Category Archives: Announcements

CentraMod Volunteers Support RRHM

HandcarFam-210pxCentraMod volunteers will support the Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum by running the Handcar Park for young museum visitors. This month the following groups are scheduled to visit:

  • Boys and Girls Club of Gatesville
  • Rogers’ Little Eagle Daycare
  • Rogers’ Elementary
  • First Church Preschool
  • Fort Hood Day Care

If your group is interested in scheduling a special tour of the Handcar Park or the Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum, call Gloria Harris at (254) 298-5165 or email her at Gloria@rrhm.org.

About The Handcar Park
CentraMod members volunteer at the museum to run the handcar track in the Santa Fe Gardens just east of the museum from 1:00 – 3:00 PM. The proceeds from all handcar rides go to benefit the museum.

CentraMod Volunters received the Education Award from the Museum in April 2007.

Austin Steam Train Association to Host 2007 Railfair

Be sure to take a trip down to Burnet Texas on June 23 and 24th for the 2007 Texas Hill Country Railfair and Festival.

Hours & Admission
Saturday 9-5, Sunday 10-4. Adults $3, children under 10 free with each adult admission. Train ride tickets are sold separately at the fair.

RailfairLogoThis show has something for everyone:

  • Railroadiana and model railroad vendors
  • Railroad memorabilia museum
  • Displays of rail cars and equipment
  • Transportation, historical and preservation exhibits
  • Train rides twice daily at 10 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. on the Bertram Local with a photo run-by of the Hill Country Flyer at the restored Bertram depot
  • FREE railroad motorcar rides

This is also one of the rare occasions where you can also take the train to the train show!

The Hill Country Flyer offers daily round-trip service from Cedar Park to Burnet during the Texas Hill Country Railfair & Festival. Enjoy a three-hour layover at the Railfair in Burnet. Tickets start at $27 for adults. Hill Country Flyer and Bertram Local passengers receive admission to Railfair at no extra charge. For reservations, call the Austin Steam Train Association at (512) 477-8468.

For More Information:

LSR NMRA Annual Convention Starts Next Week

LSRConlogo-color-smThe Lone Star Region (Texas and Louisiana) of the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) annual convention is just around the corner.

Several CentraMod club members are on the planning committee, led by chairman Bob Alston. Other club members include Dan Ladd, Gordon Locke, Mike Cleveland, and Kennedy Gauger. Richard Zamudio’s layout is part of the layout tour and will be available for operating sessions.

If you are already an NMRA member and registered for the convention, the excitement is building. If not and you are interested in attending the convention, if you have either never been an NMRA member or not for the past two years, you can become a member for a trial period of 6-months for only $9.95.

You would be able to attend and participate in the convention activities after paying the $95 registration fee.

The registration fee covers more than 60 clinics, a train ride (with meal) on the Bertram Flyer run by Austin Steam Train, layout tours in the Austin metro area, tickets to a banquet on Saturday night and a breakfast on Sunday morning.

Of particular note, you will have the opportunity to learn operations on an industrial switching layout developed by Dave Barrow (published in a series of Model Railroader articles during the fall of 1996 — we have these issues in our library).

Other eventes include a silent auction (if you have items that you would like to sell) and model contest. Dan Ladd will be entering his model of the Temple Depot he constructed for the historical layout.

There are many other activities included in the registration fee as well as numerous optional, extra fare items. Check out the convention website, www.hillcountryspecial.org for additional details.

The Club Shirts Are Here and Look Great

Kennedy Gauger had club shirts for those that had purchased them and showed a ball cap with the club logo on it. These caps are available for $12 if anyone is interested.

Denim buttoned shirts cost $21-27 depending on size.

ShirtDenim-410px

Gray polo shirts cost $17-23 depending on size.

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If you didn’t get a shirt this last time or want another one, names are being taken for a second order. Thanks again to Kennedy for all of his work to get this done for the club.

 

Club Shirts Have Been Ordered

The meeting for March 2007 was called to order March 3rd by Club President Earl Blanchette at 10:31.

The minutes for February 2007 were presented; a motion was made by Mike Ross and seconded by Trace Bowen to accept the minutes as read. The motion passed.

The Treasurer’s report for January 2007 was submitted, read, and accepted. 53 members have paid their dues and there are five unpaid. The membership roster by scale was handed out and the distribution as of February 28th was:

  • 14 members N Scale (26.4%)
  • 25.5 members HO Scale (48.1%)
  • 13.5 members O Scale (25.5%)

Old Business

The museum’s historical meeting and railfan day was cancelled.

Club Shirts – Today was the last day to order shirts. The minimum order has been met.

2007 Train Show – Mike Cleveland reported that 109 tables have been sold. The goal is to sell 183 tables.

He also said he has created a Special Activities Committee composed of Dan Ladd, Noel Cowling, and Neil Locke. The committee is tasked with adding something special to the show on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary.

Joe Pyland will chair the Clinic Committee. Attendance for clinics has been down over the last few shows, so they plan to use only two rooms for clinics. Paul Otis will get another room for showing videos. Ron Miller has volunteered to offer a clinic on building modules. The committee is also considering a make and take clinic.

Earl Blanchette and Wiley Starnes will begin working on the raffle layout in a couple of weeks. They will take pictures and post status updates to the web site as construction progresses.

New Business

Jim Fowler visited from Killeen.

Jeffrey and Ashley Govin from Fort Hood, TX and Kyle Penn from Temple, TX joined the club this month. Jeff is a combat engineer and models the DRGW in N Scale. Kyle is a conductor for the BNSF and models in HO. Welcome aboard!

Mentors were appointed for recent new members. Ed Neill will serve as mentor for Bradley Linda. Ron Miller will mentor Dick Copeland.

Chip Eller moved last summer to Frisco, TX and will be unable to participate in club activities. He sent an e-mail of appreciation for his membership in the club over the years.

Name Badges – The board has run out of space. Earl Blanchette will put up an extension. Mike Cleveland said he will take member pictures to put up on the board.

The club was visited by the Temple city tourism group on February 26th and was covered in a news article in the Temple-Telegram on February 27th. Club members that hosted the tourism group were Earl Blanchette, Noel Cowling, Dan Ladd, Bill Lancaster, Ed Neill, and Wylie Starnes.

Library – Bill Lancaster reported a new acquisition: Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway by Brian Solomon [ISBN-10: 0760321086]. He also said they were in the process of getting another book, Miss Katy in the Lone Star State Volume 1: The Good Old Days (1942-1960) by Steve Allen Goen [ISBN-10: 1885614713].

The meeting adjourned at 11:42.