Our monthly Eastside Get Together will be this coming Thursday at the Redmond Old Schoolhouse Community Center.
Time: 7:00
Place: 16600 NE 80th Street
Redmond, WA 98052
We will trace the research currently underway to locate and document one of the earliest railways in our area.
Doors open at 6:45 with the program beginning at 7:00. Bring a model or project to share.
Dale G. Kraus
Photos by author
The May clinic was brought to order by MMR Gene Swanson at the Lakewood Library. After brief announcements, Wain Miller was presented a civil engineering Merit Award for a scratchbuilt double-diamond level crossing. Wain is one piece of track-work away from his Model Railroad Engineer – Civil certificate.
Greg Price Presented his excellent clinic on Building (and improving) Wooden Structure Kits . An extensive, detailed handout provided a step-by-step recap. His tips included: 1. Inventory the kit first. 2. Square up the sides. 3. Paint everything before assembly. 4. use a squaring jig when assembling. and many others. Greg uses a sponge to color the sides, and distresses the siding for extra detail. A light India ink wash then brings out the detail. Some of the buildings he used as examples are shown below.
The modelers’ showcase was very sparse. A scratchbuilt coaling tower by your humble author and Russ Segner’s old PFM brass 2-6-6-0 and water tank car were the only models shown.
The next clinic will be held at the Pierce County Library admin office (3005 112th St. E. Tacoma 98446) on June 8 at 7PM .
Next Clinic:
The next Seattle-North clinic is Thursday, May 4, 2017. We will continue to explore the subject of creating layout backgrounds. We’ll see the next installment in Chris Lyon’s YouTube series on “Painting Backdrops for Large Layouts…”. And a couple of members have promised to bring along more examples.
Last Clinic:
The fallen flag mini-clinic concerned the Tonopah and Goldfield Railroad. The T&G was a 100-mile-long, Class 2, standard gauge railroad in southwestern Nevada. It was active (sometimes just barely) from 1905 until 1947.
We continued our discussion of backdrops. First, those that wished had a chance to actually try painting some of the “blob, blob, blob” backgrounds shown in the prior clinic’s video. Yes indeed, you can get a presentable range of background foliage colors using a mix of just Mars Black and Lemon Yellow.
I brought a 4-foot backdrop section from a practice module I did many years ago. Nothing fancy, but it did show the impact of adding a little haze between the various “layers” of mountains/hills.
We viewed the second backdrop video in the YouTube series by Chris Lyon. This showed a few ways to enhance the basic “blob, blob, blob” technique previously used to establish the base terrain.
There were 3 contributors for show and tell.
Directions: 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. There are parking lots at both the front and rear of the church. From the rear lot go up the steps to the main entrance. Once inside, the room where we usually meet is up to your left.
Meetings are the first Thursday of each month, September to May. In June we often do something different, so there is no “regular” meeting. Doors open at 7:00 PM and the program will start at 7:30.
Note that the next regular evening meeting is May 4, 2017. The next regular clinic after that will be September 7, 2017. In the interim plans are well underway for a local mini layout tour on June 1. Keep checking the Grab Iron for the latest details. Hope to see you there or at least sometime on down the line.
Greg Wright accepts the Golden Grab Iron Service Award for 2017 from previous recipients Jim Younkins, left, and Jim Sabol, right.
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 members of the organization. For 2017 the selection committee, comprised of the immediate past three honorees, has chosen Greg Wright for his outstanding longtime contributions.
It is not difficult to find Greg Wright. Just look for a great modeler with a family railroad heritage. Greg’s father and grandfather were SP&S and NP railroaders who sometimes took Greg along when they went to work. To find Greg as a child, just look for a little guy getting to know model trains with a Lionel set and Marx cars. To find Greg as a young man, look for a youngster getting into serious modeling with his HO and HOn3 layout. Then, look for Greg taking the brave leap into the realm of 1:32 large scale modeling with uniquely improvised locomotives and scratch built structures that tower over your head on the Consolidated Republic Mining Company narrow gauge railroad. To find Greg Wright these days, just look for the popular Olympia clinics that Greg helps plan as well as chair each month and at which he sometimes shares his own skills and models. Check out the PNR and NMRA convention schedules to find Greg on their programs sharing his clinics with a wider audience. To find Greg, just look to the annual Olympia OlyOps operating sessions that attract modelers from all over the region to benefit the Thurston County Food Bank. Look for Greg helping the active Whidbey Island crew put on their annual Whidbey op sessions. And don’t overlook Greg helping organize the annual G.O.P.H.E.R.S. outing to help modelers understand more of our prototype heritage. Then check out Greg in the layout room of a modeler having trouble with his wiring or DCC throttle. There you’ll find Greg with his sleeves rolled up, sharing his knowledge to help a fellow modeler.
