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Eastside Get Together Canceled

Written by Ken Liesse
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By JJ Johnston

Our meeting scheduled for tomorrow, January 19th of the Eastside Get Together has been cancelled due to weather reports of more storms and potentially unsafe driving conditions. The Inside Gateway is also closed so I am unable to get door prizes and I know that’s a big reason you all come. Just kidding.

Mark your calendars now for February 16 as we will have a clinic presented by someone no one has seen before and it’s one of those
“can’t miss clinics” so watch for our announcements. We will re-schedule Ron Cole for a future clinic too. Be safe. JJ

Eastside Get-Together (Redmond) Clinic

Di Voss on DCC at Eastside Clinic

Written by Ken Liesse
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Photos and Article by Ken Liesse

JJ Johnston receives the Golden Grab Iron Award

About 30 members were present at the Eastside Get-Together on Thursday, 11/17 when JJ Johnston opened the meeting at 7:30pm. JJ started in his usual fashion by introducing members of the 4D and PNR leadership as well as any MMR’s that were present. He then turned the floor over to 4D Superintendent Ken Liesse, who in turn gave way to Ed Liesse and Walt Huston for the presentation of the 2011 Golden Grab Iron Award. The Golden Grab Iron is the 4D’s annual “Member of the Year” award and is decided on by the winners of the award the previous three years. Only past winner Gay Liesse wasn’t present as she was recovering from back surgery only a few weeks before. Much to his surprise, this year’s winner was Eastside’s very own emcee, JJ Johnston. (See previous article on the award in the Grab Iron.)

After the presentation, JJ opened the floor for announcements. Ed Liesse reminded everyone of the upcoming PNR-PCR joint convention and that the early bird special pricing would expire on November 30. Registration can be done on the convention website, PCRNMRA.org/conv2012. JJ then introduced Bill Mostellar from Virginia, who makes and sells decals for model railroaders. Check out his website. Ken Liesse let everybody know about two local hobby shops that have moved — the Electric Train Shop (from West Seattle to Burien) and Seattle Train Center (moved to Ballard). Ken also said that the upcoming 4D BOD meeting had been changed from December 3rd to December 17th. Bob Biese told us that member Jerry Kelso is not doing well; we will keep Jerry in our thoughts.

Frank Dekker wanted to make sure everybody remembered the deal 4D members could get to see the Imax presentation of “Rocky Mountain Express,” details of which appeared previously in the Grab Iron. Ken Liesse took the opportunity to solicit help for the upcoming Pacific Science Center Show, which will take place over the Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, January 14–16.

Russ Segner brought in the last of Earl Mann’s estate and Bobj Berger brought the Mart, with a lot of items never before seen. Trading in the back of the room was brisk during the break.

The Model of the Month contest only garnered two entries this month, ensuring that a David would win. The two entries came from David Fausett and David Yadock. David Yadock won with his SS Limited Coaling Tower. JJ was also finally able to present Ron Cole with the certificate he had won way back in May for the Model of the Month.

Di Voss reprogams a decoder.

After the break, Di Voss was introduced as the speaker for the evening. Di’s theme was DCC, although he said it was meant to be more of a roundtable discussion on DCC rather than him just talking about it. After polling the audience, Di found he had a rather experienced crowd and so steered the discussion accordingly. He did run through the process of programming a decoder using JMRI’s Decoder Pro software. Being able to see what Di was doing projected on the wall was a big help to the discussion and many questions were answered. Di also mentioned that within a year (give or take), 8-pin connectors in decoders would be replaced with 21-pin connectors. This showed the evolution of decoders and that modelers were demanding more options with what they could actually do with their decoders. The highlight of Di’s presentation was a rotary snowplow that actually turned, thanks to a decoder. Di cautioned everyone on the growing practice of wiring a capacitor across the decoder to help trains across bad stretches of track. Although it’s okay on a small scale, too many capacitors may trick the power station into thinking there is a short somewhere and shut the whole system down. For the beginners in the room (there weren’t many), Di explained some of the common terms used with DCC. All in all, a very useful and well-received clinic. Thanks, Di.

Eastside’s next Get-Together will be on December 15th. This will be our annual “Dirty Santa” party. Bring a wrapped gift to the clinic marked with the scale of the item and join in the mayhem, er… fun.

Additional photos from the clinic can be found here.

