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March 2008 Meet Report and Contest Recap




March 2008 Meet Report



We had many beautiful models displayed again for all of us to enjoy.  We had switching contests, photo contests, and fun was had by all.  Thank you to *all* the participants who entered and put on such a good show for the rest of us;  we hope you enjoyed our deep admiration and apprection for your sharing it with us.

Click on the links below to see the:
Model Contest
Show and Tell
Switching Contest
Photo Contest
Volunteers and People - New!  See photos of some of the friendly people who make our Coast Division Meets possible.

Click here to see the upcoming Coast Division Model Contest and Photo Contest categories for future meets!

Webmaster's tip:  Check out Bob Booth's Show and Tell "Dollar Cars" below in the Show and Tell  - incredible!

You can click on any of the thumbnails below, to see a larger photo of the absolutely gorgeous models presented at the March 2008 Meet..

Model Contest

*Congratulations* to the Model Contest winners by Popular Vote.   Thanks to *all* who participated - you are all winners by making a great show for us all.
  Click on the pictures and thumbnails to see close-up views of the Model Contest entries.

By Popular Vote, the Model Contest  lucky winners were:
Category 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place

Caboose
Andrew Merriam

Pacific Coast #2,  in HO

 

Click the small thumbnails for closeups:

      


Bob Booth
Freelance early 1920's branchline service, in HO

 

Click the small thumbnail to see Bob's construction methods: . 

  

Jim Eckman
 
Yosemite Short Line, freelanced, based on Westside Lumber, in On30

 

Click the small thumbnail for closeups:


 



Freight Car
Tom Vanden Bosch

Pere Marquette Covered Hopper     #20054 in HO



Click the small thumbnail for closeups:

 


Tom Vanden Bosch

Canadian National refrigerator car #209523 in HO



Click the small thumbnail for closeups:

 



Kenneth Martin

Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy boxcar #23347  in HO



 

Click the small thumbnail for closeups:

 
Maintenance of Way
Bob Booth

MOW Tender, scratchbuilt in HO



Click the small thumbnail for closeups:


 





  
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In the end, NMRA contests are not about winning, rather, they are about the fun of participating, about sharing your pride and joy in modeling, and having fun self-inspiring yourself.  We all love love to see your pride and joys, and you are all winners for participating.  Here is are all our other wonderful entries, each fascinating, interesting, and worthy of excellent mention:

Kenneth Martin's Colorado & Southern #10567 blind-end caboose in HO:



Steve Wesolowski's large scale Rio Grande Southern caboose with lighting and interior:
       
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Here is a picture of our Model Contest table and all the Model Contest / Show Tell / Photo Contest tables - for March 2008:

        
         
Thank You to *all* that entered a model, you put on a great show and inspired the rest of us.   We hope you enjoyed our admiration of your work.  

So for June 2008, bring an entry and participate!  Bring something to share, and enter for the Fun of it in the Coast Division Model Contest.
Click here to see the upcoming Model Contest categories.
:-)

Model Contest and Show and Tell Chair: John Sing
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Show and Tell   at March 2008 Coast Division Meet

We also had great participation and wonderful models in our regular quarterly Show and Tell table.  

Click on any of the many thumbnails below to see the great models shared by participants in the normal Show and Tell table:

Ted Stephen's "Elliot & Son's Supply" - HO work-in-progress from a Master Creations kit:
 

Andrew Merriam's MP gondola #31590 in HO, wonderfully beaten up and weathered:


Ken Lunder's cool newest wood craftsman kit cars:  Monson 26' boxcar in HOn30 or HOn2: 
 
They're available by direct purchase from Ken's company, Stevens Creek Models.  Check out his web site to see more about one of our local Coast Division members, manufacturer, and former Pacific Coast Region Contest Chair  :-) .
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Bob Booth's "Dollar Cars" - i.e. former junk - bought at auctions, poorly constructed, missing parts.... etc.  With a few nights work and some loving care -Bob has turned them into the stellar models that you see below.  Bob recommends for us all to search our junkbox (or buy at our auction) - start a little "project" and restore one at a time.  The satisfaction of turning junk into treasure is immeasurable!   So much so, that over one-half of Bob Booth's rolling stock consists of these kind of restorations:

             

Bob Booth's flock of HO caboose photos:
     

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John Sing's N scale Southern Pacific SD7s (yes, John does have interest in non-Santa Fe railroads!):
     

Photo of our Coast Division Show and Tell Table for March 2008:


Thanks again to all who participated, and we look forward to seeing you at Show and Tell in upcoming Meets.  Bring something that you would like share - a model(s), display about your current project, a work in progress, it's up to you, as any category is always welcome for Show and Tell.   We love to see what you're up to!

