This month, the Eastside Clinic will look in on the Friday night Olympia Clinic. The information on the Olympia Clinic is posted in the Grab Iron. Here is the link:
Time: Apr 19, 2024 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting:
Meeting ID: 850 5009 4529
Passcode: 357612
In Person: Panorama City
Address: 1751 Circle Ln SE, Lacey, WA 98503
Brian Ferris, the Olympia leader welcomes us, so join in.
Russ Segner
Eastside Clinic Chair
Hello Model Railroaders!
Our April 2024 Tacoma clinic will be this Thursday, April 11th at 7:00 PM. It will again follow the hybrid format with both in-person and virtual structure. Join us in-person at 9402 47th St. W, University Place, WA. If you can’t make it person, join us virtually on Zoom.
This month I will be digging into the archives to present a clinic I first put together and was published in Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine in 2010, entitled “Weathering Scrap Gondolas.” This clinic focuses on modeling the most abused of freight cars, with particular attention to the empty interior. This method produces great results, is easy, and pretty much impossible to screw up.
Attendees are encouraged to participate in the Bring and Brag portion of the meeting both in-person and virtually. I hope you can join us!
4dpnrOrganizer Tacoma is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: April 2024 4D Tacoma Clinic
Time: Apr 11, 2024 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87652192617?pwd=6nisCSGBI8l3kHpLSZI9IaGxI4qpEP.1
Meeting ID: 876 5219 2617
Passcode: 478064
In the final instalment of our operations series, Scott Nelson, of the OMRS will discuss his switching layout and how he uses JMRI (a computer based operations generator) to operate his railroad operations.
Scott will describe and show his layout and talk about how he envisioned it to operate, then put that vision into JMRI to create the scenarios.
This clinic will give you both practical small railroad ideas and technical computer generated operational ideas. You won’t want to miss it!
Time: Apr 19, 2024 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85050094529?pwd=deeCgW3D64zObUwrFCjcoTaYjSuYex.1
Meeting ID: 850 5009 4529
Passcode: 357612
In Person: Panorama City
Address: 1751 Circle Ln SE, Lacey, WA 98503
Our clinic will be in the basement auditorium of the Panorama Quinault Apartment building known as the Seattle Room (across the hall from our old meeting room).
Join us at 10am on Saturday, April 13, for an update from Todd VonStup on his operations-oriented N scale MRL-era layout. The Montana Rail Link’s Columbia and Palouse 14th and 15th Subdivisions is an N-Scale multi-deck loop to loop proto-freelanced layout from Connell, WA to Missoula, MT with a division yard in Moscow, ID. Mostly prototypically modeled from the Palouse River in Hooper, WA across the Palouse to Troy, ID, where it’s then freelanced as if the NP had found its pass over the Bitterroot Mountains into Missoula, MT. Started in May 2021, this will be a progress update on benchwork (95% done!), working ABS signals, a large yard, and operations as the MRL would have worked this line based on their practices.
As usual, we open the meeting at 9:30am and start the formal program at 10:00am. Here is the Zoom info:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87210657142?pwd=ZHhIWnZGMUU0YnAwNVUvMENheEZSUT09
Meeting ID: 872 1065 7142
Passcode: 805577
I apologize to both candidates for Superintendent but evidently I pasted the same paragraph into both Details. The actual, correct bios are in the previous Grab Iron post. Sorry, Mike(s)!
Your Nominating Committee has completed its work and we’re proud to announce that we have two candidates for the office of Superintendent (Mike Slease and Mike Stepner) and one candidate for the open Board of Directors position (Ed Ives).
Our election will again be held via ElectionBuddy. You should have received an email notice with your electronic ballot.
Besides the election of officers, the 4D Board of Directors would like to change our Bylaws so we have five Directors instead of three so we can provide members with more opportunity to participate in 4D leadership. The current policy and the proposed policy are shown below, with the only changes shown in boldface italic type.
If you have questions, contact Bob Kenworthy, bkenworthy4@comcast.net.
