Monday, October 29, 2012

Miscellaneous Train Mags Library

Classic Tains: The Golden Years of Railroading. Winter 2005
Classic Trains: The Golden Years of Railroading. Winter 2009
Classic Trains Special Edition #8: Dream Trains 2 - 1946-1956

Colorado Narrow Gauge Quarterly 1st Quarter 2008

Continental Modeler (UK) January 2011

Diesel Era July/August 1990

Electric Lines Jan/Feb 1988

Finescale Railroader: December 2005
Finescale Railroader: June 2006
Finescale Railroader: December 2006
Finescale Railroader: The 2007 Narrow Gauge Annual

Live Steam August 1992

Mainline Modeler December 1984

Model Rail December 2009 (UK)
Model Rail April 2010 (UK) 
Model Rail November 2010 (UK)  
Model Rail March 2011 (UK)
Model Rail February 2011 (UK)

Model Railroading November 1991
Model Railroading August 1993
Model Railroading October 1994

On30: Narrow Gauge Railroading for Everyone - 2006 Annual
On30: Narrow Gauge Railroading for Everyone - 2007 Annual
On30: Narrow Gauge Railroading for Everyone - 2008 Annual
On30: Narrow Gauge Railroading for Everyone - 2009 Annual

O-Gauge Railroading

Pacific Rail News February 1988
Pacific Rail News November 1988
Pacific Rail News September 1990

Prospector, The : The Rio Grande Modeling & Historic Society Fourth Quarter 2011

Railfan & Railroad March 2001

Railroad Press, The, Oct/Nov/Dec 2000

Streamliner, The :Official Publication of the Union Pacific Historical Society, Spring 2009

Train Shed Encyclopedia n. 60

Scale Rails Library

Scale Rails April 2007
Scale Rails  May 2007
Scale Rails  June 2007
Scale Rails July 2007
Scale Rails August 2007
Scale Rails September 2007
Scale Rails October 2007
Scale Rails November 2007
Scale Rails December 2007

Scale Rails February 2008
Scale Rails March 2008

Trains Magazine library

Trains Speecial" Locomotive 2008

Trains Magazine  July 1990

Trains Magazine June 1994

Trains Magazine November 2005

Trains Magazine  December 2001

Trains Magazine  July 2004

Trains Magazine May 2005
Trains Magazine December 2005

Trains Magazine July 2006

Trains Magazine February 2007
Trains Magazine  June 2007

Trains Magazine  August 2008

Trains Magazine April 2009
Trains Magazine May 2009
Trains Magazine November 2009
Trains Magazine December 2009

Trains Magazine  January 2010
Trains Magazine  May2010
Trains Magazine November 2010
Trains Magazine  December 2010

Trains Magazine January 2011
Trains Magazine  February 2011
Trains Magazine  March 2011
Trains Magazine  May 2011
Trains Magazine  July 2011
Trains Magazine August 2011
Trains Magazine November 2011

Trains Magazine January 2012
Trains Magazine February 2012
Trains Magazine March 2012
Trains Magazine May 2012
Trains Magazine April 2012


Sunday, October 28, 2012

Railroad Model Craftsman Library

Railroad Model Craftsman July 1994

Railroad Model Craftsman February 2005

Railroad Model Craftsman September 2008

Railroad Model Craftsman February 2009
Railroad Model Craftsman June 2009

Railroad Model Craftsman May 2010
Railroad Model Craftsman June 2010
Railroad Model Craftsman August 2010
Railroad Model Craftsman September 2010







Saturday, October 27, 2012

Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Library

Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette
"Accurate Information for Fine Model Building"

Selling mags for $1 ea. Or if you'd like a copy of an article, email me.

