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Eastside Layout Tour Proposal

Russ Segner

Many of us visited layouts open in Olympia on April 30th. So far, several groupings of layouts throughout the region are open on weekends during the year, but there is no such opportunity on the Eastside (East of Lake Washington). These open houses are usually Saturdays from 1 to 5.

I am proposing a layout tour in the Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Issaquah, Renton, Maple Valley, Kent, Auburn, and other close by areas for a weekend in mid July.

If you have a layout you would be willing to open to members sometime this summer and are located in one of these areas, please contact me at 452-228-7327 or by email at russseg@gmail.com.

Reminder – Eastside Get Together is Thu April 21

Russ Segner

This is a reminder the Eastside Get Together is Thursday April 21.

Place: Redmond Library
Time: 6:30
Program: Neil Stanton discussing radio control and battery power for your locomotives. This technology can work for HO, S, On3, and larger scales. Solve the problems of dirty track and eliminate complicated wiring.

Neil has been working with these systems for years and can answer your questions about starting with this system or retrofitting your existing system.

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Eastside Get Together in Redmond on Thu, April 21

Russ Segner

Thursday April 21st, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Redmond Public Library, 15990 NE 85th Street, Redmond, WA 98052

Program: Use of Battery Power and Radio Control

Our next meeting on the 21st will feature Neil Stanton discussing how to run your layout using batteries and radio control. This technology can work for HO, S, On3, and larger scales. Solve the problems of dirty track and eliminate complicated wiring.

Neil has been working with these systems for years and can answer your questions about starting with this system or retrofitting your existing system.

Model of the Month – bring something to share and brag about!

Doughnuts and coffee will be available. There will be a discussion of future programs and possible alternate locations for this clinic.

Questions: contact David Cook at 206-542-3383 or eastside_organizer@4dpnr.com. Maps and other information is available by clicking here.

Eastside Get Together This Thursday, 3/10

Russ Segner

Note – The Eastside Get Together is on the 2nd Thursday in March (instead of the usual 3rd).

This month John Morrison will present The Mt. Pilatus Railway (Pilatusbahn) which operates from a Luzern suburb to an altitude of 6,778 feet on Mt. Pilatus. It climbs a continuous grade of up to 48% and is the steepest rack (cogwheel) railway in the world. All the other railways with grades above approximately 25% use a cable and are called funiculars.

The Pilatusbahn uses a unique Locher rack, together with some very interesting switches. It was built in 1886 and most of the original infrastructure is still in use. It operated under steam until 1937 when it was converted to electric traction. John’s presentation was a result of his second visit to Switzerland last September. He will also be prepared to discuss any of the other mountain railways he has visited on his trips.

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Eastside Get Together February 18

Russ Segner

This month at the Eastside Get Together clinic Burr Stewart will present his program “The 1970 merger of the NP, GN, CB&Q and SP&S into the BN”.

Burr has been railfanning around the Puget Sound area since 1976. One of his motivations for railfanning is for quick and easy ways to incorporate what he sees into his 800 square foot basement HO layout. In this clinic he shares how much fun this has been, and many of the easy ways you can copy the prototype in your model railroading, including rolling stock, right of way, and operations. There will be many pictures of those old paint schemes before they disappeared.

The meeting is at the Redmond Library located at 15990 NE 85th Street (click here for a map). We will start the meeting at 6:45 and end at 8:45. Bring a model or railroad item to share.

Thanks to Dave Cook for leading the meeting and CJ Turner for bringing the refreshments.

First Eastside Get Together Clinic Held in Redmond

Russ Segner / Photos by Brian Pickering

Scary BN snowplow

Last Thursday, the Eastside Get Together clinic met for the first time at the Redmond library. Over thirty of us got through the traffic and rain to enjoy a program presented by Brian Pickering on structures and snow fighting equipment use by railroads to keep the tracks clear. To say the least, railroads were very creative. There was some very unusual equipment.

Our new location at the library features great parking and a very nice meeting room. Our new Eastside Get Together clinic leader Dave Cook had already organized setting up the chairs and tables by the time I arrived.

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Eastside Clinic Reminder

Russ Segner

This Thursday is our first meeting at our new location in the Redmond Library. The library is located downtown Redmond at 15990 NE 85th. There is plenty of parking. We start at 6:30. Our program is “Let It Snow” presented by Brian Pickering. This is a look at how railroads deal with the white stuff.

Bring a model to share and expect to meet and make some new friends.

For more information including a map click here.

New Eastside Get Together Clinic Meeting Location

Russ Segner

For January and February (at least) the Eastside Get Together Clinic is moving from Bellevue to Redmond and will be held in the Redmond Public Library. The clinic begin and end times are changing slightly because we must clear the building by 8:45 PM, so plan to join us at 6:30 with the meeting to begin at 7:00.

Date: January 21, 2016 (same 3rd Thursday of the month)
Time: 6:30, out of the building by 8:45
Location: 15990 NE 85th, Redmond

Our program features Brian Pickering and is titled “Let It Snow”.

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Eastside Get Together this Thursday, Dec 17

JJ Johnston

Dirty Santa Party! Celebrate with us this Thursday, the 17th at 7:30 and get the gift of a lifetime. That’s right. You need to bring a wrapped gift and write the scale on the outside. That’s it. And when it comes to your turn, you can take somebody’s gift or pick a new one. There are always great choices.

Church Fund. You all have been extremely generous with your donations to the Church for a member(s) in financial need who we will select from recommendations offered by the Church. If you did not get a chance to donate last month, you still have time to give at our meeting. Please be generous as the Church has been very good to us during the year providing us with free coffee and setting up the room and letting us use their facility rent free. Thanks to many of you who have already participated.

Next month’s clinic will be in Redmond. Further details will be provided in a future Grab Iron post.

For Eastside Get Together location and other information, see the 4D Clinics page.

Everything You Wanted To Know About 3D Printers

JJ Johnston

Join us this coming Thursday, November 19th at 7:30 for an information loaded presentation on 3D printers from one of our favorite instructors, Dave Hikel.

Payback Donations

Every year at this time we offer you the opportunity to donate funds to assist someone financially who is a member of the Church where we meet. This is our way of paying back the Church for providing us with a large room for our meetings including staff to set up chairs and tables and then put them away when we are done. The Church also lets us use their kitchen, coffee makers and provides us with coffee, napkins, condiments and cups. (The average donation over the years is about $20 per person.)

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