The Tacoma Northwestern Model RR Club and the NRHS Tacoma Chapter have lost their homes. We both must be out of the Freighthouse Square by May 1st. If any one knows of an old retail or warehouse space please put them in touch with me at petermcoulton@gmail.com or 206-550-4583.
Next Clinic:
Our next clinic meeting is this Thursday, April 2. We intend to show a video of the building of a local layout by Dr. Scott Campbell. It contains many recognizable scenes from around Washington State. We were originally going to show this in February, but things didn’t work out.
And, time permitting we’ll say a few more words about operating on small layouts.
The church continues its remodeling effort. I will not know what room we will be in until after this is posted. Just come in the main door and we’ll have someone show you where to go,
Prior Clinic:
Last month we talked about adding interest to “playing” with trains on a small layout (even if it is just a short shelf). It seems to work best when you try to simulate a task done by real railroads. There needs to be a purpose to your play.
Some ways of imagining little layouts as parts of bigger railroads were discussed. We ended with a few words about using chance (i.e. dice or a coin) to introduce an element of randomness to these operations.
Dennis T brought another of his N scale T-TRAK modules to show. This one had a river running through it. Two substantial bridges were needed to get the mainline tracks and a diverging branch across the water. Plus, there was a nice little park / playground down by the river for use by the area’s model residents.
Dennis also brought along a sample of a wiring buss he devised to power his module set-ups.
Dennis T power buss
Dennis T module end
Dennis T module end 2
Dennis T module overall
Dennis T module playground
For those who picked up a name tag blank at the last meeting, don’t forget to wear it and show everyone what a marvelous job of decorating you did.
Directions: 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. From the parking lot go up the steps to the main entrance.
Meetings are the first Thursday of each month, usually September – June. However in June we often do something different, so there may be no “regular” meeting. Doors open at 7:00 PM and the program starts at 7:30.
The next regular evening meeting is April 2 and the one after that is May 7. Hope to see you there or at least sometime on down the line.
Often a well-worded descriptive caption can turn a simple “record shot” photograph into a dynamic, interesting picture. In a still picture movement, effort, and sense of direction can be implied, creating an impression of time and purpose.
As an example, the attached picture is a rather bland shot of an electric locomotive emerging from a tunnel. With the caption, however, it becomes a much more captivating record of a train struggling to overcome a mountain grade.
With the cooling blowers for its twin 26-pole motors screaming and the ammeters in the red, SDEV electric E68 046 is using all of the available 1250Kw to drag a freight up the 2.7% grade on the western approach to Triberg in southeastern Schwabia. There it will pause to cool the hot traction motors before making the final winding assault on “Das Teufelberg.” (The Devil’s Hill.) Click on photo for full picture.
Editors note: Please welcome Syd Schofield, who will be writing posts in the Grab Iron blog on narrow gauge topics. He welcomes discussions and feedback, which can be made by clicking on the comment link at the bottom of each post.
Model trains, usually smaller than the real life things, generally fit our interests, space, time and budgets. The generally accepted, for various physical, business and political reasons, “standard” gauge (acceptance occurring from the Reconstruction period to well into the 20th century) for most US and Canadian common carriers was four feet 8 and ½ inches between wrought iron and steel rails. Smaller gauges of three feet and two feet also survived among the many other industrial, light transit and amusement purposes as did larger distances for specialized industrial purposes, however common sizes provided for economies of scale in production, operations and exchanges between railroads.
The HOn3 model size designates the “HO” (roughly the half “O” scale) of 1 to 87 parts, the “n” for narrower distance between rails than the standard gauge and the “3” is the actual full size distance in feet (a “30” or similar means 30 inches, versus feet). The general purposes of the full size railroad in this gauge was for smaller, less expensive equipment as well as the lower cost and more agile route preparation. These features made the three foot gauge attractive to any or all of rough terrain, lower capacity, lower capitol investment and short term business situations.
Washington State had at least three three foot gauge common carriers as well as many privately owned and operated by logging and mining interests. There were many three foot railroads and some even had dual gauge operations throughout the Western US, Alaska and other parts of Canada. Some were absorbed by larger standard gauge railroads while others succumbed to the truck, bus and automobile business successes or became historical amusements.
It is this period, simultaneous to the acceptance of the “standard gauge,” that many modelers choose to reproduce from “real” railroads based on historical situation or the merely technically correct for the chosen period creation of what might have been – in HOn3 (or other modeling narrow gauge scales). We would like to explore the activities of modelers in the PNR 4th Division, or anyone else with constructive intent pertinent to the three foot gauge railroads in brief and regular Grab Iron expositions. That is heavy on the “we” as pertains to anyone who would like to offer appropriate comments.