_____________________

Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Nov/Dec 1993

Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Jul/Aug 1999
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Sept/Oct 1999

Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Sept/Oct 2003

Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette May/June 2004
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Sept/Oct 2004
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Nov/Dec 2004

Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Jan/Feb  2005
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Mar/Apr 2005
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette May/June 2005
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Jul/Aug 2005
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Sept/Oct 2005

Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Jan/Feb 2006
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Mar/Apr 2006
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette May/June 2006
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Jul/Aug 2006
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Sept/Oct 2006

Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette May/June 2007
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Sept/Oct 2007
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Nov/Dec 2007

Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Mar/April 2008
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette May/June 2008
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Sept/Oct 2008

Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Jan/Feb 2009
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Mar/April 2009
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Jul/Aug 2009
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Sept/Oct 2009

Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Jan/Feb  2010
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Mar/April 2010
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette May/June 2010

Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Mar/April 2011
Narrow Gauge ad Shortline Gazette Sept/Oct 20111

Friday, October 26, 2012

NMRA Magazine library

NMRA is the official publication of the National Model Railroad Association

Cover scans and TOCs will be available shortly

NMRA Magazine March 2011
NMRA Magazine April 2011
NMRA Magazine May 2011
NMRA Magazine June 2011
NMRA Magazine July 2011
NMRA Magazine August 2011
NMRA Magazine September 2011
NMRA Magazine October 2011
NMRA Magazine December 2011
NMRA Magazine February 2012
NMRA Magazine March 2012
NMRA Magazine May 2012
NMRA Magazine September 2012


Thursday, October 25, 2012

Who knew Rod Stewart liked model trains?

I acquired about 100 model railroad magazines yesterday, They're all old - some some from the 1990s, some from the 2000s. I'll be sharing cover shots and table of contents here.

If you'd like a copy of an article, or wish to purchase the entire magazine, email me. Cost of a single mag is $1. Postage will vary. Email Nocturne_CVS@yahoo.com



Model Railroader December 2010
42. Add DCC Sound to Alco S-2
46. Locomotive sounds add fun and realism
52. Achieve realistic colors under artificial lighting
56. Rod Stewart's Three Rivers City
64. Model trackside brush realistically
66. Urban switching in HO
70. Improve a common water tower kit
75. Use putty to make coal loads
76. An N scale Erie empire in 3 X 7 feet
94. Trackside photos

Plus in every issue:
On the Web
From the Editor
News & Products
Sweepstake rules
Railway Post Office
Information Desk
Workshop
Step by Step
DCC Corner
Product REviews
Trains of Thoughts
Index of advertisers and cartoon
The operators

Model Railroader Library

(I'll be publishing the cover and table of contents of each mag on a regular basis)________________________________________

Model Railroader  January 1986

Model Railroader January 1987
Model Railroader  February 1987
Model Railroader  March 1987
Model Railroader  May1987
Model Railroader  June1987
Model Railroader November 1987

Model Railroader July 1988

Model Railroader January1990
Model Railroader July 1990

Model Railroader March 1992

Model Railroader May 1998

Model Railroader  April 1999
Model Railroader May 1999
Model Railroader July 1999

Model Railroader July 2004
Model Railroader October 2004
Model Railroader November 2004

Model Railroader January 2005
Model Railroader February 2005
Model Railroader March 2005
Model Railroader April 2005
Model Railroader May 2005
Model Railroader June 2005
Model Railroader December 2005

Model Railroader March 2006
Model Railroader August 2006
Model Railroader September 2006
Model Railroader November 2006
Model Railroader December 2006

Model Railroader  January 2007
Model Railroader February 2007
Model Railroader March 2007
Model Railroader April 2007
Model Railroader  September 2007

Model Railroader  March 2008
Model Railroader April 2008
Model Railroader  May 2008
Model Railroader June 2008
Model Railroader July2008 
Model Railroader August 2008
Model Railroader September 2008
Model Railroader October 2008
Model Railroader November 2008
Model Railroader December 2008

Model Railroader January 2009
Model Railroader February 2009
Model Railroader March 2009
Model Railroader June 2009
Model Railroader September 2009
Model Railroader November 2009
Model Railroader  December 2009

Model Railroader  January 2010
Model Railroader  February 2010
Model Railroader March 2010
Model Railroader April 2010
Model Railroader June 2010
Model Railroader July 2010
Model Railroader August 2010
Model Railroader September 2010
Model Railroader  October 2010
Model Railroader November 2010

Model Railroader January 2011
Model Railroader   February 2011
Model Railroader March 2011
Model Railroader  April 2011
Model Railroader May 2011
Model Railroader June 2011
Model Railroader July 2011
Model Railroader  August 2011
Model Railroader  September 2011
Model Railroader October 2011
Model Railroader November 2011
Model Railroader December 2011

