The Gap Years
For seven or eight years I had little time to be actively involved with model-trains. Now, I think of these as “gap years.” During high school and college, my active military service, and the years with a new family and home, other interests and necessities took precedence over a train layout. I spent a lot of time studying in high school, but a new creative interest took hold when a friend, Terry, and I became the ‘hardware’ guys for school plays. We built props and sets, and created lighting and sound effects. We were creating believable illusions, and I have since learned that those skills are relevant to model railroading. I met my future wife, Sami, working on plays, and our friendship occupied part of my time as well. Right after I graduated from high school Terry and I had a marvelous train experience. Terry’s dad was a retired Southern Pacific railroad employee, and he arranged for us to ride in a helper locomotive to the Siskiyou Mountains summit south of Ashland and back. I...