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Rails on Wheels Founded 1988
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rails
on wheels
Washtenaw County, Michigan's HO modular model railroad club.
Updated: 13-AUG-2010
About Rails on Wheels
Rails on Wheels was formed in 1988 by a group of model railroaders interested in constructing, displaying and operating a high-performance HO scale model railroad. At the time, only one of the members had the space available for a permanent layout, so we each began to build small, portable sections that could be joined together, incorporating the specifications that would eventually become the Rails on Wheels Module Standards. This layout is usually stored dismantled between public showings.
To promote our goals of educating our members and the public about railroading and the hobby of model railroading, our activities have included monthly meetings and workshops, layout setups at over 75 train shows and the NMRA National Conventions in 1992 and 1997, private layout setups, railfanning outings and trips to train shows and swap meets.
In 1998, several Rails on Wheels members who had developed an interest in prototypical operation branched out and began to develop the Operations Road Show. These members constructed a second dedicated layout which resides in a member's basement and is used to hold operating sessions using timetable and train order operating rules. This layout was publicly unveiled at the Maple Leaf 2003 NMRA National Convention in Toronto, where 135 attendees participated in operating sessions. Our success in Toronto was repeated at the 2005 Cincinnati Limited and the 2009 Hartford National NMRA National Conventions. Our plan is to take this layout out for public operations demonstrations far less frequently than we show the display layout, probably no more often than once every two or three years, as the design of this layout does not lend itself to easy viewing by large numbers of people.
Rails on Wheels provides a forum through which members can learn techniques and get help from persons experienced in layout design, benchwork, scenery, electronics and wiring, rolling stock construction and structure building. We have developed new approaches and techniques to meet our specific construction needs, techniques which we feel have in some small way contributed to the advancement of the hobby.
We are continually expanding and upgrading our HO scale modular display layout, and welcome new members, regardless of their level of experience. Our members range from beginners to people with over 40 years' experience in the hobby.
Anyone interested in HO model railroading, from beginners to experienced craftsmen, is welcome to join. Rails on Wheels is an independent club not formally affiliated with any other organization. Membership is always open. You need not own or build a module to participate.
Rails on Wheels is a founding member of the Michigan Modular Alliance.
Club News
New Modules Being Developed
While not obvious from the outside, the process of building a new layout has been under way for the past few months. Adopting updated standards was the first step.
Current plans are for the club to build a set of corner modules that can be used in different configurations as corners of a rectangular layout or as turnback loops. In order to get the basic pieces we need in place quickly, the Board solicited bids for the basic framework from a couple of suppliers (this phase of the process is now closed). In the mean time, members are encouraged to begin construction on their own modules to use between the corners/turnbacks.
Updated Module Standards Adopted at January Business Meeting
By vote of a quorum at the January 14 business meeting, the membership voted to adopt updated module standards to be used in the reconstruction of the club's display layout. These standards are intended to address issues we encountered with the previous modules, reducing the amount of width required to set up the layout in a loop configuration, and improving the rail connections between modules. These are the changes that were proposed at the special meeting held on December 17.
The most significant changes in the new module standards and recommended practices are:
- Reduction of the minimum mainline radius to 42 inches
- Adoption of Free-Mo-like two-inch fitter rails to cross the interface between modules
- Reconfiguration of the Anderson PowerPole electrical connectors to restore the ability to turn modules end-for-end without having to use adapter plugs
- Use of a standardized template tool, to be available on loan from the club, to ensure better track alignment at the module interfaces.
The new standards and recommended practices are published in PDF form on our Module Standards page.
Club Trailer and Layout Stolen
In late September, Rails on Wheels suffered the theft of the club-owned trailer. The trailer, which was parked in a lot along North Territorial Road in Northfield Township (about five miles north of the city of Ann Arbor) at the time, contained nearly all of the club's display layout modules and much of the associated equipment required for set-ups, such as power cords, setback stanchions and clamps. We were quite fortunate in that the club's digital command control equipment was not in the trailer at the time, nor was any rolling stock.
