The Interchange - Ottawa Valley Associated Railroaders

OTTAWA VALLEY ASSOCIATED RAILROADERS
OTTAWA VALLEY ASSOCIATED RAILROADERS
1961 - 2011
CANADA
50
Our 50th Year
The Interchange
Ottawa Valley Associated Railroaders—OVAR
Apr 2011 Issue 454
OVAR’s 50th Anniversary
1961 - 2011
CANADA
50
On the Inside
Private Car............................2
March Display .......................3
Dinner Presenter ..................6
and much more

From the
Editor
Here we are at OVAR’s
50th Anniversary!
Not many organizations
composed only of volunteers and with
no formal structure last so long. We are
fortunate in our fellow train enthusiasts
who created OVAR and kept it going
over the years.
In two months, at the June dinner, the
term of the current executive comes to
an end. They deserve our thanks for having
made it to another division point. It
will again be time for the volunteers to
step forward to take OVAR to the next
one. Whether you feel that everything
is going swimmingly or you would like
to see changes made, this June is your
chance to step into the cab and make a
contribution.
We are also looking for a new editor
of The Interchange and a new chief photographer
(for the monthly photos of the
display).
None of it happens without you.
—John Manson
From the Private
Car
50 years strong!
Yes, we have reached a wonderful milestone:
fifty years of friendship in shared
interests in railroading. This 12th of April
program will be memorable. Many OVAR
members have worked hard to contribute
to the planning and preparation of this
evening. Thank you all gentlemen.
The March program was a fabulous
look into today’s many vibrant Ottawa
Valley model railroad operating communities.
Not only do we have great model
railroads in our Ottawa Valley, but also
we have many designed for operation. I
believe it bodes well for the years to come.
Operating model railways brings them
to life. It is a great experience to share
someone’s vision and to participate in
creating a play about the movements of
trains. Operation needs not be formal
or complicated. One can adapt the play
to the players’ skill levels. With so many
operating groups in the Ottawa Valley,
newcomers need not fear, there will
always be a tutor available to teach you
the skills to enjoy the game.
What great choices we have open to
us; open air large scale railroading, modular
HO- and N-scale club layouts, and
the many roving operating groups, such
as the FNG (Friday Night Group), which
has become so successful it is really three
groups.
There is enough variety to please
everyone. Depending on the (model) railway
visited, you may experience mainline
running, intensive passenger operations,
a mix of manifests and locals, or perhaps
industrial switching. You can run steam,
first, second or third generation diesel
locomotives.
Being part of an operating group is a
great way to discover what you really like
or do not like about certain operations.
It also gives you a chance to see many
approaches to modelling, whether it is
scenery, rolling stock or structures, you
will find inspiration and find people who
will tell you about their experiences.
One of the great aspects of model railroading
is that it can be what you want it
to be. As the saying goes, it is your railway.
Let us start on the next fifty years of
OVAR’s journey.
Happy Railroading
—Normand Levert
Page 2
A Golden Issue
This month The Interchange is also
publishing a special colour commemorative
keepsake supplement for
OVAR’s 5oth anniversary.
In the supplement, OVAR members,
other railfans, and hobbyists tell the
stories of the last 50 years—the adventures,
the triumphs and the failures in
prototypical and model railroading in
this area.
For the special issue, content has
been coordinated by Alex Binkley with
layout and editing by Ian Cranstone. A
special thank you to both of them.
Mar Dinner
Attendance—115
Interchange
yard
DCC supply & installation
Installation of decoder and sound.
Different brands diagnostic and programming.
DCC set up and troubleshooting.
Jacques Thuot
308 Second St. E #1107
Cornwall, ON K6H 1Z1
613-938-3677
jthuot@cnwl.igs.net
Volunteer(s) Needed
Person to take over as editor of The Interchange
starting with September 2011
issue. Comfort with word processing an
asset. Layout is done in InDesign with
Photoshop for the photographs—experience
desirable but not required. This
could be fun and a good opportunity
to put something on your resumé while
doing something for OVAR and your
fellow members. (You also get to sit at
the head table and eat first.)
Classified advertising in The Interchange
Yard is free to all OVAR members.
Non-OVAR members: $1.00 per line,
minimum $5.00. Cheques/money orders
should be made pay able to OVAR. Ads
must include the advertiser’s name and
telephone number. Send to the Editor.
The Interchange

