vol. 25, no. 2, june 2021

The Texas Western STAR

Vol. 25, No. 2, June 2021

T e x a s W e s t e r n M o d e l R a i l r o a d C l u b , 6 8 0 8 F o r e s t H i l l D r . ,

F o r e s t H i l l , T x . 7 6 1 4 0

In This Issue:

David Crumpton (l) receives Master Modeler – Scenery Certificate from Duane Richardson (r)

Latest News

Regular Features:

TWMRC Calendar

The CEO Business Car

The CAO Express Car

The COO Ore Car

The CDO Lounge Car

New Member Bio’s

Calendar of Events

Birthdays, o June& July 2021

What’s New (to you?)

General Membership News

Two new members were voted in at the March 4th business meeting, Mark Kirby and Daryl Rich. All the dirt from their biographies is in this issue.

Covid-19 masks are now optional, but the TWMRC encourages you to wear a mask until this pandemic is past us.

REMINDER:

Members Open Run every Monday evening.

TWMRC and DIVISION 1 Open Run every 2nd Saturday of each month.

If it has DCC and is HO Scale Standard Gauge, BRING IT and RUN IT!

Waiting for the train, October 2008

Alamosa Junction, TWMRC v1.0.


Vol. 25, No. 2, June 2021


F o r e s t H i l l , T x . 7 6 1 4 0

2021 Board of Directors

Chief Executive Officer: David Crumpton

Chief Operating Officer: Clarence Zink

Chief Administrative Officer: Trapper Kirkpatrick

Chief Financial Officer: Robert Rathgeber

Chief Development Officer: Terry Morris

TWMRC

Calendar: Work Crews

June 2021:

6-3 – Business Meeting

6- 7, -14, -21, -28 – Monday Open Run

6-11 – 2nd Saturday, Div. 1 and Open Run

6-24 – BOD Meeting

July 2021:

7-1 - Business Meeting

7-10 – 2nd Saturday, Div. 1 and Open Run

7-5, -12, -19, -26 – Monday Open Run

7-29 – BOD Meeting

Scenery:

Mike Corley

Terry Morris

Steve Parish

Mark Kirby

David Kranda

Jim Hollis

DCC Programming:

Steve Parish

Library

Jim Hollis

Track & Roadbed:

Clarence Zink

Darrell Cowles

Jerry Fussell

Daryl Rich

Jay Waters

Robert Rathgeber

Rolling Stock Inspection (Car Knockers):

Robert Sims has

stepped up and volunteered! Thank you Robert!

Electrical Crew:

Don Hays

David Crumpton

Trapper Kirkpatrick

A NEW feature of Business Meetings and the Newsletter:

Show and Tell / What’s New (to you)?

– What project you have been working on and how have you been doing it?

- Have you found a great new tool, or did you create one to help your modeling? - Tell us about a rail trip you have taken? Or a railroad museum you visited? - Or, just tell a story about a railroad/model railroad ‘happening’ you experienced.

DISCLAIMER: due to the idiosyncrasies of MS Word, please read straight down the left hand (1st) column of each section, onto the next page down if necessary, before going to the top of the right hand (2nd) column of each section.

It will make more sense that way. I’m trying to figure out how to make it more user friendly.


Vol. 25, No. 2, June 2021


F o r e s t H i l l , T x . 7 6 1 4 0

The CEO Observation Car -

David Crumpton

Hello TWMRC!

My first order of business in this letter is to praise and do honor to a good friend of the club and a fantastic human being. Mr. Ken Marcoux boarded his last train and rolled down the tracks to his next destination. All we are left with is a ton of sweet memories of him and the superior craftsmanship represented by the structures in the glass display case at the club. This physical reminder of Ken demonstrates that Ken was truly in a class all his own when it came to building structures. Luckily, we will have many of his creations on our layout to remind us of his talent and love of model railroading and the club that he loved so much. Good bye for now Ken and may we be blessed to see you again somewhere down the road.

Fortunately, we are seeing the tail end of COVID-19. Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are decreasing day by day as many are going through the process of getting vaccinations. As the medical experts tell us, we are getting close to “herd immunity” which will finally stamp out this pandemic in the US. So long and good riddance! What that means for us is life is returning to normal in the club. Masks are now optional and many members have gladly tossed their masks in the trash. Work is accelerating on many spots on the layout as we return to full activity in the club. It has been a very hard time for all of us during 2020 and part of 2021, but I feel the worst is behind us. Let’s move forward and get back to life as normal.

