to resolve this problem, the Southern Pacific decided to run in reverse. The next articulated engines from Baldwin were built with the cabs in the forward position. The SP went on to build many classes of these "Cab-Forwards". The first 9 AC-4 class engines were built in 1928 and the last one in 1929 by Baldwin. These had a boiler pressure of 235lbs, a weight of 614,600lbs and a tractive effort of 116,900lbs. According to a note on the SP lettering drawing dated 12/30/49 all AC class engines assigned to Sacramento, Shasta, Portland, and San Joaquin Divisions shall omit the large SOUTHERN PACIFIC on the tender sides, also F class engines on Shasta Division. Photo evidence shows that this was often but not always the case. Unfortunately, they were all scrapped by 1955.
Other engines making an appearance included an NS Virginian Heritage Unit, another beautiful locomotive that performed flawlessly.
Also an interesting Penn Central C636. The ALCO Century 636 was the most powerful single-engine diesel-electric locomotive constructed by American Locomotive Company (ALCO). It used the ALCO 251 prime mover. The locomotive had a C-C wheel arrangement and 3,600 horsepower (2,700 kW). The locomotive rested on a pair of trucks of all-new design, known as the Hi-Ad, standing for 'high adhesion'. Numbers 6330–6344
were ordered by Pennsylvania Railroad before the Penn Central merger and were delivered in PC black. You can still find these locomotives hard at work in regular service on shortlines Delaware-Lackawanna and Livonia, Avon & Lakeville. To see more locomotives and trains join us Friday night February 28th at 7 pm at EMRRC's clubhouse on Hawthorne Street in Elkhart, Indiana for formal operations. Click Here to see our latest "Friday Night Running at the Club" video. Click Here. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area. This is the latest list courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here For information on the 2020 Train Show click here. Some announcements to cover from the meeting. As mentioned vendors tables are sold out for our 2020 Nappanee Train Show on March 21st. Have some fun with model railroading.
News for February 14, 2020
For Valentine's Day 2020 members & guests bribed their significant others with chocolates, flowers, money, and wine to make it to the Elkhart Model Railroad Club to run trains Friday night. One member brought his wife after she told him to take her where they have expensive things for Valentine's night. The funeral is next week.
Several unique trains showed up including the Scale Trains GTEL 8500 HP Turbine locomotives. Often called “Big Blows” because of their deafening noise, a 40 car tank car train, a lot of CN, NS, and some leased locomotives. All of them were running Friday night at EMRRC and if you would like to see more locomotives and trains join us Friday night February 21st starting at 8 pm at EMRRC's clubhouse on Hawthorne Street in Elkhart, Indiana. Click Here to see our latest "Friday Night Running at the Club" video. Click Here. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area. This is the latest list courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here For information on the 2020 Train Show click here. Some announcements to cover from the meeting. Vendors tables are sold out for our 2020 Nappanee Train Show on March 21st. That means we will have at least 150 vendors plus many operating layouts at our show. Member, Chuck Hart has got a Raspberry Pi operating and running the N Scale layout with JMRI. More info to come. Operations on February 28th will be interesting as Chief Dispatcher Ron Breniser announced the dispatchers are moving to the back room. That means the front area will be used as a crew longe giving the dispatchers and crew members some room and opening up an area for crews to wait between stops. Don't forget members only till 8 pm due to our monthly business meeting. Have some fun with model railroading.
The Elkhart Model Railroad Club started a cool evening at the club with a clinic by member Paul Ewing. We had plenty of members and guests watch a slide presentation that covered TrainFest Milwaukee, The Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis and several clubs around the Milwaukee Wisconsin area.
Paul, Chuck Hart, Gary, and Will Babcoke usually attend the TrainFest every year. TrainFest is billed as "Americas Largest Operating Model Railroad Show" and with 200,000 sq. ft. (nearly four football fields) of exhibit space featuring more than 70 railroads, it is worth a visit.
TheEiteljorg Museum is an eclectic collection of Native American art. Every year the "Jingle Rails" exhibit is opened for the holiday season. A G-Scale car on the layout was put together by Paul in memory of Charlie Hammes a notable member of EMRRC for years.
One of the clubs Paul & Chuck visited in Milwaukee was the Model Railroad Club of Milwaukee. The club is located in a concrete building at 215 E. National Ave. They have been in the same building since 1936 and that makes the club the oldest club running out of a single location in the United States, the building is a former train station. Built in 1916 underneath the Milwaukee Road mainline, the station was known as Allis Station for the nearby employer that was a source of many passengers. Allis-Chalmers Corp. had a substantial operation in today’s Harbor District before moving west to its new home in today’s West Allis. The Milwaukee Road shuttered the station by 1926 and an upstart model railroad club founded by future mayor Frank Zeidler, Al Kalmbach, and William Walthers moved in. Much of the train station’s architectural detailing remains, including subway tiles that frame the ticket counter and waiting room.
That was the beginning of our meeting. An announcement was made that we have sold 145 tables for the EMRRC 2020 Train Show in Nappanee. That means only 5 vendor tables remain for the show on March 21, 2020. After the meeting, it was time to run some trains. Everything from AMTRAK to the Freedom Train passenger train was running Friday night. Click Here to see our latest "Friday Night Running at the Club" video. Click Here. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area. This is the latest list courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here For information on the 2020 Train Show click here. One item from Model Train Stuff. They are having a 10% off sale on wheelsets, couplers, and trucks. Use the promo code 10COUPLER at checkout. This ends on 2/16. Have some fun with model railroading.
