Bobj Berger
Check out an article in the Everett HeraldNet interviewing me (Bobj) about Jim Noonan’s layout titled:
Grab Iron Posts
Tacoma Clinic
Al Babinsky
MMR Gene Swanson opened the clinic on time with 34 in attendance; we did not have any newcomers in the crowd. Russ Segner was introduced as the new 4D super and told about his work at the Snoqualmie museum and at the DuPont museum. The DuPont museum has the only narrow gauge railroad in this area; it is a 2 foot gauge.
Mike Highsmith is the assistant super and is in charge of the nomination committee for the upcoming elections and asked that everyone vote when the ballots arrive.
The Tacoma Clinic layout tours will be held on May 10th with the layouts grouped, 5 are in the Tacoma area and 4 in the federal Way area. The Tacoma tour is in the morning and the Federal Way tour in the afternoon with a lunch break in between to allow for time to transition between the two areas.
There was an announcement about the Mount Rainier Scenic RR having a steam up of 5 locomotives plus one guest locomotive on May17th.
The IPMS (International Plastic Modelers Society) has a spring show at the Renton Community Center on April 12. For information on the go to their website at: http://www.ipms-seattle.org/springshow
What’s new at the hobby shop presented by Bill Sandstrom of Tacoma Trains, there were a number of items from Athearn, Walthers, Kato, Microtrains, and Wheels of Time.
The Bring and Brag had several entries, Scott Taylor brought his scratch built track models that were built for his civil AP certificate, and they consisted of a #5 RH turnout, a 90 degree crossing and a gauntlet track. He used downloaded drawings from “Fast Tracks” which are available from their website. Chris Clancey brought a GP-38 that he painted for the Weyerhaeuser logging RR; Russ Segner brought a laser cut kit for a repair shop that is a project in progress. Walt Huston had an N scale diorama. Scott Taylor won the Bring and Brag award.
After the break MMR Gene Swanson and Mike Shaw presented this month clinic on basic scenery. The presentation was made with a diorama showing the how it was done by using a video camera and a wall mounted monitor. They also had photos of Gene’s layout where you could see the final result. A very informative clinic with a great handout and of course the use of video and photos. I will have the handout as well as some of the photos attached to this report.
Next month clinic will be on the AP program and is presented by Jack Hamilton. The clinic will be at our usual place in the Pierce County Library Admin. Bldg. at the corner of 112th street and Waller Road at 7:30PM, hope to see you there.
Seattle-North Clinic Talks about Brass – March 6, 2014
By Jeff Moorman
Please join us for our next meeting on Thursday, March 6, 2014. Our guest speaker will be a railroad enthusiast and brass collector.
If you weren’t there for last month’s guest speaker, you missed a very interesting and entertaining evening. Dave Honan is a civil engineer for HDR here in Seattle and he specializes in railroad and transit design in 12 inches to the foot scale. We also discovered he is an excellent railroad photographer and slide show producer.
Dave talked about some projects he’s been involved with which varied from coal hauling railroads across the Great Plains to local transit works. Hearing about everything he has had to deal with was fascinating. He mentioned lots of things I had never considered before. Here are a couple:
When you plan the route of a railroad in varied terrain, not only do you need to look for a pretty steady grade, but you should match the volume of material in cuts to the volume of material used for fills. That cuts down on earth “moving” costs.
Another item of design concerns coping with grades that have curvature. A curve adds drag to the train. So if you have a big curve in the middle of a long grade, when the train rounds that curve it till get harder to pull. The prototype solution is to reduce the grade through the curve, so there is a more consistent drag. For example, consider a long 2% grade with a 90 degree curve in the middle. The basic grade might be designed at 2.25% with a reduction to 1.5% through the curve in order to even out the motive power effort required to get to the top of the hill.
Dave finished out the evening by showing a couple of photo presentations he has done. My favorite included scenes from a narrow gauge peat railroad in Ireland (I think).
For show and tell Dennis T brought along an N scale model of a U-50 locomotive. He had added a decoder to the older loco, which was quite heavy. He said it pulls like gangbusters.
I brought along a kit for the Penryn Fruit Company. This is a small wood HO structure that will be the standard kit for a special contest at the regional convention in June. Everyone in the contest builds the same kit using the same basic rules. You can find out more on the convention’s website – http://www.wnrr.net/PSX2014/contests.html. Now that I have the kit I guess I shall have to build it, especially since it looks pretty straightforward.
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. For regular meetings enter the lower, left side of the church from the rear lot.