Eastside Get-Together (Redmond) Clinic

4D BOD Meeting Called

Written by Ken Liesse
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By Ken Liesse

Superintendent Ken Liesse has set December 17th as the date for the next 4D BOD meeting. The meeting will be held at 1:00pm at the Yankee Grill & Roaster in Renton (corner of Grady Way and Rainier Ave., just north of the 405-167 interchange. map). All 4D members may attend this meeting.  If you have any items you would like to have brought before the Board, please send them to Jeannie Melvin no later than December 10th.  Don’t forget: your Board members are Al Lowe, JJ Johnston & Stu Rogers.

Please note this is a change from the original scheduled date of December 2nd.

News

Joint PNR/PCR Convention Early-Bird Ends Soon!

Written by Ken Liesse
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By Ed Liesse (PNR) & Jim Providenza (PCR), Convention Co-Chairs

This is the last week for Early Bird registration for SIskiyou Summit 2012, the joint PNR – PCR Regional Convention which will be held in Medford, OR, May 2-5, 2012. The Early Bird registration special rate of $45 is available only through November 30, 2011. Starting December 1st, the full-fare registration increases to $55. You can register online, reserve a hotel room, and check out early information on clinics and tours at http://www.pcrnmra.org/conv2012/

Convention or Meet

JJ Johnston wins Golden Grab Iron Award

Written by Ken Liesse
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By Gay Liesse, Photo by Russ Segner

The Golden Grab Iron Service Award is given each year to a member of the 4th Division, Pacific Northwest Region, National Model Railroad Association, who exemplifies service to the organization. For 2011 the selection committee, composed of the immediate past three honorees, chose JJ Johnston for his many contributions to the hobby, the NMRA, and especially the 4th Division of PNR.

Congratulations, JJ!

JJ Johnston, Ed Liesse & Walt Huston

JJ was honored with the presentation of an engraved plaque and framed certificate at the November 17 Eastside Clinic. In addition, JJ received the traveling plaque listing him and past award winners, which he’ll keep for a year before passing it on to the 2012 winner.

JJ’s service to 4D includes his years of leadership of the Eastside Clinic, securing their meeting space at the Foursquare Church in Bellevue, assisting with the Pacific Science Center Shows, and opening his layout to fellow modelers and other visitors.

An accomplished modeler and envied owner of the Puget Sound Iron Goat Railway, which was recently featured by Paul Scoles in Railroad Model Craftsman, JJ’s accomplishments include helping to establish a link between the local Division and the Pacific Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie. Though he models in HO scale, JJ’s interest in narrow gauge railroading has led him to serve in the planning for the 2012 national narrow gauge convention to be held in Bellevue.

Ed Liesse, 2009 honoree, presented the 2011 Golden Grab Iron Service Award in the absence of committee chair Gay Liesse, 2008 winner. Gay is recovering from back surgery and was unable to attend. Walt Huston, PNR president who took home the prize in 2010 and served as the third member of the selection committee, participated in the presentation.

The full text of the citation read during the presentation is below.

The Golden Grab Iron Service Award is presented each year to a member of the 4th Division, Pacific Northwest region, National Model Railroad Association, who exemplifies service to the organization. The selection committee consists of the past three honorees, who put their heads together to consider recommendations for the newest member of this elite group.

Gay Liesse, winner of the 2008 Golden Grab Iron, regrets that she is unable to be here tonight to present the award, but recuperating from extensive spinal fusion surgery is taking longer and is more debilitating than she had anticipated and she felt the evening would be too exhausting. Ed Liesse, 2009 recipient, is taking over Gay’s duties for the evening. Walt Huston, honoree for 2010, rounds out the committee.

Because you’ll recognize the 2011 winner of the Golden Grab Iron Award almost immediately, we’ll cut to the chase and invite JJ Johnston to join us while we detail his life story. To say that he has enjoyed unique experiences over the years would be the understatement of this year.

A native of Seattle, son of a dentist and a registered nurse, JJ attended Harvard School, a military academy in Los Angeles and still maintains contact with some of his classmates. He zipped across the country for the first time to attend the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.  His high school career wasn’t exactly academically impressive, but he made up for average grades by being active in swimming, high-board diving, basketball and serving as editor of the student newspaper, head of the rally committee and performing in the lead role in his school’s dramatic endeavor his senior year.

In college, JJ was part of the swim team, joined Zeta Psi national fraternity and played soccer. He had the opportunity to meet author William Faulkner and visited Cuba at the time Fidel Castro was a revolutionary fighting a guerilla war against the Batista government. With the draft in effect, JJ joined the U.S. Army after college, serving at various American bases before adventuring into the professional soccer world while stationed in Landstuhl, Germany. He defended the goal for the Sportverein Hermersberg before returning home. Forty years later JJ and Patt had the thrill of a return visit to Hermersberg for a gala reunion celebration with townspeople and soccer players, some of whom were even old enough to remember his soccer days.

