Obbekaer featured in Continental Modeller

A few weeks ago, Geraint Hughes responded to my little tantrum about the writing in North American model train magazines. He made the astute observation that people are sheep, and concluded that authors are merely following each others’ styles. Then he got me all excited because apparently his railway was featured in Continental Modeller. Sadly, he […]

First Scratchbuilt Model

The Boy has decided he would like to have a go at building some structures. Being a clever sort of fellow, he decided to first find out if he could make a small box out of wood. Myself, I was never so sensible: the first thing I ever launched myself at was an ore car, which […]

Remembering Ken Healy

As I was moving some books around today, a business card dropped out of one of them and fluttered to the floor. Ken Healy has been gone for some years, and I don’t think I ever saw him after I moved away from Ottawa over twenty five years ago. Yet, his card clicking softly to the floor […]

A Visit from the North Shore Model Railroaders

Thanks to Graham Stokes for organizing the North Shore Model Railroaders’ visit to Pembroke last night. Despite the photo, we had nine modellers in the basement (two had to leave early). Sadly, #10 wouldn’t move at all; I think it has gone out of quarter again. Everyone was very polite, all the same. Thanks to […]

Cubicle-top Railroading

During the day, I manage a team of software developers. It’s a role I really enjoy: not only do I get to work with my team on difficult technical problems, but I also get to help really creative people reach their own goals. I’ve never kept my hobby a secret. Even in high school, if […]

Layouts within layouts?

Ken Catlin and I went over to help our friend, Scott Calvert, with his layout last week. While Ken and Scott focused on a two turn helix for the mainline, I worked on spline for the GN line down to Salmo. Scott added this line and the town of Salmo itself almost as an afterthought: […]

The other Proto:87 layout?

This weekend, after soccer, we went down to Great Wolf Lodge for some kid-focused fun. On the way, we stopped in at Rocket Doughnuts in Bellingham and took them to Julian Watson’s house to share with his family. Julian’s is the only other Proto:87 layout that I am aware of in North America. It was […]

Learning from a Master – Brian Pate’s KMR

Brian Pate is a master model railroader. Surprisingly he doesn’t have the designation from the NMRA, but nobody who knows him would argue that he is otherwise. I believe he is perhaps the only person to have won the gold award at two national NMRA conventions. So, when we learned that he and his wife […]

The First Signature in the Guest Book

It’s fitting that the first person to sign the Pembroke guest book is Brian Rudko. He is actually the first person I ever met from the Vancouver model railroad scene, so long ago that he doesn’t even remember it. Yes, Brian, we met at the National Narrow Gauge Convention in Seattle in 1991, two dozen […]

Thanks for Stopping by, Al

Al Fergsuon, of Black Cat Publishing gave me a lift home on Sunday night after the train show (the team put on a super show again this year, thanks for organizing it). Thanks again, Al! On the way, he asked for a precis of my clinic, and to make a long story short, I invited […]