Growing up I was enamored by O-Scale Lionel train sets.
I received my first train set when I was probably around 7- or 8-years-old. It was a Wabash freight train. Years later the local model train shop had a Pennsylvania passenger train for sale- the very last one they’d ever sell. It was priced really high and my parents couldn’t afford it.
The shop owner saw how desperately I’d stare it down every time I went in and eventually caved and gave my parents a discount on it to surprise me one Christmas. Aside from my drum kit- this was the best Christmas present ever!
The same shop owner built my family a platform for us to set the trains on. I had two tracks for both of my trains, various houses, buildings and figurines. Aside from Matchbox Cars, Legos and Lincoln Logs, my Lionel set was my favorite toy ever.
As I grew older learning how to drive I learned to be annoyed by trains. However, I have never not enjoyed model train layouts.
A week ago, a relatively new friend from my church invited me over to his home for pork chops and train sets.
I learned a ton from this man. We both love the Lord, we both love train sets, we both love photography and he happens to be a licensed commercial pilot.
The pilot part is important. I always wanted to learn how to fly planes but failed miserably at math and physics. So that dream was a ship that sailed quickly a long time ago.
I learned a lot from Lou. A man in his 80’s and a man I can call a new close friend. Age doesn’t matter. At all. Lou is the man. And he is working on a sweet model train layout in his basement. HO scale to be precise for you train nerds.
My photography club has captured some images of a local professional layout and I can’t remember if I posted those photos, but below are some photos of Lou’s work-in-progress. He has a basement full of trains, train sets, transformers, tracks, buildings and down to humans and vehicles for the set up he paints himself.
I was blessed to be asked to help him, moving forward, to continue with his set ups. I’m not exactly sure what I’ll be doing- photographing, painting, building structures or whatever, but I am pumped I got a few images with my Fuji 50SII. I would have been better off with my Nikon D850 with my macro lens, but here are the images…
I am even more excited to help with his really neat set up and relive a little bit of my childhood doing so. HOpeully it brings a lot of joy to those who get to see it in action! See what I did there?
Please enjoy and as always, like and follow on Facebook!
- Mike