News for January 31, 2020
EMRRC had over 25 people running trains during our end of the month open running on Friday, January 31st, 2020.
We had several steam engines running including a UP Challenger pulling a beautiful UP passenger train.
Of course, we had plenty of NS running as we are just south of Norfolk Southern's second-largest yard. One of the NS units was the GoRail locomotive that commemorates the 10th anniversary of GoRail, an organization that promotes the benefits of moving more freight by rail. 
Make sure you take a look at NS 1625. Built by Matt Glassman it's an SD40-2 built from a Scale Trains CSX SD40-3 parts kit and it has a rattle can paint job. The kit was featured a few weeks ago on our video from 12/20/2019.
Member Randy Robbins found a Model Die Casting/ Roundhouse metal caboose kit. MDC was bought by Horizon Hobby and integrated into Athearn years ago. We'll get some more pictures as Randy completes this kit.
Member Paul Ewing brought in some digital mockups of our new club car and it looks great. It's a 3 bay coal hopper by Accurail in E&W reporting marks. The 2020 Train Show is coming up in under 60 days and we only have 10 tables out of 150 left. So if you're interested in a vendor table, be sure to go to the 2020 Train Show page for more information. The show is on March 21, 2020, from 10:00, am till 3:00 pm at the Claywood Event Center in Napanee, Indiana. Click Here to see our latest "Friday Night Running at the Club" video. Click Here. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area. This is the latest list courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here For information on the 2020 Train Show click here. Have some fun with model railroading.
News for January 24, 2020
It was 1975 at the Elkhart Model Railroad Club for operations night. The Freedom Train ran along with a lot of escapees from the 60s who were destained to be repainted into their new colors.
Nathan Overmyer was the dispatcher for the night and did a smooth job with the chief dis
patcher only jumping in the van once to go find an errant engineer. We had plenty of members and guests show up. If you would like to come out and take a look 
at EMRRC we are open Friday, January 31st for open running from 7:00 pm till 10:00 pm. The 2020 Train Show is shaping up for another great run. Be sure to join us on March 21, 2020, from 10:00 am till 3:00 Pm at the Claywood Event Center in Napanee, Indiana. Click Here to see our latest video. Click Here. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area. This is the latest list courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here For information on the 2020 Train Show click here. Have some fun with model railroading.
News for January 17, 2020
Friday night was our monthly meeting at EMRRC. Items discussed included the upcoming Elkhart Model Railroad Club 15th Annual Train Show on March 21st. 130 vendor tables have been sold and the final few marketing items were settled. Other items discussed at the meeting were the possibility of another night of running, open to the public. A committee was formed to look into this. Also, EMRRC's 70th Anniversary is this year. A date of May 16th was set for our open house. Member Jim Ford was given a gift certificate for his contributions to the club in 2019. Also, the current board was re-upped to a life sentence.
Several projects were discussed including the update to the North Wall, Elkhart & Western trackage spearheaded by member Ken Prager. The continuation of the Chateau Wood Products area headed up by member Jerry Piatt after the original builder Stan Shatto passed away. And the addition of a backdrop along the West Wall headed by member Charlie Yoakam with help from Jeff Rogers & Jim Ford. The progress of our club car was reported on by member Paul Ewing, which will be ready to sell at the Train Show and open house.
Afterward, several members set up for next Friday's operation session and trains were brought out to run. Click Here to see our latest video. Click Here. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area. This is the latest list courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here For information on the 2020 Train Show click here. Have some fun with model railroading.
News for January 10, 2020
Menard's has its 15% off all train stuff you can fit inside an in-store bag through Saturday, January 18th. The south store in South Bend has a good selection right now.
It was a lively open running session at the Elkhart Model Railroad Club on Friday the 10th. Plenty of members and guests were on hand as several large and small unique trains were running over E&W, EMRRC, and Grand Elk trackage. Looking for something to do on Friday nights? Come by and check out a model railroad that has been running since the 1950s. Guests are free, parking is free and soft drinks and candy are inexpensive. Take a look at the About Us page for more information. Don't forget EMRRC will not open to the public till 8:00 pm on January 17, 2020, as we have our monthly business meeting until 8:00 pm for members only.
Member Matt Glassman was busy programming a New York Central RS-2 with a LokSound decoder in it. Matt has his personal test track setup which includes a LokSound ESU programmer and a Digitrax Zepher tied to sections of N-Scale and HO-Scale track all on a portable cabinet. Matt's well-used laptop has all of the software to program just about any kind of decoder. Matt also belongs to an N-Scale modular group, Michiana T-Trakers and uses his portable setup to run the modules when they are on location.
Plenty of diesel running this week but I promise next week there will be a lot of steam. Click Here to see our latest video. Click Here. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area/ This is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here For information on the 2020 Train Show click here. Vendors we are selling tables quickly for the 2020 Train Show (we have more than 115 tables sold out of 150) so make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. Have some fun with model railroading.
News for January 2020
The Elkhart Model Railroad Club starts a new year with lots of maintenance and course many trains running on our HO Scale layout. We started 2020 with a massive track cleaning session involving members and guests. We covered just about the entire layout in about an hour. There was an interesting article in Model Railroad Hobbyist about the differ
ent methods of cleaning track and the chemistry behind it. From their research, you can see kerosene, WD-40 Contact Cleaner, CRC Contact Cleaner, and Protectorate, Deoxit D5, Neverstall, and mineral spirits are all excellent solvents to use for cleaning track and wheels. Solvents to avoid include isopropyl, alcohol, MEK, acetone, and lacquer thinner. We used Bight Boys along with WD40 Contact Cleaner based on our experience and the article.
