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Gene Swanson

Written by Russ Segner
2 Comments

Ken Liesse just posted this. Ken speaks for all of us in our appreciation of Gene Swanson

“It is with great sadness that I report the passing of my friend, Gene Swanson, MMR last Friday in Tacoma, WA. Gene was a fixture in 4D/PNR and had just won the President’s Award from the NMRA in June of this year. Gene ran the Tacoma Clinic for over two decades and was instrumental in building the popularity of that meeting. He was also a member of the Puget Sound Model Railroad Engineers and built several of the structures on the layout, mostly from scratch. Gene preferred to work in wood, but would “stoop” to plastic on occasion when necessary.

My own association with Gene began when I started attending the Tacoma Clinic. Gene’s welcoming nature brought me into the group and made me feel at home. His layout was the first I assessed for MMR and I was very happy to be on hand when he was awarded this honor. He also invited me to help out with a traveling museum exhibit, which culminated with me doing the figures and animals for a traveling display depicting how the railroads tamed the west that visited several museums around the country.

Ever a high school sports fan, Gene was very encouraging to my son, who was a budding high school sports photographer when they met. They formed a friendship of their own, and Gene ended up commissioning my son to do a photo book of Gene’s layout, which ended up with four separate printings.

Gene will be missed by all in 4D and PNR.”

Thanks, Ken.

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Dioramas are under construction now.

Written by Russ Segner
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I am aware of several who are building dioramas for display at the Boeing Swap Meet November 9. There is still time to get one ready. Rules are simple:

12″ by 24″  

Railroad theme

Any scale

Give it a try to show off some of your skills and challenge others to get those kits out of their boxes and built.

Questions? Contact me at 206 200 2211. Russ Segner

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Puget Sound HOn3 Module Group

Written by Anton Faulk
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By Syd Schofield

The Puget Sound HOn3 Modular Group is underway with the first two modules being constructed. The theme for those two modules is the Newcastle coal mine-to-Lake Washington connection. These are being built by Russ Segner and John Paschal. Interfacing modules may have other themes as determined by their builders.

Matching track locations for other modules have yet to be determined and may take some coordination. Russ and John have taken the lead on the module design, so the general specification may be strongly, yet not finally determined by their efforts.

A proposed specification, subject to close scrutiny, slings and arrows, is available upon request from the undersigned.

As Interim focal and contact, I can collect comments from all interested parties at:

sydsg@gmail.com
(425) 235-4911 home
(425) 523-4685 cell

Syd Schofield

Narrow Gauge, News

Clinic Report – East Side Get Together – October 2019

Written by Anton Faulk
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Article & Photos By Syd Schofield

The National Model Railroad Association Fourth Division of the Pacific Northwest Region (4d PNR NMRA) Eastside Get Together Clinic for October was held Thursday evening at the Redmond Community Center, Alex Brikoff presiding.  The gathering was brought to order and the program began at 7:15 PM.  At that time, notable attendees were introduced and upcoming events of interest were announced.  The Grab-Iron newsletter will furnish event times, schedules and other event details.

For the model of the month, Chris Cooney showed several HO scale buildings to be used on his HOn3 layout. 

Chris Cooney’s model of the month winner

Syd Schofield had a photo of #478, the narrow-gauge steam locomotive, one of three ALCO K-28 type on the Durango and Silverton railroad, the prototype of an On3 model he showed earlier this year.  Bob Rorabaugh showed a model tree typical of the massive trees brought down in the early lumber harvest in the Sierras and Cascades.

Syd Schofield’s photo of the ALCO K-28 on the Durango and Silverton railroad

George Chambers presented pictures and stories of his summer trip on the White Pass and Yukon Railroad, and the Alaska Railroad.

Bob Stafford showed pictures of his recent Union Pacific 4014 “Big Boy” 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive excursion from Cheyenne, where it was restored, to Ogden for the 150th Trans-Continental railroad Golden Spike anniversary.  There was a huge gathering along the entire way and massive attendance at the Promontory Point Historical Site. 

