Notes on Designing, Building, and Operating Model Railroads

2023 RPM-East summary

I traveled across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the 2023 RPM-East prototype modeler event in Youngwood, PA, for the March 24 & 25th weekend. It was my first RPM of the year. I’ve been involved with publicizing and assisting with RPM-East since 2005.

RPM events

As February slips away and the countdown to spring begins, it’s time to check out the Railroad Prototype Modeler (RPM) calendar for several March and April events. I’ve been a fan of these events for many years as I enjoy the presentations, display models, and seeing friends. I return home all charged up for the next project.

Prototype finds

My wife and I were driving around our new area recently and we stumbled upon a small railroad museum in Newtown Square, Penna. An old box car caught my eye and we had to circle back for a closer look.

Boomer operator – Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern

I attended an operating session on Perry Squier’s HO scale Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern layout earlier in January. I had participated in several sessions a dozen years ago, before moving to El Paso. It’s a thrill to see all of Perry’s smooth-running steam power and equipment set in 1923. Additionally, it was great to see many familiar faces among the crew and meet a few new members.

2022 hobby review

I’ve been thinking about the last year and my hobby activities. I clicked through many project photos to refresh my thoughts. The lead photo jogged my memory on the snowfall we had at our Tennessee home to kick off 2022. We tend to forget things once an event has passed or project is completed. Since I didn’t have a layout in 2022, the completed models went into a storage box.