It’s always great to enjoy the company of club members while being productive.

One of our favorite locations to run trains, we always have a good turn out at the Family Fun Center in Mohawk.

Welcome back to the “Hobo”! Mark and his family are scheduled to visit us at the end of June from “down under” in Australia. We are anxiously awaiting his arrival and looking forward to all the excitement, camaraderie, and fresh new ideas Mark always brings with him. It is refreshing to get a different perspective on things, especially model railroading things, and Mark certainly is noted for his different perspective.

Mark has been in Australia for over ten years now and is firmly established as a citizen and resident there but his roots are back here in the good ‘ol USA. Hopefully, he can get to see many of the things that make this country so interesting and great and show his family the better side of America. There is much to offer for visitors and residents alike in nearly every nook and cranny of this great country. In our little nook we have a rich history of baseball with numerous teams which originated in New York to the Hall of Fame here in Cooperstown. To support this great sport over the years the railroad transported many of the fans from upstate areas to the city where the games were played. This continues even today with Amtrak being one of the best means of travel for convenience to the games in New York City. More often than not the close proximity of the train stations to desirable landmarks makes them the logical choice for getting to your destination. Besides the tourism industry, trains are also a mainstay of transportation for goods. It is one of the least expensive ways of shipping large quantities of goods over long distances available to industry today. This real life diversity makes modeling the railroad industry both challenging and exciting. It maintains a keen interest in the details of recreating a miniature world of travel and adventure for those involved in the hobby. This is where Mark’s outlook shines.

He finds the details many overlook and shines his own light on the obvious to the amazement of others. This introspection makes Mark’s models stand out over similar models where the details he incorporates are not found elsewhere. Mark’s willingness to share his observations and ideas with others makes him one of model railroading’s true giants. Mark is always ready to help in any way he can if you have a problem or idea that needs to be expanded. He often shares some of his ideas with FUNTRAK when he occasionally writes a column for Hobos Fire. FUNTRAK wishes Mark well and hopes he not only has a great time during his visit, but also gains some valuable insight to develop new ideas to incorporate into his own model railroading and further share some of these ideas with us in the future.

Brian

Pics from our basement work session, May 10.

Lots of hard work goes into building train layouts. But, our club members are so into their hobby that it’s not even like “work” at all!

Our participation in the Fonda Fair contributes to our exposure and is fun for club members!

runnin’ trains

amazing detail

FUNTRAK members Lorenzo Franchi and Jim Domser contemplate the new one-trak modules under construction. These new modules will add variety and some different concepts to the ever expanding t-trak modular system. This will allow for linear layouts and make the inevitable circle unnecessary if so desired. Of course, the one-trak tee will also allow the one-trak concept to be tied into the regular t-trak layout making all kinds of new innovative designs possible.

Here we are in November, National Model Railroad Month, and the schedule of events is extremely busy. Following a torrid building month in October, FUNTRAK members are now preparing to attend some of the larger shows with the new modules ready for display. First up is Syracuse where FUNTRAK will debut the new mountain module section of the N scale t-trak division. Club members worked diligently throughout October getting these modules ready to be displayed to the world. Three work sessions and numerous nights were devoted to making everything operate properly. John Fleming then worked his magic on the scenery to ensure the modules would be at least presentable for the shows. Hopefully, all goes well at Syracuse with FUNTRAK and the other participants. The planned layout will be over five scale miles around and should present an interesting layout. The main line is set to operate with DCC while the remaining loops will use conventional DC power. This arrangement will allow everyone to have a chance to see how mixed power can be applied to a layout and operated successfully.

Following Syracuse comes Fulton the very next weekend. FUNTRAK is scheduled to bring both N scale and HO scale t-trak layouts to this show. Again, work sessions in October enabled the club to construct six new HO modules, four standard and two doubles. Greg Brockway, FUNTRAK’s resident HO guru, has been charged with getting track put down and fellow club members have committed to helping him in the scenery department. The only glitch may come in the area of space that is allocated for the layout in Fulton. FUNTRAK will fill whatever space is provided.

With Christmas right around the corner, the annual show at Oneida County Historical Society is currently in the works. Clayt Farrall is doing his usual coordinating with the administrators to confirm dates, show times, space available, and details for the show. Anticipated dates this year are Wednesday, December 26 for setting up and running through Saturday, December 29. More information will be announced as it becomes available. Pictures of some of the new modules expected to be in the previously mentioned shows are on the next page. A well deserved “Thanks for a Great Job” goes out to all the club members who donated their time and effort to making these new modules possible. It is wonderful to have such enthusiastic individuals to associate with for such a great common cause. Next year will bring new challenges, different opportunities, and even more fun for our club as we move on to our twenty first year. Come on out and support your club!

Brian