Darby

My first encounter with the S Scale Workshop was at Copetown in 2016. I was enlightened to discover such a skilled group of modelers who represented S Scale and Canadian prototype railroading so effectively. Their efforts and vision really resonated with me, and was a vital inspiration to further my involvement. I had been enlightened by the work and writings of Trevor Marshall, and was happy to connect up with he and the other members of the Workshop.

I was introduced to S Scale by my father-in-law, an avid collector of classic American Flyer. I really admired the size and relative obscurity of S. Growing up around Buffalo, NY, I had the stereotypical 4x8 HO layout in the basement as a kid. Interestingly, S Scale today happens to be the same relative size in my adult hands as HO was back then to my childhood hands.

Since residing in Southern Ontario from 2014, I’ve become interested in Canadian railways, particularly the local CP Waterloo Sub (previously the Grand River Railway). While its electric operations were novel, the onset of the diesel era and SW1200RS’s really resonated with me. This has led to the start of a new modular-based home layout of these very operations – in S Scale, of course.

The start of the layout coincided with the birth of my son in 2015, and he has been a part of my S Scale endeavors ever since. Now, he helps run the railway using an iPhone controlled, dead rail battery-powered locomotive. I have gravitated to this newer technology and enjoy sharing this aspect of the hobby with others.

My other club involvement is with the St. Jacobs & Aberfoyle Model Railway. This O Scale layout is another fantastic example of Canadian prototype modelling. I enjoy assisting in technical operations as well as pursuing new concepts to further their visitor experience.

While not at play, I work for a communications company managing software products used by leading broadcast television and media companies around the globe. My other interests include windsurfing and automobiles.