News
The club rooms of the Highland Park Society of Model Railroad Engineers, Inc. are closed. For now.
Non-dues paying termites have taken up residence in the club and are about to be unceremoniously evicted. A professional termite company has “tented” the club house in preparation for gassing the pests.
The clubhouse is closed until tenting is removed on Thursday, December 20th.
Merry Christmas to all.
Ray Olesen has done it again. He has provided a comprehensive run on the mighty Highland Pacific Railroad. Ray’s work is a fitting documentation of the 70th Anniversary of the Highland Pacific Railroad.
See the video in the Photos/Videos section of this website.
The Open House Operating Crew on the Final Day of the 70th Anniversary Highland Park Society of Model Railroad Engineers, Inc. Open House
Moms, dads, and kids of all ages waited in anticipation of getting in to be able see, up close and personal, the mighty Highland Pacific Railroad.
After 5 days and 25 hours of showing off the Highland Pacific Railroad the 70th Anniversary Open House has come to a close. The extra days and extra hours demonstrated why the Highland Park Society of Model Railroad Engineers, Inc. Has one of the better-known, larger model railroad clubs in the greater Los Angeles basin.
Activities included operations, displays, Lego Railroad, food sales, and a big raffle. The schedule of events, getting the layout and clubroom in shape, and detailed planning were the work of Steve Smith, Sr., who served as Open House Chief.
Those in the picture, kneeling from left: Steve Smith, Sr., Assistant Superintendent and Open House Chief, Jack Ross, Marc Thrasher, Pete DeBeers. Standing from left: Gerry Willis, General Superintendent, Bill Chappell, Dave Dodds, James Keena, Paymaster, Dave Flynn, Bruce Turner, Lindsay Smith, Chief Clerk, Cliff Bender, Ray Olesen, Arie Korporaal, Jerry Duncan.
Attention Model Railroaders and Train Enthusiasts:
The Highland Pacific Model Railroad Club in San Gabriel will be holding a TRAIN RUNNING SESSION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
Santa Fe F3 17 waits with the Super Chief
Modeler: John Deka
Members of the community are welcome to bring an HO Scale (DC or DCC we can run both on our layout) train to the club and run it on our famous layout, featuring over 4,000 feet of track.
Don’t have a train? Run Ours! We will have trains for you to run, freight or passenger. In addition we will have engineer helpers and conductors to make your journey on the Highland Pacific a memorable experience.
Where? Highland Pacific Railroad, 854 Broadway, San Gabriel, CA 91776
When? Sunday, September 30th, Noon to 4 PM.
RSVP Let us know you are coming, and we will reserve a cab (5 total) for you! We also have plenty of Yard and Local spaces for people. Let us know your preference.
Also let us know if you will be bringing your own train or using our rolling stock.
Bring your camera for great pictures and spectacular train operation through cities, towns and mountains!
To RSVP or for more Information send an email to Steve Smith Sr. at everwaysbomb@aol.com
Steve Smith
Assistant Superintendent
Highland Pacific Society of Model Railroad Engineers
A work crew, led by Chris Rippy and assisted by Ron Merkel and Jack Ross, has been installing lighting around the bottom of the layout to make navigation easier when lights are off. Why would the lights be off? When "night running" is in order while following Higlhland Pacific Railroad Timetable 10.
These new lights are the same LED lights and fixtures designed by Dave Flynn several weeks ago. See earlier News article about the making of the aisle lights.
3D printing has amazing uses from creating artificial organs, prosthetics, architectural models, toys, guitars, parts for motor vehicles and rocket engines, and even chocolate bars. On the HPRR 3D printing has been used to "print" housings for layout control panels and now, floor lighting fixtures.
At the Highland Pacific Railroad 3D printing was used to make LED holders to be installed for floor lighting. These little gems originated with a broken LED tube. Rather than throw them out Dave Flynn decided to recycle the LEDs in the club's floor lighting project.
The LEDs were removed from the broken fixture and a single LED was used to design a fixture to house the LEDs. The fixture was then "printed" on Dave's 3D-printer.The addition of a couple of wires, 2 screws for mounting, a resistor, and voilà, floor lighting fixtures for the layout room for about $0.40 in parts. This will be especially useful for those times we operate the Highland Pacific Railroad in "night running" mode.
Steve Smith, Sr. organized a day-long, special operating on Wednesday, July 4th. Since it was a holiday Steve surmised that many members would have the day off. He was right. We had more members in attendance, more than we’ve had at some Open Houses.
UP waits for clearance at Bayshore Station.
A new Board of Directors was elected at the Annual Business Meeting on July 11, 2018. The board takes office on August 1st.
The Board members are:
Superintendent: Gerry Willis
Assistant Superintendent: Steve Smith Sr.
Treasurer: James Keena
Chief Clerk: William Lindsay Smith
Member at Large: Ray Olesen
Board members will serve a term of 2 years.
This week's video entry from railroad videographer Ray D. Olesen who works in both HO and
1-to-1 scale, features 4 sound-equipped locomotives, 2 steam and 2 diesel lashups, Head over to Videos to see Ray's latest work.
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.
Memberships available. Call (626) 285-1031
