BEMRRC Layout, March 2013
The BEMRC recently posted some photographs of their progress on the Seattle and North Cascasdes Railway at their World Headquarters in Burien, WA. The Boeing Employees Model Railroad Club has completed it mainline, has final wiring in progress, and the sidings and spurs are progressing, too. To see what they’re doing, click here.
Click image to register!
Have you ever wondered why some guys always seem to build outstanding models and are constantly winning model contests, or why their layout is continually featured in train magazines? Do you have questions about how to design your layout or about how to make an interesting diorama?
These and many other questions will be answered at the upcoming 4D Spring Meet. Twenty-one experts will share with you their knowledge and insights about building and operating model trains. Set aside Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19.
Saturday, May 18 you will have a selection of 12 clinics, lunch, and updates on regional and national activities at our meeting at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Tukwila. Sunday, May 19 you will be invited to visit some really great local layouts.
Registration is now open. $20 gets you to all this, plus lunch! More information and registration is available on the website. See who the presenters are and what the clinics will cover. You register online, but pay at the door. Seating is limited, so do not wait. After May 11, the price of registration goes up!
JJ Johnston welcomed about 35 attendees to the March Eastside Get-Together. After his usual introduction of “notables” in attendance, he turned the floor over to 4D Superintendent Ken Liesse for several announcements before Ken had to leave to get back to work on a final exam for school.
Ken commented on the upcoming 4D Board of Directors election, stating there were three positions up for election: two Directors and Assistant Superintendent. Anyone interested in running for any of these positions send their candidate statement to Ed Liesse by Saturday, March 30. This includes incumbents planning to run for re-election! This is a definite cutoff date since the ballot will be going to press April 1. Ken also mentioned the need for everyone to make sure the NMRA has your current email address in their database. More and more NMRA, PNR and 4D communication will be coming via email. Send your email address to Ed Liesse, PNR Co-Office Manager, when it changes.
Ken mentioned the upcoming 4D Spring Meet, but left the details to Chairman Russ Segner, who reiterated the meet will be May 18, at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Tukwila. Cost will be $20, which includes lunch! He has a great assembly of clinicians that will force attendees to decide which of the 12 clinics to attend. Three occur at the same time (in different rooms, of course). There will be 4 presentation times, with no clinics repeated. After the last clinic, the 4D Annual Meeting will be held, plus the presentation of awards, including the Golden Grab Iron Award. At the conclusion of the meeting, maps will be distributed for Sunday’s layout tours. You must be present and registered for the Meet to get the maps. Your Spring Meet badge should be worn during Sunday’s layout tours. Watch for further announcements in the next few weeks through Internet communications with updates on the Spring Meet.
JJ announced The Inside Gateway hobby shop will move from Bellevue to Woodinville effective the first part of April. He had maps available for the new location. He then asked if we had any new attendees and Alex Brown stood, introduced himself, and said he was just getting back into the hobby after a long hiatus. He was welcomed to the group and, later on, won one of the door prizes!
John Thompson’s Superior Company Store
The Model of the Month contest had only two real entries this month. John Thompson won with his model of the Superior Company Store. There were also displays for the upcoming Spring Meet and an attendee’s photo display of a trip to China.
After the break, JJ reminded us that last month we decided to take a collection for the NMRA Display at the CaliforniaStateRailroadMuseum in Sacramento showing the history of model railroading. After passing the hat, we ended up with $180 to send to NMRA from the Eastside Get-Together. Thanks to all! We challenge every other 4D Clinic to do the same for this good cause!
JJ then introduced CJ Riley, MMR, our clinic presenter for the night. The original clinic CJ planned to do, using a PowerPoint presentation, wouldn’t open right on the computer, so he substituted other pictures he had and spoke about them. This turned into an interesting presentation of freight and passenger cars constructed from the 20s to 50s with CJ explaining differences in construction and use. CJ promised to get the original clinic working and come back at a future date to present it. The makeshift clinic was enjoyed by all. Thanks, CJ.
The evening was closed out with our door prize drawings purloined from Steve Depolo at The Inside Gateway hobby shop. The next Eastside Get-Together will be April 18. Come join us!
Mark your calendar! The 4D Spring Meet 2013 is scheduled for the weekend of May 18–19. Chair Russ Segner has put together some great clinics and layout open houses for you. Details will follow over the next few weeks. More information available at the Spring Meet website.
For right now, reserve that weekend for some great model railroading fun, fellowship, and education!
