8:30 AM till noon each day & 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM on Friday.

Everything You Know About Scale Time is Probably Wrong

Presented by Dennis Hagen

Model railroad operating sessions are probably more popular today than they have ever been. Many operators attempt to incorporate fast clocks, scale time and scale distances to enhance realism. Despite its current acclaim, the use of fast clocks and scale time both tend to be incredibly misunderstood, and most modelers fail to utilize all of the potential these tools offer. This presentation explains concepts, explores possibilities and explodes numerous inherent myths regarding the use of fast clocks, scale time and scale speeds.

Colorado’s Gold and Silver Mining Booms and Busts: 150 Years of Roller Coaster History

Presented by Steve Hart

In 1857, a party of Georgia ’49ers making their way home from California panned a little “show” of gold dust in Cherry Creek.  Within two years, 100,000 farmers, factory workers, and tradesmen, still recovering from the Panic of 1857, rushed to western Kansas to strike it rich.  Most had missed the rush to California, so they drove covered wagons marked “Pikes Peak or Bust” to the new boom.  Within another year, half those “’59ers” had busted and were headed home.  This was just the first of many years that one Colorado mining boom or another busted even faster than it had begun.

By 1877, gold miners at California Gulch in the Upper Arkansas Valley kept finding iron-stained rock that contained no gold.  After one enterprising miner had some of the rock assayed, the greatest silver mining boom in Colorado history created Leadville, the second largest city in the state.  The Silver Panic of 1893 caused the entire silver mining industry in Colorado to collapse, with penniless miners building “Coxey’s’ Navy” rafts on the banks of the South Platte River. They planned to sail to Washington, DC to protest the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act and the subsequent unemployment.

Interestingly, the year of the Silver Panic was also the first full year of the gold boom in the new Cripple Creek Mining District.  Three railroads rushed to be the first to connect to the district and hard rock miners flooded into Cripple Creek, Victor, Bull Hill, Altman, Independence, and Anaconda.  By World War I, gold mining had slowed and the first railroad into the district was gone.  During WWII, gold mining was halted by government order to concentrate mining on strategic war materials.  Although the last large mine and mill in the district did not close until 1961. The final railroad in the district had pulled up its tracks in 1949.  

Small Terra-Firma – But – So Many Veins, Mines, and Mills – “Little Kingdom of Gilpin”. 

Presented By Monte L. Pearson, Ph.D.

Long gone, but not forgotten. The last train operated in the “Little Kingdom of Gilpin” over 100 years ago. Who can remember seeing The Gilpin Tram Railroad operate over its steep grades and tightly curved 2-foot line? The “Little Kingdom of Gilpin” is still fueling modeling desires and dreams, and the “cute” little ore cars and locomotives are not the only factors. The “Kingdom” was approximately three square miles of terra-firma with over 500 claims posted- one could say stuffing 10 pounds of operations in a 5-pound bag.   How and why – Tectonics, hydrothermal, massive erosion events, along with eastern politicians dictating mining laws all generated the great features of the “Little Kingdom of Gilpin”. Massive ore veins and small claim sites produced unique architecture of small mines and mills plus about 24 miles of trackage in three square miles. A number of Geologic Plates and Photos are presented during this clinic; there may even be some humor. 

Shays of Colorado

Presented By Dan Abbott

Presentation of the shays of Colorado, from the Gilpin Tram to the Silverton.

Colorado Midland Railway

Presented By Jeff Stroup

A brief history of the Colorado Midland Railway, the standard gauge railroad built through the Colorado Continental Divide. Jeff will describe this short-lived railroad (1888-1917) as it operated within the Colorado narrow gauge environment seeking riches from silver, gold and general freight business. In addition, Jeff will briefly review his Colorado Midland Railway layout and describe how he conducts operating sessions.

Making a Scene

Presented By Bill Alspach

This clinic will focus on making and staging what I like to call micro scenes on a layout.  A primary focus will be displaying “junk” and “stuff” lying about a layout and scenes but also includes thoughts on incorporating or not including figures, animals, vehicles, vegetation, etc. in a scene. 

Making a Photo Backdrops

Presented By Mark Shifter

This clinic will focus on making photo backdrops from your camera images.

Cereal Box Buildings

Presented By Joe Crea

A clinic on using cereal boxes and Evans Design software to create buildings, Joe will show us how to add details to your designs to create highly detailed buildings that look like craftsman kits.

Sagebrush Tree Making

Presented By Marvin Kansteiner

Tree Making explained using Sagebrush for armatures.

Tales of the Narrow Gauge

Presented By John Crawford

A fireside chat with John and his stories of the narrow gauge during his career.