First choice door prize selection model of the month and photo of the month.  The remainder were dispersed by the usual drawing method, manned by Anton Faulk.

C. J. Turner was kind enough to once again provide our refreshments.

Syd Schofield

Eastside Get-Together (Redmond) Clinic

Skagit Valley Children’s Museum

Written by Anton Faulk
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By James Harvey

The Skagit Valley Children’s Museum located in the Burlington Outlet Mall (Old Bass store) is building a hanging G Scale model railroad with over 700 feet of track as an interactive display. The main layout is suspended 9 feet high due to the other museum structures. There will be false building fronts and wall murals depicting that area of the layout, farm land, city, industrial etc. The trains will be controlled by push buttons and the kids will be able to view the trains from cameras inside the cabs. A lot of items have already been donated for this project and grants from BNSF have been given. This project is ready to begin. We need volunteers to build this layout. If you work with wood, wiring, landscaping and painting, we need you. Click here to see the drawing of the layout. If you would like to participate in this project, please contact me.

James Harvey
(360) 914-7714
James.c.harvey@comcast.net

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More National Narrow Gauge Convention

Written by Russ Segner
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By Russ Segner

The recent Narrow Gauge Convention featured many very interesting things. There were great clinics, many fine layouts and several prototype attractions. There were also several award winners from our area: Greg Wright and Harry Avis of Olympia both won awards as was previously reported.

Mark Allen from Roche Harbor won two 2nd Place awards; one for his module Mystic Mine and one for his Parlor Car “Cascade”

Don Rose of Gig Harbor won 1st Place Motive Power Rod Locomotive a CB&Q Consolidation

I saw several fine layouts

Jeff Reynolds – Mears Madness is a famous HOn3 layout which has been relocated to Nevada City, CA in the hill country northeast of Sacramento. It is in it’s own 30′ x 40′ building. It is one of the largest HOn3 layouts in California.

Aaron Splawn – Nighthawk Branch of the Copper River & Yukon Railroad

Aaron has restored the best parts of Brian Ellerby’s famous Copper River and Yukon Sn3 layout. When we had to dismantle Brian’s layout, we were able to keep the beautiful Nighthawk scenes intact. Jimmy Booth of PBL was able to truck it to California where it is now located. It is possible that this famous layout will ultimately move to the California Railway Museum in the new Model Railroad Section.

California Railway Museum

This is one of the finest railway museums in the world. A major portion is dedicated to the history of the rails through the Sierra’s. Beautiful 4-4-0’s are displayed alongside one of the Southern Pacific cab forwards.

A new section on Model Railroading is open now in October. We got a preview.

I certainly hope many of you will get to Sacramento to visit this fine museum. Plan to spend the day viewing all the exhibits and the nearby historic Old Town.

Next year, the National Narrow Gauge Convention will be in St. Louis and the Convention will be in Seattle in 2022.

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Skagit Valley and Whidbey Clinic October Meeting Foam Scenery and Other Topics

Written by Rich Blake
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Article and Photos by Rich Thom

Cliff Aaker, subbing for clinic chair Rich Blake, welcomed 24 to the SV&W NMRA Clinic’s October meeting.  Cliff welcomed first-time attendees Roy and Penny Andrukat, Oak Harbor residents modeling in n-scale; we hope they become regulars.  Sad news about the Anacortes and Fidalgo Model Railroad Club, whose members are long-time clinic contributors: the lease on their space has been terminated by the building’s owner, a familiar story to many clubs.  The club’s annual Fall Open House on Nov 2nd and 3rd will likely be their last.  We hope modelers from all over the area will consider paying a visit to the club’s HO-scale 24’ x 45’ layout, featuring Many scratchbuilt bridges and other structures.  Hours each day are 10 am to 4 pm; the address is 419 Q Avenue (intersection of 5th and Q), Anacortes.

