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Past Events & Milestones _

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indent After a couple of particularly busy years, we slowed things a bit with family commitments. It was also an opportunity to regroup and rethink where time and resources were invested - and to explore innovative and derivative concepts that are incrementally emerging through urbanTrak and elevatedTrak.

indent While model train shows continue to be a significant part of our engagement, we are continuing to explore alternative venues and events that are more accessible and affordable for families with an emphasis on being hands-on, arts-friendly and STEM-focused for children. Our annual Trains! event in Kirkland, WA, is one way to explore a child-centered train event that breaks all the model train show paradigms...no vendors, no raffles, no fees - a fully immersive and totally hands-on experience.

indent Pictures and highlights from past shows and events - along with a few milestones of note. Starting with ideas and sketches...and then a handful of simple tables that gradually grew into more challenging modules with custom track. Incrementally detailed with water, landscape, buildings and other features to elevate interactive wooden railways to a new standard.

2024

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indentFlourish: ACM InterActivity Conference: Madison, WI
indent Edwardsville Children's Museum

indent42nd Annual Helena Railroad Fair: Helena, MT

indent33rd Livingston Train Show: Livingston, MT

indentNational Train Show: Long Beach, CA
indentscaled back by host

indent3rd Annual Rails to Sails Model Railway Show: Tacoma, WA
indentcancelled by host

indentGarden Home Recreation Center: Portland, OR
indent FL!P Children's Museum

indent31st Washington State Train Show: Monroe, WA

indentMt. Tabor Neighborhood Event: Portland, OR
indent FL!P Children's Museum

indentVictoria Model Railway Show: Sidney, BC

indentKitsap Children's Museum: Bremerton, WA

indent44th Rogue Valley Railroad Show: Medford, OR
indentcancelled by host

2023

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indentWillamette Valley MRM Train Show: Rickreall, OR

indentInternational Railfair Model Train Show: Roseville, CA
indent MOSAIC Children's Museum's Modular Wooden Railway

indentNeuse River Valley 39th Annual Train Show: Raleigh, NC
indentWilmington Railroad Museum's Modular Wooden Railway

indentFall Spokane Train Show: Spokane, WA
indentRiver City Modelers' Modular Wooden Railway

indentMaple Valley 25th Annual Train Show: Maple Valley, WA

indentFL!P Children's Museum Popup Event: Beaverton, OR

indentNational Train Show: Grapevine, TX
indentEdwardsville Children's Museum's Modular Wooden Railway

indentExplorium!: Denton, TX
indentEdwardsville Children's Museum's Modular Wooden Railway

indentFamily Play Day at Waterfront Park: Vancouver, WA
indentColumbia Play Project's Popup Event

indentSpring into Trains Show: Raleigh, NC
indentWilmington Railroad Museum's Modular Wooden Railway

indentMaine Fiddlehead Festival: Farmington, ME
indentWestern Maine Play Museum's Modular Wooden Railway

indentGrand Strand Train Show: Myrtle Beach, SC
indentWilmington Railroad Museum's Modular Wooden Railway

indentWestern Gateway Farmers Market: Penn Valley, CA

indentPlay PDX: Portland, OR
indentFL!P Children's Museum Popup Event: Oaks Park

indentSpring Spokane Train Show: Spokane, WA
indentRiver City Modelers' Modular Wooden Railway

indent30th Annual Train Show and Marketplace: Monroe, WA

indentFranklin County Children's Festival: Farmington, ME
indentWestern Maine Play Museum's Modular Wooden Railway

2022

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indentNeuse River Valley 38th Annual Train Show: Raleigh, NC
indentWilmington Railroad Museum's Modular Wooden Railway

indentEPC Fall Festival: Bothell, WA

indentNational Train Show: St. Louis, MO
indentEdwardsville Children's Museum's Modular Wooden Railway

indentNMRAx Clinic: Livestream
indentApril 23rd

indentTrains!: Covington, WA

indentEdwardsville Children's Museum: Edwardsville, IL

2021

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indentWilmington Railroad Museum: Wilmington, NC

2020

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indentThe Engine Shed: Reading, UK

indent29th Annual Train Show and Marketplace: Monroe, WA

indentMOHAI Maker Day: Seattle, WA

2019

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indent MOHAI Model Train Show: Seattle, WA

indent Trains! - Kirkland, WA

indent Truro Fall Train Show: Truro, NS
indentWestern Maine Play Museum's Modular Wooden Railway

indent Trains! - Quebec City, QC
indentWestern Maine Play Museum's Modular Wooden Railway

indent North Olympic Peninsula: Port Angeles, WA

indent Victoria Model Railway Show: Victoria, BC

indent 28th Annual Train Show and Marketplace: Monroe, WA

2018

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indent Vancouver Model Railroad Show: Vancouver, BC

indent Fall Spokane Train Show: Spokane, WA

indent Trains!: Anderson Island, WA

indent Spring Spokane Train Show: Spokane, WA

indent 27th Annual Train Show: Monroe, WA

2017

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indent Trains!, Kirkland: WA

indent Vancouver Train Expo: Vancouver, BC

indent Fall Spokane Train Show: Spokane, WA

indent Victoria Model Railway Show: Victoria, BC

indent 26th UNW Train Show: Monroe, WA

2016

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indent Trains!, Kirkland: WA

indent Spokane Train Show: Spokane, WA

indent 25th UNW Train Show: Monroe, WA

2015

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indent Training for Christmas: Kirkland, WA

