Author: Russ Segner

You should have received by now an email notice with an electronic ballot. Al Lowe is running to continue as Assistant Superintendent. Alex Brikoff is running for a full two-year term after serving the remainder of Robin Peel’s term as a Director. Robin stepped down as Director but remains Treasurer. Robin will Chair the upcoming National Narrow-Gauge Convention in Tacoma next year. Dennis Terpstra is running for a Director position. Anton Faulk chose not to run again but will continue on as Editor of the Grab Iron and manager of our website.

Please do vote even though none of the candidate positions are contested. We are very fortunate to have capable people volunteering to fill positions of leadership. This helps us all enjoy our hobby all the more. The candidates listed above are examples of such leaders.

There are many moving parts to an organization like your Fourth Division. Some are more visible than others, but all are important. If you want to be more involved, please make it known to me, your Superintendent, or one of the others such as a Clinic Chair. We expect to be able to meet together soon in scheduled meetings and at some Train Shows. Now is the time to plan and prepare for display our modules and models. We will keep everyone tuned into activities as soon as possible.

Thanks, for your participation.

Russ

A Nominating Committee has been appointed to receive nominations for the upcoming election of the ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT and two DIRECTORS.

The duties of these positions are as follows:
The ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT shall perform all duties assigned by the Superintendent and serve in the Superintendent’s absence.
DIRECTOR. Serve as the direct representative of the members. Act in the best interest of the members In the management of the Division.

The Board of Directors currently meets 6 times a year generally in the area of Tukwila or Kent. These meetings last usually for about two hours. We have been meeting virtually over the last year and that may continue.

The current holders of these positions will be asked if they wish to continue and if so, their names will be placed on the ballot together with any others who come forward and are qualified. If you know of someone interested and willing to serve, or if you wish to nominate yourself, contact one of the Committee members:

Al Lowe al@allowe.com
Bill Messecar santafe-mail@comcast.net
Dennis Terpstra dennis@dterpstra.com

Russ Segner, Superintendent

I first met Roger in 1992 at the PSC show. I signed up as a member that day. It was Roger who helped me become a life member. When I took on being membership chairman, Roger was very supportive and showed me the ropes. When I became Divison Superintendent and then PNR President, he was always available to give me advice based on his experiences.

I worked very closely with Roger during the planning of tours and scheduling for PSX 2004. I always enjoyed Roger when he brought the mart to the eastside clinic. Always had great goodies for sale. Through the years, he would share stories about his life growing up and the common thread we had when I moved to Walla Walla, as his family was very active in the Seventh Day Adventist College there (Walla Walla University). Roger will be greatly missed. I can say I learned a lot about the hobby from him. Fly with the angels.

Kevin

Dan Peters writes:

I knew Roger for over 40 years. It was Roger who welcomed me to my very first Beacon Hill clinic in 1980. He was one of the most prolific “idea men” I ever knew in the NMRA hierarchy. He was a fun guy to be around.

. . .
He was an ordained clergyman for the Seventh Day Adventist denomination.
When he retired from being a clergyman, he went back to college and completed his PhD in Education.

His “other” hobby besides model railroading, was woodworking. He had a complete cabinet-and-furniture-making wood shop at his house.

He was very active in all levels of the NMRA hierarchy.
He attended the Beacon Hill Clinic ( across from the Veterans Hospital ) without fail every month, and was the unofficial “greeter” at the door, in this way he learned every person by name.
Roger was also a frequent clinic presenter, and “entertainment” presenter. ( At that time, all 3 clinics included both a “clinic” session, followed by a social hour, and then an “entertainment” session. ) He also presented clinics at the Pacific Science Center, and at PNR and National conventions.

He was 4th Division superintendent in the 1980’s and 90’s.
While he was superintendent, he started the module program in 1988. He also started the “video library” which was originally on VHS tapes, and was later replaced by DVD disks. The library was maintained by Bob Smith, at that time the official PNR librarian, and was brought to every clinic, every month. ( There were 3 monthly clinics at that time, Beacon Hill in Seattle, Tacoma Junior College in Tacoma, and the East Side Get Together in the Kirkland Library. )

Following multiple terms as 4th Division superintendent, Roger won the “Man Of The Year” award in 1987. Roger objected to the award being called “Man Of The Year”, because several women had already won the award, so Roger was instrumental in having the name of the award changed in subsequent years to the gender-neutral “Golden Grab Iron Award”.
After his terms as superintendent, Roger went on to Membership chairman, and he remained on the 4th Division Board.

From 4th Division, Roger “graduated” to PNR superintendent. I believe he also won “Man Of The Year” at the PNR level. While PNR superintendent, Roger was convention chair for the PNR convention in Spokane.
From there, Roger served on the national board of directors for the NMRA.

Besides his official duties connected to the NMRA, because of his being frequently called on to conduct funeral services, Roger also helped family estates dispose of model railroad collections. This led him to becoming a frequent vendor at area Swap Meets.

