In The Beginning..

God created man. Man then realized that he needed a hobby. Model trains was created.

In 1964, I was created. I thank my parents for bringing me into this world. Apparently when I was still in the baby carriage age, I would mumble CHOOO WOOO as a train would go by in Englehart, Ontario, Canada. From that point on, my mom gave me the nickname ( CHOOCH ). My grandfather worked on the railroad in northern Ontario. I believe that is when my love for trains began.

Jump ahead to the age of around 4 or 5. It's Christmas. Ahhh, this is going to be a great Christmas. I open a few gifts and then there it is. A Train Set!!! I get a warm feeling looking at the pictures of me, playing with my trains on the living room floor. Jeez I was small back then. I had a Triang passenger train, a Triang box car and a Triang caboose. I still have all but the engine that ran the passenger train. I will find a replacement at a train show some day. I keep looking.

Jump ahead to 1978. My family takes a vacation to Europe. WOW! Lots of trains and the stations are unbelievable. I have saved up my allowances and purchase a Dutch Interstate Railways engine, and passenger train and two Trans European Express cars. I still have these packed away with the photos of this vacation.

Jump to 1982. I graduate from high school in Sherwood Park Alberta. Girls, working for a living, not much interest in trains.

Jump to 1986. I move to North Bay Ontario to attend Canadore College. Shortly there after my mom moves out from Edmonton and brings with her my precious boxes of trains and Model Railroader magazines. It feels so good to be reunited with my possessions again.

Jump to 1989. I am now married to Brigitte. She is the greatest. I apply for a job with CP Rail as a brakeman. I get hired, do the training and am now a certified brakeman. Not as fun as model trains. Being called out at all hours of the morning, minus 30 below weather, black flies. I would rather be in a basement working on my trains than riding them. I am on a spare board and continually get layed off so I quit.

I join the North Bay Model Railroad Club. What a great group of guys. Man did I have alot of fun during this time. We had a club set up in two old Ontario Northland box cars. We would work on the layout during the winter months. During the summer the display would be open to the public. I met alot of great guys there and learned alot from Peter and John Chandler. They were instrumental in my quest for fine modeling. Those were good times.

Jump to 1995. I have relocated to Ottawa Canada. This is where my enthusiasm for model trains takes off. I receive a model train structure kit from my mom for Christmas. It is Fine Scale Miniatures kit # 170. It is a fine detailed kit of a sawmill. WOW!!!!!! I am hooked. This is the part of model railroading I enjoy the most. I sit at my model bench and work on my kits for hours. I now have three kits pretty well completed. The sawmill, Emporium Seafood, and Duffy's Coal Yard. Waiting on the shelf are, Franklin Watchworks,Houligan's Alley, and Bartholow Coal company. These kits take a good 100 hours to complete.

Jump ahead to today. August 22, 2007. I am about to finish preparing a room in my basement for my model railroad. I will be finishing the ceiling to help keep the dust off of the layout and structures. I will finish the walls, add electrical plugs, install carpeting and good lighting. Then the creation will begin. The room is approximatley 10 x 10 feet. This room will be shared with the hot water tank and the furnace.

A bit about the railroad. It is HO scale. The era will be diesel and late eighties to the present time. It will be freelanced, however, run Canadian Pacific and Canadian National motive power. Some guest engines will make an appearance from time to time. ( NAR, Boston and Maine, CSX ) I will be looking to a DCC system to run the trains. Not sure yet but it will be either be Digitrax or NCE.

For most of the room, the benchwork will be built solid against the wall. Along one side, I will be building 2 x 4 foot modules so that access can be given to the furnace and hot water tank. Also, the modules can be taken outside for photography opportunties.

I love woodworking. I can't wait to begin building benchwork for my pike. I will also build some display cabinets for my trains from when I was a youngster.

Well, that's the beginning of what will be a truly great journey. Hop aboard and enjoy the ride. We have two stops before we get going though. We will be stoppimg in Nashville for a 1 week vacation and a weekend getaway in Mansfield PA. for the Craftsman Structure Show. After these are out of the way, we can begin our fantastic model railroading journey.....enjoy.