indent Vancouver Train Expo: Vancouver, BC

indent Spokane Fall Train Show: Spokane, WA

indent National Train Show: Portland, OR

indent Wooden Railway Clinic - Kids Club: Steilacoom, WA

indent Victoria Model Railway Show: Victoria, BC

indent Supertrain 2015: Calgary, AB

indent Woodfest 2015: Sedro-Woolley, WA

indent 4th TNW Freighthouse Square Train Show: Tacoma, WA

indent Spring Model Train Show: Spokane, WA

indent 24th UNW Train Show: Monroe, WA

indent Great Train Expo: Portland, OR

2014

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indent 41st Annual Model Railroad Show: Seattle, WA

indent Neighborhood Christmas Party: Seattle, WA

indent Great Train Expo: Pleasanton, CA

indent Great Train Expo: Puyallup, WA

indent Wooden Railway Clinic - Seattle ReCreative: Seattle, WA

indent Trains 2014: Burnaby, BC

indent 17th Mount Cheam Train Show: Chilliwack, BC

indent Spring Model Train Show: Spokane, WA

indent Wooden Railway Clinic - Seattle ReCreative: Seattle, WA

indent 30th Annual Int'l Model Railroad Show: Lynden, WA

indent Wooden Railway Clinic - Seattle ReCreative: Seattle, WA

indent Victoria Model Railway Show: Victoria, BC

indent 3rd Seattle Mini Maker Faire - EMP: Seattle, WA

indent 23rd UNW Train Show, Monroe: WA

indent 40th Pacific Science Center Train Show: Seattle, WA
indentSeattle ReCreative's Modular Wooden Railway

2013

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indent Great Train Expo, Puyallup: WA

indent 16th Mt. Cheam Train Show: Chilliwack, BC

indent 29th Annual Int'l Model Railroad Show: Lynden, WA

indent 75th Snoqualmie Railroad Days: Snoqualmie, WA

indent Boeing Diversity Council Event: Everett, WA

indent 2nd Seattle Mini Maker Faire: Seattle, WA

indent 22nd UNW Train Show: Monroe, WA

indent 39th Pacific Science Center Train Show: Seattle, WA

2012

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indent 21st UNW Train Show: Monroe, WA

indent 38th Pacific Science Center Train Show: Seattle, WA

2011

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indent 20th UNW Train Show: Monroe, WA

indent 6th Issaquah Train Show: Issaquah, WA

2010

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indent 19th UNW Train Show: Monroe, WA

indent Club123, Eastside Foursquare: Bothell, WA

indent Morning Star Preschool: Kenmore, WA

2009

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indent Henry and Philipp test: Kenmore, WA

indent Module construction begins: Anderson Island, WA

2008

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indent Initial draft of Standard with Dimensions: Kenmore, WA

indent Development of Standard: Kenmore, WA

indent


Transportation becomes an art - how to fit everything back into the car after the show...


Checking the layout before the show. The uniform is heavily patched and dates back to at least the 1940s. Based on the rust stains, it must have been left on an old wheel in a damp carport in Portland. A uniform is helpful when engaging with children less inclined to follow direction.


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Wooden Railway Clinic - Steilacoom Kids Club. Both of my parents are in this picture, helping children and their parents with creating their train, building and trees at this event. The modular railway was in the wagon shop, a historic building nearby.


Super Train - Unlike most events, we had to lug the modules in and out of the building, a fair distance from the parking lot.


Super Train - Calgary's massive train show, the largest in Canada


Sedro Woolley - A community event based on arts, crafts and woodworking.


Tacoma - Near downtown and adjacent to the Sounder's Tacoma Dome Station.


Spokane - Some familiar faces and making new friends


Monroe Train Show - Our sixth year, settling in to a regular space next to the roasted nuts.


National Train Show - Portland


Seattle - Seattle ReCreative shared their new modular wooden railway constructed from century-old Chestnut and reclaimed pine flooring. This railway is now in the Children's play space on 85th and Greenwood.


Seattle - University Presbyterian's neighborhood Christmas party.


Pleasanton - A long drive south to the Bay Area for a delightful show adjacent to the NMRA table.

2014 GTE Puyallup
Puyallup - Returning to the Tacoma area


Seattle ReCreative - Children's Train Workshop


Vancouver - Venturing into the metropolitan center of Canada's Sunshine Coast...and our first setup in a hockey rink.


Spokane Train Show - Across the mountains to the other side of our state.


Seattle ReCreative - Children's Train Workshop


Lynden Train Show - Another show near the Canadian border...and a long way from home.


Seattle ReCreative - The first of several workshops where children could construct trains, trees and buildings for their own layout at home.


Monroe - Year 5.


Seattle's Pacific Science Center - Our third and last year in attendance with our tables. The footprint available was diminishing, attendance was dropping...and three days is simply too long for an interactive event overrun by children without sufficent parental engagement.

2013 GTE Puyallup
Puyallup - Great Train Expo's annual train show near Tacoma

2013 Mt Cheam Chilliwack
Chilliwack - Our first showing across the border in Canada

2013 29th Lynden
Lynden's Train Show - Our first year there.


Snoqualmie Railroad Days - Hot, isolated train car...we were doing our best not to lose any kids through the open doorway.


Seattle's Makers Faire - One of the first non-railway venues attended


Monroe Train Show - 4th year in attendance - with trees buildings, landscaping and trees fully incorporated into the layout.


Seattle's Pacific Science Center - Another chaotic three day weekend...


Monroe Train Show - Year 3.


Seattle's Pacific Science Center - A chaotic and uncontrolled environment for a long, long three day weekend event...and the reason that all trees and buildings are firmly secured to the tables.


Monroe Train Show - 2nd year in attendance.


Issaquah Train Show - Set up in the old station, requiring shims to level the layout due to rough and uneven flooring.


Monroe Train Show - First invitation to a Model Railway Show (2010)


Module construction starts - Bay & Bridge under construction


wTrak Modular Standard published as a first edition


Modules and Track elements created to facilitate layouts


Modular Wooden Railway Standard created using Visio

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