The final Pacific Model Loggers’ Congress under Pam and Jeff’s tutelage is history. We had a small but interesting crowd, the model contest was superb — 44 models entered, last year was just 18 models — and the presenters were all really good. Our pre-event dinner was fun and the rest of the show was just as we could have hoped.
Although this was our last hosting, the event is just in mothballs, not extinct, and we’ll let you know when and if someone else takes over the hosting.
Thank you all for the support and involvement over the years!
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Friday night April 4, 7 PM, our casual dinner before the Pacific Model Loggers’ Congress on April 5, for any of our crowd in the area, is Finn’s Fish House, 227 Broadway, Seaside, 97138. I’ve talked to a few of you guys but if anyone else is planning to be there, please drop a note so I can make the right size reservation. Thank you!
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The tentative schedule for April 5, 2025
Doors open at 9 am.
9:45 AM, welcome remarks
10 am, first clinic:
Clinic presenters, PMLC 2025. Note that some of these clinic presentations are odd time durations so things likely won’t happen right on the hour. Be flexible!
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Nick Lehrbach – Logging video that includes Coos Bay.
James Spears – Modeling the Oregon-American Lumber Company
Will Cochran – CD Johnson, V&S Powerpoint presentation
Jason Reis – Early history of the PR&N
Jay Critchley – “Fireflies in the Night” wigwam burner documentary
Matt Carter , Don Nelsen – Greenleaf Basin Logging
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12 noon – Lunchtime! We can highly recommend the restaurant upstairs
1:30 pm, clinics resume
3:00 pm, Model contest closes, get those ballots in for 2025!
4:30 pm, contest results, awards, door prizes, final farewell.
… That’s all, folks! …
Please respect the folks conducting the presentations today. This is a small venue and background conversation distracts from what they are trying to tell us. Please NO VENDING during the presentations – And please take all private conversations outside during the clinics. We thank you very much for your consideration of others.
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The Pacific Model Loggers’ Congress is a one-day annual event. It’s designed to appeal to model railroad enthusiasts who model logging type operations and equipment and others with an interest in logging history.
The event features technical and historic clinic presentations, a model contest for all scales and types of logging equipment (see details elsewhere on this site), terrific socializing with others of the same interests and some historic vintage film screening. Our modest dealer area includes vendors offering model and historic material for sale.
We start at 9am Saturday and wrap up around 5, more or less. Admission is $15 per person.
Because this is the last year Pam and I will be hosting the event, we’re looking for someone or some organization to take it over. Pam and I will remain as volunteers during the day of the event but the planning, execution and location will be up to the new hosts.
For complete model contest information, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Here are the clinic presentations planned for our 2025 event:
Nick Lehrbach – Logging video that includes Coos Bay.
James Spears – Modeling the Oregon-American Lumber Company
Will Cochran – CD Johnson, V&S Powerpoint presentation
Jason Reis – Early history of the PR&N
Jay Critchley – “Fireflies in the Night” wigwam burner documentary
Larry Winters – Modeling on a budget
To address a couple of recent questions from attendees:
– There is no pre-registration, pay at the door.
– There is no dealer cost this time, you pay the usual entry fee at $15/person. Due to our space limitations we have very few tables or half-tables available so let us know what you want. No multiple tables per dealer.
– Your dealer content must be logging oriented. No trays of dusty Athearn blue boxes, for example, or tinplate unless it’s a logging-specific model.
– Seaside and Cannon Beach are about the same distance from Camp 18. Seaside is North of the Highway 26 intersection with the coast highway, and Cannon Beach is south. We usually stay in Seaside and have a casual dinner gathering Friday night for other attendees staying there as well.
– Pam and I are at Camp 18 mid afternoon on Friday to set up the room. Anyone who’s interested in helping is welcome to come by!
Model Contest Guidelines
These changes have been in effect for several years now but we thought we should present them again for this final event.
For those planning to enter our model contest at the 2025 PMLC, please note the following changes to the contest classes. Regardless of the type of model(s) you have in mind for the contest, there’s still a place for those models, even if there’s not a specific class for that type of equipment. Budget cutting and having the contest make more sense have combined to encourage us to make these changes.
In short, the changes are as follows:
– Eliminate the Full-Size Diorama class.
– Combine C – Speeder, D- Rolling Stock, and L – Camp Car, into “Rolling Stock.”
– Combine E- Non Rail Equipment and K – Tracked Equipment into “Non Rail Equipment.”
This would still leave nine classes out of the original 13, and will look like this:
A – STEAM LOCO
B – NON-STEAM LOCO
C – ROLLING STOCK
(includes the old Speeder, Rolling Stock and Camp Car classes)
D – NON-RAIL EQUIPMENT
(includes the old Non-Rail Equipment and Tracked Equipment classes)
E – DONKEY/SKIDDER/LOADER
F – STRUCTURE
G – MINI-DIORAMA (no more than 12 inches square)
H – LOGGING TRUCK
I – EQUIPMENT SET
End of the road
The 2025 Pacific Model Loggers’ Congress will be the last one that Pam and I host. Pacificmodelloggerscongress.org
Pam and I have had serious discussions about this for some time. We’ve considered all the angles, asking ourselves why we feel this way about shutting down an event with a roughly 20 year history and, unfortunately, an ever-smaller but much-appreciated cadre of enthusiastic supporters. My first records of the event are dated 2005, it’s been a good run, and we’ve had fun.
