7th Division
Pacific Northwest Region
National Model Railroad Association (Canada)

The annual Victoria show is back on this year in a new location. More details here

There are updates to the Clubs page and others.

Just a reminder that Clubs can be listed on the Clubs page as well as links to other model railroad related web sites on the Links page. Send details to the webmaster.

Brian Kelly, the chair of the Kamloops Model Railway Days meet and public show - the 7th Division 2013 Spring Meet, April 4-6th - informs me that the number of registrations received as of today are low. If you are planning to attend the meet, please send in your registration form as soon as possible - it's less than a month away!

And for those who are still undecided, please read the meet update from Brian below and make a decision to attend. We must support our 7th Division meets and shows to ensure that these events will continue to be presented. The Kamloops crew are working hard to present what's shaping up to be a very good meet, let's support them please!

And please spread the word about the meet to all of your modelling friends.

Registration forms and additional info are available on our 7D web site at: http://pnr.nmra.org/7div/Timetable.shtml

I look forward to seeing you in Kamloops.

Regards,
Russ Watson
PNR 7th Division Superintendent

MEET UPDATE:

Here's what we have so far, actual times still to be firmed up.

Thursday April 4th - set up until 9 pm

Friday April 5th - Home layout tours 10:00 AM till 4:00 PM. we have 4 layouts open as well as a tour of Rocky Mountaineer, the 2141 steam shops, and a railway theme restaurant for lunch. 4PM - 6PM meet and greet, pop and pizza. 6PM - 9PM show open to public.

Sat April 6th. - public show 9AM to 4PM. starting at 10AM there will be a combination of clinics and presentations, i.e. DCC, backdrop painting, history of BC Rail, New Westminster bridge, etc. In a separate room there will be railway DVD's running all day. Model judging. Still to be finalized a banquet or dinner likely starting around 6PM. Several large and small layouts and lots of vendor tables.

Brian

Welcome to the February issue of the NMRA InfoNet News!

• NMRA Organizational Changes – The following NMRA organizational changes have been announced:
• Eastern District Director John Roberts is unable to continue serving on the BOD due to health reasons. Joe Gelmini has been designated as John’s replacement to serve out the remaining years of John’s term as Eastern District Director. We all wish John well. The family requests that you not contact John at this time.
• Gerry Leone has resigned as Communications Director for personal reasons including some unfortunate personal snipes from other officials and the organization’s slow pace of modernization.
• At Large Worldwide Director, Tony Koester is retiring from the BOD due to term limits. Tony has served as a Director for the past six years. This position will be filled via the upcoming elections.
• Atlantic District Director, Nobby Clarke is retiring from the BOD due to term limits. Nobby has served as Director for the past six years. This position will be filled via the upcoming elections.
• As a result of a disciplinary action the BOD declared the At Large North America Director position vacant. As a result, Miles Hale is no longer the ALNAD. A replacement will be named according to NMRA policy and procedures. Reference the NMRA web page for additional information.
• Bill Kaufman, Vice President for Special Projects has resigned for personal reasons.
• Tom Draper has been appointed Director of Support Services to fill any vacancies until a replacement can be found starting initially with the publication of the InfoNet News.
• Rick Coble was confirmed by the BOD as Assistant National Secretary supporting National Secretary John Stevens.
• Most of the functions of the Member Services and Map Departments have been folded into the Marketing Department. Those functions that were not moved to the Marketing Department were assigned to other existing departments.
• President Charlie Getz hastens to add there is no village coup in all of these changes but rather a combination of events that has led to a dynamic turnover. The NMRA is is good shape!
• 2016 National Convention Bid An excellent presentation was made by the host committee for the 2016 National Convention in Indianapolis, IN (“Highball to Indianapolis”) to the BOD which strongly approved the bid. The convention will be held July 3-10, 2016 in downtown Indianapolis at the Westin hotel and the Indiana Convention Center. The National Train Show will also be in the Indiana Convention Center which is located directly across from the hotel.
• Future National Convention Dates The BOD approved a motion to allow more flexibility in scheduling the dates and areas of the country for our conventions starting with the 2017 convention.
• Donations to the NMRA The BOD approved a motion to provide NMRA members a first opportunity to purchase items donated to the NMRA Museum or Library or which were undesignated but were deemed surplus. Any unsold items may be offered for sale to the general public.
• Data Sheets and Calendar have been made the responsibility of the Publications Department.
• NMRA Museum It was announced that the NMRA Museum has reached over $300,000 in pledges for the California State Railroad Museum Gallery Exhibit (“The Magic if Scale Model Railroading”). This pledge amount has triggered a matching pledge amount of an additional $250,000 which puts the Museum closer to it’s goal of reaching the estimated cost of up to $750,000. So fundraising will still be needed as we are not at our ultimate goal yet. The Museum is now in a position to ask for construction bids. It is estimated the gallery exhibit will probably be completed within 14 months of awarding a construction contract. It is estimated that the California State Railway Museum is visited by over 600,000 attendees each year.
  The BOD offered it’s sincere appreciation for the recent donations to the fund raising program of $10,000 by Model Railroader Magazine and $50,000 by The World’s Greatest Hobby. There were also four pledges of $25,000 or more and 12 pledges of $10,000 or more.
• Financial Reporting It was reported that the Summary of Financials for 2012 and the 2011 Auditors report will be published on the NMRA web site.
  Both the 2012 NMRA Convention and the 2012 National Train Show made a profit from their operations.
• HASEA Agreement Extended Indefinitely The BOD approved extending indefinitely the one year working agreement with HASEA, an association of 100,000 Chinese Model Railroaders and railfans, to share the NMRA’s standards and organizational knowledge. This agreement can be cancelled for no cause upon a 30 day written notice by either party.
• Marketing Plan Marketing Director Page Martin reported on a new ambitious marketing plan for the NMRA including in-package membership inserts with Walthers products as well as on-line and hard building hobby establishments, museums, special attractions and national and regional model railroad shows and conventions. An active program is being created for November which is National Model Railroad Month.
  Also the Constant Contact email system has been set up and is ready for use by Regions and Divisions as a tool for them.
• Awards President Charlie Getz presented the President’s Award to outgoing At Large Worldwide Director Tony Koester and outgoing Atlantic District Director Nobby Clarke for their years of service to the NMRA.
  The BOD adjourned in Honor of John Roberts, HLM, MMR (MER), former President and Eastern District Director and in memory of Lt. Cdr. John M. Baker (USN) (MER), John Baker (AR), and Jim Long (PCR).

