Wednesday, February 10, 2010Location: Location: the home of Tom Hawkins in Anacortes.Time: 7:00PMBusiness:

1. Introductions and items ‘for the good of the order.’2. Visit and operate on the Port Thomas & Seattle Railroad & Navigation Co. layout [see below]. 3. John White, and his sidekick, will demonstrate the use of Fast Tracks to make turnouts.

History and BackgroundOf the

Port Thomas & Seattle Railroad & Navigation Co.

The PT&S was originally incorporated in 1889 in Skagit County Washington to connect the small town of Port Thomas located on a deep water port with the Seattle area to the south, and to access the timber and mineral resources of the surrounding area. The PT&S never reached Seattle but did obtain trackage rights over the Great Northern to both Seattle and Vancouver, BC. The PT&S connects with the GN at Junction City where it’s main engine facilities and small interchange yard are located. The PT&S provides through passenger and connecting service to both Seattle and Vancouver, BC. Freight service is mainly forest products and through freight via a car ferry to points on the Olympic Peninsula and Vancouver Island.

The Timber Ridge Logging & Mining Co. started in the early 1900s and connects with the PT&S at the town of Timber City and hauls logs over the PT&S to a sawmill a short distance from Port Thomas.

The PT&S is HO scale and occupies a space of 10’-6” x 20’. The layout is DCC and has a total locomotive roster of 16 engines. The PT&S has 12 including a 4-4-0, two 2-6-0’s, two 4-6-0’s, two 2-8-0’s, a 0-6-0, and a 2-4-4-2 Mallet. The logging line has a Class “A” Vertical Boiler Climax, a two truck Shay, a three truck Shay and a two truck Heisler. At the present time only the 4-4-0, the two 4-6-0’s and the three truck Shay are decoder equipped.

The 4th Division of the Pacific Northwest Region of the National Model Railroad Association Presents

The Skagit Valley & Whidbey NMRA Clinic

Sunday

28

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Clinic @ the home of Tom

Hawkins7:00pm

10 - 5 Sat, 10 - 4 Sun

$7, $5 seniorsinfo: unwclub.org/

unwshow.html

13121110987

UNWMRR Club19th Annual

Train Show at Monroe

654321 Saturday Friday Thursday Wednesday Tuesday Monday

The Skagit Valley & Whidbey NMRA ClinicFebruary 2010

As you can see, there is a negligible amount of events this month after the Monroe Show. Indeed, there are few events of any kind until next fall. Therefore, if you wish to have an operating session, open house or other activity, the next couple of months might be a good time to schedule them! If you wish to ‘advertise’ the event, just let me know and I will get it on the calendar.

January’s ClinicOn the 13th, Rich Thom presented a fascinating video of steam railroading in Guatemala, India and China which was culled from the hundreds of hours of videos he has taken over the past few decades of steam around the world. Twenty-five members were in attendance and were very pleased with the presentation and we hope to have Rich back next season with another presentation!

Door prizes were donated by the good folks at Performance R/C Hobbies in Burlington, go see

them, they will order just about anything you need (well, maybe

not need, but want)!!

Here is an interesting way to advertise taking the train: in some airports Amtrak is supplying the little rubber bottoms on those airport trays that TSA makes you

put your shoes in to get through the scanner:

Final Reminder: must be finished by March Clinic!!The “288 Challenge” Information

Skagit Valley and Whidbey NMRA Group – Diorama Building Contest.

At our penultimate meeting at Jack Tingstad’s home in May it was suggested by David Laws that we organize a diorama building contest as part of our 2009/2010 program.

To further this idea, at the September meeting each member will be given a piece of two inch thick Styrofoam 12” X 24” [288 sq.in.] on which to build his/her diorama. If you need to build a smaller diorama as a “pop-out” on your own pike then make the “pop-out” part of the 24” X 12” diorama.

The resulting masterpieces will be judged by Jack Hamilton, MMR., the President of the Pacific North West Region of the NMRA., at the March 10th. meeting in 2010. A six month window in which to think about it , start it, think again and restart it, working to completion by March 2010.

This contest will be known as “The 288 Challenge” and the winners will be awarded a magnificent prize of as yet undetermined value and consist. Notice the word winners as besides a Grand Prize Winner chosen by Jack Hamilton, other prizes will be chosen by a Popular Vote; Funniest; Most Original/Creative; and possibly a Novice prize, if we can define a Novice.!

The name of the participant should be written on the bottom of the foam and should not be visible when judging takes place.

The rules are simple and as follows.Scene Size: Foam size to be no larger or smaller than 12” X 24”End Diaphragms if reqd.: 1/4” thickness maximum.Back Scene and Fascia if used: 1/4” thickness maximum.Scale: Any Scale, your choice.Gauge: Any gauge, your choice.