Also during cleaning, there was a track crew working on the Flushing branch cutoff and reverse loop. They rewired the reverse loop to lengthened it and worked on finessing the track to increase reliability in that area. After extensive testing with passenger cars running through this area, everything ran much better. We'll give it the acid test during our next scheduled operations session on January 24th. Do you enjoy solving problems and working as a team? Be sure to join us on the 24th for our operations session where it will be 1968 on the layout. Never run with us before? We'll put you with an experienced operator on the EMRRC layout. The session starts at 7:00 pm sharp so don't be late.
Plenty of diesel running this week including IHB so Click Here to see our latest video. Click Here. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area/ This is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here For information on the 2020 Train Show click here. Vendors we are selling tables quickly for the 2020 Train Show so make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. Have some fun with model railroading.
NEWS for December 2019News for December 27, 2019
Our last running session for 2019 had plenty of trains, plenty of action and plenty of members and guests all enjoying running trains on the last Friday of 2019.
We had the NS 1070 Wabash Heritage Locomotive.
Along with the 4141 PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush Commemorative Locomotive and UP No. 1943 The Spirit locomotive and the American Freedom Train all running on the EMRRC layout. There was some pizza leftover in the fridge from the Christmas Party that several members enjoyed. I haven't heard of any hospital trips so I guess it was okay. Click Here to see our latest video. Click Here. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area/ This is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here For information on the 2020 Train Show click here. Vendors we are selling tables quickly for the 2020 Train Show so make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. Have some fun with model railroading.
News for December 20, 2019
We are close to the end of 2019 and EMRRC's annual Christmas party was Friday night with over 25 members and guests enjoying free pizza. free soft drinks, free desserts, and free old fart advice. A great time was had by everyone.
Tables are going fast for the upcoming 15th Annual EMRRC Nappanee Train Show for 2020. We have over 100 vendor tables sold with three months left till we open the door.
It was decided to have a club car for the 70th anniversary of the club and it will be a boxcar with the Elkhart and Western road name. We will have the car available for sale at the train show. After Christmas,
After Christmas, we will be open Friday, December 27. 2019 for open running. Plenty of trains running at EMMRC.
Among them was a Schnabel car. Follow its progress around the layout with our Friday Night Running at the Club video Click Here. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the video. Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. For information on the 2020 Train Show click. Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page.Have some fun with model railroading.
News for December 13, 2019
Over 20 members and guests were at EMRRC to socialize and run trains Friday night. It was announced that we have over 90 tables sold for the upcoming 15th Annual EMRRC Nappanee Train Show for 2020. The show is coming together quickly and we expect another great EMRRC train show in 2020. Click here for more information on the show.
Member Matt Glassman brought in his new Scale Trains CSX SD 40-3. Matt and member Nathan Overmyer bought three of these units in kit form. These units were bought as is with some missing small parts but all came with ESU Loksound DCC decoders with sound at a great price. More info on these kits as they progress will be coming.
Several members including Paul Ewing are working on and learning about the Cricut. The machine is great for precise cuts in heavy card stock and light vinyl. Paul did an interesting clinic on the Cricut in June of 2019 and there are several Facebook groups and websites including "Modeling with the Cricut Explore" and here is a link to the main Cricut website. 
https://cricut.com/en_us?gclid=CjwKCAjw0ZfoBRB4EiwASUMdYcYtyRjh-dr7iNfcqRhVC0X_GBW6IwVkZmBf_XA1mrI4kq65kFjvuBoCI78QAvD_BwE
The Elkhart Model Railroad Club's 70th Anniversary is coming up in 2020 and we are close to a decision on producing a club car to celebrate our 70th. More information to come as we get closer. EMRRC will be closed on Friday, December 20, 2019, for our annual Christmas Party. We will be open again Friday, December 27. 2019. So many trains running we couldn't include them all in this week's video so Click Here. for the latest Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. For information on the 2020 Train Show click. Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. The NMRA Michiana Division will have its December meeting on the 21st from noon till 2:00 pm at the Western Branch Public Library, 6115 Lombardy Dr., South Bend, Indiana. This meeting will be a continued discussion of "LCL Operations" and "Where is That Car Going?" Have some fun with model railroading.
News for December 06, 2019
The beginning of December started with plenty of members and guests running trains.
Last week we mentioned the Eiteljorg Museum's "Jingle Rails" exhibit for the holiday season. Here is a shot of the G-Scale car put together by member Paul Ewing in memory of Charlie Hammes a notable member of EMRRC for years. The car runs every year at the "Jingle Rails" exhibit in Indianapolis.
Also, take a look at member Ron Breniser's latest creation. The building is a freight house with an open side towards the aisle and is completely scratch built by Ron. As we said earlier there were plenty of people at EMRRC running lots of trains so Click Here. for the latest Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. The NMRA Michiana Division will have its December meeting on the 21st from noon till 2:00 pm at the Western Branch Public Library, 6115 Lombardy Dr., South Bend, Indiana. This meeting will be a continued discussion of "LCL Operations" and "Where is That Car Going?" Have some fun with model railroading.
It's the start of the holiday season and in that spirit click here for a video of the CP Holiday Train making its way through our area shot by member Matt Glassman near Osceola, Indiana Sunday morning. EMRRC also has a holiday connection to the Eiteljorg Museum in White River State Park in Indianapolis. Every year from late November till mid-January the Eiteljorg presents"Jingle Rails" A beautiful exhibit of model trains winding through beautifully recreated landscapes and landmarks of the American West and downtown Indianapolis. EMRRC's connection is through Gloria Griesinger a patron of the Eiteljorg Museum and daughter of Charlie Hammes an early member of the club who was instrumental in molding the club into what it is today. 
