THE ABTO GAZETTE May 2016 Volume 24 Number 5

Mailing address: P.O. Box 50428, Mesa, AZ. 85208

Visit at: www.azbigtrains.org

IN THIS ISSUE

President’s Message

Treasurer’s Report

Calendar of Events

Auction/Picnic Photos

Bob & Sandy Rauperstrauch’s #1206 Locomotive Photo by Ginny Morris

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THE ABTO GAZETTE ABTO President’s Message May, 2016

Welcome to May, this follows a very successful BBQ and Auction in April. Thanks to

all that did a great job putting it together. Darrell and Phyllis Woolfolk did a fantastic

job with the BBQ, all that Boy Scout experience showed. Jim Kangas and Don Halver

did an excellent job as our auctioneers. Steve and Judy Lewis taking the money with

help from Darryl Smith, also help from Colin Criswell and Ginny Morris.

I would also like to thank Jim Kangas, Teresa Mathews, Mike Lewandowski, Brian

Casull and Carol Jobusch and all others I can’t remember, for their items donated that

contributed to the success of the auction.

Now anyone who missed the BBQ really missed out on the highlight of the day. Very

special thanks to Bob and Sandy Rauperstrauch and the most beautiful hand built

steam engine and tender. Bob was concerned that the riders would be disappointed

when he lost his axle water pump so it slowed things down to get water in the boiler.

But, I don’t think anyone noticed and the end result was exciting for all riders and

observers. Great job Bob! A Great day was had by all.

We still need hosts for our June and September meetings. Anyone interested please

contact me or any of the board members.

Chief Engineer Ken Hawkins

A Short History of A.T.S.F. #1206 I have always wanted to build a steam locomotive. So, in 1985, I decided to start a Santa Fe Consolidation.

So I built the tender from 1985 to about 2000. At that time my wife, Sandy, suggested that I needed to

speed up the process if I ever expected the grandkids to see it before their retirement… So, I purchased a

locomotive from an ad on a web site. Turns out a Pacific was available, ready for plumbing but without a

tender. Perfect! Or, so I thought. When the second owner of the locomotive delivered it in 2000, it looked

good. However, the original owner was an accountant. Once I started taking it apart things got progres-

sively worse. The only parts salvageable were the drivers, boiler, trailing truck casting with wheels. Also,

the pilot wheels were useable. Oh yes, I did salvage the pilot beam. After 12 years of work, off and on, the

engine was completed. Total hours on the tender was 1700 and on the engine about 3900. This was over

a period of 30 years from my starting the tender in Boise, Idaho, to my completing it in Tempe, Arizona.

It is an accurate model of a Santa Fe Pacific that was the test bed for a trailing truck booster engine. If you

look at the trailing track carefully, you can see the swivel joints and the dummy booster engine peeking

out from under the cab deck. I attempted to duplicate the engine accurately right down to the unique

number boards, marker lamp brackets, twin air compressors (operating as water pumps) and front steps.

It turns out that the tender I had competed for a Consolidation was correct for a 1200 class Pacific. What

luck! So the next time you see the locomotive, take a close look, as it faithfully replicates #1206.

Bob Rauperstrauch

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THE ABTO GAZETTE

CONTENTS

President’s Message…………………………………..2

History of A.T.S.F. #1206…………….……………..2

Treasurer’s Report……..……………….…………….3

Miscellaneous Information………...…………….3

May Meeting Information……………...………..4

History of naming Fields Railroad……… …...5

SIGs…………………………………………………………..5

Swap Meets and Shows…………...……………...5

Calendar of Events…………………………………...5

Auction and BBQ Photos……………...………….6

Mark you Calendars Module Annual Mesa Library Event

Saturday, July 23-Setup Module

Mon.-Sat.—-July 25-30

Operate trains and then teardown

module later in the day on the 30th.

More information at a later date

Welcome to New Members:

Kelly and Cheryl Snow

P.O. Box 376

Glendo, Wyoming 82213

Cell: 307-760-3149

14725 S. 182nd Drive

Goodyear, AZ 85338

Email: 50KSNOW@gmail.com

SPRING OPEN HOUSE SIGNS

If you have not returned your

signs, please bring to the May

or June Meetings.

Thank You.

Ennis Thompson

Please Note:

A line was voted on to add to

the ByLaws and was approved

by the Membership.

Article IV, Membership:

Only one member of a family

may serve as an officer, mem-

ber at large or committee

member

THANK YOU!!!

“Thank You” to all the members that

made my “SALE” a success.

To you all, I still have many items

left. They include LGB, USA, ARISTO

engines with many rolling stock, train

engineers, transformers, 1/24th scale

cars and trucks, railroad lanterns and

many other items.