If you have any questions or comments about any of the above, please send them directly to a Director or Officer. You’ll find those addresses at www.nmra.org on in the NMRA Magazine.

Regards,
Tom Draper
Director – Support Services

An apology is in order for being remiss in identifying myself to each of you as the recently appointed Canadian District Director. This was partly due to a lack of consideration and thought by myself and by the amount of learning I have experienced in the short time I have been involved with the Board of Directors of the NMRA. Whew!!, that curve is steep, but is compensated for with the help provided by others on the Board.

President Charlie Getz appointed me at the conclusion of the Grand Rapids, MI annual general meeting and convention to fill the vacancy created when Don Hillman resigned for health reasons. Don did more than a great deal for NMRA Canada - all of us are grateful for his significant contributions. As well, he represented the Canadian District at the Board level. I will do my best to assist in the functioning of the NMRA at the National level. Subsequent to my appointment, along with participating in considerable number of e-mail conversations, I have been appointed to serve as the chair for the International Committee and as a member of the Education and Training Department.

Any and all inquiries sent my way will sorted out as well as possible. Where I am not able to clarify things on my own, there are many wonderful people who can be contacted for information. These folks comprise our Headquarters staff, our President or the Regional Advisory Council representative on the Board - there can be no doubt that Jenny, Charlie and Stephen in their respective positions are most capable and willing to assist. As communication is vital within the NMRA, my contact information is in each issue of our magazine, NMRA.org in the Board of Directors listing.

I have been a continuous member of the NMRA since rejoining in 1975 after realizing that this association was vital and integral to my hobby interests. TLR activity since has included volunteering as an organizer for many conventions in Winnipeg, as a clinician and as a judge in the modelling contests. Clinician presentations were done at the National conventions in St. Paul (1999) and in Toronto (2003). MMR 328 status was achieved in September 2003 having earned certificates for Volunteer, Official, Author, Electrical, Cars, Scenery and Dispatcher. I am currently working toward Locomotive and Structure certificates. Over the past seven years, the RPM gathering at Naperville, IL has beckoned.

On a personal level, a 35-year career as an educator ended a while back. My HO-scale modeling focuses on the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1959 in an area of the Canadian Shield (northern Ontario) that is about two hours east of my home in Winnipeg. I also have interests in the Canadian National Railways, the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway and the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railway with this trio providing interchange service in the operating scheme of my model railway.

I serve as the Soo Editor (and contributor) for “CP Tracks” – the magazine of the Canadian Pacific Historical Association, and have written for the SOO and “CN Lines” as well as for Railroad Model Craftsman.

Underlying my acceptance of this appointment is the desire to put something back into a hobby area that has given so much to me. I have made ever-so-many friends through our hobby activities. Each has provided me with a better quality of life, so I believe I own the association some effort. After participating in the mid-year meeting of the Board on February 8, 9 and 10 there is some considerable improvement in what the NMRA can offer each member on the horizon. As these projects emerge in the near future, I hope you are as excited about and well served as I believe you will be.

Yours in enjoying Model Railroading,
Fred Headon

On Nov. 11, 2012, the 7th div. held it’s Annual General Meeting at Trains 2012 at the Cameron Recreation Centre in Burnaby BC. There are 6 documents from the meeting, available on the "Documents" page. The first contains the actual minutes, and the remaining 5 are addendums to the minutes. The addendums contain the written reports made by the executive and members of the standing committee. These reports have been referenced in the body of the minutes as to which addendum they may be found. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact your Superintendent, Russ Watson at russwatson@me.com or myself, Bob Leggett at bobleggett@shaw.ca .

Regards

Bob Leggett
7th Division Secretary

There will be a 7th Division Spring meet this year in Kamloops, April 4 - 6, 2013. Note that it is NOT on the Easter weekend, but is one week later.
More details including registration forms, etc., are on the Events Page .

ATTENTION CANADIAN MEMBERS: Due to a production error, the February NMRA Magazines sent to NMRA Canadian members and containing the ballot do not have peel-off labels. Ballot instructions call for the peel-off label to be affixed to the ballot when returned. Since this is not possible, please write your name and your membership number in the label space provided on the ballot for the label, and return the ballot to HQ for validation.
Mike Brestel

Trains 2012 Committee
Back Row, Left to Right – John Green; Greg Madsen; Craig Spink; Andrew Hutchinson; Mike Chandler; Bob Leggett; Tom Jones.
Front Row, Left to Right – Rob Kirkham; Don Gooch; Bill Dixon; Gladys Gooch; Dick Sutcliffe; John Moore. Missing – Scott Calvert.

