Category: Seattle-North Clinic

By Jeff Moorman

Please come join us on Thursday (February 7) for our next clinic. Our general topic will be using photography to improve your modeling.

In January we looked at attendee’s favorite sources of data for researching railroad history, primarily for the period of the first half of the 20^th century. Certainly Google came up as well as the myriad of railroad books that have been published. Like everything else on the web, it is probably best to try and confirm the facts you get online.

A couple of less known sources were mentioned. Just as the NMRA Library is working on digitizing its archives, so are libraries, museums, and archives all over the word. And it is not just scans of pictures that are available. Old books are scanned to DVDs and some of these make their way onto the web. All sorts of paper documents are imaged as well. It was suggested you do a Google search for “digital archives” or maybe “photo archives” to find this material.

Of course not all archives are digital yet. Libraries and museums often have collections of photos, papers, and memorabilia that are not on regular display. It doesn’t hurt to ask at your local library. As an example the Bellevue Community College branch of the Washington State Archives has a 1930’s photograph of almost any building in King County. These were taken as part of a depression-era arts project, but are not available online.

Other sources for early 20^th century information are reproductions of Sears’ mail order catalogs. They will show you what fashion and household products were in vogue, as well as prevailing prices.

Show and tell had the same two participants as last month. Dennis T had a pile driver in On3. Although not this regular scale, he “rescued” the car some years ago and has been working at making it look presentable again.

Rob J had a selection of rail maintenance equipment all from resin castings. They made an impressive display. Rob also had a log car and 2 resin fire trucks. I’m of the opinion that Rob might just have an inexhaustible supply of N-scale resin vehicles.

We meet at the Ronald United Methodist Church, 17839 Aurora Avenue North, Shoreline, WA. That is on the west side of Aurora (State Route 99) between 175^th and 185^th Streets and more specifically, between the Cadillac dealer on the south and Deseret Industries to the north. Going southbound on Aurora, make a right-hand turn into the church driveway immediately after passing the Deseret location). The parking lot is at the rear of the church. For regular meetings enter the lower, left side of the church from the rear lot.

Meetings are the first Thursday of each month, except July and August. In June we usually do a tour. Doors open around 7:00 PM and the program starts at 7:30.

Remember the next meeting is February 7 and the one after that is March 7. Hope to see you there or at least sometime on down the line.

More From Rob

Robb’s RR Maint Equip

Dennis' On3 Pile Driver

By Jeff Moorman

Please come join us on Thursday (January 3) for our first clinic of the New Year. Our general topic will be doing historical research and a brief look at NW logging.

In December we looked at a film of rotary snowplow ‘OY’ in operation on the Colorado narrow gauge. It was interesting to see all the preparation that went into getting the plow, pushers, and crews ready. And the comments about the big storms of the past provided a lot of context. But the most fascinating, was seeing how the plow and two pushers worked the drifts using only whistles for communication.

Rotaries liked a slow steady pace, but when the snow got deep they had to go in, back out, go in, back out, etc. It was wonderful to watch. I couldn’t help thinking of trying to duplicate the process with models using DCC. You would need two pushers, operating independently. Their operators would have to be out of sight of the plow and each other, in order to best simulate communication with whistles. And you would need a plow operator with a whistle capability.

Show and tell had two participants, but multiple items each (all in N scale). Dennis T had 7 engines on display a few of which he spent considerable time on to rescue from their deplorable “as acquired” condition. He also had a few flat cars where he had utilized old N scale motors as loads. Rob J had an observation car and a GN caboose in custom paint. He also showed us half a dozen resin vehicles and a very nice overreach container lift.

We meet at the Ronald United Methodist Church, 17839 Aurora Avenue North, Shoreline, WA. That is on the west side of Aurora (State Route 99) between 175^th and 185^th Streets and more specifically, between the Cadillac dealer on the south and Deseret Industries to the north. Going southbound on Aurora, make a right-hand turn into the church driveway immediately after passing the Deseret location). The parking lot is at the rear of the church. For regular meetings enter the lower, left side of the church from the rear lot.

Meetings are the first Thursday of each month, except July and August. In June we usually do a tour. Doors open around 7:00 PM and the program starts at 7:30.

Remember the next meeting is January 3 and the one after that is February 7. Hope to see you there or at least sometime on down the line.

