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Last Call for MAKING TRACKS

Russ Segner, 4D Superintendent

“How and why we build our layouts”

Our Spring Meet is tomorrow, Saturday, June 6, at the Bellevue Sheraton.

We have designed a program to give insights and ideas on building layouts.  Lots of questions will be answered, such as how big to build? Or what era and prototype to use for ideas? What about operations? Do you build alone or with others in a group or club?

Several MMRs and others will share their experiences and what inspires them in the hobby.  So, come with your questions.  Meet and share ideas with model railroaders from across the Fourth Division.

A bonus is your chance to see several layouts on Sunday afternoon.  Descriptions and locations will only be available to those attending Saturday.

During the lunch break, the Division will hold its Annual Meeting. Several awards will be presented, including The Golden Grab Iron Award.  You will also get to see our redesigned website and Grab Iron.

We sincerely hope you will attend. If you’re not already registered, you can register at the door. See you tomorrow!

 

SPRING MEET SCHEDULE

Sheraton Bellevue

Registration Opens 8:00

 

Session Room

Session Room

 

Snoqualmie North

Snoqualmie South

Session One

0900

to

1000

Fast Tracks

Mike Shaw

A Prototype Layout

Bill Messecar, MMR

Session Two

1030

to

1130

Modular Operations

Rich Blake
Thomas Dye

Prototype Panel

Di Voss, MMR

Burr Stewart

Jim Younkins, MMR

Luncheon

 

Annual Report

Grab Iron Presentation

Awards

Session Three

1400

to

1500

Freelancing

JJ Johnston

Ron Hopkins

David Yadock

Large Layout Panel

Al Frasch

Mike Highsmith

Jim Sabol

Session Four

1530

to

1630

Trackside Details

Tom Beaton

Bridge Design

Max Maginness, MMR

Sunday’s layout information distributed at close of meeting

 

4D Spring Meet June 6, Register Now To Assure Lunch

Russ Segner and the Spring Meet Committee

The seats are filling for the 4th Division’s Spring Meet on June 6. Registration is still $25 until May 31. This includes lunch and passes to the layout tours on June 7. You can pay at the door or register online at wnrr.net/4dspringmeet/. We need a count for lunches, so if you wait beyond May 31 to register, you will not be guaranteed a lunch.

There are fabulous clinics offered on the 6th including:

  • An Example of a Prototype Layout
  • Making Tracks on your Layout (Fast Tracks hands on clinic)
  • Making Tracks to a Prototype
  • Freelancing
  • Making Tracks to a Large Layout
  • Modules
  • Trackside Details and Weathering
  • Bridge Design and Construction

There are world class layouts offered for touring on the 7th including:

  • JJ Johnston’s Puget Sound Iron Goat Railway, HO scale, a mythical GN layout set in 1939 with many structures
  • Burr Stewart’s merged GN, NP, Q and SP&S in the 70’s, HO scale, a big layout designed for operation
  • Bill Messecar’s ATSF Operation in the LA Division, HO scale, a 1950’s era layout with blocks of reefers handling citrus
  • Di Voss’ Everett and Monte Cristo Rwy, HO scale, a historical representation of 1895-1910 line hauling gold to the mill in Everett
  • Bob Stafford’s Memories Branch Line, HO scale, an operations oriented layout based on the many branches of the Lackawanna, Jersey Central, and Lehigh Valley railroads in Northampton County Pennsylvania
  • Boeing Employees Model Railroad Club’s Seattle and North Cascades Railway, HO scale, a bridge route connecting the Pacific Northwest to the Midwest
  • Ron Hopkins’ Moclips & Beck’s Creek, On30 scale, a layout featuring many prize winning scratch built logging, lumber and shingles structures
  • Russ Segner’s Coal Creek Lumber Co, Sn3 scale, a Northwest logging layout with lots of scratch built structures and geared locomotives
  • Bill Scheef’s Wind River Railway, Sn3 scale, a layout with excellent logging scenes and an operating incline
  • Al Lowe’s Modular Home Layout, N scale, consisting of 9 NTRAK and oNeTRAK modules on a unique, 54”-tall rack allowing plenty of operations in the space of a one-car garage
  • Steve Depolo’s Alaska Pacific Railway & Terminal Co, Sn3 scale, a layout featuring Alaska scenes with steep grades between mines and wharfs
  • Michael Dziubinski’s Northwestern Pacific (Southern Pacific), N scale, a layout based on the Northwestern Pacific in August of 1953

Sign up today. Click here for more details including registration and you can also contact Russ Segner at russseg@gmail.com or 425-228-7327 for more information.

