European Train Enthusiasts Great Lakes - ETEGL News

Bavarian Fest is still the Best!

6/9/2025

The ETEGL is off to Frankenmuth once again (now in our 25th year), so be sure to come over to Fisher Hall right there on Main Street and enjoy the modular layout featuring European scenery and rolling stock! We'll be open to the public Friday June 13 10-8, Saturday June 14 10-8, and Sunday until about 2:00 p.m. Be sure to stop by and say hello!

ETEGL at the Lansing Model Railroad Club November 10

11/4/2024

Come enjoy the ETEGL's European-themed HO scale layout at the Michigan State Pavilion as part of Michigan's largest model train show on Sunday, November 10. Admission is only $8 with show hours from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. See you on November 10!

The first train shows of 2024 are...

1/12/2024

...coming up very soon! The ETEGL will be educating the public on European trains and transport via our modular layout at the Great Train Show in Novi,. Michigan on January 20 & 21, 2024. Show details, along with a coupon for discounted entry, can be found here:

https://www.greattrainshow.com/gts-show-landing-pages/novi-01-24

Not long after, we're attending the AAMRC show in Saline, Michigan on February 17 & 18. This is a perrenial favorite of the chapter, with lots of merchants including the occasional Marklin, Roco or Fleischmann collection. Details on that show are available here:

https://www.hvrrhs.org/annual-train-show.html

We look forward to seeing all our chapter members and chapter friends at one or both of these great model train shows!

Bavarian fest success!

6/12/2023

This past weekend's exhibit at the Bavarian Festival in Frankenmuth was a great success! Our European train display and layout was well received by the public, with lots of compliments and kind words. A few pictures from the layout are below. Please contact the ETEGL if you have questions about the layout or the chapter, or wish to invite us to your train show or European-themed event!

ETEGL Back in Frankenmuth

5/22/2023

From June 9-11 the Great Lakes Chapter of European Train Enthusiasts will once again be exhibiting at Fischer Hall during Bavarian Fest. Opening times are 10:00 - 6:00 on Friday and Saturday, and 10:00 - 3:00 on Sunday. As always, admission is free, with donations gratefully accepted!

The New Layout Shines at Frankenmuth Bavarian Festival

6/19/2022

The layout performed flawlessly, with dirty track being the only impairment to flawless operation. Thanks to running only one train per track, we didn't have to worry about trains running into each other. We also didn't have operational catenary, so we didn't run off the overhead wire. Our next show is Oktoberfest, again in Fisher Hall in Frankenmuth, in September. Our plan is to have all modules scenicked and full catenary operational on both main lines.

We did it. After several years of thinking, testing, rethinking, retesting, arguing, debating, compromising and finally building, the new ETEGL modular layout was presented to the public at the Frankenmuth, Michigan Bavarian Festival the weekend of June 10-12, 2022. Thanks to an excellent turnout by a dozen ETEGL members, along with optimization thanks to the new spec, the layout went up quickly with little issue. Marty Blessing's new tester worked amazingly well, identifying the only electrical issue, amazing when you consider that there were twenty(!) new modules in attendance.

TWO etegl meetings a month? Be still, my heart!

8/21/2021

It's true! Although in-person luncheons have returned, an overwhelming majority of our members wanted to continue the virtual meetings, too! If you'd like to join the online meetings (on the first Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m.), you can find the link in the email section of the ETEGL Groups.io email group, or email us here.

The ETEGL Returns to in-person luncheons!

8/5/2021

After a long hiatus, the ETEGL is returning to in-person luncheons! We'll be meeting at The Sidetrack Bar & Grill in Ypsilanti, Michigan on the first Saturday of the month at noon, starting this month.
That being said, we are continuing the ZOOM virtual meetings as well. These meetings will now take place on the first Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m.
All members are encouraged to join both get-togethers! Please reach out to your ETEGL board if you have any questions.

If you are a non-member and wish to confirm that we're not all a bunch of whackos before joining the chapter, reach out to Carsten Ramcke at [email protected] for details on how to join us for either event.

Welcome to 2021!

1/11/2021

It's 2021, and the ETEGL is ready to return to normal! That's not to say we haven't made the most of the changes 2020 has brought. For example, our monthly chapter meetings have continued, with an average of more than a dozen members joining since July. The development of the new module specification continues, and we have set a date for launching the new layout: Frankenmuth Bavarian Festival in June 2022.

We look forward to resuming our in-person lunches this summer (fingers crossed), as well as continuing the virtual meetings to allow members near and far to join. We also look forward to setting up an 'assembly line' to build the frames for our new modular layout.

Please stay safe, and we look forward to being together again soon!

Bye Bye Yahoo Groups, Hello groups.io

12/8/2020

Want to stay a part of the ETEGL newsgroup? Trying to find us on Yahoo Groups? Well, with Yahoo announcing the end of Yahoo Groups we have moved the chapter email server to groups.io.

If you would like to join us at groups.io, please follow this link to enroll.