By Jeff Moorman

Please come join us on Thursday (December 6) for our next clinic.

In November we talked a bit about stripwood. Jeff’s still looking for a foolproof and inexpensive (i.e. cheap) way to weather stripwood that doesn’t involve strong dyes or smelly fumes. Yes, there are about a billion ways to weather wood for modeling purposes, but this is what he does.

He has had some success with diluting acrylic craft paint to about 1 part water and 3 or 4 parts paint. Running the stripwood through a folded cloth soaked in the paint works fairly well for simulating painted wood. But it provides too even a coat for weathered wood. For that it is better to dab the diluted paint on the wood with a large fluffy paintbrush. Then after it is dry, go over it with a thin wash of diluted India ink in isopropyl alcohol.

It doesn’t seem to make a big difference if you physically distress the wood before or after “staining.”  However, if you use the India ink wash, roughing up the wood before that step seems to work best.

If there are a billion ways to weather scale wood, there are two billion uses for it on the layout. But what sort of simple modeling projects could you do with just a single piece or two of stripwood? Some suggestions were as follows:

• Use a “plank” of stripwood to bridge a ditch between yard tracks, so your switchmen can get around easier.
• Model a fence in the making. Cut fence posts from a suitable size of stripwood. Drill holes where the posts will go and install a few. Leave the remaining posts beside their holes, awaiting installation.
• On a tarpaper roof install an inverse “V” of small-sized stripwood over a doorway to prevent rain/snow from sliding down.
• Use a piece of stripwood to prop up a leaning building, fence, retaining wall, or orchard tree.
• Take a few scraps of stripwood and scatter them on loading docks, flat cars, or gondola floors to represent old shipping crates, braces, and chocks.
• Affix a “timber” along the edges of loading docks on masonry buildings, so trucks will not be so badly damaged when backing up to the dock.
• Build a low retaining wall or just use a single board like a landscape timber to outline parking or lawn areas.

Show and Tell had three participants. Bobj showed a very nice large European train station originally build from a plastic kit. This was part of the building collection he brought, which we’ll talk more about later. Stu R had a MoW car and transfer caboose built from the same N scale wood kit and, also in N scale. Rob J  brought a circus truck, a time machine, and a caboose.

There was no traditional Mart, but Bobj had brought 6 or 7 large cardboard boxes filled with European-style buildings. There was everything from houses to industrial buildings and factories to schools to train stations and bridges. These had all once been part of a holiday display at the Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard. All were HO scale, although a few appeared to be selectively compressed to TT.

Seattle-North was the first group to get a look at these buildings. There was definitely an air of anticipation as Bobj unpacked the large boxes and brought out the contents one structure at a time. It was interesting seeing some the models after looking at them in the Walthers catalog for so many years.

We meet at the Ronald United Methodist Church, 17839 Aurora Avenue North, Shoreline, WA. That is on the west side of Aurora (State Route 99) between 175th and 185th Streets and more specifically, between the Cadillac dealer on the south and Deseret Industries to the north. Going southbound on Aurora, make a right-hand turn into the church driveway immediately after passing the Deseret location). The parking lot is at the rear of the church. For regular meetings enter the lower, left side of the church from the rear lot.

Meetings are the first Thursday of each month, except July and August. In June we usually do a tour. Doors open around 7:00 PM and the program starts at 7:30.

Remember the next meeting is December 6 and the one after that is January 3. Hope to see you there or at least sometime on down the line.

Stu's MoW and Caboose

HO Train Station

European Buildings - HO

Bobj Berger

The first Thursday in November is Seattle-North Clinic night. And if you attend tomorrow night, you will be among the first to view two new collections.

First, this will be this clinic’s first look at Roger Ferris’ personal collection, now that he and Ida have relocated to a much smaller home. Much brass, and quality train items collected over the past 50+ years.

Secondly, this will be the first viewing ever of a collection of around 150 quality-built HO structures from a local museum collection. This was part of an annual Christmas display for many years and has been in storage for some years. There were 18 large cardboard boxes of built plastic structures. Homes, stores, city buildings, churches, HUGE Baden depot (list price over $140 in Walthers). We have been told the structures are Faller, Heljan, Pola, etc. The boxes have been opened, but the structures will be removed for the first time at the Seattle-North Clinic on November 1st.