The last part of this message is a plea for help. We need your hands involved on the layout! I have always felt, and have said many times, and will continue to do so, that when you put physical work into the layout and can stand

back and admire what you have done, you have a more personal and physical connection to the layout and the club.

Even if you feel you skill level is low or you are not sure what to do, please look on the board in the club and find a foreman and join a crew. You can learn and grow in skill! We need people to ballast, put down scenery, lay track, paint backdrops, do electrical wiring, etc. Everyone that is in the club today learned from someone with more experience and now are in positions to teach others. I feel that we are on the cusp of taking the layout to a new level with added scenery, structures and a more “finished” look on the 53” level. Please consider what I have said and join in and feel a deeper connection and passion.

David

In honor of a former TWMRC Member, “Jackson Oil & Fuel”, a scenery element suggested to David by the late Johnny Jackson.

David Crumpton photo.


Vol. 25, No. 2, June 2021


F o r e s t H i l l , T x . 7 6 1 4 0

Division 1 Meets Again!!

David Crumpton, CEO of the Texas Western MRC, welcomes the Cowcatcher (Division 1) members back to the TWMRC for the first “in person” meeting since the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. Thank you everybody for coming back!

Dr. Michael Ross receives the 1st Annual “Leo Palitti Award for Outstanding Structural Craftsmanship” Congratulations Dr. Ross!!


Vol. 25, No. 2, June 2021


F o r e s t H i l l , T x . 7 6 1 4 0

The COO’s Ore Car

Clarence Zink

All right, let’s see, what’s been going on with the TWMRC? Well . . . .

After two presentations about layout polarity, lengthy discussions, a lot of pushing “polarity cars” everywhere around the layout, and a detailed study of the existing layout electrical system, wiring of the lower (28”) level is proceeding. Some of the existing wiring in one staging yard needed to be corrected, as certain tracks had incorrect polarity regardless of which polarity plan we proceeded with. (Some track drops were incorrect for scheme #1, while immediately adjacent and parallel tracks off of the same yard lead were wrong for scheme #2.) We are gaining ground rapidly.

The Southern Pacific route from the 53” level through the helix down to the 28” level at Cheney Yard in Houston has been installed. A turnout was installed inside the helix to allow the SP to merge into the Houston bound helix track. The Tortoise and actuating linkage are installed, and need to be wired.

Our Electrical crew is being presented with somewhat unique challenge: 2 switch panels, one for the 53” SP (FtW) portal to the helix, the other for the 28” Cheney Yard (below Dallas) side of the helix, each of which controls 2 turnouts with a single toggle, complete with turnout position LED’s for both turnouts.

Here’s the reason:

The SP route from the 53” Ft W helix entrance to Houston uses the same helix track as the 53” ATSF/MKT track, AND the same mainline track running past the Dallas Union Terminal.

Therefore, in order to

take the SP to Houston, the 53” SP route must be opened and the 53” Dallas route must be closed to allow the SP down the helix. And, if you are on the SP 53” Ft W side, you are going to want to know if the

DUT route is open or closed, thus an LED indicator is needed there.

If you’re on the 53” ATSF/MKT route, you only worry about the DUT turnout.

If you are on the 53” Dallas route to the 28” level, there are no conflicts with the SP or the ATSF/MKT turnouts.

If you are on the 28” level at Cheney Yard wanting to go to Ft. Worth, you need to close the DUT turnout and open either the 53” SP or the ATSF/MKT turnout, and vice versa. So there will be a switch panel on the Cheney Yard entrance side with turnout toggles and LED position indicators.

Whew, that was complicated!

Mike Corley and parts of the Track and Scenery Crews are laying down the Frisco Yard in Ft. Worth. Mike tells me he is forced to use curved turnouts on the north entrance to the yard because of the curve in the wall.

Terry, Chris, and Jay are working on the “Watson Road” underpass at the GM plant. Careful examination of old photos revealed there was no giant road cut parallel to the T&P mainline to get automobiles from the plant to Garrett Yard. Instead, it became evident from the photos that new auto’s left the plant on its south side, went north under Abrams St., and looped back to the east to join Abrams via a ramp. There was some sort of traffic control device, stop sign or stop light, at the intersection of Watson Rd. and Division St.

As a result, the Watson Road/T&P overpass project has become much simpler than originally thought.

Trapper and David are building switch panels for the Lone Star Steel yards, and I am installing the last Tortoise machines as fast as possible.

