Two Open House Train Displays + Bethlehem Farmer's Market

1163 Red Barn Lane in Quakertown

Kevin and Jenn Yutz are having an open house this Saturday August 31st from 11am to 5pm.
Address is 1163 Red Barn Lane in Quakertown. Red Barn is off of Walnut Bank Farm road.

Your GPS shouldn’t have any problem finding it. If you can get to the Target store on Route 309 in Quakertown you’re only a few turns away. Give me a call if you need more details.

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Frank and Cheryl Mummey are having an open house on SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 15 (NOTE NEW DATE) from noon to 4:00. (Rain date Sunday the 15th) Frank says they will have 6 loops (inc. one trolley line) running on a mid-50s to mid-70s themed layout, and possibly 2 additional loops running on a secondary late-1800s western themed layout.

Their address is 4837 S. Cypress Dr. Walnutport 18088. This is just off of Route 248 (Lehigh Drive).

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Bethlehem Rose Garden Farmers Market

Lynn Ratzell will be setting up a loop or two at the Bethlehem Rose Garden Farmers Market on Saturday, September 7.
He’ll be there to setup around 8:00am. The market opens at 9:00. Any help is appreciated.

The Market is located on the west side of 8th Avenue, between W Union Blvd and W Broad Street.

It is just off the RTE 378 extension . Coming from RTE 22 Take RTE 378 south towards Bethlehem . Exit onto 8th Ave (Old Martin Tower and Nitschmann Middle School exit) and go south about 2 blocks and you will see it in the trees on the right.
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Chris KacsurLVGR - Vice PresidentCKacsur.LVGR@gmail.com / www.LVGR.org610-349-1150

LVGR presents check to St Luke's Hospice

In front of an audience of classic cars, Lehigh Valley Garden Railroaders presented a generous gift of $2,000 to St. Luke's Hospice at the America on Wheels Museum. The gift was made in memory of the group's long-time treasurer, Barbara Karkutt, who was a faithful member and train enthusiast. St Luke’s sent a big thanks to the Railroaders for their thoughtful support and for enabling St. Luke's Hospice to care for all patients and families in need.

Some Photos from Lynn Ratzell's Open House

Thank Lynn…

Superb job, as usual !

August News Updates and Open House

Hello LVGR community, hope everyone’s summer is going well;

Item #1.

Lynn Ratzell will be having an open house on Sunday August 11th from 2 to 7pm. Trains are running and I know he and his Grandson have made some modifications to the garden layout.

Address is 4652 Oakwood Lane, Nazareth. Take 22 to route 512N or 191N. Take Hanoverville Rd to Georgetown Rd. (At Dutch Springs) Go North on Georgetown to Oakwood and turn right. His place is down on the Left.

Item #2.

Next Wednesday August 14th at 1:00 at America On Wheels we will finally be presenting our donation check to St. Lukes Hospice Care in memory of Barbara. Unfortunately every time we went to pick a date we ran into schedule conflicts; but we persevered and finally came up with a date and time that worked. If you’re available please stop by and say hello to the AOW staff and the folks from St. Lukes.

Item#3

Just a thank you to those who came out to the Kutztown Folk Festival and either helped setup, breakdown or run trains. I missed just about everyone, but Nolan saw a few of you. The guys from the Allentown and Auburn are appreciative and our banner made the 69 news. Hopefully we can assist again next year.

Item #4

Reminder, Bethlehem Farmers Market at the Bethlehem Rose Garden (8th Ave & Broad St.) Lynn Ratzell will be setting-up a display for one day on Saturday September 7. He’ll need some help for setup on Friday and manning and teardown on Saturday.

Item#5

We hope to be out at the Pioneer Apple Festival at Ontelaunee Park in New Tripoli on Oct.5th. Same as last year. Nothing fancy, 2 loops next to Craig’s magnificently constructed station and the ride on train he’s restoring. May also have the pump car from A&A on display along with some other RR artifacts.

Will provide more info on Bethlehem and Apple Fest as we get closer.

Holiday Train Display setup and run times

SHOW:

THURSDAY (COVERED BY AOW VOLUNTEERS)
10A - 4P

FRIDAY, SATURDAY
10A - 4P

SUNDAY
12P - 4P
Closed on Dec 25th

TEAR DOWN - Thursday Jan 3rd

Open House at Lynn Ratzell's on Sept 16

I am planning an open house for my garden railroad on Sunday September 16, 1 - 5 pm. Rain and travel has delayed this open house. If Florence causes more rain well then it just won't happen this year. But let's give it a try. 

I've added some features and modified the track since I last had an open house. The main line has a suspension bridge and a trestle. A second mainline has a 5%+ grade and 2 tunnels. Both lines are about 70 feet by 30 feet. There are also two shorter independent lines.

I'm in lower Nazareth Township off Georgetown Road,
My address is 4652 Oakwood Lane Nazareth, PA. 

