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Tacoma N Scalers

Written by Al Lowe
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Walt Huston

The Tacoma N Scalers met on Thursday, May 6, 2010 at the Fircrest Recreation Center. We reviewed What’s New in N scale and reminded everyone of upcoming shows and swap meets as listed in the Grab Iron. We went around the room and received updates on members’ layouts and other projects in which they are involved. We learned that The Seattle Train Center was once again sponsoring regular clinics to teach the basics to anyone who wants to learn. Contact them to learn more.

The clinic was an excellent presentation on how to do scenery using foam products … safely. Our presenter was Susan Evans and her presentation was very well received. Her clinic showed how to build scenery above and below the surface of your layout.

As usual, The Tacoma N Scalers will meet all summer long. By the time, you read this our June clinic will be history. Our July clinic is still planned to be “Painting Brass” by Tyler Whitcomb and Bob Judge of the Boeing Model Railroad Club. In August we will have Susan’s “Lighting Structures” clinic originally scheduled for June 3rd.

Also by the time you read this, Pacific Railway Hobbies will be very near closing their doors. Retirement has overtaken both Dale and Diane and we wish them well in their travel and other retirement activities. Thanks for the memories!

Come have fun with us. Our 2010 clinic schedule is available at our meetings, Online Trains, Pacific Railway Hobbies (for a limited time!), and Tacoma Trains. The Tacoma N Scalers meet the first Thursday of the month at the Fircrest Recreation Center, 555 Contra Costa, Fircrest.

Tacoma N Scalers Clinic

Ops Sessions on Mike McCrackin’s Alaska Railroad Layout

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Cliff Green / Photo by Rob Jones

Mike McCrackin’s hi-rail layout was viewed and enjoyed as part of the 2010 Seattle-North Clinic’s Layout Tour. Mike has gone on to that “great layout in the sky,” but his widow, Roseanne, would like to continue the enjoyment of his layout by hosting regular operating sessions. These sessions will be coordinated and run by George Chapman, who helped Mike design and build his layout, in the Queen Anne area of Seattle. If you are interested, contact George at 425.644.4842.

Operations, Seattle-North Clinic

Skagit Valley and Whidbey NMRA Clinic

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Gordon Garnhart

There were 27 people in attendance at the May meeting. John White opened the meeting by leading a discussion of the clinic topics lined up for next year. As usual, John has done an admirable job of arranging for an interesting array of speakers and topics. Several comments and suggestions were offered and a final version was accepted.

Our principal speaker was John Mann, who has made a thorough study of the purposes and functions of the many Configuration Variables associated with Digital Command Control. He described some of the many functions that can be modified by adjusting the settings of CVs. He also called attention to the use of specialized decoders for the remote control of turnouts and signals.

John has installed DCC decoders into a number of N, HO and O scale locomotives for himself and for others. His talk included many practical tips on accomplishing a successful decoder installation. He showed, discussed and passed around many examples of decoders, sound system speakers, connectors, insulators and useful tools. Although much of his experience has been with Digitrax controls and Tsunami sound systems, he is also familiar with other product lines. He followed his presentation with an informative question and answer session. The meeting was concluded with a drawing for several door prizes donated by Performance R/C Hobbies, Fairhaven Avenue, Burlington.

On Wednesday, June 9th, we will visit the home layout of Phil and Susan Gonzales.

Skagit Valley and Whidbey Island Clinic

Tacoma Clinic

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Al Babinsky / photos by Al Babinsky

MMR Gene Swanson opened the clinic with 45 attendees including several newcomers and a couple of youngsters. Dale Kraus reminded everyone that his hobby store is closing on June 15th and items are selling fast. If you see something, you better buy it, as it may be gone when you come back. Since the May Grab Iron was not out yet, there were no announcements to be made.

“What’s New at the Hobby Shop” was presented by Bill from Tacoma Trains and included a number of buildings, building kits, and prefab kits from Lionel and Woodland Scenics, rolling stock, motive power, and people to populate your layout.

In the “Bring and Brag” (model of the month) category, we had a number of items including a Bantam hydrocal and laser-cut wood kit; an N scale freight train; a building kit modified into a hunters’ cabin; a couple of gondolas weathered with rust by filling the gondola with water and adding rusty scraps of iron and some salt; a depressed-center flatcar with a ship’s propeller load (the propeller being an R/C boat propeller); and our winner: a dock scene diorama.

