I hate to report bad things, but this should be a wake-up call to everyone involved with model train shows.

La Crosse police in Wisconsin recently investigated thefts from five vendors at the March 2007 Model Railroad Show held at the La Crosse Center.

According to reports, around $700 worth of model railroading products were stolen from the vendors at the train show.

Police report missing models included three locomotive engines ranging in price from $164 to about $300, a stock train car worth $100, a $50 scale model hardware store and two bags of kits valued at $20.

Although 99 percent of visitors to model train shows are genuine, there is always the potential for some thief to spoil the fun for everyone. So, if you are displaying your trains at model train shows, take care.

The UK based Carshalton & Sutton Model Railway Club was founded in December 1960 by a small group of friends interested in model railways. They originally met at the rear of a local Butchers shop, where the first 00 model railway layout was built. Some of the wood for this was well seasoned, as it had once been the floor boards in the bar of the old ‘Cock Hotel’ Pub at the top of Sutton High St.

During 1961 the Carshalton & Sutton Model Railway Club made two moves. First the model railway club moved to a local hall and then to a scout hut where the Tramway layout began to take shape.

In 1966 the Carshalton & Sutton Model Railway Club moved into a house which the club had for nearly 14 years. The Carshalton & Sutton Model Railway Club expanded to fill the house adding ‘TT’ and ‘O’ gauge (Trolleybuses) to the model railway layout. Also by then the ‘OO’ layout (HO) had taken over the whole of the upstairs, passing through the petition walls to run from room to Room.

Later a Narrow Gauge Section was formed, which was first working in 4mm and later in 7mm scale. The Carshalton & Sutton Model Railway Club then explanded to encompass ‘O’ gauge and ‘N’ gauge railway sections. The Carshalton & Sutton Model Railway Club members built an extension on the rear of the premises to allow room for the expanded model railway layout.

GP30 Diesel Locomotive in Chicago Burlington & Quincy markings.

The GP30 was first released in 1961 to compete against General Electric’s “U-boat” locomotive series, and it was among the first of the second generation diesel locomotive designs. This Life-Like Proto 2000 HO scale locomotive is one of the finest GP30 models ever released. It features a finely detailed body with hand-applied details, directional lighting, detailed cab figure, a 5-pole skew wound motor with dual flywheels for flawless performance and authentic Chicago, Burlington & Quincy markings. Model measures 7″ in length.

Model railroading enthusiasts visiting Ohio in the USA in April might like to diary the Great Train Expo planned for the Duke Energy Center, 525 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 Saturday & Sunday – March 31 – April 1, 2007. The Cincinnati Great Train Expo will feature the Miami Valley Modular RR 28′ x 72′ N Scale Layout, Ohio Lego Train Club 20′ x 30′ Lego Train Layout and the Dalmatian Switching District 25′ x 26′ HO Scale Layout.

The 2007 Trainwest is moving to the Christie Miller Sports Centre in the Bowerhill Industrial Estate near Melksham. exhibition will be held at the Christie Miller Sports Centre at Bowerhill near Melksham, Wiltshire, on 26th & 27th May. There will be more than 30 model railway layouts, one third of them American in outline and two thirds British.

A Model Rail Exhibition is taking place on the 28th and 29th April at the Northern Events Arena with up to 50 model railway layouts. A shuttle bus service is operating between the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) and the Events Arena allowing model railway enthusiasts to visit two attractions over the weekend.

Visitors will also be able to see the return of a ‘B1’ locomotive into Whitby, the first time that anybody will have seen a ‘B1’ hauled passenger service along the Esk Valley Line since the 1960’s.

Locomotive lineup for this New Event at The North Yorkshire Moors Railway are provisionally No. 60007, No. 60009, ‘K1’ No. 62005, ‘B1’ No. 61264, ‘N7’ No. 69621, and awaiting confirmation No. 60019, ‘J15’ No. 65462, other guest engines are still to be confirmed.

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway operates steam trains along an 18 mile line between the market town of Pickering and the village of Grosmont, through the heart of the North York Moors National Park. The railway passes through a variety of scenery, from wooded valley to heather clad moorland. It also calls at picturesque villages along the way and offers access to unspoilt countryside for walkers and cyclists.

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is one of the earliest and most historic lines in the North of England. Its origins go back well over a century and a half, and was an important trade link between Pickering and Whitby. Following a meeting in 1831 George Stephenson was asked to report on building the line of simplest construction for the employment of animal power. The complete 24 mile stretch of line was fully opened in May 1836.

