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NMRA Pacific Northwest Convention

Written by Magnus Christerson
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Our region’s Regional Convention is here. Have you signed up?

🚨 Less Than 30 Days — Oregon Rails 2026

This is the one to make.

Oregon Rails 2026 (May 13–16, Tigard, OR)—organized by the 2nd Division of the Pacific Northwest Region (PNR) of the NMRA—delivers something you don’t often get at a regional: real prototype access + a full slate of layout tours and clinics + hobby stores with NO SALES TAX + swap meet.

🚆 Prototype Tours — The Headliner

  • Oregon Rail Heritage Center (Portland)
    See iconic locomotives up close: SP 4449 Daylight, SP&S 700, UP 3203, Mt. Emily Shay—plus restoration work and additional equipment.
  • WES (Westside Express Service) Shops
    A rare guided look inside a working commuter rail maintenance facility.

👉 Real railroading. Local. Hard to access otherwise.

🏡 Layout Tours — ~20 Layouts

  • A wide range of high-quality indoor layouts
  • Garden railways rarely open to the public

🛍️ Train Stores — Tax-Free

Great local hobby shops, including Whistle Stop Trains and The Hobby Smith.

And Oregon has NO SALES TAX.
That’s real savings on every purchase.

⏳ Act Now — Support Your Region

As of this past weekend, the convention was just 27 registrations short of break-even.

👉 If you’ve been thinking about going, now is the time to sign up and support your region.
👉 Prototype tours are limited—and will fill first.

👉 And note: next year, the PNR convention will be folded into the National Convention, so this is your chance for a dedicated PNR regional event in this format.

👉 https://oregonrails2026.com/index.html

Prototype access. ~20 layouts. Tax-free buying.
Let’s get it across the line—see you in Tigard (not Portland!).

Layout Tour, News

Seeking Officer and Board Member Candidates

Written by Anton Faulk
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By Bob Kenworthy

This is your opportunity to be part of the leadership of the 4th Division of the Pacific Northwest Region (PNR) of the NMRA.  We are seeking candidates for the office of Superintendent and two Board Member positions.  These are for two-year terms starting on September 1, 2026 and ending on August 31, 2028.  The Board meets every two months with meetings alternating between in-person and Zoom.  The election for these positions will be held in late May 2026. 

If you are interested in running for either of these positions, or would like more information, please contact Bob Kenworthy, Assistant Superintendent by telephone or text at (253) 312-7506 or by email at bkenworthy4@comcast.net.  We plan to finalize the ballots by May 1st.

We are also looking for someone to fill the position of Secretary.  This position is appointed by the Superintendent and does not require election.  The new Secretary may take office as soon as appointed and may serve as long as desired by the Secretary and Superintendent. 

Duties of Superintendent, Board Members, and Secretary:

The duties of the Superintendent include, but are not necessarily limited to:

  • Preside over meetings of the Board of Directors and the General Membership. 
  • Assist the Secretary in scheduling meetings and distributing agendas.
  • Sign all contracts or other instruments authorized by the Board of Directors, on behalf of the Division.
  • Appoint chairs of standing committees, with the consent of the Board of Directors.
  • Appoint members of standing committees, when the procedures for those committees call for such action.
  • Appoint chairs and members of ad hoc committees.
  • Serve on the PNR Board of Directors.

The duties of a Director include, but are not necessarily limited to:

  • Attend all Board of Directors meetings.
  • Serve as a direct representative of the members and act in their best interests in the management of the Division.

The duties of the Secretary include, but are not necessarily limited to:

  • With assistance from the Superintendent, schedule Board of Directors and General Membership meetings and distribute agendas.
  • Keep minutes of all meetings. Provide copies of such minutes to others as prescribed elsewhere in the Bylaws and in the Policies and Procedures Manual.
  • Maintain corporate records as prescribed elsewhere in the Bylaws and in the Policies and Procedures Manual.
  • Perform other secretarial duties deemed necessary or specified in the Bylaws and in the Policies and Procedures Manual.

Bob

News,

Eastside Clinic Call for Presenters

Written by Doug Oldenburg
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By Doug Oldenburg

The Eastside Clinic of the Pacific Northwest Region 4th Division of the National Model Railroad Association is seeking individuals to share their railroad knowledge and skills at its monthly clinics.

We would like to broaden the circle and refill the pool of presentations. Might this be you or someone you know?

This is a call for clinics or presentations on any railroad-related topic, whether it’s model railroading or prototype railroading. Modelers are always interested in clinics that share scenery and weathering techniques. We also welcome presentations related to the region’s historic and current railroads – Northern Pacific, Great Northern, Spokane Portland & Seattle, Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, subsidiaries or short lines, logging or mining roads.

Clinic Opportunities:

  • Show and Tell is one great way to get involved. Even if it is your in-work project or layout.
  • Presentation Clinics: Share your knowledge on any railroad topic. Presentations typically last 30 minutes followed by 15 minutes for questions. Longer or shorter sessions can always be accommodated.
  • Interest in in-person clinics is still being evaluated. We have attendees from here and yonder, and have not had very many people express interest in driving out to a clinic on a Thursday evening (usually third Thursday of the month).
    • Possible Make-and-Take Clinics: Engage attendees with hands-on demonstrations or workshops where they can actually see how something is done.

Why Present?

  • Share Your Expertise: Whether you’re a seasoned presenter or new to clinics, this is a fantastic opportunity to share your passion and knowledge.
  • Support and Resources: If you’re new to presenting, we can help you prepare.
    • We often use PowerPoint to organize our thoughts, photos, sketches and diagrams. Don’t worry – if you don’t have this, we can put it together for you (with your help) 😊

How to Get Involved:

Russ Segner is our current master of ceremonies, and Doug Oldenburg has been helping with some of the admin tasks. We would welcome anyone who wants to join in. Russ would very much like to retire from leading the clinics and we would love to see someone step up.

