MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

Membership in the Ford Model Railroad Club is open to:  Ford Employees, Retirees, Family members, Agency/Contract personnel and any other persons interested in model railroading.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

• The opportunity to be a participant in the club's unique O/HO gauge modular layout
• Camaraderie and exchange of model railroad knowledge and expertise
• Participation in club outings and events
• Clinics, workshops and much more!
• Discounts at area hobby shops

Meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM in the Henry Ford II World Building on the corner of Michigan Ave. & Southfield Rd. in Dearborn, Michigan.

Best of all, dues are just $20 a year and junior members (under 18) are free.

For more information contact:

Leonard and Edwina Pittaway

248-348-7493 or

epittaway27@gmail.com

Visit us on U-Tube for a better glimpse of what we look like.

 

Morning All,

How are we doing today in the train world?

Did you see the Google Doodle yesterday? It honored Raymond Loewy. Berry Schwartz of Search Engine Roundtable said exactly what Mr. Loewy stood for in the world. "Raymond Loewy was a well respected industrial designer who designed some of the most iconic brand logos and designs we still see and recognize today."

Loewy standing on one of his designs, thePennsylvania Railroad's S1 steam locomotive

Please go and check out the website where I got this information from and the photograph. http://www.seroundtable.com/raymond-loewy-google-train-doodle-17620.html

Check out Wikipedi too.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Loewy

We would like to see you! We will be at Rails on Wheels on the Washtenaw Farm Counsil Grounds in Ann Arbor Michigan on December 1st 2013.

Cant make it this year? How about January 26, 2014 at St Roberts in Redford Michigan?

Cant wait to see you and maybe join our club!!!!  ~Lisa

Sisal Trees

Ever wonder how to create these one of a kind trees? Well we learned a little about them at our last show on April 17th at Ford World Headquarters at 6pm.

I have learned that you will need some pretty thick wire and some rope. Bruce also used some pliers and a electric screwdriver for extra hands.... Dont for get some spray paint unless you would like them in that rope brown.

Bruce then bent the wire in half then placed it into the screwdriver. Twist lightly the wire. Spred apart your rope and place into the wholes of the wire. Spin more so the rope stays in the wire and it kinda looks like a tree. Pull the wire out of the screwdriver and separate the rope into different directions. Paint if needed.

This picture here, Bruce used steel wool. He separated it, painted it and then flocked it. Great Job Bruce!!!

I have added websites that have tutorials that you can print out. These tutorials are more in depth that I said. Please click on the links below....

http://www.marthastewart.com/873553/sisal-rope-trees

http://www.ehow.com/how_7726313_make-railroad-bottle-brush-trees.html

http://actonmodelrailroadcenter.com/TREE%20HOW%20TO-4FreePic.html

Until next time.....Lisa

St Sebastian Church

We all had a wonderful time at St Sebastian Church on Saturday. Thanks Jon for inviting us.

We were able to incorporate our NEW M&M module, which I took some pictures for you to see.

M&M's on the trees, fall foliage and a new town for your eyes enjoyment. Very cute and colorful.

Next club meeting is on October 18, 2011 if you would like to step in and say "HI." Out Show and Tell is Halloween if you have something you would like to bring.

Next show is also in October. Train O Rama is October 30, 2011 at the Costic Center in Farmington Hills. The show is from 10am to 4pm and I hope to see you there!

Meeting of September 20,2011

Once again we find ourselves on a Tuesday at Ford World Head Quarters learning something new.

Yesterday we learned about Switchers or Switch Engines. I was looking through websites trying to find nice pictures of "old time" Switchers while also finding the importance of one.

Richard Leonard's Steam Locomotive Archive: http://www.railarchive.net/rlsteam/gtw.htm

Switcher No. 8380 in the yards at Durand, Michigan during the summer of 1953. No. 8380 and its eleven sisters in class P-5-g were erected by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1929. With cylinder dimensions of 22x28 inches, they sustained a boiler pressure of 220 pounds per square inch. They had 51-inch diameter driving wheels, weighed 215,150 pounds, and exerted 49,691 pounds.~ Thanks Mr. Leonard

I really love Mr. Leonard's site. I have gone there many times looking at old trains in Michigan.

I also went to Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switcher, but we all know that sometimes there information might be wrong. I did end up find what purpose a "Switcher" has. "The typical switcher is optimized for its job, being relatively low-powered but with a high starting tractive effort for getting heavy cars rolling quickly. Switchers are geared to produce high torque but are restricted to low top speeds and have small diameter driving wheels. Switchers are rail analogs to tugboats." If you go to the Wikipedia website, they do show some nice pictures.

While I was on my adventure I found this video on YouTube. It's really neat.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm11uj3g7gQ

Oh to let you know, we have a new schedule of us on tour. Please come visit us......

September

St. Sebastian Church

3965 Merrick

Dearborn Hts. MI

September 25, 2011

11am thru 4pm

October

Train O Rama

Costick Community Center

28600 11mile Rd

Farmington Hills, MI

October 30, 2011

10am thru 4pm

November

Rails on Wheels

Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds

November 27, 2011

10am thru 4pm

December

St. Mary's of Orchard Lake

3535 Indian Trail

Orchard Lake, MI

December 4, 2011

10am thru 3pm

Tuesday Meeting

Last night we had our April meeting. We talked about several things. Train-O-Rama, Christmas and our modules. But the best thing is that we got a new president. Congratulations Edwina. I know you'll do a wonderful job for us.

More special news to share to you today is that we got two new members and a third we are hoping will join! It was so nice to meet you guys. Welcome Les Day, Doug Hughson and Jim Todd.

Thanks to Bruce, showing us how to use the O Guage controllers, picture shown. Vaughn is also there showing us a smile.

Until next month, and we don't have a show until June encase you wanted to know.