The Death of Barbara Karkutt

Barbara I. Karkutt
March 24, 1939 - June 5, 2018
Born in Kingston, PA
Resided in Williams Township, PA

Barbara I. Karkutt, 79, of Williams Township, passed away Tuesday, June 5, 2018 in St. Luke’s Hospice House.

Born March 24, 1939 in Kingston, PA, she was a daughter of the late Albert and Virginia (Burton) Fowler.

Her husband of 40 years, David P. Miklean, passed away September 2, 2017.

Barbara last worked for Superior Consulting. Prior to that, she was employed by Lenox Hill Hospital, Manhattan, as a systems analyst for over 20 years.

She graduated from Dunellen High School and attended Rutgers University.

Barbara ran for the U.S. Senate in the 1980’s as a Libertarian. She enjoyed gardening.

She was a member and former treasurer of the Lehigh Valley Garden Railroaders.

Surviving are five children, Deborah L. Michalek-Slinkosky and her husband William, of Holbrook, NY, Diana L. Wasem and her husband Keith, of Laurys Station, PA, David L. Michalek and his wife Diane, of Pensacola, FL, and Darren L. and Dennis L. Michalek, both of Easton; a sister, Nancy Caiazzo, of East Stroudsburg; ten grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 4pm Saturday in the Strunk Funeral Home, Inc., 2101 Northampton St., Wilson Borough. Offer online condolences at www.strunkfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Luke’s Hospice, Development Office, 801 Ostrum St., Bethlehem, PA 18015 or Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital, Attn: Development Office, 850 South 5th St., Allentown, PA 18103.

Death of Barbara Hollenbach

  Barbara Ann Hollenbach, of Perkasie, PA, passed away Monday, May 7, 2018, at Grand View Hospital, West Rockhill Twp., PA.  She was 76.

            She was the wife of  LVGR member Nelson F. Hollenbach, Jr.  The couple had celebrated their 58th Wedding Anniversary on March 19, 2018.

            Born in Darby, PA, she was the daughter of the late Agustive E. Collins, and the late Florence (Maier) Barnhardt and her husband, the late Ralph Barnhardt.

            Mrs. Hollenbach was employed as a school bus driver for the Pennridge School District, Perkasie, driving Bus No. 51 for over 20 years until retiring in 1998.  Previously, she worked for EMICO at its Perkasie and Dublin, PA, locations.

            She was a member of St. Michael’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Sellersville, PA.

            Mrs. Hollenbach was a life and first female member of the Perkasie Fire Co. and the former Perkasie Ambulance Corps.  She taught American Red Cross First Aid and CPR over the years.  

            She was an active parent volunteer with her children’s drum corps groups. She was a member of the Perkasie Borough Parks & Recreation Board for many years, where she was also involved with the committee that founded the Perkasie Dog Park.  A member of the Red Hat Ladies Society, she was an avid doll collector and enjoyed making ceramics.

            Surviving with her husband are two sons, Dennis L. Hollenbach and his wife Anita, of Perkasie, and Dwyane L. Hollenbach and his wife Emily, of Pleasant Grove, UT; eight grandchildren, James Parsons, Jr., Faith Dieffenbach, Jason Hollenbach, Jessica Hollenbach, Julianna Hollenbach, Gabriel Hollenbach, Rebekah Hollenbach, and Benjamin Hollenbach; five great grandchildren; and two sisters, Denise Leo and her husband Steven, of Media, PA, and Deborah Shockley and her husband John, of Laurel, DE.  She was preceded in death by her daughter, Donna L. Prisnock, on June 22, 2017.

            Her Memorial Services will be held at 3:00 PM on Saturday, May 19, 2018, at the Bernard Suess Funeral Home, 606 Arch Street, Perkasie, where family and friends may call from 2:00 to 3:00 PM.  Interment will be private.

            In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Perkasie Fire Company,  P. O. Box 203, Perkasie, PA  18944.

            Arrangements are by the Bernard Suess Funeral Home, 606 Arch Street, Perkasie.

America on Wheels 10th Annivesary Banquet

On Monday May 7, Five members of the Lehigh Valley Garden Railroaders were privileged to participate in the America on Wheels Museum - 10th Anniversary Luncheon held at the NB Center in Allentown.

AOW annually hosts the Holiday Train Display of which LVGR is heavily involved with a huge tain display from Thanksgiving through New Year's.

The luncheon was set in the midst of antique cars, and was a delightful event. 

Thank you for the invitation!

LVGR and AOW Presents Checks to Local Hospices

Officers from the Lehigh Valley Garden Railroaders and the Staff of America On Wheels Museum recently presented checks to representatives of both St Luke's Hospice and Lehigh Valley Health Network Hospice.

The funds represent a portion of the proceeds of ticket sales during the 2017 Holiday Train Display at the AOW Museum located at Hamilton and Front Streets in Allentown.

Each year the museum allows the LVGR club to designate recipients for the donation, and this year, after the recent deaths of a number of club members, LVGR choose these two dedicated hospice organizations.