(Update – the layout has been disassembled and moved to Olympia by Robert Grove. Below are pictures of the disassembly, with Al Frasch assisting.)
Al Frasch (left) and Robert Grove (right) disassembling the layout
Layout section ready to move
Robert Grove (left) and Al Frasch (right) disassembling the layout
This is a “last call” for volunteers to help out at the Pacific Science Center show, which runs Saturday through Monday. I can’t do anything about Seattle traffic but the Pacific Science Center does provide free parking for the volunteers. I don’t think there will be too many mad post-holiday crowds at the PSC since all the folks will be able to see model trains! This train show is the premier fund raiser for the 4th Division and can’t operate by itself. There will be a number of smaller layouts that require train operation.
If you want to run some trains and mingle with the public come help at the show – contact me at hi61izq@hotmail.com.
Fig 1 – The Blake Christmas Layout
The Skagit Valley & Whidbey NMRA Clinic revived an earlier tradition of our group by enjoying a Christmas wassail in place of the usual programs of modeling tutorials and hands-on sessions. All right: It’s a bit of a stretch since wassailing originally was the practice of people going door-to-door, singing and offering a drink from the wassail bowl in exchange for gifts (click here for additional history). No singing tonight (thank goodness, knowing our group) or wassail bowls either, but plenty of merriment and a good program, too, by long-time member John White, who along with wife Valerie hosted our original wassails. Twenty-eight enjoyed the evening including several spouses, and an abundance of potluck finger-food prevented starvation.
In the spirit of the season, Clinic Chair Rich Blake skipped his usual announcements and calendar review, but did bring a Christmas tree with (of course) a train running around it (Fig 1). OK, we’ve all had circles of track around a Christmas tree, but with a pair of sidings for switching? Note the cargo: wrapped candy kisses.
This little “layout” traveled around the world during Rich’s long Navy career and meant a lot to his family. Thanks for bringing it, Rich.
When: 7 PM, Thursday, January 12
Where: Mount Vernon Senior Center, 1401 Cleveland Street, Mt Vernon, WA
Click Here for map & directions
Master Model Railroader Nick Muff will present “It’s All in the Details.” In Nick’s words, a model railroad can be viewed as a work of art: first, the broad strokes and the background, then, the middle ground and foreground, and finally, it’s time to paint in the fine details. It’s these fine details that make the whole art piece come alive. Adding important final touches to your model railroad scene will take realism to the next level.
If you’ve found a tool or gadget especially helpful, bring it in and share it with the Clinic. If you’ve been working on a project, bring it in as well. If in photo form, be sure and let Ted know so he can have the laptop fired up.
We also encourage folks to bring along items for sale or swap, or even “freebies” – we’ll have a table for those items in the back.
Date: January 19, 2017
Time: 7 PM to 8:45 PM, doors open at 6:45
Where: Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center, 16600 NE 80th Street, Redmond, WA 98052
Click here for additional clinic information including a map. There will be coffee and doughnuts for all. Bring a model or project to share.
Mark Allen will present a clinic on how to build model trees for dioramas and layouts. His On30 Diorama “Storm King” won Third Place for Modules at the recent NMRA Convention in Portland. He will demonstrate techniques and materials needed to make his convincing model scenes.
What used to be the Renton Clinic (also called Eastside Get Together South Clinic) for all of 2016 will now be the Burien Clinic. We have been invited to the home of the Pacific Northwest Railroad Archives. This will give us excellent space for 40 or more. There is good parking and we can use the room from 6:30 to 9:30 PM.
The first meeting will be Thursday, January 26 starting at 6:30 PM. All the subsequent meetings are set for the fourth Thursday of each month and they will start at 6:30. The address is 425 SW 153rd St, Burien, WA, 98166. Click here for additional clinic information including a map.
Our first clinic in Burien will feature Paul Vaughn demonstrating how he kit-bashes plastic cars to get exactly what you want when a specific car is not commercially made. Paul is not afraid to cut up a new car kit to make something else. Paul has made many interesting Sn3 cars out of HO kits. He will present methods to accomplish projects by making new castings out of cut up parts and integrating weights within the castings.
We will also have a presentation by Gary Tarbox, Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest Railroad Archives to help us get acquainted with the facilities and work at the Archives.
Bring models, finished or under construction!
Next Clinic:
The next Seattle-North clinic is Thursday, January 5, 2017.
The movie “Rocky Mountain Express” is just out on Blu-ray. So, if everything works out, we’ll take a peek and discuss a little about how the movie was made. Of course, seeing it at clinic pales in comparison to seeing it on the big Imax at the Pacific Science Center where it is now showing (hint, hint). Hopefully we’ll whet your appetite for the larger scale visual experience.
We will also do another installment of our fallen flags mini-clinics and (if time permits) start a discussion of creating layout backgrounds.
The conservatory at Volunteer Park is looking for volunteers to help run their Lionel Holiday Train. Shifts are 11 am – 1 pm and 1 pm – 3 pm Tuesday through Sunday. The holiday train will run through the 1st of January. If you are in Seattle and don’t have plans to work at the Washington State History Museum Train Fest, please consider helping out at Volunteer Park. For more information, contact David Helgeson at david.helgeson@seattle.gov.
For anyone within driving distance of the Puget Sound area, the Pacific Northwest Railroad Archive (PNRA) and the Boeing Employee Model Railroad Club (BEMRRC) are holding an open house December 26 – 31, 2016.
BEMRRC will have their new modular layout running for the first time and their permanent HO layout (under construction) at PNRA will also be open for tours.
PNRA will have displays and conduct tours of the preservation storage area with its newly installed mobile shelving.
Held in the archives are Northern Pacific (NP), Great Northern (GN), Milwaukee Road and Spokane, Portland, and Seattle (SP&S) materials, as well as logging, Interurban, Amtrak and short line resources.
Date: December 26 – 31, 2016 (Mon thru Sat)
Time: Noon to 6:00 pm on Monday thru Friday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturday
Location: 425 SW 153rd Street, Burien, WA 98166
Please contact me for information at Info@PNRArchive.comcastbiz.net or 206-349-6242.
Editor’s note: In a recent e-mail newsletter I mentioned Marty Quaas’ web site about Alaska model railroading (which includes his wonderful layout “The Consolidated South Western Railroad” as well as his well known display layout “Mooselip, Alaska”): http://alaskamodelrrnews.homestead.com/, and reminded 4th Division members that Alaska is part of this division. This is Mike’s reply.
Your recent note on model railroading in Alaska prompted me to write to you. I live in Anchorage and am a member of the NMRA. I belong to the Military Society of Model Railroading Engineers, based on Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson (JBER) in Anchorage. Our club has permanent layouts in HO, HOn3, N and O scales, plus modular layouts in HO, HOn3 and N scales.
For many years we have been displaying our three modular layouts (N, HO, HOn3) at an Anchorage winter festival called Fur Rendezvous (“Fur Rondy” for short). Until a few years ago, Marty Quaas was displaying his Mooselip layout at Fur Rondy, too. It is a wonderful layout and the crowds loved it. So did I. Unfortunately, Marty has not been able to attend Fur Rondy in recent years, probably in large part due to the long drive from his home to Anchorage. Many people, including me, miss him and Mooselip.