Now that the unofficial summer has arrived, FUNTRAK has begun doing some outdoor activities.

First up is the June meeting tentatively scheduled for Dave’s Diner on the ninth. FUNTRAK usually does this venue a couple times each year. June will be the first one this year with possibly
more in the future. This is a fun time in conjunction with Dave’s Cruise In where all kinds of cars are on display. There is always a large crowd of happy people who are pleased to see the little trains running at such an unconventional outlet. FUNTRAK members have a great time conversing with the attendees at these events and usually manages to attract some new interests in the model railroad hobby.

Last month provided a unique opportunity for FUNTRAK when we were asked to come to
the New York Central System Historical Society’s annual convention and bring a small layout representative of the New York Central System railroad. FUNTRAK was glad to oblige and set up a small layout with Jim Domser’s Rome Station out front and center of the layout. This was well received by the public and comments were all positive about how well the station reflected our area. Of course, Lorenzo’s tornado was also the usual crowd pleaser!

Even being at the back of the layout, people went out of their way to observe this unusual module and appreciate Lorenzo’s creativity in designing and constructing this amazing module. FUNTRAK now has a large contingent of different modules ranging from Lorenzo’s tornado to the newer helicopter loop, eyeglasses
module set, and the still in the works interface tee supported by the Wilson modules, Flip and Flop. These three modules will be automated to allow the red line to be continuous and provide provision for the red line to be operated with DCC if so desired without conflicting with the conventional powered yellow line.

Innovation continues with FUNTRAK at the forefront of new ideas.

Looking forward to a great summer!
Brian

“How many years have we been coming here?”

I had to look it up myself. The answer? Seven! Each year gets better. This year FUNTRAK provided four scales for the public’s enjoyment: N scale, HO scale, Z scale, and the ever popular tinplate Lionel. The layouts all ran wonderfully, as expected, and everything cooperated fairly well.

John was able to get the one-trak portion of the layout to operate acceptably but not quite as perfectly as we would like. Hopefully, the new interface module that is under construction will overcome some of the shortcomings of the manual corner interface currently being used in the FUNTRAK setups. There are some issues with the new construction as well. These are being worked on by Brian in conjunction with our supporting friends David King in Canada and Mark Bean in Australia. Who says international cooperation isn’t possible? The only problem is the amount of time required to communicate solutions between people in these far off locations. The time issue aside, progress is being made and the new interface module is well on its way to completion.

In support of the new module, two more supporting modules will be constructed. These modules, which Mark likes to call “flip modules”, will allow the red line to bypass the interface module, thus allowing the red line to be run on DCC without interfering with the operation of the yellow line. These two modules will be set up to automatically operate to stop any trains necessary to avoid collisions. They will also have radio communications between them to ensure the placement of the two modules is able to accommodate any length of train. Currently there are some programming issues, but these should be straightened out promptly. Innovation is one area where FUNTRAK has been a leader in the model railroading field, especially t-trak. The club’s automated reverse loop module has made the one trak concept a reality and adds significantly to the operational abilities of any layout. The ability to change the direction of a train consist without having to do it manually “by hand” adds much to the realistic operation of the layout. The addition of a more automated interface module and the supporting flip modules will further enhance the FUNTRAK layouts in the future.

Speaking of the future, our old friend Jeff Sorenson pleasantly surprised everyone when he showed up at the show on Sunday. Jeff has been busy with many things and taking time to visit us was greatly appreciated. We are all looking forward to seeing more of Jeff in the future.

“In the future” includes a display for FUNTRAK at Hotel Utica in conjunction with the New York Central System Historical Society the first Sunday this month. FUNTRAK will set up in the morning and stay until the show ends at 3:00 o’clock. This will be a small display dedicated to the New York Central and local sights from our area. Jim Domser’s Rome module will be there for the crowds to appreciate along with other highly detailed FUNTRAK modules. Later in the month we will be meeting at Greg’s to discuss upcoming events, shows, meetings, and construction plans. FUNTRAK was also fortunate enough to enlist a new member, Tom Mayer, at the show. Welcome aboard, Tom!