A couple of photos follow. Be there or be an even sided rectangle.

Click to enlarge photo

Click to enlarge photo

By Jeff Moorman

Please come join us this Thursday (November 1) for our next clinic.

I am not yet 100% sure, but I anticipate will be talking stripwood – weathering and using it for simple projects around the layout.

Last month Rob J gave us an update on the new OmNi-Rail N scale module standards, but since I couldn’t be there, I do not have any more details.

I do owe you an update on September’s activities, though. There was no clinic presentation per se, but rather a round robin on attendee’s railroad related adventures over the summer. The stories were numerous and varied.

Show and tell was also varied. I had an Enkay brand “Helping Hands” soldering station. As a soldering station it was OK, but it had a very nice battery powered, lighted magnifying glass with excellent depth of field. Dennis T had three nice N scale flats with lumber loads. Stu had an N scale transfer caboose he had made. A most amazing thing happened with that display. A ladder had come off the caboose sometime between when Stu arrived and when it was placed on the show and tell table. And, later on we actually found that ladder. I cannot always find a pair of pliers I lay down on my own workbench, yet` this N scale ladder was discovered on the other side of a large meeting room. Like I said – amazing!

Bob (I think) had a very nicely done HO pump house kit he had built. And Rob J had some old time HO cars he had come across. They sure brought back memories for some in attendance. One was an Ideal wrecking crane and the other an Ambroid snow plow. By the way, that is not a typo – Rob actually brought some “HO” equipment.

We meet at the Ronald United Methodist Church, 17839 Aurora Avenue North, Shoreline, WA. That is on the west side of Aurora (State Route 99) between 175^th and 185^th Streets and more specifically, between the Cadillac dealer on the south and Deseret Industries to the north. Going southbound on Aurora, make a right-hand turn into the church driveway immediately after passing the Deseret location). The parking lot is at the rear of the church. For regular meetings enter the lower, left side of the church from the rear lot.

Meetings are the first Thursday of each month, except July and August. In June we usually do a tour. Doors open around 7:00 PM and the program starts at 7:30.

Remember the next meeting is November 1.

Hope to see you there or at least sometime on down the line.

By Jeff Moorman

Please come join us this Thursday (October 4) for our next clinic.

I apologize for not getting this write-up out sooner, and for not including a description of what happened in September. You can look forward to a double report next time.

We meet at the Ronald United Methodist Church, 17839 Aurora Avenue North, Shoreline, WA. That is on the west side of Aurora (State Route 99) between 175^th and 185^th Streets and more specifically, between the Cadillac dealer on the south and Deseret Industries to the north. Going southbound on Aurora, make a right-hand turn into the church driveway immediately after passing the Deseret location). The parking lot is at the rear of the church. For regular meetings enter the lower, left side of the church from the rear lot.

Meetings are the first Thursday of each month, except July and August. In June we usually do a tour. Doors open around 7:00 PM and the program starts at 7:30.

Remember the next meeting is October 4.

Hope to see you there or at least sometime on down the line.

By Jeff Moorman

Please come join us this Thursday, September 6, for the first clinic of the new season. The Mart should be there with the promise of some “freebies,” but they didn’t provide any specifics.

Bring your summer modeling projects and we can all admire your work during “show & tell.” And come prepared to talk about what you did this summer (railroad-wise, that is).

At our last meeting, Bobj regaled us with tales from his railroad tour trip to Cuba. It sounded like quite the trip. Based on what I heard, Cuba seems to be defined by four things: (1) some wonderful people; (2) an inconsistent bureaucracy; (3) some marvelous older American cars with jury-rigged, non-American power trains; and (4) some very interesting railroads (of all sorts). The pictures of the sugar cane mill railroad operations were particularly interesting.

Glenn F was there to give a presentation on the upcoming National Narrow Gauge Convention. This convention is being held September 12-15 right here in Bellevue. It is still not too late to register. Their website is www.seattle2012.com.

“Show and tell” had two displays. Dennis T showed an N scale VO-1000 switcher and a Doodlebug. Rob J brought an N scale modern fire truck.

