THE ABTO GAZETTE September, 2015 Volume 23 Number 9
Mailing address: P.O. Box 50428, Mesa, AZ. 85208
Visit at: www.azbigtrains.org
IN THIS ISSUE
President’s Message
Treasurer’s Report
Nomination of Officers
Glenn Sampson Award
Mesa Library Module Event Photo by Ginny Morris
2
THE ABTO GAZETTE
CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
Wednesday, Sept. 16 6:00pm Board Meeting at Medtronic
Saturday, Sept. 19 10:00am Membership Meeting at CCMC-Ocotillo Room
Saturday, Sept. 19 10:00am TCA Desert Division HO/G Gauge Auction (page 10)
Friday, Oct. 9 11:00am Set up at Railfair at McCormick Stillmas Railroad Park
Saturday, Oct. 10 10am-5pm Railfair-McCormick Stillman RR Park—RUN TRAINS
Sunday, Oct. 11 10am-4:30pm Railfair-McCormick Stillman RR Park—RUN TRAINS
Sunday, Oct. 11 4:30pm Tear Down Modules
Wednesday, Oct. 14 6pm Board Meeting at Medtronic
Saturday, Oct. 17 TBA Membership Meeting at Mike Lewandowski’s residence
President’s Message September Gazette
Last month we had a good turnout for our August club meeting at
CCMC I in Mesa. Mike Temenski gave a positive report on the growing popularity for
the week–long Modular train setup in the Mesa Public library. Jack Johnson
talked about lead figures and molds he acquired for making action figures in
lead for our backyard layouts. Ask Jack about these lead figures and their
prices. He wants to sell them plain or painted. He will publish a price list soon. Yours truly (John Meyers) gave a
clinic on making structures with cedar wood for our backyard layouts, presenting three methods for building
structures from scratch or from kits.
This month our featured speaker is Dennis Busby talking about building structures made of Precision Board. He
will also mention the price and where it can be purchased. This September club meeting will be the last indoor
session at CCMC in Mesa since the cooler weather will allow us to hold our meetings outside at the homes of
our members again.
The election for your club’s Board will take place at the October meeting. Please let Rich Hull know if you wish
to nominate yourself or another member of our club for any of the positions (all of them are open). The nomi-
nated ones will speak at the October meeting before the election that day.
The funeral for Gen Majasky, a longtime member and a good friend to all of us, took place on August 12 in Min-
nesota, her home state. She will be greatly missed.
As this board finishes out our two-year term, we hope that we will see even more support and greater participa-
tion from the general membership. See the list of the many events on our schedule through December (Page 7
in this Gazette) and take advantage of them.
Chief Engineer
John Meyers
3
THE ABTO GAZETTE
CONTENTS
President’s Message...……………………………… 2
Treasurer’s Report……………………………………..3
Upcoming Meeting Information...……………..3
August Meeting Minutes……..…………………...4
Nomination of Officers…...………………..….…..5
September Meeting Information…...………… 5
Nominations for Glenn Sampson Award.…. 6
Upcoming Events for ABTO 2015……………….7
Christmas Dinner Information…….….………….8
Railfair information………………………………..….9
Misc. Information…………………………………….10
ABTO General Meeting & (Other Events) Tentative Schedule 2015
September 19 CCMC—Speaker—Dennis Busby-Using Precision Board for Building Structures
October 17 Mike Lewandowski
November 21 Mike Temenski & Lynne McClure
November 7 (Phoenix Round-About to host Tucson TGRS)
December 6 (Christmas Banquet) December 12 & 13, 19 & 20 (Christmas Open House)
Genevieve (Gen) Majaski
Passed away August 8, 2015
in Minnesota. Gen was a
winter member and was
active in the Modules SIG,
running her train.
Gen also participated in many ABTO func-
tions while in Arizona.
Gen had also gone on a few trips run by Rich
Hull including the Scandinavian trip.
