Club President Jim Jansen

As the year ends, just a few thoughts on the Garfield Clarendon club and its Garfield Central Rail Road. The groups of individuals making up the Garfield Clarendon Model Railroad Club consist of many talents.  Among them, we have varied occupations including lawyers, doctors, architects, realtors, personal managers, educators, computer experts, students, various construction trades, graphic artists, and a truck driver. It has been said that to get it all done, ‘it takes a Village’.  Well, we do have a village of varied talents.  We have those who maintain and continue to upgrade our electric circuitry, DCC systems, and signal light construction and installation.  This year, although a few glitches have occurred, our DCC system has been steadily improving and operating more consistently and efficiently (less breakdowns!).

We have track repair talent and those who painstakingly fix broken turnouts, switch motors, and out of gauge rails, etc.  Others, working together, coordinate our Open House semi-annual activities and bring social functions together with great success.  We have our World Wide Web site that all members should be proud of - anyone on this beautiful planet can view G.G.R.R. and the work our village has done.  Our photographer/Website manager provides views of our work in process and accomplishments to all.

Many members helped on specific projects, such as the new car repair shop in Georgetown yard (see Work Reports) and the ongoing Roundhouse renovations including the turntable rebuilt and rewired, building modifications, and interior lighting (still to come), and, of course, the slowed but still moving town of Summit development.

A great need to our club is the public announcements for our Open House activities, that are fortunately carried out by our graphic people and those who get our flyers out to neighborhood hobby shops.  Thanks to those Hobby Shops for allowing our flyers a space on their shelves.

And so it seems that we have our village and all of those participating have done a wonderful job – and our village has grown and improved over the past year.

Some goals for 2007:

• Finish Roundhouse renovations 

• Build the town of Summit – trolley lines, streets, buildings, and landscaping 

• Continue wiring upgrades 

• Get some sound equipped engines to run quieter 

• Investigate sources for non-combustible, modular, elevated floor system to raise viewing level somewhat around the layout

And lastly, one more observation:  

Aside from the Website photos giving glimpses of our great Garfield Central Rail Road, its another bit of inspiration seeing a first time visitor(s) slowly perusing the layout or carefully being guided around by a generous member while they take a train out for a run for the first time.  The excitement is in their eyes and joy in their smile and a very common phrase heard as they leave is ‘This is really awesome!’. 

Peace,

Jim Jansen
President, Garfield-Clarendon Model Railroad Club
January 1, 2007