Category: News

We have a BIG SURPRISE for everybody who joins in our meeting. In addition to announcements and any sharing of your current model building, we get a FIRST LOOK at the NEW location of the EVERETT RAILROAD HERITAGE ASSOCIATION.

Glenn Farley will present the full story of this exciting move by the former Swamp Creek Club from it’s old location in Edmonds.

The room will be opened early at 6:30 and the meeting will start at 7:00 PM

Contact Russ Segner at russseg@gmail.com if you want the link to our Zoom meeting.

Al Lowe

Congratulations to Mike Stepner and Ed Ives and a thank you to the 20% of our membership who voted. We also will increase the board membership from 3 to 5.

Candidate: Superintendent
Mike Stepner: 42 votes 56.00%
Mike Slease: 33 votes 44.00%
Mike Stepner wins.
Votes tallied: 75
Abstentions: 7

Candidate: Director
Ed Ives: 79 votes 98.75%
Brian Ferris: 1 vote 1.25%
Ed Ives wins.
Votes tallied: 80
Abstentions: 2

Option: Shall we increase the Board of Directors from 3 to 5 members?
Yes: 64 votes 84.21%
No: 12 votes 15.79%
Yes wins.
Votes tallied: 76
Abstentions: 6

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82 of 404 ballots cast – 20%

By Rich Thom, Photos by the author unless noted.

John White, who passed away on March 21^st at age 90, was well-known around the NMRA PNR’s 4^th Division for serving as chair of the Skagit Valley and Whidbey Clinic for twelve continuous years, 2000-2012.  During John’s leadership, average SV&W Clinic attendance doubled, drawing attendees from all of Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands as well as western Skagit and Whatcom counties.  Eventually, due to the distances traveled and outgrowing our meeting room, the group divided into the current SV&W and Mt. Vernon Clinics.

Perhaps less well-known across the division was John’s On30 Skagit Valley Eastern (SVE).  John was an outstanding modeler and went through a succession of prototypes and scales (as many of us do!), first modeling British prototypes in OO-scale, then the Great Northern in HO.  Ultimately, he settled on modeling Skagit County short lines in On30.

The SVE, set in the late 1920s, was loosely based on the Skagit River Railway built by Seattle City Light to haul men, equipment, and a lot of cement to several dam projects on the Upper Skagit River.  As John himself described his SVE: “Much poetic license has been used in the type of traffic and scenery!”  The layout also incorporates two fictional SVE subsidiaries, the Sauk, Oso & Western Railway and the Wickersham and Chuckanut.

The 14 ft x 44 ft layout consists of four legs, each 2 ft wide and made up mostly of 6 ft x 2 ft modules.  Two of the legs comprise the SVE, the third the SO&WR, and the fourth the W&C.  All four legs are connected by an oval behind the scenery which permits any train to go from any leg to any other leg.  A partition wall down the long dimension of the room divides the layout space in two and supports hand-painted backdrops.

The largest town modeled is Concrete, spanning about 30 ft of one of the two legs representing the SVE.  Here is a station, engine house, turntable, a Seattle Light & Power powerhouse, and a representation of the town’s vast Superior Portland Cement plant, which John re-imagined as Skagit Portland Cement.  Concrete, near extensive limestone deposits, produced enormous quantities of cement over several decades.

The locomotive roster and rolling stock consist mostly of Bachmann products.  To many, John added additional details from sources such as Backwoods Miniatures.  Of all the elements that make up a model railroad, John enjoyed building structures more than any other; most were scratch built.  Just a few of them are illustrated in these photographs.  For his larger buildings, John utilized Gatorboard as a structural base for its rigidity and humidity resistance, gluing siding and roofing material to it.  John described his methods for building structures, his standardized 6 ft x 2 ft modules, scratch built turnouts, and many other topics at SV&W clinics over the years.

John’s Skagit Valley Eastern was frequently opened for visitors, including at least once for the Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia “NG Open House” event coordinated by Dave Kreitler.  SV&W Clinic members were fortunate to be able to keep up with the layout’s progress during other open houses and, later, operating sessions.  The op sessions utilized written train orders and switch lists, a dispatcher, trainmaster, and up to four crews to keep an equal number of trains moving over the railroad.

John and his wife Valerie also hosted a “Wassail” party in British tradition each December, offering food, drink, and camaraderie in their Anacortes home, open to all SV&W Clinic members and all other modelers in the area.  The SVE was of course fired up, too.  The Wassail was held for at least nine years and was always one of the best events of the year.

