                                 Super’s Ramblings

         Our Spring Meet is just around the corner. I hope you all have something to bring for the model contest or just to show off. I had the misfortune of showing off my layout at the last Mini- meet sponsored by the local TNT group. There is nothing like an open house to get one moving and get the trains running. I have a new NCE 10 amp system and I fried 4 or 5 engines, some with sound. But because of a lot of generous help, I have been able to get back on track and running again. And that’s what this hobby is all about, friends helping friends. Lots of people had solutions. Bruce Oberleitner and Tom Waters have been a great help with the PSX power protectors and reversing loop circuitry. Strange things were happening. Turnouts and polarity were switching on their own and no clue as to why. I thought I had gremlins. Well, a change of amp trip current sensitivity was the fix in addition to cleaning dirty track. Thanks guys.
         I want to encourage everyone to attend the NMRA National Convention in Sacramento this summer. Go on- line to www.x2011west.org . My wife and I are registered to go and enjoy the events including all the great tours. Everything can be done on-line this year. You’ll know right away when you sign up for a tour whether you’ll get it or not. We are signed up for the Sacramento River Dinner Train Sunday night. Our trip will include dinner, a beer tasting and musical entertainment along with the train ride. Monday, we are scheduled to see the Sierra Railway at Railtown 1897. This is where many railroad movies were filmed and the trains are still there to see and some to ride. Petticoat junction, The Wild, Wild, West, High Noon and Back to the Future part III were filmed here. A Texas Style BBQ is included in the afternoon. There are tours to Virginia City and the V&T railroad available. Tours up the Feather River Canyon to Portola are scheduled for those WP fans like me. Layout tours are plentiful with a wide selection offered from N scale to 1.5 inch scale. One can see Jim Dias, Jack Burgess and Kermit Paul all in one tour for example. Over 60 layouts are open to us to see. Some are even open on a self guided tour, no buses to pay for. And the clinics this year are incredible. You’ll just have to go on-line to see the many clinics offered. And don’t forget the National Train Show for 3 full days.
         Well, I’ll see you at the Spring Meet.

Terry A. Nelson, Superintendent
NMRA/PNR 3rd Div.

         For the January TNT Mini meet, one of the tour layouts was the Caldwell club's new building to check out their progress. They've pretty much completed the move; and while the plans for the new H0 layout are on the drawing board, they've set up their modular layout to work on it. The N layout has been set up in it's new room, with sections added to expand it to use the new space.

         Walt Huston sent some tidbits in the February edition of the NMRA InfoNet News. Her'es a couple that you might find interesting:

         The "Members Only" section of the NMRA website is getting very close to opening to the public. In addition to some content we're preparing right now, we're also looking for some ideas from NMRA members of things we can add to that section. If you or your members have some ideas, please forward them to Bob Robbins at marrob17@optonline.com .

         Two "new" model railroad podcasts have popped up within the past several months. One is "Model Rail Radio," and features the NMRA's own Board Member Clark Kooning as a regular guest. Shows run from 20 minutes to three hours and cover a wide range of topics. You can find out more about that podcast at www.modelrailradio.com . Another podcast, hosted by Trevor Marshall and Jim Martin, features two in-depth interviews in a concise, 20-minute period. Find out more at www.themodelrailwayshow.com . Both podcasts can be downloaded via iTunes.