(Click on the photo for a high resolution version.)

On Sunday, January 13 the Trains 2012 committee met for a wrap-up meeting and dinner at the ABC Country Restaurant in Burnaby. This was the last meeting for them as a group. A presentation was made by Bob Leggett on behalf of the 7th Division to thank them all for their many years of service putting on train shows and meets. A framed Certificate of Appreciation was presented to each one.

Will there be a Trains 2013? A few new people have expressed interest in carrying on and some of the old committee will be meeting with them to discuss it. But more volunteers will be needed! Do you want this meet and show to continue? Do you have some time available to volunteer? Well then contact our Superintendent, Russ Watson at russwatson@me.com and he will direct someone to discuss it with you.

Bob Leggett – 7th Div. PNR/NMRA Secretary;
Trains 2012 – 7th Div. PNR/NMRA Representative.

MMR NUMBER 489

To state that a transcontinental train trip I made at the age of 14 was an enjoyable vacation would be a major understatement. It influenced my entire life from that point onward. I became fascinated with all aspects of railroading in general and trains in particular. Therefore it was hardly surprising, that a few weeks later when a school friend introduced me to HO scale, I became hooked on model railroading and have remained so to the present time. Additionally, I have remained in HO throughout.

My interest in railroading also resulted in pursuing a career in the railroad industry with Canadian National, a circumstance which kept me close to prototype railroading, but unfortunately, distanced me from model railroading due to frequent moves which prevented any serious attempts to construct a layout. Although I joined the railroad as a machinist apprentice, I rose quickly through the ranks to occupy several management positions in CN's motive power department and while most of my career was spent in Western Canada, my longest posting was as Senior Technical Officer Motive Power at CN's system headquarters in Montreal. As you might expect, one of my MMR certificates is for motive power.

Although I've had the pleasure of attending 11 national NMRA conventions, they've been widely spread over time with my first convention being at Vancouver, B.C. in 1965. At that time, a fan trip was a standard part of the convention schedule and with convention attendance usually around 1,000, it was possible for an all coach train to accommodate everyone. During the '65 convention, we ran over the CN's Yale Subdivision from Vancouver to Boston Bar and return. Because of that trip so long ago, I can claim to have been on a train trip with John Allen who was sitting in the same coach just a few rows behind me. Of course, John Allen was a model railroad celebrity by that time and consequently everyone in our coach knew who he was, but celebrities then were no different than today, and even though the coach was crowded, John made the entire trip to Boston Bar seated by himself. We were all just too intimidated by his presence to sit next to him. I did not see John on the return trip and assume he linked up with some of his friends during the brief layover at Boston Bar and had some company for the ride back to Vancouver.

You will, no doubt, be shocked to read that it's taken me 43 years to earn my MMR! However, although true, that statement is also misleading. I can claim that because two of the freight cars I used to qualify for my car certificate were built in 1969, and while I did some scratch building of structures in the years that followed, I was mostly an arm chair model railroader for the next two and a half decades due to frequent moves with the railroad. By 1996, it appeared that I wouldn't have to relocate again, so we purchased a house with a basement which was well suited for a model railroad. After all those years of arm chair model railroading, I knew exactly what kind of layout I was going to build even down to the types of industries and structures that would be served by it. Due to my years of experience with Canadian National, I also wanted a layout that could be operated in a prototypical manner and believe I have achieved that as well. My love of scratch building and hand laying track initially delayed construction of the layout, but with retirement, progress became more noticeable. And while it's still not complete, it has become fully operational with scenery covering more than half of it.

The achievement program had been around for a few years by the time I joined the NMRA, and while I was aware of it, the program seemed so far beyond my reach at that time, I just put it out of my mind. However, as my layout began to progress following retirement, I decided to have another look at it. To my surprise, I discovered that I had accomplished most, if not all, of the requirements needed for seven certificates. With this in mind, I began the necessary paper work in late 2011 and by May of 2012 received my car and motive power certificates which were the last of the seven required. These were preceded by: author, volunteer, engineer - electrical, engineer - civil and structures.

My family, we have one daughter, has been most supportive of my hobby over the years and my wife even played an unexpected but significant role in developing the operating system for my layout. During a visit to our local church's fall fair sale a few years ago, she discovered a 1929 C.N. operating rules book. Because the era of my freelance railroad is 1938, the book was a good fit and since that time, we've had many successful operating sessions based on it.

Mike Chandler

Welcome to the mid-November NMRA InfoNet News!

