The New Jersey Division presents the:

Sept 30-Oct 3, 2010

2010 MER-NMRA Convention
Princeton, NJ

Afternoon

#822

6 Slots

Mike Prokop’s New Jersey & Western RR, a freelanced HO model railroad set in the transition era with lines mostly in NJ, has connections to many of the  northeast railroads of the time. Steam is the primary motive power for most operations on the layout with almost all having sound (Soundtraxx Tsunami ) decodes. Operations are currently run on a sequential schedule using the usual car card system of routing cars and takes about three hours to complete. The NJ&W uses EasyDCC to operate the railroad and all throttles are wireless radio. For this operating session there are six positions open. Besides engineers, the yardmaster and dispatcher positions can be available to guests. The main theme will be to have fun and enjoy a fine afternoon of running trains.  
 

Afternoon

#823
8 Slots

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Sat

Afternoon

#852
8 Slots

Dick Genthner’s  HO scale Arpee and Western Railroad is a fictional, free lance model railroad set in the 1930’s serving the Catskill mountain area of New York State.  Only steam locomotives are used for mainline service while some early diesel electric switchers are used for local switching.  The A&W is a single-track bridge line connecting four other railroads in the Catskill area.  It is designed for operations and is controlled with a Lenz DCC system, using a fast clock, a dispatcher and schedule cards for all trains.  Freight movements are handled by a car cards/ waybill system.

            The railroad is located in two rooms of a finished basement and covers about 1500 square feet. Construction started in late 2006 and all of the track work is complete. About 60% of the scenery is now finished.  It takes a crew of 10 to 12 to operate and the A&W is operated at least once a month by a crew of guys who have a great deal of fun doing so. The layout will be host two operating sessions with 8 openings each, and also will hold two open houses during the Fall MER convention.  Hope to see you there!
 

Morn

#841
6 Slots

Joe Calderone’s HO scale D&H Susquehanna Division. Joe’s D&H is a 19’ x 22’ around the wall layout. The layout concept is a freelanced prototype set in the early 1970’s representing a 33 mile stretch of the D&H double main from Oneonta to Nineveah jct. with a branch of the NYOW connecting in Sidney NY. The layout features lots of Alco and GE diesels, some units with sound. The layout is operated with Digitrax DCC. The operations utilize a modified car card waybill system to route mainline freights and locals with lots of switching fun. There will be 6 positions available for the session which include engineers as well as yard crews however having fun will be the order of the day! 
 

Afternoon

#851
8 Slots

Pacific Southern HO Model Railroad Club

   The Pacific Southern Model Railway Club of Rocky Hill was started by the late Robert Latham in 1963. Over the course of 47 years the basement has been expanded twice. The layout is controlled by DCC using the NCE system, both hard wired and wireless as well as computer controlled dispatching; signals, switches, ROW  and operating scheme.  The PS uses card cards for switching and can use up to 260 freight cars for a session. Sessions can last as long as three or four different nights.  A session with scheduled trains will typically operate on a two hour long timetable.

   This is for eight (8) individuals. It will also be open at that time for anyone else that wants to see the layout. 
 

Morn

#811
6 Slots
 

Rick Bickmore’s Harrisburg Terminal Railroad

The HTRR is an HO scale fictional, seven mile long, double-tracked secondary of the Pennsylvania Railroad with a focus on heavy steel mill operations. The layout is set in October of 1966. The railroad was designed to showcase the interaction of steel mill and railroad operations. Kit bashed and scratch built steel mill structures set the stage for operations. Operators will also perfrom local industrial switching and mainline freight movements along several locations between Harrisburg and Rockville Bridge Pennsylvania. Operations are carried out with a combination of unit train orders and the popular 4 cycle car card system. The layout is controlled with Digitax DCC. The HTRR will host 6 openings for the convention along with members of the Rick’s regular crew to assist. If you’re interested in Steel mill operations and mainline freights then this is the session you do not want to miss!!

Eve

#801
? Slots

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Fri

Eve

#831
? Slots

John Rahenkamp's C.L. & W. RR Clairmont, Lewiston and Western

  Is a large HO scale home layout, measuring approximately 60' x 28'.  Railroads represented are the Central Railroad of NJ, the Lehigh Valley Railroad, as well as the fictional Clairmont, Lewiston and Western RR.  Interchange traffic also brings motive power from the Reading and the DL&W.  This 1950's era layout focuses on railroading in the northern NJ/PA area.  Both steam and first generation diesel's can be found hauling passenger trains and through freights, as well as the locals that serve the busy cities of northern New Jersey as well as the remote coal mines of northern Pennsylvania. There are a total of 37 scheduled trains, not including turns and local interchange movements that make up a total of over 55 movements on the railroad during a typical operating session.   John uses the car card and waybill system of car forwarding, as well as Digitrax DCC control. It takes the normal operating crew of 21 operators about 4-41/2 hours to complete the schedule.  John's layout and articles have been featured in numerous hobby magazines over the years.  Scenery on the layout is approximately 95% complete.  Most of John's structures are scratchbuilt.
 

Afternoon

#861
8 Slots

   Is a large multideck HO scale switching layout which requires a typical crew of up to 14 operators. The area modeled is North East NJ during the "Transition Era" with about 75% of scenery completed. Control is DCC Digitrax. The Roads modeled are Erie, PRR, NYSW, NYC, and CNJ. Operations began in the summer of 2007. A crew for operations requires a Yard Master, Dispatcher, and 2 Tower Operators. A combination Car Card and waybill system is used. Radios are suggested but not required. Trains are color coded by their difficulty. A crew call for 8 operators will be available for the convention.
 

Afternoon

#821
6 Slots

   features the Penn Central and Central RR of NJ as connected by a jointly owned and operated terminal road in North Jersey.  Both the PC and CNJ have their own mainlines, providing through freight and local passenger service to go with the switching operations.  The era is firmly set to represent 1969-1974, with all rolling stock, locomotives, and a growing number of structures modeled as they would have appeared during this time frame.  Monthly operating sessions have been held for over six years, using four sided waybills and Digitrax DCC.  The trains are operated in sequence and the entire schedule will provide about 2 ½ hours of fun, with some challenges too.   Six positions are being offered, and the layout will also be part of the convention open house tour.