I’ve enabled comments on 4th Division Grab Iron posts (again … in the past it’s been a battle against blog spam). Besides allowing comments on general posts, we have a new Grab Iron contributor that is going to be writing posts on narrow gauge topics, and will be encouraging discussions and feedback through comments.
A name and e-mail address is required to be entered to write a comment on a Grab Iron post. The e-mail address will not be displayed to comment viewers, but the name will be. I will be asking for a real name versus an alias or handle to help keep comments spam-free and civil.
The first comment from each person requires moderation (i.e. approval) by me (or other Grab Iron admin), with subsequent comments not requiring moderation (this could change if comments start getting out of hand).
I’m looking forward to the discussions!
Discussions and Comments, Oh My!
I live in Bellevue and have just been flooded by a water main break. Demolition will be completed by Monday but I have to dismantle the layout in the basement. It was not damaged by water, but cannot remain in place during reconstruction. There is some very nice HO code 83 Shinohara trackwork that I will give to whoever is interested.
I can be contacted at neilstanton@msn.com.
I am reducing some of my stock of HO scale models which don’t fit into my current modeling theme. All of the following are new, in unopened original packages. I can arrange pickup or delivery on the Eastside within reason (the more you buy, the farther I’m willing to go!), or ship at cost. Prices are somewhat negotiable, but again, please remember these are all new, unbuilt, unopened, and I’m asking about half price each. Cash or check only, please. If questions, email me at bpickeri@gmail.com.
Pikestuff
Modern Small Enginehouse Kit
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/541-5000
Walthers $15.25, Asking $8.00
Walthers Cornerstone
Trackside Structures Kit
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3530
Walthers $37.98 (but on sale right now), Asking $19.00
There is a new E magazine in town! Trackside Model Railroading
Trackside Model Railroading Digital Magazine download or view online.
is a digital model railroad magazine, published monthly. Each month on the first, subscribers receive an email containing the links to download the new magazine. There is a choice to download the full size magazine in a zipped file that is intended for desktop computers, and it also includes two images that can be used for your computer desktop. Another option is to view the magazine online with the option to save it to your computer once it opens using the Adobe tools. There are also smaller versions of the magazine formatted for tablets and cell phones.
Each magazine includes two layouts which the staff have visited and photographed extensively. There are about 20-35 images per layout in the magazine, so you get to see many different scenes. You can zoom in on a picture if you wish.
Trackside Model Railroading wants readers to feel that they have experienced a thorough tour of each layout. Accompanying the photographs is an article about each layout and its owner. Whenever possible, high definition video of the trains running on the layout are included. Actual prototypical railroad sounds are dubbed into the video of the models, giving the realism that you are actually railfanning the layout. Several layouts owned by 4th Division PNR members have already been featured in the magazine. Additional 4D PNR member layouts have been visited, photographed and videoed for future articles.
Video links are inside the magazine. As you read a model railroad layout article, you will come across a video capture image which shows a play button. Just click on the picture and the video will launch. This does, however, require that you have an internet connection, as the videos are too large to embed in the magazine.
Each month includes an article instructing the reader how to build or design something relating to modeling. Sometimes these are very specific, and sometimes they are more conceptual in nature. Now and then, extra content like large panoramic images is included within the magazine that you can download and have printed to use as a backdrop on your model train layout.
You can re-access the magazines as many times as you like, and it is fine to download them on your desktop computer as well as a tablet or smartphone if you wish. You can purchase a month here and there for $1.89 or purchase a full year subscription for $14.99, making each month of the magazine just $1.25 per issue. If you have any questions Trackside Model Railroading can be contacted at questions@tsmrr.com.
The 4th Division Spring Meet will be held on Saturday, June 6th, so reserve the date on your calendar. There will be two rooms of clinics with some of your favorite presenters and topics.
Additional details will be provided in upcoming posts.
Your 4D Board of Directors approved this “Policy for Reimbursement of Expenses Groups Attending Events” at its February 21, 2015 meeting:
1. Requests for reimbursement must be turned into the 4D treasurer within 30 days of an event.
2. Travel reimbursement will be made at the current Federal non-profit reimbursement rate for the vehicle(s) towing the trailer(s) carrying 4D-owned equipment from its storage location to the show and back. If no parking is available at the event, multiple trips for the same event may be claimed.
3. 4D will also reimburse tolls for ferries and bridges for the vehicle(s) towing the group trailer(s).
4. 4D will not reimburse drivers of other vehicles attending a show without prior approval. (Group funds managed by 4D may be spent as desired by each modular group. Budget requests are for specific projects approved by the BOD as part of the budget process.)
If you have questions, feel free to contact the 4D’s treasurer, Mike Donnelly. His (and every other officer’s) address is on the 4D website’s Contact Us page.