Click here to read the Mt. Vernon Non-Clinic Report for May 2020.
Grab Iron Posts
Wood & Iverson Log Train Wreck
By George Chambers
Now with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) land back open after being closed for Covid-19, I got in a hike to the February 23, 1925 log train wreck site on Tiger Mountain near Issaquah. When the over loaded train ran out of air for its brakes and jumped the tracks near Holder Creek, the 3-truck Climax locomotive, flat cars carrying rail, a passenger car and the Clyde track laying machine went off the rails. Some car parts, wheels and the Clyde track laying machine are still there after 95 years.
I began my hike to the wreck site from the DNR Tiger Summit Trailhead parking lot off Highway 18. The first part of the hike is on the Iverson Railroad Trail which goes 1.5 miles to meet the DNR West Side Road. About half of this trail is on an old logging railroad grade. Any bridges at creek crossings are long gone. I then hiked west on the DNR West Side Road for 0.3 miles to the junction with the Tiger Mountain Trail. I turned right and headed north on the TMT to Zeig’s Zag. This is at a switchback on the old W&I logging railroad grade. I continued north a short distance on the Artifacts Trail to the train wreck site. You can see some wheels, car parts and the remains of the Clyde track laying machine. It is a six mile round trip hike to the wreck site to see the artifacts.
Wheels at the log train wreck site 
Wheels and car parts 
Remains of the Clyde track laying machine 
Another view of the Clyde track laying machine
I have been to the site several times. There are many other old logging railroad grades to hike on in the Tiger Mountain State Forest. DNR uses some of them for trails. I have hiked them all. Note: you need a Discover Pass for your car to park at the trailhead.
A good book to read and has photos of the log train wreck is, “Wood & Iverson: Loggers of Tiger Mountain”, by the late Ken Schmelzer.
George
ANNUAL MEETING – Saturday May 23
By Russ Segner
We are going high-tech! This year’s Annual Meeting cannot be held at a hotel, so no mediocre lunch or uncomfortable meeting room chairs. In fact, it’s FREE!
You can attend in your casuals, just need tops for sure. We will meet online using Zoom. All you will need is a computer with built in camera and audio or a tablet or smart phone. Many of you have already been in such meetings and know how it works.
All 4D Board Members will be there. We will convene a brief business meeting which will give opportunity for any members to ask questions.
A brief review of last year will be given and some ideas of how we will go forward, including any changes required to deal with the current health crisis.
We will present the Golden Grab Iron Award, as well as some special recognitions by the Superintendent.
Editor’s Note: The Clinic details in this section were revised on 5/19/20
The meeting will be followed by two online clinics, each 45 minutes, including time for questions.
- The first one is a visit with Mike Stepner who will show us his new On30 layout depicting the Magma Arizona mining railroad.
- Then Jim Younkins will take us on a tour of his wonderful layout – The Mud Bay and Southern.
So, save the date. You will receive an invitation a few days before the meeting via email with a link to the meeting and the password you’ll need to get in. SAVE THIS EMAIL AND PASSWORD!
So mark your calendar: May 23 at 9:30 AM
Russ Segner
206 200 2211
russseg@gmail.com
Be Careful, Be Safe
With the current issues with a virus running around and so many affected, the hackers and scammers come out in force.
I received a note supposedly from one of our officers asking for Gift Cards to support our health care workers and first responders.
I also have received notices from other groups and NMRA regions that they have been seeing requests going out from their group. Watch out for these.
Keep your (computer) antivirus up to date and use caution with any suspicious email.
Be careful and stay safe.
Hoping we can get back to having activities soon,
Al Turnbull
Annual Meeting will be Online
By Russ Segner
We are going high-tech! This year’s Annual Meeting cannot be held at a hotel, so no mediocre lunch or uncomfortable meeting room chairs. In fact, it’s FREE!
You can attend in your casuals, just need tops for sure. We will meet online using Zoom. All you will need is a computer with camera and audio or a tablet or smartphone . Many of you have already been in such meetings and know how it works.