Model Railroader  January 2012
Model Railroader  February 2012
Model Railroader March 2012
Model Railroader April 2012
Model Railroader May 2012

Model Railroader - Miscellaneous
Model Railroader Special Issues:
Great Model Railroads 2005
Great Model Railroads 2010

102 Reaslistic Track Plans: How To Build Realistic Layouts #5
 
Model Railroad Planning 2004 (Model Railroader Magazine)

Pullout: 6 Railroads You Can Model  (2008, Model Railroader Magazine)
Tables for your trains  (Model Railroader Magazine)

Vintage hobby show takes over the Ramada in Fargo

This news is from last Sunday, in Fargo, SD, but the event takes place every year so just mark it down on your calendars for next year.


From WDay.com: Vintage hobby show takes over the Ramada in Fargo

Fargo, ND (WDAY TV) -- A bit of nostalgia hit Fargo's Ramada today, as it filled with vintage trains, planes, and tractors.
The Spud Valley Model Railroad Club sponsored its annual Hobby Show. People from all over the region showed up to look at the impressive collection of vintage models.
The show is a fundraiser for the club, and gives people a little taste of the past.
Don Radeck with the Spud Valley Model RR Club says, "we've got Northern Pacific here. Northern Pacific's been gone for more than 40 years now, but it's a way of re-living the old NP days. And farm toys, I think a lot of that is a lot of the people who used to be farmers, they remember these tractors when they were kids and now they've got models of them."
The show went from ten to three today.

 

 

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Model RR show delights kids of all ages at Ludlowe

From Fairfield Citzen:  Model RR show delights kids of all ages at Ludlowe

The Housatonic Model Railway Club's annual train show pulled into town again Sunday, giving children and adults the chance to discover -- and rediscover -- the magic of model trains.
"This is our 26th year doing the show," said Jeff Dean, president of the Fairfield-based club.
"This is basically a show to promote model railroading as a hobby -- for children, for teens ... for adults and for seniors," said John Valakas of Bridgeport, the club's membership chairman.
Two gymnasiums at Fairfield Ludlowe High School were filled with about 35 vendors and four separate model train layouts. Close to 1,000 visitors were expected throughout the day, invited to share in the fun, learn about the hobby and witness the marvel of scale-model collecting.
"I think it's amazing, when you think of all the time and creativity that goes into making this," said Susan Durham of Fairfield, who came with her two sons, Henry and Ethan.
"It's amazing how they did this," Henry said. "I just like the detail put into them."
"We'd like to see more kids get into it," said Marc Rosenblum of Fairfield, a club member who opened the HobbyTown USA store six years ago.
"We're trying to keep it alive," he said. "It's getting challenging today. The kids have so many electronic distractions."
He said model trains make for an ideal hands-on hobby because it involves diverse fields like electronics, art, architecture and mathematical skills. "It encompasses so many different skills and so many different areas of learning," he said.
"You can be an engineer," said Valakas. "You can be an architect ... It's a great hobby.
He said everyone is invited, by appointment, to visit the club and see the new HO-scale layout in progress. "People are always welcome," he said, and can contact the club through its website, http://www.housatonicmr.org
Sunday's show was staged in conjunction with the Fairfield Museum and History Center. Starting around Thanksgiving, the club will set up a model RR layout for public viewing at the museum through the holiday season.
"My son, Julian, loves trains," said Alex Alcaraz of Fairfield. "He started with the Thomas trains, and we've started getting into more things."
"I like them a lot," Julian, 7, said. "They go so fast, or so slow. I enjoy it a lot."
For train shows, club members generally bring sections of track that they've designed and built. Then, at the event, all the sections are joined to create one giant layout.
"It makes a change from the layout at home," said John Kent of Westport, a member of the Valley N-Trak club, who attends many model train shows.
"It's an exchange of ideas and a little bit of socializing and relaxing," he said of the show.
"My favorite part of the hobby is the camaraderie," said Dean, who's been a member of the Housatonic Model Railway Club for 37 years. "I like model building. I like to run the trains. But the best part is ... the long-term friendships."