NOTTINGHAM East Midlands MODEL RAILWAY EXHIBITION will be held on Saturday 17 March 2007 and Sunday 18 March 2007 at Harvey Hadden Sports Complex, Bilborough Park, Wigman Road, Bilborough, Nottingham, NG8 4PB, U.K.

The NOTTINGHAM East Midlands MODEL RAILWAY EXHIBITION is one of the premier model railway events in the UK and, at over 19,000 square feet, it’s now one of the biggest too. Staged each year, over the third weekend in March, by the Nottingham (Bulwell) MRS, at Nottingham’s Harvey Hadden Sports Complex, the event has earned a reputation for both the quality of its exhibits and for being a friendly show.

Typically, there are around thirty layouts, in a variety of scales, gauges, periods and geographical areas; over forty trade exhibitors (mainly specialist suppliers and manufacturers – so it’s just the event for modellers to go to with their shopping lists and to find all those kits, bits, components and materials that they need); plus a whole host of demonstrations. The event is supported by the main scale, gauge and special interest societies: the HMRS, 2mm Assn, EMGS, Scalefour Society, G0G, DEMU, NMRA, and the RCTS.

At the Nottingham East Midlands Model Railway Exhibition there are always several themes running through each year’s Nottinghan train show. This year one of the main themes will be ‘West Coast Wonder’, with several big model railway layouts depicting AC electric action on the West Coast Mainline. A second theme being planned, is ‘Sunny Southern Splendour’, based on layouts portraying the former Southern Region and Southern Railway lines.

For those model railroad enthusiasts in the United Kingdom or those want an excuse to visit the UK, here are details of an upcoming model train show.

St John’s (Mickleover) Model Railway Group Derby Show (also known as the Mickleover Model Railway Group) will stage a model railway show at the Derby Assembly Rooms on 21st and 22nd April 2007.

How the St John’s (Mickleover) Model Railway Group got started:

During 1965 the local church asked if any church member had a model railway layout to show at the annual church fete to add more variety. Several church members had model railway layouts and a small model railway layout was shown at the church fete and from the interest shown it was felt it would be a good idea to run a small railway exhibition on its own to aid church funds.

This first model railway show was as a one day exhibition on September 18th 1965 with just five small model railway layouts and a film show and a surprise to everyone over 1000 people attended with £45 raised for church funds.

Three more model railway shows were held during 1966, 1967, 1968 and interest in model railways was on the increase and several visitors to the shows asked if they could join the original group. These requests lead to a meeting on the 9th October 1968 open to anyone with an interest in model railways and this meeting decided to form a club who need not be church members and this resulted in 34 members joining the newly formed St. John’s (Mickleover) Model Railway Group .

The St. John’s (Mickleover) Model Railway Group continued using the church hall with all the time looking to see if premises were available around the Mickleover area but without success. The church hall had a disadvantage as the model railway layouts had to be unpacked and then packed away after each meeting with not a lot of running time in-between.

During 1989 an opportunity came to lease a part of the old Mickleover school. This was a separate building and although a lot of work needed to be carried out the St. John’s (Mickleover) Model Railway Group members set to and moved into the new clubroom late 1990.

The St. John’s (Mickleover) Model Railway Group still hold an annual exhibition in Mickleover during the autumn with railway club members showing their own model railway layouts with also the clubs own layouts.

In 1982 Derby city council wanted to stage a model railway exhibition in the assembly rooms this being the main theatre and exhibition centre in derby and the club were asked if the St. John’s (Mickleover) model railway group would help. Some members did and from this first show the annual Derby Model Railway Exhibition has become one of the premier shows in the UK.

The St. John’s (Mickleover) Model Railway Group meets on Tuesday and Friday nights from 7.30 pm in the clubroom at the back of Mickleover school (now the community centre) and has model railway layouts in American HO an English OO finished and N gauge and O gauge under construction.

Events In Railway History. 1945-1953

US President Harry S Truman is the last “railroad President.” His successors will rely mostly on planes and automobiles, using trains largely for campaign trips.

Events In Railway History. 1970

The Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 creates Amtrak to take over intercity rail passenger service. Amtrak officially begins service on May 1, 1971.

Events In Railway History. June 6, 1981

800 people were killed and more than 100 injured in the world’s worst rail accident when a cyclone blew an overcrowded train off its tracks into the River Kosi in India’s eastern state of Bihar.