MMR Gene Swanson opened the clinic on time as usual with a total of 40 modelers and guest in attendance.
It was reported that the Corkscrew Northern, built by Ken Gentili and others, was destroyed. The CN had been looking for a new home since the Boys and Girls club needed the space.
Model of the Month or, as we call it “The Bring and Brag,” had a number of great entries. Chip brought Eddy Fisher Leasing locomotive which he painted and detailed along with a string of hopper cars most of which he stripped and repainted. Walt brought in 3 NW2’s which modified by adding 3-chime horns, beacons, and removed steps along with 2 depressed-center metal body flatcars. They had the wheels replaced and body mounted couplers installed. He also built 2 MDC boxcar kits and detailed them for his railroad. Dave brought a loggers cabin wood kit. Scott showed an Atlas HO lumber yard kit and a 137% enlarged version scratchbuilt along with a saw house. Chris had a heavily-weathered hopper with graffiti and excursion caboose with a load of passengers. Gene showed a Silver Streak kit to which he added Kadee sprung trucks and couplers. George Bouncier from Tacoma Trains presented “What’s New at the Hobby Shop,” with a number of items in several scales, including a Z scale hopper pack. The Model of Month was won by Scott Groft’s scratchbuilt lumber yard.
After the break Jim Sabot and Robert Grove presented their clinic on the DuPont Narrow Gauge. The E. I. DuPont Powder Works had an extensive 3’ narrow gauge network at their plant to transport raw material and finished product within the plant area and to the deep water wharf. They operated a 12-ton Plymouth diesel with homebuilt rolling stock. A very informative clinic along with a slide show and information on the restoration effort of some rolling stock.
Next month’s clinic by Dale Kraus will an update on decoders. We’ll meet in our usual location in the Pierce County Library Admin. Bldg., corner of Waller Road and 112 Street, at 7:30 pm. Please come and join us.
(As always, click a photo to enlarge.)
Walt’s N scale equipment
Stripped and re-painted Loco and Hopper cars
Lumber yard and Silver Streak boxcar
Logging shed
Filling lead shot
This is the final anticipated “blast” before the Iron Horse Express convention. A last minute reminder to register, purchase trips and company store items, plus several housekeeping items. For actual up to the minute information check the Convention website.
The block rate guaranteed price is only available through Wednesday, March 20. If you want to stay at the convention hotel and have not reserved a room, you must do so by then to get the convention rate. Call 925-828-7750 and reference room code RRA.
Several South Bay layouts will be open on Wednesday afternoon and evening so you can visit them on your way to the Convention. Check the Schedule page of the Convention website to see which layouts will be open when.
Maps and addresses of all open layouts will soon be available. Check the Layout Tours page of the Convention website for info. Look for the “Maps and Directions” button.
If you are interested in joining an Operating Session, email Dave Parks. He will contact you and get you scheduled.
In addition to our regularly scheduled clinics, we have three hand-on clinics on Thursday where you can participate in making/doing things. Two of these are restricted in attendance.
The Turnout Clinic has a $4 materials fee for the turnout you will make and take home. Sign up for Jim Petro’s Turnout Clinic at Registration – the clinic will be presented three times, with a maximum of 7 participants each time.
George Pisching’s Foam Terrain Clinic will be presented three times with a maximum of 15 participants each time. Sign up at Registration.
Professional photographers and modelers Franklin Avery and Mike Blumenstaadt will do a clinic on lighting and photographing model railroad layouts. They ask that attendees bring their own camera, preferably one with manual controls, for some hands-on practice.
There are still tables available for Friday night’s Swap Meet. Reserve yours on-line or at the registration desk.
We still have space available. Purchase through the on-line store or the registration desk.
If you registered before the Convention Car was available and missed it on the website, it is an Accurail three-bay covered hopper with data only and decals of the convention logo and up to six car numbers. The decal sheets are also available separately. We have a rapidly-dwindling supply of shirts and ball caps still available.
Everyone is encouraged to attend Sunday morning’s Annual Meeting. You do not need to attend the breakfast to attend the meeting, but if you want the partially subsidized buffet breakfast you must register by Thursday morning, either through the on-line store or at registration, in order for us to give the hotel a proper meal count.
The Awards Banquet is buffet style with what we believe are adequate options for vegetarian eaters. If you have more restrictive dietary issues, please let us know at registration and we and the hotel will do our best to accommodate you.
