Well, we’re getting into summer now! The setup scheduled for Dave’s Diner on June 25th fell through due to the inclement weather. It’s summer–such things happen. Members showed up all ready to set up and run trains, alas the rain started falling out of the sky and put an end to that idea. In spite of the bad weather, club members had a splendid dinner. Dave has always supported the club and we look forward to setting up at a future date when the weather will hopefully cooperate better.

FUNTRAK had a great work session this month, with Greg making vast strides in moving us ahead with HO t-trak. Hopefully, it will be up and running fornext months PicNik!

In addition to layout builds, Brian and team have been steadily persevering at the software program to operate the reverse loop for the N scale T-trak one trak project. With continued efforts the reverse loop may be ready for operation at the upcoming PicNik.

It’s time to celebrate! The 10th Annual PicNik will take place at Brian’s on Sunday, August 4. Everyone is welcome. Bring the family and plan to stay the day. It’s going to be a great time with food, games, and socializing.

FUNTRAK‘s usual interesting layouts were the center of attention again this year at the annual Valley Rail Sights show in Ilion. In addition to the layouts this year, FUNTRAK also had vendors with trains and supporting equipment for sale. The vendors were pleased and promised to return next year. Attendance was good and everyone had a great time.

FUNTRAK appreciates having the support of the Fisher Elementary School PTO. We hope they get as much enjoyment from having the trains there as we get out of running trains.

In this case, children were encouraged to 'touch' in this interactive display

FUNTRAK’s annual “Valley Rail Sights” show in Ilion has come and gone. This year proved to be a rousing success. Attendance was up, manufacturers were available, food was plentiful, and trains of all sizes were up and running. Much of this success is attributable to the club’s efforts at advertising the show this year. This helped promote better attendance and more interest from the community as well as other clubs. Train buffs from Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany all showed up to support the show in various ways. Everyone involved was elated at the way things ran so smoothly.

The N-trak layout was downsized somewhat this year to accommodate the larger T-trak layout, which was a huge success. The main T-trak layout consisted of five loops including a large over three scale mile long mainline along with the double bubble. This kept everyone fascinated with the trains as they made their way around this complex arrangement. The N-trak layout provided more trains to keep the public happy. Additionally, there were G scale trains running and Z scale trains on a small layout. For the younger set, there was the Lionel layout on another floor where the trains could be operated by the visitors. This always piques their interest as they are able to actually run the trains and blow the horn.

Parents and children alike appreciate the opportunity to interact with the trains. Most of FUNTRAK’s trains are set at a level that allows the youngest visitors to see the trains without having to find some means of rising up to a higher level to observe the trains. This makes it much easier on parents and grandparents since they do not have to pick up the children. Hopefully, these little things will help keep the smaller visitors interested and influence their decisions later to join a model railroad club.

Brian