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MOHAI Train Show – A New Show

Written by Anton Faulk
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By Ed Ives

Do you remember with affection the Science Center train show when it was held at Thanksgiving, the start of the holiday season? Due to factors beyond our control that show was moved to a different date. Now we have a new show at a new location, MOHAI the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle over the Thanksgiving weekend and as always we REALLY, REALLY need your help. This is the first year for this show and we need to make a good example. There will be three modular groups in attendance as well as a small number of single person displays, all from the 4th Division.

How can you help? On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving we need folk to assist in directing on-site traffic and man the building doors to facilitate rapid and orderly load in. On the days of the show, Friday, Saturday and Sunday we need members to assist those running the displays so they can take a break from time to time. On the Sunday evening, from 5 pm we need help in directing on site traffic and manning the building doors for a quick and orderly tear-down and pack out.

The hours are:
Wednesday 11/21 – load in from noon until done.
Thursday 11/22 – turkey day, feet up.
Friday 11/23 – the show from 10 am until 5 pm.
Saturday 11/24 – the show from 10 am until 8 pm.
Sunday 11/25 the show from 10 am until 5pm and load out until approximately 8 pm.

We need your help for as little as two hours on any one day to all day each day at your discretion.
For their part MOHAI are providing us a break room and refreshments for our members on all days.
Offers of help, please call Ed Ives 425-391-3313 or e-mail Gresley7@gmail.com

With a successful show and your help we will be invited back next year and hopefully this will become a Seattle tradition as well as a needed revenue stream for 4D.

Ed

Model Train Show, News

Upcoming Clinic – October Eastside Get Together Clinic – Redmond

Written by Anton Faulk
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By Alex Brikoff

The October 2018 Eastside Get Together Clinic will meet on October 18, 2018.
As always, the Clinic will be 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 begin by mentioning any noteworthy, upcoming model railroad and railfan events in the area for the fall months ahead. We will also have a Model of the Month contest and Rail Photo of the Month contest. So, please bring your best models and photos for the contests! Winners will have first choice of many fine items from our Door Prize table.

This month’s clinic “Weathering Fleets of Cars” will be presented by Kevin Klettke. We’ve all seen and heard of many techniques that modelers use to weather their locomotives and cars, but Kevin uses his methods and techniques to weather many rolling stock and locomotives at once in a relatively short amount of time. Kevin’s own Washington Northern Railroad in Tacoma is a great example of his outstanding modeling skills where he puts an incredible amount of realism in a smaller layout.

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.

Alex Brikoff

Eastside Get-Together (Redmond) Clinic

Clinic Report – October Tacoma Clinic

Written by Dale Kraus
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By Dale G. Kraus

Photos by author

Twenty-three modelers gathered at the Paradise Lanes  to see a video presentation of the history of West Coast Steam Logging. Our own Jim Sabol  had a significant part in producing the video, and many of the scenes were shot by him with a 16mm movie camera.

Prior to the presentation  Rob, our local purveyor of model railroad stuff, show us several new items, the most interesting of which were  weathered and graffitti’ed city water towers on “O”, “HO”, and “N” scales.

The Modeler’s Showcase had the following entries (All HO):

A small coaling stand and rusty ole’ water tank by yours truly

Two rail barges, one finished, one under construction , by Tyler Whitcomb

A finished and weathered cement plant (Faller kit) by  Ken Levine. This was the model of the month.

 

Paul Vaughn showed us this  I-Phone extension for getting above crowds at photo run-bys. It’s made from an old paint roller pole.

The next Tacoma clinic is 7 PM,  November 8 at Paradise Lanes.

 

Tacoma Clinic

Your Chance to Give Back

Written by Russ Segner
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By Russ Segner

Once again, the 4th Division will stage its 45th Annual Model Train Show over the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, January 19–21, 2019, at the Pacific Science Center. And we need YOU!

We all enjoy the benefits of this hobby; the PSC Show is a way for you to share that love with the public. It only takes a few hours.

Plus, the PSC Show is the Division’s single largest means of financial support. Without its proceeds, you wouldn’t have all the wonderful things the Division makes available, things like our many monthly clinics, our modular groups, the Spring Meet, the Achievement Program, the Grab-Iron Service Award, our website, and more. Give a few hours and our hundreds of members get a year of benefits.

But what can you do? Here are just a few of the needs you can fill:

1. Staff the outreach table to convince new members to join the NMRA

2. Tend a hands-on model railroad for kids

3. Teach a short class in any aspect of modeling (rocks, trees, weathering, you name it!)

4. Help us load-in or load-out. We need you during the time slots below:

a. Friday load-in: 5 – 9 PM
b. Saturday: 6AM – 6PM
c. Sunday: 9AM – 6PM
d. Monday: 9AM – 6PM
e. Monday load-out: 6 – 9 PM

The PSC requires that every volunteer undergoes a background check, but they make it simple. Just go to their website during January and complete a form. (Details will follow later.) Parking may be provided (details are coming for that, too).

Right now, before you forget, volunteer a few hours by emailing David Yadock at hi61izq@hotmail.com or calling him at 425-226-7518. Spread some joy!

