Category: Eastside Get-Together (Redmond) Clinic

Ed Liesse, photos by Ed Liesse

JJ Johnston once again welcomed everyone to the Eastside Get Together and, following the script for our meetings, introduced the members of the 4^th Division Board of Directors and the Master Model Railroaders (MMRs) in attendance. He then asked if we had any new attendees and Tom Keys from Seattle was welcomed to the group!

Announcements: Russ Segner, as chairman of the upcoming Sn3 Symposium, said they had 112 registration to date and that operating sessions are still available and, as 4^th Division Superintendent, that the next Board of Directors meeting would be on Saturday, December 13 at Mitzel’s in Kent at 11:00 AM. 4D has a number of Fast Tracks turnout jigs available for loan to 4D members from the library and Russ is looking for someone to head the video library. David Yadock reminded us of the Pacific Science Center show, which is the 4D money-maker for the year. Volunteers are needed for the three days of the show and can get free parking and admission. Mike Kavanaugh said he has a small HO layout available, free, with trackwork and bridges but no scenery. Rick Jillard announced the availability of an 8’ x 24’ one piece layout in a garage with scenery and track plus car and engines.

The Model of the Month featured David Yadock and CJ Turner. David brought a 4-stall roundhouse where he started using linoleum blocks for walls but changed to Chooch stone walls. The front walls are still carved from the linoleum block, however. Paper shingles are glued to the roof to resemble slate. The interior will be finished later but the lighting is already in place.

David Yadock’s Roundhouse

CJ Turner brought a DPM kit resembling a 1901 Nordstom store. The store is well detailed with window decorations and a warning from CJ to be careful of what was happening in the upper story front room! See CJ for the answer to that one!

CJ Turner’s Original Nordstrom Store

After our usual short break for refreshments JJ introduced John Morrison for a presentation on Swiss Rack Railroads. Because of the mountainous topography in Switzerland, most of the railroads traveling up in the higher elevations use a rack system to traverse steep grades. In addition, railroads in Switzerland are a mix of standard gauge and several different meter gauges. There are two main rack systems, the Riggenbach and the Strub, used mostly in the higher regions. The Strub rack is machined from rail. Various scenes in the presentation give a clear look at the differences between the two types. John also showed several charts of the different meter gauges in use.

John Morrison

CJ Turner was the winner of the Model of the Month.

The December Eastside Get Together will be on December 18. This will be a last opportunity to make our monetary contributions to help some needy members of the church have a merry Christmas! Instead of a presentation, we’ll celebrate with a “Dirty Santa gift exchange” (?). Come join us for some extra fun!

JJ Johnston

Reminder: Eastside Get Together meets this Thursday, December 18, 7:30 PM. Bring a wrapped gift for our annual “Dirty Santa Gift Exchange Party” and celebrate the Christmas season. There are free donuts along with free coffee. Yes, everyone can help themselves to free donuts compliments of the Eastside Get Together. Bring your Model of the Month and let us see what you’re doing.

Your Santa gift can be around $12 or so, and the rules will be reviewed at the beginning of the exchange. Please wrap your gift and put the scale or gauge on the outside so it can be seen easily.

Oh, by the way – congratulations to Jim Easley and his resident modelers at Emerald Heights in Redmond. They are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their garden railway which Jim started for them shortly after he became a resident. The work now includes 275 feet of track, a train barn, 6 bridges and trestles, 45 structures plus various flowers, trees and shrubs. Jim also has a railroad around his unit to show off his wonderful collection of Swiss (I think) locomotives and rolling stock.

Our annual collection for donations has gone extremely well this year. This collection assists a few church members in need as a way of paying back the church who gives us our space rent free and lets us use their coffee and condiments at no cost. Thanks to all of you who made a generous contribution. If you haven’t had a chance to donate yet, we will pass the hat around one more time at Thursday’s meeting.

See you on Thursday and hope you get a great treasure from Santa.

