Helping Underpriviledged Children!!!

rcline

Member
77 -
I was just now showing Brenda, (my wife), what you have been doing with the kids at school. I also told her about every body and companies that have sent different items to you to help out with your project. Then Brenda had a great idea that I think would help you really big time and might even give you national attention to help out also.
Write Opra and tell her just what you are doing with the kids and if her heart is as big as she leads on to be, then I'll just bet that she will get in touch with you and really help out a lot. Who knows, the kids might even get to be on Opra !!
Really, -- Give it a try !!!!!!
Randy
 
Hi 77railer,

I'm happy to be reading about the progress you and the students are making on the club & layout.

I know it's a bit early in their club's history to claim success but they appear to have gotten off to a very good start. While donations from members here and from major manufacturers are great, any group of students would be lucky to have someone with your dedication on hand to get things rolling.

At some time in the future, when the club settles into a routine, it might be interesting to see if the group has any interest in promoting itself as "ambassadors" of model railroading, doing outreach programs to other schools or youth groups. Kids are obviously the future of our hobby and nobody can promote something to kids better than other kids.

Best of luck.

Wayne
 

77railer

Member
Well gang, we have 99.9% of the track laid. The track is wired, except for the terminal and some jumpers going to the DCC station. I have to cut one piece of track and connect 3 pieces and we will be in business. The only thing we are waiting on is Digitrax's 2 locos and to see if NCE is getting on board. The kids can now get in there and put all the models that they have recieved on the layout. Im still trying to figure out where we are gonna get the ground foam to cover the 6x10 layout, but it might just have to go to the show as is. There is a chance I will be teaching 5th grade math/science next year which would be great because I could use the trains for tons of it. I cant thank you guys enough for all of your support and suggestions. I will be posting pictures later this week. Thanks Again, 77Railer
 

ausien

Active Member
Speaking for myself, Leroy, YOU`RE MOST WELCOME... I truly believe it was a well worth cause. and if you and the kids enjoy it then more power to you...have a good one mate..steve
 

77railer

Member
I got the track laid, and made the circuit for the dcc feeders coming off the bus since its kinda modular. Real proud of myself for that little bit of electrical work. Now I have a short. I think its coming from the walthers #6 curve turnouts we have various places on our layout. Buddy of mine sent an article on how to make them dcc friendly....looks difficult. Tomorrow I will open them all to the mainline and if the short goes away then they are the problem...if not....then it will not be so much fun,lol. The good news is even if I cant get the turnouts fixed before the show we have other turnouts to get off the main and onto the inside loops and the switching yard...yes we also have a switching yard. We took the powerloc setup off the layout and whamo was there lots of room. Wish me luck gang....still working on getting the ground foam....anyone have any suggestions...we need enough to cover the 6x10 layout...and are slap outta cash. I know we can make our own but we only have 2 club meetings before the show and they are 1 hr a piece. So as a club we got two hours. I would rather let the kids put the models on that mess with making ground foam....where there is a will there is a way right?

77Railer
Be what you is, cuz if you is what you aint, then you aint what you is.
 

shaygetz

Active Member
Go to Home Depot and/or Lowes and/or Builders Square and ask for the sawdust by their plywood cutting jig. Mix it with powdered tempera paints, spread it out where you want it, mist it heavily with water that's had a drop of soap put in it, then fix it in place with 50/50 white glue/water mix. We didn't always have ground foam in the hobby ;)
 

shaygetz

Active Member
If you can't find that use Rit Dye---CAREFULLY---. It is a salt based product that's hard on rail if not used carefully. Just mix it in the sawdust, experiment with it for varying shades, a little goes a long way.
 

77railer

Member
Having a problem with a short somewhere on the track...not sure where it is or what it is. Hoping to get it corrected by friday. Basically the next three days is all we left to work on the layout. Placing a glueing the models/people is all we really have left. We have spring break the next week and then the show is here. Gonna be cutting it close. Might even be working on it at the show...hope no one minds,lol.

77Railer
Gonna give it the old college try. Wish us luck
 

77railer

Member
Well gang...I started making ground foam last night. I used the how to posted on Fred's site and it appears to work wonders,lol. I have some kids cutting foam peices up today....hoping to get enough cut up to cover the layout. I did get alittle greedy with the amount or rather the size of the foam and my blender got sick....poor thing puking all over itself and my worktable,lol. Now that I think about it, that work table dont look half bad green.....not like I had a choice of the color as the foam/paint was hurling every which way. Digitrax's donation is supposed to be arriving today...will take pics of it and the other companies donations for posting...took some pics of the layout and hope to get those off the camera soon. Thanks again for everyones help.