CRZ


Vol. 25, No. 2, June 2021


F o r e s t H i l l , T x . 7 6 1 4 0

The CDO’s Tamper

Terry Morris

Even though I worked 42 yrs. from High School to Retirement for the railroad, there were layoffs. I continued to work during layoffs because bills didn’t stop and because from a young age my dad instilled in me a very strong belief of working. He liked building fence in the winter, I was under that 100lb not big enough to actually work and stay warm, just hold this and hand me that. But nonetheless I was there, cold and freezing. Now I’m well over the 100lb mark and looking for the cold air!

During layoffs I worked thru temporary services and odd jobs. I have worked building CARGO furniture, hauling cubicle panels to the 27th floor for a new UP office downtown FTW and unloading containers at a warehouse for The Bombay Co. Also, hauling hay for my dad and for my father-in-law (those were low paying jobs) and for my brother-in-law some home repairs on foreclosed homes and even running some heavy equipment for him later on.

All this to say “WE NEED HELP”. There is work to be done to complete phase 1 and to begin phase 2 and phase 3 THE FINALE. Well, we all know a layout is never complete no matter how many times we install a turntable. (Is that a jab at the

COO? Ouch! – editor.) This has been a very rough 2 yrs. on club membership and the craftsmanship that has been lost. Leo (scenery, structures) Johnny (it’s not a joke, he took over the job of cleaning bathrooms and was helping David and

Terry named his machine in honor of his daughter:

How cute is that?!?!?

And now on to something else! Workin’ on the railroad. Its in many ways like my start here on the Texas Western. When I started in 1978, I could fit the rule book that also contained schematic drawings of different size switches in my back pocket, yet when I retired it was 2- 3” three ring binders.

As of now our system on the TWMRC is small but as we grow there will have to be more rules to cover the track that we run on and how things will be wired up. Also, as in my career there were different ways to get the job done. Some still wanted to dig the ties in b y hand, where others embraced the backhoe to do the job for them. This being the section foreman at Temple. No names to protect the innocent, while replacing a rail in a yard track, we had cleaned out to the ties and could see the size of rail needed and pull the necessary spikes for a new or different rail. (Go to top right of page 7.)


Vol. 25, No. 2, June 2021


F o r e s t H i l l , T x . 7 6 1 4 0

(go to top left page 7)

Trapper with panels) Joe (design and scenery…..) John (electrical) and Ken (structures, finances and the best person to greet when you walk in for the first time. But, if this is as far as the layout gets, then their work was for nothing. Come help us carry on the dream!

Everyone knows this but, we have scheduled work days on Thursdays from about 2pm till??? and on Saturdays from 2pm till ???, also a scenery/fRiScO yard construction crew from 11am till ???. We need everyone involved! If you do not think you have the skills let us prove you wrong! If there are physical limitations, we can find things to do while you sit. But, don’t let this be an invitation for the “oh so knowledgeable ones” to sit and gab.

I know some members are unlucky and are still employed! Then there are the kids’ schedules to keep up with. DO NOT put trains over kids or the job! (maybe the wife) It does not have to be every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, just when you can and who knows maybe there are some things you can work on at home and then bring to the club. I’m just pleading for involvement. (HELP)

(Go to top right of page 6.)

The section foreman sent the truck driver by himself to go load a rail and sends the two of us to pick and clean out another rail to change out. As we are working in the Temple yard a string of tankers come rolling out with nobody on point, but sometimes the point man is in a van watching and giving instructions. As the five tankers clear other tracks I can see there is not an engine pushing and nobody riding setting brakes. We were clear of its path and the tankers hit the split derail at the end of the yard. I have never witnessed something so big roll over so smoothly. Landing underneath the Adams St overpass. Fortunately, no explosion and nothing toxic leaked. And school kids did get to go home early.

Terry

Photo courtesy of Trapper. Unknown location, but on one of his personal trips.


Vol. 25, No. 2, June 2021


F o r e s t H i l l , T x . 7 6 1 4 0

New Member – Mark Kirby

Hello, members of Texas Western. Here is a little background on me.

My twin brother (Clark) and I were born at Clark Field Airbase, Pampanga, Luzon, Philippines on June 20, 1949. Dad was a 1st Lieutenant Navigator / Bombardier in a B-29 squadron. My brother and I were 6 months old when we left the Philippines. Dad had orders to transfer us to Hampton Roads VA, then to Mobile AL in early 1953.

