New club in Pennsylvania


Michael J

New model railroader
The Endless Mountains Model Railroad Club is a relatively new club in northeast Pennsylvania. Our website is http://emmrrc.wix.com/trains.

We would be happy to exchange links with other clubs on our site, and share information as well. You can contact club officers by e-mail at emmrrc@comcast.net (See the website for officers' names), or the webmaster [me] at mrudolf7@gmail.com.

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I'm hoping to get to the Anthracite Model Railroad Club open house, this weekend in Hazleton, PA. Probably will be there Saturday, early to mid afternoon.
 
A group from the EMMRRC had the opportunity to visit several clubs yesterday. It was a great opportunity, and we learned a lot. Thanks to the members of these clubs who were so accommodating and helpful.
 
In our attempts to get ideas for our own layout, several members of the EMMRRC went to visit three other clubs recently: Carbon Model Railroad Society, Bowmanstown, PA; Black Diamond Society of Railroad Engineers, Bethlehem, PA; and Lehigh & Keystone Valley Model Railroad Museum, Bethlehem, PA.

Each one was better than the next. We were especially blown away by the L&KV display, both in its size and the accuracy. (I could even recognize actual towns just by seeing them, without looking at the labels.)

I took a few hundred photos. There is a link to them at the EMMRRC website.
 
Once it gets warmer, we will get to our building and begin weatherproofing it, so next winter we will not have to stay out of it. It is an old barn and quite drafty now.

The area for the layout is about 25′×25′. It is wide open except for one post in the middle. Our intent is to build a two-level layout around three walls on the outside. The fourth wall where the entrance is will likely have a workbench, computer table, storage, etc. Behind one of the walls there should be room for a hidden staging yard and a helix.

Around the center post is where we will probably keep the corners for our modular display. That way it can be up and used, or worked on.

I am pondering a way to possibly connect the modular to the main layout, but maybe not. The modular is 4′ high, while the levels of the main layout will probably be around 3′ and 5′. That would require some sort of sloped viaduct over the gap, that could be removed when the modules go on the road. But it would provide another way for trains to go from one level to the other besides the helix. It would require some tricky engineering, though.

More as the planning continues, and I hope photos when we start work.
 
Thanks for sharing the photos - I do recognize the towns on the L&KV. The only station I didn't recognize is Hellertown!

-bill
 
Michael,

Your website looks like its off to a good start. I haven't been to those 3 model railroads, however I've looked at their websites. Also looks like you're off to the races with your modular layout.

The New York Society of Model Engineers, in Carlstadt, NJ, (within sight of the Meadowlands), often has an open house several weekends in March. They have nice O and HO layouts. The O layout features a very nice rendition of The Pheobe Snow, with F unit power. The HO layout is more freelanced, but has some nice bridges and viaducts. It would be a good 6 or more hour trip from the WB area, from what I think (2 hours each way, + 2 hours there). Also, another club you might want to see is The Model Railroad Club, in Union, NJ, off of Rt.22. Its a rather large club with a large county owned building. The model several freelanced roads/traction companies, between the Hudson River and Pittsburgh. The Union club is open most Saturday afternoons, from what I recall. Its probably about a 30-45 minute trip between the two clubs via the Garden State Parkway, and Rt. 3 & 22. Just some food for thought.
 
Thanks otiscnj! I mentioned those dates to our club president, and we hope to have 5 or 6 of our members take a trip down to NJ to see those clubs. His wife (my cousin) and I grew up not far from there, so it will be nice to see the area again.

We can't wait for the weather to get better so we can do some work on our club building. It is an old barn that was last used as a machine shop, and it is not weatherproof. With the wind and snow, it would be impossible to use it as it stands.

There are a lot of ideas floating around for our layout. I like being part of a brand new club; with an existing club, the layout is pretty much set. This way, even a newbie like me can have input into major parts of the design. We are not "rivet counters" set on 100% accuracy. We will bend for artistic license if it makes the project more fun. :)
 
Anyone who is interested, you are invited to the next meeting of the Endless Mountains Model Railroad Club. Perhaps you might be interested, or at the very least you could meet some potential new customers.

The next meeting is on Saturday May 18 at 6 pm at the club building in Dimock. It is the old Cavanaugh building (a big white barn with huge green letters) just south of the Dimock blinker on Rt 29. If you are interested, just stop by and say hello. We love visitors!
 
Any progress on things? Photos always great!!! Don't think I'll make it this weekend,but would get in touch if I'm going over that way.
 
We have been working on modules, I will try to get some photos this Saturday. Nothing yet on the permanent layout because of the weather. Thanks, otiscnj, ...

And just a reminder to anyone else in NE Pennsylvania or the Southern Tier of NY, our new club (the Endless Mountains Model Railroad Club) is meeting Saturday May 18 at 6 pm at the club building in Dimock PA. There isn't much to see yet, but we always welcome new members to help us get started. Anyone who wants to come, just stop in. Details and directions are on our website, linked down below in my signature.
 
I am pondering a way to possibly connect the modular to the main layout, but maybe not. The modular is 4′ high, while the levels of the main layout will probably be around 3′ and 5′. That would require some sort of sloped viaduct over the gap...

The modules don't have to be the same legs they use during show, so adjust the height. If I was doing it, I'd build some permanent benchwork that the modules rested on. Just walk in with them, set them into place on the tabletop style support benchwork, lock them in place somehow (pins, bolts, screws, whatever works...) and you're all set.
 
The modules don't have to be the same legs they use during show, so adjust the height. If I was doing it, I'd build some permanent benchwork that the modules rested on. Just walk in with them, set them into place on the tabletop style support benchwork, lock them in place somehow (pins, bolts, screws, whatever works...) and you're all set.

Such a simple solution! I did not even think of different legs. Thank you!
 



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