Several potential schedules are available at the registration desk and some will be posted on the website shortly. One schedule may be of particular interest to those arriving Tuesday. If you leave the hotel by 7:50 a.m. Wednesday morning, you can go completely around the bay and be back in time to catch the first clinic or Board of Directors meeting at 1:00 p.m. DISCLAIMER: of course delays on Amtrak, Caltrain or BART could impact the return time.
An Iron Horse Trail description will be available at registration. We suggest BYOB (Bring Your Own Bike) if you would like to bike a part or all of the trail. Otherwise, “Just Take a Hike.”
Both tours have been cancelled and full refunds will be made. Please note the museum is open that day and the tour slots reserved for us are available by emailing them. They request a $20 donation. You will need your own transportation.
We have numerous Door Prizes donated by both manufacturers and PCR members, but can always use more. This could be a great opportunity to clear your work shop of any scale items you are not currently modeling. We would appreciate only new items still in boxes.
Clinic Chair Rich Blake called the meeting to order at a little past 7:00 am with 30 hearty souls in attendance. The group was treated to a pre-clinic “swap mart,” where people bring items to sell or trade or even give away. While the swap mart was held every few months or so in the past, it has become quite popular and is now a monthly part of the clinic.
Phil Gonzales brought along a nifty jig he made to make duplicate cuts in Campbell corrugated siding. He passed it around for all to see, but wouldn’t take orders to build any more. Darn!
The main event of the evening was delayed a bit while Rich and others tried to solve some technical difficulties with the computer, but the computer held out and wouldn’t cooperate, so we didn’t see the DVDs that were to be a part of the show.
Undaunted, our clinician, John White (and former clinic chairperson) pressed onward with his presentation entitled “Track Construction Methods In The Real World,” aided by his ever faithful Kodak slides and projector. John’s presentation told part of the story of the evolution of track/tie renewal from single insertions, to panelization, gantries and finally the need for a faster system for total track renewal, hence the P811.
John described the evolution of the use of concrete ties in North American railroading, including first aborted attempts in the 1960s.
Then, in the 1970s, the Canadian National, plunged forward with some extensive research and development into the use of concrete ties. This was also when use of the European P811 machine came into use, as a machine that could remove old wood ties, grade the ballast, and place new concrete ties all in one fell swoop. Quite a machine, judging by the great slides John displayed.
The P811 became the defacto machine used by the CN, UP, Amtrak and BNSF and is in use today, placing 400,000 or more ties per year for each railroad. A couple of interesting facts:
Quite a fascinating presentation by a fascinating individual. Thank you, John!
The April Clinic is scheduled to be “DCC Hands On Sound System Test Track” by Bill Harper and Jon Mann. All are welcome at the Summer Hill Retirement Center in Oak Harbor. The clinic starts at 7:00 pm, but come early to see what goodies show up for sale. Also, several folks get together for dinner at 5:00 pm at San Remo’s on Midway Blvd in Oak Harbor. For more info, email Al Carter or Rich Blake.
Sorry, no pictures this time – our official photographer was off running trains.
The clinics in Olympia are usually a cut above, but the March 15th get–together at the home of Robert and Sherry Grove was dynamite for the 17 happy modelers present. Actually it was about making dynamite and the attendant modeling possibilities.
Jim Sabol and Robert Grove prep their posters. (A pair of poster-prepping perpetrators practicing presentations.)
Robert Grove and Jim Sabol reprised their two-part clinic, first presented at the recent Bellevue National Narrow Gauge Convention. Jim’s graphic handouts and poster displays traced the history and operation of the DuPont Explosives Plant opposite the Fort Lewis main gate on I-5. Of greatest interest was the last narrow gauge railroad in the State of Washington, which was an integral part of the plant operation. Attendees learned how to manufacture nitro-glycerin but had to promise not to go home and make bombs, especially Jim Elder who, we could see, was giving it serious thought.
Robert followed with an entertaining as well as informative slide show of the DuPont plant’s motive power, including the currently displayed 12-ton “critter,” the rolling stock, the railroad track plan, the Northern Pacific interchange, and restoration efforts in the museum at the site of the company town, which is easily accessible off I-5 at exit 119.
Robert’s ability to skillfully organize varied material into a coherent program that we could all follow was much appreciated. Even Gracie the dog thought the presentation was almost as good as the cookie crumbs offered by sneaky hands in the audience. (Several of those hands were quite small inasmuch as their owners had previously worked in radio broadcasting: “wee paws for station identification.”)