Later, Dad resigned his commission to enter Southwestern Medical School in Dallas.

I attended Highland Park’s Armstrong Elementary school for a semester. For the 2nd semester, we moved into Dallas, where I attended Stephen J Hay Elementary. When Dad graduated medical school in 1958, we moved to Celina TX, where he became town doctor. I went to Celina Elementary through 4th grade, until we moved to Roscoe TX. The economics of doctoring in Roscoe weren’t the best, so Dad decided to study Radiology. We moved back to Highland Park, to finish 6th grade at Armstrong. I attended 7th thru 9th grade at Highland Park Jr High and 10th grade at Highland Park High, playing football one season, and Sousaphone in the Scottie Marching Band.

Dad finished Radiology studies, and in the summer of 1965, we moved to Arlington. I graduated from Arlington High School in 1967, focusing on dating girls, drag racing on Park Row, and cutting a record with my garage band (in no particular order).

That fall I started at TCJC South Campus for 2 semesters, but, because I spent lots of time managing and touring with a professional rock band, I was flunking Jr College. Concerned about being drafted into the Army, I joined the US Navy Reserve in ‘68, which solved that problem, and I started working at LTV, but the required time to the USNR. This resulted in being promoted from E1 (Airman Recruit) up to E3 (Airman).

In Feb 1969, as an AZ Airman (still an E3, but with

my skill rating as an AZ), orders came to report to San Diego NS for my required 2 years of active-duty. I was then assigned to HC-7, a combat search and rescue helicopter squadron for sea duty at NAS Cubi Point. I asked around and learned it was a part of Subic Bay NS in the Philippines. Imagine my delight to learn that I was returning to the land of my birth!! I was with HC-7 for several months before receiving orders for duty in the Gulf of Tonkin, supporting the 7th fleet during combat operations at “Yankee Station” (off the coast of N Vietnam).

I returned home to Arlington in Feb 1971 as a Petty Officer 3rd Class (E4), and back to work at LTV Aerospace & Defense, and started at UTA on the GI Bill. I spent over 25 years as a Buyer. LTV went bankrupt, becoming Vought Aircraft, whom I continued to work for as a Production Tooling Buyer, Facilities Engineering Dept. Project Coordinator, and Auditor. I retired from Vought in 2013 with over 32 years of service.

I re-married in 1991. We have 2 grown sons, John and Paul.

On Sept 1, 2010, during a dove hunt, I had a shotgun accident, which resulted in the loss of my left hand and wrist.

My interest in model railroading began when I was 4 or 5. Dad had a Lionel ‘O’ gauge layout in the garage, which he let us play with. Too many hours with the locomotive in the sandbox put an end to his hobby. Although I flew RC aircraft during the late 80’s, that (and my SCCA Pro Rally (off-road racing) hobby came to a halt after my marriage to Lou and 2 babies within 5 years. I’ve always been interested in model railroading, but never had the room in my home for a layout. After another attempt to re-join the RC flying hobby, I decided it was just too difficult to manipulate 2 control sticks with only 1 hand. Last year, I decided that railroading might be a good hobby for me. So far, it’s been great.


Vol. 25, No. 2, June 2021


F o r e s t H i l l , T x . 7 6 1 4 0

New Member – Daryl Rich

I am from Michigan, where I was raised and spent most of my life.

I belonged to a modular Model Railroad Club in

Lansing, Mi. We set up in a kid’s museum for 3 or 4 months of the year during the winter season. The club had about 25 members, and a good sized layout for modules, about 30 feet x 100 feet. We operated it 6 days per week for the kids during business hours. We also attended several 2 day shows around the state during the summer. The “traveling layouts” were more like 12’ x 30’, rather than the complete set-up. I was with the club about 8 years, the last two years as an officer.

I am a retired Truck Driver. When my wife passed away I moved down here to the Decatur area, to live at my Daughter’s place in a small house on her land in Alvord.

I heard of the Texas Western from a good friend of

mine who has a very large home layout. I was part of his regular monthly operating crew. About twice per month we held “maintenance sessions” to fix those things that always go wrong, do cleaning, etc. One of the TWMRC members came up to Michigan and ran with us occasionally.

Birthdays, June & July 2021

Mark Kirby, 6/20 Ryan Zamarron, 7/1

Terry Morris, 6/24 Dave Kohler, 7/4

Clarence Zink, 6/29 Mike Corley, 7/15

Trapper Kirkpatrick, 6/30

Half Moons on the Mid South, Feb. 22, 2013.