Meetings are the first Thursday of each month, September through June. However in June we often do something different, like a layout tour. Doors open around 7:00 PM and the program starts at 7:30.
Remember the next meeting is March 6. The meeting after that is April 3. Hope to see you there or at least sometime on down the line.
Nomination Deadline this Friday, 3/7
Michael Highsmith, 4D Nominating Committee Chair
The 4D Board of Directors is seeking new members to fill the posts of Director 1 and Superintendent. Each is a two-year term commencing in August 2014.
Email me or the other committee members, Scott Buckley or Jeff Moorman with your name, the position you seek and a 250-300 word Candidate Statement by March 7.
Ballots will be sent by April 15.
Ross Jacobus, 1925 – 2014
Bob Rorabaugh
Ross Jacobus, long time model railroader, died on January 26, 2014 in Port Townsend, near three of his four daughters and their families.
Our Port Townsend NMRA guys rolled out a welcome carpet. John Colley in particular picked him up Wednesday evenings and took him to the club where, to the sound of running trains, Ross would sometimes drift off to dream a spell.
Ross had doted on two special wives, out-living both. He was loved by his girls, all four of them now in their fifties. The words they used of him: intelligent, curious, willing, humble, humorous, honorable, kind and “always there for us.” The memories of our North Seattle and Eastside clinicians include “always that smile,” “most awesome host with refreshments,” “willing to help or explain if asked,” and “crazy hair.”
He once asked this ol’ farm boy to prune his fruit trees, then paid me with a Bachmann HO Doodlebug. While pruning, I lost a spring from my small clippers and knew I’d never find it in the weeds and grass. Then, several Sundays later I noticed Ross walking through the church’s lobby with a spring in his step. Was that my spring? He just smiled at me.
Ross apparently didn’t “teach” his daughters the “what” he knew about loving God, spouse, family and work. Instead, he modeled the “who” he knew. He fleshed out many of the qualities of God’s relational love of His people. I asked his family to have a chat with their absent dad. “How do you like where you are now?” and “Would you mind if we leaned into the same heavenly Father’s love?” “Oh and tell our mom we’re coming, too.”
Why Attend a Convention? – Part II, PSX2014
David Yadock
There are several good reasons to attend a convention. I’m sure you have heard all of them before. None of which mean anything unless you attend! What other venue allows “behind the scenes” access to several local notable attractions? Is there another venue that gives the visitor unfettered access to multiple detailed how-to clinics? Where do you get to see home layouts and actually see how others are working in the hobby? There isn’t any, except at a convention. This is only part of a convention, there is much more!
Where else can you meet fellow modelers from places both near and far? This is one way to increase fellowship in the hobby. You can meet and greet with old friends. More importantly, you can make new friends in the hobby at a convention. New members to the NMRA can become acquainted with fellow members and find ways to become more active in the hobby. The convention allows members both new and old an open line of communication and put a “face with a name”. Sure, there is the internet, Grab Iron, and other forms of electronic communication but a convention allows fellow modelers a time to learn, to socialize, and to expand the hobby. All this and a bargain price!
I think the above mentioned items are the important aspects of attending convention. Sure, they sound like a sales pitch but they are true. I admit going to a convention takes some time out of an otherwise busy schedule. The important thing is to make the time available and be an active part of the convention. Everyone needs to seek out the newer members and introduce them to your circle of friends. I feel this action helps promote the hobby from within that is bound to expand the hobby to more than just the NMRA. A convention is a good way to accomplish the social part of our hobby. It is a necessary part of this hobby we call model railroading.
Get the details at the PSX2014 website: http://www.wnrr.net/PSX2014/
Why Attend a Convention? PSX2014
Roger Nulton, MMR
To me, the most rewarding benefit of NMRA membership is the privilege of attending conventions with fellow modelers. Over the past 25 years, we have attended dozens of them: locally, in the West, and nationally. My favorites are the Regional conventions: they have all the benefits without the high costs and the crowds. Especially attractive is the opportunity to visit great layouts at our leisure without relying on a bus and following a schedule.
PSX2014 is to be held in an excellent location for railfans. The La Quinta convention headquarters hotel is literally surrounded by railroads, and the Tacoma Amtrak station is at our doorstep! We are close to “Freighthouse Square”, the old Milwaukee freight station that has been re-purposed into shops and restaurants. Freighthouse Square is also a stop for the Tacoma “Link” light rail system, which can take you directly to the Washington State History Museum, containing the fantastic HO layout of the Puget Sound Model Railroad Engineers. With all the activities that are planned: prototype tours; layout tours; contests; clinics and more, it’s going to be a great convention!