March Display:
Canadian Roads
Photos by Graham Stremes
Normand Levert: HO boxcar by Athearn, Algoma Central
#2901; the story is that 2901 is unique on the ACR—it was
a CN car damaged by the ACR, which bought it and fixed it.
Always simplify the paperwork!
Kevin Kelly: a first super detail project based on Walthers Trainline
F40PH; added to the basic kit—air conditioning, windshield
wipers, antenna, horn removed from front and reconfigured
to flat-front cab with new horn added to roof, ditchlights to
be completed when new decoder arrives, reconfigured hose ports
(2 over 2), all grab irons added and painted, MU air hoses added
and positioned, winter hatch to be installed (currently on order),
weathering will begin when electronics are finished.
Jens Stehr: HO F59ph1 by Athearn, GO Train #602, ready to
roll; not an actual GO locomotive; new models are on order.
Jes Stehr: HO boxcar by True Line Trains, CN Scale Test Car.
Jeff Trew: P42 by Athearn, VIA #916; latest release; DCC-ready
for either 8 or 9 pin.
Normand Levert: HO boxcar by Athearn, TH&B #3006;
upgraded metal wheels and chalk weathering.
William Seabrooke: O-scale, SOO #1200 by Atlas O and SOO caboose #268 by MTH.
continued on page 4
The Interchange Page 3

Display
continued from page 3
Grant Bruner; N-scale F97 by Intermountain, Algoma Central #1754 with Rapido coach.
Granr Bruner: N-scale FP9 by Intermountain, Ontario Northland #1510 with Rapido coach.
Bud Nelson: Four Rapido cars—two coaches, one Club, and Glen Fraser pulled by an Athearn P42 in VIA livery—all straight from
the box (except engine has been converted to DCC with TCS T1). Engine is a good runner; coaches are crappy runners; Glen Fraser
is close but no cigar.
David Taylor: LRC Club car and coaches by Rapido.
Normand Levert: HO boxcars by MDC(?) and Proto 1000, BC Hydro #643 and #505; metal wheels and weathering; souvenir cars;
the School of Military Engineers [not train engineers-ed.] was at Vedder Crossing B.C. near Chilliwack; BC Hydro went Vancouver
to Chilliwack—now Southern Railway of BC
Page 4
continued on next page
The Interchange

Display
continued from previous page
Jacques Thuot: HO GP9 RM with slug and van; Kaslo kit and P2K drive; slug is Omi model; caboose is VH model—lots of detail
added.
Jens Stehr: HO coaches by Rapido; Algoma Central lightweight coach is wrong colour (Rapido is replacing them with silver colour);
Milwaukee, Racine & Troy 75th anniversary car.
Jen Stehr: HO coaches by Rapido; VIA daynighter coach “Glen Fraser”; VIA LRC coach #3371
Jen Stehr: HO by Rapido; Algoma Central coach and steam generator.
Jens Stehr: HO by Athearn; GO Train; powered and dummy; ready to roll.
continued on page 6
The Interchange Page 5

