Large Scale Central

Northeast Outdoor Railway Festival

Conventions, Shows, Clubs and Get-Togethers
#21

Lou

Sorry I missed your quesiton. Depands on what you mean by Track Power.

Our SJR&P layout has track powered at a fixed 21.5 volts DCC. If you ae looking for constant track power it will work. We can also operate a single DC locomotive using the stretched zero trick.

I believe it also may be possible to put power on at least part of the Amherst layout in Palmer.

If you need fixed voltage to power a RC locomotive then I have a 10 amp supply we can connect to the track.

If you desire variable volts DC then the NHGRS has a supply with a remote for variable DC which we could hook up to the raised layout at Amherst and possibly the ground layout to operate a sinble DC powered locomotive at a time.

Let us know what you need and I will try my best to provide it.

Stan

PS The NELSTS last your was a failure if your measure of sucess is funds earned through the gate. It was a very large success if you measure it on the sales made and the joy the atendees had. Hopefully by going back to the smaller building the show can come back. We shall see.

4 Likes
#22

I sent a email and got a reply from John Sacerdote (show director) he said there are 8-10 Garden RRs to tour. How much they are spread out I didn’t ask.
Now to convince the wife to go, and get our son in law to feed the pigs and watch the dogs.

#23

Since Stan ( @Stan_Ames ) is one of them, I imagine they are fairly spread out. I believe Stan is over an hour from the Amherst Railway Society clubhouse. (Stan, please correct me, if I am wrong!)

I don’t know any of the others, but John MAY be including the ride-on railroads, which are listed on the event website.

I hope this helps, Mark!

#24

I just booked an apartment next to the Steaming Caboose, looks fun. The description warned of lots of train traffic (Palmer is said to be the “Town of the Seven Railroads”), so I’ll bring earplugs!

3 Likes
#25

For a larger group, this place seems nearby and a great deal, fwiw:

#26

We are staying at Trainmaster’s Inn. We must get together.

#27

You bet, I’m right across the street from there.

#28

An update on the Festival.

list of exhibitors - https://www.outdoorrailfest.org/exhibitors-list.php

Drag and Brag - Definately on. On Saturday LSC will host a drag and brag. The table is also open on Friday and Sunday should anyone desire to exibit anything those days.

White Elephant Tables - Officially only Saturday but likely will be available on Friday as well. If you are intending to have items on the table its always easiest to get your lables in advance. Please PM me and I will send you the number of lables you desire that you can print in andvnce and bring with you.

Layout Tours - At the present time there will be 7 LS garden layouts and 3 Live Steam layouts open in addition to the Amherst layouts in Palmer.

One of the LS layouts is in the NYC area and is open on Thursday, The others are open on Sunday. Both Als and the SJR&P will be open on Sunday. We will have an ops session starting a 1PM should any LSC members wish to join the ops session please PM me.

Raffle - A small raffle will be held on Saturday.

Stan

#29

Show’s coming up in a couple weeks! Looking forward to seeing some of the LSC tribe.

Regarding the Drag n Brag, is there a place to display models, with someone keeping an eye on them? Maybe one of youse guys? :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

Also… has someone made arrangements to obtain the LSC banner from the BD? I ask because LSC is said to be the sponsor of the D&B.

I can show up early Friday AM if need be.

#30

I dropped the banners off at Stan’s last week. LSC Represent!

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#31

Cliff

I have the Banner.

The Drag and Brag is indoors near the other indoor White Elephant table, the Amherst sales table and Bachmann. I will be there likely shortly after lunch on Friday.

Stan

#32

I am sorry Cliff and Stan, I am cancelling our trip. My wife fell and may have a broken nose. With all the bandages she does not want to go out in public.
I was really looking forward to this trip, but, Hey, stuff happens.
Lou

#33

Lou, that’s so sad for your wife. I hope she gets all the best doc advice and pain meds, and heals quickly.

Sad for you too. And I was looking forward to seeing you guys and chewing the fat.

But as you say, stuff happens.

#34

M&M RR will be represented, Marie gave me permission to “buy” tickets, we will be there some time Saturday and staying over night some place. We will see how many garden RR we can get to.

#35

Festival starts tomorrow.

7 large scale layouts will be open in addition to the 3 ride on railroads.

Mason Hollow Nursery is a late addition to the festival. A selection of garden rairoad plants will be displayed and are available to purchase.
https://www.masonhollow.com/railway-gardening

On Sunday our SJR&P will be open. We will also be having a small ops session starting at 1PM. LSC members who wish to operate are welcome to join the ops session. To participate please send me a PM.

Stan

#36

Thanks Stan.

My Festival began today. I drove up (8 hours), esconced myself in the “Viking House” (which is part of the Trainmaster’s Inn, in Palmer), and then went across the street for dinner at the Steaming Tender.

Holy cow, what a gorgeous railroad station that they’ve restored and converted to a restaurant. The waitress gave me a pretty thorough history of the station, which was cool. The station was designed by a famous architect, and has a high wooden vaulted ceiling.

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Food was superb. Awesome 2" thick pork chop, which I couldn’t easily finish, so didn’t. Because they gave me a seriously filling dessert, since I was staying at the Inn (same operation I think). Whisky bread pudding, they called it. Amazing stuff.

An Amtrak blew by and rumbled the whole big place! Very cool. And there’s a steam loco parked in the parking lot, a little “indie.”

Back in the room, which is parked next to 3 tracks. Which are VERY active. Four trains have gone by so far, just while I’ve been in the room. They sure shake the joint!

All very great, but… I’ve got my earplugs and sleeping pills, and hopefully that’ll do the job.

Looking forward to the Festival tomorrow,
Cliff

3 Likes
#37

The Steaming Tender is a great spot to eat and/or watch trains. We’ve eaten there several times.

There is a short line based in Palmer too. The other track crossing the diamond is the New England Central.

#38

Wish I was there with you Cliffie.

#39

An update (from my peculiar perspective).

Here’s the loco outside the Steaming Tender, a Porter apparently built in 1915, but no c/n that I could see.

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Setup seemed to go smoothly, and it as great to see Deb & Stan Ames, and John Wilda.

Here’s the “white elephant” table, which was rapidly filling up.

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Next to it is a set of tables for “Making Trains Fun,” such a cool program for kids.

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A number of layouts are in the clubhouse, of all scales. Not sure if they’re being sold or what. They have an elaborate Timesaver-like G-gauge RR, but it wasn’t running, at least today.

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The Drag n Brag table, with official banner, and LSC represented by John Wilda and myself (so far). A bit of a theme seemed to emerge all on its own…

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I was concerned that a conflict might erupt, but the two fowl have seemed to hit it off ok so far.

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There were lots of folks around the outdoor layout there. I was told that tomorrow and Sunday would be the main days, so hopefull there’ll be a nice turnout.

Cliff

PS, this is from the room; a long freight train is passing a stopped Amtrack. But what the heck is this car? It was half hidden, and zipped on by…

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A later clip of the same trains…

#40

A nuclear flask. A shipping container used to transport active nuclear materials between a nuclear power station and spent fuel reprocessing facilities.