European Train Enthusiasts Great Lakes - ETEGL News

2019 Frankenmuth Bavarian Festival CANCELLATION

6/6/2019

For only the second time in its history, the ETEGL will not be attending the Frankenmuth Bavarian Festival this year. Fischer Hall is usually filled with trains during the coming weekend, but unforeseen issues have caused us to have to cancel our attendance. At this time we still plan to display the layout at Oktoberfest in September, as we usually do. We apologize to anyone who was looking forward to enjoying the display, but look forward to seeing you in September and at next year's Bavarian Festival!

May 4 is National Train Day!

3/29/2019

Keep an eye out for updates coming on a chapter outing to Toledo, Ohio for National Train Day on May 4. This outing will replace our usual monthly luncheon. Instead, we will be treated to a delicious lunch courtesy of Bill and Joni Bosse in Maumee, Ohio.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION!

One Month, Two Shows

2/5/2019

February is a busy month for the Great Lakes Chapter of ETE! We are attending two shows on back-to-back weekends, the first one being the Ann Arbor Model Railroad Club's annual show in Saline, Michigan (http://a2trainshow.com/) on February 16 & 17, followed shortly thereafter by the World's Greatest Hobby On Tour event at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi (http://wghshow.com/nov2019/).

Be sure to stop by and say 'hello'!

NTS Prep Completed- Let the [Train] show begin!

7/5/2018

With apologies to Fats Domino, Kansas City, here we come! The National Train Show is about a month away, and the Great Lakes Chapter of European Train Enthusiasts is ready. The NTS-spec layout was given a 'dry run' at the Frankenmuth Bavarian Festival in June, and with all modules stored in the trailer the trip to Kansas City can begin. A caravan of vehicles will be making the day-long trek from Detroit on August 7, while several ETEGL members have chosen to take the train to the event.

Here is where you can see the ETEGL layout, and many others:
Kansas City Convention Center Hall
301 West 13th St
Kansas City, MO

The National Train Show is open to the public on the following dates / times:
Friday August 10, 2018 – 12:00 NOON to 6:00 PM
Saturday August 11, 2018 – 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Sunday August 12, 2018- 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

We look forward to seeing you there in August!

Fun in Frankenmuth

5/8/2018

Consider the following scenario: You are a prepubescent kid about to finish the 8th grade, and in the fall you will be starting high school. Now fast-forward eight years, and you have completed both high school and four years of college and have graduated with a bachelor’s degree. You are about to start your career and begin your life as an adult on your own. Amazing how far you have come in eight years.

Eight years is also how long we have been displaying our layout in Frankenmuth.

To be precise, eight years will happen this JUNE 7-10 when we make our eighth appearance at Frankenmuth’s Bavarian Festival. We will be exhibiting at Fischer Hall as usual, with the following schedule:

Set-up: Thursday, June 7, 12:00 - 18:00
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: Friday, June 8, 10:00 – 18:00
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: Saturday, June 9, 10:00 – 18:00
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: Sunday, June 10, 10:00 – 14:00
Tear-down: Sunday, June 10, 14:00 - 18:00

We look forward to seeing you there!

MEMBERS: With the layout at Frankenmuth identical to the layout at NTS we will be spending part of the exhibit making sure all modules are up to snuff and functioning properly. Feel free to bring any scenicking materials or other accessories to help us spruce up the layout. Of special interest would be Preiserlings, vehicles, and other detail pieces that add ‘life’ to the layout.

Shows, Shows, and more shows!

1/18/2018

Join the ETEGL for two exciting train show displays of our European-themed modular layout in February!

The Ann Arbor Model Railroad Club Annual Train Show
Saline, Michigan February 17 & 18
http://a2trainshow.com/

The Great Train Expo at the Suburban Collection
Novi, Michigan February 24 & 25
http://trainshow.com/novi/

We look forward to seeing you there!

2017 ETEGL annual dinner

11/8/2017

The 2017 ETEGL dinner will take place on Saturday, December 2 at Station 885 in Plymouth, Michigan at 6:00 pm. This year we are mixing up the menu with a new trio of entrees, all of which include a dinner salad and a desert. The entree options are:

* PAN SEARED SALMON finished with a thyme-fused lemon butter and served with roasted herb potatoes
* CHICKEN PARMESAN Breaded chicken breast topped with Italian cheese and served with spaghetti marinara
* PRIME RIB OF BEEF slowly roasted in herbs and spices and served with garlic mashed potatoes

The cost for the dinner is $30 per person. Payment can be made in advance via credit card or Paypal through the form below or by check made out to ETEGL and mailed to:
ETEGL
P.O. Box 226
Dearborn Heights, MI 48127

You may also pay by check or cash at the dinner. No RSVP is necessary!

To pay with credit card or Paypal, please fill in your email address and select the number of people in your party below

Decisions, Decisions...

9/19/2017

February 2018 presents the ETEGL a bit of a challenge with regards to train show attendance. Next year the Great Train Show, a two-day event at the Suburban Collection in Novi, falls the weekend after the Ann Arbor Model Railroad Club's two-day show at Saline Middle School.
In the past the ETEGL has done both shows. In both cases we have brought the full layout to each event. But with the two shows falling so close to each other there is concern that we will not have enough members attend both events to insure smooth setup, operation and tear-down.
We are asking our members who are engaged with the modular layout (along with any visitors to this website who plan to attend one or both shows) to help us decide which event we should attend, or both or neither. Please take a moment to complete the one-question survey below. Based on the responses we receive we will know whether we have enough personnel to attend one or both shows. Although there is no requirement to attend the event(s) you select below we hope you consider participating. These two shows represent our biggest opportunities for outreach in Southeast Michigan and are responsible for a large part of our membership finding us.

New etegl Board Position Approved

9/7/2017

In August the ETEGL Chapter Board voted unanimously to begin the process of creating a new Board Position. This new position will be your Member Advocate. The duties that come with this position include being the interface between membership and the Board; your go-to person for ideas, suggestions, complaints and concerns; our Gleis 1 material whip (helps to gently convince members to contribute material); and show and event coordinator (no small task). The Board was also unanimous in its decision to appoint Larry Reynolds to this position. Larry has graciously accepted this appointment. He will help us work out the bugs and further clarify what this position can do for you. The Member Advocate will eventually become a voting member of the Board. During this “trial period”, it is not. When it makes sense, we will call for candidates and hold an election for the position.

Members with questions, concerns, suggestions and opportunities can reach Larry via lreynolds@etegl.org.

Local Exposure for European Trains...

3/6/2017

Besides member Carsten Ramcke getting his 4 minutes of fame, the ETEGL was prominently featured on this segment of the local news regarding the Great Train Expo in Novi, Michigan on March 4-5, 2017: