Mel Patrick’s Clinic: “Chicago Before Amtrak”

Jim Ferenc’s Clinic: “C&S Ry: Capturing 1958 in HO Scale”

David Lotz’ Clinic: “Burlington Narrow Gauge Lines”
Bio: Dave is retired from the IT industry, but operates a small business, Q Connection, which does special-run kits and markets CB&Q-related model railroad products as well as being the Editor for both the BRHS and RGM&HS. He is originally from Burlington, Iowa, but presently lives in Pooler, Georgia. His HO scale layout models the Burlington as the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad in his hometown.

Clinic: Dave’s clinic explores the history of the Q’s narrow gauge lines – not only in the Rockies, but will also cover the Fulton County Narrow Gauge Railroad, the Burlington & Western, the Burlington & Northwestern, the Fort Madison & Northwestern, the Des Moines and Osceola and Southern, the Des Moines & Kansas City, the Deadwood Central and the Black Hills and Fort Pierre.

Mark Hemphill’s Clinic: “Uinta Basin Railway Progress”
Bio: Mark is a Project Manager for the Uinta Basin Railway and Senior Vice President of short-line holding company Rio Grande Pacific.

Clinic: Mark will update us on the progress of this 85-mile long new common-carrier railway in Utah. This will be the first all-new common-carrier railway in the U.S. since the 1970s and is scheduled to be in operation by 2023. It will connect to the former Rio Grande main line at Kyune, Utah, and run northeast into the Uinta Basin to serve its energy, mining, and agriculture industries. Mark will describe the route of the railway, its operating plan, and the challenges that must be solved before construction can commence. Also, he’ll provide a short program on some other aspect of the Rio Grande’s history — “probably related to the reconstruction of the Rio Grande in the 1920s.”

Chuck Conway’s Clinic: Burlington and C&S Colorado Slides

Richard Farewell’s Clinic: “Ski Trains”
This Ski Train program now runs in 30 minutes and contains almost 100 slides and has sound.  It is an especially good fit with a joint CB&Q/D&RGW convention as it covers not only the Rio Grande Ski Trains, but because in 1992-1994, the BN dispatched their own “Ski Trains” to the Moffat part of theworld. During those three excursions the trains were powered by their own executive

Jim Sandrin’s Clinic: “Building models of the Prototype”

Saturday Evening Program
Steve Patterson, Saturday Banquet Speaker:
Bio: Steve Patterson hails from East Tennessee and had a 42-year career on the AT&SF/BNSF, 19 of those years as a locomotive engineer on the Joint Line.   After moving and living at several locations along the AT&SF, he and wife settled next to the former D&RGW’s mainline in Arvada, Colo., 40 years ago where they have seen many changes.    Seeing it go by, Steve authored the history of Rio Grande’s Ski Train, published by the Colorado Railroad Museum in 1984 (and still available!).

Jim Ferenc’s Colorado & Southern Northern Division
The HO scale Colorado & Southern Ry. Northern Division captures the look and operation of the standard gauge prototype as it was in 1958, all in a 28- foot by 13-foot room. The 3.5 scale mile Main Line runs from Denver to Longmont, with staging yards representing points beyond and connections via the Q to Chicago. Operation is augmented with added passenger traffic, live-load coal locals, and interchange with the narrow gauge Denver, Boulder & Western Railroad.  Lighting, sound, and motion effects on the C&S Northern Division enhance realism and play value. Lenz DCC and SoundTraxx decoders are the foundation.
Lighting is fully automated, controlled by a personal computer. The PC drives “Colorado sunshine”, including dawn and dusk transitions and a “full moon” synchronized to the fast clock, along with building lighting sequences. The coal mines feature live-load operating tipples that can load a 50-ton hopper or GS gondola with real black diamonds in about 10 seconds, depending on the skill of the operator. Working track scales near the mines and in Rice Yard, add work for crews. In the engine terminal, coaling tower chutes extend and retract on weighted cables at the flick of a switch, sound and motion animate water, oil, and sand, and moving switch targets sport illuminated lanterns at night.

Doug and Barb Geiger’s Granite Mountain Railway
The HO-scale Granite Mountain Railway (GMRy) is a modern, 1988 -era bridge-route railroad that connects mid-America to the west coast. Four prototype railroads (BN, ATSF, DRGW, and the MILW) have trackage on the layout and interchange with each other and the GMRy. The layout uses simplex Digitrax command control wireless exclusively. Fourteen operators are required to complete a four-hour session.  The layout occupies a basement space of 23×43 feet, with additional trackage in the garage. All track is hand laid. The 550-foot mainline is completely signaled using position and searchlight signals and an authentic ATSF-style CTC machine in an isolated dispatcher’s office. Four staging yards simulate off-layout destinations.  Additionally, four helixes connect the double-deck (and sometimes triple-deck)

Jeff MacDonald’s High Plains Route
Description: The “High Plains Route” is a 40-year effort of 2-rail O scale railroading. Featuring yards, city and a locomotive service area.  It is a rail fans’ railroad of the Burlington, Union Pacific, Rock Island, Missouri Pacific, Santa Fe and Southern Pacific.

Greeley Model Railroad – Largest Model RR in Colorado
Description: The Colorado Model Railroad Museum is one of the finest, one of a kind miniature accomplishments in the world. This 5,500 sq. feet masterpiece required over five years and 280,000 volunteer hours to complete. Located at 680 10th Street in Greeley, Colorado, this one of a kind museum has hundreds of railroad sceneries, more than 500 scale locomotives, 80 scale miles of train track, thousands of other handmade artifacts including around 28,000 handmade trees. The museum houses thousands of artifacts including a 1919 Colorado and Southern Caboose that you can tour.

Unlike typical model railroads, the museum utilizes an open air design with broad aisles and theatrical lighting, allowing visitors to clearly view the detailed scenery from just inches away. The Colorado Model Railroad Museum utilizes a dispatcher for train operations for the public. These quality characteristics have attracted visitors from all over the world, reaching as far as Australia and New Zealand.

Typically, the museum encounters around 20,000 visitors from 40 – 50 different countries each year! The Colorado Model Railroad Museum was founded by Dave Trussell, whose dream was to build the ultimate model railroad layout. Many people contributed to build and maintain this intricate museum, all with the passion for model railroading and the vision of building something spectacular. Take the opportunity to walk through a real caboose and peek into a multitude of miniature scenes that envelop your eyes with detailed, beautiful imagery. Visitors never leave the Colorado Model Railroad Museum disappointed.