HO rolling stock and engines FREE
I have been contacted by a family in Port Townsend who would like to donate to someone who would use the equipment. It is a nice collection of cars appropriate for northwest railroads. There are two diesel locomotives and one articulated steamer. All are in excellent condition.
They are available at the home on Becket Point near Port Townsend but can be brought into Kirkland by special arrangement. If you are interested, please contact me at 206 200 2211 or by email at
russseg@gmail.com
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Category: News
What’s happening now in the 4th Division
PNR 2023 Convention
By Kurt Laidlaw
It’s official. The 2023 Pacific Northwest Region Convention—”The Prairie Line Experience”–will take place in Tacoma, WA on May 10-14, 2023. The host committee is working to put together an exciting set of activities for the convention, including multiple tracks of clinics, layout tours spanning the region, contests, AP evaluations, train spotting opportunities, tours and non-rail events.
2023 is the 150th Anniversary of the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad at Commencement Bay on the Prairie Line. It is also the 150th Anniversary of the City of Tacoma. Add to those significant dates the 50th Anniversary of the NTRAK modular model railroad standard, and you have exciting possibilities for celebration. The City of Tacoma and the Tacoma Historical Society have events planned throughout the year and we hope to leverage those activities to enhance our convention. Work continues on the Prairie Line Trail, which crosses the University of Washington Tacoma campus before continuing past the Tacoma Art Museum toward the original Northern Pacific Half Moon Yard.
The convention hotel is the Comfort Inn and Suites next to the Tacoma Dome and one block away from the AMTRAK, Sounder and Tacoma free light rail stations. This location provides quick access to downtown Tacoma with its many restaurants and museums, Seattle and points beyond. We will be opening hotel registrations as soon as possible. The hotel has given us a great deal on room rates for the convention. Standard rooms are offered as follows: two doubles at $119, two queens at $129 and single kings at $129. The hotel provides free breakfast and free parking. See their website for more information on amenities: Hotel in Tacoma, WA | Comfort Inn® Official Site | Comfort Inn & Suites Downtown Tacoma.
We are still finalizing the registration costs and will have registration open on the website soon. The convention website is located here: PNR Convention 2023 – Prairie Line Experience. We will populate the website as information comes available so check back often. The Host committee is dedicated to making this an affordable convention. We are working hard to keep costs down so everybody can afford to join us next year. Mark your calendars and reserve the dates now. We look forward to seeing you in Tacoma next year.
Kurt
PNR 2023 Convention Host Committee Chairman
Northwest Railway Museum Model Railroad Plans
By Ed Ives
A visit was paid to the railroad as there had been a call for help with the Lionel layout there. The layout has been moved from the south side of the building to the north side and in the process the wiring was unsympathetically cut. This needs to be repaired as the museum would like for the layout to be operational for the Thomas event in July. I need to recruit 4D members for the task of repairing and running the layout during the event.
As to the museum’s long term plans for this layout, it seems that it is destined to be mobile at least within the building. To avoid the current difficulties, electrical disconnects would be desired under the layout. The life of the layout is expected to be only (in their words) 5 to 10 years (sound permanent to me).
The Railway has started construction of the roundhouse where several 12″ to the foot pieces of equipment will be on display. In the floor above there is a plan for a large HO (I believe) layout representing the local historic scene. When complete the Lionel layout will be decommissioned but the existing N gauge layout will be retained, or that is the current expectation.
Please if you have some spare time, do volunteer to assist in the repair of the layout (wiring and scenery) as well as operating it during the Thomas event. All volunteers must register as such on the railway website. It only takes a couple of minutes.
