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Eastside Get Together – January

Written by Al Turnbull
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by Syd Schofield

The January 2018 East Side Get Together was convened Thursday evening January 18, 2018 at seven-fifteen PM By Alex Brikoff. The new(est) venue for the NMRA 4dPNR Redmond Clinic is the Lake Washington Institute of Technology, second floor, 6505 176th Ave. N.E, Redmond, next to Marymoor Park. We expect this location for the foreseeable future.

After welcoming all, special introductions of notables, coming events and general happenings anticipated, Didrik Voss gave a presentation some aspects of digital command and control (DCC) systems for model railroading. Di is the focal for some of the NMRA technical specifications. Max Maginness supported with his electrical engineering expertise.
DCC involves electrical, electronic and digital logic with most of the tedious and rigorous aspects taken care of by the several popular equipment vendors. However, there are some special trackwork considerations requiring special attention that Di addressed.

After a short break the several entries for model-of-the-month (or Bring and Brag) were presented as well as photo of the month. Winners of these categories were then allowed first pick of the many door prizes. Richard Moore was recognized for his Interlocking railroad operations buildings and SW-2 diesel switch engine re-motor project. George Chambers showed several color (it was color photo month alternating with black and white photos) for that competition.

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Skagit Valley and Whidbey Clinic

Written by Al Turnbull
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Article and Photos by Rich Thom

January Meeting – Working with Stripwood

Clinic Chair Rich Blake welcomed 28 modelers to the first meeting of the new year, including three from our “sister” Mt. Vernon clinic group, and guests BK and Nancy Blackketter. Rich along with Program Chair Susan Gonzales reviewed some of the plans for the remainder of the season: in March, a program about the Ilwaco Railway and Navigation Company, a 3-foot gauge line that ran for over forty years from the bar of the Columbia River up the Long Beach Peninsula; April, a joint meeting with the Mt. Vernon clinic at their venue; and in May, a tentative field trip to the Lake Whatcom Railway in Wickersham.

The evening’s topic was Working with Stripwood, and several brought in models either finished or “in progress” and described some of the methods used. We’ll show a sampling; your reporter apologizes for not getting photos of them all.

Fig 1 – Alan Murray’s Olympia Station


Fig 2 – Olympia Station Interior

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Eastside Get-Together – December Report

Written by Al Turnbull
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by Syd Schofield

December 2017 Eastside Get Together Clinic Report

 
Eastside Clinic   Eastside Clinic

 

The gathering was brought to order at about 7:20 on the first day of winter by Alex Brikoff. The program for the evening was the annual Dirty Santa Gift Exchange, after the usual Show-and-Tell presentations and recognition of notable attendees.

Here is a summary of the December 2017 Eastside Get Together Clinic held on Thursday, 12/21.
 
Bob Rorabaugh, being acquainted with the building trades, presented a mini-clinic after the break and explained his rebuilding of a sizable engine house/factory building. The goal was to rebuild the model to eliminate some sub-standard construction practices of the original. He was subsequently awarded model-of-the-month honors for first pick of the blind gift assortment.

Model of the Month


 
In the long-standing tradition of the Dirty Santa Christmas Gift Exchange, the order of participation was by the usual pick of the door prize jar ballots, after the model-of-the-month winner. To create some additional interest and drama, the concealed wrapped gifts, identified only by appropriate model scale, are not necessarily kept by the original selectee. Upon choosing the package of unknown contents, the package is then unwrapped and shown to the group. This will allow assessment for further trades (up to twice) for subsequent ballot drawings. This year’s Gift Exchange was unusually without contention as all the gifts went unchallenged.
 

PLEASE NOTE: Starting with the January 2018 Eastside Clinic, the location will change to the Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Redmond Campus at 6505 176th Ave. NE, Redmond, Washington.
The day and start time will remain the same. Stay tuned for further details as we get into January.

A Happy New Year to all.

