Author: Al Lowe

Alex Brikoff

This is the second call for announcing the Eastside Clinic’s Mini Clinic Event to be held this year in March.  The Mini Clinic event is a group of four short clinics, not more than about 15 minutes each in length, to be presented during the March 2020 Eastside Get Together Clinic.  Each of the Clinic topics were determined by popular vote.  After the votes were tabulated, there were the four most popular topics.  One of topics already has a clinician volunteer.  The remaining three listed below still need clinicians.  WE DESPERATELY NEED VOLUNTEER CLINICIANS TO PRESENT CLINICS FOR THESE THREE TOPICS:

• Servo switch machine installation
• Fine-tuning and maintaining locos
• Weathering rolling stock and/or engines

What I’m looking for is a fairly high level, short, summarizing clinic about 15 minutes in duration on each of these topics from the three clinicians.    

So, if you have any interest at all in presenting a clinic on any one of the above topics at the Eastside Mini Clinic Event in March, please let me know. Call (425) 466-1490 or email abrikoff@frontier.com. Thank you!

Lisa Murray

It’s that time of year – elections.  Every year, we elect some of our leadership by a vote of the general membership.  This year, the two positions open will be one Director and District Superintendent.  A nominating committee has been appointed chaired by Lisa Murray.  If you are interested or want to nominate someone, please contact Lisa Murray at 206 310 6778 or mattinata@outlook.com.

The responsibilities for the positions are outlined in this excerpt from the By-Laws

The position of Director to be voted upon is now held by Ed Ives and he has indicated he wants to serve another term. 

Russ Segner is our current Superintendent and he has indicated that he will not run for another term.

Serving as an officer in the 4D is a privilege and a way of contributing to the ongoing success and enjoyment of our hobby. Officers serve two-year terms.

Nominations need to be in hand by March 1, 2020 with ballots completed by June 15.  If you have questions, contact Russ Segner at 206 200 2211 or russseg@gmail.com or Lisa Murray  at 206 310 6778 or mattinata@outlook.com.

Al Lowe

Would you like to donate to the NMRA without it costing you a cent? Or any trouble? You can! Amazon will donate 0.5 percent of your purchases to the NMRA. And it won’t cost you anything.

It’s easy to set up. You don’t need a new account or password. It’s easy to use. Just go to smile.amazon.com instead of amazon.com. If you forget, Amazon will (sometimes) ask you if you want to change — without losing your place.

I recently received my quarterly AmazonSmile report. The National Model Railroad Association received $191.54 this quarter from smile.amazon.com. But think how much more that would be if just everyone in the 4D used it.

To date, AmazonSmile has donated a total of:

•           $2,924.79 to National Model Railroad Assn Inc

•           $134,890,393.33 to all charities

Make Jeff Bezos support our hobby! You can learn more at Amazon: https://org.amazon.com. And here’s an outsider’s perspective: http://bit.ly/2LuL2S9

Al Lowe

Yea, thy deadline approacheth!

You have only a few days left to get your free lunch. Oh, and also register for a day filled with fun, knowledge, comradery, fellowship, and donuts.

The 4th Division’s annual meeting will be held at the 4D Spring Meet on June 22 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Pamela Transue Center for Science & Engineering Building on the Tacoma Community College campus. Click here for a Google map.

Register by Monday, June 17! Or register afterward and you can watch the rest of us eat lunch. Or you can bring your own lunch. Just come!

Register me now!

Al Lowe

Look! It’s June already! It’s time to get serious. About you. And your procrastination problem.

Remember how you didn’t register for the 2019 4D Spring Meet because you “had plenty of time” or “I’ll do it later” or “I’m too drunk right now to type”? Well, now there’s only 3 short weeks left. Time’s a’wastin’!

Head on over to the Spring Meet website and register right now! You’ll be glad you did. And if you do it before June 17, you’ll get a free lunch. Plus great clinics by some of our 4D MMRs. Plus camaraderie with your fellow model railroaders. Plus coffee (which you need probably in the mornings) and donuts (which you probably don’t!).

So click here and register today while you’re online and it’s still fresh in your mind. And before you have too many beers to click!

Seriously, this year’s Spring Meet is shaping up to be a good one! Don’t be left out! See you in Tacoma!!

Luther E. Franklin

I have accumulated a huge amount of Marx O27 Trains, Track, Crossings and Turnouts.

I’m 90 yrs old and didn’t really remember how much I had accumulated since Santa brought me a Marx Canadian Pacific set with remote turnouts and remote uncoupling. Sigh.

I have 30 or MORE Marx remote turnouts, an impressive Marx Army Set, and M 100000 Streamliners. I need to download, but require someone or some group to buy the ENTIRE mess.

If you’re interested, email me here.

Al Lowe

Registration is now open for the annual 4D Spring Meet, to be held this June 22nd in Tacoma. We have many Master Model Railroaders signed up to educate, entertain, and amuse you — 11 clinics in all, including a Make & Take Clinic.

Quick! Head over to http://www.4dspringmeet.com/ and register today. If you pay in advance with PayPal, you’ll get a free lunch. (Of course, you can procrastinate, register the day of the Meet, pay the same amount, and get no lunch — it’s your choice!)

So click here and register today. You can thank me in Tacoma!

Al Lowe

Save the date!

This year the Fourth Division will hold its annual Spring Meet on June 22, 2019, at Tacoma Community College. Three classrooms will host informative clinic sessions from 9–4. The 4D’s Annual Meeting will be held during lunch, and the Golden Grab Iron winner will be revealed and new MMRs announced. And there’s even a free lunch (assuming you pay in advance).

4dSpringMeet.com will be updated with complete information about the 2019 clinic in a few days. You may also preregister there via Paypal.

One extra cost option will be the Make and Take Clinic: “The DPM KIT Done Right,” hosted by Jack Hamilton. Email Jack promptly if you’re interested. You can read more about it in the latest Train Ordersr.

June 22, 2019
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Tacoma Community College
6501 South 19th St
Tacoma, WA 98466-6100