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Free-mo Layout Setup Report for Fall Spokane Train Show

Written by Cliff Green
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Alan Ashton

Editors note: Alan Ashton maintains a Free-mo e-mail list (to join, e-mail Alan at inwafreemo@gmail.com) and is a member of the Inland Washington Free-mo Modelers. A previous post on 5th Division Free-mo activities can be viewed by clicking here, and the latest article on Free-mo standards and construction can be viewed by clicking here.

Free-mo return loop created by the Inland Washington Free-mo Modelers group.

Free-mo return loop created by the Inland Washington Free-mo Modelers group.

The Fall Spokane Train Show was held on October 9th 2016 and the Free-mo layout was set up the day before. We had approximately 70 feet of mainline track and about 17 modules plus two return loops. Everything went pretty well during setup and trains were running before noon. One train ran successfully with 44 cars (including caboose) as a “stress test” for the layout.

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Free-mo

Special Victorian Santa Train Offered in 2016 at the Northwest Railway Museum

Written by Cliff Green
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Peggy Barchi, Marketing/Events Manager

New for 2016 – Victorian Santa Train on Friday, December 16

Step back in time and enjoy the ambiance of the historic 1890 Snoqualmie Depot with a special visit with St. Nick himself.

This year for the first time, the Friday, December 16th Santa Train will be a Victorian Santa Train complete with a 19th Century Father Christmas to greet children and their families!

Victorian St. Nick at the Northwest Railway Museum

Victorian St. Nick at the Northwest Railway Museum

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Northwest Railway Museum

All Aboard the Halloween Train at the Northwest Railway Museum

Written by Cliff Green
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Peggy Barchi, Marketing/Events Manager

All Aboard the Halloween Train (Oct. 22-23) & Halloween Storytelling Train (Oct. 29-30)

Hands-on cider pressing as part of the Halloween Train event at the Northwest Railway Museum

Hands-on cider pressing as part of the Halloween Train event at the Northwest Railway Museum

This Halloween season, guests to the Northwest Railway Museum can choose between two Halloween Train experiences! On the weekend of Oct 22-23, steam train excursions include cider pressing demonstrations, treats for kids, hot cider to ward off the chill, and the full train ride which includes a visit to the Train Shed Exhibit building and the view from the top of Snoqualmie Falls.

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Northwest Railway Museum

Westside Clinic in Bremerton on Tuesday, Oct 11th

Written by Cliff Green
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Bill Hupé

A reminder: Tuesday, October 11th is our next 4th Division Westside Clinic. For our newcomers the clinic is held at the United Way of Kitsap Building in downtown Bremerton (647 4th Street) at 7:00 PM. Additional information including a map can be found by clicking here.

Tuesday’s clinic will be presented by Bob Jensen: “Creating Realistic Coal Loads using Bragdon Foam“.

As usual there will be a “Show and Tell” and “Model of the Month”. If you have a friend or spouse who is interested in model railroading, they are welcome. Refreshments will be provided.

Please contact me if you have any related question at whopay@tscnet.com or 360-621-5041.

Westside Local Clinic

NWRM Railway Education Center Dedication on Sat Oct 8

Written by Cliff Green
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Peggy Barchi, Marketing/Events Manager

The dedication for the Northwest Railway Museum’s new Railway Education Center building is Saturday, October 8. The ribbon cutting will be held in conjunction with the 11:00 AM train excursion. This train will take guests to the dedication ceremony on the Railway History Campus, and following tours of the new building and the Train Shed Exhibit Building, passengers will ride to the top of Snoqualmie Falls before returning to the historic Snoqualmie Depot. During the special dedication train, guests will enjoy music by members of local band “Tinkham Road.” Light refreshments will be served as well. Passengers riding during other train ride times on October 8 will also have an opportunity to visit the new building.

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Northwest Railway Museum

Pacific Northwestern Railway – Abandonment of the Line

Written by Cliff Green
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Steve Haas

Update – Sat, Oct 8:

A big “Thank You!!” to those that helped with dismantling of Tom Enloe’s Pacific Northwestern today. Significant progress was made!