• John Stevens, the NMRA Secretary, has announced the slate of candidates for the 2013 National elections. Ballots will be in NMRA members’ hands early next year. Candidates are:
  • At-Large Worldwide Director:
    • Stan Ames
    • Mike Brestel
    • Larry Smith, MMR
    • Leslie Eaton, MMR
  • Atlantic District Director:
    • Alain Kap
    • Kathy Millatt
  • Western District Director
    • Larry Alfred, MMR
    • Jack Hamilton, MMR
• In keeping with his policy of not letting anyone volunteer do more than his/her fair share of work, President Charlie Getz has named Jim Lupfer head of the Convention and Trade Show Department, replacing Bob Amsler, who remains as NMRA Counsel. Speaking of President Getz, an interview with him is featured on the current episode of “The Model Railway Show” podcast. Jim Martin talks with Charlie about his plans for the NMRA. To listen, visit www.themodelrailwayshow.com, or download Episode 44 on iTunes (or any number of other podcast downloaders). All show episodes are archived at the TrainLife website, so even if your members miss it now, they can always listen to it at a later date. In two weeks Charlie will return to the podcast to talk about “The Magic of Scale Model Railroading” exhibit at the California State Railroad Museum.
• Western Director Jack Hamilton and his committee are working on a new Long Range Plan for the NMRA. Jack is still looking for input from members, and writes, “The October edition of NMRA Magazine put out a general call (“NMRA – Where do the tracks lead?”) to members for input for NMRA strategic planning. There have been a number of excellent responses to the call but not nearly in the numbers that might be suggested by the normal level of grousing and gripes about the organization. This is your opportunity to make a difference and have some direct say in the direction the NMRA takes into our future. This is your organization and your ideas and input will be treated with equal value and respect. Please read the October article and make your desires known to Western District Director Jack Hamilton at westdir@hq.nmra.org or mail them directly to Jack at 10731 Warren Road NW, Silverdale, WA 98383.”
• Allen Pollock, Museum Committee Chairman, would like to put the word out about fundraising efforts for the California State Railroad Museum’s “Magic of Scale Model Railroading” Gallery Project. Allen writes, “You’ve read the article by President Getz in the November NMRA Magazine about the Gallery project. I’m asking for your help. We’re close to making it happen, so please discuss the idea of making a donation with your Region or Division Boards. If all participate, we’ll be successful in raising the $250,000 we need by early next year to receive the matching grant. Right now we already have $160,000 of the needed funding. If you have any questions or need additional info about this unprecedented chance to spread the word about our hobby, contact me directly at 573-619-8532.”
• From Vice President of Special Projects, Bill Kaufman: “Sometime in February, the NMRA national is going to try to start sending out an electronic Bulletin. It will be filled calendars, Divisional success stories and the like. Sent out every two months, it is not intended to replace NMRA Magazine, but to be a collection of teasers with links to info. We hope people will like it. One key to its success is email addresses. We currently have emails for about 75% of our members but more is better and some of what we have are not right. Please remind your Region and Division members for their correct email addresses and forward them to HQ.”
• Brett Lambert has left the Kalmbach Memorial Library to pursue other career interests. We wish him the best and thank him for his many years of service. In his absence, requests will be handled by the HQ staff.
• The Standards and Conformance Committee has been working with Bachmann and Soundtraxx to be sure both companies are in conformance to NMRA standards for DCC decoders. In the past there have been some concerns about each company’s wiring harnesses not meeting proper specs.
• The Winter Board of Directors Meeting will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, on February 8-10. All NMRA members are welcome to attend. Times and location will be announced later.

If you have any questions or comments about any of the above, please send them directly to a Director or Officer. You'll find those addresses at www.nmra.org or in NMRA Magazine.

Gerry Leone, MMR
NMRA Communications Director

The Penticton Museum is working towards an approximate 15 month long celebration in 2014-2015 of the centennial of the Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) and the S.S. Sicamous sternwheeler on Okanagan Lake. This project is in conjunction with a wider city initiative to promote tourism. The idea is to set up a special convention where model railway layouts would be displayed – much the same idea as the "Trains" show in Burnaby or the Lions Club Chilliwack show. Only, this would be a one-time special event. This won’t be limited to just model railroading, the broader railroad and steam boat scene will also be represented.

If any clubs are interested in participating, please contact me at: kvrailway@shaw.ca

Joe Smuin

Welcome to the mid-November NMRA InfoNet News!

• John Stevens, the NMRA Secretary, has announced the slate of candidates for the 2013 National elections. Ballots will be in NMRA members’ hands early next year. Candidates are:
  • At-Large Worldwide Director:
    • Stan Ames
    • Mike Brestel
    • Larry Smith, MMR
    • Leslie Eaton, MMR
  • Atlantic District Director:
    • Alain Kap
    • Kathy Millatt
  • Western District Director
    • Larry Alfred, MMR
    • Jack Hamilton, MMR
• In keeping with his policy of not letting anyone volunteer do more than his/her fair share of work, President Charlie Getz has named Jim Lupfer head of the Convention and Trade Show Department, replacing Bob Amsler, who remains as NMRA Counsel. Speaking of President Getz, an interview with him is featured on the current episode of “The Model Railway Show” podcast. Jim Martin talks with Charlie about his plans for the NMRA. To listen, visit www.themodelrailwayshow.com, or download Episode 44 on iTunes (or any number of other podcast downloaders). All show episodes are archived at the TrainLife website, so even if your members miss it now, they can always listen to it at a later date. In two weeks Charlie will return to the podcast to talk about “The Magic of Scale Model Railroading” exhibit at the California State Railroad Museum.
• Western Director Jack Hamilton and his committee are working on a new Long Range Plan for the NMRA. Jack is still looking for input from members, and writes, “The October edition of NMRA Magazine put out a general call (“NMRA – Where do the tracks lead?”) to members for input for NMRA strategic planning. There have been a number of excellent responses to the call but not nearly in the numbers that might be suggested by the normal level of grousing and gripes about the organization. This is your opportunity to make a difference and have some direct say in the direction the NMRA takes into our future. This is your organization and your ideas and input will be treated with equal value and respect. Please read the October article and make your desires known to Western District Director Jack Hamilton at westdir@hq.nmra.org or mail them directly to Jack at 10731 Warren Road NW, Silverdale, WA 98383.”
• Allen Pollock, Museum Committee Chairman, would like to put the word out about fundraising efforts for the California State Railroad Museum’s “Magic of Scale Model Railroading” Gallery Project. Allen writes, “You’ve read the article by President Getz in the November NMRA Magazine about the Gallery project. I’m asking for your help. We’re close to making it happen, so please discuss the idea of making a donation with your Region or Division Boards. If all participate, we’ll be successful in raising the $250,000 we need by early next year to receive the matching grant. Right now we already have $160,000 of the needed funding. If you have any questions or need additional info about this unprecedented chance to spread the word about our hobby, contact me directly at 573-619-8532.”
• From Vice President of Special Projects, Bill Kaufman: “Sometime in February, the NMRA national is going to try to start sending out an electronic Bulletin. It will be filled calendars, Divisional success stories and the like. Sent out every two months, it is not intended to replace NMRA Magazine, but to be a collection of teasers with links to info. We hope people will like it. One key to its success is email addresses. We currently have emails for about 75% of our members but more is better and some of what we have are not right. Please remind your Region and Division members for their correct email addresses and forward them to HQ.”
• Brett Lambert has left the Kalmbach Memorial Library to pursue other career interests. We wish him the best and thank him for his many years of service. In his absence, requests will be handled by the HQ staff.
• The Standards and Conformance Committee has been working with Bachmann and Soundtraxx to be sure both companies are in conformance to NMRA standards for DCC decoders. In the past there have been some concerns about each company’s wiring harnesses not meeting proper specs.
• The Winter Board of Directors Meeting will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, on February 8-10. All NMRA members are welcome to attend. Times and location will be announced later.