Member Paul Ewing presented Ms. Griesinger in 2011 a G-Scale E&W freight car marked with "Return to Hammes Yard Elkhart, Indiana. The car runs to this day on the"Jingle Rails" exhibit. Here's a picture of the car in HO-Scale running on the EMRRC layout.
Friday night at the club 
we had several members trying to catch up on projects while out on the layout lots of trains were running. One new engine coming through the door is a Rapido B36-7
The four-axle GE B36-7 was a high-horsepower speed racer built to appeal to railroads in the early 1980s looking to turbocharge their growing intermodal business. Southern’s six B36-7s were all delivered with both baffles, but these were quickly reduced to one each side, possibly for visibility reasons (the radiator is at the front of the locomotive of course).
A couple of more buildings have shown up on the layout courtesy of member Ken Prager. The Kamms building in Mishawaka and Kwik Key in the Hammes Roundhouse area. There were plenty of other locos on the layout. Click Here. for the latest Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page.Have some fun with model railroading.
News for November 15, 2019
November 15th was EMRRC's monthly business meeting. We welcomed Ken Prager as a full member. Congratulations Ken. Also, we welcomed a new probationary member Ben Brubaker.
Jeff Roberts and Chuck Hart represented EMRRC at the National New York Central Museum's Event "Life On The Rails" an event celebrating what it's like working on the railroad.
All current board officers were voted back into their current offices for the upcoming 2020 year. 
Planning is well underway for the 2020 Elkhart Model Railroad Club's 15th Annual Nappanee Train Show occurring on March 21st, 2020 with nearly 30 vendor tables already sold. Also, the initial planning for our 70th-anniversary open house is underway as it was decided to celebrate in May. Further information will be coming. 
After the meeting, we set up for our upcoming operations session on Friday, November 22nd. If you're interested in operations to be sure to show up at 7:00 pm sharp Friday and we'll get you involved. 
Elkhart & Western's 1115 was running Friday night. It's a beautiful model painted and decaled by member Steve Storey. Want to see more of 1115? Click Here. for the latest Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page.
News for November 8, 2019
Veterans Day is a time for us to pay our respects to those who have served. We have several veterans at EMRRC including Jeri Cardella U. S. Army, Chuck Hart U.S. Navy, Paul Ewing U.S. Army, Nathan Overmyer U.S. Air Force, Randy Robbins Armor, U.S. Army. Gary Pressnell, U.S. Coast Guard, Jeff Cain U.S. Air Force and Ken Prager U.S. Air Force. We celebrate and honor EMRRCs vets for their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.
We had a large turnout Friday night with a lot of nice locomotives and trains running at EMRRC.
Ken Prager brought along some newly weathered buildings including an abandoned tower on E&W trackage. A cabin in the mountains complete with an outdoor privy and a fellow running into problems trying to use it. 
There have also been some (depending on how you look at it ) disturbing rumors of flashing along the tracks which have led to a loss of concentration with some engineers. 
Also with help from Jim Ford, a new passenger platform has been completed at Wood Creek. The platform is based on a mock-up left by the late Stan Shatto, the original builder of the Wood Creek paper processing complex.
We had large steam show up Friday including a UP Challenger, a massive beast that pulled 
both passenger and freight for the UP. The locomotive was capable of exceeding 60 mph and with the technical breakthroughs achieved with the Challenger enabled the carrier to develop the Big Boy with the same speed expectations.
A couple of other big steam engines that showed up were an NYC Hudson and an NYC Niagara S1b 4-8-4, #6002.
A Rivet Counter HO Scale Union Pacific GTEL 8500 Horsepower “Big Blow” Turbine #23 made its first appearance at EMRRC. Often called “Big Blows” because of their deafening noise, they roamed the less populated landscape between Council Bluffs, IA, and Ogden, UT. 30 three-unit sets were built between 1958 and 1961 and all were retired by the early 1970s. Here's a list of goodies with the Rivet Counter Series.
Tri-color LED class lights
Printed and LED lighted number boards
Nose grab irons
“Union Pacific” nose lettering
H – I dynamic brake housing configuration
Air intake scoops
Modified radiator with all-weather shutters
As delivered fuel tank
Detailed cab interior with separate control stand, floor, a rear wall with a water cooler, and seats
Photo-etched metal side grilles
Rubber water hoses between the “A” and “B” unit
Radiator mounted lost wax brass Leslie S-5T-R air horn
Square base whip antenna
SKF and Timken bearings
Wheel slip detectors
Speed recorder
Motor with 5-pole skew wound armature
Dual flywheels
All-wheel drive
All-wheel electrical pickup
Directional LED headlight
“B” Turbine Unit
Dynavane intake housing
I – I dynamic brake housing configuration
Offset air intake scoops
Blanked door panels
With rear MU connections
SKF and Timken bearings
Wheel slip detectors
Motor with 5-pole skew wound armature
Dual flywheels
All-wheel drive
All-wheel electrical pickup
24C Fuel Tender
24,000-gallon capacity
Welded seams
Insulated
Commonwealth 6-axle trucks
Factory-applied air tank, brake cylinder, and control valve
Factory-applied multiple unit (MU) hoses
Photo-etched metal tender deck walkway
Operating rear tender LED light
Truck chains available separately (SXT80111)
Sound*
“A” unit prime mover sound
“B” unit turbine sound
These units have a lot of detail and ran flawlessly the entire night. Want to see more? Click Here. for the latest Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page.
