The greatest attribute of this hobby continues to be the people I meet and the friendships that have developed.
The latest iteration of this happened this past weekend.
The Big E show was two weekends ago. Amongst the crowd gathered for the train picture was a gentleman who lived two towns over from me. Last week I received an invitation from fellow forum member John Xenides to come visit his layout.
Being "layout challenged" for the last few years I looked forward to visiting and running some trains. Little did I know what I was in for when I opened the door.
John has built an empire that is purely three rail heaven. THe room is LARGE, must be 30' x 50'. The centerpiece is a multi-level layout with two dedicated loops on each level plus a subway line and a trolley line. The roundhouse / turntable / engine service area is a masterpiece. There are small vignettes everywhere you look. Operating (and working) accessories are strategically placed with large buttons for small visitors.
On three walls are shelves that stretch the length and width of the room. Each shelf holds more trains ranging from PW classics to Modern era beauties. John is like me - he doesn't favor one railroad - he buys what looks good to his eye. Majestic streamliners and huge steamers share the rails with modern freight power.
John was the consumate host and spent a great deal of time helping me understand how he powered and wired his empire. One thing I found that John does will be replicated on my new layout - he uses only hand-thrown switches. They are all within easy reach make the layout more interactive. Hmmmmmmm. I also like that you can walk around the entire layout with wide aisles on all sides and two areas that enable you to get "inside" the layout.
The only mistake I made was forgetting the muffins I brought to share (left them in the car). My Mom would be disappointed if she knew I walked into someones home empty-handed.
I have been invited back to shoot pictures of this masterpiece. I look forward to sharing pictures with fellow forum members. For now I simply want to say Thank you John! You put a smile on my face that didn't go away for hours after I left your home.
Is this a great hobby or what?
All the best,
Paul
