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Tacoma Northwestern Model Railroad Club Presents April Fun Fest This Weekend

Written by Cliff Green
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Larry Sloan, Peter Coulton

This weekend, April 2nd and 3rd, the Tacoma Northwestern Model Railroad Club is presenting April Fun Fest, a model train show with multiple layouts as well as vendors selling train-related items, at Pacific Lutheran University in Parkland, Washington, Olson Auditorium. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Boy Scouts of America.
Any Scout in uniform will be admitted for free.

The show has been expanded to reach multiple hobbies. Attendees can rent time on a 1/32-1/24 scale slot car track. There will be military tech manuals, rockets, radio-controlled cars, vintage slot car set as well as trains (of course!). There will be many vendors selling both train and non-train items.

There may still be tables left (the status will be known Friday morning at final setup). If you are interested in renting a table contact Peter Coulton (Show Chairman) at 206-550-4583 or petermcoulton@gmail.com.

Additional information including hours, maps, and directions is available at http://www.tacomanorthwestern.org/show.htm.

Model Train Show

Railroad History Events This Weekend – Penn RR Tech HS, NP Everett Operations, GN Electrification

Written by Cliff Green
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Cliff Green

There are three railroad history presentations or events happening this weekend, so if you are in the mood to learn a bit about 1:1 scale railroading you have some fine choices.

This Friday evening (April 1st), Noel Holley is giving a presentation at the White River Valley Museum in Auburn on Great Northern electrification. Click here to see the event information, including a map to the museum.

This Saturday (April 2nd) is the next meeting of the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society (Pacific Northwest Chapter) at the Pacific Northwest Railroad Archive in Burien. Click here to see the previous Grab Iron post, or click here to see the event information, including a map to the PNRA.

This Sunday (April 3rd) Kent Sullivan is giving a presentation for the Historic Everett group at the Port of Everett on Northern Pacific Everett operations circa 1955. Click here to see the previous Grab Iron post, or click here to see the event information, including a map to the Port of Everett.

Railroad History

4D Spring Meet Mailed Registration Forms Address Correction – Off by One!

Written by Cliff Green
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Cliff Green

For those of you who are software developers, you are familiar with the term “off by one” – a common type of error in software programming. There is a different type of “off by one” error that is in the printed registration form for the 4D Spring Meet (most of you should have received this form inside the 4D election ballot mailed earlier this week).

The correct address for Mike Stepner is:

6403 Stewart Avenue E
Puyallup, WA 98372-5065

(The incorrect address on the mailed form is 6402.)

If you have registered online (or are planning to register online) this won’t affect you. It affects you only if you are registering by mailing the printed form to Mike Stepner (and it will probably get to him even with the incorrect address, but … we’d rather not depend on it).

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Convention or Meet

More Than a Train Ride – 2016 at the Northwest Railway Museum

Written by Cliff Green
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Peggy Barchi, Marketing/Events Manager

With a call of “All aboard!” Northwest Railway Museum visitors can step back in time and experience rail travel as it used to be aboard historic railway cars.

Steamed up and ready to go at the Northwest Railway Museum

Steamed up and ready to go at the Northwest Railway Museum

This year the Northwest Railway Museum is offering more than just a train ride experience to its visitors and railfans. For the first time, nearly all of the weekend train excursions will include a stop to see the incredible train collection in the Train Shed Exhibit building (exceptions are on big event weekends when extra trains and/or cars will be running.) This gives guests the opportunity to learn more about the history of how the “Railway Changed Everything” with a particular look at railroading in the Snoqualmie Valley and the Pacific Northwest. Docent-led premier tours are also offered on the first and third Saturdays of each month which include a tour of the historic Snoqualmie Depot, a longer tour of the Train Shed and a visit to the Conservation and Restoration Center to see firsthand the latest work being done on some of the Museum’s rolling stock!

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Northwest Railway Museum

New Mt. Rainier Railroad and Logging Museum – New Name, Owners, and Website

Written by Cliff Green
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By Andrew Fickes

Mt. Rainier Railroad offers guests an improved experience from start to finish!

When children and their parents arrive to Elbe this spring and summer to ride the train and learn about the history of steam locomotives and logging, their experience might look and feel a little bit different – but in a good way.

Mt_Rainier_RR

Earlier this year, the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad and Museum rebranded and changed its name to Mt. Rainier Railroad and Logging Museum. With the change has come the commitment to reinvest an approximate $300,000 in capital improvements in this year alone, and a 40 percent increase in payroll, meaning an additional seven paid staff and in peak season, an additional 10 part-time staff. Over the next three years payroll will double.

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News, Railroad History

Skagit Valley and Whidbey Clinic Mar 2016 Report, Fences are Structures Too!

Written by Cliff Green
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Article by Rich Thom, Photos by Al Frasch

Fig 1 – Fences Enclose Pastures on Al Frasch’s BNSF Pilchuck Division

Fig 1 – Fences Enclose Pastures on Al Frasch’s BNSF Pilchuck Division

Skagit Valley and Whidbey NMRA Clinic Chair Rich Blake welcomed 24 modelers to the March 9th meeting at the Summerhill facility in Oak Harbor. Rich made an interesting observation about attendance. Since the “new” Mt. Vernon NMRA Clinic was launched last fall the typical attendance numbers of the SV&W and Mt. Vernon clinics together have totaled more than the SV&W group typically drew when it served both geographic areas. That suggests the “splitting up” of our original group was a grand idea – more folks are discovering the value and camaraderie offered by these clinics and the NMRA. Our clinic has seen a steady addition of new people, model railroaders who might have thought they were isolated in our corner of the Puget Sound, delighted to find a large and active group of like-minded souls.