The Michiana NMRA will have their next meeting at the North Liberty Library Branch, November 16th from 12 noon till 1:00 pm, 105 E. Market St., North Liberty, IN 46553. The topic will be, "Less Than Carload (LCL) Operations and What Does Your Layout Do? - Begining Discussion of Layout Operations, Prototype, Fantasy, or Somewhat Prototypical. Have some fun with model railroading.
News for November 1, 2019
Lots of folks gathered at the Elkhart Model Railroad Club for the 1st day of November 2019. One of our student members Larson was running his NS E9. That's Larson in the picture dressed in his Halloween costume. He must like trains huh?
One of our guests was Mogan Davis from the Naptown & White River Club in Indianapolis. Morgan brought along his steam excursion unit with cars lettered for the club.
He also had a Viessmann 09-3X Plasser & Theurer Stopfexpress Tamping Machine. In our "Friday Night Running at the Club" video you can see the model being put through its paces as it has full DCC control with sound including a working tamping mechanism.
Member Ken Prager is at it again. Here is his latest weathering project, the Roda Tower. To take a look at all the action last Friday night Click Here. for the latest Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page.
but the Chief Dispatcher ended up in the van a couple of times to get everything sorted out. 
One engine that showed up was an Erie Lackawanna E8/9. This engine was bought at a local train shop, Jerry's Trains for $30. The owner added in a sound decoder and replaced the lights with LEDs. But if you want to add in DCC without sound a decoder can be found for $20/$25. So for $55 or less you can have a good looking engine with DCC. 
One of our members Ken Prager is weathering buildings on the layout. One of his first buildings is the Whistle Stop Cafe along the E&W trackage. President Chuck Hart bought this building at a swap meet for a buck years ago and donated it to the club. It set on the layout for years waiting for Ken to come along and bring out its personality. To take a look at all the action last Friday night Click Here. for the latest Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. Longtime member Charlie Yoakam is under the weather and all of us at the club want to extend best wishes and a speedy recovery to him. The Michiana NMRA will have their next meeting at the North Liberty Library Branch, November 16th from 12 noon till 1:00 pm, 105 E. Market St., North Liberty, IN 46553. The topic will be, "Less Than Carload (LCL) Operations and What Does Your Layout Do? - Begining Discussion of Layout Operations, Prototype, Fantasy, or Somewhat Prototypical. Have some fun with model railroading.
News for October 18, 2019
Afterward, lots of members and a guest (who signed up to join the club) all enjoyed running trains and setting up for operations on Friday, October 26, at 7:00 pm.
The year will be 1953 and that means only steam and early diesel will be running on the track. If you enjoy puzzles join us for the largest live interactive puzzle in Northern Indiana. Solve problems, hone your logic and planning skills, and run model trains all at once. Join us for operations on the last day of October 2019. To take a look at all the action last Friday night Click Here. for the latest Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. Have some fun with model railroading.
News for October 11, 2019
The Elkhart Model Railroad Club met for open running on Friday. We had several members and 2 guests show up to socialize and run trains. There were several large diesels pulling long trains
along with one of our student members, Larson running his Norfolk Southern restored F9A.
Member Ken Prager brought a large group of weathered freight cars including a MOW work train that ran great but looked like it had a hard life. Ken is an award-winning military modeler who is using his painting and modeling skills to buy inexpensive engines and cars and turn them into interesting pieces of equipment.
We did some ground view video which gives a perspective of scenery we don't get to see too often.
To see all the action including wildlife on and off the track and a small accident Click Here. for the latest Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. Have some fun with model railroading.
News for October 4, 2019
The first week of October was a busy week for the Elkhart Model Railroad Club. On Tuesday it was clean out the shed day. We own a large storage shed on our property and over the last couple of years it had collected a lot of junk. Here is our stalwart shed clean-out crew who battled oppressive heat and humidity to get the shed cleaned out and looking great.
Friday night started with a discussion of changing our operations sessions to a car card system. The club ran car cards years ago but moved away from it as it is a complicated system for a club environment. Now years laters we have a thriving membership with a lot of members interested in operations.
From this discussion, the idea will move to a business meeting night where the entire membership will be appraised of the idea.
Also Friday night as part of the rebuilding of the roundhouse area the new Grand Elk Railroad connection to the Elkhart Model Railroad Club was opened. The track has been laid along with a diamond and the first train ran into Elkhart on the new track.
We decided to have some night running on the layout and several engines were running with all lights blazing. It's amazing the different look the layout takes on when the lights are out. Several Buildings and areas are well lite but we still have a lot of lighting to add to the layout. Due to forethought on the part of original members, there is a 12V and a 6V bus running under the entire layout which makes adding accessories and lights to the layout much easier. To see our night running and much more Click Here. for the latest Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. Have some fun with model railroading.
News for September 27, 2019
Operations was the name of the game for the last Friday in September at the Elkhart Model Railroad Club. Several members were at the club with one guest ready to run all modern diesels as it was the 1990s on the layout.
Lots of trains running with several near derailments and one passenger train derailment which the emergency crew took care of. The dispatchers took it all in stride, it was a tough session but they pulled through and it was a fun night for everyone.
The roundhouse area reconstruction is moving on. Member Matt Glassman displayed some of his NS and CSX big power at the roundhouse.
The IRS & FBI Bar Elkhart area near the roundhouse is coming to life 
and the Grand Elk Railroad is making its long-awaited connection to EMRRC trackage. To see all of the trains running at the club Click Here. for Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. Have some fun with model railroading.