JJ Johnston

The Eastside Get-Together is this Thursday, November 20, 7:30 pm at the Bellevue Foursquare Church in Bellevue. Please remember this is the month we do our collection to raise funds to help a member of the church. These donations are our way of paying back the church for letting us use the room and kitchen at no charge to us throughout the year. The church even provides us coffee and supplies as well as a person to set up all the chairs and tables for us and put them back when we’re finished. In the past these donations have averaged about $25 per person so it is our hope those of us who can give will be generous in our support.

Internationally recognized modeler John Morrison will be our speaker for the evening. John’s title is “The Jungfraubahnen-Top Of Europe” about a group of rack railways climbing into the Bernese Alps. With grades of 25%, there are two different gauges, two types of rack systems and three electrical systems reaching the highest railway station in Europe. The station is in a cavern at the end of a tunnel. This unique information includes lots of photographs from John’s trip. He will also bring some of his large scale European locomotives which he builds and runs on his local large garden railroad.

Bring something to sell, have some coffee and fresh donuts, win a door prize and enter our Model of the Month to show us what you have been working on lately. There will be lots of fun and conversation. See you there, JJ.

JJ Johnston

This month’s Eastside Get-Together clinic presentation will be by our very own John Thompson, discussing “Cajon Pass Operations, 1946-1956.”

This PowerPoint show is about operations on Santa Fe’s CajonPass in Southern California during the steam-to-diesel transition years. Its mostly color photos show the Santa Fe and Union Pacific freight trains, passenger trains, motive power, helpers, and stations along the route, plus maps and slides explaining operations.

Come join us this Thursday as we relive the glory years on CajonPass!

We also have all the usual stuff, including door prizes, prize-roasted coffee & assorted hand-selected donuts, railroad items to buy and sell, the Model of the Month and just good times. You do not have to wear a costume to the meeting – we’re all spooky enough! The Model of the Month can include a carved pumpkin, however. See ya there, this Thursday, 7:30 p.m. in the Bellevue Foursquare Church.

Al Lowe

Click to enlarge

The 4^th Division’s very own JJ Johnston was recently honored in the August issue of the national NMRA Magazine, in the Division Business Car section. In case you missed it, here’s a scan of the article.

Remember: when you’re traveling, check the Magazine’s Club Car section for clinics to attend. This month’s Eastside Get-Together will include an NMRA member from Texas who is traveling in this area!

JJ Johnston

Let us all take a moment to remember our legendary modeler, Paul Scoles, MMR, who passed away Friday morning following a difficult surgery. Paul has been a trusted friend and a generous mentor to many of us. As you may know, Paul presented several clinics at our Eastside group and has allowed us to visit his amazing Sn3 home layout on several occasions.

This Thursday, May 15, is our last scheduled meeting until September. Our guest presenter this Thursday will be noted modeler and Inside Gateway famous hobby store owner, Steve Depolo. Known for his extensive modeling talents and his scenery expertise, Steve will share the stunning methods he uses to age and weather models.

Of course we will offer the Model of the Month Showcase, bring stuff to sell or buy at the best known RR Mart around, coffee and donuts organized by CJ Turner, welcome by Ambassador Clay Hanson and the video library may also be available for rentals. We start at 7:30 in the BellevueFoursquareChurch so be there early to make sure you get an apple fritter.

PS: Following last month’s clinic on coal loads presented by our favorite newsperson, Glenn Farley, Lee Marsh (our presenter from the previous month) posted this photo of his coal load he modeled using Glenn’s techniques. Sweet!

See ya Thursday.

Lee Marsh’s coal load

Ed Liesse / Photos by Ed & Lee Marsh

Our “Beloved Host” JJ Johnston welcomed everyone to the Eastside Get-Together and, following the script for our meetings, introduced the members of the 4D Board of Directors and the MMRs in attendance. He then mentioned a new product from Chooch Enterprises, a peel-and-stick flexible cribbing wall similar to the flexible stone walls introduced a few years ago and thanked Mike O’Connell for personally bringing some as door prizes. JJ also mentioned the article by our own David Yadock in the April issue of Railroad Model Craftsman on “Modeling a Load of Corrugated Pipe.” David shared this very model with us a couple of months ago.

