TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:

    Other NOTES:

    We will have some limited snacks and coffee available but it will probably go fast so plan ahead.

    Entrance is through the rear doors (southwest side) not the main entrance on the street. Parking available next to the building and along adjacent streets.

    Googly map

    IMPORTANT: Lunch IS NOT included.

    Some local options available but our lunch break is only an hour. Highly recommend brown bag lunch for all participants.

    Read on for more details on our clinics this year.

    Ted Becker – Introduction to Arduino – What is Arduino?  What can it do for me as a model railroader?  How does it work?  How do I get started?  How do I learn more?  There will be several projects on display and working.  Some of these projects you can do with off-the-shelf components and canned software.  Many model railroad functions can be done with more flexibility and less cost with Arduino compared to other products.  Bring your questions.  Bring a thumb drive so you can take home a lot of (hopefully) useful information.

    Jon Bentz – Updated L Girder Benchwork Construction – A different take on classic L girder design. This will consist of Planning and layout of benchwork, photos of benchwork constructed to date on my home layout, and full size samples of benchwork to share with the group.

    Didrik Voss – Create Your Own Virtual Railroad with Trainz – This clinic will explain how to get started creating your own virtual railroad in Trainz. Didrik will show how he downloaded the topographic maps for the Everett & Monte Cristo Ry, laid the track and is currently creating buildings and structures based on photographs and Sanborn maps.

    Roger Johnson – Decoder Installations & General Soldering – Roger Johnson will demonstrate decoder installations for pre-screened projects.  Prerequisite:  If you would like to have a decoder installed in one of your locomotives, email details to Roger at skagitrailbird@gmail.com no later than March 15th. Please include locomotive (scale, maker, model, approximate year made) and decoder (make & model #, if already purchased).  Note: Depending upon time and the complexity of the project walk up requests may (or may not) be accepted.

    As time allows he will also demonstrate general soldering of such things as LEDs and resistors, track and power bus, control panels, multiple and other components and brass stock for framing signs.

    Al Carter – Weathering With Pan Pastels – How to use Pan Pastels to apply weathering finishes and touches to both rolling stock and structures.  We will also look at how Pan Pastels can be used instead of paint to color structures.  You will have an opportunity to try your hand with this technique, and if you want, bring a car to weather – Prequisite:  Please first spray your car with Dullcoat or a similar flat finish.  This is approximately a half hour clinic, followed by:

    Al Carter – Improving The Appearance Of Flex Track – How to take that shiny plastic flex track and improve its appearance by applying a base coat of acrylic paint (thanks, Martha Stewart!), then weathering the ties with water based oil paints, then the rails, and finally the ballast.  Sample track will be provided so you can try your hand at this technique.  This clinic is also approximately a half hour long.

    Russ Segner – Layout Planning – My clinic will focus on some basic ideas helpful in planning a home layout.  I will use several layouts as examples with photos and track plans.  It will be a Power Point presentation with handouts.  Questions will be welcomed.  My home layout, The Coal Creek Lumber Company, is point to point Sn3 lumber and mining and is built around the perimeter of a 19 foot by 16 foot bonus room.

    Rich Blake – Handlaid Turnouts and Soldering Basics – This clinic we will explore track soldering jigs (i.e. Fasttracks) and how to properly solder track and other electrical doo dads.  Soldering is a craft that when done properly will last for many years, when done improperly will cause many headaches.  This clinic will show you some best practices when using soldering equipment for model railroading.  PREREQUISITES: If you want some real solder practice please bring a 40Watt or lower soldering iron and iron holder/stand if you have it.  We will have solder/flux and other materials available for practice.

    Don Jones – Passenger Car and Caboose Lighting Options, using  LEDs,  super capacitors, pickups and light boards – Included will be “cheapo home made” wire and tube pickups  for Athearn passenger cars with modified Rapido light boards using LED’s and super capacitors.

    Also to be shown will be Streamline Back Shop pickups and light boards for Rivarossi passenger cars and clones. Included will be examples of Voltscooter Electronics light boards.

    I will bring examples of the Voltscooter and Streamline Back Shop boards installed in Rapido and Walthers passenger cars.  For the Walthers passenger cars I will bring and example which uses the Owl Mountain pickup lug kit used to improve the passage of current from the car trucks to the light board.

    I will show examples of the space saving KSQ2 miniature board which eliminates the need for a separate resistor and diode rectifier when lighting DCC passenger cars.

    Caboose lighting with marker lights will be demonstrated using the Light It board from NCE.

    Consultation services will be available for hard to light cars.