CRZ Personal Photo


Vol. 25, No. 2, June 2021


F o r e s t H i l l , T x . 7 6 1 4 0

California & Western “Skunk Train”, end of line stop, Willits, California. 7-21-2019

CRZ Photo, 7/21/2019


Vol. 25, No. 2, June 2021


F o r e s t H i l l , T x . 7 6 1 4 0

What’s New (to you??)

OK, here is something new to the Texas Western, something I haven’t seen in the 21 years I’ve been in the club.

Installing Tortoise machines is a colossal P-I-T-A. (No, not the round, flat thing you buy at Kroger to make sandwiches with! ;>) ) I had heard of using VELCRO to attach Tortoises to layouts years ago, but the TWMRC is a traditional club, so no one ever tried it. Well, now I have!

I put two strips of Velcro one the top of the Tortoise, the front one with the hooks up, the back one with the hooks down. (That way you can’t attach them to the layout backward.)

Determine the length of throw bar wire needed, install it in the mechanism, and center the mechanism.

A bare Tortoise (l), then the two tape (r) strips, one hooks up, one hooks down, both parallel to the front.

Without removing the top protective tape, and making sure the Tortoise was facing the correct direction, I pushed the throw bar wire up through the turnout throw bar, held the tortoise against the plywood, and marked around it to show the location.

I then lowered the Tortoise, removed the protective tape, put the throw bar wire up through the hole in the turnout throw bar, and carefully positioned the exposed adhesive against the plywood along the pre-drawn lines.

BOOM! It’s done!! No drilling holes while on your back in an exceptionally uncomfortable position. Once I got down on the creeper and under the 23” level between the studs and under the electrical conduit, it took less than 5 minutes to put one in place. I actually installed two in less than 15 minutes for the blast furnace tracks.

I’ve got 5 or 6 more to do at the far end of the steel mill. Try it, you might like it.

We’ll see how they work over the long run.

A note: because the TWMRC STAR is issued at the end of the month, I have changed the published for month to the following month. Thus, this issue, done in May 2021, is published for the month of June 2021. This will continue in the future.


Vol. 25, No. 2, June 2021


F o r e s t H i l l , T x . 7 6 1 4 0

Coming Events The STAR is published bi-monthly by the Texas Western Railroad Association (dba the Texas Western

Model Railroad Club), a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation.

Clarence Zink, Editor – [email protected]

June 26, 2021 - Red River Prototype Modelers Meet Forest Hill Civic Center, Wichita St., Forest Hill, Texas http://redriverrpm.org/

July 6 - 10, 2021 - “Rails by the Bay” NMRA National convention, VIRTUAL event. Register at: https://www.nmra.org/events/rails-bay-nmra-2021-national-convention-virtual

Our website:

www.twmrc.org and

Like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/TexasWesternModelRailroadClub/

August 28 & 29, 2021 – Austin Area Train Show. Entry $8.00 Sat., Aug 28 – 10AM – 6 PM, Sun., Aug. 29 – 10 AM – 4 PM austintrainshow.org

Saturday, August 14, 2021 Greater Houston Train Show, Stafford Centre, Houston. Details at: http://sanjacmodeltrains.org/GHTS.html

Newsletter Background photo: Virginia Museum of Transportation, N&W Y6A

#2156 by CRZ, 2/4/2018

October 6-10, 2021 Tulsa Union Convention in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The 2021 Tulsa Union Convention is a joint production of the Indian Nations Division, Mid-Continent Region, and the Lone Star Region of the NMRA.

Register at: http://www.2021tulsaunion.com/

The next Texas Western STAR will be published around July 31st.

Please feel free to contribute articles, stories, and/or photographs.

Shop at

Amazon Smile

and Amazon will make a donation to

The Texas Western Model Railroad Club

Go to

smile.amazon.com

and select Texas Western Model Railroad Club as the non-profit you’d like to help.

Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchase(s) back to our club.

THANK YOU!!

At Anetta, Tx., 6-16-2007

CRZ Photo 6-16-2007

mailto:[email protected]

http://redriverrpm.org/

https://www.nmra.org/events/rails-bay-nmra-2021-national-convention-virtual

https://www.nmra.org/events/rails-bay-nmra-2021-national-convention-virtual

http://www.twmrc.org/

http://sanjacmodeltrains.org/GHTS.html

http://www.2021tulsaunion.com/

vol. 25, no. 2, june 2021

Documents