Layouts Announced For 4th Div 2015 Spring Meet

Russ Segner, 4D Superintendent

Editor’s note: Bob Stafford’s layout has replaced David Yadock’s layout for the Sunday tour.

You’re going to want to see the layouts chosen for this year’s Spring Meet! Some have never been shown before, while others are masterworks that you have seen in magazines.

This year, you’ll get to see these layouts – but only if you register for the Spring Meet. The Spring Meet clinics are on Saturday June 6 and the layout tours are on June 7. Descriptions and maps will be available at the conclusion of the clinic sessions on Saturday. Full details are here. Register now!

The layouts are:

  • JJ Johnston’s Puget Sound Iron Goat Railway, HO scale, a mythical GN layout set in 1939 with many structures
  • Burr Stewart’s merged GN, NP, Q and SP&S in the 70’s, HO scale, a big layout designed for operation
  • Bill Messecar’s ATSF Operation in the LA Division, HO scale, a 1950’s era layout with blocks of reefers handling citrus
  • Di Voss’ Everett and Monte Cristo Rwy, HO scale, a historical representation of 1895-1910 line hauling gold to the mill in Everett
  • Bob Stafford’s Memories Branch Line, HO scale, an operations oriented layout based on the many branches of the Lackawanna, Jersey Central, and Lehigh Valley railroads in Northampton County Pennsylvania
  • Boeing Employees Model Railroad Club’s Seattle and North Cascades Railway, HO scale, a bridge route connecting the Pacific Northwest to the Midwest
  • Ron Hopkins’ Moclips & Beck’s Creek, On30 scale, a layout featuring many prize winning scratch built logging, lumber and shingles structures
  • Russ Segner’s Coal Creek Lumber Co, Sn3 scale, a Northwest logging layout with lots of scratch built structures and geared locomotives
  • Bill Scheef’s Wind River Railway, Sn3 scale, a layout with excellent logging scenes and an operating incline
  • Steve Depolo’s Alaska Pacific Railway & Terminal Co, Sn3 scale, a layout featuring Alaska scenes with steep grades between mines and wharfs
  • Michael Dziubinski’s Northwestern Pacific (Southern Pacific), N scale, a layout based on the Northwestern Pacific in August of 1953

Additional info is listed here and more layout details will be added over the next few weeks.

The theme of the Spring Meet is: “How and why we build our layouts.”

Our clinics this year are designed to give insights and ideas on building layouts. Lots of questions will be addressed such as “How big do I build?”, “What era and prototype do I use for ideas?”, “What about operations?” and “Do I build alone or with others in a group or club?”

Eight great clinics will be offered:

  • An Example of a Prototype Layout
  • Making Tracks on your Layout (Fast Tracks hands on clinic)
  • Making Tracks to a Prototype
  • Freelancing
  • Making Tracks to a Large Layout
  • Modules
  • Trackside Details and Weathering
  • Bridge Design and Construction

Additional clinic details are here.

We have several MMR’s presenting who will share their experiences and what inspires them in the hobby. So, come with your questions. Meet and share ideas with model railroaders from across the Fourth Division.

Lunch is provided on Saturday. At lunch, we will have our annual meeting. Several awards, including The Golden Grab Iron Award will be presented. We will also get an introduction to our new website and Grab Iron communications. So, plan to attend. Register by mail or online, but do it before May 31 to guarantee your seat and lunch.

The registration is $25 for NMRA members if registered online or by mail before May 31st or $35 at the door for those not pre-registered. Lunch is included. For online registration and additional details visit http://wnrr.net/4dspringmeet/. A printable poster can be found at http://wnrr.net/4dspringmeet/SpringMeetPoster.pdf.

Please contact Russ Segner at russseg@gmail.com or 425-228-7327 for more information.

Clinics Listed For 4D Spring Meet

Russ Segner

There will be a full Saturday of clinics at the 4th Division Spring Meet to help us all enjoy our hobby more and become better model builders. A list of the clinics and the presenters has been posted to the Spring Meet web site. Come and enjoy learning from some of our best.

The date is Saturday, June 6 at the Bellevue Sheraton Hotel. Registration is available by mail or online and includes lunch. Additional details including online registration are in the previous Grab Iron post.

