4D

It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Gene Swanson, MMR last Friday in Tacoma, WA. Gene was a fixture in 4D/PNR and had just won the President's Award from the NMRA in June of this year. Gene ran the Tacoma Clinic for over two decades and was instrumental in building the popularity of that meeting. He was also a member of the Puget Sound Model Railroad Engineers and built several of the structures on the layout, mostly from scratch. Gene preferred to work in wood, but would "stoop" to plastic on occasion when necessary.

My own association with Gene began when I started attending the Tacoma Clinic. Gene's welcoming nature brought me into the group and made me feel at home. His layout was the first I assessed for MMR and I was very happy to be on hand when he was awarded this honor. He also invited me to help out with a traveling museum exhibit, which culminated with me doing the figures and animals for a traveling display depicting how the railroads tamed the west that visited several museums around the country.

Ever a high school sports fan, Gene was very encouraging to my son, who was a budding high school sports photographer when they met. They formed a friendship of their own, and Gene ended up commissioning my son to do a photo book of Gene's layout, which ended up with four separate printings.

Gene will be missed by all in 4D and PNR.

Sounds like fun!

ANNOUNCING A DIORAMA CONTEST! – Welcome to the 4th Division ANNOUNCING A DIORAMA CONTEST!July 18, 2019Written by Russ SegnerLeave a Comment By Russ Segner Let’s build something! Announcing a contest to build a diorama for display at the Pacific Science Center Show next January. Here are the guidelines: 12” x 24” maximum footprint – use a 12” x 24.....

We made the news!

No matter their age, these model-train enthusiasts are all aboard with building models and community Older members of the 4th division of the National Model Railroad Association’s Pacific Northwest region mentor the younger fans.

Yes, these are done with decals.

As Bob said, "we had loads of fun" in this clinic.

Bob Frankrone is giving a live version of the great column he writes for the NMRA Magazine.