The Train Station Inn

Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia

By Jane Clarke

Pete points to the name “Jane” stenciled on the side of the 40’ boxcar.

Most summers, My husband Pete and I take a family vacation to my sister-in-law’s cabin in Elgin, New Brunswick, Canada. And most summers, we take a vacation from the family vacation.

This year we stayed three days at the Train Station Inn of Tatamagouche. I was dubious about booking it until I found out we could stay in Boxcar Jane! One side door of the boxcar was removed and replaced with an entryway with two people doors. The interior walls were clad in drywall and wainscoting, but the floors appeared to be the original wood, heavily sanded and coated with gallons of polyurethane. There was a spacious living room, decent sized bedroom, small kitchen, and tiny bathroom. The only windows were above the entryway doors.

The Inn was its own little resort with a formal dining car, outdoor pub, gift and coffee shop, and lounge car. There was live music at the pub 2 of our 3 nights. It also boasts the largest collection of cabeese in Canada. Most of the cars were Canadian National, naturally.

We were there to bike a small portion of the Trans-Canada Trail. Like many trails, the quality of it varied between counties and townships.There were some remnants of the railroad, such as the Tatamagouche bridge. Not part of the RR, but the Sutherland Steam Mill was fascinating! So many ways to kill yourself at work back in the day.

If you are ever in Nova Scotia, I highly recommend the Train Station Inn!

Achievement Program Certificates Awarded

Bob Charles (left) and Bob Johnson review structures made by John Pursell after the annual Mini Con in April 2024. The dioramas are entries for the Achievement Program structure certificate. (Tom Fedor)

NMRA Achievement Program (AP) certificates awarded to John Purcell.

Kurt Thompson, MMR and MER AP Manager reported in The Local that John has added Model Railroad Author and Master Builder – Structures to his list of certifications.

You can read more of John’s writing and see more of his modeling in past editions (years 2021/22 and later) of your Wheel Report <https://portal.smdnmra.org/497-2/>.

KATO DCC Project

Modeling Tips & Lessons Learned

By Frank Benenati

A friend needed help installing a DCC decoder and keep alive in an HO scale Kato EMD NW2 switcher they plan to repaint. Given the cost of a TCS (Train Control Systems) M1 small form factor decoder, a TCS KeepAlive, and taking into account the Kato design, shown below, a new or used switcher with factory installed DCC, sound, and keep-alive might have been a better option. The split metal frame would require time consuming milling to fit even the smallest of decoders, plus electrical isolation of the motor from the shell.

We were about to “scrap the project” until I discovered a Lenz Digital Plus Silver decoder in my electronic parts bin. It had previously been installed in an HOn3 steam locomotive and later in an HO Alco RS3. Most importantly, the decoder added no out-of-pocket cost to the project. The downside, it was larger than the TCS M1 and therefore require a larger pocket (more cutting, grinding, and filing). Several wire leads also needed to be replaced and soldered onto the decoder board.

Before I plugged in my Dremel and changed the blade in my hacksaw, I thought it best to test the recycled decoder and my soldering skills.

Modeling Tip

To test, I attached the decoder red and black wires to a Sprog II and the orange and grey wires to a test track. After placing the NW2 on the test track, I used DecoderPro to reprogram the decoder and check the Kato for gear noise, running smoothness, and switching potential. End result, the Kato design lived up to it’s reputation and ran extremely well. We decided to install the Lenz decoder and forego adding a keep alive.

Cutting the decoder pocket, below, in the top of the shell was time consuming.

Installation was a success. A smooth running switcher, limited conversion cost, and a happy friend.

Lesson Learned

While I most likely would not volunteer to do another Kato NW2 conversion, I am looking forward to a crab cake lunch and running this rebuilt NW2 on their model railroad.

If you decide to take on a Kato NW2 conversion, TCS provides detailed instructions for installing their M1 decoder here:<https://drupal.tcsdcc.com/installation/ho-scale/1358>.

Bridge Out Ahead: The Past, Present, and Future of SMD

This past decade has been a tumultuous time for the South Mountain Division. My Dad (Ron) and I first began attending membership meetings after NMRA annexed our county (Hampshire County, WV) into SMD and his email address was placed on the Wheel Report’s mailing list. The rest, as they say, is history… but let’s revisit it all the same.
My first years in SMD were under the leadership of Paul Rausch. With his unfortunate passing, assistant Superintendent Bill Wilson administered the election with three names in the hat: Don Florwick, Paul Mahoney, and my own, Alex Polimeni. The youngest Division member by at least two decades, it was incredibly humbling to receive your vote of confidence.
I served as Super for three years until declining to run again for the 2020-2021 season. Instead, the chair was turned over to Jerry Skeim with the agreement that I would serve as assistant Super to help in the transition. Sadly, Jerry became the first and only SMD member we lost to the pandemic, passing in the hospital after a severe COVID-19 infection. For the second time, I took the chair after losing our previous Super all too soon.
I’ve since yielded the chair once again, this time into Bob Johnson’s capable hands… but this job is too big for any one person, even if it’s “just” organizing a social club for model railroading. Under Paul, to me, to Jerry and Bob, the train has kept moving, but from where I’m sitting, the bridge is very much out ahead… and you, the Division, must decide if that means it’s the end of the line.
As things stand, Bob Johnson has said he will serve no more than one more year as Superintendent. Ray Price continues to serve as Treasurer, as he’s done since at least my first year as Super. Bob is currently acting as Wheel Report editor while I serve as acting Clerk. SMD has welcomed a number of new old faces and seen old ones return, yet the fact remains that we are not what we once were.
Although I kept the seat warm, I regard my time as your Super as a failure. There was so much potential I had hoped to harness, but I wasn’t the person to make good on it. The potential itself, however, remains unchanged. SMD has a storied history more than 40 years in the making, a membership that spans four states, and a crown jewel of the Mid-Eastern Region in our annual Mini-Con. With roughly 90 members at any given time, we have the potential to become a powerhouse and help the hobby to flourish in our Division.
This is your Division, but more than that, it’s our Division, each and every one of us. We decide its value, not just for ourselves, but the friendships we have because of it. If you’re reading this, think about what SMD means to you. The bridge may be out ahead, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.

-Alex Polimeni

Potomac & James River Divisions’ Joint Meet

From Jerry Stanley, NMRA Potomac Division Board of Directors

The James River and Potomac Division would like to invite the SMD to our annual Minicon joint meet on 4 November 2023. This year there will be seven clinics and four open house layout tours, plus model judging and white elephant tables. Registration starts at 9 AM. Clinics begin at 9:30 and run until 12 PM. Layouts will be open from 1 to 4 PM.

The event is free. We will take a free will offering for the Battlefield Baptist Church (meet location) The church will be sending all funds raised to a hospital that is being constructed in Haiti.

The event program with clinic and layout descriptions can be found on the PD web page. https://potomac-nmra.org/PDnewsite/Minicon/Minicon.php