Until next time, keep on training!
Brian

Spring is in the air and it seems it is time for “construction”. Out in the real world things have been slowed down somewhat by the rather lengthy winter that has hung on for what seems an eternity. However, this has not dampened FUNTRAK’s progress in the construction business.

Club members John Fleming and Brian King recently visited Matthew to assist him in the construction of his home layout. Discussions at the work session lead to another building decision and the three agreed to meet at Brian’s to help John assemble his new mountain “back track” modules. This pair of modules work together to bring the mountain line to the back of the module and back to the front when connected to each other. Future modules may be designed to utilize the rear location of the mountain line to allow more scenery toward the front of the module.

It is now getting very close to the club’s annual “Valley Rail Sights” show but, hopefully, John will have these modules ready in time to display them at the show. This years show is scheduled for April 18 and April 19. Preparations are already underway and progressing nicely. One of the items that was not ready for last years show was the reversing loop module and the one-trak tee. After much work both domestically and abroad, these modules should be set up and operating properly at this years show. Some minor details are still in the works, but these should not affect the workability of the modules. As has been noted before, the simplest of projects often turn out to be much more involved than at first thought.

Such was the case with the reversing loop module. With lots of perseverance and more perspiration, Mark and Brian working closely together finally got the module to operate as designed. What takes much of the time is the lag in communications from Australia to America. However, Mark and Brian overcame this drawback and made the reversing loop do what it was made to do, allow the train to enter in one direction and exit in the opposite direction with minimum operator involvement. The next step involves disconnecting the local throttle automatically so as to avoid conflicts with the main line throttle. That is another matter entirely and currently will not affect the proper operation of the reverse loop as currently configured. When this is completed there are new ideas being bandied about and designed to keep FUNTRAK on the cutting edge of technology and operations. Watch for the new items at the shows and check back here.

Brian

March is again upon us and there is very little model railroad activity in the works. The end of the month brings RailRun, an annual activity in the Boston area where many FUNTRAK club members have had the good fortune to be participants in the past. A large number of the local model railroad layouts are opened up to a select group of modelers for operating sessions over a weekend at the end of the month. This year, Brian, along with club members Lorenzo Franchi and John Fleming, as well as our Canadian neighbor David
King, have been invited to attend this happening. Participation in this annual event often leads to many ideas about other ways of operating model railroads, including club layouts.

When there is actually a purpose for the trains other than to just go in a circle, it makes for much more interesting train running. FUNTRAK continues attempting to
incorporate this idea of operations into the T-trak displays. This has been a slow and ongoing task, but progress is being made and hopefully will be more successful in the future. The RailRun experience provides encouragement for club members to develop more operational ideas for use in our club layouts when the opportunity arises.

The idea of having a purpose has lead to the construction of specific modules that have particular industries on them to support railroad usage and encourage operations. With industry, schedules, and a purpose, it is easier to develop a plan for operations. The one-trak concept has been a work in progress for nearly two years now and lends itself greatly to supporting the operations concept with the t-trak modules. Although DCC adds to the enjoyment of operations because of the added features allowing trains to operate without having to accommodate conventional DC methods, FUNTRAK’s one-trak modules are being constructed with conventional DC power in mind. This allows anyone to use their own motive power regardless if it is DCC equipped or conventional. All DCC locomotives have a conventional feature while not all conventional locomotives can run on DCC. A great advantage of T-trak is that no two setups need ever be the same and the diversity of modules means operations will be ever changing to maintain more interest and challenge for operators. With all of these things in mind, FUNTRAK has managed to keep ahead of the game by planning ahead in the design of many of the T-trak modules, anticipating the inclusion of the modules in a layout design to accommodate operations using the features mentioned. These considerations have made FUNTRAK‘s layouts both interesting and fun for both operators and viewers.

The annual “Valley Rail Sights” club show coming up in April should prove to be more fun than ever this year if many of these operational ideas are included when setting up the T-trak layout. Come onout and join the fun.

Brian

“You know what I like less than the cold?” asks Clint Eastwood in a radio commercial. “What?” is the retort. Clint’s answer, “Not much!”