No longer having a display layout to take to shows rather limits our ability to exhibit a layout for now. We are currently considering a number of ways to rebuild and to have something to display again in the near future. The enthusiasm for building new modules and resuming our display schedule is very strong. As part of this effort we are re-evaluating our construction techniques and the mechanical standards for our modules in order to apply the lessons we have learned from 21 years of displaying modular layouts. We are choosing to look at this as an opportunity for the club to renew itself (even though we still would really like to have our stuff back!).
Our train show, scheduled for November 29 of that year was not affected by this turn of events, nor was the Operations Road Show project.
Train Festival Display a Success
Over a lengthy weekend which stretched from Wednesday, July 22 through Sunday, July 26, Rails on Wheels joined several other model railroad and live steam clubs in displaying layouts at the Steam Railroading Institute's Train Festival 2009 in Owosso, Michigan.
While setting up in a tent on a packed cinder surface presented a number of challenges we had not faced before, we were able to overcome them to present a 25 by 50-foot rectangular layout which ran well over the four days of the Festival. Our location had a very nice view of the Steam Railroading Insititute's turntable, which was used several times during the day, and the beautiful wood-burning 4-4-0 steam locomotive Leviathan, recently constructed to 1860s plans.
We would like to thank the Steam Railroading Institute for the opportunity to be part of this incredible event and for the chance to help contribute in our small way to the effort to raise funds for the planned major work on their Pere Marquette Berkshire #1225.
Club Activities
Our next activities will be:
09-SEP-2010 Business meeting, Saline Historical Society Depot, Saline, 8:00pm 23-SEP-2010 Business meeting, Saline Historical Society Depot, Saline, 8:00pm Activities related to the Operations Road Show layout are listed on the Operations Road Show section of this site.
We usually meet at the Saline Historical Society's ex-NYC depot at Ann Arbor and Bennett Streets in Saline. Our meetings at the depot are open to members and non-members alike. Click here for a map.
2009 Train Show
Our 2009 train show was held on Sunday, November 29 at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds. It was a great success, with over 1,300 adults and children coming through the door. Special thanks go to the Ford Model Railroad Club, the Peninsular Modular Railroad Club, the Michigan Lego Users Group and the Michigan Small Scale Live Steamers who exhibited their layouts for the guests.
The A2Journal posted an article on our show on their web site at http://heritage.com/articles/2009/12/03/life/doc4b16921600d3c158648987.txt and AnnArbor.com ran a piece, available at http://www.annarbor.com/news/rails-on-wheels-11th-annual-model-train-show-appeals-to-hobbyists/
2010 Train Show
Our 2010 train show will be held on Sunday, November 28 at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, 5055 Ann Arbor-Saline Road, 4.5 miles southwest of I-94 exit #175 (Ann Arbor-Saline Road).
This year's show will feature at least three operating model railroad layouts, plus a Lego train display and trains kids can run, in addition to our usual assortment of sales tables offering new and used model railroad merchandise from vendors from around the Great Lakes area.
Admission is $3.00 per person for those aged 12 or older. Children under 12 are admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.
Vendors: Sales tables are available for $15.00 apiece until November 1. After November 1, tables increase to $18 apiece. A limited number of spaces are available with electricity, for an extra $5.00 per "booth" (group of tables). Requests for tables in the same location as last year must be received by October 15. For information on purchasing table space, contact Jeff Fryman at (734) 944-9872
Upcoming Events
We will be holding the following public events:
28-NOV-2010 Rails on Wheels Annual Train Show and Sale, Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, Saline, Michigan
Do you have questions or comments regarding this web site? E-mail to railsonwheels@yahoo.com
All original contents of this web site are Copyright © 1999-2010,
John F. ("Fritz")
Milhaupt on behalf of Rails on Wheels,, All Rights Reserved.