News for September 20, 2019
The 20th of September was the Elkhart Model Railroad Club's monthly business meeting. Several items and reports on various projects were discussed. If you are a member or just interested in model railroading we have a Tuesday Night maintenance and work session from 7:00 pm till 9:00 pm and a lot of projects that need some creativity and TLC. One thing that came up is the tremendous amount of scenery material that we keep on a roll around cart. The cart is not large enough anymore and is overflowing and we need to purchase another cart. So if you have an interest in building small detailed scenery come by, we have a lot of material to work with and we would love to talk to you about using it.
Our next meeting on September 27th is an operations night featuring modern equipment. If you have an interest in railroad oprations come by at 7:00 pm sharp and we'll put you to work at the oldest railroad club in Indiana, the Elkhart Model Railroad Club.
Several members ran trains after setting up and one of the interesting engines running was a Scale Train Tier 4 Demo ET44AC 2015. Be sure to watch for it and the duck in our latest video. To see all of the trains running at the club Click Here. for our latest Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. Have some fun with model railroading.
News for September 13, 2019
Friday the 13th was open running for EMRRC. Several members including Charlie Yoakam, Matt Glassman, Will Babcoke. Jeff Roberts, Gary Pressnell, Jerry Piatt, Randy Robbins, Nathan Overmyer, Gary Babcoke, David Menges, Steve Storey, and Ron Breneiser all enjoyed open running at the club. Several long trains were running with lot's of heavy diesel power and one lonely steamer at the end of our Friday Night Running at the Club video. To see all of the trains running at the club Click Here. for Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. Have some fun with model railroading.
News for September 6, 2019
We're well on our way to Fall at EMRRC and several members took time out from summer activities and watching football to come out to the club and run some trains.
The evening started with cleanup and maintenance. One of the major jobs being tackled is the integration of turnout controls in the fascia. As we have added turnouts the controls have been hooked up electrically but the switches that control the turnouts have just been hung at the bottom of the fascia on a piece of masonite. Member Paul Ewing has tackled this job and made good progress on Friday evening. 
Also a couple of minor additions to the website. On our Tech Files page, David Menges' interesting journey continues as he builds a huge circus train. Also added is an interesting article on using flex track for bridges. CLICK HERE or go to the menu at the top of the page to find these articles. A Purdue club car was sitting on a siding at EMRRC. The car celebrates the club's 85th anniversary. 
Our club is a few years behind but our 70th-anniversary is next year so be sure to look for information coming up. To see all of the trains running at the club Click Here. for Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. Have some fun with model railroading. NEWS for August 2019News for August 30, 2019
For the last Friday of August 2019, at the start of the Labor Day weekend holiday, several members showed up for running at EMRRC.
A couple of BNSF units pulling a long train had a near miss on a pass-by with an NYC freight drag. The NYC F units barely fit into Schult Yard so a BNSF priority train could slide by.
We also had an On30 small steamer run by the NYC train a little later. The 0-4-2’s larger fuel bunker and trailing truck allowed it to travel longer distances than its “little brother,” the Porter 0-4-0. They were put to work on plantation, logging, and construction roads. The tank cars were rebuilt from AC Gilbert S-guage tank cars by member Paul Ewing.
A Virginian USRA 2-8-8-2 made the run down to the EMRRC yards to drop off several cars. 
The track in this area is lightweight and the 2-8-8-2 had all it could handle with tight clearances but the engine is a great runner and made all the way down and back with no problems. Everyone had a good start to their holiday and thoroughly enjoyed the comradery.To see all of the trains running at the club Click Here. for Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. Have some fun with model railroading.
Operations took center stage at the Elkhart Model Railroad Club on Friday the 23rd. We had several members show up and had a great session with very few problems.
It was 1976 on the layout and member Charlie Yoakam brought in his Athearn 1776 he actually bought in 1976 for about $20. He also had a 1776 Tyco caboose to bring up the backend.
We had 
several other units operating including Wood Creek Paper, some through freights and passenger trains, along with an NYC switcher working the Elkhart industrial yard. If you are an experienced operator or a novice come by EMRRC, we run operations every 4th Friday of the month. 
It's a great time and you will enjoy yourself. To see all of the trains running at the club Click Here. for Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. We will be open Labor Day Weekend on Friday, August 30, 2019, from 7:00 pm till ??? Have some fun with model railroading.
News for August 16, 2019
August 16. 2019 was our monthly meeting. Several items were taken care of including the welcoming of 2 new probationary members and a new student member. Congratulations to all the new members. 
On the layout a new backdrop will be installed on the west wall while Gary Presnell helped out with Matt Glassman's switch panel installs fixing one of the Tortise machines near Flushing.
Thanks, to Paul Ewing and Jerry Piatt for cleaning the landscaped area near the front entrance and also kudos to Paul for refurbing our entrance sign. After the meeting, we welcomed a couple of guests from Kalamazoo, MI and started running trains and setting up for our operations session which is next Friday, August 23, 2019.
Here's Matt Setting cars for next Friday. If you enjoy puzzles we run the biggest electronically interfaced 3D puzzle in the area when we run operations every 4th Friday of the month. If you have never run operations we will pair you up with an experienced operator until you understand the basics of operations at EMRRC.
Matt Glassman brought in a couple of BSC F68AH Bulkhead Flatcars he has been working on. Introduced in 1969, the Bethlehem Steel Co. (BSC) F68-series of 100-ton, 68’ foot long (over end sills) flats represented a new generation of high-capacity flat cars. Extremely versatile, the basic design could be equipped from the factory with a variety of appliances to handle different loadings. These units are Rivet Counters from Scale Trains and have a lot of features including a laser-cut deck to be applied by the modeler.
