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for All Ages and All Gauges

We are now in the construction phase of our Model Railroad Museum, which involves a lot of carpentry to develop benchwork for the layouts. The N scale and HO scale exhibits are progressing well. The O scale and G scale railroads will come up behind. We continue to invite visitors in so they can see what we are doing. Our Library is taking shape now thanks to our new volunteer librarian. Our youngest new member, Jordan, is doing a great job helping to set up the DCC-powered N scale display. We got it up and running today using my newest and most favorite locomotive, N&W J Class #608 followed by five passenger cars. What a beautiful site to see. The chugging sound was awesome. 

Thanks to the many generous donors in our community, our inventory of model trains and accessories is growing rapidly. We have also added a collection of vintage Chrysler model cars on loan to us from a collector. One of our members built a control tower from an old Erector set, and a large ferris wheel from a K'Nex kit as promotional items for our STEAM/STEM Education Center.

So feel free to come in on the weekends, 12-6 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and watch as we grow from what looks like scraps to something the community can be proud of. Keep sending us your train stuff. We can put it to good use. What we can't use, we can sell with 100% of the revenue going back into the Museum. This is your project as much as it is ours. Thank you so much for your support!

Birth of Virginia Beach - Part 16:
US Navy Huron Shipwreck - Part 1
by Warren Leister

