Ray D. Olesen, unofficial videographer of the Highland Pacific Railroad, is back. If you like big locomotives and long trains head over to the Videos section to see Jack Ross's SP gravel train.
Do Not Use While Train is Standing in the Station
Flushed with pride, Gerry and Chris show off their handiwork. Except Gerry whose hands are, disturbingly, still in his pocket.
Thanks to Gerry Willis and Chris Rippey the club’s Comfort Station has been upgraded with an ADA compliant toilet. The old toilet, part of the original house built pre-1948, while still working, has been relegated to the ash heap of old porcelain toilets.
NMRA National Convention in San Diego
The national model railroad convention will be held in San Diego this year. it’s just a couple of hours down the freeway so make your plans now. September 13-16, 2018.
2018 SpringRail
The 2018 version of SpringRail will held just down the road from Highland Pacific Railroad headquarters, is at the College Avenue Church of the Nazarene, 8221 College Avenue at Second Ave., Whittier, the City of Trees (Directions: 2018 SpringRail). Our own James Keena is conference chair for this ;popular gathering of model railroad intelligentsia..
Registration begins at 7 AM and is $20 for NMRA members, $25 non-members. The Swap Meet begins at the same time where members buy no longer wanted model railroad gear.
Morning donuts and coffee included free although donations are accepted (cash, not used model railroad equipment). A pizza lunch is free if you enter a model into the model contest; otherwise the lunch cost is $7.
The flyer below provides additional details.
Scenery Upgrades Proceed Apace
Gerry overlooks his recent handiwork.
The past couple of months have seen a burst of color on the west side of layout from Bayshore to Deka siding. The most recent revitalization was to the area around West End Yard up past Bayshore Valley Traction Station to the west.
Gerry Willis is the groundskeeper on this project. You can see how much brighter the scenery upgrade has made the layout in the photo at the right. Notice the better-defined path leading to the steps up to the bridge and trolley station. The greens are more vivid no doubt enhanced by the newly replaced trees.
Some of the new trees here and along the layout edge near Bayshore are from Gerry's own layout that he had when living in Reno. Other materials come from the stock of scenery supplies that have been hidden in various parts of the club rooms for many years. The new and repurposed materials used in this project look so much better because they are not covered by a patina of 50 years of model railroad dust.
Come on down and check Gerry's work. He will give you a personalized tour of the newly renovated areas. Keep moving or he will give you a tree to plant.
Jack Ross Joins Up
Jack Ross
My Name is Jack Ross. I am 37, married, and I have an 8 year old daughter. I have lived in Southern California my entire life.
I got interested in trains when I was 11. When I moved to Azusa from Pasadena, my parent's bought a house 2 blocks away from the Santa Fe mainline. I loved hearing the sounds of the trains as they went by so I started reading about them in school.
I started collecting HO scale models shortly after and have been active with the hobby ever since. I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experiences with anything train related and own a decent collection of HO scale model trains.
I model mainly 90's era Southern Pacific, but also have some "freelanced" modern Pacific Electric models.
Jack joins us as a Probationary Member and looks forward to being a member of the finest model railroad club in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Welcome Jack!
He's Back for a Return Engagement: Gerry Willis is Our Newest Active Member
Gerry Willis
No stranger to the HP, Gerry Willis returned to club membership following a teaching career in Nevada and Sacramento. An early member from 1973-1984, he remembered stringing block wire and throwing plaster around Pinehurst when trains could be seen from cab one.
Currently the band director at Duarte High School, he is an accomplished conductor and composer for public schools, universities and professional orchestras. Further, Gerry has composed music for several computer games.
Most importantly, he is an avid fan of the Rio Grande railroad, and looks forward to running his cars with new metal wheel sets that pass inspection. We all look forward seeing to his aging equipment that runs without derailing.
Gerry Willis was (re)voted in as an Active Member of Society at the January 2018 Quarterly Business Meeting. Welcome back Gerry!
New Videos Added
The Videos page of the club's Web site has recently been refreshed and a number of new videos have been added. Videos included feature action on or about the club's large and eminently accessible layout.
Ray Olesen, long-time member and recent retiree from Amtrak, has become the club's unofficial documentarian of Highland Pacific Railroad Annual Open House. There are now 8 videos that document the club's Open Houses back to 2010.
Check them out on the Videos page.
Full Timetable Operations Scheduled for January 31st
Calling all Highland Pacific Crew and Guests ...
Van Facko, Founding Member
Reminder that Wednesday, January 31, 2018 is again a 5th Wednesday of the month and is the Quarterly Railroad Operation Session. We will begin scheduled operations at 8:00 P.M.
Come by early for orientation on the Rights of Trains and to begin assembling trains in the yards. We will utilize Time Table No. 10 for mainline operations. There will be plenty of trains to run over the railroad with extras added to the dispatchers train line up and local operations via the Blue Island, Doring, and Pinehurst locals. Also available will be Commuter lines, both Metrolink and Bayshore Valley Traction running from Bayshore to Del Mar.
There are yard positions available at Bayshore, Vista Yard, West End Yard, Roundhouse and Delmar Passenger Terminal. Yard operators will be assembling trains for departures and receiving incoming trains with cars that will need to switched out for the local deliver.
Both DC and DCC locomotives will be used in the operating session utilizing the block control assignments.
Timetable No. 10 can be downloaded here (click anywhere on the green text). Timetable 10 is based upon a train line up prepared by Van Facko, one of the Club's founding members. Copies will be available at the operating session.
Future Operating Session for this year will be on May 30, August 29, and October 31, 2018. Mark your calendar.
James Keena
Paymaster
HPRR Annual Banquet Set for January 13
Come one, come all, but come.
The Highland Park Society of Model Railroad Engineers, Inc. will hold its Annual Awards Banquet on Saturday, January 13, 2018 beginning at 6 PM, at the Villa Catrina in Arcadia. Click this for directions from the club to the restaurant.
Dinner will cost $25/person; pay your share to James Keena, Paymaster before the banquet.
Thanks to Steve and Holly Smith for organizing the banquet again.