Jim Sabol / Photos by Brian Ferris
Hit the Road, Jack!
Brian Ferris and Greg Wright focus on their East Broad Top RR presentation. Click photo to enlarge.
Those Olympia clinicians did it again. Twenty-one attendees barely had time to finish their diet pops and fold their tray tables in the upright position when bam!, off we flew to the Appalachian coal fields of backcountry Pennsylvania, courtesy of PowerPoint pilots and tour guides Brian Ferris and Greg Wright. Whisking us more than three thousand miles across the country by means of their colorful slides and video, Brian and Greg took us on a beautifully photographed visit to the East Broad Top narrow gauge railroad of Orbisonia, PA — and still had us home before midnight. Ideas for modeling scenery, structures, track work, and paint schemes practically flew off the screen into the fertile imaginations of twenty-one happy modelers paying close attention to every railroad-y detail. (Note: if you missed the clinic, click this link for a Google search of the Orbisonia Railroad.)
Host Scott Buckley counts bodies and chairs in his layout room. Click photo to enlarge.
Meeting in gracious host Scott Buckley’s Tumwater home and layout room was a trip in itself. Scott’s TehamaValley pike never fails to inspire visitors with its innovative benchwork, prototypical track plan, efficient valences, and complementary backdrops. What a great place to get together!
Jim Sabol reported that plans are set for the 22 June G.O.P.H.E.R.S. (Greater Olympia Prototype History & Engineering Research Society) annual outing and free hot dog picnic at the Ballard Locks and the Ballard Terminal Railroad. All 4th Division members are welcome to join us; reserve a hot dog or two by e-mailing jimsabol@msn.com.
Greg Wright won Most Popular Model Of The Month with a kitbashed snow plow for his 1:32n20 (really big models on HO gauge track) Consolidate Republic Mining Company, one more Olympia area layout often featured in national magazines.
We were reminded that next month’s get-together (always on the third Friday of the month) will feature Ted Eggleston and Robert Grove, handsome devils both, taking us on a visual and technical tour of Washington bridges.
Once again, it was discovered that everyone attending held a winning door prize number. “It’s a muracle!” exclaimed George Hansen.
Come and join in the fun. You’ll like us. We’ll like you. We’ll have the light on for you.
Greg Wright’s 1:32n20” scale plow and spreader. Click photo to enlarge.
A few notes about Greg Wright’s 1:32n20 scale plow and spreader:
Starting Point: Bachman On30 flat car; Bachman On30 2-6-0 tender shortened to fit; resin casting spreader plow from an online kit of a 2′ New England area prototype AHM HO snow plow.
Construction Notes: The plow was split down the middle and a section of wood added to the center, shaped and sealed with sanding sealer. The spreader was assembled per the instructions and added to the stock flat car. The heavy timber framework that sits in front of the spreader frame was scratchbuilt to hold the rams connected to the plow blades. The rams were scratchbuilt of brass tubing. Painting with Floquil colors in an airbrush. Weathering done with Dr. Ben’s weathering solutions (an alcohol-based suspension of pigments) and Bragdon weathering powders.
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