 

Friday, October 19, 2012

Stamford, CT: Oct 21: Model-train show Sunday at Ludlowe

From Fairfield Citizen:  Model-train show Sunday at Ludlowe

Grand Central Terminal will have nothing on the Fairfield Ludlowe High School gym on Sunday, Oct. 21, when dozens of model trains and scale-railroad buffs pull into town.
The Housatonic Model Railway Club's annual train show will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The show -- Station Stop 2012 -- will feature operating layouts with scale-model buildings, equipment and scenery, the club said. Modelers will be on hand, along with dealers selling model-train equipment.
Admission is $6, $2 for children 5 to 12.
For more information, call 203-374-1118 or visit www.housatonicmr.org

 

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Local group receives grant to continue work on model railroad

From White Mountain Independent:  Local group receives grant to continue work on model railroad

SHOW LOW — The Silver Creek Railroaders, who built and maintain a model railroad at the Show Low Museum, have received a grant so they can continue to develop the railroad.
The group learned from the Show Low Historical Society Oct. 4 they had received the grant from the Arizona Historical Society in the amount of $1,500. Silver Creek Railroaders Superintendent Dean Cramblit said the grant funds will allow the group to add a display depicting the railroad along Route 66 and mining and related industries in northern Arizona.
Planning for changes to the existing display are already in progress, such as additional track, new scenery, buildings, background paintings and locomotives and rail cars relevant to mining. The group will also make improvements to the electrical system running the display.
This is the second year in a row the Silver Creek Railroaders have received a grant from the Arizona Historical Society. In 2011, the group received a $1,250 grant for the development, construction and operation of the Last Train to Maverick display. A portion of the club room now contains representations of the town of McNary, its lumber mill and tracks to the lumber town of Maverick.
Much of the display is handmade by club members, including scenery, buildings and rail cars. Members continue to add details to the display, such as the sound of a lumber mill. The Apache Railway is a main point of the Last Train to Maverick display, assisted with a donation from the railway that still runs trains from Snowflake to Holbrook.
The display can be seen at the Show Low Museum, located at 561 E. Deuce of Clubs, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Club members are on hand every Wednesday and Saturday working on the model railroad. The group also frequently hosts large groups of school children throughout the region to show off their work.

Monday, October 15, 2012

iHobby Expo has trains, cars, models at IX Center

Old news, but make a note to check this out next year. THey'll doubtless repeat it.

From iHobby.com: iHobby Expo has trains, cars, models at IX Center

The iHobby Expo at the IX Center is a full-color celebration of the hobby industry, with radio-control vehicles of every description, trains, trains and more trains, tools, paints, die-cast cars, and all manner of plastic scale models.
Then there is Ken Foran of Wooster.
In this ocean of mass-produced hobby materials of all types and sizes, he is an island of hand-craftsmanship that rises to fine art. His booth features, among other things, a 1911 Ford Model T racer.
Most of it is brass. It is 1/8th scale, which means an eighth of an inch equals one inch.
Foran, the former vice president of research and development at Rubbermaid, spent 1,800 hours building it and said he would let it go for $22,000. To show how fully functional it is, he turns the starter crank that pokes out of the mostly exposed chassis.
A mirror beneath the car reveals that he is turning over a crankshaft (the oil pan is not in place) and the rear wheels turn.
The wooden spokes are wood, and so are the floor boards. The seats are covered in goatskin from a pair of women’s high-fashion gloves.
And that’s not even the most complex thing he’s ever undertaken.
He points to an engine in front of him that’s about the size of a deck of cards. It is a 1/8th-scale 3.8 liter dual overhead cam six-cylinder engine for a 1962 Jaguar XKE.
“I have 60 hours into it,” he said. “But it’s not done.”
It is, however, done enough to reveal a crankshaft attached to six pistons that are visible when he turns it upside down.
There’s also the metal cowl for one of the aircraft. His wife, Gretchen, an accomplished silver- and coppersmith, hand hammered it out of aluminum.
Both learned their skills at the Cleveland Institute of Art, where he studied industrial design after mustering out of the Marines.
The expo was only for retailers and distributors Thursday and Friday, but it is open to the public today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For details, see http://www.ihobbyexpo.com.

