Took off a small corner of the house roof and just missed the garage.
Fred needs to give particulars, but the fashion statements speak for themselves.
That picture of Gord and I was probably taken at least 35 years ago…I don’t have a clue what Gord was explaining…
The story of the "rodents, goes back a long time ago, when Carl Vogel, on the Big Train List told his story of woe, about “Rodents” of some sort getting into his attic. At about the same time that he was bad mouthing “Rodents”; the Canadian Pacific had introduced the Golden Beaver (A Canadian RODENT) as their latest paint scheme. This was soon called “The Golden Rodent” by rail fans all over Canada.
To defend the “Little darlings” and make them popular, we saw a need, with the floods in THE NEW JOISEY SWAMPS, near where Vogel lives, the Beaver could come to help out…so we put together a small Beaver Colony (Stuffed of course) and took them to the First East Coast Large Scale Train show that they put on in York.
The Holiday Inn which is now the Wyndham, was the Show Hotel. There we staged the first “Rodent Party” and great get together. We obtained free bheer from the High Falls Brewery in upstate New York. (Due to PA State laws, we couldn’t give it away in public, but in a rented room we could) That started what became known as “The Drag & Brag”. A chance to show what you built/bought/stole, or your mistress gave to you.
We then started renting connecting rooms to have enough room for the gang. Soon we went to renting a proper meeting room, as is done today.
The Beaver Colony…well they multiplied, and grew. Mauro was nominated the “Keeper of the Rodents”, and still has them, so he has told me. Apparently he saw Ric Golding, in the alcove this year, but he seldom is allowed to attend a Drag & Brag apparently due to orders from swmbo… As for the ladies bowling team…that’s another story, involving a blond bombshell, lady foundry worker, who appeared across the floor at the second Rodents Party…Vogel was the guy playing his fancy horns…he is good at it…and even Nick showed up in the Aristo bear costume at at least one party. The Fr.Fred robes were presented to me at breakfast one morning in the HI restaurant, by a bunch of the LSC crew…because I was forever sermonizing…I even gave Bart the Branch Railroadian blessing, along with a few feeble drips of some sort of holy water when he and his girl friend announced their engagement at a Rodent Party…from that day onwards, I have only done divorces, and Irish wakes…!!
Today, Ric Golding, and Young Jan, look after renting the room, and organizing the party/Drag & Brag. We should all thank them greatly, for that, and the fun in The Alcove. I only hope that I can attend at least once more, to meet all the great people who make the ECLSTS a great meeting of Friends, and help to make this a great hobby, for us all.
Thanks Fred. So what year was the first ECLSTS at York? I know they were in Atlantic City for a few years before that. I think my first trip to York was 2001 or 2002.
They were only in Atlantic City the first year, 1998. The next 2 years were in Somerset, NJ. at the Garden State Convention Center. And in 2001, they were in York, Pa, according to the show cars I have, April 6-8, 2001.
Thank you Ken, for having the dates so ably covered. That’s one thing, of many, which I don’t do well…!!
Many others, must have better memories of those parties. Each person experiences a good time, in different way…please, lets hear your version of the fun we have all had, over the years. I hope we all can work towards having the enjoyment continue well into the future…
Fred Mills
Ken Brunt said:
They were only in Atlantic City the first year, 1998. The next 2 years were in Somerset, NJ. at the Garden State Convention Center. And in 2001, they were in York, Pa, according to the show cars I have, April 6-8, 2001.
I didnt make the first one, but Ive been to every one since then. First met Gary B in the world’s tiniest restaurant bar at the Garden State Convention Center.
I met George “Stumpy” Thomas for the first time at the Atlantic City show. I first met Gary B. at one of the Garden Railway conventions, Chicago maybe? And finally met the Padre at one of the shows in NJ.
So I’m guessing my first year at York was 2002 2003 maybe I need to find that ratty old T-Shirt. I remember going to a reception that a group on MLS put together. It was kind of “cliquey”, hard to find someone willing to talk. I think the following summer I went up to Fred’s for my first time and the next year attended the Rodent Party in York. I remember a gathering in the bar one night, but not the one pictured in '05, probably the one pictured in '06 and the Rodent party from '06 where my face is in the left margin. 2003 perhaps? That year Bart was preforming surgery on one of the rodents to try and get some battery operated bits working. And then there was “John” from Long Island (I think) who was on a morphine drip. The funniest guy I ever met, but never saw again. I assumed he passed from whatever was requiring him to be on the drip.
EDIT: Found the proof I bought the 2002 Show car and just recently sold it. Picture from Aristo Database.
