We added an extra Zoom session on December 5 for you to see the two layout tours that were interrupted during the November 14 session. As usual, the meeting will start at 10:00am. The first will be Dave Woodrell with his Sn3 version of the Rio Grande Southern, and then Greg Wright will show us how he built an earthen “table” in his back yard over the summer to develop an outdoor layout. Don’t miss it!
We have improved the Zoom security procedures for all upcoming 4DPNR meetings, so as part of that, the Zoom info for the meeting will be shared with you in an announcement like this about 48 hours before the meeting is scheduled to begin.
Join us Saturday Nov. 14 from 10am to 11:30 PDT for two 4DPNR layout tours. The first will be Dave Woodrell MMR, showing us his photogenic Sn3 RGS layout. He models the First District of the RGS, which was the northern end of the line from Ridgway, CO south to Rico, CO (His latest Gazette article appeared in the Nov/Dec 2018 issue). The second will be Greg Wright MMR, with a presentation on how he re-graded part of his back yard to make a “table” for a G scale outdoor layout. To join the meeting use this Zoom info:
One tap mobile +12532158782,,6193553125# US (Tacoma) +16699009128,,6193553125# US (San Jose)
As usual, if you miss the live presentations, you can watch them a few days later on the 4DPNR YouTube channel, along with most of our past 4DPNR layout tours during the Covid era.
Join us this Saturday, October 10, at 10:00am for another 4DPNR layout Zoom tour. This week features two of the region’s finest narrow gage layouts – Dale Kruetzer of Port Orchard and Ron Hopkins of Edmonds. Dale’s layout is an Sn3 version of a portion of the RGS, and includes detailed photo backdrops, hand laid track and scenery and structures that just don’t quit. Ron has a smaller but very fine On30 layout depicting the Olympic peninsula, and he will be showing us a number of structures he built next to photos of the prototypes that inspired them. Here is the zoom info to join the meeting:
The next Fourth Division layout tour will be held on Saturday, June 20, from 10:00 – 11:30 am. It will feature virtual layout tours by Joe Green and then Byron Osborn. The Zoom info will be sent in a Grab Iron email on Friday at noon.
Joe Green’s C&O Ryder Gap Subdivision is an HO scale, proto-freelanced switching layout set in the mountains of Virginia in May 1974. Four crews are responsible for serving the subdivision’s industries, including Back Creek Paper, Mill Gap Lumber, and Highland Chemical. The railroad uses scenes, track plans, and modeling that is heavily inspired by the prototype’s operations in Covington Virginia, Thurmond West Virginia, and Cass West Virginia. The layout is located in a large garage in Sequim, WA, and holds periodic operating sessions.
The Boeing Club layout is an HO layout 26’ by 50’ in size covering two decks of the fictional NW railroad Seattle and North Cascades during the 1950s. Construction began in 2011 with track work completed several years ago, operations with NCE DCC using car cards and way bills and scenery about 60% complete. The layout is located at the Pacific NW RR archives in Burien. Operating session are held twice a month but are on hold during the Covid-19 pandemic. The presentation will be made by club President Byron Osborn.
Announcing the Eastside Virtual Get Together Clinic to be held on THURSDAY, June 18, 2020 at 7:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time
Hello, everyone! Yes, the Eastside Get Together Clinic is alive and well during the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. Although for the time being (and that may be a while), the Eastside Clinic has become the Eastside Virtual Get Together Clinic. Our first virtual Clinic will be held using ZOOM next Thursday, 06/18, (We are switching back to Thursdays by popular demand!). One of the benefits of virtual clinics and meetings is that the barriers of geographic distances (and traffic woes) are removed. All you need is a computer and an internet connection! So I would like to extend an invitation to ALL of the 4th Division and ESPECIALLY our fellow 4th Division members in the state of Alaska, to join our Clinic next Thursday, meet some of the modelers here in the Puget Sound area and see some outstanding model work that has been done in this area. Here is the log in info:
Check your Grab Iron email for the Zoom meeting information.
Our virtual Layout Tour will feature Lee Marsh’s outstanding layout depicting the Great Northern Railway’s Cascade Division during the transition era of the early 50’s. Lee is an outstanding modeler and that certainly comes out in his layout. Of late, Lee has gained additional notoriety by having his layout featured in the June 2020 Model Railroader magazine.