If you have any questions or comments about any of the above, please send them directly to a Director or Officer. You'll find those addresses at www.nmra.org or in NMRA Magazine.

Gerry Leone, MMR
NMRA Communications Director

Well, the 30th edition of "Trains" for 2012 is now in the history books, and by all accounts was a success. We'll have more on it later, but for now I'd like to highlight one part, namely the Prototype Tour on Monday. Dick Sutcliffe has provided the following report, which shows what a great time they had, inspite of the weather!

Good morning all

Hope you had a good rest last night and feel you are recovering from the weekend.

I rode to Squamish with Bob Leggett, arriving about 9:30am as the staff were opening the station and other displays. The weather was starting to look promising, but deteriorated again to light and heavy drizzle for most of the day. After a very warm welcome, to the dozen registrants that showed up, by Russ Grycan, in the station meeting room, we went for a tour of the Roundhouse, including the cab of 2860 and of the other three pieces of equipment in the roundhouse. We then split up and wandered freely through the rest of the site. I was joined by Jeremy, who is the point person for the Western Rails Show in March. We ducked under the rope and walked through the working part of the car shop, looking at work in progress on several cars as well as a model railway donated by the Cohen (Army & Navy Stores) family.

At 11am we found our way to the MiniRail station and road three "covered" cars to the the wye at the other end of the line. Here Chris and Kyle treated us to a couple of trains running on the 45mm "G" gauge track, while Jeremy ran around the MiniRail locomotive around the train. This was followed by the trip back to the station by the scenic run along the creek, complete with a few ghosts still in the trees from Halloween. Back at the Station we partook of the catered lunch of a delicious vegetable soup, several varieties of sandwiches on white or brown bread and followed by several types of cake. Good hot coffee and tea were also available. All served in/on real china. Very well presented.

After everyone was sufficiently refreshed we we boarded a coach, and pulled by PGE RSC 561,were taken to the former motive power shop the WCRA rents from the CN. After a brief introduction and safety precautions we were free to wander the shop and inspect a variety of equipment, much of which had volunteers present to answer questions and interpret features. BCER motor 960, and CPR 8000, among other equipment are undergoing restoration, (960 to operate, 8000 cosmetically).

At 2pm we were directed upstairs to the "Bent Spike" railway display, which has an operating HO layout, as well as a G gauge track around the room near the ceiling, and an O gauge track under construction under the HO layout. The HO layout has a beautiful backdrop painted by a local artist, who was present operating one of the trains. Chris gave a guided tour of the HO layout with remarks about the O and G setups. Kyle is constructing an "N" scale set of modules for display in this location, and to take to shows.

By 3pm we were again directed to the train and and returned to the station, where the tour was completed.

I want to compliment all the volunteers and staff for their great hospitality and detailed interpretation of the exhibits, displays, and artifacts. They made us feel very welcome.

Dick Sutcliffe
Secretary
Trains 2012 committee
British Columbia's largest Train Show & Meet

Hello,

1. Please find the PNR 7th Division 2012 Annual General Meeting (AGM) Agenda under the 'Documents' link above. The AGM will be held at 2 p.m. in the Cedar room at the Cameron Recreation Centre in Burnaby, BC, during the TRAINS 2012 meet and public show. You may read the 2011 AGM minutes on our 7th Division website at: AGM Minutes
2. We are looking for input from you on the following Agenda items:
   • - our website development, what would you like to see there, what do you like, what don't you like? 7th Division Web Site
   • - future Spring Meets, where, when, by whom, etc.? a bid has not been submitted for a 2013 Spring Meet
   • - future TRAINS meets and public shows, different format, different venue, etc.?
3. We are looking for volunteers:
   • - to be a Bulletin Board Advertising Coordinator
   • - for a TRAINS 2013 meet and public show committee
   • - to help design new 7th Division publicity display boards as discussed in the Oct/Nov Bulletin Board
   • - to fill the Bulletin Board Editor's position

Please bring your input or agreement to volunteer to the AGM or if you are not able to attend or would like to send it now, please email it to Russ Watson. I look forward to your response and seeing you at TRAINS.

