|
We have built our Nostalgia Trip on an 18 x 34 foot HO scale sectional and modular model railroad layout. We have built sections of the town and Great Northern car shops at Waite Park Minnesota where Renee grew up, and a section of the Soo Line yard at Glenwood Minnesota where Ray grew up. We set our layout in a date in 1954 and it is the great transition era of American railroading, from steam powered trains to the new diesel electric locomotives. Our O scale Nostalgia trip is not nearly as large (For O scale, to equal our HO layout it would have be 36 by 72) but it is a fun layout to run. With the sound of the train wheels clicking on the coupling joints, a song to the railroader's ear.
I recently was awarded Master Model Railroader from the National Model Railroad association. In front of us is a section of buildings from Renee's childhood at Waite Park Minnesota, the Catholic church, St. Joseph school and several houses from other parts of the country. All the buildings shown in this photo were scratch built by Renee.
We used to haul this whole layout around the country to train shows and NMRA conventions, but when it became too much to handle, we retired it. We were going to piece it out and sell the equipment and start a new hobby, but several fellows I work with told us we needed to do a barn raising and put the layout in a new permanent home. Thanks to the help of a local contractor who loaned us some heavy equipment to place the foundation and floor, as well as help with the concrete finishing, we were able to have a barn raising on a nice Saturday in April of 2002, and the building was under trusses late that afternoon. The one thing that we have that no other modeler has been able to do is a video from Allen Keller "Great Model Railroads" volume 31, filmed OUTSIDE.
The layout was featured on DIY Television, a cable network of Do It Yourself and it is rerun from time to time. The program is called "Working on the Railroad" and it has some very nice layouts on display.
The layout was featured on Kentucky Education Television on Kentucky Life with Dave Shuffett on on 25 March 2006, and we believe that Dave did a wonderful job on his filming and editing. We are very blessed.
Over the last few months I have been building something new, at least new to me. A square rigged sailing ship, HMS Surprise. I have attached photos of this extremely well done kit as we worked on it. The ship is manufactured by Steel, Chapman, & Hutchenson of Palo Alto California and it has been a great kit to build. We have had some sea trials as well and those photos are located on a page below First Launching.
Mark Jordan's 1917 Frick Eclipse under steam. Mark's engine was also featured on the KET program during our open house in July of 06.
When we are not running the 1917 Frick Eclipse, I mow the grass. This was not my fault, (In my best whining liberal voice) This mower eating pond just reached up and grabbed it and splat. Good thing we have a 1949 Willys to pull it out with.
When the Willys gets stuck by some Jeep eating trees, it is a good thing we have a neighbor with a tractor, and of course a multi talented wife who can drive it. Now if I could just get her to stop telling everyone about it, it might die down some.
The year is 1954, and extra 1017 West is pounding past the Lake Minnewaska depot. A photographer is catching the engine for posterity, for the great steam locomotive would soon be gone, replaced by the growling diesel electric, and along with them the romance of railroading. It is a long gone era, one that is cherished among those who remember the steam locomotive, the smells, the sounds, and the work they did.
|