So here we are in beautiful upstate New York awaiting yet another blizzard and the numbing freezing cold enjoying it about as much as Clint. Fortunately, our primary pastime, model railroading, rarely involves the great outdoors at this
time of year, so the cold isn’t too much of a hindrance to our hobby. Other than having to go from the mode of transportation to the great indoors to set up for a show, we do not have to deal with the frigid
weather to enjoy our trains. Such was the case for the annual Union Station show in Utica this past January. Once set up, the trains ran superbly, as expected, and everyone was cozy and warm inside the expanse of the station. We have again established our presence at the show and have been kindly invited to attend again next year. FUNTRAK eagerly looks forward to this annual event and anticipates continued
participation over the coming years.

To assist in this participation, FUNTRAK recently welcomed our newest club member, Matthew de
Jongh. Matthew moved to Oneonta from Maine and quickly joined our ranks. Currently he is in the process of constructing a double wide t-trak N scale module. Club members have stepped up to help him in his efforts to build this module and expect it will be ready for showing in the near future. Welcome aboard, Matthew! We are all looking forward to your
participation and support in club and community activities.

And activities are arriving more and more often. This month, FUNTRAK is participating in a new activity at Mohawk Valley Community College in support of the Boy Scouts of America. This should prove to be a very fruitful undertaking as we hope to encourage the younger generation to learn, build, and run model trains in the years ahead.

FUNTRAK is getting back on track to attending approximately one show per month
again. This seems to keep the interest up in the hobby without overloading the workers involved. The t-trak concept has made this much easier since the trains are less bulky and more convenient to assemble at the
shows. Progress on new modules makes the variety of available layout designs different and intriguing and allows for an infinite combination of modules to keep everyone pleased with the changing scenery. Watch for the newest and differing layouts at the upcoming shows. FUNTRAK members are all looking forward to seeing you at the shows.

Brian

The holidays have come and gone and we are now into a new year. FUNTRAK has had a memorable year attending numerous train shows, some traditional and some less so.

The show circuit has picked up again after a rather dry spell. FUNTRAK attended Union Station to begin last year and ended the year at Oneida County Historical Society with stops in Mohawk, Ilion, Schuyler, Little Falls, Fonda, Clayton, Syracuse, Fulton, Amsterdam, and Rochester along the way. This averages out to around one show per month and keeps club members on their toes. This year looks to be another busy one as the Union Station show again begins the show circuit for FUNTRAK.

The various shows yet to come will fill FUNTRAK’s schedule and the trains will be running non-stop throughout the year. Hopefully, some of the newer innovations, such as the one-trak interface module, will be placed in commission to add to the excitement of train operations on the club’s layouts. This newer aspect of t-trak modules has added a new dimension to the shows as now there is a purpose for the trains other than running in the proverbial circle forever. John has been at the forefront of this new activity and has been displaying his skills at operations on the different layouts assembled at each show. Running a train from the main line out on to the one-trak extension, John brings freight to the industries, picks up returning cars, and delivers them back to the yard for further dispatching. All this activity keeps both John and the public busy and interested.

The automation of the new one-trak interface module will make these operations a little easier and more reliable. Other future plans call for some new throttles and other animated items to peak the interests of observers. Meanwhile, Greg has industriously increased the size and scope of the HO modules used in the club displays. His ambition and dedication have resulted in many new modules that add to the ever popular HO scale division of FUNTRAK. Because of his perseverance and hard work, Greg was deservedly chosen as the recipient of the James A. Williams Service Person of the Year Award.

FUNTRAK is always watching for new members who are interested in any scale to join in the fun and support the club’s endeavors at displaying trains for the public and providing educational opportunities for the public. Become a part of FUNTRAK’s ongoing activities and join us at the shows in your area.

Brian

The holiday spirit is upon us! Activities for November were many, as usual, and FUNTRAK was right in the middle of all the excitement.

The month started out in Syracuse where FUNTRAK again joined up with the layout sponsor, the Genesee ‘N Ontario club and various other clubs and people to display another exquisite N scale t-trak layout. This year’s layout contained many new and different modules for the public’s enjoyment. Among them was John Fleming’s new double module, ”Abandoned Building” and the club’s ever popular “eyeglasses” double loop. Also included this year was the club’s reverse loop one-trak module. Unfortunately, the software to make this operate got corrupted and we were unable to operate the loop as designed at the show. In addition to the N scale t-trak modules, club member Greg Brockway, brought the HO scale t-trak layout to Syracuse. Here again, new modules were incorporated for everyone’s enjoyment. John showed off his talent here by putting his new HO module into the layout.

