An early Spring welcome to rail-fans of all ages to Volume Three of Kansas City Union Station Model Rail Experience Weekly for the week ending 3/7/15!
When I arrived in the Model Rail Experience after getting the video of the freight manifest passing the back lot of Union Station, and the pic of KC Southern #34 sitting below Union Station as part of the Kansas City Rail Experience, I found Ted Tschirhart and Fritz Gastreich in the office/shop with Ted working on a steam locomotive and Fritz working on on Sully-one of our Thomas The Tank Engine pieces. Just then a young man walked into the office (we didn’t have the door shut) carrying the very same train character from the MRE’s play area. That was the son of Angela Johnson from Lee’s Summit, Missouri. He is just over two years old. Angela says they love coming to the Model Rail Experience and do so about once a month. The play area is a must-visit for them and her son really loves trains right now. A boy after the heart of all the Model Rail Experience staff!
Fritz Gastreich, who started at the Model Rail Experience in 2008, did so after moving he and his wife to Kansas City from Minnesota. There, he volunteered for five years at the Jackson Street Roundhouse of the Minnesota Transportation Museumhttp://www.mtmuseum.org/. Fritz especially enjoys working on the Marklin HO Scale sets https://www.marklin.com/scales/ho/ we have at the Model Rail Experience. He was just a plethera of information on trolley cars that can still be seen in Kansas City, Depots he knew I (or any rail-fan) would enjoy visiting in Baldwin City and Lawrence, Kansas, and reminded me about the Depot in Kearney, Missouri that I was already aware of as I am from the Northland, and at the time of our conversation was planning to but by the time of this posting already have visited as part of the Legacies On The Rails Road Show. I had a delightful time talking with Fritz (that we both passed on lunch at Peirpont’shttp://www.pierponts.com/ to continue our discussion. It was obvious from the gleam in his eye and his infectious smile, that Fritz absolutely loves being a part of the Model Rail Experience staff as well as discussing all this great railroad history, as well as about efforts to preserve it. I also loved the way Fritz took time to compliment all of his fellow MRE team members that were there on Friday 3/6/15 on the special skill sets they possess, that like him, help make the Model Rail Experience a unique and truly enjoyable place to visit.
I watched Ted work on the steam locomotive and tinder, and he was showing Fritz and I how small the belt on the motor is. Ted asked how I am with nuts and bolts. I told him I’m all thumbs and fat fingers but could try if he wanted me to……we’re not there yet. I then spent some time watching Bob Ryan and Dave Taylor that you met a couple weeks ago working on scenery in the combined gauges layout,attaching rocks and bushes again, just trying to watch and learn. Bob says the most important things about scenery are: 1. Less is more. 2. Use lots of color for comtrast. 3. Try and design scenery from where you grew up, because you’ll always know the topography to be able to apply it to your layout better than anyone else. And from what I saw, I’d have to add #4 Don’t rush. Take your time to make it as realistic and attractive as you can.
So far we have covered HO Scale and the Lionel S & O Scale here in Model Rail Experience Weekly. And second only to HO Scale (simply because HO is what my own collection primarily consists of currently), this week we will cover my next favorite of what the MRE offers, G Scale. I think I like this scale because of its sheer size. Fritz also reminded me that G Scale is also the best for you Garden Railroaders like the KC Garden Railway Societyhttp://www.kcgrs.com/ because they are built tough, and can also run outdoors in any kind of weather just like the real trains. Here are some of the Model Rail ExperienceG Scale pieces and a video of them running on a MRE layout.
Here are some other pics I took this week of some of our cabooses and some Burlington-Northern pieces. The reasons I took these are several. 1. To continue to showcase the great selection of pieces that you find at the KC Union Station Model Rail Experience. 2. Pieces that I have personal interest in, either because that’s what I’m into at the moment, or have family that worked in those railroads. 3. To share these pieces on various Facebook pages such as Model Railroad Cabooses, and Burlington-Northern Modelers. This gives the Model Railroad Experience even more exposure.
And, last but not least on this week’s agenda, last time I said we hoped to see you at the Mid-America Train And Toy Show at the KCI Expo Center. http://www.midamericatrainandtoyshow.com/ Though I hope you were able to make it, here is a short video and some pics from that.
Well, that about wraps it up for this edition of Kansas City Union Station Model Rail Experience Weekly. I’ll see you next time, hoping that you come pay Union Station and the Model Rail Experience a visit soon, and keep coming back. It promises to be a great time for the whole family!
I’m John Losh, reminding you to keep leaving Legacies……….On The Rails!
