Notes on Designing, Building, and Operating Model Railroads

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.

Markers

Here we are closing out another year and prepping for the new one. We walk our dogs around the Stones River National Battlefield a few miles from our middle Tennessee home. I knew nothing of this bloody Civil War battle until we moved here in 2017. On our walks we frequently see markers like the one in the image above. These fixed points of reference can be found in various points around the National Battlefield.

Shawmut freight car update

I was recently searching for something on my blog and I came across Perry Squier’s posts on Shawmut freight cars he was building. After reviewing his posts again, I realized the final appearance of some models had not been shared. It’s time for project closure!

Upcoming RPM events

As 2022 winds down, here’s a reminder to check the 2023 Railroad Prototype Modeler (RPM) event calendar before you’re swamped with the holiday spirit. It’s a fine time to plan attending one or more in the New Year.