Lisa

Train-O-Rama, March 20th 2011

Well we were at the Costic Center in Farmington Hills last Sunday showing off our module. Hope you all could make it to see us and what we do best......trains.

This year I noticed there were LOTS of kids which is great! If we don't show them what trains are we will loose them. Not only the real thing but as a hobby too.

Here is the BEST littlest engineer I saw all day. He was there with his Dad and Brother.

This has got to be the best picture I took all day. It says everything........

If people have a question we try to help them with an answer. Sometimes people want to purchase a train from a vendor and ask us if they can place it on our track to see if it works. There are also sometime we just don't know why......like Bruce here thinking, and thinking.

Our next showing is at the Fox Run Retirement Village in Novi on June 4th and 5th, 2011. This even runs from 10am until 4pm. I know that this is a "gated" village and not sure if everyone can come. Here is their phone number, 248-668-8600. Give them a jingle. We would love to see you there.

Lisa

Clinic for March 15th 2011

The clinic for this month is MTH Remote Commander. Dictated by Bruce Urbanski.

He taught us that this is a very simple way to play and own trains. As you can see by the picture, you can have a simple oval track and the train will work. Bruce told us that there is color coded set up and the electricity goes from train to track and then your done.

Don't forget the bell's and whistles.....really there are! Bruce, with the remote, pressed button and the train talked as if there were men on that train. There was smoke and of course the bell's and whistles. All you need now is to add the accessories, like a town or some homes and don't forget the trees.

Here is the link to MTH main page......

http://www.mthtrains.com/

Until next month, please check out MTC.

Lisa

Where we will be next......

Want to see us? We want to see you....

We will be at the Costick Communtity Center's Trainorama Extra. This is located at 28600 11 mile road in Farmington Hills Michigan.

When you ask? March 20, 2011 from 10am until 4pm.

Come one, come all and can't wait to see you.

Clinic for February 15, 2011

How to Make Ground Foam for Pennies.........

Greg Ostroski showed us to to make this neat and very realistic ground cover.

First you need some firm foam that is an inch thick and you need to cube it so it's about 1" x 1". I noticed it kinda looked like cubed cheese at the Super Bowl Game party. Greg said that the size doesn't matter but it is easier to chop in the blender. See step two.

Step two. You need a blender. Make sure it is an old one because you will be adding paint. Load the blender up loosely. Put the lid on and turn the blender on low speed. While the blend is running the foam will start to climb the wall. You are going to have to push the foam back down to the blades with out hitting the blades. Greg used a dowel and he stated that if your dowel touches the blender blades you might get wood stuck in your foam.

Step 3 as you are pushing the foam pieces down, Greg added some water about 1/4 cup and turned the speed all the way up.

Step 4, when the foam is in tiny, fine, pieces, then you add the paint. About 1/4 of a 2 fl. oz bottle. Continue mixing, adding more foam or paint until you get the right color and texture you wish.

Step 5 Greg stated to spread the mixture onto cardboard or a sheet of paper. He also mentioned that you should NOT put a fan on to help speed up the drying. The foam will blow away.

Thanks Greg for that very interesting clinic! and if you would like a copy of the "hand out" Greg gave us, please goto http://dansresincasting.com/Ground%20foam.htm.

See you next month......Lisa

Where will be next......

On March 22, 2009 we will be taking a road trip to the Costick Community Center in Farmington Hills MI. Our layout will be displayed, along with other fun things, on this Sunday and we would love for you to come. Here is the address:

Train-o-Rama Extra
Costick Community Center
28600 Eleven Mile Rd.
Farmington Hills MI 48336

The show runs from 10am until 4pm. The cost is $4.00 per person with kids 12 and under free with paying adult.

Can't wait to see you there.
Lisa

Our Meetings

Hello and welcome.
I have taken some pictures of a meeting we had on January 20th 2009. Someone brings in snacks and we talk about everything. The meeting starts around 6pm and we talk about old and new minutes. Then we took a break. When we came back we had Show N' Tell. This month is what we got for Christmas. If you look it the background on one of my pictures you can see that one of our Bruce's received a Lionel Train Lamp. I brought this camera, which was my gift, so I could take pictures.

Come join us and see what all the fun is about.

Lisa

Would you like to see what we are about?

Would you like to see what were about? Would you like to become a member? There are 2 places we are going to be set up before the year is over. All of us at FMRC would love for you to come by and say hi.

Lisa

October 26, 2008
10am-4pm
Cost: $4 (12 and under free with adult)

Redford Model Railroad Club's Train-o-Rama Extra
Costick Community Center
28600 Eleven Mile Rd.
Farmington Hills, MI
(734) 953-2546

November 30, 2008
10am-4pm
Cost: $3 (12 and under free)

Rails-on-Wheels
Saline Farm Council Grounds
5055 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd.
Saline, MI
http://www.railsonwheels.com

New Blog Look

Hello and Welcome All

This is the New Ford Model Railroad Club (FMRC) Blog. This is where you will come if you would like information on where we will be next. I mean where we will be taking our show. We take our modules all over the Metro Detroit area and we hope you will stop by and say HI.

My name is Lisa, and if I can help in anyway please leave a comment. You can leave one at the end of this post. You will see a white bar that says "posted by:_____" then the time then it it has a number and the comment. Click on the word COMMENT. A new page will pop up. On the right side there is a white box that says "leave comment." Type in what you want, don't forget to add your name, and their word verification. Now click on the orange box that says "publish your comments." Poof.....your done. If you want to read other peoples comments click on the same comment section as above. You will be redirected to a new page and you don't have to type in a word. If you need to, email me and I can help better.

Thanks for visiting the Ford Model Railroad Club and I hope you have a "rail-tastic" kinda of day.

Lisa ( a FMRC member)