John was an active member and supporter of the NMRA and the 4^th Division.  He was the Guest Speaker at the September 2010 Pacific Northwest Region Convention Banquet, where he described the history and technology of the concrete tie business in North America in which he was an industry pioneer.  John received the NMRA 4^th Division Superintendent’s Award in 2012 for his exemplary service as the SV&W Clinic Chair.

Al Lowe

We were saddened to learn of the passing on April 8th of local model railroader, magazine publisher, and N scale master, Kirk Reddie.

Kirk grew up and lived in Shoreline, Wash. He began with an American Flyer train set, shifted to HO in eighth grade, but switched again to N scale in 1975 after reading Jim Hediger’s article “The NTRAK Story.”

Kirk published N Scale Railroading magazine from September 2000 through January 2020, after which it continued as a free bi-monthly downloadable PDF until October 2022. It had subscribers all over the world. He knew N scalers everywhere! Kirk was fortunate to combine his two life passions: writing and model railroading.

Kirk’s home layout, the Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound, was housed in a 9,200 sq. ft. building and was the subject of many articles in N Scale Railroading. It was featured in the November 2022 issue of Model Railroader. Set in the Pacific Northwest, circa 1950, the layout modeled five railroads (Great Northern; Milwaukee Road; Northern Pacific; Pacific Coast RR; Spokane, Portland & Seattle; Tacoma Belt Line; and Union Pacific) between Argo Junction and Black River Junction, south of Seattle.

Kirk attended Shoreline High School and the University of Washington, where he received a bachelor’s degree in accounting, his CPA license, and later a master’s in business. Kirk loved to learn and excelled in school. In high school, he was an Honor Society member, a wrestler, and a trumpeter and drum major in the band. Kirk also played in the UW Marching Band and inspired those around him to share their talents. He said, “Hobbies are great in many ways; in one sense, they don’t matter and in another, they reflect who we aspire to be.”

Kirk Reddie passed peacefully at Northwest Hospital on April 8, 2024. He will be deeply missed. Per his request, there will be no services, but a celebration of life will be held this spring. Donations may be made to the Make-A-Wish Foundation or to your local food bank. Arrangements: Beck’s Funeral Home, Edmonds (425) 771-1234.

4D members are invited to leave comments about Kirk below.

Cody Grivno’s obituary of Kirk in Model Railroader magazine is available here:
https://www.trains.com/mrr/news-reviews/news/in-memoriam-kirk-reddie

The northbound Milwaukee Road Olympian Hiawatha passes
Boeing Field on Kirk’s Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound. 
Kirk Reddie photo

This month, the Eastside Clinic will look in on the Friday night Olympia Clinic. The information on the Olympia Clinic is posted in the Grab Iron.  Here is the link:

Time: Apr 19, 2024 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85050094529?pwd=deeCgW3D64zObUwrFCjcoTaYjSuYex.1

Meeting ID: 850 5009 4529

Passcode: 357612

In Person: Panorama City

Address: 1751 Circle Ln SE, Lacey, WA 98503

Brian Ferris, the Olympia leader welcomes us, so join in.

Russ Segner

Eastside Clinic Chair

Kevin Klettke

Hello Model Railroaders!

Our April 2024 Tacoma clinic will be this Thursday, April 11th at 7:00 PM. It will again follow the hybrid format with both in-person and virtual structure. Join us in-person at 9402 47th St. W, University Place, WA. If you can’t make it person, join us virtually on Zoom.

This month I will be digging into the archives to present a clinic I first put together and was published in Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine in 2010, entitled “Weathering Scrap Gondolas.” This clinic focuses on modeling the most abused of freight cars, with particular attention to the empty interior. This method produces great results, is easy, and pretty much impossible to screw up.

Attendees are encouraged to participate in the Bring and Brag portion of the meeting both in-person and virtually. I hope you can join us!

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4dpnrOrganizer Tacoma is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: April 2024 4D Tacoma Clinic
Time: Apr 11, 2024 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87652192617?pwd=6nisCSGBI8l3kHpLSZI9IaGxI4qpEP.1

Meeting ID: 876 5219 2617
Passcode: 478064

Al Lowe

I apologize to both candidates for Superintendent but evidently I pasted the same paragraph into both Details. The actual, correct bios are in the previous Grab Iron post. Sorry, Mike(s)!

Bob Kenworthy

Your Nominating Committee has completed its work and we’re proud to announce that we have two candidates for the office of Superintendent (Mike Slease and Mike Stepner) and one candidate for the open Board of Directors position (Ed Ives).

