You are browsing archives for

Category: Grab-Iron

News and articles relating to the Grab Iron blog and newsletter

Grab Iron Assistant Editor Needed

July 12, 2016Written by Cliff Green

Cliff Green, Grab Iron Editor

A 4^th Division position with high compensation is open!

I need help with Grab Iron and 4D web site content. There are two main reasons – continuous (and at times high) volume, and (more importantly) we should have more than one person “managing the pipeline” of 4D news and information through the Grab Iron newsletter and 4D web site. In particular, Grab Iron post notification is currently a manual process (through Constant Contact newsletters) versus the previous automatic e-mail notification process. When I’m not available to create the Constant Contact newsletter, time critical Grab Iron (GI) posts wait until I’m able to create the newsletter. We need more than one person managing GI content to improve this bottleneck.

So what is the compensation? It’s not money or stock options (hah!). I’ve been compensated with the connections and friendships I’ve made in (and outside) the 4D community (whether model railroading or prototype railfanning). I’ve been compensated with the satisfaction of spreading useful information within the 4D community. I’ve been compensated with learning about aspects of this hobby I would never have thought about.

Grab-Iron

4th Division 2016 Annual Meeting

May 15, 2016Written by Russ Segner

Leave a Comment

Russ Segner, 4D Superintendent, Photos by Ken Liesse

Ted Becker receiving the 2016 Golden Grab Iron Award at the 4th Division Spring Meet.

Over 75 members attended our 4^th Division Annual Meeting at Tacoma Community College last Saturday, as part of the Spring Meet. Kurt Laidlaw, our Assistant Superintendent, was in charge of planning the Spring Meet event and put together a fine list of clinics and presenters. We had several first time participants and very positive comments, especially from those attending the “Hands On” clinic (building laser cut structures). Many of the presentations focused on operations for layouts and we can expect to see more layouts use prototype methods in operating sessions.

Thanks to all who shared their experience and knowledge to help us enjoy this special part of model railroading.

Convention or Meet, Grab-Iron, News, Superintendent’s Message

A Welcome to New Members, Grab Iron Email Issues

May 9, 2016Written by Cliff Green

1 Comment

Cliff Green, Grab Iron Editor

Welcome, new 4^th Division (PNR) NMRA members (or former members recently renewed)! An e-mail notification is sent out to all Grab Iron subscribers every time a new Grab Iron post is made (or on a regular basis), so this may be one of the first messages you see from our Division. Our 4D web site has clinic info, modular group info, an events calendar, some excellent model train photos, and many pages of other related info as well as all of our Grab Iron posts – click here to navigate to the front page.

As many of you have noticed, there have been problems with Grab Iron post e-mail notifications for at least three weeks. We have been troubleshooting and understanding more of the inner workings of WordPress (and PHP e-mail), e-mail servers, spam blacklists, and SQL tables with plugins. (You can safely ignore the technical words I just wrote – if you’re interested in the details send me e-mail at the address at the end of this message).

We have switched to using the Constant Contact e-mail service that the PNR (Pacific Northwest Region of the NMRA) is using to send out regular (at least monthly) newsletters (typically written by Jack Hamilton). For now Grab Iron post notifications will be sent out by me on a manual basis versus an automatic “post by post” basis (“automatic” notification will be put in place in the future).

Grab-Iron

A Welcome to New Members, Many Activities in the 4D Including Spring Meet in May

April 6, 2016Written by Cliff Green

Leave a Comment

Cliff Green, Grab Iron Editor

Welcome, new 4^th Division (PNR) NMRA members (or former members recently renewed)! An e-mail notification is sent out to all subscribers every time a new Grab Iron post is made, so this may be one of the first messages you see from our Division. Our 4D web site has clinic info, modular group info, an events calendar, some excellent model train photos, and many pages of other related info as well as all of our Grab Iron posts – click here to navigate to the front page.

The 4^th Division Spring Meet is on May 14^th at Tacoma Community College, and there are three tracks of great clinics presented by multiple well known (and very skilled) 4D members. The clinic info is complete and up to date – click here to view. Lunch is included (if registered by May 1^st) – click here to register and reserve a lunch.

Grab-Iron, News

Tell Your Model Train or Railroad Story

February 23, 2016Written by Cliff Green

3 Comments

Cliff Green, Grab Iron Editor

If you’re a new 4^th Division (PNR) NMRA member (or a former member that has recently renewed), welcome! Every time a new Grab Iron post is made, e-mail notifications are sent out to those on the notification list. We have a lot of information and some great model train photos on the 4D web site (including all Grab Iron posts) – click here to navigate to the front page.

Ron Hopkins On30 layout, under construction with mock-up buildings, in Edmonds, WA.