Some reasons are “mechanical” in nature, such as the dwindling attendance and smaller model contest participation, the difficulty of rounding up clinic presenters and so on. The financial angle is the least of our worries and not a significant factor. Other reasons are more personal, for example, the recent death of Lyle Spears hit both if us pretty hard, as did the loss of our leader Lon Wall a few years back, to say nothing of losing Glen Comstock, John Cummings, Bill Roy and the other terrific old timers in the group. These older guys were literally the ones who shaped the model railroad logging hobby we now know. The details all add up to us feeling this is a good time to call it quits.
It’s time for someone from the newer generation of modelers to take charge.
If someone out there has any interest in taking this over and continuing the event, either here or elsewhere, please let us know. We have paperwork, email and postal mailing lists, some “office supplies” and so on that helped us maintain the event year after year. We’ll happily turn over the material and help explain its use. If you’re seriously interested in this, we’d recommend you attend this last event starting with the room setup Friday April 4 late afternoon and staying on hand until we break down and clean up Saturday evening April 5. Nothing like first-hand experience to get up to speed on hosting an event, even a relatively easy one-day affair. Chances are a new event host will want to modify and shape the new event along somewhat different lines and that’s fine, but it wouldn’t hurt to get a feel for how it works from an inside perspective before launching out towards new horizons.
We logging modelers will have just one special interest event remaining each year, the annual Westside Reunion in Sonora, California, and hopefully we can continue supporting that one-day convention. Pam and I will be there and it’s always a good time. Westsidereunion.com.
Jeff Johnston
Thesugarpineshop.bigcartel.com
September 23, 2024
Saturday April 5, 2025, is the date for our last event event. Our admission cost is still $15.00
We’re still looking for clinic presenters in the model and history fields so drop a note if you have suggestions along those lines.
Watch this site for more updates as they come along.
- Jeff Johnston
March 29, 2024
Our event is just about a week away and things are moving forward. Per my recent note in the News page here, we still need a couple of volunteers to run the model contest check-in and vote tallying. It’s an important position — two, actually, as the job usually requires two people — because the model contest is an important part of the event. You get free admission to the event, and of course, our eternal gratitude for your contributions. Drop me a note if you’d like to help fill this job.
With the untimely passing of my co-host Lon Wall, it’s just Pam and I running the event so we depend on our friends and family volunteers to cover the various “jobs” at Camp 18. We hope to hear from you!
February 25, 2024
Plans are rolling ahead for our 2024 Pacific Model Loggers’ Congress.
We have a stellar lineup of clinics and speakers this year! These include both modeling and historic theme presentations by Martin E. Hansen, Nick Lehrbach, Greg Baker and Will Cochran. Martin has a presentation on the SP&S moving dead logging locomotives, Nick will cover some Coos Bay lumber company material, Greg is doing a clinic on improving trees for your layout, always a popular subject, and Will Cochran with a detailed clinic about modeling logging donkeys of all types – something almost all of us modelers need. There’s something for everyone.
Be sure to check the details of changes to our model contest, posted farther down this message string.
March 3rd, 2023
We have settled on the first weekend of April, this time April 6 2024, for our ongoing events. There are several reasons for this, as detailed below. To avoid people needing to repeatedly point out the perceived flaws in our date decision, here are a few details we already know:
1) No date will be perfect. There will always be problems or conflicts of some type and there is no telling which other railroad-related events are also going to choose that date. The larger events such as WinterRail and the Willamette-Cascade club swap meet are on other dates. We are not concerned with conflicting auto show, antique swap meet, vintage doll shows or the like. The first weekend of April is where we’ll be regardless of what those others decide.
2) As they say, “I am so done with March and active or potential storms” as a possible problem for the event. Enough is enough. I don’t like driving in that stuff and I’m sure most of our participants don’t like it either. Moving a month later will reduce the chances that can happen.
3) Yes, that places us closer to Easter, which is a moving target that shifts around. This year it’s April 9th, in 2024 it’s March 31st, 2025 is April 20th. That can’t be helped.
4) Yes, we know, that places us more into the higher summer hotel rates. That can’t be helped. We might check into group discount rates but I have no idea how many of our attendees would be using a hotel in Seaside, for example, and I can’t make any number commitments along those lines.
5) Yes, we know, that places us closer to or in the spring break activity timeframe, which is also a moving target. That also can’t be helped.
6) Moving to another venue, such as a location closer to Portland, is off the table. Part of the fun and the reason people attend our event is because of the location. Hosting the PMLC in a big, empty industrial room leaves me cold. Some years back we made inquiries about a few alternate locations, most are significantly more expensive, and our budget won’t allow that unless we’d boost the entry fee and we need to avoid that.
