Cliff Green, Grab Iron Editor

Welcome, new 4th Division (PNR) NMRA members (or former members recently renewed)! An e-mail notification is sent out to all subscribers every time a new Grab Iron post is made, so this may be one of the first messages you see from our Division. Our 4D web site has clinic info, modular group info, an events calendar, some excellent model train photos, and many pages of other related info as well as all of our Grab Iron posts – click here to navigate to the front page.

The 4th Division Spring Meet is on May 14th at Tacoma Community College, and there are three tracks of great clinics presented by multiple well known (and very skilled) 4D members. The clinic info is complete and up to date – click here to view. Lunch is included (if registered by May 1st) – click here to register and reserve a lunch.

This is a busy time of the year in the 4th Division, whether modeling skills related (e.g. all of the 4D clinics) or railroad historical group activities or railroad museum events. Click here to see the 4D calendar of events. I enjoy promoting the 4D clinics, which (to me) is one of the best benefits of belonging to the NMRA – click here for more info.

The PNR (Pacific Northwest Region) Regional Convention – Selkirk Express 2016 – will be held June 15-19, 2016 in Salmon Arm, BC. If you have never attended a regional convention, consider attending this one – Salmon Arm is a gorgeous area with a large concentration of skilled modelers. Both the model related and prototype events and excursions will be interesting and memorable.

As I posted in my last welcome message, I’m always looking for more articles and personal stories (related to model railroading or prototype trains) to tell. In particular, I’d like to see more “here’s my layout / module under construction” stories and pictures. Another way to contribute is to be a “point person” / coordinator for a specific area of this hobby. For example, we have a lot of railroad historical society members in this division – you could be the person that keeps us in touch with the history of a particular line as well as commercial models available in various scales. I’m still looking for someone to be the 4D Free-mo point person. Our modular group reporting in the Grab Iron has been minimal over the last couple of years – I’d like to post more about what’s happening with the multiple talented modular groups in the 4D.

I can (and will) edit for grammar or readability, so you don’t have to worry about being a polished author. Send me your thoughts and articles at gi_editor@4dpnr.com.