My job as Grab Iron editor is to publicize info relating to model and prototype railroading in the 4^th Division and surrounding areas. I get paid well for this. Not in money (definitely not, hah!), but in the hobby relationships I’ve made and in the personal satisfaction of helping this organization. And I’m guessing that every 4D volunteer would say something similar.

But I don’t produce the content for the Grab Iron and the 4D web site – the articles and posts and web page content (mostly) come from other people. I may organize and edit and manage it, but I don’t originate it. For that I rely on our 4D members and Grab Iron subscribers.

Grab-Iron, News

Golden Grab Iron Award Nominations Needed

January 19, 2016Written by Cliff Green

Leave a Comment

Jim Sabol

The Golden Grab Iron Service Award is presented each year to an individual who best exemplifies “outstanding service to the organization.” This year the award will be given at our Spring Meet scheduled for May 14.

The winner of the Golden Grab Iron Service Award traditionally is selected by a committee comprised of three of the most recent winners. Currently that would be Russ Segner (2013), Jim Sabol (2014), and Jim Younkins (2015). This year the committee would like to make sure we have considered all deserving members in the selection process.

All clinic chairs, all club presidents, and all NMRA/PNR/4^th Division members individually are invited to submit a name or names of fellow members they deem deserving of the service award for 2016. (Previous winners are listed on the Golden Grab Iron Service Award page.)

By March 1, please submit your nominations to Russ Segner, russseg@gmail.com, or Jim Sabol, jimsabol@msn.com, or Jim Younkins, jcyounkins@comcast.net. Please include a short paragraph detailing the contributions made by this individual toward the growth and well-being of model railroading in the 4^th Division.

Grab-Iron, News

Welcome, New 4th Div Members, Attend a Clinic

January 8, 2016Written by Cliff Green

Leave a Comment

Cliff Green, Grab Iron Editor

Welcome, new 4^th Division members! Every month I add new (or re-newed) 4D members to the Grab Iron subscriber list, so this may be one of the first Grab Iron posts that you read.

The 2015-2016 model railroading season is well under way and there will be many interesting and fun events – click here to see the 4D calendar. (On a side note I’m looking into ways that interested readers can subscribe to be notified whenever an event is added or updated. A quick “shout out” to Stephen Winter for requesting this functionality and a technical evaluation is under way.)

If you haven’t attended one of the many excellent clinics in this Division I highly recommend them – the presenters are skilled modelers and most of the clinics have at least one (if not more) MMR (Master Model Railroader) attending. More information on 4D clinics is available by clicking here.

Grab-Iron

Mount Vernon Clinic meets Nov 24

November 20, 2015Written by John O'Connell

Leave a Comment

By John O’Connell / Photos by Al Carter

Amtrak AMD-103 — at Vancouver, Washington

(Editor’s note – in 2016 the Mt. Vernon clinic is moving to the second Thursday of the month.)

Date: Tuesday, November 24
Time: 7:00 PM
Where: Mount Vernon Senior Center, 1401 Cleveland Street, Mount Vernon (the Clinics page has a map link)

Program:
George Stephenson, owner and operator of the Mt. Vernon Terminal Railway, will tell us about the business and operations of this local rail line.

Grab-Iron, Mt Vernon Clinic

Help Needed, Volunteer Now!

November 16, 2015Written by Al Lowe

Leave a Comment

Kurt Laidlaw

I am the clinic chairman for the 4^th Division’s Spring Meet, to be held next May. While that seems a long time away, from a planning perspective it’s just around the corner. And I need your help.

Hands-On Clinics

We are going to offer two hands-on clinic sessions this year. These will be 3-hour sessions teaching you about some area of interest. I need suggestions from you on what you want to learn. Email me here.

Grab-Iron, News

Dr. Roger Ferris Honored as NMRA Fellow

November 6, 2015Written by Cliff Green

2 Comments

Jack Hamilton / Photos by Jeff Moorman

(Editors note: Jack presented this award to Dr. Ferris at the Seattle North Clinic on November 5, 2015.)

Three Fellow of the NMRA award winners; from L to R: Gay Liesse, Dr. Roger Ferris, and Ed Liesse

From time to time, the National Model Railroad Association takes special notice of the service and contributions of members and recognizes that contribution through one or more of several special awards. Tonight, on behalf of the NMRA president Charlie Getz, the Board of Directors, and the membership association, I have the honor of recognizing one of our own. Tonight’s honoree is well known to all of us in the Pacific Northwest Region for his years of dedicated service and his boundless energy and willingness to undertake any challenge. His personal leadership has been a mainstay in the success we all enjoy in our hobby and through our membership in the NMRA. He has served as a personal role model for all of us in our dealings with each other and in finding the ways to get the most out of our NMRA fellowship.

Grab-Iron, News