Eastside Get-Together (Redmond) Clinic

Eastside Get Together (Redmond) January Clinic

Written by Al Turnbull
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by Alex Brikoff

The January 2018 Eastside Get Together Clinic will meet on January 18, 2018.
Please note our NEW LOCATION is:

Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Redmond Campus
6505 176TH AVE NE
REDMOND WA 98052-4930

Doors Open at 7:00 PM and Meeting starts promptly at 7:15 PM

We will begin by mentioning any noteworthy, upcoming model railroad and railfan events in the area. We will also have our Model of the Month contest and Rail Photo of the Month contest. So, please bring your best models and photos for the contests!
Our clinic this month will be “Wiring Your Model Railroad For DCC” by Di Voss. This will be an updated and encore presentation of the clinic that Di presented last spring at the 4th Division Spring Meet. This clinic will cover the different aspects of wiring your layout for DCC from planning and research to surveying the market for the various components and, finally, to implementing and installing on your layout. Di’s home layout, the Everett and Monte Cristo, is an outstanding layout where Di honed and perfected many of the techniques that you’ll be hearing about during this clinic.
We will have refreshments and snacks available. We’ll also have a great selection of Door Prizes to give away at the end of the clinic. See you there!!

**Check the “Clinics” page for the map to the new location.

Eastside Get-Together (Redmond) Clinic, News

Interesting Link

Written by Al Turnbull
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by David Yadock

I am a member of a model railroad Yahoo group. This group specifically deals with John Allen’s ‘Gorre and Daphetid Railroad’. One of the members was able to locate this archived link about Earl Smallshaw and his layout. I thought this might be of interest to the members of the 4D and could be posted to the Grab Iron. He had a very nice layout and some very well detailed scenes. Here is the link-

https://web.archive.org/web/20170325112258/http://smallshawrailroad.com:80/index.htm

David

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Mt. Vernon – January Clinic

Written by Al Turnbull
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by Ted Becker

The theme for the January clinic (January 11th) at Mount Vernon is “Bring Your Own Project”. We urge all of you to bring a work in progress to work on during the evening. The tables will be spaced out like we did last year so there will be room to work and room to roam around to look at what others are doing. If are having a problem with a project bring it, there is a lot of expert experience available to help. If you don’t have a work in progress to bring come anyway. As always, you are more than welcome to display your completed models.

Don’t be shy. All model railroad projects are welcome. Wood, metal, plastic, paper or plaster. Structure, rolling stock, electronics, locomotive, layout design, painting, weathering, scenery, you name it.

Mt Vernon Clinic, News

Pacific Science Center Model Train Show

Written by Al Turnbull
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by David Yadock

********NOTICE********

To all volunteers that want to participate in the Pacific Science Center Model Train Show. The Pacific Science Center (PSC) is now requiring a background check for all volunteers. They will conduct the background check through the WSP background check system. Yes, this will require volunteers to provide some information to the PSC. This information is minimal. Volunteers will need to provide your full name, birthdate, and gender. Please note it may be easier for volunteers to provide that information prior to arriving at the PSC for the train show. This will insure a fast and easy check-in when arriving at the PSC. I know this may be another hurdle for folks volunteering at the PSC train show but we must work together with the PSC staff to provide a safe show. The background system is now linked directly off of the Pacific Science Center website.
You can provide your information to the PSC directly. This site is secure. In the background check site there is a drop-down menu for the various groups that are volunteering for the show. If you are just volunteering and not a member of a specific modular group then just list yourself with the NMRA group. The link to the Pacific Science Center page of the background check is: fs27.formsite.com/PacificScienceCenter/Railroad-2018/ .
If you have questions or have any problems with site access please call Jillian Vashro at the PSC. Her phone number is 206-443-3653 and her email is JVashro@pacsci.org. You may contact me but I will not really be able to assist with any issues involving the background check or their website. If there are questions regarding the PSC show then I can help you.

Yes, we need volunteers for the PSC show!

We have lots of tasks that need to be done during the show. The show is January 13-15, 2018 but we will need assistance with unloading on Friday the 12th before the show. Volunteers can also help during the load out Monday evening. This year we will have a lot more single person exhibits than in previous years, this will mean that we need more folks to help out giving these people breaks. If you have any questions regarding the show please contact me via email at hi61izq@hotmail.com . Parking is free as well as the entrance to the PSC. Help out the 4th Division. Remember this show is the main provider of the 4th Divisions income for the year.

Thank you.

