I have been building railway models for most of my adult life. My earliest efforts were in HO modeling mostly the Pennsy. Pennsy brass locos were plentiful in the 1960’s but accurate models of rolling stock were non-existent. I became aware of O scale when several members of my local club switched to O or On3. I tried On3 for a while then settled into O standard. I became interested in fine scale wheels and track working around Bob Brown, Gordon Cannon and Lee Klaus. My association with this talented group caused me to focus on building accurate models rather than first order approximations, as was the style of that period. I decided to convert my models to ¼” AAR around 1973. The ¼” AAR exact scale wheel allowed me to model cars more accurately since I didn’t have to allow for an oversized wheel thread and flange. The name of ¼”AAR eventually changed to Proto48.

For the last 29 years or so, I have focused on building freight car models in ¼” scale. My favorite modeling medium is styrene. The late Al Armitage inspired me to try styrene. His many articles on the use of styrene for scratchbuilding showed me the versatility of this material. While a number of my models are built from scratch, I enjoy upgrading kits like those from Intermountain, Red Caboose, San Juan and others. Most of my early cars ended up being sold because I wasn’t happy with the way they looked. A lot of experimentation went into my early models. Years ago, O scale had little in the way of accurate detail parts, quality decals or correct truck sideframes. Much of what you produced had to be scratchbuilt or compromised using some of the crude castings or whatnot of the time. Today, it is different. O scale has enjoyed some of the advancements in modeling technology that HO gauge modelers take for granted.

In recent years I have become active as a pattern maker for Des Plaines Hobbies (O scale X-29) and Chooch Enterprises (O scale NP War Emergency AAR Single Sheathed boxcar, N&W B-1, PRR X-31a, PRR X-31b boxcar and several new SP single sheath cars). Pattern making has allowed me to expand the selection of kits available in O scale and to make it easier to have multiple copies of the same car.

I don’t have a favorite road other than the SP seems to get most of my attention in the locomotive department. I will build models of DL&W, NP and other roads as the mood and interest strikes me.

I have authored a book on Southern Pacific steam switchers published by Benchmark Publications Limited, am a regular contributor and columnist for the Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette since its inception, and most recently as the editor of an electronic magazine called the Proto Journal. The Proto Journal is a virtual replacement to the previously printed version put out by Norm Buckhart of Proto Craft. You can visit the Proto Journal website at http://www.protojournal.com and learn more about Proto48.