Candidates for Superintendent
Mike Stepner
I have been an NMRA member since about 2008 when I belonged to the Denver Area N Scalers. I was a volunteer at the Colorado Railroad Museum from 2007–2010. When I moved to Washington in 2010, I joined the 4dNTRAK group (2010–2012). I was a member (2012–2018) and president (2016–2018) of the 4D OmniRail group and currently belong to 4D Freemo HO group (2023–current). I have also belonged to some non-NMRA clubs over the years, including the PSMRE (2022–current) at the Washington State History Museum. I helped with the 2014 and 2023 PNR conventions, contest room and layout tour committees, and other things here and there. I have modeled almost continuously for about 45 years. I model in N, HO (currently) and On30 and working on a Z scale layout for my wife.
Mike Slease
I have been actively involved in the NMRA and the 4th Division since 2002. My primary focus has been with the 4D HO Modular Group, which I led for 5 years. In my professional life, I’m the owner of a small printing and sign-making business. I don’t claim any special knowledge that would make me the best choice for Superintendent of the Division, but I am willing to do all I can to make this amazing hobby of ours as much fun as possible for all the 4D members.
Candidate for Director
Ed Ives
I have held a position as Board of Director for several years and am open for reelection again this year. The past pandemic forced change in what the 4D does and how we do it. The question is: what should we do now? The Board has been and will continue to be working on that over the next years. I wish to be part of that effort. Another wish of mine is that there will be more of you 40-, 50- and 60-year-olds joining the Board, replacing us gray hairs and no hairs, to lead us into the future.
ByLaws Changes
(Existing Wording)
Article IV
Officers and Directors
2. The Board of Directors shall consist of the officers and directors of the Division.
a. The officers of the Division shall consist of a Superintendent, an Assistant Superintendent, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.
(1) The Superintendent and Assistant shall be determined by popular election by the Division members.
(2) The Secretary and Treasurer shall be appointed by the Superintendent and approved by majority vote of the Board of Directors.
b. There shall be three directors elected at large by the Division members.
3. Officers and directors shall each serve a term of 2 years.
a. The Superintendent and one director shall be elected in even-numbered years.
b. The Assistant Superintendent and two directors shall be elected in odd-numbered years.
c. All elected terms of office shall run from September 1 to August 31.
d. The Secretary and Treasurer will serve terms concurrent with that of the Superintendent.
(Proposed Wording)
Article IV
Officers and Directors
2. The Board of Directors shall consist of the officers and directors of the Division.
a. The officers of the Division shall consist of a Superintendent, an Assistant Superintendent, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.
(1) The Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent shall be determined by popular election by the Division members.
(2) The Secretary and Treasurer shall be appointed by the Superintendent and approved by majority vote of the Board of Directors.
b. There shall five directors elected at large by the Division members.
3. Officers and directors shall each serve a term of 2 years.
a. The Superintendent and two directors shall be elected in even-numbered years.
b. The Assistant Superintendent and three directors shall be elected in odd-numbered years.
c. All elected terms of office shall run from September 1 to August 31.
d. The Secretary and Treasurer will serve terms concurrent with that of the Superintendent.
The Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad is starting a new train show called Trucks and Trains, Dollhouses and Planes Show, on Labor Day weekend, August 31–September 1, 2024, from 10 AM to 4 PM. Setup is Friday, August 30.
The indoor/outdoor event will take place on the campus, football field and surrounding streets of Eatonville High School, 302 Mashell Ave N, Eatonville, WA 98328. Layouts will be in the gymnasium and commons areas.
Exhibits will include vendors, antique trucks, planes from the Eatonville Airport, an 1896 Satsop steam engine, radio controlled plane exhibitions, food trucks, bouncy houses and other activities for the kids. Inside exhibits will include model train layouts, dollhouses, airplane models, and vehicle models.
More information is available at www.WFIM.org/train-show. Questions? Contact Betty Nokes, 253-222-4935, bwnokes@gmail.com
This week some changes to the Grab Iron emails are being rolled out.
Anton
Click here to read the Mt. Vernon Clinic Report for March 2024.
Click here to read the April 2024 issue of The Skagit Valley & Whidbey Clinic Newsletter.