The Hudson Valley Headlight
Newsletter of the NMRA-NER’s Hudson Valley Division
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Volume 16 Number 2
May 3, 2023
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Welcome aboard! Editor Bill Arm
Our March 18, 2023, meeting was held at The Olde Newburgh Model Railroad club in Walden, NY. The club is located in the VFW Post 2946 building, 4-8 Oak Street, 3rd Floor. The club is home to both HO & N scale layouts on the third floor. The club meets on Wednesday evenings and welcomes visitors. We had 17 members in attendance.
Reminder, next stop will be Sunday May 21st at The Catskill Society of Model Railroad Engineers (See the last page of this Newsletter or our website Home Page for time, address and additional information).
Our standard division business meeting was conducted by Superintendent Robert Robbins. We also discussed our website options. The meeting was followed by a presentation on Neopixels by Henry Kramer.
What is a “Neopixel”?
The Neopixel is effectively a small device located on either edge of a disc smaller than a dime that will glow when controlled through the use of an inexpensive Arduino microprocessor. Controlled current flow will produce a variety of lighting effects through sequencing commands programed into the Arduino.
Many of the lighting effects touched upon at the presentation are being applied on the Newburgh Club’s HO layout.
Thank you, Henry, for a most interesting presentation and demonstration of NeoPixel capabilities.
Following the presentation, we were able to view and discuss both the HO Lighted Ticket Booth made by Henry and a loading dock shown below that was made by Scott Meyer.
Scott Meyer’s one-day project of a beautifully done loading dock will appear as an article to be published in Railroad Model Craftsman’s May 2023 issue. After viewing the model in person, I can only say that I am looking forward to seeing Scott’s write-up in RMC.
Scott has since documented the construction of this project and submitted it for publication. Scott’s detailed article can be found in the May 2023 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman Magazine, (Pg 68). Excellent work Scott!
John Kenney showed ON2 switches he makes from scratch in various states of assembly, Bill Bahr had a Northern Pacific reefer modelling a very similar car when local families would group together and order a car of wine grapes. John showed a small diorama based upon the Erie’s Linden, New Jersey freight station.
Afterwards, members ran some of the equipment that they had brought with them on the Club’s 3rd floor layout.
Our next meeting is scheduled to be held at The Catskill Society of Model Engineers located at 11 Maple Street, Liberty, New York on Sunday May 21st, beginning at 11:00am.
Park in the lot across from building and walk down the alley, the name is on the building. (This statement may make more sense when you see it.)
Elliot Fishbein will present an introduction to “Operations” followed by an opportunity to apply your newfound knowledge running trains on the layout. For those that have never been to this club it is “Museum Quality” and worth the visit.
Don’t forget to bring your project to show everyone.