As the end of summer approaches, it’s time to get back to the Seattle North End Clinic.
Many of you have expressed the desire to keep the clinic via Zoom as it allows many to be able to attend without needing to travel into Ballard at night, especially as the weather gets worse, and it gets dark early. So we are keeping it virtual.
We are going to have an open forum where members can share any model railroading projects done or rail-fanning trips taken in the months we haven’t seen each other. The name of the clinic will be Cab Chatter: What I Did This Summer: Model Railroading and Rail-fanning Fun.
Feel free to contact Lisa Murray if you have something you want to share (like photos) and need any technical help. See contact information below.
We understand that many of you may be attending the Narrow Gauge Convention in Tacoma on Thursday and may not be able to attend. However, if you need a break, feel free to join and share your summer fun in real-time.
Looking forward to seeing you all!! Here is the Zoom link information:
Hey folks, it has been a long time – too long – since we’ve had any in person clinics. Covid really fouled things up, that’s for sure.
Well, it’s time to rectify that and get back to meeting in person. The first clinic of the year will be Monday, September 19, at 7:00 pm, at the Mount Vernon Senior Center, 1401 Cleveland Street (just south of the post office).
The even better news is that we have negotiated use of the large room at the senior center (the room where we’ve hosted those Saturday events in years past). This gives us plenty of room to spread out.
Our friends from our “sister clinic” over in Oak Harbor currently do not have a meeting space for their clinics, so we are hoping at least some of them can come and join us.
As in the past, please enter through the rear door, off the parking lot. The front door must remain locked. Please come as early as 6:30 to have time to socialize a bit and maybe help setting up chairs and tables.
Rather than having a featured clinician that evening, the plan is for you all to take part – we want to know what you have been up to since we last met a couple of years ago. Sort of a “what I did last summer” theme. Anything railroad related is OK – model or prototype.
Please bring examples of any models you’ve built – we want to see what you’ve done. Photos, too. Anything you want to sell? Or give away? A table will be set up for just that purpose.
I will have the projector and laptop there (hopefully I can figure that out), so if you have photos to share, bring them on a thumb drive.
I also intend to ask for ideas on what sort of clinics might be of interest. And of course, I’m always in need of clinicians.
Be sure to email me at tabooma@msn.com if you have any questions/suggestions.
The 42nd National Narrow Gauge Convention is less than two weeks away! It will take place from September 1-4, over the Labor Day weekend, at the Hotel Murano in downtown Tacoma, WA. This is a national – international – convention being held in our backyard, sponsored by 4D, and it is NOT just for narrow gauge modelers – we will have 60 clinic sessions, many of which will appeal to standard gauge (and armchair) modelers, too! https://www.seattlenngc.com/clinic-schedule
The star of the show will be the Hangman Creek Lumber Company modular layout, which will be operating adjacent to our registration desk. This outstanding On3 layout won “Best in Show” at our 2012 National Narrow Gauge Convention (in Bellevue, WA), and has been extensively refurbished since then. It is a great opportunity to view this layout one more time, along with three other great display layouts (two On30 and one HOn3). Details of each are on our website at: https://www.seattlenngc.com/modular
Details on the Hangman Creek Lumber Company in On3Amazing trestles on Hangman Creek Lumber Company in On3The Palisades module, from the Arizona Division of the Mudhens, in HOn3
Standard registration for the full, Thursday – Sunday convention is $150, including a free spouse pass, but we are offering a special one-day rate for local modelers for $50 (available only on the day, at the registration desk) that will give access to all convention activities that day (clinics, contest viewing, vendor room, modular displays and 34 home layouts).
We are looking forward to seeing you in Tacoma in just a few days! Head to our website for full details. https://www.seattlenngc.com/
4D member Ron Auletti is moving from his beautiful home in Sequim and giving up his beautifully-finished HO layout. The 2,900 sq ft home has a view of the Olympic Mountains, a spacious great room, a large daylight basement apartment, plus this 600 sq ft, museum-quality HO scale operating model railroad. Located in the Sequim, WA sunbelt, the home is available for a 2023 move-in. For layout details, see this link from the last SoundRails. If you are interested in acquiring this property and layout, email Ron.