I remember you at one of my first seminars on “Ops” and I think that was 2002. 2000 we were walking around with our mouth open, just trying to take it all in. 2001, which was a Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. By 4pm Saturday, with still 2 hours to go, we wanted to be with one of the clubs and modular layouts. I’d say that by 4/1/2001, the first ideas of the “Timesaver” were being discussed on the Forums and Lists of the times.
As a long time member of the Big-Trains list I remember with fondness many of the great people I have known. Except maybe White Kitty! LOL
At one of the early ECLSTS, Aristo Craft (Jonathan Polk?) sponsored a get together of Big-List members and it was great to place names with the faces.
One funny memory I have of the list was what happened with the Subject Line on one of the threads. The subject was something like getting kids involved with trains and the subject line evolved to something along the lines of, “getting kids to play with you” (or some such thing). One of the members coworkers passed by the desk, saw the subject line and was horrified by what they saw! The member had to explain exactly what was happening and that there was no ill intent regarding the message.
Thanks for the chance to walk down memory lane!
Dave Smith said:
As a long time member of the Big-Trains list I remember with fondness many of the great people I have known. Except maybe White Kitty! LOL
At one of the early ECLSTS, Aristo Craft (Jonathan Polk?) sponsored a get together of Big-List members and it was great to place names with the faces.
One funny memory I have of the list was what happened with the Subject Line on one of the threads. The subject was something like getting kids involved with trains and the subject line evolved to something along the lines of, “getting kids to play with you” (or some such thing). One of the members coworkers passed by the desk, saw the subject line and was horrified by what they saw! The member had to explain exactly what was happening and that there was no ill intent regarding the message.
Thanks for the chance to walk down memory lane!
WK has resurfaced, apparently (just not here). New guys have no idea of the wide body of lore behind him.
Bob McCown said:
Dave Smith said:
As a long time member of the Big-Trains list I remember with fondness many of the great people I have known. Except maybe White Kitty! LOL
At one of the early ECLSTS, Aristo Craft (Jonathan Polk?) sponsored a get together of Big-List members and it was great to place names with the faces.
One funny memory I have of the list was what happened with the Subject Line on one of the threads. The subject was something like getting kids involved with trains and the subject line evolved to something along the lines of, “getting kids to play with you” (or some such thing). One of the members coworkers passed by the desk, saw the subject line and was horrified by what they saw! The member had to explain exactly what was happening and that there was no ill intent regarding the message.
Thanks for the chance to walk down memory lane!
WK has resurfaced, apparently (just not here). New guys have no idea of the wide body of lore behind him.
Ahh yes WK…mechanics fix things ya’ know but I will behave …really don’t like the influx since Rome has/is crumbling
Holy Cow! White Kitty! I attended a marina convention in Orlando, home of WK. On an off afternoon of the Convention, we went to a local train museum/ hobby shop on International Drive. Strange guy in there talking up a storm with the manager. White cat hair all over a dark jacket. Yes, we quietly walked out and left the area.
Didn’t need that memory.
Oh I would love to know the story behind “white kitty”…
Craig Townsend said:
Oh I would love to know the story behind “white kitty”…
That goes way, way back to LSOL days, pre LSC and MLS.
One story I remember was he used kerosene in a loco smoke unit and burned his engine up.
Craig Townsend said:
Oh I would love to know the story behind “white kitty”…
There are many, but the one I love the most is his pursuit of black smoke for smoke units. He decided to try using kerosene in his around-the-Christmas-tree train, and set the smoke unit (and the tree) on fire. Then tried to get Aristocraft (?) to replace the smoke unit. THEN when they said “you used kerosene in it” tried to get everyone in on a class-action lawsuit against them.
Wow neat thread. Only show I attended was the southeast train show where I met Rick. Unable to post pics but we all had a good time. Later RJD
Bob McCown said:
Craig Townsend said:
Oh I would love to know the story behind “white kitty”…There are many, but the one I love the most is his pursuit of black smoke for smoke units. He decided to try using kerosene in his around-the-Christmas-tree train, and set the smoke unit (and the tree) on fire. Then tried to get Aristocraft (?) to replace the smoke unit. THEN when they said “you used kerosene in it” tried to get everyone in on a class-action lawsuit against them.
Gee, the discussion of making black smoke came up on LSOL many years ago. One individual said “use diesel fuel in your smoke units.” I didn’t fall for that. I did get black smoke by mixing carbon black with my smoke fluid. But I only tried it once because;
I only had a little bit of carbon black.
I was concerned that the carbon black would end up clogging up the wick.
I wonder if it was the same guy. Really, I do not remember the screen name of the guy who said use diesel fuel.