Following another successful weekend in Syracuse, FUNTRAK members trekked off to Fulton the next weekend for the Oswego Valley Railroad Association’s annual Holiday Express show. Once more, FUNTRAK set up two layouts, one in N scale and one in HO scale. Included in the N scale layout again was the reverse loop one-trak section. This time, however, the software had been corrected and the loop operated perfectly! John had lots of fun with this section operating and switching out freight to service businesses and sidings on the main layout. After all, train shows aren’t supposed to be fun for only the public. This also shows the versatility of the modular concept, the layout diversity, and the operational possibilities for shows to keep both the public’s and the club member’s interest high. Greg showed up Saturday morning with the HO layout and everyone joined in to help get him up and running. Other contributors to the success of FUNTRAK’s layouts included Rich Petitto and Neal Schantz who both provided modules for the N scale layout.

Upcoming events for December include a trip to Rochester to support the RIT club’s show on the 13 and 14 of December. Then on to the Oneida County Historical Society for our annual Christmas display from December 24 to December 30. Next year will begin with the show at Union Station in January, provided we are invited to attend. Come on out and support the local train shows and enjoy the talents of the many model railroaders who work so hard to make life a little more enjoyable for everyone.

Brian

Charlie and Mark

October is not the premier month for model railroaders. The hobby lost anther great one this October when Charlie Hedrich went to the great model railroad in the beyond.

I met Charlie at the National Model Railroad Convention conducted in Washington, DC in 1982. Charlie was a retired Warrant Officer from the Navy and being a sailor myself, we naturally had a lot in common. During the show we got to know each other pretty well and when I found out that Charlie was originally from North Tonawanda, which was close to where I was stationed at the time, we decided we should get together sometime. One thing lead to another and soon enough Charlie and I did get together. Over the years we developed a long lasting friendship that has endured throughout Charlie’s life.

Charlie was especially talented with track work and electronics. Anything he did was done to perfection. He built two N-trak end loops where he would run a Southern railroad passenger train at full speed around the linear layout: BACKWARDS! This amazing feat was possible because of Charlie’s meticulous attention to detail in assembling the track work. It was remarkable to watch that long passenger train traverse the entire layout, up the curved grades to the mountain line and returning without so much as a hint of derailing over that perfect track work.

Over the years Charlie came to visit me many times. In return, I also visited him in his adopted home of Virginia Beach. While there, Charlie and I built many electrical items to support the local N-trak club including a power supply and a few N-trak throttles. Charlie also built a tee yard that brought all the N-trak lines into a yard inside the main layout. This made making train consists easy for the operators since they were inside the layout and not as distracted by the public as when outside the layout. Charlie also made sure he had a vehicle that would support transporting any modules he had and others that may have needed help.

Charlie was life member of the NMRA, although he often disagreed with many of their policies. Even still, Charlie was a staunch supporter of all model railroading endeavors regardless of scale. Whenever he would visit FUNTRAK and me, he would bring along something to support the show. One year he got together with our mutual friend, Mark Bean, and ran a 150 car train on the N-trak layout just to show that this long train could negotiate twelve inch radius corners with a hitch. As expected, this went without any problems.

One of Charlie’s philosophies was that in his life he had met, if he was lucky, about 100,000 people. Today the population of the United States is above 316 million. So Charlie would say that there were over 315 million people who had not had the opportunity yet to learn to dislike him. Therefore, his time to depart had not yet arrived. So in closing, Charlie I’m afraid you have disappointed some 315 million people by not allowing them the honor and privilege of meeting you. But for those of us fortunate enough to have known you, Thank You Very Much! May you rest in peace and enjoy the great layout in the sky.

Brian

It was a dark and dreary morning. You fool, it’s always dark and dreary at 4:00 am in the morning!

