BY RIC SCHLENKER
RicJanRVing@telus.net
Winter Escape to Trains
damage to the locomotive (half the locomotive with power running forward while the other half was going reverse). Not something I wanted to do. T e club has a very active element running trains several
times a week. Sometimes, there are accidents but not in these pictures. Work parties keep the track and greenery looking great; each year, a special project is undertaken. T is year, a waterfall, lake and dock were installed that really made a big diff erence to the layout. Aſt er a couple days of learning their layout, I was invited to
VDOGR Ric running trains
Oſt en, we hear of the Snowbirds going south for the winter. What do they do? Where do they go? Well, some of the Snowbirds end-up in RV Parks with
existing railway layouts where they can run their own trains. In South Arizona, there are at least two places that have Garden Railways: one in Tucson and one in Mesa (a suburb of Phoenix). T is past winter season, I took my train with me and visited
both Tucson and Phoenix. Starting in Tucson, I spent about one month in Tucson at the Rincon Country West RV Park. I joined their Garden Railway Club and was taught how they wished their layout to be used. Firstly, the club has several of their own locomotives and cars. One locomotive (an LGB Mikado) is oſt en run and it was the locomotive used for the training. One thing to learn was the use of their remote controls but a more important item was using the various switches to ensure track polarity was correct while changing between the various circuits. One mistake and there could be serious
Indoor HO Layout
bring my locomotive and cars to the track. T ere were many helpful hands to get me started. T is was only my second time running my train; the fi rst time was on the GVGRC Sectional layout. We were there during Christmas and the Rincon Garden
Railway put on a Christmas Exhibit on Christmas Eve. T e club’s locomotives and cars were dressed for Christmas and several members ran Christmas trains as well. Aſt er Tucson, I travelled north to stay in Mesa at the Valle
Del Oro RV Resort. T ey have a very large garden railway with a lot of greenery
and housing amongst the track layouts. T e layout is divided into three sections (each section has its own switch control board). T ey are interconnected so that a train can move between each section. T e layout is available for use by any individual who is using the RV park (or their affi liates). Each member participates by helping to build or maintain the layout. While I was there, the construction never seemed to end, including a fourth section that will not have track power. Next winter season, I hope to be able to help again building that new section.
VDOGR Buildings
30 RVT 143 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
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