STAYING ON

 TRACK

The Newsletter of the Lubbock Model Railroad Association November 2003

CONTENTION UPDATE

The 2003 LSR convention in Lubbock actually made some money for the club. I will have the final numbers completed in the next few weeks and will make a detailed treasure’s report at the December meeting.

NOVEMBER CLINIC 

Patrick Pritchett will present a clinic on detailing flat cars.

RAIL STATION RENAISSANCE continued

By Cory Walton as printed in Texas Highways, February 2001, p. 26.

Dallas’ stately Union Station offers another inspiring example. At the time of the depot’s opening in October 1916, America was flexing its muscle as a new world power, and the building’s Beaux Arts architectural style – with its classical Roman design and ornamentation, massive terra cotta-clad parapets – perfectly reflected the railroads’ confidence in the vibrant young town.

In its heyday, the three-story station had received international dignitaries and had provided the crowds with world class entertainment (Toscanini and his orchestra, for example) beneath the 40-foot, vaulted ceiling in the opulent second-story waiting room. Passenger trains continued to depart from the station until 1969.

The City of Dallas bought the station in 1972 and remodeled a portion of it in 1974 for Amtrak service. In 1980, Dallas’ Woodbine Development Corporation renovated the station as part of a city project that included construction of the Hyatt Regency-Dallas hotel and the 50-story Reunion Tower on the adjoining property.

Woodbine senior vice president Gary Hoffman, who oversaw the renovation, recalls, “I was at the sation as a boy with my dad in 1952 when General Dwight Eisenhower arrived and gave a campaign speech at a podium on the loading platform.” The station renovation had city-wide support be cause, says Gary, “Just like me, nearly every Dallasite had personal experience and memories of the station.

Today, the Hyatt (connected to the station via a 1940s-era tunnel beneath the tracks and loading platforms manages the station’s grand hall and meeting rooms. These spaces lend elegance and a sense of history to business and social events booked through the hotel. The spacious first-floor passenger waiting area (moved from the second floor in 1948) once again bustles with busy downtown commuters. It serves as the ticket office for Amtrak, and, since 1996, it has served as the downtown terminal for the Dallas area Rapid Transit (DART) light-rail line. Las fall, it took on an additional role as the Dallas terminal for the first leg of the Trinity Railway Express commuter rail line, a joint project of DART and the T (Fort Worth Transportation Authority.

To be continued . . . .

AMTRAK LAUNCHES NEW ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE LOW FARES

submitted by Ron Warner

 WASHINGTON, D.C. (10 Sep '03) - Amtrak this week launched a new national advertising campaign in Washington, D.C. and five other major cities - Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, and Seattle - to promote the railroad's lowest fares to its most popular destinations. Advertising will expand to 70 cities later this month.

The campaign marks a significant change in the way Amtrak markets itself, reflecting the railroad's new "back-to-basics" strategy to simplify its pricing structure as well as roll back its coach fares. Previously, Amtrak's seasonal fall, winter, and spring promotions featured advertising that emphasized discounts ranging from 25 to 50 percent. Under the new strategy, Amtrak's advertising will promote actual low fares-not percentage discounts-to specific destinations.

Amtrak will continue to drive sales to its website, offering a 5 percent discount off the lowest available rail fare for passengers who book their travel on-line from through December 13. The online discount is not valid on some Northeast Corridor trains, and blackout dates may apply. In addition, Amtrak will continue to offer 15 percent discounts for seniors (ages 62 and up) and a 50 percent discount for kids (ages 2-15) off the lowest available rail fare. Children under the age of 2 ride free.

The bulk of the campaign's budget will be allocated to newspaper advertising in Amtrak's top 21 markets, plus 49 smaller markets, in an effort to increase consumer exposure while keeping costs low. Use of radio advertising will be limited to six markets, while television commercials will not be used at all. On-line advertising, which has increased 400 percent over Amtrak's 2002 fall ad campaign, will include banners on Yahoo, CitySearch, and blackplanet.com.

FADING SIGNS OF THE TIMES

From Model Trains Update (Trains.com; 10/17/03)

by Michael Tylick.

Submitted by Ron Warner

Among the outstanding details on George Sellios' Franklin & South Manchester RR are the large billboards "painted" on the walls of his city structures. The large and colorful advertisements place the F&SM in the 1930s before preprinted billboards. Then, men on scaffolds did the work with paintbrushes.

George couldn't reasonably expect to duplicate that hand-painting. Decals and dry transfers are perfect for this but not always available, so he devised a method of sanding printed signs to make them appear painted on. Many manufacturers sell signs and you can also find signs in books, collectible magazines, and mail-order catalogs.

Even the thinnest printing paper is too thick to look painted on, but by working slowly and carefully with very fine sandpaper, you can make the sign as thin as tissue paper.

Patience and careful sanding can bring an authentic, weathered look to wall advertisements.

* Cut the sign with a sharp razor blade and steel rule for straight edges, or scissors for curved signs.

* Put masking tape on the center of the

back of the sign before sanding (as recommended by Charlie Getz of Classic Signs Ltd.) This way the edges of the sign can be sanded without wearing through the center.

 

* Use very fine sandpaper (400 grit) to sand the back of the sign in one direction only, stroking the paper away from you. Practice on scrap paper first.

 

* After the edges are thinned, remove the tape and sand the center.

 

* On the front side use light vertical strokes to remove the shine and layers of color. Work slowly until the desired effect is achieved.

 

* To further tone down the sign, use a wash of two teaspoons of India ink into one pint of rubbing alcohol. Cut the ink in half for a less weathered, lighter appearance. Always test the wash first, as some inks and toners may dissolve and run.

 

* Glue the signs to the wall with full strength white glue. Squeeze a glob of glue on the back of the sign and spread it to coat the entire surface.

Use tweezers to position the sign, pat it down carefully, then allow it to set for a few minutes. Make the sign conform to the wall by forcing it into the mortar lines or other surface features with your fingernail. Working from the center toward the edges minimizes pulling and stretching on the sign.

Manufacturers of Model Signs

Classic Signs Ltd.

P. O. Box 1073

San Carlos, CA 97070

JL Innovative Design

P. O. Box 322

Sauk Rapids, MN 56379

Master Creations

P. O. Box 561

Seffner, FL 33583

Vintage Reproductions

2606 Flintridge Dr.

Colorado Springs, CO 80918

Wales Junction Signs

113 Pennsylvania Ave.

North Wales, PA 19454