Category: Articles

by Bob Browne

Note: Bob wrote this as a a Letter to the Editor of the Seattle Times in regards to this article in February 22’s paper. –Al Lowe

Nice piece on the closing of American Eagles and North End Train Center. It is unfortunate that we live in times where the sources of much our learning is disappearing, the building of kits and railroads forces us to learn how things come together and how many things we take for granted are the result of technical revolution.

In addition to the electronic age taking away much of our free time and the potential for interacting with other age groups, shops like these are vital to neighborhoods and are not just part of the ‘Mall Scene’ where we see more and more jewelry, fancy clothes, food courts and telephone stores. The disparaged  ‘Strip Mall’ is where we find most of our necessary things such as groceries, drug stores, auto supply and even newspaper stands.

For the hobbies, we are doing it to ourselves as more and more of the sources of knowledge and assistance are moving to ‘on-line’ sellers and even these begin to dry up as inventory in shops that are closing is not replaced.

For my own life, it is a scene that will never be replaced. The 70 years I have spent in prowling hobby shops has been most enjoyable and a source of much knowledge. The ‘hands on’ feel of a product and the accessories that are needed to support it are gradually disappearing. Even the newsletter from our model railroad group has moved on-line and has largely disappeared. Thanks.

Al Lowe

When’s the last time you heard model railroading discussed on a late-night talk show?

Dale Kraus

Here are a few tips from Sandy Webster concerning decoder selection and use. 

I have used and liked the NCE DASR drop-in decoder on many of the old Atlas/Kato model Alco diesels (RS1, RS3, RSD5, RS11, RSD12, C424/5). I just discovered there is a drop-in decoder for the old Atlas/Roco model EMD diesels too, although it’s not labeled as such.  It’s the NCE BACH-DSL decoder made to replace the really basic decoder in Bachmann diesel like my FT’s. I bought them figuring I might use them in my FT’s. I decided to use them in something else and have been looking at various candidates. I decided to try an Atlas/Roco SD24 since I had a couple with the shells off due to body kitbashing.

It’s a no-brainer, just as simple as the DASR. All I had to do was cut the wires from the trucks to the motor, unsolder the motor contacts from the actual motor tabs and replace them with wires, cut the old headlight bulb tabs off the top of the original plastic strip to make it level, run the 6 wires up through holes on the decoder and solder them to six pads. Add the supplied LED’s in the proper location and you are done. The LED’s may need wires to extend them to the proper place and pay attention to the polarity instructions. Don’t panic, it’s a picture! This works on the GP38, GP40, SD24 and SD35. One of the best things, the list price on the decoder: $19.95.

Sometimes ya gotta ignore the labels and use the decoder that fits.

Al Babinsky

Miniature Wunderland Main Station

On my recent trip to Germany I spent a couple of extra days to stay in Hamburg to visit some of the sights, one of which was of course the Miniature Wunderland of You-Tube fame. The display is located in the Speicher district (Warehouse) of Hamburg, built at the end of the 19^th century. It occupies the 3^rd and 4^th floor at one end and covers an area of 1150 square meters (app.10000 sq ft). At this time there are 7 theme areas with a total of 11 planned. The areas shown are Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Scandinavia and US, most of which is fantasy with some of the icons built as scale models and compressed to fit the space.

At this time there are 1,2000 m (7.5 miles) of track about 830 trains with 14,100 pieces of rolling stock. The longest train is 14.5 m (46 ft) long. There are 1,200 signals, 2,500 switches, 40 computers. About 300,000 lights, 200,000 figures, 215,000 trees and 5,500 vehicles. At the time I was there, the control room was manned by three persons who operated the layout. They operated the trains and vehicles which included emergency vehicles responding to fires. Scenes include a soccer stadium complete with 15,000 spectators and, of course, the two teams playing, an amphitheater complete with spectators, and a fair with its visitors.

The Swiss area extends from the 3^rd floor to the 4^th floor. From the 4^th floor you can look down on the town and the walk down the stairs to the 3^rd floor. While descending, you have the ability to look at scenes such as a below-ground station as you can find in many European cities. From the 3^rd floor you can look up to the top of the mountain which is supposed to be the Matterhorn complete with cable cars. The major city on the layout is Hamburg with its icons and the Hauptbahnhof (Main Station).

Miniature Wunderland Control Center

The two cities where you see the operating vehicles are Knuffingen and Hamburg as they travel on the roads and stop and start as traffic signals change. All vehicles have lights which operate they include signal lights and operating stoplights, the emergency vehicles have operating flashing blue lights, sirens, and do-da horns.

The Scandinavian section has a fjord with real water and several ships that remotely operated. It has a winter scene along with a mining operation, the underground portion of which can be viewed through glass panels. In the US area you can a see pueblo scene which changes into a high desert area around Las Vegas which represented by its casinos, a miniature Mt. Rushmore, Yosemite  National Park with Half Dome, redwood trees, Cape Canaveral (Kennedy Space Center), Miami, and Key West with its overseas railway.

To my surprise there was a modern Puget Sound transportation item at the station, the commuter train called Sounder. I believe the longest train which operates on the layout is in the US section, a freight double-headed by Big Boys. The section under construction is the airport with most of the scenery, runway, taxi ways and terminal ramps finished. Some lights are installed a couple of buildings are there, no aircraft yet. All in all, a very well-built layout with all the tricks that are available to make it seem real. The lighting used fluorescent lights, white, blue, and red to simulate the 24-hour cycle from night to dawn, day and dusk back to night. I was there on Saturday, which was probably not the best day; I had to wait about 45 minutes to get in. The occupancy is limited to 600, which makes it very crowded and hard to take photos.

If Gene Swanson still has the June clinic spot open I would like to do a PowerPoint presentation of Miniature Wunderland. I have about 80 photos that I took and I also bought a DVD of the layout which is about 2 hours long, too long for the clinic so a presentation will have to do.

Miniature Wunderland Underground Station

Miniature Wunderland Nursery Scene

Miniature Wunderland City Scene

Dale G. Kraus, Photos by author

Karlsberg Hauptbahnhof

As an experiment in posting directly to the Grab Iron, Here are two “moments of implied action” at the Sudwest Deutsche Eisenbahn Verein Karlsberg yard.

In the First photo an 03 Pacific and an E13 1-C-1 await their scheduled departure times at the Karlsberg “ Hauptbahnhof” while an 0-8­-0T drills the coach yard.

Karlsberg Engine Terminal

The second photo shows a class 18 light Pacific and A Class 41 Mikado nose to nose in the engine servicing facility, while to the left a small mogul is about to get it’s water tank filled (just as soon as someone climbs up and opens the hatch.) Final checks and lubrication is being done to the pacific and the mike, while the roundhouse super is making a point to the guy with the lube oil cart.