Regards,
Russ Watson
Superintendant and AP Chairperson
PNR 7th Division NMRA Canada
Quesnel, BC, Canada
russwatson@me.com

Welcome to mid-October and the NMRA InfoNet News!

• About half of the money needed to meet the “matching gift” to the “The Magic of Scale Model Railroading” exhibit at the California State Railroad Museum has been raised. An anonymous donor has offered to put $250,000 of his own money into the Exhibit if we can raise a matching amount. In addition to NMRA member donations, substantial donations have been made to the exhibit by various manufacturers. No NMRA dues money is being used to fund this project. Watch for an informative article in the November issue of NMRA Magazine for more details on the Exhibit and fund raising efforts.
• The newly formed NMRA Marketing Department is working with Amtrak stations in major cities to get modular layouts placed there in an effort to raise awareness of our hobby.
• The NMRA website is undergoing a facelift and update under the direction of our new IT Director, Ben Sevier, and his web team. Members should see the changes sometime within the coming year.
• As part of an effort to improve communications with members, and specifically those who don’t receive NMRA Magazine, the NMRA leadership team is discussing adding an “eBulletin” – a short, concise emailed newsletter which will list NMRA news, announcements, and other important information. It won’t replace NMRA Magazine, but instead will be an adjunct to it and will be available free to those members with email. A proposal will be made to the Board of Directors in February.
• The Executive Handbook and By-Laws Committee is currently working diligently to simplify and shorten both of those documents, making it easier to understand the organization and how it’s run.
• The Winter Board of Directors Meeting will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, on February 8-10. All NMRA members are welcome to attend. Times and location will be announced later.

If you have any questions or comments about any of the above, please send them directly to a Director or Officer. You'll find those addresses atwww.nmra.org or in NMRA Magazine.

Gerry Leone, MMR
NMRA Communications Director

Welcome to the second Post-Convention edition of the NMRA InfoNet News!

This eblast will contain all the Grand Rapids convention information that didn’t make it into last month’s edition, plus some other exciting news.

• After several years of work by incoming NMRA Secretary John Stevens, all U.S. Region boundaries are now defined by state and county boundaries, rather than zip codes. This will help keep boundaries stable as the U.S. Post Office continues to redefine its zip code areas. Michiana Division co-founder Jim Six, a college professor and experienced education expert, has agreed to lead a team charged with developing a standardized clinic format that will help ensure consistency and uniformity for clinics being made available to Divisions and Regions. The format will be based upon the one currently in use in the Michiana Division of the Midwest Region.
• Following the recommendation of Standards & Conformance Department head Didrik Voss, MMR, the Board directed that all eight DCC-related Recommended Practices now become NMRA Standards. Further, in the future the issuance of a Conformance Warrant is not to be influenced by Recommended Practices but will be based solely on adherence to applicable NMRA Standards.
• President Charlie Getz appointed outgoing president Mike Brestel to replace Larry DeYoung, who retired as publisher of NMRA Magazine. Charlie also announced that Mike has also agreed to serve as assistant to the president to ensure a smooth transition between administrations.
• Chief Financial Officer Frank Koch reported that the attendance of the National Train Show in Grand Rapids was the fourth best ever, and that Saturday’s attendance exceeded Sacramento’s of the same day. In addition, there were three more booths sold at Grand Rapids than Sacramento.
• Looking ahead to next year’s convention in Atlanta, the “Peachtree Express” team reports that it’s putting the finishing touches on a series of short videos featuring selected layouts that will be on tour during the convention. The videos will be posted to YouTube and will be able to be accessed from links on http://www.nmra2013.org/
• The Peachtree team is also proud to announce that there will be a number of Civil War-related tours – both rail-related and general interest – as well as a “Civil War track.”
• And it’s not too soon to be thinking about the 2014 convention! The Cleveland Convention’s website is now up and running and taking registrations at www.2014cleveland.org.

If you have any questions or comments about any of the above, please send them directly to a Director or Officer. You'll find those addresses atwww.nmra.org or in NMRA Magazine.

Gerry Leone, MMR
NMRA Communications Director

All members are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Seventh Division, Pacific Northwest Region, National Model Railroad Association (Canada) which will be held on Sunday, November 11, 2012 at 2:00 PM in the Spruce Room of the Cameron Recreation Centre, 9523 Cameron Street, Burnaby, B.C.

Respectfully submitted by
Bob Leggett
Secretary, Seventh Division, Pacific Northwest Region
National Model Railroad Association (Canada)

Hello Everyone:

I am writing this letter to all of our supporters over the last 22 years. We regret, due to our financial status in carrying on at this time, the executive has decided to cancel the 2012 Victoria Model Railway Show. We took great pride in producing a quality show over the many years. Today, we can not do shows that just break even anymore with rising costs and a declinig interest locally in the hobby. We may be looking at a differant format in future. All ventors that have paid, your cheque will be in the mail shortly.

At this time we would like to thank the NMRA and the 7th Division for all their support since day one when they floated us $500 to do our first show at the Princess Mary Resturant Ballroom. It was repaid the next day with a bonus cheque.

Thank-you

Ted Alexis, South Island Rep.

Available for donation: NMRA Bulletins and NMRA Magazines from 1965 to present. I think they are all there. They will be thown out unless someone in this area wants them.

I also have a NMRA belt buckle (#80) and a pair of cuff links that I wish to sell for whatever someone wants to pay.

