I guess some of my earliest childhood memories are of my Dad's model trains. Since his youth, Dad had held a fascination with the railroads of yesteryear and had spent literally HUNDREDS of hours recreating a 19th century rail town. His HO scale train set was a Lilliputian version of the real thing and what an eye for detail he had!

From the swinging sign out front of an old western saloon to a clothing boutique from 1879, Dad strove to make his scenes authentic and realistically fun.

One could almost FEEL the alpine air of the miniature mountain pass he created. It was as if God Himself was the designer of this marvelous topography.

Dad always told me that some day the trains would be mine and I guess I never thought about just what an obligation that would be.

Yup, Dad's gone now but I still have some of the M-80's I used to blow up those trains. Those wonderful model trains!