Pam and I do the best we can to put on a fun, entertaining and even educational event in a location that’s perfect for this kind of activity. We sincerely appreciate the support we’ve received from our attendees and we plan to continue presenting an event that’s worthy of that support.
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We regret that we have cancelled the 2023 event. Predicted weather-related travel difficulties that would affect everyone involved with the event caused us to bail “out of an abundance of caution” and concern for everyone’s safety. As much as we hate missing the event and seeing our friends, the cancellation was the right thing to do. But stay tuned here for more news about 2024 when the news comes available. And thank you for your understanding.
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The 2022 PMLC is in the books and the rear-view mirror and we’re already planning the 2023 event that will include some changes. As soon as we have the plans formalized we’ll let you all know what’s up and what the changes mean. They won’t affect the overall event or the terrific clinics we have but the change(s) will definitely be something to be aware of so we’ll let you know as much in advance as possible. Stay tuned to these pages, and check our News feed now and then. Thank you!
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Contest class changes – modelers please note!
In short, the changes are as follows:
– Eliminate the Full-Size Diorama class.
– Combine C – Speeder, D- Rolling Stock, and L – Camp Car, into “Rolling Stock.”
– Combine E- Non Rail Equipment and K – Tracked Equipment into “Non Rail Equipment.”
This would still leave nine classes out of the original 13, and will look like this:
A – STEAM LOCO
B – NON-STEAM LOCO
C – ROLLING STOCK
(includes the old Speeder, Rolling Stock and Camp Car classes)
D – NON-RAIL EQUIPMENT
(includes the old Non-Rail Equipment and Tracked Equipment classes)
E – DONKEY/SKIDDER/LOADER
F – STRUCTURE
G – MINI-DIORAMA
H – LOGGING TRUCK
I – EQUIPMENT SET
Download
The Pacific Model Loggers’ Congress is a one-day model railroad and prototype history event based on the logging industry. The event includes technical and historic clinics, vintage films, a dealer sales area and a model contest with classes for all kinds of railroad and other types of logging-theme models. Attendees include model railroad enthusiasts, photographers, historians and others interested in this branch of the model railroad hobby. You’ll also enjoy some great camaraderie and conversations with like-minded individuals.
Our doors open at 9am and we generally wrap up by about 5 pm. Admission for the event is $15.00 for the day.
February 28 update:
Greetings!
Although the rules, restrictions and concerns surrounding Covid and group-related activities seem to be easing and perhaps moving towards a conclusion, our Camp 18 Pacific Model Loggers’ Congress event April 2nd may still be under some outside control.
We are guests at the Camp 18 facility and as such we need to observe any federal, state and county guidelines they have established for use of their rental space. For example, if the mask mandate is over, they may still require proof of vaccination. This is strictly speculation on my part but the event is just over a month away and matters can change for the better, or worse, between now and then.
The bottom line here is, please don’t shoot the messenger. We’re doing the best we can to host a fun, interesting and stress-free event for our participants. We hope everyone enjoys the event and that it’s safe for everyone. More information to come as it makes itself known.
Thank you!
Jeff Johnston
Camp 18 Restaurant and Logging Museum
The restaurant offers great food and drink with hearty meals from breakfast to dinner. Located at 42362 Highway 26, Elsie, Oregon 97138. Breakfast starts around 8am, just in time for our attendees.
Schedule
The schedule shown here is for the 2023 event. The general times and overall schedule are as shown, but due to some varying clinic durations, exact starting and ending times are hard to pin down. We hope you enjoy the event!
9:00AM Open the Doors, begin model contest check-in, begin display model setup
9:30AM Welcome remarks
10:00AM Clinic #1, Martin E. Hansen – “When SP&S Moved Dead Logging Locomotives.”
11:00AM Clinic #2, Greg Baker – “How to Improve Ready-To-Use Trees.”
12:00PM Lunch Break
1:30PM Clinic #3, Bethan Mahar – “Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad at Fifth: The Past, Present and Future.”
2:30PM Clinic #4, Nick Lerhbach – “Coos Bay Lumber”
3:00PM Clinic #5, Will Cochran – “Modeling Steam Donkeys: Resources, hardware and artistry.”
5:00PM Awards and Closing Ceremony
Contact
For more information, contact: Jeff Johnston, splco-mwry@comcast.net
This new PMLC website or blog is brand new and, obviously, a work in progress. Check back now and then for updates on the event.
R.I.P. Lon Wall
It’s with deep sadness that we inform our Pacific Model Loggers’ Congress family and friends that our co-host Lon Wall passed away on Tuesday May 18 2021. His failing health did him no favors and his heart finally got the worst of him. Without Lon there would never have been a PMLC. He was the person who brought it all together with his historical interest, modeling skills, friendship to all and a sense of humor that couldn’t be beat.
Even without the spiritual core, heart and soul of the event, we still have our next PMLC 2023 planned for Saturday March 4th, 2023. It won’t be the same without Lon but after missing two in-person years, I think we need to get back in the swing of the event and shoulder ahead. We hope to see you there.
Pacific Model Loggers' Congress 