This is an estate sale of HO model trains and supplies. There’s a lot. Engines, box cars, already built buildings, unbuilt kits, paints, landscaping supplies, decals, electronics, portable modules, and parts of a layout that was included in a national model railroad magazine.
It has been a while since my last update. In this latest edition I’ll show you some of the new scenery that has been added to the Dry Gulch & Western layout. The alcove portion of the layout was targeted for scenery completion for the National Narrow-Gauge Convention. The convention will be held in Tacoma on September 1-4 of this year. My layout is one of many fine local layouts in the area that will be open for tours. If you haven’t already signed up for the convention, I really do recommend it. There will be lots of things to see and do. Here is the link for the convention www.seattlenngc.com , check it out today and sign up!
I decided to work on this portion of the layout to allow visitors a more complete view of my layout’s mountainous region and attempt to complete the town of Hayes River. The completed scenery in the alcove also tied together two large sections of the layout that already had scenery in place for a while. Naturally this is a progress report, some structures still need to be built, but most of the major scenery items are in place. I will continue to build structures up until the convention. Hopefully I’ll have all of them in place by September. Please don’t hold your breath on that one but I will give it my best shot!
To be a little different than previous updates I’ll show a photo progression of the scenery in this area. This will give you an idea of all the changes that have occurred over the years and how the scenery has evolved.
Photo 59 is a really old view of the layout looking down the aisle leading to the alcove. This photo shows the framework and track position. The photo also shows that the major bridges are being placed in position. Please note the large mirror in the room corner. Just a sprinkle of scenery and it is all done!
Photo 59
Photo 60 shows the same general area with the plaster applied. Application of Hydrocal plaster-soaked paper towels was messy but rewarding. It gave the general shape of the mountains and topography. It also reflected the overhead lighting quite well!
Photo 60
Photos 61 and 62 now shows some of the area with varying shades of paint applied to the plaster. This helped with the general appearance of the layout. This whole area was left dormant for quite a long time while I was concentrating my time applying scenery to other areas of the layout. The good thing about holding off with scenery application in this area allowed me to plan the types of terrain that will form the final scenery. Since I delayed scenery application I was able to re-adjust a critical access hatch. The hatch was condensed in size and shape. The retaining mechanism for the hatch was also changed to a simpler system. By changing the hatch, I gained some space to allow for another siding to be added. This increased operational capabilities in the small town of Hayes River.
Photo 61Photo 62
Photo 63 shows the latest version of scenery in this area. The track has been ballasted, ground cover has been applied, and various trees have been planted. Yes, structures still need to be built and installed. In the photo you can see that the town of Hayes River now has a station! It is the green structure partially hidden behind the rock outcropping.
Photo 63
Photo 64 Is a great view of my version of the Canyon Diablo bridge. This bridge carries the mainline to the town of Alpine and beyond. As many of you know my layout is loosely based on the famous Gorre & Daphetid layout that John Allen built. On John’s layout the bridge was never completed. Due to the lack of a bridge, he never had a fully operational mainline. Early on I decided to construct all the bridges so that the mainline would be complete.
Photo 64
Photo 65 This is the view of a completely new hamlet on the layout. It is called Silver Hill and boasts a small flag stop station and mining operation. After the convention more structures will be added to this portion of the layout to add visual interest.
Photo 65
Photo 66 is a partial view of the Dry Gulch & Western layout. This is what the attendees of the National Narrow Gauge convention will be able to see during their visit to my layout. My layout is only one of the 36 excellent layouts open for tours during the convention. Everyone in the 4D should take advantage of this convention since it is right in your own backyard.
Photo 66
After the convention I plan on continuing scenery application to other areas of the layout. My two largest cities are still without structures! This will be my next targeted area to complete. I also have a large engine service facility to construct. So, the future holds many projects that will require my attention. I hope to see all of you 4D folks at the convention and especially when you visit my layout.