If interested, please call Jack Johnson

at 480-313-4679

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THE ABTO GAZETTE

ABTO Membership Meeting May 21, 2016

Steve and Judy Lewis

925 E. Saddleback Place

San Tan Valley, AZ 85143

Cell: 605-660-6911

SCHEDULE: 10:00am—Meeting

11:00am-11:15am—Lunch Served

LUNCH : Sloppy Joe Sandwiches & Chips

MEMBERS MAY BRING: Either Salad, complimen

tary dish or desert

Beverages will be furnished

RSVP: DAVID KITCHIN, Vice President

by Wednesday, May 18, 2016

email djkitchin@aol.com or

Telephone 480-895-2246

PLEASE BRING CHAIRS

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THE ABTO GAZETTE

SIGs and their Coordinators 1/ Modules Daryll Smith & Steve Lewis

2/ Painting/Airbrushing Jim Gardner

3/ MTH 1/32 Scale Roy Towne

4/ Gandy Dancer Roger Crooks

5/ Cardon Children’s Medical

Center Bob Rauperstrauch &

Don Halver

6/ Euro Trains David Kitchin

7/ Live Steam Stan Cornforth

8/ Model Building John Meyers

9/ Photography Mike Quaintance

SWAP MEETS & SHOWS

May 21-WVRHS Model Train Swap Meet,

9:00am-Glendale

May 21-22-Big Train Show, Ontario, Ca

June 4-Gadsen-Pacific Model Train Show,

Tucson, AZ

July 23-Summer Cactus Swap Meet, 9am

Phoenix

Check www.ArizonaModelTrains.com for

exact addresses, etc

History of the naming of Terry and Carolyn Fields Railroad-Carolyn Fields

Carolyn calls the railroad “Sweet Memories”. Terry hadn’t really come up with a name we could

agree on. I call it Sweet Memories because it has ties to our childhood and our travels we’d done

over the years, especially when the kids were small.

I’m the one who was born in Kingman and have memories of traveling to see my grandmother and

seeing the Santa Fe trains as we came into town on Route 66. And I grew up in Glendale, not far

from the Santa Fe tracks by Grand Avenue, and the farm and packing sheds. Most of the scenes

depicted along our railway are scrapbook-ish memories of mine. I call this railroad my scrapbook!

Yeah, they’re not museum quality, but our memories aren’t always perfect snapshots of history

either.

Terry didn't grow up near any train lines, but has had an interest in trains since childhood. He

quickly adopted my fondness of Santa Fe. We’ve tried to keep out engines, cars, buildings and

scenes limited to what might be seen from about 1950 to 1970.

Back in 2004, Terry had been wanting to run a train through my flower bed. We visited several

layouts in the Spring Open Houses showing that year. I thought they looked kind of neat. I’d

heard of many different things being put out into gardens, and always had an interest in doll

houses, though I hadn’t pursued it. The 1/2” scale buildings and people caught my attention…. So,

now you can see what it’s grown into! The kids have grown and gone so now it’s our turn to

“play” in the back yard! We’ve found this garden railroad a wonderfully fun hobby to do together,

as it has dimensions of interest for both of us!

CALENDAR OF EVENTS:

Wednesday, May 18 6:00pm Board Meeting at Medtronic

Saturday, May 21 10:00am Membership Meeting @ Steve and Juldy Lewis’s Residence

Wednesday, June 15 6:00pm Board Meeting at Medtronic

Saturday, June 18 TBA Membership Meeting-need a location

If you are interested in writing an article for the Gazette, please

email Ginny Morris at putterm@cox.net

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THE ABTO GAZETTE Photos of Auction and BBQ Photos by Don Sorenson

Jace Sickels

Gizmo Lewis

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ABTO MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

The renewal fee is $30.00 per year and the new

membership fee of $35.00 per year entitles you

to attend all meetings and events, to receive the

monthly newsletter, and to have one name badge

created for you. Additional badges may be pur-

chased for $7 each.

ABTO CONTRIBUTIONS

Members are encouraged to contribute articles,

letters, illustrations and/or photographs related

to garden railroading for inclusion in the news-

letter and/or posting on the club web site.

Members who have hobby-related items for sale

or trade may submit an advertisement for publi-

cation and/or posting at no charge. Please limit

each ad to a maximum of four lines. Accompany-

ing photos will be considered for publication as

space allows.

OBJECTIVES

Membership in Arizona Big

Train Operators (ABTO) is open

to anyone with an interest in

gardening and the creation &

operation of large scale model railways. At our

meetings, items of mutual interest associated

with the hobby are discussed and demonstrated.

Meetings are typically held at member’s homes,

where they have the opportunity to showcase

their railway creations. General meetings are

usually held on the third Saturday of the month.

ABTO BOARD MEETINGS

Board meetings will be held on Wednesday prior

to the general meeting of each month. Board

meetings are open to members who are current

on their dues and have an item for the agenda.

If you plan to attend, call a Board member to

confirm location, time and date

ARIZONA BIG TRAIN OPERATORS

Arizona Big Train Operators 1633 E. Lakeside Drive Unit 1 Gilbert, AZ 85234