Besides his home layout in HO, Roger was also an active member in the Swamp Creek Club, which built a layout in the Edmonds Amtrak Station, in what had been the baggage room.
He was the manager of the annual Swamp Creek Club swap meet, held every September in the gym of the original Scriber Lake High School in Edmonds. ( The school’s previous location, since demolished. )

Unlike many modelers, Roger did not model a single prototype railroad. His travels with the clergy, and with the NMRA board, took him all over the country, and so he modeled individual trains from many different railroads, instead of specializing in just one or two railroads.

I first met Roger when I started attending the Eastside clinic in Kirkland in the mid 90’s. When I learned recently of Roger’s passing, I asked several who knew Roger much longer than I did to let us all know how much he meant to many of us personally and to the model railroading community as a whole. Here are some comments by several of our members.

Roger Ferris – Modeler, Friend and Mentor by
Jack Hamilton

A legend and mainstay of model railroading and effective leadership has passed. We are all so much better for his impact on our lives and will miss him deeply. I speak of Roger Ferris.

After a lengthy, disappointing period in another Region and division with little time or interest in member services, I arrived in PNR 4D. One of the very first individuals I met at a Division meet was Roger Ferris. What an eye-opener. Here was a guy who actually cared about fellow members and wanted to make sure that everyone had a chance to participate and be a real part of the NMRA. Not much later, I had an opportunity to work with Roger, planning and preparing for the NMRA 2004 Convention in Seattle. That was the real beginning of a personal mentorship that resulted in my long-time service to the hobby.

Along with his deep involvement in Division activities, Roger served as the PNR Trustee (predecessor to the current Director system) on the NMRA Board of Directors. In that capacity, he represented the Region and provided significant service to the Association through his professional knowledge. Roger was a substantial player in NMRA national leadership. However, he had decided to retire soon. Roger and I had several discussions about his replacement, and he urged me to run for the position. He convinced me. I ran and was elected. Roger, like all good leaders, remained as a mentor and advisor. When the NMRA moved to the board’s current Director organization, Roger encouraged me to seek election. When that did not playout, he suggested I seek the PNR President role. For the next 12 years, through my service as Region President and NMRA Director, Roger was always there with encouragement and recommendations. If it were not for Roger, I would have remained just one more “plain old member,” hiding in my layout room.

Along the way in my association with Roger, I learned he was more than just a model railroader. First above all Roger was a family man and a minister of the Seventh-day Adventists Church. His local church also provided a school for parishioners and others and Roger, holding a PhD in Education, was deeply involved in the education operation. He brought his unique professionalism to model railroading through clinic presentation and creation of new educational opportunities such as “make and Take” clinics. On the ministerial front, something I did not know, apparently Roger used the moneys earned conducting funerals to model railroading.
Roger was a member of the Swamp Creek & Western Club. I recall with great pleasure my first visit to the layout in Edmonds under Roger’s guidance. This was a guy who enjoyed model railroading and was proud to display his work and that of his fellow modelers. Roger also dabbled in 1 to 1 scale with a love for speeders. I do not recall a visit with Roger that did not include a report of the latest speeder or track laying effort.

Roger apparently started a Swamp Creek swap meet. I was not around to experience that effort but recall his efforts (along with Bobj) to bring estate sale items to train shows and some local clinic activities throughout the Division. Roger helped to save untold numbers of model railroad items from the dump or other unfortunate demise. Some of my earlier tool acquisitions came off of Roger’s sales tables at swap meet or train shows.
Roger coined the phrase “Railfun” and used that as his business name (railroading) and later as his email address. It was the most appropriate tag for a person who found or made fun in everything he did. Roger could even relate the fun to be had driving long distance with a fellow modeler to attend a show or other activity.

Roger liked to organize and then participate in Rail fanning or prototype tours. He organized many and served as tour leader for most of them. His intent, which he never failed to achieve, was to learn something new while having fun doing it. If Roger was part of an activity, it was sure to be fun.
Roger received special recognition from his fellow modelers in 1015 when he was recognized as a Fellow of the NMRA. The Fellow of the NMRA Award is granted to those in the NMRA who have fostered the organization and the hobby and have increased or advanced social interaction and the social benefits of the hobby. Roger certainly met those criteria.

Roger, was a quiet, firm, and knowledgeable leader who always managed to find a way to build consensus and get the job done. I will miss his quiet and effective guidance and continuous encouragement to meet the challenge and serve the members. There are many more people in PNR And the NMRA who benefited from Roger’s friendship, and we will not forget him.

From Ted Becker
Roger joined the Swamp Creek & Western in club the fall of 1974 which is where I met him and had the most contact with him.

In the early 1980’s he led the effort to create the SC&W annual swap meet in Lynnwood which may have been the first regularly held swap meet in the area. It ran for several years until they lost their venue.