 

Wilmington, NC: Model railroad show is fun for everyone

From WWAY.TV:  Model railroad show is fun for everyone

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY)-- The Wilmington Railroad Museum hosts a Model Railroad Extravaganza this weekend. Miniature trains and landscapes fill an entire room of the museum. Guests can watch the model trains chug by, or even conduct these engines themselves. The museum promotes a remote control that allows children and adults to tell the train to go forward, back up, or just stay put.
Executive Director of the Wilmington Railroad Museum, Mark Koenig, says this is an event for all ages. He says children have the chance to engage with the trains, while adults have the opportunity to participate in the craft of model railroads. He also says this is a great way to share the heritage and history of railroads in our country.

 

Friday, October 12, 2012

Enjoying the trains

From the NEAgle:  Enjoying the trains

 Managing Editor
Although Stourbridge Line train excursions are on hold this year in Wayne and Pike counties, Hawley Fire Department had model trains in action again, Oct. 7. Twice a year they hold a model train show and sale at the Fire Hall, benefiting the fire company. The S-gauge layout was set up by Tim Callaghan, of Harrisburg and Tom Keegan of Greeley. Their train layout has become a regular attraction at the show in Hawley. They make it interactive, letting the kids operate a crane to put cargo on the train, or some other function. They very the layout each year. In keeping with the election season, this time they set up a model of the White House, with a dual parade of tiny elephants and donkeys, both heading for the front doors. Keegan says he hopes to inspire the younger generation to love model trains. He lamented that in recent years, locomotives and other accessories have become so costly, it’s hard to make it accessible for kids. Modern model railroads are all computerized, he noted. Their layout at the show uses traditional hand levers to regulate the speed or switch tracks. They also like to use vintage American Flyer cars, made by the A.C. Gilbert Company. The trains used in the show date from the 1950’s. The next model train show and sale at the Hawley Fire Hall is planned Sunday, April 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, contact Bill Delling at (570)226-3206.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Regina, Canada: Show cancelled

From the Leaderpost:  Show cancelled

What would have been the 10th annual Regina Model Railroad Show has been cancelled because renovations to the venue are behind schedule and won't be completed in time for the Oct. 13 and 14 show.
"They didn't quite make it," said Gordon Down, referring to renovations to Cochrane High School, which has housed the model railway show for the past nine years. "So we had to cancel the show."
The last-minute notice made it impossible for event organizers to relocate, he said. "You've got to get permits and licences, and all that. So there just isn't time," a clearly disappointed Down explained.
In past years, the Regina Model Railway Show - jointly hosted by the Echo Valley Railroad Guild and Regina Model Railroad Club - set up portable model trains in about 13,000 square feet (1,210 square metres) of space, which included the school's large entrance area, cafetorium and gym. Between 35 and 40 participants were expected this year, Down said.
"We will probably have to look for a new venue (for future shows)," he said.
Despite the show being cancelled, event organizers said they still plan to make their annual charitable donation.
"The board decided we still want to give (the Leader-Post Christmas Cheer Fund) $500," Down said.
In past years, a portion of the event's proceeds supported the charity, which supports four Regina shelters for women and children fleeing domestic abuse.

 

Sunday, October 7, 2012

The Great Train Expo

From CBS 4 News:  The Great Train Expo

Train Enthusiasts from all over the QCA took part in the Great Train Expo in Rock Island in Saturday.
Train vendors from California to Kentucky came showed off their train collections at the Model Railroad Show. Thousands of toy trains, miniatures and train memorabilia are on display and on sale at the QCCA Expo Center.
The show even has a ride-on train and a play area for kids.
"I just think that they have such a history in the country, that you can't go anywhere without seeing them. Pretty much everything you buy is moved by them. A lot of people as kids had trains themselves and now they're parents, so they like to get their kids into that hobby,"  said Bill Grove, Train Expo Show Manager.
More than 2,000 people are expected to take part in the 2 day railroad show. The event continues through Sunday from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

 

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Yankee Stadium and Beyond: A Brookfield Doctor's World of Model Trains

From  Housatonic TImes:  Yankee Stadium and Beyond: A Brookfield Doctor's World of Model Trains

BROOKFIELD—A New York Central Railroad train pushes past Yankee Stadium, and outside the park anticipation of upcoming postseason play is pal­pably felt from fans milling around streets in the Bronx.