Gen will be missed.
If you would like to send donations in
remembrance of Gen:
Community Covenant Church
122 S. Main Street
Upsala, MN. 56384
Welcome New Member:
Robert Coughlon
9105 S. 48 Drive
Laveen, AZ 85339
Cell: 805.402.4096
Email:
R_Coughlon@hotmail. com
4
THE ABTO GAZETTE
ABTO General Membership Meeting, Aug 15, 2015 at CCMC Ocotillo Room 10:00 AM
Old Business:
A. Minutes: Approval of minutes as they appeared in the Gazette was moved by Daryll; seconded
by Mary and passed.
B. Treasurer’s Report: Mike T. added some information to the report as it appeared in the Ga-
zette: $350 spent for train sets for the Modules event at the Mesa Library in July. Approval of the
treasurer’s report to be accepted as published in the Gazette was moved by Daryll; seconded by
Jack Johnson; it passed.
New Business:
A. Jack Johnson showed several lead figures and the molds to make them, a large collection he
received from Dennis Ryan. He will make an inventory and list the figures with prices ranging from
$6 (unpainted) to $20 (painted).
B. Mike T. reported on the huge success of the Modules event at the Mesa Library: an increase in
publicity (both print and TV coverage), 4200 in attendance (almost twice as much as last year);
families scheduling it as a regular summer time event to attend; lots of participation by the chil-
dren in coloring and in running the trains set up for that purpose. The youngster who won the
grand prize was really excited! However, we hope to have more volunteers to set-up, run trains,
and tear down.
C. John reported on the very successful and enjoyable NGRC in Denver, July 7-11, 2015. Vince
Simpson as well John and his wife Pat were vendors. A few ABTO members helped them and/or
participated in the convention events: Terry Haas, Terry and Carolyn Fields, Roger Crooks, and
Dan Hoag. Next year’s NGRC will be in Santa Clara and promises to be a great event with a special
event of a BBQ combined with a ride on the Shay in the mountains.
D. John shared some updates on the restoration of the 4014 Big Boy which has been moved from
Pomona, CA to Union Pacific’s Roundhouse for its full restoration, expected to be completed in
2017. He also mentioned taking a ride on the 1880 (2-6-6-2T) steam train from Hill City to Key-
stone, SD. Others mentioned good train rides such as a Civil War New train in PA, and the train in
Denali, Alaska.
E. John passed out a flyer showing some of the ABTO events coming up through this December.
Business meeting adjourned at 11:00 before a Break
John Meyers’ presented a talk on three methods for building wooden structures: board on
frame, board on board, and texture on board.
Additional items from the floor:
Roy Towne mentioned that MTH has their 2015 catalog online; they have updated electronics.
There was a suggestion to offer new members an orientation, specifically to contact Ennis Thomp-
son to consider purchasing some of his stock. He has dismantled his layout.
The overall meeting adjourned at 12:00 noon.
Submitted by Pat Meyers (subbing for Ginny Morris)
5
THE ABTO GAZETTE
SEPTEMBER MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Location: CCMC
1400 South Dobson Road
Rosati Education Center-Bldg 1432
Ocotillo Room
Mesa, AZ. 85202
Speaker: Dennis Busby-Using Precision Board for
Building Structures
Schedule: 10:00am-12:00pm
Food: Continental Breakfast /Snack
RSVP: Ken Hawkins
623-640-6446
By Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Nominations Being Accepted for New Officer Team
This fall is the time ABTO selects new officers for 2016-17. It is the ABTO Board that handles the
day to day activities of our club and makes decisions regarding the direction the club will go in the
future. If you have a desire to give back to the membership of this club, please submit your
name to be a member of the officer team for the next 2 years. Present board members can be
nominated for another office, and any club member can be nominated for any elected position in
ABTO. You must be an active member for at least 12 months prior to the election. The following
offices will be voted on: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and 3 Member at Large.
