Al Babinsky / Photos by Ken Liesse

MMR Gene Swanson opened the clinic and wished everyone a Happy New Year. We welcomed five newcomers for a total of 54 modelers attending.

Walt Houston introduced Roger Nulton, new MMR #445. Jack Hamilton announced that the Columbia Model Railroad Club wanted to host the National Convention but did not have enough members to qualify and ask for volunteers to sign a petition so that they would have enough members for the qualification.

Jim Sabol announced that the National Railroad Historical Society would have a convention in this area in June. Learn more about their activities at cascaderails2011.com

Bill from Tacoma Trains presented What’s New at the Hobby Shop, which included many new and some not so new items. Under the new items was a Kato American Freedom Train, RPO car, Milwaukee Road RS3 and a number of boxcars.

The Bring and Brag (Model of the Month) had a number of entries: crates and boxes for the inside of a freight house; a kit-bashed Rico Station with some inside detail; a Milwaukee Road Little Joe with sound and operating pantographs; scratchbuilt end-of-track bumpers; a work train built from Ambroid and Tichi kits; a scratchbuilt brass Milwaukee Road M3 2-6-6-2, and some car loads made from natural material. The Model of the Month winner was Jim Sabol’s brass locomotive.

Click for high-resolution image

This month’s clinic was given by Charles Jackson of H&J Trains on how to make trees using his tree machine kit. The tree machine uses a precut length of soft wire and precut lengths of rope fibers. An electric drill on an adapter is used to twist the wire while the other end is held by Visegrips. Up to three trees can be made from a pair of wires. They look like bottlebrush trees and can be made into pines or other needle trees. He had catalogs available with a variety of items including various leaf trees, metal tree armatures, and even ferns in various sizes. Several local hobby shops carry some of his items. For more info, go to hjtrainstore.com

Next month’s clinic will be February 10th at our usual place: the Pierce County Library Admin. Bldg., corner of 112th St. and Waller Road at 7:30 PM. Hope to see you all there and bring a friend or newcomer.

Please note: the March 10th clinic will be at the Parkland-Spanaway Branch, on 138th Street at Pacific Avenue in Parkland, near Brookdale Lumber.