Gerrald Lomas
Walnut Grove area of Langley
email: lomasg@telus.net

• The Board of Directors will meet in Grand Rapids on Friday, July 27, Saturday, July 28, and Sunday, July 29. While the Friday meeting is a closed caucus, most of the Saturday and Sunday meetings are open to all members. At this time the meeting room hasn’t been determined, so check with the convention hotel after you arrive if you’re interested in attending.
• Very soon we hope to be announcing the name of the new Director of Marketing and his team. Those folks will be meeting with members of the NMRA leadership team in Grand Rapids to formalize the process of developing a program to recruit and retain members.
• The Standards & Conformance Department has an urgent need for an ATA Certified Translator to convert German documents into English. The work includes translating the Lenz document describing Railcom into an English version. If one of your members has the qualifications and is interested, contact Didrik Voss, S&C Department Manager, at davoss@pvmtengr.com.
• Atlantic District Director Nobby Clarke and his team have been invited to bring the NMRA Publicity Booth to the last-ever U.S. Railroad convention in Switzerland this October. This is a huge event, with attendance numbering in the thousands. More information athttp://www.trainmaster.ch/XCV-15-e.htm .

As you know, the 2012 annual convention begins July 29. Here’s some last-minute information!

• Grand Rails 2012’s former 6-part ticket is now a booklet containing maps, directions, descriptions and schedules for the self-guided layout tours. The booklet is attendees’ single pass to all 70+ layouts on tour.
• Sunset Valley Oregon System passes are also still available. This may be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see one of the world’s most famous layouts.
• You can put your hand on the throttle of the Coopersville & Marne Railroad SW-9 beginning Thursday morning at 9:00, August 2. Fifteen-minute blocks to operate the loco will be sold for just $35 per person. Operations will go until noon, or longer if demand is high. Visit the tour desk at the convention to register. Participants must be over 21 years old, provide their own transportation (it’s a 20-minute drive from the hotel), and be on-site 15 minutes prior to their scheduled time.

I hope to see many of you at the convention! If you spot me, please introduce yourself!

If you have any questions or comments about any of the above, please send them directly to a Director or Officer. You'll find those addresses atwww.nmra.org or in NMRA Magazine.

Gerry Leone, MMR
NMRA Communications Director

NOTE THAT THERE IS A NEW FAX NUMBER.

• The Ballot Committee has met and issued the official results of the election from this Spring. The results are:
  
  President:
  Ballots received - 1680,
  Valid ballots cast - 1569
  Charlie W. Getz, IV, HLM - 1550
  
  Vice President - Administration
  Ballots received - 1680
  Valid ballots cast - 1637
  Dave Thornton - 723
  Clark Kooning, MMR 588
  Howard Goodwin 326
  
  Vice President - Special Projects
  Ballots received - 1680
  Valid ballots cast - 1599
  Bill Kaufman - 1104
  James "Lumpy" Lupfer - 493
  Norman Frowly (Write-in) - 1
  Charles W Getz, IV, HLM (Write-in) - 1
  
  Eastern District Director:
  Ballots received - 523
  Valid ballots cast - 472
  John Roberts, MMR, HLM - 461
  Various individual write-in votes - 9 (on each)
  
  Pacific District Director
  Ballots received - 90
  Valid ballots cast - 90
  
  Mike Bartlett - 53
  Robert Peterson - 25
  Kelly Loyd = 12
  
  At-Large North America Director
  Ballots Received - 1565
  Valid ballots cast - 1477
  
  Miles Hale, MMR - 865
  Mike Brestel - 610
  Dave Barrow - 1
  Whit Johnson - 1
  
  There were seven (7) ballots unopened as they were postmarked beyond the deadline.

• The Board of Directors will meet in Grand Rapids on Friday, July 27, Saturday, July 28, and Sunday, July 29. While the Friday meeting is a closed caucus, most of the Saturday and Sunday meetings are open to all members. At this time the meeting room hasn’t been determined, so check with the convention hotel after you arrive if you’re interested in attending.
• The NMRA has revisited its corporate status and has incorporated in the State of Missouri. One of the driving factors was to enable the Board to conduct electronic meetings (a practice not allowed in the State of Ohio, where the NMRA was formerly incorporated). This lets the Board vote on matters of significance in the time between the Winter and Summer meetings. The move also provides the proper opportunity to revisit the regulations (bylaws) as we update them to satisfy the Missouri Corporate requirements.
• GrandRails 2012 has just signed up a rep from QSI who will be presenting several clinics about their brand new diesel sound system. The system lets users control sound and light functions to match specific railroad practices. Check the clinic schedule for this addition.
• Coming soon: an announcement on the convention website about self-guided tours at GrandRails2012. Watch for it

And, again an important message from the Convention committee. Now’s the time to make sure your convention-going members are aware of it!

• Grand Rails 2012 is looking for volunteers who'd be willing to donate an hour or two of their time at the convention doing things like contest room security, helping with registration check-in, silent auction set-up and tear-down, and bus loading. If you're interested and have an hour or two you'd like to donate, contact Mark Baldwin, Vice Chair of Volunteers, at gr2012volunteers@gmail.com for more details.

If you have any questions or comments about any of the above, please send them directly to a Director or Officer. You'll find those addresses at www.nmra.org or in NMRA Magazine.

Gerry Leone, MMR NMRA Communications Director

The minutes from the Informal Meeting Held during the Gold Pan Express 2012 Spring Meet at the Curling Club in Quesnel are now available. Minutes - 2012 Spring Meet - Quesnel.pdf

A collection of slightly used On30 equipment is for sale, preferably to be sold as a lot.

