OGR Forum Members,
We all have had experiences in our hobby that are hard to surpass. Well, today was one of those days for me. A couple of weeks ago, I was introduced to James Hall in Linden Virginia via email by navy.seal, an OGR forum member. Navy.seal introduced me to James because he knew that I lived in Fredericksburg, I'm a novice to SG tinplate, and that I may learn quite a bit if I attended James' annual open house where James shares his tinplate layout and collection with his friends. Unfortunately, I couldn't attend this years event due to family commitments. Understanding that family comes first, James and his wife Colleen invited my family over to view their layout and collection. This morning we took them up on their offer and let me tell you..I'll never be the same!
. James has a very extensive tinplate collection and his layout is nothing short of amazing. I can't even imagine anyone rivaling his McCoy collection.. it's astonishing!!.....and it doesn't stop there..Lionel, AF, Ives, Rich Art, and many other small manufacturers from yesteryear..so many that I can't possibly remember them all. He was kind enough to get the trains rolling on the layout..no silent can motors here folks! The smell of ozone combined with the sound of metal and open frame motors, from multiple trains running at the same time, was sensory overload! I was feeling the tinplate at this point!! (I equate the sensory overload to christmas morning of 1979 when Santa left me star wars figures, stretch armstrong, his arch nemesis stretch monster, and the bionic man doll) It gets even better..a machine shop to boot! James is in the process of developing a couple of projects that will put his shop to good use. I can't wait to see the results. At the end of the day..it was the people that made it so special. The hospitality that James and Colleen extended to my family was so very much appreciated. Just down right super nice folks that love the hobby and love sharing with others. I can't forget about navy.seal. If it wasn't for navy.seal going out of his way to help me learn more about SG tinplate...today wouldn't have been possible. Finally, After chatting with James about the hobby, I gained a different perspective about SG tinplate collectors/operators today. There's a certain level of camaraderie that's unique. Unique in that it seems that everyone's trying to help each other enjoy the hobby. This collection/layout is worthy of a several page spread in OGR and a spot on the next volume of the TM's Tinplate Legends DVD series. What an experience!
Sunrise