After the Clinic, we will have some time for other folks to show off their latest model work in our “Show and Brag” segment. The Clinic will wrap up with some administrative comments and quick discussion about our virtual Clinics.
Topic: Board meeting Time: June 6, 2020 10:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) The meeting will be chaired by Russ Segner, Superintendent. It is open to the membership of 4D PNR. This is a budget meeting.
The virtual tours will start at the conclusion of the Board Meeting, approximately 11 AM. These are layout tours of Bill Sornsin (HO) and Janice & Barry Dupler (HO/HOn3)
Check your Grab Iron email for the Zoom meeting information, or contact Russ at 206 200 2211.
This Saturday on June 6 we will feature two impressive layouts. These are virtual layout tours of Bill Sorinsin (HO) and Janice & Barry Dupler (HO/HOn3) These follow our scheduled Board Meeting.
Time: Jun 6, 2020 – The virtual tours will start at approximately 11 AM.
Check your Grab Iron email for the Zoom meeting information.
The Tacoma area layout tours which had been scheduled for the weekend of April 18th & 19th are being postponed until further notice. The current situation with the COVID-19 virus makes it imperative that we do our part to be responsible and take every measure possible to prevent possible exposure of our membership, our families and our community. We will discuss rescheduling this event when circumstances allow.
Having attended the National Model Railroad convention in Salt Lake City July 7-13 I thought I’d share some of the fun stuff you can do at this once a year event. My friend and I arrived by car Sunday afternoon July 7 in time to register and attended an excellent clinic by Bruce DeYoung about “Blending Backgrounds and Foregrounds”. His key message in placing back drops behind the foreground scene is to “Blend It’, Bend It or Hide It”.
There were five clinic tracks with up to eight a day per track so 40 clinics each day. The challenge was choosing a clinic among so many good choices including history, scenery, and many others. Another of my favorites was Tools, Tools, Tools by Doug Geiger MMR. On Wednesday I joined the Layout Design folks to tour 25 layouts throughout the great SLC area. I choose to travel north to Ogden to visit Rob Spangler’s excellent Western Pacific double deck layout set in the 70s. Rob hosts regular operating sessions using car cards and way bills with Digitrax DCC. I’m attaching a photo from that visit.
Rob Spangler’s Western Pacific layout
Another beautiful layout I visited was set in the 1880s built by Steve Blodgett called the Bear River Railroad. You can see Steve in my attached photo. This layout is only run by Steve and runs beautifully with long passenger and freight equipment built by Steve.
Steve Blodgett and Bear River Railroad
After attending more clinics Thursday I traveled to Alpine, UT about 30 miles south of SLC to operate on Ted York’s famous Santa Fe Cajon Pass layout. Ted hosted almost 20 operators in various jobs that kept us all busy the entire night using real Santa Fe switch lists and train orders. I’ve attached a photo of the San Bernardino yard where I operated a switch job.
Ted York’s Sante Fe Cajon Pass layout
Friday morning was the National Train Show, always a highlight that attendees get in free. This is a wonderful opportunity to see the latest products offered by hobby manufacturers, people selling their model RR stock and many excellent modular layouts. The NMRA convention will be in St. Louis next summer so plan to attend.
This Thursday, June 6, will be the NMRA 4th division’s north end clinic’s annual home layout tour.
We are pleased to announce that there will be 3 amazing layouts on our tour this year. While it *may* involve a bit of extra driving on your part, it will be worth it.
The tour starts at 7:00pm at the Swamp Creek and Western layout which is located at the Edmonds Amtrak station. They have been gracious to be open and operate trains for us. If you haven’t seen this HO scale layout, you will be impressed at the level of detail of many of the scratch built structures. Swamp Creek will be open from 7:00 to 9:00pm.
Here is a link for more information about Swamp Creek: http://scwrra.org Maps and information for the other tour stops at the Swamp Creek location. The other two layouts on the tour are open from 7:00pm to 10:00pm. Here is information about the layouts, which are both located south of Edmonds:
The first is Burr Stewart’s Burrlington Railroad HO layout. Many of you have visited Burr’s layout before, but as train layouts are always a work in progress, there is always something new to see when you visit. Here’s a link to Burr’s blog about his layout: http://burrlingtonnorthern.blogspot.com
These tours are open to NMRA members and a guest. If possible, please RSVP to Lisa Murray at mattinata@outlook.com or 206.310.6778 so we can get a sense of how many will be attending.