  As reported in the Telegraph reports in the Richmond Dispatch November 24, 1877, the United States steamer Huron sailed from Fort Monroe in Fort Monroe, in Hampton Roads, bound for Havana, Cuba. The same day the Alexandria Gazette reports: ”U. S. man-of-war Huron struck two miles north of No. 7 life saving station, Kitty Hawk, at 1:30 this a. m. The foremast is a total wreck. Assistance is needed immediately. The sea is breaking over her and several dead bodies have already washed ashore from her. The number aboard was about 135, of whom all but 30 are lost.”
   From the Norfolk, Va. Weekly Virginian and Carolinian published December 6, 1877 from the Baltimore American publication on November 27, 1877 titled “The Lost Huron,” subtitle “A Merchant Captain’s Statement; What he saw of the Huron on Friday.” “Captain Marchant, of the brig Mississippi, which arrived up on Sunday night from Demerara {the Demerara River is in eastern Guyana, S.A.; Georgetown, Guyana's largest seaport and capital, is on the east bank at the river's mouth}, was probably the last person who saw the Huron before she struck and went to pieces. His story, as detailed to an American reporter yesterday, is of the utmost importance, and as Captain Marchant is not only an experienced sailor, but thoroughly acquainted with the coast in the vicinity of the disaster, his opinions are entitled to the highest credence and respect. Let the captain tell his own story:”
  “On Friday morning at daybreak I lost sight of Cape Hatteras, and came up the coast with the wind free, blowing fresh from the east southeast. I was carrying all sail and was logging about twelve and a half knots per hour on the average. About half-past three o’clock I saw the Huron ahead of me, bound south. I could not tell what she was, more than she was a schooner-rigged and was bound south. We were in fact bows on, and running directly towards each other. Just before we met I sang out to the man at our wheel to keep off, and he put the helm up and we went to the leeward {leeward means in the direction of the wind which was blowing from the east south east so the Mississippi went to the north west or left of the Huron closer to the coast} of the Huron. I then saw that she was a three masted schooner-rigged screw steamer. It was then half-past 4 o’clock. Her officer of the deck walked over to the rail and looked over the hammock netting at us. I could have tossed my cap to him. He was a heavy set young man with a black mustache that grew around the corners of his mouth; why I could tell the color of his eyes! He wore a heavy coat, which came down to his feet, and a navy cap. The quartermaster at the con lifted his cap. His hair was gray. I lifted mine too, and by that time we were past him. I turned to my steward, an {African-American} boy, who has been on board of men-of-war, and asked him what he thought of that vessel going down the coast, on the course, she was steering in such weather. He said he did not know, and as the Huron did not have colors flying, only a pennant on the main, I didn’t know but what she was a revenue cutter {armed revenue cutters or ships were employed starting in 1790 to enforce revenue laws and prevent smuggling along with having rescue respondibilities, the revenue service and the U. S. Life-saving Service merged in 1915 to become today’s modern U. S. Coast Guard}, although she was rather large for that, bound out to the relief of some vessels in distress. I noticed that she had a brand new suit of hemp sails, and was carrying fore, main, and mizzen sails, fore and main gaff topsails, jib and flying jib {these are specific types and kinds of different sails that sailing ships employ in various places in their rigging} I also noticed that she had three {life or transit} boats on the davits inside on one side. There were some men at work securing the boats for sea, bonding them in, you know. {presumably better stabilizing and lashing with ropes the boats against being influenced by wind and wave action to prevent them breaking free or loosening from their davits and falling away or banging against the ship damaging them and the ship}. There were probably thirty or forty men on deck. The anchors were in board, and, I think the cables were not on them, I don’t remember. Note – it is customary for men-of-war to take the anchors in-board when going to sea and secure them. …”
  “Now as to her course she was close-hauled {having the sails set for sailing as nearly against the wind as the vessel will go, sailing nearly against the wind is a very tricky and delicate business} on the port tack and the wind was east-southeast. No vessel, in that sea {meaning with the storm conditions then present}, could lay closer up than six points {or degrees on a compass, there are 360 degrees in a full circle}, so she {ships are often referred to as women} must have been heading within a quarter of a point of south, that is, two points onto the coast {what this implies is that the ship was becoming slowly closer and closer to the coast probably because of a combination of a broken compass and the wind pushing the ship in that direction}. Her gaff topsails, sails that don’t fill well close hauled, were shaking, and she was going very slowly; I know that by her wake {or lack there off} My vessel was going through the water very fast, and I was carrying all the sail she would stagger under. I was determined to get into some safe place, if possible, that night, for although it had been blowing very hard that evening, I expected a gale, as the barometer was falling fast.”
  “I wasn’t at all concerned about the steamer. I didn’t know who she was then, nor I didn’t know she was lost till I got to Baltimore; but a brig just behind her, but a good ways to windward, I made up my mind I wouldn’t be aboard of for a good deal of money. I thought the steamer could easily work off the coast. When I met the Huron she was 16 miles south southeast of Cape Henry, in 8 and half fathoms of water {a fathom is six feet of water 8 and half fathoms is equivalent to 51 feet} 6 and a quarter miles off False Cape, which bore at the time we passed each other a little south of west. Now I am not going to give any opinion that may call me before a board of inquiry as a witness. However, I will say this the Huron might at any time of the night have gone on the other tack and laid a northeast course, which would have carried her in the direction of Cape Cod. She could, under sail, have run up the coast with the wind on her beam for Delaware bay, or by hauling up a point gone towards Sandy Hook. These courses were all open to her and her captain been afraid to run for the Capes, because the probability of a pilot {pilots are local expert guides that take over navigating ships into and out of harbors to prevent ships from going aground} being there to take him inside the harbor.
    The following statement was issued by Seaman Henry Nelson and published in regional newspapers in early December, 1877. “The Huron left Hampton Roads Friday {November 23, 1877} She struck about 1:20 {a. m.} Saturday morning. Before she struck she was running close to the wind, but as soon as she struck she beached {ran aground and became stuck in shallow water}. The sea boarded her from the port beam {left side of the ship} and raked her considerably. It was followed by another and the men on deck were thrown about in a terrible condition. Many attempted to fasten themselves to the stays {stays are ropes, wires, or rods on sailing vessels that run fore-and-aft along the centerline from the masts to the hull, deck, bowsprit, or to other masts which serve to stabilize the masts.}, pin rails {a belaying pin is a solid metal or wooden device used on traditionally rigged sailing vessels to secure lines of running rigging. The lines are tied or secured on the pins which are typically mounted on rails along the deck} or other things. Sea after sea boarded the ship and many of those who were unable to lash themselves were killed or drowned where they stood. We looked for assistance from the shore, as we knew that a signal station was near by, but no aid came to us. By daylight many of the men had been washed overboard and many were drowned on board. The Captain took his place in the launch which was yet in the davits {davits, usually two, are used to hold a small boat and can be used as hoists to raise and lower the boat to the surface of the sea as needed}, but it was soon torn away by the sea and carried overboard carrying with {it} the Captain and Lieutenant Palmer, the navigating officer. The first lieutenant was washed overboard and clung for some time to the foremast, which was floating alongside, but he soon gave out and sank by the side of the ship. The paymaster was seen to go down in the wardroom, but he never lived to reach the deck again as a sea from the port quarter broke in the cabin and filled the wardroom. The same sea filled the berth deck and drowned several more. The doctor, who was washed under the main trysail {a trysail is analogous to a storm jib which is a small triangular or gaff rigged sail hoisted in place of a larger mainsail when winds are very high}, which was on deck {presumably having been blown or washed by rain or storm wave action or both down from the mast}, was heard to cry out, ‘A thousand dollars for the man that saves my life,’ but assistance was impossible, and he perished under the sail. As last day broke and the poor men were cheered up by the sight of the large crowd on shore and hoped they would send them a line, but no line came, and at last those who still lived began to jump into the sea, which was running to a fearful height, many of them drowning within ten yards of the ship and others being carried away by the waves for miles along the coast. Some on board gave out, being completely exhausted by the continual beating of the waves. Many more were killed by spars {a spar is a pole, in this case made of wood used in the rigging of a sailing vessel to carry or support sail(s)} beating about the decks, others clung to the life lines about the ship and were beaten to death by the bulwarks {steel or wooden walls along with rails around the ship's sides, giving protection to the deck and preventing people from falling overboard and preventing water from entering the ship} Out of the main guard, which consisted of fifteen men, there was only one which reached shore alive. All the machinists, the paymasters, yeomen, and all belonging to the master-at-arms perished, with the exception of the master-at-arms himself. One man lashed a life preserver to his waist and jumped over the side. The life preserver was too low down, and instead of keeping him up it kept his head under water and he soon perished. It is thought that if the men had not waited so long for help many more would have reached shore alive; as it was there were only thirty four saved out of one hundred and thirty five. I was {miraculously} washed ashore.”
 