The scene/diorama must contain at a minimum the following:1. A section of track, any gauge.2. A structure or part thereof.3. Scenery, to your choice.4. A person or persons.5. A piece of track oriented Rolling Stock e.g., a loco. rail car, coach, tram, MofW Car, etc.6. Whatever else fires your imagination to make your diorama a winner.

The Skagit Valley and Whidbey NMRA group will provide one initial piece of foam 12” X 24” for the base. All other materials will be supplied by the participant, who will retain ownership of his/her masterpiece.

David Laws has volunteered to Mastermind this project for our group. You see what happens if you volunteer or suggest something!

John White. Program CoordinatorIf you are having any problems/questions, David Laws and/or John White would be happy to answer

them at davidmlaws@hotmail.com or johngevw@comcast.net.

NMRA Membership Survey Results

Note: At the January Clinic each person was asked to fill out a questionnaire concerning their NMRA ‘status.’ All responders were asked to then write their three reasons for either

joining or not joining the NMRA.

Replies: 21NMRA Members: 15 [we have 18 members in total]Non NMRA Members: 5

Reasons for joining NMRAStandards 14 [4 made that their #1 reason]Local Clinics 6 [2 made that their #1 priority]NMRA Conventions 4To increase knowledge and learn 4Camaraderie 4 [2 made that their #1 priority]Lumber/Hardware store discount program 3 [all made that their #1 priority]To support the hobby 3Support by specific individual members 2Kalmbach Library 1Scale Rails 1Business development 1

Reasons for NOT joiningBudget control/reasons 2Thinking about it/New Member 2Question of cost versus benefits 2Not a mainline Railroader? 1No club layout 1Too much formality 1Does not need an organization 1Can obtain all the info. from Internet 1

Tom Hawkins’ Layout PicturesHere are some of the sights from Tom

and Joyce Hawkins’ Port Thomas & Seattle Railroad & Navigation Co. layout up in Anacortes that you will

see if you come to the clinic on February 10th:

(above) Barge Facility

(left) Waterfront Building

(above and left) Village site with backdrop paintings by Joyce Hawkins

Photos by Jim Tartas

Skagit Valley & Whidbey NMRA GroupClinic Schedule 2009/2010

Notes. All regular meetings are on the second Wednesday of each month September through June @ 7:00pm. at the Summer Hill Community in Oak Harbor or as otherwise advertised.

NMRA membership is encouraged, but not a requirement for attendance.

Private House visits are by invitation All other meetings are open to the public.

Date Co-Ordinator Subject PresenterSept. 9, 2009 D.Gould Prototype-GN Electrification Noel Holley

J.White Issue of 1ft.x2ft. Foam Bbds.for Min.layout J. White

Oct. 14, 2009 A.Frasch Fine N-Scale Products - A Manufacturers Overview Dick Billings

Nov. 11, 2009 J.White ‘Make and Take Buildings’-Hands on Roger Ferris

Dec. 9, 2009 J.White Wassail or Was’l’ and other delights John White

Jan. 13, 2010 R.Thom “Narrow Gauge on 3 Continents” steam video Rich Thom

Feb. 10, 2010 T.Hawkins Layout Visit Tom HawkinsJ.White FastTracks Turnout Construction Demo White/Frasch

Mar. 10, 2010 Gonzales ‘Make and Take Trees’ Hands on Phil & SusanGonzalesJ.White Judging of 1ft. x 2ft. Modules Jack Hamilton

Apr. 14, 2010 A.Frasch ‘Operational Methods’ Frasch/Tingstad/ThomJ.White Demonstration of unusual tools, jigs & fixtures Group.

May 12, 2010 J.Mann ‘DCC- Beyond Decoders’ Semi-Advanced John Mann

Jun. 9, 2010 J.White Layout Visit to the Eastern Sierra Pacific P. & S.Gonzales

July ? 2010 W.Harper Visit to Oak Harbor Club William Harper

VolunteersNMRA Liason & Reportage Gordon GarnhartFacilities Co-Ordinator & Door Keeper Dick HainesKeeper of the Purse. [alias the bucket] Jack TingstadLayout Design Aficionado Tom HawkinsNewsletter & Announcement Flyers Al FraschTroubleshooter and Electrical Guru John MannCasino Operator and Door Prizes Dan Gould & John MannRefreshments Phil & Susan GonzalesKeeper of the Rolls [alias the membership roster] Rich ThomRegister of videos and books for loan Susan GonzalesDiorama Shepherd David LawsMeeting Co-Ordinator John White