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SV&W November Clinic

Written by Al Turnbull
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Article and Photos by Rich Thom

Skagit Valley and Whidbey Clinic November Meeting
Cracking the Pullman Code

Clinic Chair Rich Blake welcomed 22 to our third clinic of the season. Rich highlighted upcoming calendar events including Jack Tingstad’s annual Thanksgiving weekend open house, Saturday and Sunday Nov. 25th and 26th, 10 to 4 both days. Anyone who hasn’t seen Jack’s HO-scale Cloud City & Western should consider taking advantage of this opportunity. Address: 508 NW Broadway Ave., Coupeville, Whidbey Island. Bring a donation for Coupeville’s Food Bank.

Rich also mentioned that the next clinic meeting (Dec. 13th) will be our (mostly) annual “Wassail” potluck at the usual meeting place, but beginning an hour earlier at 6:00pm. On the program will be an historical video from the Bellingham Railway Museum (www.bellinghamrailwaymuseum.org).

Ray Vaughn led off the evening with one of the larger “show and tell” items to be lugged up the stairway at the Summerhill facility. Ray’s first scratch-building project, this O-scale model (Figs 1, 2) of a Simplot plant used an article in Railroad Model Craftsman by Bruce Feld as inspiration. The four buildings cover a hole in a curved backdrop of Ray’s layout; the backside of the structure had to be carefully built to match the curvature and be readily movable as well.

Fig. 1 – Ray Vaughn’s O-Scale Building

All of the buildings have a ¼” foam core backing.
Ray used the following materials and methods to produce this fine model.
In both Figs 1 and 2, buildings are numbered from 1 on the right, to 4 on the left.

Fig. 2 – Another View of Ray Vaughn’s Model

• Foundations: DAP joint compound with board pattern pressed in
• Siding materials:
– Bldg. 1 ‘Plastruct’ O-scale dressed stone block
– Bldg. 2 ‘Model Builders Supply Line’ concrete block
– Bldg. 3 ‘Evergreen Scale Models’ 0.250” spacing V-groove
– Bldg. 4 ‘Evergreen’ 0.100” spacing clapboard
• Roofs:
– Bldgs. 1 and 3 ‘3M Micropore’ paper tape colored with alcohol/ink
– Bldg, 2 ‘Paper Studio’ corrugated cardboard painted with ‘Rust-Oleum’ metallic aluminum
– Bldg. 4 150-grit sandpaper soaked with thinned acrylic paint and very fine scenic sand sprinkled on
• Bldg. 2 details:
– Enclosed balconies–parts from a ‘Grandt Line Products’ shed; ‘Rix Products’ roof vents
• Windows, doors, roof ladder from ‘Tichy Train Group’
• Cornices—wood; doll house trim on bldg. 4

Wow, if this is Ray’s first scratch-building effort, we look forward to seeing his second!

Next up, Alan Murray described some sound programming details, specifically setting up, and options for, the “auto sound configuration,” CV 198.

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News, Skagit Valley and Whidbey Island Clinic

Tacoma Clinic – December

Written by Al Turnbull
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by Jack Hamilton

Relocation of Tacoma Clinic for December

It appears that the roof of the Pierce County Library, normal home of the Tacoma Clinic, will not support the weight of eight tiny reindeer, a sled full of toys, and a jolly old fat guy. To accommodate the holiday festivities and especially Dirty Santa, the clinic has relocated for the December outing.
This relocation is for the December 14, 2017 clinic only.

The December location is
Puyallup Community Baptist Church
1318 9th Ave SW. Puyallup 98371

Clinic starts at 7 PM as normal
Dirty Santa is a gift exchange
(malice involved)
with gifts with a nominal value of about $25.

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North End (Shoreline) Clinic

Written by Al Turnbull
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by Lisa Murray

Date: Thursday, December 7, 2017
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: Ronald United Methodist Church, 17839 Aurora Ave N, Shoreline, WA 98133

Our speaker this month is Aidan Murray, who will be presenting about the Cascade Tunnel and also discussing some of the strategies that he uses when building model train consists.

We will also take time at the end for show and tell.
There will be a table for you to display what you are bringing.

Also, feel free to share what train related gear you are asking Santa to bring this year!

Please arrive at 7:00, so we can set things up prior to the start of the meeting.
The program will start at 7:15.

Seattle-North Clinic