The Importance of Model Railroading

You might be surprised to learn how much energy I put into model railroading. Between my own models, friends’ layouts, ops sessions and the Railway Modellers’ Meet, I estimate that I expend over 10 hours a week on the hobby. Sometimes it troubles me that I spend so much of my energy on something so […]

Plans for the Heavy Shop

It’s time to admit it: we have a small house. When we bought it, 1800 square feet (167 m²) felt like a palace. Indeed, we turned down larger homes because we felt we would rattle around in them. Now that this one is filled with two kids and a dog, there is little hope of rattling around. […]

The heavy shop emerges

For a little over a week, I’ve been pecking away at the huge pile of boxes that has filled the part of the basement that has always been tagged for the “heavy shop.” They’ve literally been packed for years, and occasionally I’ve come down to find another heaped on the pile. Now that the cabinets […]

You could be a Model RR God!

I’m here at the Railway Modellers’ Meet, babysitting the display room, which was unlocked unspeakably early due to reasons lost to history. As with any good model railway convention, I’m running on fumes due to the sprint to complete my display and the activities of the meet itself. Being the meet chairman, I’ve necessarily missed […]