We will be hosting a national (international) convention within 4D’s territory in September – the 42nd National Narrow Gauge Convention will be held in Tacoma over the 2022 Labor Day weekend, at the Hotel Murano in downtown Tacoma.
This convention is hosted by many local narrow gauge modelers, and sponsored by 4D. We will have 70 clinic sessions, a vendor room, modular layouts on display (including the wonderful Hangman Creek), contest, and tours to 35+ stunning local layouts (standard gauge AND narrow gauge). You don’t need to be narrow gauge modeler to enjoy the show – and many of the clinics will appeal to standard gauge modelers in any scale.
Registration for the four day convention is $150, but for local attendees a special one-day pass will be available for purchase at the door for $50. You can find all details on the convention website at www.seattlenngc.com. Looking forward to seeing you in Tacoma!
I am hosting two open houses at my layout in Newcastle September 2 and 3 and need some help. I need two helpers to run trains and control the potential crowds of visitors as part of the upcoming National Narrow Gauge Convention.
Here is a chance to meet modelers from around the country and also run a few trains on my narrow gauge Sn3 Coal Creek Lumber. If interested, please call me at 206 200 2211.
The Whatcom Skagit Model Railroad Club in Alger, WA will be hosting Scale Trains for a Meet and Greet at 7pm on Friday, July 29th. They will have a presentation in the Fellowship Hall at Alger Community Church. Given the increase in COVID BA.5 in Skagit County, mask wearing is encouraged, but not required.
Come out and see what great products they are working on, hear about their plans, and ask any questions you may have. Also being shown on the 29th will be Karl Kleeman’s and Dale Bearden’s Monson Railroad layout. This fine On2 layout will be traveling to Maine in August, and then returning to be shown at the National Narrow Gauge Convention in Tacoma, September 1-4. It will be on display in the Church Fellowship Hall during the Meet and Greet.
Those who have not been to the Alger club, located next door in the old Alger schoolhouse, will be surprised to see highly detailed, fully sceniced and fine operating DCC railroads in both HO and N scales. Those who have been here before will be pleased to see plenty of scenery and operational improvements to both layouts. For directions, visit the WSMRC website at: http://whatcomskagitmrc.org/
I went to my first national model railroad convention in 1991. It was here in Bellevue. I had started an HO layout of Tennessee Pass and knew several local modelers I had met through a couple of local hobby shops and an occasional visit to the 4th Division clinic on Beacon Hill. But I did not know a lot of model railroaders.
That convention changed my whole approach to the hobby. It was a National Narrow Gauge Convention, but the emphasis was on great model building and interesting and impressive layouts. The models were beautifully built and detailed, the clinics were extremely helpful in improving my model building. I learned a lot about many railroads I had never heard of, and I met a lot of great modelers from all over the country and many from outside the US.
I now have a closet full of shirts from many conventions all over the US. And I have a closet full of unbuilt kits and shelves full of books and magazines. Best of all, I have a layout that runs and is fun to share with many who come over to operate.
This September, many of you will take advantage of the upcoming National Narrow Gauge Convention in Tacoma. You will meet and learn from some of the best modelers from across the world and you can see firsthand the latest in model kits and supplies from national vendors. Finally, you will have access to many fine area wide layouts seldom open to those of us who do not know the owner of the layout.
The convention is at the Hotel Murano in downtown Tacoma September 1 through 4. The next one will be in Denver and then in Pittsburg. So, here is your last chance for a long while to have all this so handy in your area. There will be over 30 clinics and over 25 local layouts featuring many scales and prototypes. Details of the clinics and layouts are on the website and in the files section of the NNG.groups.io site. There will also be several large modular layouts in the Atrium and vendor room at the hotel. These include the Hangman Creek Logging in On3, the Arizona Mudhens in Hon3and the Monson Sheepscot River Railroad in Maine In On30.
Take advantage of this fine opportunity. Visit the Convention website for full details at 2022 National Narrow Gauge Convention (seattlenngc.com)