Ken Liesse’s cherry trees (Click to enlarge)

Announcements included Ken Liesse telling about Tacoma Trains celebrating 20 years in business this coming weekend with a big sale; Russ Segner commenting on the 4D Ballot being in the mail and be sure to vote and reminding those attendees not yet registered that the PNR Convention is drawing near (June 18 – 21) with several fine prototype tours available as well as clinics, layout tours and other activities; Rob Jones said the SPROG’s are back in stock at Eastside Trains and brought a number of items available for purchase with an additional 10% off the price; Alex Brikoff talked about new projects in development under the Education Committee and needing volunteers to help carry them out; and Di Voss mentioned that a group of 4D members in Alaska are putting together a bid to hold a NMRA Convention up there, possibly 2019.

David Yadock’s RMC article

The Model of the Month had three entries plus several display items. Ken Liesse brought in several cherry trees he built using what he called the “Jack Hamilton Method,” using dried flowers from Michael’s as the base; David Yadock had his RMC article; and Bob Rorabaugh had a diorama inspired by a photograph showing the vanishing rails and other materials reaching toward a vanishing point on the horizon (you really had to see it to understand the concept!).

Bob was the eventual winner of the Model of the Month. The display items were: Russ Segner’s photographs showing the tram that ran from Newcastle down to Lake Washington bringing coal to the docks and one showing the narrow gauge railroad that ran to Renton; and, John Morrison’s large 2-8-2 modified locomotive that he painted since he last showed it several meetings back.

Bob Rorabaugh’s vanishing point diorama

After our usual short break for refreshments and looking over the “goodies” Rob brought, we regathered for a presentation by Lee Marsh on Helicon Focus Lite, a computer program that makes your photography look marvelous! As you all know, trying to take a photo of a stationary train by standing at the front of the train and shooting toward the end, it’s impossible to keep a nice sharp focus over the full length.

Lee Marsh’s Helicon Focus demo (Click to enlarge)

Lee set up a display train on a table to demonstrate how this program solves that problem. You do need a manual digital camera, a tripod and a cable shutter release or timed release of the shutter. You don’t want the camera to move once you have it set for the angle you want on the subject. You then select the f-stop and exposure time you want and then take a series of photos with a different focus point for each shot. Lee took 12 photos of the train on display to demonstrate. You then transfer the photos to your computer, run the program and watch the screen “assemble” the twelve photos into one photo that’s completely in focus! It was fascinating to watch the Helicon Focus program do its thing, and all in a matter of seconds!

Bob Rorabaugh’s diorama after Lee Marsh’s Helicon Scan (click to enlarge)

You can probably get a better explanation of this whole presentation from Model Railroad Photography – April 2014, provided by Lee Marsh. Lee also used Bob Rorabaugh’s diorama as another example. If you enjoy taking photos, this was a clinic that, in effect, kept you on the edge of your seat watching the presentation and anticipating the outcome!

The next Eastside Get-Together will be on May 15. The clinic will be presented by Inside Gateway hobby store owner Steve Depolo and the subject of weathering. Come join us!

JJ Johnston

Following Lee Marsh’s fabulous home layout tour, Lee returns for a special clinic on using Helicon Focus to achieve incredible depth-of-field photographs. Lee will have an actual demonstration with his camera and computer. Everyone is invited to bring their camera and try it out. Camera must be able to manually focus to create focus stacking and be digital for computer downloading. We start at 7:30.

We hope to see you at our next Eastside Get-Together April 17. Don’t forget to file your income tax return before the 15^th!

REMEMBER:  Eastside Get-Together, Thursday, April 17, Bellevue Foursquare Church