Al Babinsky

The Tacoma Clinic report is back after a couple month absences due to the writer having a hip replacement. It went well and now it is like the old days — it works like a champ. This report has information from last month’s clinic and this month’s clinic.

Last month’s clinic was attended by 42 modelers. The model of the month was won by Ken Levine with his Great Northern gondola, weathered, KD couplers and sprung trucks. The clinic was given by Paul Rising on removable loads. If these are the same type of loads as he built for PSMRE, they have magnet imbedded in the load which is used to remove the load.

This month’s clinic started on time as always and MMR Gene Swanson gave recognition to all the veterans. November is also the month where the clinic makes a donation to the Emergency Food Network with Helen McGovern accepting a check for $1250.00 from money collected during this year’s clinics. Jim Sabol read an email he received from Bob Edwards, a modeler in the Olympia area looking for contacts, and he replied telling him about the Olympia clinic.

The “What’s new at the Hobby Shop” segment was given by Bill Sandstorm from Tacoma Trains. Athearn had passenger cars and reefers, Wheel of Time with a Piggy pack stacker, Walthers had several buildings, MicroTrains an N scale freight train, Broadway Limited with NP coal hoppers.

The “Model of the Month” had Ken Levine with a couple of cars obtained at a swap meet, a Western Pacific box car and a gondola, which he weathered and upgraded. Chris Clancy with a find at an antique shop, a three-truck Heisler, a depot kit and three 4-wheel high-side coal gondolas. Dale Kraus with what he called cheap Maerklin Banana cars which he reworked and weathered. Chip showed a drawing of an N scale NW-2 with was manufactured on a 3D printer. Paul Vaughn with an On30 Y module with a station and store built from paper. Bob Ayer with a model of the First Lutheran Church which he scratchbuilt; the roof is made with Plastruct tile. Bob Ayer was the winner of the model of the month.

The clinic for this month was given by Gene Swanson and Brian Liesse and titled “ The making of a book”. The book was on Gene’s layout and what it took to do the photography. Brian demonstrated the equipment he used such as light sources, lenses and the cameras he used. It was a very interesting clinic and informative.

Next month clinic is of course “Dirty Santa” along with refreshments and other goodies. Please don’t forget to bring a wrapped present and mark it as to what scale it is. The clinic will be held at our usual place in the Pierce County Library Admin. Bldg. at the corner of 112th Street and Waller Road and the time is 7:30 PM. Hope to see you there and bring a friend, modeler or significant other.