If you haven’t registered for PSX2014, there is still time before the price goes up. Visit the website at http://www.wnrr.net/PSX2014/
Next Board of Directors Meeting March 8
Russ Segner, Superintendent of 4D/PNR/NMRA
I am calling a meeting of the 4th Division Board of Directors to be held March 8, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. at Mitzel’s Restaurant, 22330 84th Ave S, Kent (253) 395-3635.
The major business of this meeting is to deal with two vacancies on the Board. One will be the Director position held by Mike Highsmith prior to his move up to Assistant Superintendent. The term of the position runs through August 31, 2015. The second position is that of Secretary. This is a position appointed by the Superintendent with the concurrence of the BOD.
I have put forward the name of Tina Brikoff for Secretary. If you wish to put your name forth for the vacant Director position, please contact me at russseg@gmail.com. Please be prepared to be at the meeting with a statement of qualifications and why you are interested in serving in the position. After discussion, the BOD will make a selection.
Tacoma Clinic February Report
Al Babinsky, Photos by Chip
Since I was not able to attend the clinic I want to thank Chip for doing the steno duties and taking the photos which will comprise most of this report.
MMR Gene Swanson opened the clinic and asked for announcements. The primary announcement is the 4D convention in June at the LaQuinta inn in Tacoma.
Walt Huston presented Scott Taylor with 2 civil AP awards.
The video library was available and Bill of Tacoma Trains presented What’s New at the Hobby Shop (rather slim as can be seen by the photo).
Bring and Brag (model of the month) had several entries with the winner being Diane Kraus’s control tower.
Tip of the Month: Construction foam does last, with an example layout (recently disassembled) lasting 12 years. Gaps for a juicer and reverser need distance.
After the break Jim Sabol presented his clinic on successful soldering:
If you’re doing something wrong, stop it, if you aren’t doing something, start.
Different metals solder differently and you need to learn each and make sure that both pieces are clean. Use whatever methods work best, such as sandpaper, files, scrapers, and acid (if needed). Do not use acid when soldering electrical components. The soldering tip needs to be clean and tinned and use rosin core solder and flux with electrical components. Hold both parts still until the solder turns dull and then clean off excess flux. Always use the correct size soldering iron for the job, large pieces need a high wattage iron and electronics need a low wattage iron. Walt Huston and Dale Kraus assisted in a demonstration soldering N scale equipment and decoders.
Next month’s clinic will be on layout presentation and will be presented by Dale Kraus.
Due to a little timing problem we could not get our usual place, so please note that next month’s clinic will be at the Summit Library 5107 112th Street East which is just of Canyon Road. The date is 13th of March at the usual time of 7:30 PM.
Soldering Clinic Award Presentation
What’s new at the hobby shop
Bring and Brag winner
Eastside Clinic & Private Layout Tour
JJ Johnston
Notice: Eastside Get Together announced a unique clinic presentation and a follow-up home layout tour. The monthly meeting coming this Thursday, February 20, 7:30 pm of the Eastside group will feature an informative clinic never before seen in our region by noted local modeler Lee Marsh.
Lee’s clinic will feature his famous Great Northern Cascade Division HO layout covering layout construction from its conception to its nearly completed stage today. He will show unique features such as mock-ups, access, scenery details, rolling stock set-up, wiring and DCC conversion along with photos of his home layout which recently appeared in TRACKSIDE PHOTOS of Model Railroader magazine, July 2013 issue You’ll witness the layout evolution into a sense of place as his Cascadian glides from Spokane through the mountains to Seattle and the trains into a sense of time in the Spring of 1950. The Great Northern Railroad Historical Society (GNRHS) has published an article on his Cascade Division and Lee has received permission to reprint the article as a handout to be distributed to those attending this meeting.
Lee’s Private Home Layout Tour. A future date has been established for a private tour of Lee’s home layout. You MUST attend the clinic presentation to receive the date, place and time of the event and complete a personal sign-up registration. The information regarding the layout tour will not be published after this announcement. Lee’s layout has not been seen by very many people and has not been on any open house schedule of local conventions. This is one meeting you will not want to miss.
Of course the Thursday meeting will feature our usual official greeting of all members, free coffee, donuts, Model of the Month competition, video rental library, railroad items for sale and fabulous door prizes donated by Inside Gateway’s Steve Depolo in Woodinville.
Meetings at Bellevue Foursquare Church, 2015 Richards Road, Bellevue, 98006.