After the break, MMR Max Maginness and Jim Sabol presented their clinic on yard throat design involving a diode matrix to operate the switch machines. The entrance to the yard has two tracks which need to access all yard tracks. This is done with a double slip switch which can route the trains coming in on either track to any part of the yard. You can have two trains, one on each track, enter the yard together and go to their respective sides, or they can cross over and go to the opposite side of the yard.

After the clinic, Herb Buhl announced the “Model of the Month” winner was Tony Bentley’s dock-side diorama consisting of a scratchbuilt T-shaped dock with code 55 rail track. Tied up to the dock is a tugboat and several fishing boats.

The two attending youngsters won our door prize drawings. It is always nice to see newcomers win, especially young persons.

Our last clinic prior to the summer break will be June 10th, 7:30 PM at our usual location in the Pierce County Library Admin. Bldg. at the corner of 112th Street and Waller Road. I hope to see you there.

Here are all the entries in this month’s MotM:

Tacoma Clinic

Eastside Get-Together

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JJ Johnston

Summer is coming and we are on hiatus until our October meeting. June is our big event at the Snoqualmie Railway Museum (see articles on pages 4 & 7). No clinic in July or August; September is our PNR convention. Our May meeting, attended by over 30 folks, heard an amazing and humorous clinic about operations on the Apple Route presented by Dave Liesse (of the famous Liesse model railroad family). Dave’s photos, his handout, and his discussion were quite informative for those of us needing more knowledge about operations. Thanks, Dave! We also took a special moment of silence and prayer to commemorate the life of modeling legend, Brian Ellerby, who recently passed. Brian owned Evergreen Scale Models, Inc. and meant much to our hobby. God bless you, Brian.

Our Model of the Month included entries from CJ Turner, John Salzetti, Jim Sabol, Rob Jones, Bob Beise and our winner, George Chambers. George shared his marvelous model of an S scale house.

I would like to thank all in our group for their continuing attendance at our meetings. We set an attendance record of 52 a few months ago and we continue to be blessed by the involvement of all our clinicians, who give so generously of their time and talents, and our own group volunteers. I would like to thank in particular CJ Turner for always having the coffee brewing and a wonderful assortment of hand-selected donuts each month. Clay Hanson has done a great job being our greeter/ambassador and making sure everyone has a ballot for the door prize drawings and Model of the Month voting. Many thanks to Stu Rogers for bringing the video library and for single-handedly converting all those VHS tapes to DVDs. We are always indebted to Roger Ferris and Bobj Berger for bringing their estate sale items to us at extremely attractive pricing, for hauling it all in and out, and for adding their anecdotal comments to our meetings. I also appreciate 4D Superintendant Dennis Hill’s attendance at our meetings, along with our 4D treasurer, Sherman Stevens. Ed Liesse serves in so many ways, we thank him and wife Gay for all the time they give our Division. We truly appreciate the support we get from MMRs Max Maginness, CJ Riley, and Di Voss (who also serves as NMRA Conformance and Standards Chairman). Of course, special thanks to our friend and modeler Steve Depolo, owner of Inside Gateway Hobby Store in Bellevue, for his very generous donations of our valuable door prizes each month. Please thank Steve when you are in his store. The Eastside Get Together rocks the house.

Eastside Get-Together (Redmond) Clinic

The Alaska Section

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Marty Quaas

This summer is shaping up to be quite busy for model railroaders here in Alaska. In Fairbanks, the Tanana Valley Model Railroad club, located in the Alaska Railroad depot, will be in operation every morning during the tourist season from 7–8 AM to entertain passengers waiting for the daily southbound passenger train. If you are touring Alaska this year, stop by and say “Hi.” Their regular meetings are Tuesday evenings at the depot. For more information, call Ron at 907-479-0651.

In Anchorage, the Northern Lights Model Railroad Club, located in Russian Jack Springs Park, 5200 DeBarr, will continue to hold its monthly public open house on the fourth Sunday afternoon of the month. The next Open House is Sunday, June 27, (followed by July 25 and August 22). Regular meetings are Friday evenings. For more information, call me at 907-746-6414.

The Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry (MATI) opens their extensive collection of railroad equipment daily from 10 AM to 5 PM. The weekend of June 5–6 will be the “Blast from the Past” and the Mooselip Display Railroad will be in operation in the Barn. The Museum is located about 3 miles north of Wasilla, about a mile off the Parks Highway. For more information, call 907-376-1211.

The Alaska Live Steamers are located next door to MATI, with regular run days on the 1st and 3rd weekends. June 5-6 is a special “Blast from the Past.” For more information, call 907-373-6412.

This year the Annual Consolidated South Western Railroad Open House will be the weekend of September 11–12. This annual event is now in its 15th year and is always well attended. It is located near Palmer, in the Knik River Valley, about 45 miles north of Anchorage. For more information, call me at 907-746-6414.

Grab-Iron, The Alaska Section

Achievement Program Moments

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Jack Hamilton

The following individuals have received Achievement Program recognition during the last quarter. Congratulations to each awardee. Keep up the good work!

  • Jack Tingstad – AP Certificates for Structures, Electrical, and Scenery; Merit Award (6) Structures
  • Richard Bide – AP Certificate for Electrical
  • Jack Hamilton, MMR – AP Certificate for Official
  • Allen Frasch – AP Certificates for Electrical, Volunteer, and Author
  • Susan Gonzales – Golden Spike
  • Phillip Gonzales – Golden Spike
  • Roger Nulton – Golden Spike
  • Gordon Jones – Merit Award Structures
  • Allen Frasch – Merit Award (3) Structures
  • Roger Nulton – Merit Award (2) Motive Power; Merit Award (5) Cars; Merit Award (6) Structures; Merit Award (3) Civil;  Merit Award Scenery; Merit Award Prototype Model

It appears that Roger Nulton has completed all requirements for MMR and is only awaiting submission of copies of supporting documentation for Prototype so that the final SOQ can be submitted. Walt Huston continues with six AP certificates, looking for that elusive seventh. Allen Frasch is closing fast with five certificates. Keep on trucking, guys!

This period saw a major breakthrough when a visit was arranged to one of our long time reluctant modelers. Besides getting to see a really great layout, the AP crew was able to write paper for six merit awards and three AP certificates. It really is worth while to invite the local crew over to take a look. Ask Jack Tingstad and Roger Nulton.

For the good of the hobby.

Achievement Program

Join the TrainTools YahooGroup

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Al Lowe

Walt Huston suggested I share Traintools with you. It’s a YahooGroup focused on model train tools and the techniques used to build models. It has helpful advice, tools you’ve never heard of, new product reviews, and more. It’s in its 8th year and has 1,500 members. If you’re a tool junkie (and you know who you are! <grin>), check them out. I joined. You should, too. groups.yahoo.com/group/traintools

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Issaquah Train Show, August 14th

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Mark Anderson

Mark your calendars for August 14, 2010, from 10 AM to 5 PM for a train show at the Issaquah Depot Museum. The depot is located at 40 Rainier Blvd N in historic Issaquah. Train show admission is free with museum admission $2 per adult, $1 per child. Activities include riding the pump car, blowing the air horn, play areas for children, and viewing the garden railroad and modular railroads. For additional details about the depot and museum, see issaquahhistory.org/depot or 425-392-3500.

I’m taking over the reigns from another organizer that has been running the train show in partnership with the Issaquah History Museum for the past three years. I’ve been a member of the NMRA for about ten years and Secretary of the 4D Hi-Rail group. We would like other modular groups to participate. Please contact me no later than August 1st at 425-427-8686 or markander5022@yahoo.com.

Model Train Show

Bobj Runs for PNR Veep

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Roger Ferris

Bobj Berger, long-time member of NMRA, PNR, and 4D, is running for PNR Vice-President. He tirelessly serves where needed. Bobj is an active participant in the 4D Pacific Science Center train show for over 35 years; a club founder; museum creator; professional railroad tour guide in the US, Canada, South America, China and Russia; Chair of the 4D Seattle-North Clinic; promoter and creator of Make-N-Take clinics to get modelers modeling; a retired social worker who pours himself energetically into whatever he undertakes. If you haven’t yet mailed in your PNR ballot (it came in the recent Switchlist), please vote for Bobj for PNR VP!

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