All 4D Board Members will be there. We will convene a brief business meeting which will give opportunity for any members to ask questions.
A brief review of last year will be given and some ideas of how we will go forward, including any changes required to deal with the current health crisis.
We will also present the Golden Grab Iron Award, as well as some special recognitions by the Superintendent.
The meeting will be followed by two online clinics, each 45 minutes, including time for questions.
So, save the date. You will receive an invitation a few days before the meeting via email with a link to the meeting and the password you’ll need to get in.
So mark your calendar: May 23 at 9:30 AM
Russ Segner
206 200 2211
russseg@gmail.com
Chuck Ricketts Fantasy Island Railroad – Part 3
Click here to read the third article on Chuck Ricketts Fantasy Island Railroad.
Seattle North End NMRA clinic this Thursday! ONLINE!
By Lisa Murray
Hello everyone!
While it technically has only been 62 days since our last in-person clinic, it has seemed more like 62 years. And don’t get me going about how long 2020 has seemed so far this year.
I am pleased to announce that we will have a clinic this Thursday night!!
Burr Stewart will present on How to Set Up Locomotive Braking using DCC on engines with different types of decoders. Click here for a copy of the handout Burr will be using during his presentation. Due to the stay-at-home orders being extended through the end of May, we will be conducting our meeting via Zoom.
The meeting will start at 7:30pm on Thursday, May 7. Check your Grab Iron email for the Zoom link! You can also email me for the information.
In addition to the presentation we will take time to catch up with everyone and see what you have been doing with all of your spare time. Bring things for show and tell!
I hope that as many of you can attend as possible. This will be posted in the Grab Iron as well.
See you on the big screen on Thursday night!
Lisa
Online Sharing
By Russ Segner
I was invited to an on-line clinic yesterday by one of the divisions in Texas. It was great. I got to interact with several guys I had met in various Conventions. Lots of good ideas were shared.
This reminded me of a recent conversation. Someone asked me, “What are the advantages of membership in the NMRA?”
So, I wrote a draft statement and shared it with Al Lowe and this is what we came up with:
The advantages of NMRA membership
We share. The NMRA is the one organization dedicated to sharing interest in model railroading.
We care about the future of the hobby by leading in the establishment of standards used by manufacturers and modelers. This has promoted a wide array of factory-built models as well as electronics used in the hobby.
We promote the hobby on a consistent basis to the general public at train shows and museums. A great many of our members are volunteers in restoration and operation of historic railway equipment. The NMRA led in recently establishing a very large permanent exhibit on model railroading at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento.
We educate one another and the public about railroads, their history and contribution to our economy. We also educate and promote safety around trains.
Membership comes with the NMRA magazine which contains information on activities locally and worldwide as well as articles on model building.
We have an array of local, regional and national meetings to share experience in “how to” clinics, history and research on various rail operations.
We challenge each other in model building contests with awards for excellence. We learn from each other and many work together in construction and operation of home layouts.
We have a program called Master Model Railroader which requires completion of work in the major skills of model railroading. This is a challenging program and the MMR Award and Designation is a lot of work well respected in the hobby.
The 4th Division has a strong effort going with modular layouts in several scales. This a great way to meet and work with other model railroaders, to improve modeling skills and share the hobby with the public. Camaraderie is the glue that keeps us active and strong. Model Railroading is fun.
I invite you to join us.
Russ Segner, 4D Superintendent
206 200 2211
So, if someone asks you about membership in the NMRA, here are some thoughts. Share this message.
Reminder – NMRA Clinic Special Interest Discussion Group
Don’t forget that Jim Betz created a Special Interest Discussion Group last month called PNWRRModelers. It can be found at:
https://groups.io/g/PNWRRModelers/
PNW Railroad Modelers is a discussion group for model railroaders in the Pacific Northwest
To gain access you will need to click the “Join The Group” button and then make a post to it to introduce yourself to the other members. The first post will go to Jim and he will approve it (this discourages scoundrels) and you will be live from then on.
Mt. Vernon April Non-Clinic Report
Click here to read the Mt. Vernon Non-Clinic Report for April 2020.