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An article or event featuring model train related activities including layout and module displays, clinics, and vendors
Bremerton Northern Model Railroad – 100% NMRA Club
Annual All Scale Model Railroad Swap Meet
June 16, 2018
West Side Improvement Club
4109 West “E” Street
Bremerton, WA
9 AM – 3 PM
Admission – $5.00, Children under 12 Free
POC: Bill Hupé, 360-621-5041 whopay@tscnet.com
Feb 24 – Mar 5, Anchorage, AK: The Military Society of Model Railroad Engineers (MSMRE) will have three sectional layouts set up during the annual Fur Rendezvous winter festival in Anchorage, Alaska. The layouts – in HO, HOn3 and N scales – will be on display in the Alaska Railroad Passenger Terminal from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM most days, longer on some days to accommodate arriving and departing ARR passengers. Admission is free to all. Contact: Randy “Bj” Bjorgan, bjorgan@alaska.net, 907-952-4353.
Feb 18, Mar 18, Apr 15 (all are Saturdays), Anchorage, AK: Military Society of Model Railroad Engineers monthly Open House, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM at the club’s location on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Layouts in HO, HOn3, N and O. Admission is Free. Contact Randy “Bj” Bjorgan, bjorgan@alaska.net, 907-952-4353 for directions and access from off post.
(Editor’s note: Marty Quaas maintains a well-known web page on Alaska model railroading at http://alaskamodelrrnews.homestead.com/, with information on his layout, “The Consolidated South Western Railroad”, as well as various model railroad clubs and prototype organizations and activities in Alaska.)
The Superintendent of the 4th Division and the Pacific Science Center Model Train Show Committee would like to thank all of those folks listed below that volunteered at the train show. It goes without saying that if you didn’t help out at the show then it wouldn’t have been possible. This train show is very demanding and requires many people to make it work smoothly. This year there were over 13,000 visitors that passed through the gates of the Pacific Science Center. That number of people allows very good exposure to our organization.
This is a “last call” for volunteers to help out at the Pacific Science Center show, which runs Saturday through Monday. I can’t do anything about Seattle traffic but the Pacific Science Center does provide free parking for the volunteers. I don’t think there will be too many mad post-holiday crowds at the PSC since all the folks will be able to see model trains! This train show is the premier fund raiser for the 4th Division and can’t operate by itself. There will be a number of smaller layouts that require train operation.
If you want to run some trains and mingle with the public come help at the show – contact me at hi61izq@hotmail.com.
The conservatory at Volunteer Park is looking for volunteers to help run their Lionel Holiday Train. Shifts are 11 am – 1 pm and 1 pm – 3 pm Tuesday through Sunday. The holiday train will run through the 1st of January. If you are in Seattle and don’t have plans to work at the Washington State History Museum Train Fest, please consider helping out at Volunteer Park. For more information, contact David Helgeson at david.helgeson@seattle.gov.
Editor’s note: In a recent e-mail newsletter I mentioned Marty Quaas’ web site about Alaska model railroading (which includes his wonderful layout “The Consolidated South Western Railroad” as well as his well known display layout “Mooselip, Alaska”): http://alaskamodelrrnews.homestead.com/, and reminded 4th Division members that Alaska is part of this division. This is Mike’s reply.
Your recent note on model railroading in Alaska prompted me to write to you. I live in Anchorage and am a member of the NMRA. I belong to the Military Society of Model Railroading Engineers, based on Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson (JBER) in Anchorage. Our club has permanent layouts in HO, HOn3, N and O scales, plus modular layouts in HO, HOn3 and N scales.
For many years we have been displaying our three modular layouts (N, HO, HOn3) at an Anchorage winter festival called Fur Rendezvous (“Fur Rondy” for short). Until a few years ago, Marty Quaas was displaying his Mooselip layout at Fur Rondy, too. It is a wonderful layout and the crowds loved it. So did I. Unfortunately, Marty has not been able to attend Fur Rondy in recent years, probably in large part due to the long drive from his home to Anchorage. Many people, including me, miss him and Mooselip.
To all volunteers that want to participate in the Pacific Science Center Model Train Show, the Pacific Science Center (PSC) is now requiring a background check for all volunteers. They will conduct the background check. This will require volunteers to provide a minimal amount of information to the PSC: full name, birthdate, and gender. It is easier for volunteers to provide that information prior to arriving at the PSC train show (see below). This will insure a fast and easy check-in when arriving at the PSC. I know this may be another hurdle for folks volunteering at the PSC train show but we must work together with the PSC staff to provide a safe show. Thank you.
Editors note: Alan Ashton maintains a Free-mo e-mail list (to join, e-mail Alan at inwafreemo@gmail.com) and is a member of the Inland Washington Free-mo Modelers. A previous post on 5th Division Free-mo activities can be viewed by clicking here, and the latest article on Free-mo standards and construction can be viewed by clicking here.
This is the last call for module participation at the Fall Train Show in Spokane. The deadline for registration is Friday, September 16th. If you haven’t sent us your form yet it is time to do so.
We are looking forward to a good sized layout with plenty of operating time on the weekend of October 8th and 9th. Saturday is set up and run time for participants and Sunday is the train show and swap meet. There is no charge for participation.
Editors note: To join the Free-mo e-mail list of Alan Ashton, e-mail him at inwafreemo@gmail.com. The previous Grab Iron post on 5th Division Free-mo activities can be viewed by clicking here. In particular, the previous post has an “under construction” photo of the Free-mo loop module shown below.
The grand opening of the Inland NW Railway Museum in Reardan was held on Saturday, August 27th, and there was a sizable Free-mo layout presented by the Inland NW Free-mo Modelers group. Representatives from Idaho were also there with both HO and N-scale Free-mo modules.
The Boeing Employees Model Railroad Club Annual Swap Meet is Saturday, November 12th from 9:30 am to 4 pm at the Kent Commons Community Center, 525 4th Ave. N, Kent, WA. Admission is $8 with under 16 free.
The BEMRRC Swap Meet is one of the best known and largest swap meets in the region. It started in 1979 as a fund raiser for the club. It’s a great place to find trains of all scales, as well as tinplate, artifacts, photos, videos, and more. Refreshments are available (coffee, donuts, sandwiches, sodas) and there are door prizes every hour as well as a grand prize of $125 to one lucky winner. Table reservations are available for $40 from Ed Sherry at swapmeet@bemrrc.com or 206-244-3884.