If you have a desire to be a Board member of ABTO, please submit your name and a brief para-
graph as to why you are seeking the position you desire. Please submit this information to Rich
Hull, [email protected] or mail your information to 25025 S. Lakeway Drive, Sun Lakes,
AZ 85248.
The names will be reviewed by the nomination committee and announced at the September
meeting. Nominations will still be accepted up to the October meeting. Eligible candidates will
be announced in October and will be asked to make a short presentation to the membership at
that meeting. The election will take place prior to the November meeting, with winners an-
nounced at that time. At the December Christmas party, the new Board will be officially intro-
duced and will take office January 1, 2016.
Remember, you can give back to this club by serving as a member of the Board. All of you have
something to give back to this club. Let’s have a full slate of officers for this year’s election.
6
THE ABTO GAZETTE
Nominations being accepted for Annual Glenn Sampson Award
The Glenn Sampson Annual Engineers Award was approved by the ABTO Board seven years ago.
Jim Gardner was the 2014 recipient. This is the only award presented by the Club on an annual
basis. The Board felt the club should recognize the work its members do on an annual basis. In
approving this award, the Board stated, "We don't need many awards, just one and the club
should play a role in who is picked to receive the award, thus the reason for presenting the
idea of the Glenn Sampson Engineers Award. Glenn exemplified the true spirit of volunteerism
in a club and had a tremendous ability to get along with all members. If there was work to be
done Glenn was there."
ABTO individuals need to nominate who they think should receive the award. They do this by
naming the individual and in a no more than one page description explain why this individual
should receive the award. These nominations would be submitted to Rich Hull. He will pick 2
other individuals, one who will be the President to work with him to pick the actual winner.
This award will be presented at the annual Christmas Party. Your nomination needs to be in
Rich's hands by November 8. You can e-mail your one page nomination to
[email protected] or by regular mail: 25025 S. Lakeway Drive, Sun Lakes, AZ 85248.
Phone: 602-684-1203 (cell) or 480-802-5308 (home).
There are some rules: A person can nominate anyone including him/her self. Board members
can be nominated. The rules are simple; you as a member just need to nominate that person
who should receive this important award. Again, send your nomination to Rich Hull by Novem-
ber 8.
Previous winners of engineers award:
Jack Slinkard * Bob & Sandy Rauperstrauch
Ennis Thompson * Ginny Morris
Glenn Sampson * Bob Clark
Jerry McKenzie * Jim Kangas
Rich Hull * Dennis Busby
* Presented prior to being a board sanctioned project. Jim Gardner
Jack Johnson describing
his lead figures to
Joanne Gardner
7
THE ABTO GAZETTE
UPCOMING EVENTS for ABTO 2015
� On October 10
th-11
th the modules will be set up for running trains at the
McCormick Stillman RR Park Railfair. Please sign up to help.
� On October 17th
our general meeting is at Mike Lewandowski’s layout,
which will show what can be done with cement rock for realism.
� At the October general meeting we will hear from the candidates running
for office on the Board before we hold the election. The winners will be
announced in November. The new Board takes over January 1, 2016.
� On November 7th
ABTO will host the Round-About for the Tucson club
(TGRS), including Live Steam demo, 1:32 scale MTH and DCS system demo,
BBQ lunch, and a flea market at Meyerses’ home. We will need your help in
welcoming our Tucson friends at all the layouts.
� On November 21st
the general meeting will be at Mike Temenski and Lynne
McClure’s home where we will see their new layout.
� On Sunday, December 6th
, our annual Christmas Banquet will be held at the
Iron Works Restaurant, 17233 N. 45th
Avenue, Glendale AZ 85308 starting at
5:00. The program features speakers George Niederauer and Duane Daniel-
son from the Durango Railroad Historic Society. There will be door prizes
awarded throughout the evening.