77Railer
 

77railer

Member
Well gang, my feet hurt, my legs are tired, my ears still hear the hum of locos, the clickity clack of metal wheels and the oohs and aahs of children amazed at what they see. The first day of the train show went off without a hitch. Mayewood Railroaders had 10 club members there from 9am until 1:30pm to run and tell on lookers about there layout. Among the hundreds of spectators was news19 and The Item. One of my students who never talks in class was the most entertaining today, telling everyone he could of his successes and pitfalls on the layout. He even got a microphone from the news guy and took him and the camera man on a tour of the layout while speaking into the mic, I was shocked. Who was this kid and where was the shy guy who never spoke. While we didnt have the ground foam complete we got several compliments on the painted texture and color scheme on the foam board we used. The layout next to us looked like something out of MRM, which obviously took years to complete and tune. While our 6x10 pailed in comparison several spectators commented on how our layout was obtainable, and was a realistic representation of what the average Joe would end up with. That made me feel good, I took that as your layout inspires me and gives me the confidence to try making one for myself, rather than failing miserably because I cant re-create what I see in the magazines. We had four locos running on the layout today, and we even let the challenger stretch its legs abit while the other locos took a break. I will be taking detailed pic tomorrow that will tell the various stories the kids thought up. The funniest thing that happened today involved our chain gang. One of the kids bought a police car for the layout and told me he had been watching the gang all day and something was up, and he figured the two cops watching them would need away to escape when it went down. I thought that was cool. Kids being kids again rather than trying to "represent" as we say around here. Check back with us tomorrow for news on day two and pics pics pics........Im so excited.


77Railer
 

ausien

Active Member
Hey you lot of The Mayewood RR.congratulations on your first show, glad it was a roaring success for you all, realy makes you feel good when people(strangers) appreciate what you do, doesnt it..glad the shy modleer has come out of his shell a bit, have a lot more fun at the show, and cant wait for the pics, pics, pics...you said it m8...have a good one leroy...steve
 

77railer

Member
I now have in my possesion the interface cable for the digital camera...so when I get home this afternoon I will be able to get those pics off the camera. I have also emailed the local paper's photographer in attempt to get a copy of the shots he took. Since he has the big expensive setup I bet his pics are nice,lol.


77Railer
 

77railer

Member
Here you go guys...hope you enjoy as much as we did...waiting on the paper photographer for more pics.

First shows what we started with before any scenery. Take notice to who the first sponsor is on our banner. We all thank you very much for your support. Im sure we will be needing future support as we discuss going modular. Im really excited about that. I think it will hold up better over time and keep the club going. Thanks again fellas.

77Railer
 

Attachments

  • Blank Layout.jpg
    Blank Layout.jpg
    63.4 KB · Views: 13
  • Train Show Members.jpg
    Train Show Members.jpg
    58.7 KB · Views: 17
  • Chain Gang.jpg
    Chain Gang.jpg
    57 KB · Views: 12
  • Dock Work.jpg
    Dock Work.jpg
    46.6 KB · Views: 51
  • Funeral.jpg
    Funeral.jpg
    31.9 KB · Views: 12

77railer

Member
Here is some more pics....
 

Attachments

  • Passing Trains.jpg
    Passing Trains.jpg
    43.4 KB · Views: 64
  • Waiting on the train.jpg
    Waiting on the train.jpg
    26.6 KB · Views: 13
  • Watching Cattle.jpg
    Watching Cattle.jpg
    47.4 KB · Views: 57
  • Checkers.jpg
    Checkers.jpg
    57.9 KB · Views: 12
  • Hardware Store.jpg
    Hardware Store.jpg
    48.3 KB · Views: 16

77railer

Member
I call this picture Pride....she is very very proud of the life she added to one of the models that means so much to my kids. In case you dont know Ausien sent this from Down Under and the gentleman who worked on it passed away shortly after its completion. The kids are very protective over those two models, and she asked me if I thought he would have liked what she did with it....In the second picture...the shy guy (Brandon) is showing off the layout.
 

Attachments

  • Pride.jpg
    Pride.jpg
    65.2 KB · Views: 15
  • Brandon.jpg
    Brandon.jpg
    53.5 KB · Views: 13
Top