Model Train Show, News

Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society Meeting Saturday October 20th

Written by Anton Faulk
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By David Yadock

There will be a meeting of the PRRT&HS on Saturday October 20th. There is no cost to attend. The meeting will be held at the Pacific Northwest Railroad Archive in Burien (425 SW 153rd St, Burien, WA). Check the website www.pnrarchive.org for directions. The meeting starts at 12:30 pm but the building will be open earlier.

This meeting will be a round robin of presentations from the attendees. It will be a group format and will be about the PRR and what is available on the internet about this famous railroad. It will be a way of compiling a list of information and entertaining videos that are available on the internet about the PRR. The meeting is very informal. Come and join us. As always, we even welcome New York Central fans!

After the meeting there is a no host dinner at Vince’s across the street.

Railroad History

Seattle North Clinic – This Thursday October 4th

Written by Anton Faulk
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By Lisa Murray

Burrlington Railroad Open house
The NMRA North End Clinic is pleased to announce that its October clinic will be held at the home of Burr Stewart. NMRA members and guests are welcome to join us as we visit his expansive HO layout and run trains.

Bring your HO scale DCC engines (and favorite rolling stock, etc) to run during what should be an enjoyable evening and a great way to introduce the hobby to your friends and family.
Light refreshments will be served.

Ample parking can be found on the left side of the house and along the street.
Please follow the signage and enter the house at the door at the RIGHT of the house.
NOTE: The layout is in the basement of the home and is NOT handicap accessible.

Home of Burr Stewart
204 NW 112th Street
Seattle, WA 98177

Lisa

Seattle-North Clinic

Lynden Train Show and Seattle’s First Railroad

Written by Anton Faulk
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By Russ Segner

The Lynden Train Show is this coming weekend, Saturday October 6 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Sunday the 7th from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Several of our modular groups will be there. I plan to be there Saturday. The location is:
Northwest Washington Fair & Event Center
1775 Front Street
Lynden, Washington 98264

Congratulations to each of our clinics with great starts to the season. This is an opportunity to share our experiences in model railroading. Spread the word amongst your friends who share interest in trains. Each clinic is encouraged to post in the Grab Iron an article of recent or future topics.

There is an opportunity this Friday evening to hear an excellent presentation about “SEATTLE’S FIRST RAILROAD”, the early movement of coal from Newcastle to Seattle by means of a Tram and Incline. Coal cars were barged across Lake Washington and Lake Union, over narrow-gauge tracks which went up what is now Westlake Avenue to a Pike Street pier.

White River Valley Museum
918 H Street SE
Auburn, WA

The program begins at 7:00 PM. Never before seen photos and maps will be shown. Join me there.

Russ

Model Train Show, News

Burien Clinic Opens September 27th

Written by Russ Segner
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By Russ Segner

Let’s start this season by sharing some of our rail experiences this summer.

I will have photos and some videos of the National narrow Gauge Convention in Minneapolis. Bring your photos or video on a flash drive.

Jeff Otto’s Messabe Northern

Doors open at 7:00 with program at 7:30.

WHERE:

Pacific Northwest Railroad Archive
425 SW 153rd Street
Burien, WA 98166

Burien Clinic, News

Clinic Report – East Side Get Together, September

Written by Anton Faulk
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By Syd Schofield, photo by Anton Faulk

East Side Get Together, September 20, 2018

After the summer break, the East Side Get Together Clinic got together at the Redmond Community Center.  Alex Brikoff called the group of interested railroad enthusiasts to a low murmur around 7:15 Thursday evening.  VIPs in attendance were introduced and upcoming events of interest were announced.  See the Grab Iron for those details.
 
The evening’s presentations were on summer railroad-related activities.  Robin Peel presented a summary of his trip to the 2018 Sn3 Symposium in Minneapolis this past summer. Robin then announced that the 2019 Sn3 Symposium will be held in Bellevue, WA next April 4-6, 2019. He also announced that the 2022 National Narrow Gauge Convention will be held in the Puget Sound area, location and details are still TBD. Two European railroads, in Norway and Spain, were presented with slide shows and narrations as well as a collection of pictures and videos of western US.  Photos from a trip through the Panama Canal were presented, showing the unique locomotives used to pull various vessels through the locks at the canal. A recap of the NMRA National Convention in Kansas City, MO was given by Alex.
 
Model of the Month was won by Ted Becker with his two-story frame house, nicely built and weathered.  Anton Faulk showed a picture he took of a railroad tunnel-bridge-tunnel across a shear canyon walled abyss (complete with train) in Spain.  Equally spectacular was his vantage point for the photo on a suspended walkway “trail” on the cliff wall.

Photo of the month winner. A Renfe Avant train through El Chorro gorge in Spain.


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Eastside Get-Together (Redmond) Clinic

Golden Grab Iron Nominations Requested

Written by Anton Faulk
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By Ted Becker

The Golden Grab Iron Service Award is given each year to a member of the 4th Division, Pacific Northwest Region, National Model Railroad Association, who exemplifies extraordinary service to the organization. The selection committee is comprised of the immediate past three honorees. It is time to solicit nominees for the 2019 recipient. A list of past recipients is on the 4D website here.

Submit your nomination with the name of the member and a list of their contributions to the hobby, the NMRA and the 4th Division plus a short bio. If you have submitted a nomination in the past, please resubmit. Email your nominations to Ted Becker at: rail.bird@att.net.

Ted

News