JJ’s next step was a position as Director of Alumni and Public Relations at his former high school, working on fund-raising for the private education sector and developing his skills in writing, graphic design, and photography as editor of the school’s alumni magazine. After experimenting with a few other fields dealing with people, JJ earned his license and joined Windermere Real Estate in Bellevue in 1985.

There he met Patt Sellen, already an established, top producing agent, and courted his future bride. They were married during Seafair weekend and JJ still believes that Patt arranged the Blue Angel flyover – close enough for them to see the pilots’ faces – following the wedding ceremony. Patt’s four children, a daughter and three sons, quickly became JJ’s family. After almost 18 years with Windermere, JJ and Patt opened their RE/MAX Northwest Realtors office. Many local model railroaders have acquired their layout space through the efforts of JJ and his now-retired office manager, Sandy Finn.

But what about that model railroading, you say. How did the well-known Puget Sound Iron Goat Railway come to be? Most of us have seen JJ’s layout with its Woody Winter paintings simulating a ticket office, a log cabin, trees, forest animals and other hidden delights. This “fantasy wing” has provided entertaining viewing for countless visitors.

JJ truly is a Johnny-come-lately as far as model railroading is concerned. He’d had the requisite plywood Lionel layout as a child but didn’t get involved in the hobby until 1993 after a chance visit to a hobby shop with a friend. Intrigued by scenery early on, JJ bought a kit, built it, and was hooked. He became a close friend of GAZETTE author Bob Christopherson, who played a major role in the development of the Iron Goat Railway. This first layout was begun in 1996. After only six years under construction, JJ’s layout was featured by Paul Scoles in the Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette.

Always a “people person,” JJ soon became involved with the local model railroad organizations, serving two terms as a Director of the 4th Division, PNR, helping with the Pacific Science Center Show, and coordinating the monthly Eastside Clinic meetings here at his church. The Pacific Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie has become a favorite “cause” of many local modelers (not to mention residents), and JJ can take credit for helping create a relationship between the museum and 4th Division of PNR. Though he models in HO, JJ is immersed in the idea of Narrow Gauge modeling and is part of the organizing committee for next year’s national Narrow Gauge Convention in Bellevue.

In addition to being a familiar face to most 4D members, JJ is active in community and church affairs and has been nominated for several other service awards from other groups over the years. We are proud to recognize the talented modeler, JJ Johnston, as the recipient of the PNR 4th Division’s 2011 Golden Grab Iron Service Award.

Achievement Program, Eastside Get-Together (Redmond) Clinic, Grab-Iron, News

Eastside Get-Together Gets 2-for-1

Written by Ken Liesse
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Article and photos by Ken Liesse

(Author’s note: My apologies for this report being so tardy. Apparently, I hit the Preview button when I thought I was hitting the Publish button.)

At the regular get-together on October 20th, the Eastside Get-Together was treated to a 2-for-1 clinic by noted local modeler Glenn Farley. Glenn showed us how to make coal loads using actual coal as well as showing us how to add lights to our locomotives. For the coal loads, start by measuring the opening on whatever car is going to receive the load. Then cut a piece of foam (Glenn used white, but pink or blue would work as well) the size of the opening and give it the contours of the coal load.

PVC End Cap Sifters

Older cars would have distinct piles of coal in the load as the car would have been spotted under a tipple for each dump; modern cars would have a neater, even appearance as they continuously move under a flood loader. After the foam has been shaped, paint it black with acrylics and dust it with Woodland Scenics coal for a base. Glenn prefers to use real coal for the actual load. Since he models the Colorado-New Mexico area, he brought some coal that had been “liberated” from that area. Put the coal in a plastic bag to scale it for the load (read: pulverize with a hammer). Glenn recommends using two or three layers of bags in case any of them break during the process.  Drill holes in the bottom of PVC pipe end caps to use as sifters – the holes should be no bigger than the largest lump of coal you want in your load. Sift the pounded coal, paint the base with Dullcote and pour on the coal. Allow the load to dry, then add stand-offs of the proper height to the car. This allows the load to be removed without ruining the appearance of the empty car.