All are in excellent condition, only 2-3 years old and hardly used.

1. Locomotive, 2-8-0, DCC ready, all extra parts, lettered Pocahontas Lumber Co., #25960     $120
2. Combine, Pennsylvania Rail Road, lighted, #26114     $30
3. Reefer, Captain Lawrence Brew Pub, #27481     $25
4. Tank Car, painted, not lettered, #27199     $20
              or $175 for the lot.

Hal Werneburg
Saanich, B.C.
250-298-6693
wernebur@ucalgary.ca

At Grand Rails 2012, there will be a drawing for four cab rides from among the participants in the Little River Railroad tour. The cab rides will be in the railroad's #110, a 4-6-2 Pacific built by Baldwin, during its trip to Quincy and back. The train's consist will contain a WWII troop car, two converted stock cars, and three cabooses. In addition, the Little River RR's two other locomotives will be on display for photographs. In fact, you can even climb on them!

More convention news: The Grand Rapids Model Railroad Historical Society is producing an HO-scale model of a true local railroad landmark: the Bridge Street Signal Tower. The prototype, still standing near the convention hotel, was built by the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad to stand guard over the railroad's crossing of five streets. Only 100 of these craftsman laser-cut kits will be available at a special Grand Rails 2012 Convention price of $65. Members can see photos and get a brief history of the crossing tower at www.gr2012.org/towerkit.htm .

The 4th Division of the Pacific Northwest Region has signed on as a co-sponsor of this year's Narrow Gauge Convention in Seattle. The 4th Division will be signing up members for the NMRA throughout the event.

Because the NMRA's Online Archives has been such a rousing success, several prominent photographers and collectors have begun to donate portions of their collections to the NMRA. The first is noted author/photographer Louis A. Marre, who's donated hundreds of large-format negatives of many subjects. Gregory Sommers has also donated a large collection of freight car slides, and David Lange has donated a large number of scanned images from the collection of the late Jim Morris. Watch for these exciting additions to the NMRA Online Archives in the near future. Hopefully continued donations to The Diamond Club will cover the cost of scanning and preparing the images.

And an important repeat from last month: Grand Rails 2012 is looking for volunteers who'd be willing to donate an hour or two of their time at the convention doing things like contest room security, helping with registration check-in, silent auction set-up and tear-down, and bus loading. If you're interested and have an hour or two you'd like to donate, contact Mark Baldwin, Vice Chair of Volunteers, at gr2012volunteers@gmail.com for more details.

If you have any questions or comments about any of the above, please send them directly to a Director or Officer. You'll find those addresses at www.nmra.org or in NMRA Magazine.

Fundraising has begun for the "Magic of Scale Model Railroading" gallery at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, CA. As your members will probably recall, this gallery will introduce the Museum's 600,000 annual visitors to the hobby, as well as give them a sense of its history. One of the highlights of the gallery will be actual portions of the finest model railroads ever built. The Museum has donated the space rent-free to the NMRA for the purpose of promoting the hobby. It's estimated that the cost to build the exhibit will be approximately $750,000, and no NMRA dues or monies will be used; instead, it will be entirely funded by donations. To date, over $100,000 has been raised, and an anonymous donor has agreed to match donations, up to $250,000.

Any NMRA member (or non-member, for that matter) who would like to donate to the funding of the gallery should send his or her tax-deductable donation to NMRA Headquarters at 4121 Cromwell Road., Chattanooga, TN 37421-2119, and mark it "Gallery donation."

In the February edition of the InfoNet News we reported the agreement of cooperation between the NMRA and the Hasea.com Model Railroad Association of China. This July we'll be seeing the first fruits of that "Hands Across The Ocean" agreement as a group of teenage Chinese modelers and railfans visits California with the purpose of seeing layouts, prototype trains, and the California State Railway Museum. Several Pacific Coast Region members are helping to organize this 2-week event.

Grand Rails 2012, the upcoming NMRA national convention, has announced their commemorative convention car. Grand Rapids, Michigan, was once known as The Furniture Capital of the World, and appropriately the model was inspired by a postcard photograph of a turn-of-the-last-century furniture manufacturer's wood-sided boxcar. This replica, produced by Accurail, comes complete with a Grand Rails 2012 logo "poster" which can be applied by the modeler. Visit www.gr2012.org to see a shot of the prototype.

The folks at Grand Rails 2012 have posted a preliminary clinic schedule for the convention in PDF format, downloadable at their website. Among the clinicians are NMRA Worldwide Director Tony Koester, Jim Six, Jim Sacco, and a group of clinics by the Layout Design Sig.

Grand Rails 2012 is looking for volunteers who'd be willing to donate an hour or two of their time at the convention doing things like contest room security, helping with registration check-in, silent auction set-up and tear-down, and bus loading. If you're interested and have an hour or two you'd like to donate, contact Mark Baldwin, Vice Chair of Volunteers. Just use the "Contact Us" link on the Grand Rails 2012 website at www.gr2012.org.

We have had a somewhat unusual request and have decided to post it here in the hope that someone can help Gerry in his search.

"Time prevents me from building a large layout but I miss tinkering and having fun For months now I have been trying to purchase a previously built operational layout that would fit in my library/den The floor space available is 18 ft x 12.5 and is best suited for a walk around layout versus wall mounted I Know it is a long shot but would any of you have any leads for me that I could follow up? I am located in Kelowna. Thank you."

Gerry McParland