Questions? Call Ed Ives 425-391-3313 or email Gresley7@gmail.com
Ed
4D Board of Directors to meet Saturday, June 11
Russ Segner
Your 4D Board of Directors will meet Saturday afternoon, June 11, at 2:00 PM via Zoom. As always, all members are welcome at all board meetings.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83348980762?pwd=KzYrK1JEVjdKd1dmZERyTUlJTm8vUT09
Meeting ID: 833 4898 0762
Passcode: 998623
June’s 4dPNR Zoom Layout Tour tomorrow features Todd Von Stup’s new N scale MRL layout construction update
Todd Von Stup moved to Seattle just a few years ago and is now avidly constructing a double-deck N scale layout based on the Montana Rail Link. For the presentation tomorrow (June 11, 10am PST), our last Zoom layout tour until the fall, Todd will show us his layout plans and progress to date. As usual, the meeting will open at 9:30, and his presentation will start at 10:00am PST. Here is the Zoom info:
Topic: 4dPNR June Layout Tour – Todd Von Stup
Time: Jun 11, 2022 10:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89699848127?pwd=OVpMWmhmK3hQekxHUk9GS0lpcEtJUT09
Meeting ID: 896 9984 8127
Passcode: 149005
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2022 4D Election Results
Al Lowe
The results of our recent election are in and, not surprisingly, both of the unopposed candidates won – unanimously! Congratulations to Bill Messecar and Ed Ives who will begin their two-year terms on September 1.
Election data:
407 emails were sent out. 42 paper ballots were mailed to members without an email address on file. We received 96 votes; 90 electronically and 6 via postal mail. Bill Messecar received 94 votes, with 2 abstentions. Ed Ives received 93 votes, with 3 abstentions. There were zero write-in votes.
If you’re calculating, that’s 96 responses out of 449 ballots for a 21% response rate. Not bad, considering they ran unopposed.
Respectfully submitted by your election committee: Dan Kellogg, Burr Stewart and Al Lowe.
Spring Meet Tomorrow!
Al Lowe
Even if you didn’t preregister, we still want to see you at the 2022 4D Spring Meet! There will be some great clinics, our Annual Meeting, the results of the election, and more. So come anyway. Complete details here – but don’t try to register. You’re too late. Just show up!
And when you come to Everett, don’t come empty-handed — bring a model with you! Any model that began life as a kit. No scratchbuilt. No paperwork. All we need is the name of the kit, your model’s name, and your name. That’s it.
There will be no judging, no ranking, no trophies – just the joy of sharing your hard work with others who appreciate it!
Kit Bash “Contest” at Spring Meet
Al Lowe
Don’t come to Everett this Saturday empty-handed — bring a model with you!
It can’t be scratchbuilt. It must be a kit. And bashed.
No paperwork needed. Just tell us the name of the kit, your model’s name, your name, and your NMRA number. That’s it.
Bring anything you want. Something you did thirty years ago? A tank car kit converted to a Vanderbilt tender? A passenger car that’s a diner or a shed or both? A flat car into a bridge? As long as it’s railroad‐related and suitable for a layout.
There will be no judging, no ranking, no trophies — just the joy of sharing your hard work with others who appreciate it!
You have until midnight Monday evening to pre-register at the 4D Spring Meet website. Or you can register at the door Saturday morning and get a non-printed, handwritten badge. Either way, we want to see you. In person!
Last Chance for Spring Meet
The 4D’s annual Spring Meet is less than a week away! This is your last chance to register and get a free lunch. If you’ve been putting it off, now’s the time to click here to register now.
If this is still a surprise to you, you can learn all about it here, or here, or here, or here.
Come have a fun day with friends and trains! See you June 4th!
Seattle North End clinic on June 2 – “Car Forwarding” options for your layout
June’s North End clinic on Zoom will feature a panel discussion on ways to provide “car forwarding” on your layout – that is, keeping track of which cars are directed to be moved where, in which train, etc. The panelists will include Burr Stewart, Joe Green, Russ Segner and Todd Von Stup, who will present different approaches they have taken to this subject, followed by open discussion with everyone present. As usual, we will open the meeting at 6:30 for meet and greet, with the panel discussion starting at 7pm. Here is the Zoom info to join the meeting:
Topic: North Seattle Clinic 4Dpnr
Time: Jun 2, 2022 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81371284719?pwd=UXFNbldBSlB6MDRtSER4cWlvMi84Zz09
Meeting ID: 813 7128 4719
Passcode: 845714
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