For the second part of the clinic, Glenn described how he modifies MV lenses for use in his locomotives, giving them a uniform appearance. Start by making a dimple in the back of the MV lens (which are getting harder to find, unfortunately) and drill out the back with a bit the same diameter as your light bulb. Test fit the bulb and use CA to adhere it to the ends. Run the leads where they need to go and voila! Headlights. Glenn also modifies this approach for special circumstances as well, gluing the bulb perpendicular to the plane of the headlight to make it easier to run the wires.  This works well on short headlight fixtures that would not leave any room to run wires out the back. Finally, Glenn showed us a commercial that was made for the upcoming 2012 Narrow Gauge Convention.

This, of course, was all preceded by the usual business of the clinic. JJ opened by pointing out all the MMRs in attendance as well as the 4D and PNR staff on hand. We then held a moment of silence for Bobj Berger’s father, who passed away a few days before. Our thoughts go out to Bobj and his family.

Your superintendent (that would be me) made sure everyone knew about the upcoming increase in NMRA dues and encouraged folks who could do so to prepay their dues before the end of the year. Also, don’t forget to send in your survey from the NMRA Magazineon the possibility of a cruise for the NMRA 2016 convention. These are being collected by Di Voss.

Di announced that the NMRA now has new standards and new track gauges. The new gauges are more era specific and come in Old, Classic, and Modern. Russ Segner brought in photos from projects in Dupont and Snoqualmie on which he is currently working. Russ is always looking for more volunteers who would like to try their hand at modeling in 12″:1′ scale (the real deal). He also pointed out that Ken Larson, a modeler who lives across the Sound in Winslow, is featured in this year’s Great Model Railroads.

Roger Ferris, in addition to bringing the Mart, stated that he had duplicate books from his own collection with which he was parting.  Contact Roger for the details. Ed Liesse finished the announcements with a reminder to everyone about the Joint PCR-PNR Convention being held in Medford, OR next May 2-5. After resolving issues with the convention website, the committee decided to extend the early-bird pricing to the end of November, so if you haven’t signed up yet, do so before the end of the month and get the discounted price. Visit the website at http://www.pcrnmra.org/conv2012/

Model of the Month

There were five entries in the Model of the Month contest, which was won by David Yadock for his water tower. Congratulations, David.

Next month’s clinic will be on November 17th, with the topic to be determined. We will start collecting for our annual donation to the church, which provides us with the space to hold our meetings every month. The collection will go to the church’s outreach program to help those in need within the church community to have a Christmas.

Eastside Get-Together (Redmond) Clinic

Upcoming Events

Written by Ken Liesse
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By Ken Liesse

As we head towards the end of October, I’d like to remind everyone that November is National Model Railroad Month. But why wait for railroad related events? Here are a few of the things coming up, starting this coming weekend.

This year, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) is celebrating its 40th anniversary. To celebrate, Amtrak has put together a special commemorative train with displays of Amtrak’s history. The train is appearing at King Street Station in Seattle this coming weekend (October 22-23), and will be open to the public from 10 to 4 each day. It will then move to Portland for display the following weekend. These are the only two stops the train is making in the Pacific Northwest (a slap in the face to a lot of places that have supported Amtrak over the years, but it is what it is).

The second weekend of November, the Boeing Employee’s Model Railroad Club will be putting on their annual show at the Kent Commons (corner of 4th and James in Kent). Hours for the show will be 9:30-4:00. This is always a great show and over the years has grown to take up most of the Commons. There’s usually a line to get in, so plan on arriving early to get the best deals.

November 18th is Take a Model Train to Work Day. This has turned into an annual event where model railroaders are encouraged to take a model or two to work to let their co-workers know what they do for a hobby. Some have even gone as far as taking small layouts to their workplaces to really let people see what they do with their free time. This is a great opportunity to share our hobby with others and maybe even get some more people interested in model railroading.

As mentioned previously here (thanks Walt Huston), November 19th is the day for the Tacoma Layout Tours (see previous article). There are a whole bunch of neat layouts on this tour and it will be well worth your time to stop by and visit as many as you can.

Once you’re done touring layouts, stop by the Puyallup Fairgrounds. The Great Train Expo is in town again, and there will be several modular layouts on display as well as more opportunities to lighten your wallet. The show runs Saturday & Sunday (November 19 & 20th), 10-4 both days.

In addition, don’t forget the monthly clinics that 4D sponsors throughout the division. There are several great clinics coming up next month, so you won’t want to miss the one nearest you.

