Howdy, everyone. I'm a refugee from that model railroad magazine forum that shall go unnamed. This looks like a well run and moderated forum where we get to actually talk about trains...what a novel idea! I see some familiar names here so I don't feel like a complete stranger.
I lived in California for 35 years, hence my username of UP2CSX, although the UP will always be my first love. I ended up here after my first wife of 38 years died of leukemia 3 years ago and I sold the house and went on the road on my motorhome. Never thought I'd be building another layout but I met the second love of my life and here I am, in a house with a BASEMENT. How could I not build a layout? My lovely wife made the mistake of buying me a train set for my birthday in February and I think she kind of regrets it now. I model in HO and have a dogbone style layout 16 feet long with 4'x4' square corners at the end. It looks pretty bad compared to a lot of the work I've seen here and the other site but it's coming along. I've got about 80% of the scenery done and am about to start on backdrops. Next comes the big switch to DCC. That should be interesting for an old DC guy like me who hasn't built a layout in about 25 years.
I was a full-time LASO deputy for five years when I was young. I found out I could be a cop or married but not both. Went back to college and got a degree in hospital administration. I was transferred to northern California and was in charge of new construction projects for my company's hospitals. I found out I liked that a lot more than running hospitals. I also signed up as a reserve deputy - just can't get some things out of your blood, I guess. After a few years supervising construction, I went back to school to get my project management certificate and started my own firm. I was very lucky and made a good living at it until I retired in 2004. We were both sailors and planned to retire on a sailboat in the Caribbean but God had other plans so here I am.
I look forward to meeting those of you I don't know. I'll post a few pictures of my layout so you can all have a good chuckle.
I lived in California for 35 years, hence my username of UP2CSX, although the UP will always be my first love. I ended up here after my first wife of 38 years died of leukemia 3 years ago and I sold the house and went on the road on my motorhome. Never thought I'd be building another layout but I met the second love of my life and here I am, in a house with a BASEMENT. How could I not build a layout? My lovely wife made the mistake of buying me a train set for my birthday in February and I think she kind of regrets it now. I model in HO and have a dogbone style layout 16 feet long with 4'x4' square corners at the end. It looks pretty bad compared to a lot of the work I've seen here and the other site but it's coming along. I've got about 80% of the scenery done and am about to start on backdrops. Next comes the big switch to DCC. That should be interesting for an old DC guy like me who hasn't built a layout in about 25 years.
I was a full-time LASO deputy for five years when I was young. I found out I could be a cop or married but not both. Went back to college and got a degree in hospital administration. I was transferred to northern California and was in charge of new construction projects for my company's hospitals. I found out I liked that a lot more than running hospitals. I also signed up as a reserve deputy - just can't get some things out of your blood, I guess. After a few years supervising construction, I went back to school to get my project management certificate and started my own firm. I was very lucky and made a good living at it until I retired in 2004. We were both sailors and planned to retire on a sailboat in the Caribbean but God had other plans so here I am.
I look forward to meeting those of you I don't know. I'll post a few pictures of my layout so you can all have a good chuckle.