End of Part 16

This concludes “Birth of Virginia Beach Part 16”

Train Song of the Month

Jimmie Rodgers - "Waitin' for a Train"

https://youtu.be/gbzc77Tz6PA?list=PL07n2-n5FoRHYzhKfA--soywuLOFvEv1l

"James Charles Rodgers was an American singer-songwriter and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as the 'Father of Country Music', he is best known for his distinctive yodeling. Rodgers was known as 'The Singing Brakeman' and 'America's Blue Yodeler'." [excerpt from Wikipedia]

For more “train songs” check out the “Commander’s Train Songs” YouTube playlist at...

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL07n2-n5FoRHYzhKfA--soywuLOFvEv1l&si=IODFaTIeOe7OBQ7G

Legacies

Legacies are things we have accomplished during our lives that we leave behind for others to enjoy, cherish and appreciate after we are gone. Your legacy might be a book you have written, a policy you have changed, a house you have built, good deeds you have done, etc. 

Model railroaders have legacies also. Some model railroaders really stand out as exemplary in their field. James Armstrong, for example left a legacy of written material to show how to develop a realistic track design, John Allen left behind a fantastic, famous mountainous layout called Gorre and Daphetid in his basement. John Johnson in our Tidewater Division left behind a wonderful layout depicting the Pennsylvania Railroad. John MacLemore, a retired attorney, also in our Division, left behind many highly detailed, beautiful scratchbuilt structures in O scale, which we are now fortunate enough to have acquired from his wife to display in our Museum. The Lancaster and Warrenton Collections are also legacies in their own right.

We are planning to develop a Hall of Fame Display showing the excellent artistic work, the legacies, that our former model railroaders have left for us to enjoy and appreciate, and that we can still learn from and be inspired by long after they have gone.

Video of the Month...

Howard Zane's Model Railroad

Thank You!

Thank you for reading Making Tracks. Come and visit us at MacArthur Center, second floor, directly below the Regal Cinema.

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New Tracks Modeling!

New Tracks Modeling is an exciting digital opportunity to obtain mentoring to help you improve your modeling.  You will meet talented modelers and manufacturers from all over the world who will share their model building expertise and artistic advice.  New Tracks Modeling is open to all modelers of all skill levels in any scale or gauge.

Our Shows are live every Wednesday evening at 7pm Eastern/4pm Western on Zoom and YouTube. By subscribing to our website newtracksmodeling.com you’ll receive email notices containing links to both the Zoom and YouTube presentations.

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The Model Railroad Museum of Hampton Roads will be a fantastic community center based on running, operating and even building your own model railroads! There's something for every age here.

Learn about the real history of this area and how important it was in the building of America. Watch how railroads were built, the people involved, where America's roots were formed. 

As they build their own railroads, students will be learning about science, electronics,  architecture, technology, engineering, mathematics, and the art of 3 dimensional model landscaping. They can earn rewards for completing projects and winning contests.

Try to solve yardmaster problems on a switching layout like getting the lumber from the forest to the furniture store, by way of the saw mill and the lumber yard.

Run your train around blockades and other trains to get to the station on time without speeding or crashing.

Play railroad monopoly using model railroads. Winner is the one who can collect the most cars into his yard within an hour.

There will be programs for autistic and special needs kids, disabled adults and veterans.

School tours. Holiday Shows. Library and video rooms. Scouts are welcome. Even youngsters will have their own wooden models to enjoy. Classrooms and hands-on clinics for adults. Learn how to get started in the hobby. Or just enjoy the fun.

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