So this is the beginning of Whirlwind III. David and Brian started out in Cooperstown and headed out to pick up the remaining individuals going along on this journey. John was picked up in Herkimer and then onto Saint Johnsville where Lorenzo met the group to continue to Amsterdam. In Amsterdam the remainder of the troupe was collected with Mike and Al. Finally, when everyone was gathered, we were off to Boston.

First stop, George Sellios’ Franklin and South Manchester. We hooked up with Ernie in Peabody and proceeded to George’s. We were warmly welcomed by George and kindly allowed to take pictures of this treasure of a layout. The level of detail is indescribable! This is truly a wonder of the model railroad world. If the opportunity presents itself, do not miss this layout.

After a while, the group gathered together again and moved on down the street to a local hobby shop. The N scale selection was minimal, but Lionel, HO, and plastic models were abundant. On to lunch. Ernie led us to a local establishment where we were treated to excellent cuisine.

Following this it was off to Ernie’s wonderful N scale layout where we were afforded the opportunity to operate a great fleet of finely tuned locomotives.

Our schedule called for our meeting Pete Laier next around 3:00pm, so we left Ernie’s on our trek to Pete’s. After a small mix-up in directions we finally arrived at Pete’s place. Here we were warmly greeted by Pete and his wife who welcomed us with open arms. Pete’s Arcadia Terminal is a compact, highly operable, around the wall, shelf style layout.

Although not large, there are a tremendous amount of operations possible on this beautifully scenicked railroad.

After running the railroad for around an hour, we were off again on our way back. Along the way we managed to stop at Shepaug Hobbies where we were able to find a large cache of N scale supplies available.

The next leg of our trip took us to the Steaming Tender for dinner. This is an old railroad station turned into a restaurant with fabulous food and fantastic railroad surroundings. Following a very satisfying meal, we were off on the final leg of our trip back home. In Amsterdam we dropped off Lorenzo, Mike and Al then continued to Herkimer where John departed. Lastly, David and Brian finished up the trip when they arrived back in Cooperstown around Midnight. All in all, a wonderful and full day of all kinds of railroad fun. Whirlwind IV is being considered in the near future!

Brian

Greetings fellow train modelers! I am happy to report that FUNTRAK members Mark Bean, Brian King, and Canadian friend David King have finally been able to culminate their efforts on the automatic
reverse loop project that has been in progress for over a year.

After much consternation and brain racking, all the pieces came together when Mark arrived at Brian’s and was able to actually handle the hardware. There is a lot to be said for presence. Long distance communication is nice, but nowhere as nearly effective as actually being present. After Mark arrived it was only a matter of hours
overall until the software, hardware, and operation all came together to make the reverse loop automation a
success. Of course, this leads to more projects in the future. However, these may be a little easier to accomplish now that the experience of developing the original reverse loop has been successfully completed. We are considering building and automating a new one-trak interface tee sized module. This will take some time, so in the meantime, FUNTRAK will utilize the current mechanically operated interface module.

This module works but has some limitations. The curves are really small, thus limiting the trains that can be sent to the reverse loop. It is also rather difficult to understand how to operate electrically when using it. The goal of the newer replacement module will be not only to automate things as much as possible, but to simplify the operation to make it much less difficult to use. FUNTRAK will report on the progress of this project as we move along.

Speaking of moving along, FUNTRAKset up a small layout at Dave’s Diner in the beginning of June at Dave’s weekly Cruise In. The small layout incorporated FUNTRAK’s “eyeglasses” loop to make it interesting. This loop limits the length of the trains possible to run without running into itself and keeps the public’s attention on the trains. Everyone expects the train to collide with itself, but careful prior planning prevents this from happening. The layout provided the first opportunity for FUNTRAK to use the small generator purchased for just this reason. The generator ran perfectly and amazingly quiet for the entire time FUNTRAK was there. This makes it easy for FUNTRAK to take a layout nearly anywhere since we can now provide our own source of power to operate the trains. The next test will be next month when FUNTRAK anticipates running a small HO layout, provided by club member Greg Brockway, at Dave’s again. Meanwhile, other club activities for July include the Whirlwind III tour. This will be a day trip to the Boston area to visit some of the renowned layouts in that area. FUNTRAK will report on this in the next issue.

Keep on training!
Brian