News, Superintendent’s Message

Tacoma Learns Resin

Written by Ken Liesse
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Article and photos by Ken Liesse

On Thursday, October 13, the Tacoma Clinic convened in the usual location at the Pierce County Library System offices with 45 folks in attendance. Gene Swanson, MMR, got the meeting started at 7:30 sharp with words of welcome and the introduction of guests. This was followed by announcements, which included news of the upcoming (May 2012) joint PCR-PNR convention in Medford, OR, the sale of most of Camp Six’s equipment (with a majority going to Willits, CA) and an update on the Corkscrew Northern’s move to the Cannery in Sumner.

Stu Rogers presented the video library (a perk of 4D membership) and told the group that if there were any specific titles on VHS that someone wanted to watch on DVD, contact Stu so he can make the conversion.

Bill from Tacoma Trains presented “What’s New at the Hobby Shop” and showed off several items, including a new book about shortlines in the Northwest. It’s heading into busy season at the hobby shop, so Bill encourages everyone to visit their local dealer to stock up for Christmas.

Rob O'Neill's BB&G engines and cabooses

Herb Buhl read off the “Bring & Brag” models, which ran from a Kato Amtrak train and some weathered N-scale cars to pictures of Jim Sabol’s O-scale Tacoma Union Station – a model that would be impossible to set up on our back tables! Winner of the contest was newcomer Rob O’Neill, who shared a couple of engines and cabooses from his freelance BB&G railroad. The BB&G runs in Bayou country, and the crews on his cabooses have “modified” the hacks for more than just bringing up the rear of BB&G trains (you can almost hear the banjo music).

Paul Vaughn pours resin during the clinic.

After the break, Paul Vaughn gave a wonderful presentation on how to make resin parts, walking us through the steps of preparing a master, making a mold, and finally, pouring the resin. Paul didn’t actually make a mold during the clinic, but he did bring several in to show how the completed parts turn out. He did pour resin for his demonstration, so everyone could see how the resin is measured out and how the finished product looks. Paul also passed around several parts to illustrate each step of the process as he went along and gave us tips on adding weight to parts as you pour them as well as how to cast holes and threads in your parts so you don’t have to drill and tap them after the parts are hardened. Paul answered several questions related to his process and encouraged everyone to give it a try.  To see more photos of Paul’s technique as well as others from the clinic, click here.

Next month’s clinic will be on November 10 at the Pierce County Library Offices, 3005 112th St. E., Tacoma WA. This meeting will feature Jim Murrie with a clinic he has titled “Sargent Comes Home.” We will also be presenting our food bank donation next month (for which we’ve been collecting all year), so you won’t want to miss it. Also, “Dirty Santa” arrives the following month, so it’s not too early to start thinking about that “special” gift you may want to bring to the December meeting.
Tacoma Clinic

Superintendent’s Message

Written by Ken Liesse
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By Ken Liesse. Photo by Brian Liesse

Hello everyone. Since I’ve held this position for a month now, I thought it would be a good idea to introduce myself and let you know some of the things going on in the division (better late than never, right?). For those that don’t know, my name is Ken Liesse and I am the Superintendent of 4th Division (PNR/NMRA, etc.). I came to this job in a roundabout way: I had been working closely with Dennis Hill on some division projects at the time of his death this past spring. As Assistant Superintendent, Jim Byerley then took the reins as prescribed in the division bylaws. This left the position of Asst. Supt. open with the task of filling it up to Jim. He asked me to fill in, to which I agreed. At the BOD meeting in August, Jim stepped down as Superintendent, and again following our bylaws, I became Supt.

I am a Life Member of the NMRA and have been a member of the organization for over 30 years. I have served as a Director in 4D and was also on the committee that put together the 2004 National convention here in Seattle. Many of you have probably seen my clinics on painting and manipulating figures and I regularly attend both the Tacoma and Eastside clinics. I’m also a volunteer and member of the museum in Snoqualmie and a member of the American Radio Theater, a group that recreates old time radio programs.

Now that you a little bit about me, allow me to tell you about things going on around the division.

Ed Liesse, Ken Liesse, Sue Van Gerpen, Russ Segner. Brian Liesse Photo

At the BOD meeting last month, a motion was made on behalf of Director JJ Johnston (he was playing Grandpa in California at the time) to make a donation to the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie to benefit their ongoing education efforts. The monies for this came out of the 4D education budget. The following week, Education Chair Ed Liesse, 4D member and museum volunteer Russ Segner and I presented a check for $1000 to Sue Van Gerpen, the museum’s director of marketing. I recently received a very nice thank you note from Sue on behalf of the museum, thanking the 4D and all of its members for our gift.