A brief discussion re the June G.O.P.H.E.R.S. outing (Greater Olympia Prototype History & Engineering Research Society) selected June 16 as the date for our traditional prototype-themed trek. The vote favored the Government Locks in Ballard where we can observe the giant Great Northern heritage bascule bridge open and close between passing trains on their way to and from Vancouver and Chicago, plus the parade of boats through the locks, plus our traditional hot dog feast, plus green grass and sunshine. Don’t you just love model railroading?!
First-timer Cave Forsythe (left) is welcomed by Olympia host Ted Eggleston.
Favorite model balloting was won by Greg Wright whose model of a 20″ gauge work car in 1:32 scale is a work of art. Greg’s scratchbuilding and kit-bashing skills to produce original equipment for his 3/8″ scale mining layout always get us hunkered down to better admire the detail and finish on models for his Consolidated Republic Mining Company.
Once again it was discovered that everyone present held a winning door prize number and went home with something in his pocket. “It’s a muracle!” exclaimed Ron Bartels. Goodies included donations from Ronnie Beghin, Charles Lundberg, Ted Eggleston, Chuck Ricketts, and Jim Sabol.
Next month’s get-together will be April 19, our usual third Friday, and will feature Brian Ferris and Greg Wright on modeling the East Broad Top Railroad out of Rockhill Furnace and Orbisonia, Pennsylvania. It would be nice to see you there. Email Jim Younkins to receive monthly notices. Bring a model. Bring a friend. Have some chips. You’ll like it. We’ll like you.
Reminder: The next Eastside Get Together is this Thursday, March 21, at 7:30 pm, at Bellevue’s Four Square Church.
For the very first time, our own CJ Riley, MMR, will present his brand new clinic: a slide presentation of the elements necessary to create a believable rolling stock fleet, tilted toward the 1950s transition era, with images from his personal collection and historic material. We will be the first to see this new presentation which is based on three chapters of his forthcoming book, “The Art Of Illusion.”
Of course Clay Hanson will greet you, CJ Turner will provide you coffee and donuts, Roger will be there with the Mart, Stu may bring the video/DVD library, Steve Depolo will provide door prizes, we’ll have some VIP attendees and JJ will lead us with vim and vigor. See you this coming Thursday. Toot toot.
As usual, JJ Johnston welcomed everyone to the February Eastside Get-Together. After his usual introduction of “notables” attending the clinic, he opened the floor for announcements. Russ Segner discussed the upcoming 4D Spring Meet on May 18-19 with an overview of the current planning, which is coming together although there could still be some tweaking and to watch for more information in the Digital Grab Iron. Frank Dekker reported on the Pacific Science Center show. We had good weather although it was cool, with attendance around 14,500. He also announced that this would be his last show as co-coordinator and that David Yadock would be taking over his position on the PSC planning committee. Ed Liesse commented on the upcoming 4D BOD meeting, the Boise PNR convention in June, and the need for continued contributions for the NMRA display at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. Mike Cavanaugh suggested that the group take up a collection next month to make a donation in the group’s name to the NMRA in support of the Museum display. Everyone thought it was a good idea so we’ll do the collection in March. Russ also mentioned the Olympia Layout Tours coming up the first weekend in March, although he would be in Elsie, OR at a logging meet!
George Chambers detailed O scale gas station.
There were several items in the Model of the Month display this time. George Chambers ultimately was the winner with his detailed O scale gas station kit with a complete interior and a modified roof.
After the break, we were treated to a most interesting clinic by Todd Gamble on the making of trees for the layout. To start, he handed out rounded toothpicks and a small piece of synthetic wool filter. Then he demonstrated how to pull the wool gently apart and push the toothpick up through the wool. A dab of super glue just under the wool on the toothpick keeps it from falling off. Spray 3M “77” over the tree and sprinkle fine ground cover for foliage. When using 3M spray adhesive, do it outside or someplace with great air exhaust. The 3M spray is potent! In making background trees, use gray paint for the trunks; for foreground trees, use brown paint.
George Chambers O Scale gas station interior.
Todd did more demonstrations on how he makes trees of all sizes and for various areas of the layout. When the finished trees get dirty or dusty, he suggests mixing a small part of India ink in alcohol for a quick spray over the trees. The India ink in alcohol will refresh the trees. Todd also answered a lot of questions and, if he could, would demonstrate his technique. It was a fun clinic.
The evening was closed out with our door prize drawings purloined from Steve Depolo at The Inside Gateway hobby shop. The next Eastside Get-Together will be March 21 with a new clinic on creating proper rolling stock from CJ Riley, MMR. Come join us!