We will hold our 4th Division Annual Meeting during lunch and hand out some special recognition to some of our members for their fine work and contributions to the hobby.

Making Tracks – 4th Division 2015 Spring Meet, Saturday June 6th

Cliff Green

The 4th Division’s 2015 Spring Meet – “Making Tracks” – will be held on Saturday June 6th at the Sheraton Bellevue Hotel, 100 112th Av NE, Bellevue Washington. There will be layout tours on June 7th.

Eight great clinics will be offered including (at least):

  • Prototype locations for planning ideas
  • Bridge construction
  • Modules
  • Large layout design and operation
  • Layouts in smaller spaces
  • Fast Tracks hands-on
  • Freelancing

The registration is $25 for NMRA members if registered online or by mail before May 31st or $35 at the door for those not pre-registered. Lunch is included. For online registration and additional details visit http://wnrr.net/4dspringmeet/. A printable poster can be found at http://wnrr.net/4dspringmeet/SpringMeetPoster.pdf.

Please contact Russ Segner at russseg@gmail.com or 425-228-7327 for more information.

Portland Meet ‘N March, Saturday, March 28

Al Lowe

The annual N scale Meet ‘N March swap meet will be held Saturday, March 28 in Portland, Oregon at the Valley Catholic High School, at the intersection of TV Hwy. and Murray Blvd., in Beaverton (on the west side of Portland). The show will open to the public at 10:00 a.m. and will feature three N scale layouts, vendors selling N scale model railroad products, and clinics for intermediate to advanced modelers.

If you attended in the past and thought the old warehouse where it was held was too cold, it has been moved to a school (with actual heat).

Tacoma Northwestern Model Railroad Club Show and Swap Meet at Freighthouse Square Mar 21 and 22

Cliff Green

The Tacoma NW model railroad club show and swap meet is being held March 21st-22nd at Freighthouse Square in Tacoma.

The TNW is excited to host their fourth Model Railroad Show and Swap Meet at Freighthouse Square. Many clubs from around Washington will be in attendance as well as vendors with various railroad items to sell spread through three floors, two very large rooms and various shops. Freighthouse Square always offers a variety of eating establishments and interesting shops for browsing. A portion of the ticket sales from the show will benefit a local charity.

The hours are 9-4 on Saturday and 10-3 on Sunday and admission is $7 for adults, $5 for children under 12, seniors and active military personnel, and children under 3 are free. Additional information including directions and contact info can be found on the TNW web site.

16th Northwest Santa Fe Mini-Meet Saturday, March 21, Auburn

John Thompson

This is your invitation to attend the 16th annual Mini-Meet of Santa Fe Railway fans and modelers in the US Pacific Northwest. It will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sat., March 21, 2015, at the Messiah Lutheran Church, 410 H Street NE, Auburn, WA, 98002.

Presentations include Bill Messecar on “Traveling the Santa Fe System in 1953” (from Keith Jordan and Wally Abbey), Bill James on “Modeling the Super C (Freight Train)”, John Thompson on “Santa Fe’s E-Units” (from Steve Sandifer), Colin Kikawa on “Upgrading Brass Steam with DCC and LEDs”, and Greg Martin on “Modeling a Santa Fe Bx-40/Fe-25 Boxcar in HO”.

Cost for the event and handouts is now $10 to cover our costs of renting the room and copying the handouts. Sale tables are available for a $10 fee per table.

For additional information contact me at jthomp1945@aol.com.

Trains 2014, Burnaby, British Columbia

7th Division, PNR, NMRA

Trains 2014 is British Columbia’s premier model train show and meet and is being held on Friday, November 7th through Sunday, November 9th. Trains 2014 is the Lower Mainland meet of the 7th Division, Pacific Northwest Region of the National Model Railroad Association. The show consists of two components, NMRA members meet with various activities for registrants, and a two-day public train show. Activities for the NMRA meet are self-guided layout tours, clinics, contests, banquet, and admission to the Public Train show. Registered NMRA members have access to the train show at 9 AM, one hour before it opens to the general public.

Online registration will be open until Wednesday, November 5th. Online registration is $55. At-the-door registration is $65. NMRA members receive a $5 discount. The venue for Trains 2014 is the Cameron Recreation Complex, 9523 Cameron Street, Burnaby, BC. More information here.