We hope you’ll consider presenting at one of our upcoming clinics and contributing to an enriching and educational experience for all attendees. Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to your participation!

Our March clinic is scheduled for 3/19 so here’s your first opportunity!

Sincerely,

Russ Segner:  russseg@gmail.com
206-200-2211

Doug Oldenburg: douglas.oldenburg@yahoo.com
425-577-2928

Eastside Get-Together (Redmond) Clinic,

Whidbey Clinic 11 Feb 2026, 7:00pm Zoom Link

Written by Rich Blake
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Steve Cox presents Japanese Trains.
Japanese trains have continually set global standards. We will explore the evolution of Japan’s rail system and how that passion for trains is captured and celebrated through Japanese model railways.

We will attempt to get the Zoom media going again, here is the link info

Rich Blake is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Whidbey Clinic 2026-02-11
Time: Feb 11, 2026 06:45 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84845859150?pwd=F3ypIp0gTaC9iI64xJ4HQTwKhwxF5i.1

Meeting ID: 848 4585 9150
Passcode: 424841

Join instructions
https://us06web.zoom.us/meetings/84845859150/invitations?signature=0R7DvoK_9vRhdAvOvFGRVlFn1xTsV6KK3D0xvzHSZSk

News

Help Wanted

Written by Anton Faulk
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By Kurt Laidlaw

At the Maple Valley Train Show I met a woman named Lorraine Jacobs. Her husband died and she is looking for someone who can help her finish his N scale layout. From our conversation it was clear she didn’t know much about model railroading, but she wanted to honor her husband by finishing his 4’ x8’ layout. If there is anyone who lives relatively close to her who would be willing to help her finish the layout, she would really appreciate it. If you would like to call her and see what the project would take to finish, please call her at 425-443-5648.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help with this project.

Kurt

Articles,

October’s “Second Saturday” Zoom layout tour is cancelled

Written by Burr Stewart
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There is no “Second Saturday” layout tour Zoom meeting on Saturday, October 11. The next layout tour Zoom is planned for Saturday, December 13. We always skip November so we can attend the Boeing Swap meet, this year on November 8. For more information on the swap meet, see https://bemrrc.org/events

And please consider presenting a layout tour on your own layout’s progress. Everyone is as interested in seeing construction progress reports as they are in seeing a finished masterpiece. Contact Lee Marsh or Burr Stewart to get going on scheduling your layout for a future “Second Saturday” online Zoom event!

News

Eastside Clinic Thursday – September 18

Written by Anton Faulk
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By Russ Segner

The next Eastside Clinic is this week on Thursday September 18th. Our program will be a presentation by Bob Kenworthy on the Great Western Steam Up, held at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in July 2022. The steam up featured 8 cosmetically restored steam locomotives and 9 standard and narrow gauge locomotives under steam. The presentation includes video of all nine of the locomotives under steam.

Russ Segner will also share information and photos from the recent National Narrow Gauge Convention held in St. Louis.

Join us and share your experiences. I will open the room around 6:30 for informal chat.

Zoom meeting information:

Topic: Eastside Clinic September 18
Time: Sep 18, 2025 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85887099422?pwd=zizZeSUUCqwkuU0Pj2w3uGKA1OeSk8.1
Meeting ID: 858 8709 9422
Passcode: 285188

Russ

Eastside Get-Together (Redmond) Clinic

Second Saturday Zoom layout tour on Sept. 13 is Burr Stewart on modeling steel mill traffic

Written by Burr Stewart
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The September 2025 “Second Saturday” will feature an update by Burr Stewart on adding the West Seattle steel mill to his HO layout, and what he has learned about the steel industry. After the presentation, we will have an open discussion about industries in general and the traffic they generate. As usual, we will open the Zoom meeting at 9:30am, and Burr’s presentation will start at 10:00am, on Saturday, September 13. Here is the Zoom info needed to join the meeting:

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87210657142?pwd=ZHhIWnZGMUU0YnAwNVUvMENheEZSUT09

Meeting ID: 872 1065 7142
Passcode: 805577

News

We are hosting the NMRA National Convention in 2027

Written by Robin Peel
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If you have not already heard, 4D and the Pacific Northwest Region (PNR) of the NMRA will be hosting the 2027 NMRA Convention in downtown Tacoma, August 10-15 2027. Planning is already underway. Both the Tacoma Convention Center and several hotels have been contracted by NMRA HQ.

Now … we need everyone’s support to make this the best convention ever! We will be hosting guests from around the planet.

First, put it in your calendar: August 10-15, 2027.

Second, think about how YOU can contribute:

  • Perhaps open your layout for a layout tour? 
  • Or, offer an operating session.
  • Or, present a clinic.
  • Or be a volunteer … or just attend as a participant
  • … Whatever you do, we need YOUR support!

Third, tell your friends and family about this.  They may not want to attend the core convention, but there is something for everyone – especially kids of all ages – at the National Train Show, open to the public, that will take place on the Saturday and Sunday following the Convention.

Our theme is Expand Your Horizon and we want everyone to come away with new ideas and new friendships.

We will welcome both NMRA members and non-NMRA members (though non-members will pay a little more).

Our website has just been published and will expand as we finalize our plans. But you can signup to our newsletter now. Visit us at:

2027.nmra.org

If you want to help us right now, or have any ideas, then please contact Magnus Christerson or Robin Peel (Co-Chairs) at conv2027@nmra.org

News