To see all of the trains running at the club Click Here. for Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. Have some fun with model railroading.
News for August 9, 2019
A lot of Southern locomotives showing up in Northern Indiana. We had several engines show up from the Southern Railway on Friday, August 9, 2019 all of them running long hood forward. Did you ever wonder why some railroads ran their units long hood forward? Here's the answer from TRAINS Magazine. It’s a common misconception that both Norfolk & Western and Southern Railway (and for a while, successor Norfolk Southern) operated many of their hood units long hood forward for better crew safety in the event of a collision.
While that might have been a secondary benefit, the real reason was bidirectional operation capability. The Southern’s approach to bidirectional operation was simpler: Make the short end of the unit the rear, delete the optional low nose, and have the engineer on the right-hand side with the long hood leading. In the event the unit was running in “reverse,” the engineer would be on the left side, but with a short hood, so his forward vision to the right side of the track wasn’t impaired all that much.
While new power in this configuration didn’t arrive until the SD45s of 1967, earlier units (SD24s, GP30s, and GP35s) all came with high short hoods, but set up as the short hood end as the “front.” In both cases, the carriers hoped to eliminate terminal expense and delay from turning units on turntables or wyes. In truth, crews on both roads never received the practice warmly. The last road units N&W purchased came with conventional low-nose short hoods set up as the “front,” and without dual controls. For a time after the NS merger, new units were purchased under the Southern philosophy of long hood forward, but with low-nose short hoods. The advent of “comfort cab” units made such operating practices impractical, so it’s now rare to find a vintage N&W or Southern unit running long hood forward.
We had a trio of Fairbanks-Morse H10-44s on the layout. Two of these were Proto 2000 (Walthers). These engines are great little switchers and can be had as low as $65 with DCC and sound.
As the end of World War II approached, Fairbanks-Morse debuted a new 1,000-hp switcher for the Milwaukee Road in 1944: the H-10-44. (H stood for hood unit, 10 for 1,000-hp, and 44 for its B-B wheel arrangement.) Click Here to see our latest Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. Have some fun with model railroading.
News for August 2, 2019
Where the heck did summer go? As we move through August we lose about an hour of sunlight by the end of the month. But, at the Elkhart Model Railroad Club, it is always sunny unless we forget to pay the electric bill or we decide to run a night session. Come by and think about joining and help us pay the electric bill.
We are always looking for new members who have an interest in computers, apps, artwork, construction, electrical, model buildering, or just want to see and work on a piece of history in the Elkhart area. Do you like Arduino? We would love to talk to you about various projects upcoming. If you enjoy puzzles we run the biggest electronically interfaced 3D puzzle in the area when we run operations every 4th Friday of the month. 
Every Friday we are meeting at the club and have a great time socially and running trains. Speaking of running trains we had several trains running Friday the 2nd at the club. Some trains of note running were the Alaska Railroad, the Virginian, CSX, SOO Line, and NS. Be sure to check out the caboose on the end of the SOO Line train a Milwaukee caboose weathered by David Menges with Pan Pastel weathering powders. Click Here to see our latest Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the members and their trains Click Here. 
For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page.Have some fun with model railroading. For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page.Have some fun with model railroading.
NEWS for July 2019News for July 26, 2019
A lot of members were in the Chicago area for the arrival of Union Pacific's 4014 Big Boy. Everyone had a great time and got lots of pictures to share. At the club we had a couple of new members apply for membership. Welcome, Jeff and Bill. Member Charlie Yoakam ordered a new backdrop for the west wall near Oceola. It is 14x72 and depicts an industrial area. The new computer and Digitrax PR4 interface keep humming along with no problems during programming. If you would like to see member David Menges' Facebook posts on his continuing project building a circus train check out our Tech Files menu item for a compilation of the series. Click Here to see more our Friday Night Running at the Club video. If you want to see more pictures of the 4014 and more from Friday Click Here. 
For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. Also, 2020 is the Elkhart Model Railroad Club's 70th anniversary. An open house and other events are being planned to celebrate this occasion. Watch for future news on this. Have some fun with model railroading.
Friday evening at the club started with a dinner and a celebration for the life of Stan Shatto. Stan joined the club in 1972. He was instrumental in designing and constructing the scenery in several areas of the layout. 
Stan's pride and joy was the Chateau Paper's Wood Creek Kraft and Pulp Mill at 7512 Needmore Road. The area includes everything from raw material storage to a number of buildings to finish the process. 
This part of the layout was about 85% finished when Stan passed. Stan spent several years on this section and the club looks forward to finishing the small areas left that will make this into a lasting legacy for Stan for many years to come.
Several family members and friends of Stan's came in from as far away as California to pay tribute and celebrate Stan's life. Rest in Peace Stan. 
Other areas on the layout are having scenery updated or changed. Near the new dam area, lily pads are showing up in the Elkhart River. The road crew has been working on road improvements near Liberty on a crossing that has always been rough.
During the evening a large circus train came through with elephant and animal cars along with several flat cars for equipment and wagons. Bringing up the rear were several cars for crew and performers. A lot of steam was on the layout tonight including a triple-header Monon train, the freedom train, A Virginian Y-3 2-8-8-2, and several other steam engines.
Click Here to see more circus train and steamers at Friday Night Running at the Club. If you want to see more pictures of circus trains, Monon triple-headers and more from Friday Click Here. 
