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Grab Iron Posts

5th Division Free-mo Activities

Written by Cliff Green
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Alan Ashton

Editors note: Thanks to the Free-mo e-mail list of Alan Ashton (to join, e-mail Alan at inwafreemo@gmail.com), here’s a sampling of Free-mo activities in the 5th Division.

On Sunday, April 3rd the Inland Washington Free-mo Modelers will join the Idaho Free-mo group for a layout at the Lewis Clark Train Club’s Model Train Show at the Nez Perce County Fairgrounds in Lewiston, ID, 1229 Burrell Avenue. The show runs from 9:30 am to 4 pm. Click here for additional event info including a map.

On Friday and Saturday, April 15th and 16th, the Inland Washington Free-mo-N Modelers are hosting their Spring open house at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave, from 10 am to 6 pm. Admission is free. Click here for a poster of the event.

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Free-mo

Day Out With Thomas Tickets Now On Sale at the Northwest Railway Museum

Written by Cliff Green
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Peggy Barchi, Marketing/Events Manager at NWRM

DayOutWithThomas

Start your engines! Thomas the Tank Engine invites little engineers to team up with him for a day of family fun at Day Out With Thomas: The Ready, Set, Go Tour 2016 (presented by Fisher-Price). Children everywhere can join Team Thomas when the #1 Engine pulls into The Northwest Railway Museum on July 15-17 & 22-24, 2016.

The Northwest Railway Museum is the only venue in the Pacific Northwest to offer this special event for little engineers to enjoy a day with Thomas the Tank Engine.

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Northwest Railway Museum

Newcastle Clinic Apr 14, A Potential NEW 4D CLINIC in South Bellevue, Issaquah, and Renton Area

Written by Russ Segner
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Russ Segner

Thursday night, April 14 at 6:30 pm
Newcastle Public Library
Social Hour from 6:30 to 7:30

Join us on the 14th for a potential new 4th Division clinic for the area south and east of Lake Washington, serving South Bellevue, Issaquah, Renton, Kent, Tukwila, Burien, Des Moines, and anyone interested from surrounding areas. If you can, arrive at 6:30 or so and we’ll visit and meet new members and guests from this area before the presentation starts at 7:30. Let’s also discuss making this an ongoing 4D clinic, including the best day of the month, potential venues, and a descriptive clinic name.

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Burien Clinic

A Narrower View – Short Lines and Resources

Written by Cliff Green
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Syd Schofield

Editors note: Welcome to the 14th article of a series on narrow gauge by Syd Schofield. The previous article is available by clicking here, or by filtering with the category “Narrow Gauge”. Syd welcomes discussions and feedback, which can be made by clicking on the comment link at the bottom of the post.

Narrow gauge short lines can be isolated from or linked to other narrow gauge roads. Those linked may eventually be taken over by the main road or become divested due to business interests. Then there are the lines connected by rail and business interests but chartered and named differently. These arrangements often changed frequently and were reflected in subtle name adjustments. Physical changes range from destruction by natural forces, re-gauging to standard, surrendering to automobile and truck roads (often taking over the roadway) or played-out markets of mines or lumber.

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Articles, Narrow Gauge

Help Complete the Rails Meet Sails Exhibit at the Foss Waterway Seaport

Written by Cliff Green
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Bud Thompson

The work on the new HVAC System at the Foss Waterway Seaport (FWS, at 705 Dock Street, Tacoma, WA) has been completed over the “Rails Meet Sails Exhibit”, and we have received word that we can proceed with the completion of our exhibit. We are building an HO scale model of the Northern Pacific’s “Half Moon Yard” that is located across the street from the FWS. We are also building a G scale layout that visitors to the FWS can use to demonstrate their switching abilities.

We are still needing help! To expedite the construction process:

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Railroad History

Olympia Clinic March 2016 Report

Written by Cliff Green
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Robert Grove, Photo by Mer Manson

A tree created by Mer Manson following Walt Huston’s instructions. The penguins invaded after she took the tree home.

A tree created by Mer Manson following Walt Huston’s instructions. The penguins invaded after she took the tree home.

26 persons attended our Clinic in March. MMR Walt Huston brought “deciduous tree makin’s” to Olympia so we all could create a tree to take home.

This “Make N Take” used Azalea bush fall clippings as armatures to which we attached Woodland Scenics material of appropriate colors with Tacky Glue. When cutting the Azalea bush, trim it to suit the affect desired for the landscape. Save all the clippings. Big, small, short or tall – most can be used somewhere. Only after the layout scenery is “done” should we throw away leftover material.

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Olympia Clinic

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