The train then wraps around the rest of the upper borough, where it contributes another layer to the cacophony of urban sounds such as construction work and traffic and another train elevated on a track overhead.

Then the nine-car loco­motive sets its lamps on the island of Manhattan, and the world’s most recognizable cityscape towers above a train full of passengers.

After that, the train turns northbound, and travels to upstate New York, where country landscapes flash past the windows. People can be seen hanging out by watering holes, frolicking about, and one young couple under a tree shares their first kiss. And from there, it heads along the southern ridgeline of the Adirondack Mountains toward New Eng­­land.

But there’s something curious about these scenes and everything that makes them up—it’s not contemporary but looks to be straight out of the late 1960s.

This is merely the first half of a fantastic American journey, one designed by a local resident, Dr. Kenneth Pellegrino of Brookfield Family Medicine, in a single room of his basement. What is described above is the path of his scale model railroad, an elaborate setup crafted with MTH Electric Trains. It’s so intricate and functional that it took him the better part of a decade to complete.

“Well, I started planning this when we decided to move into this house in 2002, and it took me a year to plan,” Dr. Pellegrino said of a design that seems to compress much of the Northeast into a 25-by-15-foot space. “Then it took me eight years to build, from 2003 to 2011.”

The rigging is fantastic on this O-scale (48:1) model layout that features 25 cars and six engines (it includes the Union Pacific and New Haven lines). Made to scale, there are at least 50 automobiles, and seemingly all of them, from the Volkswagen Microbus to the classic Ford Crown Victoria, fit the era. In addition to all of that, there is something like 200 little people contributing something to the show, ranging from rock climbing or barbecuing to running across busy city streets.

The train cars have advertisements for such things as Monarch Foods and Puritan Hams. There are tunnels and railroad yards and ponds and delis and garages and municipal service buildings—even an Elephant Car Wash and an OK Used Car Dealership. Dr. Pellegrino has a mural of the Adirondack Mountains that his daughter painted displayed against the back wall.

The details are pain­staking. Considering that he assembled this all, probably 300 feet of track and maybe $10,000 worth of materials, in only eight years, the feat is impressive—especially because he also works as a general practitioner.

The steam engines emit tiny trails of harmless smoke, and an infrared sensor ensures that whenever the train crosses a street the red lights flash and the bells go ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding. The jarring sounds of jackhammering in the Bronx, the friendly voice of a car wash servant somewhere upstate and the alarming wail of a fire engine in suburban New England all add to the amalgamation.

“I’ll turn this on and then (a model house) will start to smoke,” said Dr. Pellegrino, who controls the figurative/literal bells and whistles by switches he’s installed underneath the tracks. “I’ll call the kids in and they’ll get nervous when they see it, and so I’ll say, ‘Gosh, we better call the fire department.”

He also controls the fire engine that exits the nearby fire station. When the house goes up in flames (red lights flicker inside) and a fire company comes to the rescue. In similar fashion, other homes and buildings have stories to tell.

As the soon-to-be grand­father toys around with the set, a framed picture of him above his shoulder shows him playing with a model train as a teenager back in 1960s Long Island. His enjoyment is a lifelong one, but even in his previous Brookfield home the layout he set up in the attic couldn’t nearly compare to this current one.

Its size isn’t the only notable quality. It’s those human touches that make the layout of this married father of three so extraordinary. That young couple smooching under the tree—that’s his son and daughter-in-law. Those baseball fans outside Yankees Stadium, that’s his family.

There’s something about the overall scenery that pertains to his upbringing, which took him from Long Island to Syracuse University to Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx to Brookfield, where he has raised a family and in 1981 helped found Brookfield Family Medicine.

He said injecting pieces of one’s past adds significance to the setting, and gives it a more human feel. But there are three details that cannot be overlooked: people, automobiles and trees. The first two he has not skimped on, but even with about 200 trees on location he still wants to add more.

“To give it realism,” he said, “it can’t just be trains going around.”