For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. Also, 2020 is the Elkhart Model Railroad Club's 70th anniversary. An open house and other events are being planned to celebrate this occasion. Watch for future news on this. Have some fun with model railroading.
Union Pacific Big Boy Schedule for the end of July 2019.
The UP Big Boy 4014 will be in Chicago at the end of July 2019. Here is some information.
| Friday, July 26 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Depart | 8:00 a.m. CT | Butler, Wis. No Public Access |
| Arrival | 2:30 p.m. CT | West Chicago, Ill. Union Pacific Larry S. Provo Training Center 335 Spencer St. |
| Saturday, July 27 | ||
| On Display: | 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. CT | West Chicago, Ill. Union Pacific Larry S. Provo Training Center 335 Spencer St. Experience the Union Pacific Rail Car |
| Sunday, July 28 – Monday, July 29 | ||
| On Display: | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. CT | West Chicago, Ill. Union Pacific Larry S. Provo Training Center 335 Spencer St. Experience the Union Pacific Rail Car |
| Tuesday, July 30 | ||
| Depart | 8:00 a.m. CT | West Chicago, Ill. Union Pacific Larry S. Provo Training Center 335 Spencer St. |
| Arrival Depart |
9:45 a.m. CT 10:30 a.m. CT |
Rochelle, Ill. Rochelle Railroad Park 124 N. 9th St. |
If we want to go over the guys at The Ridge Model Railroad Club said the Rochelle Railroad Park is a good spot if we don't want to fight Chicago traffic.
News for July 12, 2019
A lot of happenings at EMRRC as we coast through the middle of July. Installation of the new computer is completed. We have some small items to clean up but JMRI is residing happily atop a blistering fast computer running phone throttles and programming with no problems. We coupled it with a Digitrax PR4 to handle the programming track and the first new roster member is Jeff Cain with his BLI switcher. Just to forewarn everyone you will have to enter your engine back into the roster if you want to program on our system We still have a copy of the old roster but after 5 years it was disorganized and we decided to go with a clean start.
A new dam is taking shape on the Elkhart River thanks to Ron, Jerry, and Charlie. It's a small area but with a lot of detail. Still to come, a walkway, fishermen, and more detail items.
Member David Menges got his hands on a set of Walther's Great Circus Train releases a rare HO Scale 1:87 kit series offered in twelve very limited individual monthly releases beginning in 1989. David has been kind enough to let members of EMRRC follow along on FaceBook as he puts together this set. I am planning on showing all of his work in our Tech Files area but here is a sampling from David.
"John E. Strates immigrated to the United States in 1909 from Greece. He had many odd jobs until he joined a carnival in 1919 as a wrestler taking on any challenger. He acquired the Southern tier shows in 1923 and changed the name to John E. Strates Shows in 1932. He built and managed the carnival up until his death in 1959. His son E. James Strates assumed responsibility of the carnival that still operates today.
This car was the 6th release in The Great Circus train made by Walters. Stock and elephant cars were 72' in length and unloading ramps were carried on the underside of the car. Stock and elephant cars were coupled directly behind the locomotive to minimize jolting and possibly injuring the animals. Elephant cars are very similar to stock cars but were built to accommodate the weight of the elephants. Also, a larger door, solid walls, and smaller windows or ventilators because elephants are susceptible to pneumonia and must be protected from the cold and drafts. One elephant car could carry up to 13 adult elephants or "bulls" in circus slang regardless of gender. A show with a smaller herd would outfit the extra space with bunks for the handlers. 1/4 of early circus trains would be stock cars. As technology advanced tractors became available and elephant and stock cars became surplus and converted to flat cars".
Of course, after all of this, we had to run some trains I mean we have this huge layout just made for running multiple trains with lots of cars so why not? 
One engine that showed up was a Scale Trains GE TIER 4 GEVO, ET44C4. Originally a GE demonstrator it was modified and repainted in Erie, PA. Here's a shot of the engine on our layout and the real thing passing through Goshen, Indiana.
One interesting note the Navajo Mine is a private railroad and ordered 2 of the engines. The mine has no connection to the national rail network so the engines had to be trucked the last few miles to the mine's tracks. Click Here for all the action for Friday Night Running at the Club. If you want to see more pictures of trains and members from Friday Click Here. 
For a schedule of train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. Also, 2020 is the Elkhart Model Railroad Club's 70th anniversary. An open house and other events are being planned to celebrate this occasion. Watch for future news on this. Have some fun with model railroading.
News for July 05, 2019
The day after Independence Day 2019 and it was a maintenance night at EMRRC. The main job was to install our new computer. Matt Glassman spent a couple of hours removing our old computer and installing our new, fast computer. With 8 gigs of ram, a 250gb solid state hard drive along with a one terabyte drive and we're up and running from startup to JMRI in 30 seconds. We also are installing a new monitor, Digitrax PR4 and a Raspberry. 
Afterward, the trains were running at EMRRC. We put together some footage of patriotic trains which have run at the club in the last few months. Click Here for all the action for Friday Night Running at the Club. If you want to see more pictures of trains and members from Friday Click Here.
For a schedule on train shows and swap meets in the area Click Here (this is the latest list) courtesy of the Grand River Valley Railroad Club in Wyoming, MI. For 2018 Past Announcements at EMRRC Click Here. The 2020 Train Show information has been added to the site Vendors make sure you check as there are applications and information for vendors on the page. Also, 2020 is the Elkhart Model Railroad Club's 70th anniversary. An open house and other events are being planned to celebrate this occasion. Watch for future news on this. Have some fun with model railroading.