Before coming to Seattle area he had lived in or near Calumet City, Illinois which is right across the state line from where I grew up in Hammond, Ind.

If I remember correctly he was a fairly accomplished cabinet maker.

Payments he received for conducting funerals were earmarked for trains. In case you didn’t know, he was a Seventh Day Adventist minister.

He put together a number of excursions under his “Railfun” name.

For a few years he put on a Railfun show in Edmonds. Always on a Sunday because he preached on Saturday.

From Ed Ives

I can’t say that I knew Roger very well; he a retired minister and I skirting on the fringes of 4D. I had floated in and out of 4D since 1968. It all came to change at a PSC show in the mid 1990’s; I as a member of the public attending the show and Roger manning the NMRA membership booth. He saw me before I saw him and he buttonholed me. Roger was a great salesman, could I’m sure sell ice to the Eskimos and make them feel happy about it. Before I knew it I had filled out the NMRA membership form with money and Roger did the rest.

Shortly after I joined the NMRA Roger ran a local tour group visiting various railroad sites in the area. We got to drive the diesel locomotive in Point Defiance park; got to drive a steam locomotive in someone’s yard in the hills above the Skagit Valley; visited a narrow gauge passenger car under restoration in the Puyallup valley; visit the coal hopper cars in a siding in Ravensdale and so forth.

In his declining years he and Bobj Berger sold off model railroad equipment from past members estates, to the benefit of the families. It was at Lynden one year that Roger was manning the sales table that I dropped by to say ‘Hi’, and we got to talking. Before I knew it I had purchased a Lionel Standard gauge train set that was Roger’s and I do not (did not) collect that stuff. Well I guess I do now.

4D needs more people like Roger who could energize people and do what was needed. We’ll miss Roger. May he rest in peace.

30 of our members shared a hour plus session last Saturday on ideas about how to make 4D work better. Here is a link to a YouTube recording of the meeting.

https://youtu.be/EWAL_gMLCFU

If you have additional comments, please post them to me or any of the Board members. russseg@gmail.com

Russ

Here is the link to the saved videos of our online presentations. Included are the recording of two recent National Narrow Gauge sessions.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjWp6F8wZPVN1IqCIfPGBS64GIyD4dyxS

Enjoy.

Russ Segner

We would like to make 2021 a much better year than 2020. So, there will be an online Zoom meeting open to the entire membership this Saturday morning.

Please join in and express your opinions and share your ideas on what the 4th Division can do to better serve you.

•Do the online Zoom meeting work for you?
• What days and time are best?
• Are you interested in training sessions?
• Does a swap meet online interest you?
• How can Make and Take work now?
• How do we make the AP Program work for more of our members?
• What topics should we focus on?
Other questions?

This meeting is open to all 4th Division members. Here is the link. Please be respectful of others time and comments.
Topic: 4th Division Zoom Meeting
Time: Jan 30, 2021 10:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87582871808?pwd=NDB3TFZIUHNXeVRzZDJVUFFtZktyZz09

Meeting ID: 875 8287 1808
Passcode: 280461
One tap mobile
+12532158782,,87582871808#,,,,280461# US (Tacoma) +13462487799,,87582871808#,,,,280461# US (Houston)

Dial by your location
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
Meeting ID: 875 8287 1808
Passcode: 280461
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/knKC1bXk9

Call me if you have questions: Russ Segner 206 200 2211

It’s a New Year. How will it be different from last year?
Your Board of Directors and the leaders of our clinics and modular groups will meet online this Saturday the 30th at 10AM to try and answer this. We will discuss what is working for us during the time of lockdown and what we can do to be more effective this year.
• Does Zoom work for you?
• What topics should we focus on?
• What days and time are best?
• Are you interested in training sessions?
• Does a swap meet online interest you?
• How can Make and Take work now?
• How do we make the AP Program work for more of our members?
• Other questions?
This meeting is open to all 4th Division members. Here is the link. Please be respectful of others time and comments.
Topic: 4th Division Zoom Meeting
Time: Jan 30, 2021 10:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87582871808?pwd=NDB3TFZIUHNXeVRzZDJVUFFtZktyZz09

Meeting ID: 875 8287 1808
Passcode: 280461
One tap mobile
+12532158782,,87582871808#,,,,*280461# US (Tacoma)
+13462487799,,87582871808#,,,,*280461# US (Houston)

Dial by your location
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
Meeting ID: 875 8287 1808
Passcode: 280461
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/knKC1bXk9

The Olympia Clinic meets tonight at 7PM.

The program is on restoration work of an old passenger car in Antonito, Colorado and a ride on the Narrow Gauge.

Time: Jan 15, 2021 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Here is the link to the session

https://zoom.us/j/99026832872?pwd=Z1dsNTNFdG5zNFdCQ0lVejBOd3p4QT09

Meeting ID: 990 2683 2872

Passcode: 469997