Susan Gonzales is putting together next season’s program and pointed out that she had only received one suggestion for clinics (and even fewer volunteers) and repeated her call for clinic topics and, especially, clinicians. The popular “mini-clinics” evening will be repeated in October – 10 to 15 minute spots to describe simpler, single topics — but volunteers are needed. Interest was expressed in another contest. Two suggestions from the floor for possible contest themes included (1) car interiors and (2) kit-bashing variations on one simple building kit. A contest will occur only if someone steps up to be Contest Shepherd!

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Skagit Valley and Whidbey Island Clinic

Memorial Ops Session For Tom Enloe at the PNWRR and Cherry Valley RR

Written by Cliff Green
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Cliff Green, Photos by Bill Sornsin

Peter Coulton scattering Tom Enloe's ashes at the crossing signal next to the building housing Tom's PNW and Cherry Valley RR layout.

Peter Coulton scattering Tom Enloe’s ashes at the crossing signal next to the building housing Tom’s PNW and Cherry Valley RR layout.

On March 12th, 2016, friends of the late Tom Enloe met at his home in Duvall for a toast, scattering of ashes, and an operating session on the Pacific Northwestern and Cherry Valley Railroad.

After everyone arrived, Tom’s wife Carol, daughter Jennifer, and granddaughter Ambellina joined a group of model railroading friends for a toast with Tom’s favorite drink. Remembrances and a few favorite stories were told and some of Tom’s ashes were scattered in front of the crossing guard close to the building where his “model railroading heart and soul” is contained – the PNW and Cherry Valley RR. An operating session was held, and during a mid-session break lunch was provided by Carol’s family. During lunch more stories were told relating to Tom, including his legendary BBQ for the 2004 national NMRA convention (PSX 2004, held in the Seattle area).

L-R: Steve Haas, Cliff Green, Paul Vaughn, Bill Sornsin, George Mooney, Rich Blake, John Bell, Peter Coulton, Carol Enloe, Don Trettel, Jennifer Enloe, Tom’s granddaughter Ambellina, Larry DuFoe, Byron Osborn

L-R: Steve Haas, Cliff Green, Paul Vaughn, Bill Sornsin, George Mooney, Rich Blake, John Bell, Peter Coulton, Carol Enloe, Don Trettel, Jennifer Enloe, Tom’s granddaughter Ambellina, Larry DuFoe, Byron Osborn

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Operations

4D Spring Meet Clinic Info Updated

Written by Cliff Green
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Cliff Green

The 4th Division Spring Meet is less than two months away! If you haven’t registered yet, click here to register and reserve a lunch (which is included as long as you are registered by May 1st).

The clinic information has been updated – click here to see the latest (including one clinic track that is all about operations). The hands-on clinic now has a link to register as well as information on what materials to bring.

The Spring Meet will be held at the Tacoma Community College on May 14th, with clinics running from 9 am to 4 pm. The website will always have the most current info: http://www.wnrr.net/4DPNR/.

For more information contact Kurt Laidlaw at tccrailroad@gmail.com or 253-566-7042.

Convention or Meet

Mt. Vernon Clinic Report March 2016

Written by John O'Connell
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By John O’Connell   Photos: Kevin Klettke, Ted Becker, John O’Connell

Thursday, March 10, Mt. Vernon Senior Center

Ted Becker opened the Clinic with eighteen regulars in attendance. He noted that May was the last Clinic before summer and encouraged us to share ideas for clinic topics as we start to think about the fall. Hands on airbrushing received a lot of interest.

Announcements

March 19, Santa Fe Mini-Meet, Burien. More details
April 1, Great Northern Electrification, White River Valley Museum, Auburn. More information
April 2, Pennsylvania Rail Road Meet, Burien. Details
April 3, NP Everett Operation Presentation circa 1955, Everett. Details
April 14, Mt Vernon Clinic. Diorama Challenge Finale and Mini-Clinics
April 30, Olympia Layout Tour, Olympia. Details
May 12, Mt. Vernon Clinic. Kevin Klettke “Fleet Weathering.” This is a reprise of his well-received Clinic at PDX 2015 on efficiently weathering large fleets of rolling stock. Visit Kevin’s website.

Here's another sample of Kevin's work...

Here’s another sample of Kevin’s work…

May 14, 4th Division, Pacific Northwest Region Spring Meet, Tacoma Community College Click here for more information.

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Mt Vernon Clinic

An Intro to Free-mo Part 4 – Electrical

Written by Cliff Green
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Alan Ashton, article by Frank Wilhelm with contributions by Al Cunningham

Editors note: Welcome to the 4th article on Free-mo by Alan Ashton and fellow Free-mo enthusiasts. The previous article is available by a clicking here, or by filtering with the category “Free-mo”. Alan welcomes discussions and feedback by comments at the bottom of the post or by e-mailing him at inwafreemo@gmail.com. If you’re interested in helping promote Free-mo in the 4th Division (e.g. event notification or writing articles) please contact me at gi_editor@4dpnr.com.

The 4th installment (in PDF format) of our series on Free-mo is available to read or download by clicking here. Our series of articles is designed to share experiences building Free-mo modules. As always, your comments are appreciated. Enjoy this well thought out document that describes the elements of Free-mo electrical components.

Articles, Free-mo