Coast Division Model Contest and Show and Tell Chair: John Sing


Results of the March 2008 Switching Contest :    (Congratulations to all who participated!)

The winners in the Brakeperson category (5 car problem) are:

First Place Second Place Third Place
 Ronnie LaTorres  

  Peter Savoy



   Steve Williams

The winners in the Senior Brakeperson category (6 car problem) are:

First Place Second Place Third Place
 
  Tom Crawford
 
  Ronnie LaTorres
   Alan Havens

Congratulations to all, and a special thanks to our Coast Division Switching Contest Chair: Mark Schutzer,  who keeps the Allen Fenton Timesaver switching puzzle running smoothly like a (fast) Swiss watch.

The Timesaver :



Is a fun, devilish little switching puzzle devised by the late, great model railroader, John Allen. 

Click on  these links above to learn more about the Timesaver, about John Allen, or his world famous HO Gorre & Daphetid model railroad, which inspired an entire generation of model railroaders worldwide.   John Allen lived in Monterey, California, and was a long time member of the Coast Division until his passing in 1973.

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Results of the March 2008 Photo Contest :    (Congratulations to all who participated!)

The theme was:  "Protoype Diesel Locomotives":

There were many artistic, noteworthy, and creative entries, and every one is worthy of award and mention.   Thank you to all who brought your photo to share, we all love seeing your work.  

Click on any of the thumbnails below to see a larger copy of the Photo Contest Entry.   By Popular Vote, the lucky Photo Contest winners were:

First Place Second Place
Third Place
 
  "Western Pacific GP20"
by Pat LaTorres
 
  "BNSF Diesels Under Load" by
       Stanley Keiser
      

 
     "BNSF Diesel and Geese, Headed South"
     by Seth Neumann

We had many entries, all of them interesting, artistic, and just excellent.  Click on a thumbnail below to see all of our other beautiful Photo Contest entries:    

   
   

Thank you to *all* who participated.  We hope you enjoyed a few minutes of fame and the ongoing admiration, of your fellow NMRA modellers and guests.
Here is a photo of our March 2008 Coast Division Photo Contest table:


Bring a photo to the next Meet's Photo Contest!  Click here to see the upcoming categories.

Coast Division Photo Contest Chair: Pat LaTorres
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Upcoming Model Contest categories:

Coast Division Model Contest categories are rotated annually according to the following schedule.

Therefore, the categories for the Coast Division Model Contest June 2008 are:

----------

June 2008:         Structure, Display/Diorama,  Self-Propelled Cars & Traction

September 2008:      Steam Locomotives, Diesel & Other Locomotives,  Passenger Car

December 2008:      "Favorite Model" (open category)

March 2009:            Freight Car, Caboose, Maintenance of Way

-------

Results are determined by Popular Vote.  Arrive and enter early to get more votes!

Optional:  NMRA Judging is available at the Coast Division Meet to any Model Contest participant for:

- Achievement Program Merit Points
- Regional/National Contest entry preparation 'dry-run' and friendly expert advice     
- Or, just to see how you would have done (smile!)

Please contact the current Coast Division Model Contest Chair, John Sing,  or the current Achievement Program chair Kermit Paul, if you would to have your model judged at the upcoming meet.
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Upcoming Photo Contest categories:

       
June 2008:                  "Prototype Railroad Structures"

All photos should be matted (inexpensive, resusable mattes can be had at most art supply stores) and should be between 5x7 and 11x14 in size. Hope to see your work there!

Results are determined by Popular Vote. Bring your photos early to get the early votes.

Photo Contest Chair:  Pat LaTorres  
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Volunteers

We were fortunate at the March 2008 meet, to welcome for the first time, the The Jobs Daughters from Bethel 103 of Mountain View, who provided the wonderful hot dogs, polish dogs, potato salad and chili for our lunch.

Our thanks to our many Coast Division volunteers, we could not do any of this without each and every one of you!
 
Here our friendly Chief Clerk, Tom Crawford, doing the 'clerking' thing preparing our Meet Report that goes in to the Coast Division Board of Operations and to our NMRA Pacific Coast Region:


Our new Layout Tour Coordinator, David Parks, who is doing a great job reviving this excellent activity:

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And our Superintendent, John Marshall, who keeps all us unruly Coast Division volunteers headed (more or less) in the same direction:


Steve Wesolowski, our Publicity Chair (and super helper on Model Contest) contributes:  

"So many people happily volunteer to make our Coast Meetings possible.  In appreciation, whenever you have the chance, please remember to thank someone else in our Division who in whatever way, helps to make our Coast Division Meets the success they are today."

Thank you, Steve, well said.  :-)

Invite a new friend to come to the next Meet, and see what we're all about!

See all of you in June 2008.
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