Our election will again be held via ElectionBuddy. You should have received an email notice with your electronic ballot.

Besides the election of officers, the 4D Board of Directors would like to change our Bylaws so we have five Directors instead of three so we can provide members with more opportunity to participate in 4D leadership. The current policy and the proposed policy are shown below, with the only changes shown in boldface italic type.

If you have questions, contact Bob Kenworthy, bkenworthy4@comcast.net.

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Candidates for Superintendent

Mike Stepner

I have been an NMRA member since about 2008 when I belonged to the Denver Area N Scalers. I was a volunteer at the Colorado Railroad Museum from 2007–2010. When I moved to Washington in 2010, I joined the 4dNTRAK group (2010–2012). I was a member (2012–2018) and president (2016–2018) of the 4D OmniRail group and currently belong to 4D Freemo HO group (2023–current). I have also belonged to some non-NMRA clubs over the years, including the PSMRE (2022–current) at the Washington State History Museum. I helped with the 2014 and 2023 PNR conventions, contest room and layout tour committees, and other things here and there. I have modeled almost continuously for about 45 years. I model in N, HO (currently) and On30 and working on a Z scale layout for my wife.

Mike Slease

I have been actively involved in the NMRA and the 4th Division since 2002. My primary focus has been with the 4D HO Modular Group, which I led for 5 years. In my professional life, I’m the owner of a small printing and sign-making business. I don’t claim any special knowledge that would make me the best choice for Superintendent of the Division, but I am willing to do all I can to make this amazing hobby of ours as much fun as possible for all the 4D members.

Candidate for Director

Ed Ives

I have held a position as Board of Director for several years and am open for reelection again this year. The past pandemic forced change in what the 4D does and how we do it. The question is: what should we do now? The Board has been and will continue to be working on that over the next years. I wish to be part of that effort. Another wish of mine is that there will be more of you 40-, 50- and 60-year-olds joining the Board, replacing us gray hairs and no hairs, to lead us into the future.

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ByLaws Changes

(Existing Wording)

Article IV

Officers and Directors

2. The Board of Directors shall consist of the officers and directors of the Division.

a. The officers of the Division shall consist of a Superintendent, an Assistant Superintendent, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.

(1) The Superintendent and Assistant shall be determined by popular election by the Division members.

(2) The Secretary and Treasurer shall be appointed by the Superintendent and approved by majority vote of the Board of Directors.

b. There shall be three directors elected at large by the Division members.

3. Officers and directors shall each serve a term of 2 years.

a. The Superintendent and one director shall be elected in even-numbered years.

b. The Assistant Superintendent and two directors shall be elected in odd-numbered years.

c. All elected terms of office shall run from September 1 to August 31.

d. The Secretary and Treasurer will serve terms concurrent with that of the Superintendent.

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(Proposed Wording)

Article IV

Officers and Directors

2. The Board of Directors shall consist of the officers and directors of the Division.

a. The officers of the Division shall consist of a Superintendent, an Assistant Superintendent, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.

(1) The Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent shall be determined by popular election by the Division members.

(2) The Secretary and Treasurer shall be appointed by the Superintendent and approved by majority vote of the Board of Directors.

b. There shall five directors elected at large by the Division members.

3. Officers and directors shall each serve a term of 2 years.

a. The Superintendent and two directors shall be elected in even-numbered years.

b. The Assistant Superintendent and three directors shall be elected in odd-numbered years.

c. All elected terms of office shall run from September 1 to August 31.

d. The Secretary and Treasurer will serve terms concurrent with that of the Superintendent.

Al Lowe

The Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad is starting a new train show called Trucks and Trains, Dollhouses and Planes Show, on Labor Day weekend, August 31–September 1, 2024, from 10 AM to 4 PM. Setup is Friday, August 30.

The indoor/outdoor event will take place on the campus, football field and surrounding streets of Eatonville High School, 302 Mashell Ave N, Eatonville, WA 98328. Layouts will be in the gymnasium and commons areas.

Exhibits will include vendors, antique trucks, planes from the Eatonville Airport, an 1896 Satsop steam engine, radio controlled plane exhibitions, food trucks, bouncy houses and other activities for the kids. Inside exhibits will include model train layouts, dollhouses, airplane models, and vehicle models.

More information is available at www.WFIM.org/train-show. Questions? Contact Betty Nokes, 253-222-4935, bwnokes@gmail.com