The “Piggy’s Tail Railway Line” in the south of Badian, Germany extends 25.8 kilometers from Weizen up to Zollhaus-Blumberg. It was built in the 1880s for military (strategic) reasons and taken out of service in 1955 by the Deutsche Bundesbahn but not withdrawn. Ssince 1977 it has become well known as a museum-railway line with steam-locomotives in service.

The very unusual trackage of this line represents the only spiral-tunnel in Germany. The length is 1700 meters and radius is 350 meters. Only a portion of the 360-degree spiral is inside a tunnel. The altitude gained by this full circle is 15.5 meters.

The 60 meter tunnel known as ‘Grosser Stockhalde-Kehrtunnel’ contains straight track.
The idea of this trackage came from Mr. Robert Gerwig, famous constructor of the Schwarzwaldbahn (black-forest-line in Germany) and supporter of the Gotthard-line as well.

The Wutach Valley line (another name for the Piggy’s Tail Railway Line also has a 180-degree tunnel (called “Weiler Kehrtunnel”).

A lot of model railroaders choose to model particular scenes, regions and times in history. If you are interested in Civil War history then you might be able to help one model railroader who is having difficulty researching the paint scheme(s) used by the U.S.M.RR during the Siege of Petersburg. If you can offer an answer just click on the comments tag below the post to have your say. Here is the question:

“I am both an HO guage model railroader and a Civil War re-enactor. I want to incorporate a Civil War battle scene into my HO layout. Included would be an “American” 4-4-0 steam engine and several “U.S. Military Railroad” cars. My problem is all the photos I have found are black and white and I can’t seem to find any information on the paint scheme(s) used by the U.S.M.RR during the Siege of Petersburg.”

“I received the ebook without a hitch and spent many enjoyable moments perusing it. There is a wealth of information in your book and I am very happy to have purchased it.”

Here is a question that a fellow blog readers might like to help with.

Next step is to actually start building. As you suggest stongly anyway we are doing our research and that is the freebie part of the project. There is plenty of research to do and it is turning out to be fascinating. My husband and I will be modeling post-war to pre-1960 working class/freight Montreal in N-scale and we will concentrate on the CP rolling stock along with its affiliated companies. All we need to find now is a layout that would be suitable as I like to run mainline and my husband wants to shunt. One of your layouts in section 6 would probably be a good compromise.

Here is a question your readers could answer for me – As it is given in HO scale, can I simply do a division by 2 for the size of the board and track sizes to get the same layout in N?

Would your model railroad blog readers have any other suggestions where I could find either layouts or layout building programs on the Internet?

The Raccoon Creek & Gully is a freelanced large scale railroad that represents a successful and thriving narrow gauge operation. The setting is Southern Ohio and the line ends at the Ohio River near where the real Raccoon Creek empties in to the Ohio. Although not all equipment on the Raccoon Creek & Gully model railroad is based on a specific prototype, it is all intended to represent the basic character of narrow gauge railroading.

The time period modeled on the Raccoon Creek & Gully model railroad is the ten year span from1920 through 1930 and most prototype equipment modeled existed in the 30 year period from 1900 to 1929.

Most of my equipment is based on Eastern narrow gauge prototypes, specifically the East Broad Top and the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina with a dash or two of the Ohio River and Western thrown in for good measure.

Like most model railroad layouts, the Raccoon Creek & Gully is a work in progress.

All trackwork is hand built using wooden ties and code 322 rail. Locomotives are battery powered and controlled by Locolinc. Turnouts are remotely controlled with Locolinc using Del Aire air motors. Most of the rolling stock and motive power is upgraded and kitbashed Bachmann equipment .

The East Bay Model Engineers Society, which builds and operates the layouts in the Museum, was founded in 1933 and is one of the oldest continually operating model railroad clubs in the country.

The Museum, which opened just over 15 years ago, is an attraction that is part of the East Bay Regional Park District, in Miller-Knox Regional Shoreline Park. Operating models range from the steam engines and classic passenger trains of yesteryear to todays modern diesel behemoths and AMTRAK passenger trains. Historic scenes such as the Oakland Mole, Oakland 16th street stations ca. 1955, Martinez John Muir trestle, Tehachapi loop, Niles Canyon and Donner Pass will be found on the layouts. The friendly operators and docents will gladly answer your questions and provide historical and educational information.

The Museum provides a unique insight into California history as well as the fun of watching these historically accurate miniature trains wind there way through realistic scenes of yesteryear.

For more information, call (510) 234-4884 or check our website listed below where a map will be found. Membership information can be obtained by calling 510-236-1913 between 7 and 9 PM evenings. The park and layout displays are handicapped accessible.