Article and Photos by Syd Schofield

Paul Vaughn’s clinic presentation material models.

The first meeting of the recently split-off Eastside Get Together South Clinic (NMRA, PNR Region, 4th Division) is now officially the Burien Clinic. It all came together at the Pacific Northwest Railroad Archive facility in Burien, Washington on 26 January, 2017 at 6:30 PM with Russ Segner presiding.

Gary Tarbox, the executive director of the archives, gave us a tour of the facility with it’s massive collection of key area railroad documentation.

Several people brought in their “Bring and Brag” displays of model railroad excellence.

Sandy Webster showed his UP kit-bashed cow and calf box motors with a description of the finely detailed construction.

Vincent Gates brought a highly modified passenger coach turned into a heavy weight APO mail car.

Paul Vaughn presented his HO-to-Sn3 freight car conversions followed by the evening’s presentation by him describing the processes involved.

Vincent Gates RPO mail car.

Paul does extensive work with epoxy mold techniques and cutting/fitting of car parts to suit prototype equipment configurations to the new scale. While the full size HO scale 87.1-to-1 car width limits of ten feet six inches need some adjustments to the 64-to-1 S scale, the narrower narrow gauge equipment is usually from seven and a half to nine feet wide. The height is usually less of a problem in matching. The standard size HO knuckle couplers match nicely. The wheel size and wheel base of the trucks may need a special consideration or a vendor-supplied alternative. Paul showed several conversions for equipment that may not be commercially available or in need of a special custom railroad build.

The planned meetings of the Burien Clinics will be the fourth Thursday of the month at the PNRA at 425 SW 153rd Street, Burien, Washington at 6:30 PM (note that most of the other 4D clinics start at 7 pm). For more information including a map, click here.

Sandy Webster’s UP cow and calf models.

Burien Clinic attendees, January 2017 meeting.