We meet at the Ronald United Methodist Church, 17839 Aurora Avenue North, Shoreline, WA. That is on the west side of Aurora (State Route 99) between 175^th and 185^th Streets and more specifically, between the Cadillac dealer on the south and Deseret Industries to the north. Going southbound on Aurora, make a right-hand turn into the church driveway immediately after passing the Deseret location). The parking lot is at the rear of the church. For regular meetings enter the lower, left side of the church from the lot.

Meetings are the first Thursday of each month, except July and August. In June we usually do a tour. Doors open around 7:00 PM and the program starts at 7:30.

Remember the next meeting is September 6. And the one after that is October 4.

Hope to see you there or at least sometime on down the line.

By Jeff Moorman

This is a reminder that there will be no meeting of the Seattle-North clinic in June 2012. The arrangements for the usual June road trip just did not work out.

Coupled with the summer vacation, that means the next meeting will be the first Thursday in September (9/6/2012). I’ll endeavor to post a reminder of that meeting in late August.

By Jeff Moorman, Photos By Jeff Moorman

Please come join us this Thursday (May 3) when our clinic topic will be railroading in Cuba. Last month Bobj returned from a trip to the island. As he was one of the guides on a railroad tour, he was privy to all sorts of good information which he will share with us.

Also the folks from the upcoming National Narrow Gauge Convention will be stopping by to make a presentation. This convention is being held September 12-15 in Bellevue. If you have never been to a National Narrow Gauge event, you are in for a treat. There is really some fantastic modeling being displayed and the techniques are applicable most anywhere. Think about it – there is no such thing as a narrow gauge tree.

Last month’s clinic covered scratch building turnouts with Stu R. And when we say scratch, we mean scratch. Stu goes so far as cutting his own wood ties. He also has made his own set of angle gauges for the turnout sizes he needs. Stu says he worked out the geometry by studying prototype books on track laying and using CADRail to lay out templates.

Stu started with a primer on hand laying track. His technique is pretty conventional. First he lays the ties and makes sure they are level. He coats the bottom of the rail with contact cement and clamps it down (or uses heavy weights) until it dries. After that he uses a few spikes to make sure everything stays put. He does one rail at a time. Stu has several handmade jigs used for getting tie spacing correct in different situations, like regular track, bridge decks, and under turnouts.

Unfortunately my notes are not detailed enough to explain exactly how Stu builds the turnouts. I do recall that when he does something with a flangeway, he fills the whole assembly with solder. Then he uses a section of hacksaw blade to “cut” the flangeway in the solder. This appears easier than techniques I have seen that try keep that area clear throughout construction. And it seems to result in a very robust assembly.

Stu's Tools (at least some of them)

Rob J brought an OmNi-Rail mockup, which is a new N gauge modular standard. He talked a little about the standard and why some folks think it is needed. The mockup was available for further scrutiny during show and tell.

OmNi-Rail Module Mockup

Bobj had a few mementos from Cuba on display. Of course we will learn more about them at May’s meeting. John B brought some of his hand built turnouts (in HO). He had a fascinating way of holding the points in gauge using a styrene throwbar with a notched spreader glued on top. He said he first learned about this method at a clinic some years ago.

From Bobj's Cuba Trip

In talking to John and Stu I learned you cannot always expect a perfect turnout. From time to time one of your efforts just will not function properly and you should expect this will occur. The best solution is to just build another one.

We meet at the Ronald United Methodist Church, 17839 Aurora Avenue North, Shoreline, WA. That is on the west side of Aurora (State Route 99) between 175^th and 185^th Streets and more specifically, between the Cadillac dealer on the south and Deseret Industries to the north. You can no longer make cross-traffic turns on Aurora, so you need to be going southbound (so you can make a right-hand turn into the church driveway immediately after passing the Deseret location).

Meetings are the first Thursday of each month, except July and August. In June we usually do a tour. For regular meetings enter the lower level of the church from the parking lot at the rear. Doors open around 7:00 PM and the program starts about 7:30.

Remember the next meeting is May 3.

Hope to see you there or at least sometime on down the line.

By Jeff Moorman

This coming Thursday (April 5) there is a big church supper scheduled, so our regular meeting room will be unavailable.

We are going to use the “Fireplace Room” instead. You enter by going up the the main entrance stairs from the parking lot. Then turn left once you are inside. This change is for the April 5 meeting only.

So, if you get to the meeting and find it crowded with lots of new people, lots of food, and no trains; you are in the wrong room.