� Christmas Open Houses will take place on December 12, 13, 19, and 20
from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. Please contact Mike Quaintance to sign up to host
and to volunteer to help at the layouts. Karen Lenzen will coordinate the
publicity for this event.
8
THE ABTO GAZETTE CHRISTMAS DINNER INFORMATION
Sunday, December 6, 2015 IRON WORKS RESTAURANT
17233 N. 45th Avenue
Glendale, Arizona 85308
Choices of Entrées available:
Choose one of the following:
Filet Mignon—Baked Potato—Vegetable
Filet of Salmon—Rice Pilaf—Vegetable
Boneless Lemon Chicken Breast—Rice Pilaf—
Vegetable
Entrees include Relish Tray, Soup, Tossed Garden
Salad, Rolls and Butter, Coffee & Iced Tea Service
and Dessert
$30.00 per person includes gratuity and sales tax
All monies must be sent to Mike Temenski, ABTO,
P.O. Box 50428, Mesa, AZ 85208 by November 16
with meal selection.
Schedule: 5:30pm—Social Gathering/Happy Hour
6:00pm—Dinner
ABTO LOGO ITEMS are available
by special order. Also a vest is
available. Please contact Ginny
Morris if interested in ordering
items.
Please contact Steve Lewis at [email protected] or Daryll Smith at
[email protected] if you are interested in setup, running your trains or teardown.
The sign-up sheet will be available to sign up at the September Membership Meeting
7301 East Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, AZ
85250
9
THE ABTO GAZETTE
2014/2015 Board of Directors President: John Meyers
602-841-7564
Vice President: Ken Hawkins
623-640-6446-cell
Secretary: Ginny Morris
480-248-9130
Treasurer: Mike Temenski
480-659-8410
Directors at Large
Daryll Smith 602-402-9458-cell
Steve Lewis 605-660-6911-cell
Mike Quaintance 480-721-7745
August Meeting Photos taken by
Don Sorenson. Two more photos on
page 6
10
THE ABTO GAZETTE
Check tcadd.org
to download the
Auction Catalog
SWAP MEETS & SHOWS
Saturday, September 19th-9am—NMRA Swap Meet, Scottsdale, AZ
Saturday, September 19th-10am=Auctions by the Desert Division-see above
Saturday, Sept. 26th-9am—Grand Canyon Mini Swap Meet, Phoenix, AZ
Saturday, October 17th-9am-WVRHS Model Train Swap Meet, Glendale, AZ
Check www.ArizonaModelTrains.con for exact addresses, etc.
11
ABTO MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
The renewal fee is $30.00 per year and the new
membership fee of $35.00 per year entitles you
to attend all meetings and events, to receive the
monthly newsletter, and to have one name badge
created for you. Additional badges may be pur-
chased for $7 each.
ABTO CONTRIBUTIONS
Members are encouraged to contribute articles,
letters, illustrations and/or photographs related
to garden railroading for inclusion in the news-
letter and/or posting on the club web site.
Members who have hobby-related items for sale
or trade may submit an advertisement for publi-
cation and/or posting at no charge. Please limit
each ad to a maximum of four lines. Accompany-
ing photos will be considered for publication as
space allows.
OBJECTIVES
Membership in Arizona Big
Train Operators (ABTO) is open
to anyone with an interest in
gardening and the creation &
operation of large scale model railways. At our
meetings, items of mutual interest associated
with the hobby are discussed and demonstrated.
Meetings are typically held at member’s homes,
where they have the opportunity to showcase
their railway creations. General meetings are
usually held on the third Saturday of the month.
ABTO BOARD MEETINGS
Board meetings will be held on Wednesday prior
to the general meeting of each month. Board
meetings are open to members who are current
on their dues and have an item for the agenda.
If you plan to attend, call a Board member to
confirm location, time and date
ARIZONA BIG TRAIN OPERATORS
Arizona Big Train Operators 1633 E. Lakeside Drive Unit 1 Gilbert, AZ 85234
Top Related