# ECLSTS '11 Congratulations...



## Big65Dude (Jan 2, 2008)

... to me? 

Well, I don't know about that, but certainly Geoff Ringlé[/b], of Trenton NJ, deserves recognition for winning first place blue ribbons in both the scratch-built[/i] and kit-bashed[/i] rolling stock categories in the model contest at last weekend's East Coast Large Scale Train Show in York PA. Here are shots of his prize-winning entries:









A beautifully scratch-built and weathered wood sheathed steel frame EBT boxcar.









This wonderful EBT No. 26 work caboose is kit-bashed from a B'mann Spectrum flatcar.

Since I was planning to go to Roger Cutter's open-house at his RGS East on Sunday, I had brought my recently renovated pump house/water tower "diorama" to reinstall on his layout. There was no room for it on Clem O'Jevich's Warrior Run Loco Works modular layout, so I put it over on the model contest table and filled out an entry form just so I'd have a place to keep it safe while at the show. To my astonishment, it not only took first place in the kit-bashed structures category (the water tower is from a *Piko* kit) but also took Best-in-Show! Go figure.










You may remember seeing this water tower and pump house in separate postings in these pages before. As mentioned above, the "victorian" water tower is bashed from a Piko kit and I had built the pump house completely from scratch except for a *Muella Scale Models* windmill resin casting. Unfortunately, when I set in up on Roger's layout, the windmill caught the wind so well that it got blown over and when the spinning windmill wheel hit the deck, the blades went flying everywhere.

The solution to this problem was to securely mount the water tower and pump house on a heavy concrete backer-board base and to recreate the windmill wheel and vane from brass. The "air motor" and its mount were used as a basis for the rebuild and the sealed ball bearing races for the swivel and the wheel hub were also reused.









I found plans for a typical farm windmill online, scaled them out for my model, and used them as a "template" for the new wheel. Luckily, a slice from a copper plumbing elbow proved to be just the right diameter and thickness for the inner band. I cut the "sails" from thin sheet brass, clamped them all together and cut a slot through them all at once, about a third of the way from the ends, for the outer band. It was then a simple matter of bending a piece of brass bar stock into a circle of the proper diameter and using it to set the proper angle for each of the sails.









I then soldered the whole thing together. In this shot, the inner end of each blade, bent at a right angle, has not yet been trimmed off and the ball bearing hub has not yet been installed. The vane was constructed in a similar manner using the same sheet brass and L-shaped brass "angle iron."

I guess while I'm at it, I should also congratulate all the other winners of the various categories in the contest. I must confess, it's gratifying to receive recognition for your work from your peers.

Thank you.


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Jack, the Best of Show award for your diorama is most deserved.... It's a beautiful piece work....









And........ it was great meeting you.


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## Big65Dude (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks, Stan - same here!


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Congrats to all! (And I can't help but to be fond of Geoff's chosen prototype.) 

Later, 

K


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By East Broad Top on 31 Mar 2011 07:00 PM 
Congrats to all! (And I can't help but to be fond of Geoff's chosen prototype.) 


The contest was awesome this year. That BIG bascule bridge was amazing, and the Amtrak Superliners were great. Congrats to Geoff and Jack!

(Geoff's two cars are only half the story. He had another pair running at the time on Clem's track - he makes one for Allen each time a new build opportunity comes along.)

Jack's new windmill was safely installed on Rog's layout on Sunday (see my "After ECLSTS" photos) and survived its first wind test.


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## Tom Bowdler (Jan 3, 2008)

Jack, 
Not bad for a boy from Orleans County! I would loved to have seen it in person but had to miss out this year. Rog has invited me to stop on our next visit to our son in MD and I will take him up on it. 
Best, 
Tom


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Heh...he needs a place to set it down and not get damaged so he enters it in the contest! Naturally! Heh heh heh.... congrats to everyone that won!


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## Big65Dude (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Steve Stockham on 01 Apr 2011 10:18 AM 
Heh...he needs a place to set it down and not get damaged so he enters it in the contest! Naturally! Heh heh heh.... congrats to everyone that won!


No, really...

Yeah, that's what I did.... 

Hmmm...


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