However … we still have a long time to go with the dismantling of the layout.

We are fortunate (thank you Tom!) that an individual with a 40’ trailer has stepped forward to haul away as much as can be salvaged, for potential future use in any number of future layouts! Any and all salvageable segments of track, scenery, bench work, etc. are being loaded into this trailer.

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Member Ads, Operations

Skagit Valley and Whidbey Clinic September 2016 Report, What I Did This Summer

Written by Cliff Green
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Article by Rich Thom, Photos by Rich Thom & Jon Wilbert

Fig 1 – A Bigger than Usual Swap Meet - Tom Hawkins, Dick Haines and Curt Johnson (l. to r.) Look Over Offerings

Fig 1 – A Bigger than Usual Swap Meet – Tom Hawkins, Dick Haines and Curt Johnson (l. to r.) Look Over Offerings

The Skagit Valley & Whidbey NMRA Clinic got off to a great start for the season with 27 hobbyists filling our meeting room at the Oak Harbor Summerhill facility. Clinic Chair Rich Blake welcomed guests Frankie Bott and Chris Malmkar (spouse of new member Mark Malmkar) and we hope to see both again at our upcoming clinics this year. Rich reviewed some of the highlights of the short summer break: our annual BBQ hosted by John Marshall in Coupeville and op session on John’s ever-growing G-scale empire; our private tour of Nick Muff’s phenomenal layout in Sedro Wooley, organized by Susan Gonzales; and last (but not least) – Tom Hawkins earning his NMRA Golden Spike Award for his Port Thomas & Southern HO layout in Anacortes. (Click here to view the May 2016 Grab Iron post on Tom’s layout.) Rich encouraged new people to take up some of the clinic’s tasks, one in particular to be responsible for the drinks and snacks, which have been faithfully supplied by Phil and Susan Gonzales for several years. Thanks go to Cliff and Sue Aaker for volunteering to take over this role to prevent our members from starving, although few show any symptoms of it.

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Skagit Valley and Whidbey Island Clinic

Eastside Get Together North Branch (Redmond) Clinic Report, September 2016

Written by Cliff Green
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Syd Schofield

4th Division, Eastside Get Together North Branch (Redmond) Clinic, September 15, 2016

David Cook brought the Eastside Get-Together Clinic for September 15, 2016 to order in the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center.

Russ Segner welcoming Richard Anderson, director of the Northwest Railway Museum, to the September 2016 Redmond Clinic.

Russ Segner welcoming Richard Anderson, director of the Northwest Railway Museum, to the September 2016 Redmond Clinic.

There were two “bring-and-brag, models of the month” displayed – a very small but nicely done and appointed house and a heavily enhanced vista dome passenger car.

A number of railroad books were made available as the result of an estate sale and several technical railroad historical documents were presented as door prizes.

Russ Segner presented Richard Anderson, director of the Northwest (Snoqualmie) Railroad Museum, who gave a slide show of the museum history and happenings as well as an overview of the museum plans and efforts.

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Eastside Get-Together (Redmond) Clinic

Hi-Railer Report for Lynden Model Train Show

Written by Cliff Green
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Ed Ives

Overall the 4th Division O Gauge Hi-Rail Modular Group had a successful showing this last weekend (Oct 1st and 2nd) at the Lynden Model Train Show, my personal favorite of the year. Setup took the usual 7 hours but was aided by an early start of noon on Friday. We had but one glitch – an electrical cross-over that took a while to trace down – but eagle eyed Wayne found the issue, an air gap that had closed. We really ought to replace these gaps with hard insulators to stop this re-occurrence, perhaps a topic of a work program next summer. Success, no trains on the floor.

A new member, Gordon, a fellow Brit, paid us a visit with his London and South Western 0-4-4T locomotive and train, a vintage look but a modern train. We hope Gordon will become a regular attendee at the train shows.

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Hi-Railers Report