Display
continued from page 5
Gary Baillargeon: [side and front views] HO diner (The Hub) with scratch built interior by my wife Gayle, “Petworth Minatures”.
Our Presenters
This Month
Bill Schaumburg—Introduction to commuter
railroad operations
In April 1971, Hal Carstens, the founder of Railroad Model
Craftsman and Railfan & Railroad magazines, was the guest
speaker at OVAR’s 10th year anniversary. Over the years, a
long-lasting relationship has been established between Carstens
Publications and OVAR as many Ottawa area modelers have
been published in RMC. It is only fitting that Bill Schaumburg,
the Editor of RMC since the early 80’s, be our guest speaker to
celebrate OVAR’s 50th anniversary.
Bill studied commuter railroad operations several years ago
when there were only 7 major commuter RR operations in the
U.S. and Canada, along with a few minor (very minor) services
in a few cities. Now there are about two dozen and that does
not count light rail!
Upcoming Presentations
May 10, 2011—Tony Koester, Editor of Model Railroad
Planning, Contributing Editor and columnist for Model Railroader
magazine
June 14, 2011—Phil Mason, retired CPR engineer, railfan
and photographer
Page 6
The Interchange

Prototypes
Here is something that you don’t see every day 8 trains at Smiths Falls at the same time! There is
motive power for 6 trains visible in this picture. From left to right CP 8208 F51 the Brockville turn,
CP 3096 FF31 Yard switcher, CP 5746 empty DND train destined for CFB Petawawa, CP 8842 on
ARMY18 destined for Chicago (eventual destination is in CA), VIA 42 and just to the right of the
picture is VIA #45. There were 2 other westbounds in the picture #235 with the autoracks and #115
which was out of the picture waiting for the passenger trains to clear. © Ian McCord
When VIA 6400 developed a “Hotbox” (overheated wheel bearing) and no geared replacement was
available a large rubber-tired crane was brought in to Ottawa Station to switch the bad set for a
new “dummy” wheelset. The 6400 ran to the Montreal VIA shops as an A1-B wheel arrangement.
©Ian McCord
The Interchange Page 7

OTTAWA VALLEY ASSOCIATED RAILROADERS
After Dinner
Presentation
The Future of
Model Railroading
by Tony Koester
Display
Passenger
Equipment
Tuesday,
10 May 2011
St. Anthony Soccer Club Hall
523 St. Anthony Street,
Ottawa
(just off Preston Street at the Queensway)
Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Dinner served at 6:30 p.m.
Admission: $25.00
Includes dinner, facilities, program expense, taxes and gratuities.
Free parking available at St. Anthony SC or the Adult High School.
Please note:
If you cannot attend the meeting after saying you would, please call
Fred Mills at (613) 723-1911. Thank you.
1961 - 2011
CANADA
50
The Interchange
Apr 2011 — Issue 454
Staff
Features, story ideas, comments,
complaints:
John Manson
212 Deerwood Dr.
Kinburn, ON K0A 2H0
Phone: 613-839-4368
e-mail: interchange@ovar.ca
Distribution and mailing:
Mike Shore
25 Bainbridge Ave.
Ottawa, ON K2G 3T1
Phone: 613-829-8867
Submission of articles:
The Interchange welcomes your submis sions
that may be of interest to club members.
Material can be submitted to the Editor via
e-mail, on memory stick (Windows format),
on CD or DVD, typewritten, or even handwritten.
Copy Deadline:
May Issue, Apr 20
OVAR
Directory
2010-2011
Chair: Normand Levert 613-834-6798
Vice Chair: Chris Lyon 613-837-8522
Secretary: Mike Shore 613-829-8867
Treasurer: Fred Adams 613-834-0591
Membership: Bernie Goodman 613-720-5650
Program: Joël Racine 613-987-2206
5oth: Michel Boucher 819-684-5044
Dinner: Fred Mills 613-723-1911
Archives: Dave Knowles 613-722-4473
Webmaster: Steve Watson 613-592-3609
Video Library: Paul Anderson 613-445-3573
Web Site: www.ovar.ca
Printing and Copying:
Impression Printing,
Smiths Falls
The Interchange is published ten times a year,
September through June, by the Ottawa Valley
Associated Railroaders. Opinions expressed in
The Interchange are those of the Editors or individual
authors, and are not necessarily those of
OVAR. © 2011