As you all know, I’m a sucker for a layout update. And Jack did an absolute sterling job of documenting his layout – so much so, I thought I put him in the hall of fame. He has a great back story too – it’s always more fun when you get the family involved.
“Like many of us, as a kid my father and grandfather would put up a layout at Christmas. Mine was American Flyer. Pretty simple, but great fun for my brother and me.
When my son was about 5 , I built an HO layout. A little more elaborate than when I was a kid. When he grew and eventually moved out, I dismantled it, but saved the buildings, streetlights, etc.
I’m now retired from the insurance business and have two granddaughters age 7 and 9. At Christmas I have been setting up a large scale plastic battery powered train which the girls seem to like running. I decided to build a 4 x8 HO layout for them (my wife says it’s really for me and she may not be wrong). I’m reusing some of the old stuff from when my son was young and am modeling the local area from childhood recollections. I’ve been rebitten by the bug and couldn’t be happier.
Jack”
Jack was also kind enough to offer his thoughts on the Beginner’s Guide for too (I ask all the Hall of Fame members for comments / edits / thoughts). Here’s what he said:
“The beginners guide is a remarkable “how to” guide with input from a number of excellent modelers. If you are new to the hobby, the guide walks you through what ought to be your thought process before beginning construction. This, as well as the descriptions and photos of how to construct most anything on your layout, save you from making mistakes and allow you to make truly realistic scenes. Even as a modeler of some years’ experience, I found the tips to be helpful in my current layout construction.”
