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Renton Clinic – Next Meeting on June 30

Written by Russ Segner
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Russ Segner

This is a reminder that the next Renton Clinic meeting will be at the old Renton library on Thursday, the 30th of June. The library is located at 100 Mill Avenue South, Renton WA 98057, beginning at 6:30 pm. Maps and directions are available on the Clinics page.

The program will be built around your individual interests in railroads. We can do this by sharing photos of your favorite scenes. Please bring 10 to 15 photos of your layout or prototypes on a flash drive and we will project them on the screen while you describe them. We can also discuss various locations in the area to get the best rail shots.

Bring a model to share and brag about!

If you plan to bring photos to share, please let me know ahead of time so I can figure out how much time we will need. Please also think about possible locations for next fall when our meetings will resume. I can be contacted at 425-228-7327 or russseg@gmail.com.

Burien Clinic

Westside Clinic in Bremerton on Tuesday, June 14th

Written by Cliff Green
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Bill Hupé

Tuesday June 14th is our next 4th Division Westside Clinic. If you are visiting for the first time our clinics are held at the United Way of Kitsap Building in downtown Bremerton (647 4th Street) at 7 pm. Additional details (including a map and contact info) are on the Clinics Page.

For those who haven’t heard, we unexpectedly lost another member of our group last week. Dan Reilly lost his battle to cancer.

Steve Hauff has agreed to do another of his great presentations: “Slim Gauge Diesels”. He will be presenting it at the NMRA National Convention in Indianapolis next month.

Steve Neupert suggested we do a “Bring Your Favorite …” Everyone bring your favorite model railroading thing to share and talk about. Preferably one you haven’t shared before – freight cars, locomotives, passenger cars, tools, etc.

See you all Tuesday.

Westside Local Clinic

Renton Clinic on Thursday, June 30

Written by Russ Segner
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Russ Segner

Our next meeting will be at the old Renton library on the 30th of June. The library is located at 100 Mill Avenue South, Renton WA 98057, beginning at 6:30 pm. Maps and directions are available on the Clinics page.

The program will be built around your individual interests in railroads. We can do this by sharing photos of your favorite scenes. Please bring 10 to 15 photos on a flash drive and we will project them on the screen while you describe them. We can also discuss various locations in the area to get the best rail shots.

Bring a model to share and brag about!

If you plan to bring photos to share, please let me know ahead of time so I can figure out how much time we will need. Please also think about possible locations for next fall when our meetings will resume. I can be contacted at 425-228-7327 or russseg@gmail.com.

Burien Clinic

Eastside Get Together on Thursday, June 16

Written by Russ Segner
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Dave Cook

This Thursday our Eastside Get Together will once again be at the Redmond Library – 15990 NE 85th Street – Redmond WA 98052, 6:30 pm. Maps and directions are available on the Clinics page.

Our program will feature Brian Pickering who is very knowledgeable of all the aspects of DCC (digital command control) and Decoder Pro (a subset of the JMRI application). He will describe features as well as installation and programming tips for DCC.  Come and get your questions answered.

Bring a model to share and brag about! Coffee and doughnuts will be provided.

This will be our last program of the season and it is very likely we will be meeting at another location this fall. We will discuss location options and will solicit your opinions. It is up to you to show your support for this effort.

See you there.

Eastside Get-Together (Redmond) Clinic

Train Spotting in Missouri – Ha Ha Tonka, St. Joe, Union Station, Atchison

Written by Cliff Green
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By George Chambers, Photos by George

While on a vacation trip in the middle of May 2016 to visit relatives and friends I was able to do a little rail fanning, as my wife and I drove across Missouri from St. Louis to Kansas City.

Fig. 1 - 18” gauge flat car at Ha Ha Tonka State Park

Fig. 1 – 18” gauge flat car at Ha Ha Tonka State Park

We stopped for a couple of nights at a B&B (bed and breakfast) in the Lake of the Ozarks area. We did some hiking at Ha Ha Tonka State Park where I found what was left of an old narrow gauge railroad. This 18 inch gauge railroad was used to haul stone from a quarry to build a European style castle home started in 1905. This house was being built by Robert M. Snyder, a wealthy businessman from Kansas City. He had bought 5,000 acres of land which is now part of the state park. He died in 1906 in the first auto accident in Kansas City. His sons finished building the stone house and it later became a hotel. It burned up in 1942 as sparks from one of chimneys caught the roof on fire. Only the stone walls still stand. There is a short piece of track with one flat car near the house. The flat cars were hauled by mules.

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Articles, Railroad History

Skagit Valley and Whidbey Clinic May 2016 Report, The Lost Art of Railroad Hand Signals by Ray Wheeler

Written by Cliff Green
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Article and Photos by Rich Thom

The Skagit Valley & Whidbey Island NMRA Clinic held its final meeting of the season on May 11th at the Summerhill facility in Oak Harbor. Clinic Chair Rich Blake welcomed new member Mark Malmkar, who recently moved from Nebraska to Oak Harbor. Mark is a long-time model railroader (since age 10) and has a large HO layout, 14 by 40 feet (still in storage back in Nebraska), which models a passenger line passing through the Colorado mountains. We look forward to its reassembly and Mark’s first open house. Mark also has his own business manufacturing interior details for passenger cars; readers can find his range of products on-line at http://www.PalaceCarCo.com.

Fig 1 - Ray Wheeler demonstrates hand signals

Fig 1 – Ray Wheeler demonstrates hand signals

Clinic Newsletter-Master Al Frasch mentioned that he and Al Carter had colluded on a possible idea to have one joint meeting each season of the SV&W and Mount Vernon Clinics, at a location TBD. The thought resonated with attendees, so we’ll leave it to the two Als to flesh out the idea.

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Skagit Valley and Whidbey Island Clinic

Renton Clinic May 2016 Report

Written by Cliff Green
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Syd Schofield, Photos by Syd

On Thursday, May 26th the Renton Gathering of 4D model railroaders met at the “new” Renton Highlands library (on Sunset) at 6:30 PM (and concluded at 8:30 PM). The meeting started with greetings by Russ Segner. There were fifteen folks in attendance.

May 2016 Renton Clinic attendees.

May 2016 Renton Clinic attendees

The “Bring and Brag” offering by Dave Yadock was a Southern Pacific diesel “cow and calf” multiple unit (MU) locomotive.

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Burien Clinic

Olympia Clinic May 2016 Report

Written by Cliff Green
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Robert Grove

The May Olympia Clinic occurred May 11th at the Tea Leaf II restaurant, where the food is good. Approximately 30 persons attended to learn about “Working for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St Paul & Pacific Railroad”, presented by Bob Butler.

Following graduation from the University of Washington In 1968 Bob Butler went to work for the Milwaukee Road Engineering Department on the Coast Division headquartered at Tacoma, WA. Bob worked at Tacoma from 1968 to mid 1974 when he was transferred to the La Crosse Division at La Crosse, WI. In mid 1975 he was transferred back to Tacoma to be the Project Engineer of the new Fife Yard. Bob left the Milwaukee Road in February 1978 after the Milwaukee Road went into bankruptcy in November 1977 and cancelled the Fife Yard project.

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Olympia Clinic

An Open Invitation to Model With the 4D HO Modular Group

Written by Cliff Green
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Mike Slease

Are you:

  • Short of space to build a dream layout?
  • Short of the time needed to build that empire?
  • Lacking the robber baron money as well?
  • Wanting to run those cool trains of yours on a larger layout?

The HO Modular Group of the 4th Division is here to help.

Click here to view or download our latest flyer (PDF format), which contains additional information and pictures.

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HO Modular Group