The evening’s clinician was MMR Mark Malmkar, who reprised highlights of several clinics he presented over the years back in Nebraska, from which Mark and wife Chris relocated to Whidbey Island.  Mark first covered diverse topics including: layout design for 4’ x 8’ tabletops; locomotive wheel arrangements; benchwork types; wiring basics; passenger car eras and car types; and dining car window arrangements.  Mark is an expert on passenger cars, Pullman Company history and its monopoly on sleeping car services, and the complex Pullman routes and innumerable car variations, and always has good examples and anecdotes to share.  We were even pulled back into that era by Mark’s use of flip-charts—if anyone can remember those!  (In his defense, he has also given clinics using Powerpoint.)        

Fig 1 – Mark Malmkar Shows Sample Foam Scenery Sections

Next, Mark focused on his extensive use of insulating foam scenery (Fig 1).  Mark has managed a somewhat rare feat: He packed up and moved his entire Nebraska model railroad to Washington, and is in the process of re-assembling it, with some shifts and rotations of sections here and there to fit the new space.  One feature which made this easier—or even possible at all—was his extensive use of foam scenery rather than plaster hardshell.  Its light weight and ease of creating large, easily-removable scenery sections and smaller liftouts is well-known.  Mark described the tools and adhesives he used to laminate 1” – 1 and ½” – and 2” sheets into landforms, the rasps and carving tools used to sculpt it, and materials to overcoat it to form the final scenic form.  Fig 2 shows one of several liftouts Mark brought in to show, this one with a tunnel.  Thanks to Mark for an interesting and entertaining presentation.      

Fig 2 – A Foam Liftout Including a Tunnel

Rich

Skagit Valley and Whidbey Island Clinic

Upcoming Clinic – Eastside Get Together, Thursday 10/17

Written by Anton Faulk
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By Alex Brikoff

The October 2019 Eastside Get Together Clinic will have its monthly meeting on October 17, 2019.

The Clinic will meet at the:
Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village
6505 176TH AVE NE, Rm. 202
REDMOND WA 98052-4930

Doors open at 7:00 PM and meeting starts promptly at 7:15 PM

We will bring everyone up to date on the noteworthy model railroad and railfan events coming up in the area for the fall months ahead. We’ll also have our Model of the Month contest and Rail Photo of the Month contest. So, please bring your models and photos for the contests! Winners will have first choice of many fine items from our Door Prize table.

This month’s clinic will be a “twofer”. The first portion will be devoted to George Chambers and the conclusion of his presentation about his trip on the “White Pass and Yukon Railway” this past summer. The next portion of the clinic, titled “U. P. Memories”, will be a personal retrospective of somewhat recent Union Pacific history and operations presented by Bob Stafford. It will be a combination of slides and digital photos of UP operations in the western United States. This special presentation will be highlighted by photos of Bob’s chase of the UP 4014 across Wyoming to Ogden, UT this past spring.

We will have refreshments and snacks available as always. We’ll also have a great selection of Door Prizes to give away at the end of the clinic.

See you there!!

Alex Brikoff

Eastside Get-Together (Redmond) Clinic

MOHAI – This Thanksgiving

Written by Russ Segner
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By Russ Segner

Once again we are going to provide a public show at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) over the Thanksgiving weekend. This is another great opportunity for members to share with the public our interest and skills in model railroading.

Last Year

  • N-trak Setup
  • N-trak
  • HO
  • HO
  • On30
  • Hi-Rail
  • Hi-Rail
  • Hi-Rail

We will have three main layouts; the N-trak; the HO and the Hi-Rail. In addition to their layouts, the HO and the Hi-Rail will be hosting two separate child friendly displays located adjacent to their main layouts. There will also be six one man displays including: the 4D switching layout, a small On30 operating display and Operation Lifesaver.   All of this will need volunteers to run all day each day of the show.

The modular layouts, of course, will have their own members to operate.  But, since we will be operating over several days, there will be opportunity for others of you who are not regular members of these groups to join in and run trains.  So, here is where you can join in and help:

Modules – N-trak – HO – Hi-Rail

Small displays

Switching layout

If you can volunteer for a four hour shift in the morning or afternoon, please contact either:

Ed Ives at 425 391 3313 or email gresley7@gmail.com,

Russ Segner at 206 200 2211 or email russseg@gmail.com.

Russ

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