|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
From your PLD Superintendent As I write, the Spring PLD meet at Sibley is about one month away. And it just dawned on me that my "Iowa Central" will be hosting it's first ever NMRA sponsored tour. I had better get busy finishing some projects, not to mention cleaning up the basement and making things presentable. Might also want to check some locomotives and the DCC system to make sure everything is working correctly. And I want to be sure and record this in my Statement of Qualifications for Association Volunteer of the NMRA achievement program. Hosting a layout tour at an NMRA event counts towards the points total. Suppose I can find an NMRA official to initial that notation? I, often accompanied by my wife, have had the joy and pleasure of attending a number of conventions through the years, National, Regional, Division and what use to be called area meets. We have been able to tour a number of layouts around the country. Layout tours are certainly enjoyable, sometimes the highlight of the meet or convention, especially for Linda. She is always spotting something of unique interest and asking the layout builder a question. I find layout tours to be a great "how I did it" look at the hobby, often more than just a sight-seeing trip to view models and scenery. Granted more than a few "plywood-centrals" have been shared. An equal number of superbly scenicked masterpieces have generated many comments and camera flashes. More than once I have spotted a notebook and pencil with someone busy making a sketch or taking notes so they can return home and replicate what they saw. The Iowa Central is on display every year during our Christmas open house. It has also hosted a number of Operating Sessions, for it is designed for operation. And let us not forget the "my grandkids are visiting can we come see the trains" informal tours. But the Sibley meet will be my first opportunity to share via the NMRA and I am excited to have my fellow PLD members take the tour. You will certainly see evidence of the plywood central, as construction continues in our new location. I have developed some bench work standards that makes moving easy, ask me about them. You will also see scenes with rudimentary scenery and structures, and details (if I can find that box :). I hope there are many questions as well as suggestions. I enjoy sharing my hobby and the knowledge I have gained from others. But I also have areas where I still need to learn or where I need assistance to accomplish my goals. My layout is a work in progress, this is your invite to come see the Iowa Central. Or see it via the web at http://www.iowacentralrr.org Denny Davids and the Otter Valley club are busy preparing to be our local hosts at the meet. Fellow PLD members are seeing to arrangements for the contest, vendors, clinics, and the other elements that make a successful meet. And I know you, our PLD members, will make it a great meet. Bring your models for the contest, and your wallet for the vendors. I will see you on April 21. Doug Harding, PLD superintendent doug.harding@iowacentralrr.org Editor cleans desk of accumulated notes Sometimes an editor just has to write a column that cleans up the house of items that have been piling up. This is one of those. First, I want to correct a couple of mistakes that crept into the PLD’s 20th history piece I produced for the Estherville meet. David Fell, member No. 20, is most assuredly still a member, contrary to the listing of former members that appeared on page 10. David was at the meet and evening banquet and pointed out our obvious error. The other error was actually on the banquet program’s listing of cities that had hosted PLD meets. Emmetsburg is not in Minnesota. As I said at the banquet, I must have been trying to annex Iowa to make John and Jay Davis part of the Minnesota Davis clan! Some errors and member changes have taken place since the roster came out in September 2006. Supt. Doug Harding’s phone number is (712) 754-3303. Roger Richardson is at 1108 2nd Place N.E., Jamestown, N.D. 58401-3705. Shawn Williams’ phone number is (712) 225-2108 and is e-mail is nuttybar91@mchsi.com. Ted Zimmerman is now a Gopher, having moved to 13 2nd St., P.O. Box 49, Altura, MN 55910, (507) 796-9162, or e-mail him at: ModularTrains@webtv.net. Remember to send changes to Treasurer Kellen. Serve the division, have fun doing it Next, I want to urge PLD members to give serious consideration to running for your board of directors when we have the election at the Sibley meet, April 21. John Davis and Dale Hanna have put in five years and must come off as per our bylaws. Good leadership has made the PLD the strongest division in the Thousand Lakes Region for several years. Plus, you can earn points toward your NMRA Achievement Program Volunteer Certificate. John, Dale and the rest of the board will help you learn your jobs. Even if you’ve served before, the group can always use your experience. TLR candidates needed Speaking of elections, our parent organization, the Thousand Lakes Region of the NMRA, is having its annual convention June 8-10 in Winona, where elections will be one of the many activities planned. (See the complete schedule and registration form elsewhere. If you plan to go, get your rooms NOW as rooms are in short supply, especially you if plan to stay somewhere other than the Holiday Inn headquarters.) Gordy Miller and I have put in our five years, but PLD members Jay Davis and Jim Bernier plan to seek re-election. If would be really nice to keep the PLD well represented on the TLR, especially since most other divisions have not put up candidates in recent years. PLD members have kept the TLR functioning. Let me know if you’ll be a candidate. Three years on the board qualifies you for NMRA’s Official Certificate. Gordy and I will be getting ours at Winona. Two TLR members, Tom Mauszycki and Les Breuer, will be recognized as new Master Modeler Railroaders. Both visited us at Estherville in October. Huron help sought On a personal note, I am asking (begging, actually) PLD members who are also members of the Chicago & North Western Historical Society and who plan to go to the convention in May to get in touch with me if you can help for an hour or two on Sunday, May 20. I am on the convention committee, my third in four years (the second was Gordy’s great Mason City convention in 2005). My main duty is organizing a model railroad show 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. that last day of the convention. I could use help setting up tables Saturday night after the banquet, and then taking shifts at the door to collect $2 from the general public until 1:30 p.m. I will have my own N scale layout to set up. Patrice can watch it some of the time, but I’ll need to float around, help vendors get set up, and put out the usual small campfires that flare up. Please call or e-mail if you can spare some time. I hope some of that teamwork we had at Mason City can spring forth at Huron even though it isn’t a PLD/TLR meet. I already have a couple of Minnesota River Valley Division volunteers. (OK, so I drafted them!) By the way, the MRVD, our neighbor to the north, will celebrate its 20th anniversary sometime this summer in Willmar. The founding date was March 15, 1987, at Walnut Grove, Minn. It has almost 30 members. A committee is planning a tour of a museum, steam engine, BNSF facilities and an evening banquet with speaker. Watch for details. New editor out there, somewhere? I hope someone will step forward now to take over as Journal editor. This issue marks my fourth — one year. That is all I promised when I stepped in when Dick Williams became ill. I’ve been heavily involved in PLD and TLR activities (traveling thousands of miles to 8-10 shows a year with the TLR display) since 2002, and the C&NWHS convention committee duties. I’ve also been involved in the MRVD and our local Hutchinson-based Luce Line Railroad Club. I REALLY need a break! I know there are PLD members that can handle this job. Many of you are much more computer-savvy than I am, so if I can do this, I know you can. Call me or Supt. Harding. I’ll help you get started. Finally, I hope to see many of you at Sibley on April 21. It sounds like a great line-up of activities the guys have planned. See the complete listing on page 4. Remember, Miles Rohan is organizing a sale of Dick Williams’ Midlands Railway equipment at the Sibley meet. We forgot to vote on the revised PLD bylaws (see the Sept. 2006 issue) at Estherville. We’ll vote on them at Sibley. I hope many of you took the opportunity to get your PLD shirt through the offer in the last newsletter. I ordered two and will pick them up at Sibley from Leo Appel. Thanks, Leo, for taking on the shirt project again. By Terry Davis Journal Editor ptdavis@hutchtel.net