So, if you’re searching for Greg Wright, just look for the guy in front of a group giving a clinic, look for the guy meeting with a committee to plan the Olympia clinics or prototype field trip. Check out the guy at his computer preparing the schedules for OlyOps. See who’s the willing helper working on a friend’s layout: that’s where you’ll find Greg Wright generously and cheerfully giving of his time and talents to spread the joy of model railroading in whatever your scale or wherever you reside in the 4th Division.
The Pacific Northwest RPM crew is back for another year of Rails By The Bay, the Northwest’s own Railroad Prototype Modelers (RPM) meet. The gathering is scheduled for Saturday, April 29, 2017, 9am to 5pm, in Monroe, WA at the Evergreen Fairgrounds. There is a great clinic lineup this year, including a special guest from a well-known industry manufacturer:
-Bruce Barney: Modeling Gunderson Chip Gons with 3D printing.
-Craig Townsend: The Yellowstone RR.
-Jim Ruffing: Great Northern boxcars
-Blaine Hadfield: The Past, Present, and Future of Exactrail.
-Robert Scott: Simpson logging.
You can see more details as they develop, here on the northwestrpm.com website:
http://northwestrpm.com/RPM_Meet.htm
Our program will be a demonstration of the Bragdon two part method to create large lightweight rock castings.
Bring a model or railroad photo to share.
Pacific Northwest Railroad Archive
425 SW 153rd Street
Burien, WA 98166
While I was putting things away last week at the Spring retreat, I found a very nice seat cushion/back rest.
I also lost a green cloth bag with computer cables and power units.
If you have information on either item, please call me at 206 200 2211. Russ Segner
Robin Peel assembles an Sn3 turnout at the Fast Tracks clinic.
Three new MMR’s are David Yadock, Dale Kreutzer and Bill Busacca
All our MMR’s in attendance, Max Maginness, Roger Nulton, Chuck Ricketts, Jack Hamilton, David Yadock, Di Voss, Dale Kreutzer, Jim Younkins and Bill Busacca. Congratulations to all of you gentlemen.
We just had a great weekend at the Bellevue Sheraton. The 4D Spring Meet which is our Annual Meeting was attended by 80 members. Ten clinics included a Make and Take “FastTracks” session with 14 working furiously to finish a hand built turnout.
Paul Rising presented a clinic on backdrop painting.
The Golden Grab Iron Award was presented to Greg Wright. Greg was out of town, so, Jim Younkins accepted the award on his behalf.
Jim Sabol reads citation and Jim Younkins accepts the Golden Grab Iron Award on behalf of Greg Wright
Russ presents the Superintendents Award to Jim Sabol
There were over 80 in attendance to share the clinics, fellowship, a very nice luncheon prepared by the hotel and to enjoy a presentation by Ron Perrone in charge of track construction for Sound Transit and Link Light Rail.
Three candidates for Board positions, Anton Faulk, Robin Peel and Al Lowe were introduced.
We are already planning for next year, probably in the northern part of 4D territory.
Next Saturday is a Board of Directors meeting at MItzel’s in Kent.
Russ Segner, 4D Superintendent
The Mt. Vernon and Oak Harbor clinics are joining forces to bring you the first-ever joint clinic event. This will replace the normally scheduled May clinics at Mt. Vernon and Oak Harbor.
This event will be a “multiple demonstrations” format. Experienced modelers will demonstrate various aspects of model railroading. You will be free to roam and decide which demonstrations to observe and ask questions. Some may offer “hands on” opportunity.
Coffee and snacks will be available, bring a brown bag for your lunch. A dining area will be available for eating, drinking and general social gathering. A list of nearby eateries will be available.
A swap table will be available if you have items to sell, trade or give away.
There will be a model display table for you to display your diorama or DPM structure projects from your clinic. Other model railroad items are welcome.
Table space will be available if you want to bring a project to work on.
Clinicians confirmed so far:
Tentative Clinicians, TBD
Two volunteers are needed to fold and return tables and tidy up.
If you have questions or can volunteer to help with cleanup, contact Ted Becker at rail.bird@att.net
JJ Johnston will present ” Freelancing a Small Layout”. He will share photos of his famous layout “Puget Sound Iron Goat Railway” to describe the many small scenes with their unique details. He will also show photos of the beautifully painted Fantasy Wing area next to his train room.
We meet at 6:45 with the program beginning at 7:00. Bring a model or project to share.