COLUMBUS GARDEN RAILWAY SOCIETY

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 Great Train Expo 2013

April 2013 Great Train Expo at the Ohio Expo Center's Lausche Building.

new record for simultaneous train operation




Just in case anyone is interested --

there were seven operating trains on the display layout on Sunday afternoon.

1. Upper track - teddy bear train
2. Upper track - Stainz loco with box car and lighted Aristo coach

3. Back and forth - cable car

4. Inner loop - Santa Fe diesel powered freight
5. Inner loop - ladybug eggliner

6. Outer loop - A-B B&O FAs with modern lightweight passenger train
7. Outer loop - USRA NYC Pacific powered heavyweight passenger train (battery powered by Eric Schumann)

Side note: at one point mid afternoon we had them packed in three deep watching the trains. I quit counting at 50 and was only half way around the viewing area.

by Doug Kruest and photo by Fred Schetlz


 
2012 Four Club Tour

The Indiana Large Scale Railroaders hosted the 2012 Four Club Tour July 14, 2012.

24 CGRS members traveled to Indianapolis to enjoy the five railroads showcased by the ILSR along with a visit to the Indiana Transportation Museum and a short train ride to one of the host railroads.

After lunch and viewing the ILSR modular division at Christ's Community Church, the CGRS group took the bus to board the Indiana Transportation Museum special for a short train ride to the first host railroad.

The "Brock's Railroad" features a large waterfall, with large rock formations and a long tunnel. The track plan is basically flat and the roadbed is 2" styrofoam cut to shape and painted. A spur track runs around the corner and directy into the garage to several storage tracks.  

The train then returned us to the Indiana Transportation Museum for a short tour. 

The second host railroad, the "Deer Ridge Garden RR" features a long sweeping double track and 1200 feet of stainless steel track with long trains like the "Super Chief" and "Empire Builder". Centerpiece of the railroad is a14 foot steel bridge span modeled after the Hells Gate Bridge. 

The third host railroad, the "Westfield Railroad" in a small back yard features two switching yards powered by air motors controlled by a working "tower operator".  The only ILSR Club member to have "working switch tower".

The final host railroad, the "Sparrow Flats Railroad" is a whimsical world named after the Sparrow Hills in Moscow after the host's vacation trip in 2006. The railroad features two independent loops, an upper with a circus train and lower level around the fish pond.

photos by Wayne Beedle

     
 Age of Steam Roundhouse Tour 

CGRS members had the privilege of touring the Age of Steam Roundhouse near Sugarcreek. This magnificent recreation of a working roundhouse is not open to the general public and the tour was arranges by a club member from the area. The roundhouse is complete to the last detail with ornate brick work and large oak beams. It is also a working roundhouse with many steam engines in various states of repair.


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photos by Wayne Beedle


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  Great Train Expo 2012



August and June Field's family farm sits atop Phlat Hill. August is a volunteer on the Teddy Bear tourist railroad and donated land near his barn for the railroad's depot. His daughters April and Mae take the streetcar regularly to their jobs in Geetown. There are rumors that a stairway between the streetcar platform and the depot is being considered by the county in hopes that it will help attract more people to use the streetcar to reach the tourist train. Additional ridership could provide funds to extend the line which ran out of funds after completing the tunnel.




This quiet little cluster of homes is the hamlet of Stony Creek which was named by Robin Byrd when she and her husband Larry moved to the valley to escape hectic east coast life. They so loved their new home they invited their lawyer and family friends Atticus and Avis Finch to join them. Recently retired sea captain Jack Sparrow and Jack's high school friend Jay Hawk built homes for their families on the remaining valley land. Jay, also retired but from the Kansas City Southern Railway, loves the sound of the steam locomotives which occasionally run on the Teddy Bear Railroad(TBR) tourist line which encircles the valley. The TBR operates on the old high line of the Columbus & Geetown Railway System (CGRS) which is known for it's disparate collection of Midwest short lines.



 Overall view of the display at the March 2012 Great Train Expo at the Ohio Expo Center's Lausche Building. Twenty-two club families participated in the event. Unfortunately Plan B had to be implemented when almost continuous rain the week before the show necessitated using landscape burlap to cover the concrete floor because it was not possible to dry out the mulch planned to encircle the front of the layout. The club's new Santa Fe diesel, donated by the Klinks with refurbishing and new motor trucks installed by Bob Collins, ran smoothly for both days of the show. The diesel horn sounding as the train approached the freight depot fascinated many of the young visitors but attendance in general seemed to be down from previous years 


Pictures and descriptions      
by Doug Kruest        
        

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Pictures by Fred Scheltz      
and Doug Kurest         


 2012 Annual Banquet
Twentieth Birthday Party




What a great banquet and very special evening for the seventy one people who attended! That number included our honored quests, the five people who started the Columbus Garden Railway Society along with their spouses, Richard Abler, Glenn Babka, Ron Mayer, Chris Myers, and Phil Wilcox.




Chip Rosenblum presented his "Art and Whimsy in the Garden Railroad" program encouraging all of us to look outside the box and be creative with our railroads. 



The raffle was a large success with the largest selection of items and best response ever.



  


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 CGRS at COSI December 2011



Gallery of set up and operation at COSI December 2011.  The responce from the children was great.  One youngster came over to me as he and his father were leaving and said "Thank you, mister for bringing your trains."  Thanks to all that helped with a very successful show.
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