It’s never too early to start thinking about volunteering for the Pacific Science Center show, which will again be held over the Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend in January. Frank Dekker and Jeff Moorman are always looking for help, so plan ahead and think about donating some time to this endeavor. It is, after all, 4D’s largest source of income for the year.

There are two other big activities coming up next year that you’ll want to put on your calendars: the joint PCR/PNR Regional convention in Medford, OR May 2-5 and the Narrow Gauge convention in Seattle, Sept. 12-15. PCR conventions by themselves often rival NMRA national conventions; the combined convention should be a humdinger. The Narrow Gauge convention, although not an NMRA function, is one of the biggest model railroad conventions in the country and attracts more than just narrow gauge minded individuals. Many 4D members will be showing their layouts for this convention as well as participating in other capacities. Both of these events have web presences  Visit the joint convention at http://www.pcrnmra.org/conv2012/ and the Narrow Gauge convention at http://www.seattle2012.com/.

That’s all for now, but you can expect to hear from me again.

Superintendent’s Message

Eastside Starts the New Year

Written by Ken Liesse
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Article and photos by Ken Liesse

On September 15, JJ Johnston opened the 2011-12 Eastside Clinic season with introductions of VIPs, MMRs, and guests and welcomed everyone back to Bellevue. Many exciting things have happened over the summer. JJ was proud to announce that his wife, Pat, had won First Prize and Grand Champion in the doll house competition at this year’s Western Washington State Fair in Puyallup. (I saw the doll house — it’s very nice.) Frank Dekker pointed out that JJ’s layout graces the cover of this month’s Railroad Model Craftsman (autographed copies were available as door prizes) with an article written and photographed by 4D member Paul Scoles.

JJ & Russ

JJ Johnston & Russ Segner prepare for the clinic

Frank also reminded everyone that it is not too early to start thinking about the Pacific Science Center Show in January and that everyone should be considering volunteering for the show. The PSC committee is also looking for new ideas for the show, especially in the areas of children’s activities and other hands-on events. Email Frank your ideas at rekkedrails@juno.com.

Di Voss was looking for volunteers to help with the NMRA Conformance & Standards Group, assessing decoders to see if they meet NMRA protocols. By now he should have the one or two volunteers he was looking for.

Other announcements for the good of the order included Bob Beise’s reminder of the Lynden Train Show coming up October 1st and 2nd; Russ Segner’s announcement of the grand opening of the Northwest Railway Museum Train Shed; and Ed Liesse’s commentary on the upcoming Joint PNR-PCR Convention to be held in Medford, OR next May 2-5.

David Yadock station

David Yadock won Model of the Month with this station.

The Model of the Month contest had several very good and varied entries this month. Jim Sabol brought a couple of wall pieces for his O scale Tacoma Union Station that he was building with the help of Kyle Davis, a student at Washington State University. Bob Beise showed off a #6 double-slip switch that he built with Fast Track jigs — in only four hours. Ron Cole presented a 1:32 scale 70-ton 40′ flat car for which he had built all the masters. Ron plans on making several more cars from these masters. Stu Rogers displayed an N Scale Architect lumber mill, which requires that the builder supply his own instructions as the ones in the kit are inadequate. The winner of the contest was David Yadock, who brought in the combination station seen at left. The station is a Campbell kit with details and interior lighting added as well as a good dose of weathering. Nicely done, David.

Our presentation for the evening was given by Russ Segner. Russ gave an overview of some of the highlights of the recently completed Narrow Gauge Convention in Hickory, NC (attended by several 4D members). He then talked about next year’s convention, which will be held in Bellevue, although the brochures tout the convention as being in Seattle. (We won’t hold that against the committee; whoever heard of Bellevue, WA?) It is shaping up to be a great convention. Russ reminds everyone that you don’t need to be narrow minded to enjoy the Narrow Gauge convention. Registration for the convention, to be held at Meydenbauer Center, is $110. There will be a special trip to the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad as an $80 additional fare. Several of our area’s famous layouts will be open for tours and there will be a ton of clinics given by well-known national and international model railroaders. Visit www.Seattle2012.com for more details.

Next month’s clinic will feature Glenn Farley, although the topic of his clinic is yet to be determined. You’ll want to drop by though, as Glenn’s clinics are always informative and entertaining. See you next month.

Eastside Get-Together (Redmond) Clinic,