Jamie

For some time I have claimed to be an honorary Canadian citizen. My usual backing to this boast is that I have crossed a provincial boundary by canoe, but now I can add membership in the S Scale Workshop as well.

Every group should have a "token" member, so I guess I'm qualify the token "Southerner". (I know Canadians don't like it when we call ourselves "Americans", and anything else is just cumbersome.)

I do come by my interest in Canadian railroads honestly. My great-grandfather helped build the CNR near Burkes Falls, and later worked in Stratford. I have relatives in many cities and towns in Ontario, and I have been to places in the providence you need to take the train out of. I have ridden the Canadian from Vancouver to Winnipeg.

I switched over to S from HO back in 1987, and I rediscovered the CNR working for Fred Rouse at S Scale Loco & Supply while he produced the mogul kit. I met several of the workshop members and future members at the NASG convention in Scranton in 2001.

For some time I've been planning a small layout where my Canadian rolling stock would be at home, and that layout is starting to take shape in my basement. I keep coming back to Chesley, Ontario as a location because of a number of factors, but the street running in Hamilton, Ontario is also a draw. Caledonia, Ontario was a choice for awhile, but it doesn't fit my space very well.

One of my other interests is passenger cars, and I'm planning a larger S scale layout that will allow me to have some prototypical passenger operations. The PRR in Richmond, Indiana will be the basis for this, but I will not try to model it exactly. My father's parents grew up in Indiana, so I'm looking to my grandparents for modeling inspiration.

I was surprised and honored to be invited to join the Workshop. I offered to build a module thinking I could hang out if we were ever in the same town at the same time. I never really thought I'd be a full-fledged member. I think they let me in because they figured I would not be able to get to many events. I guess I better get to work on that module.

I am a high school physics teacher during the day. In addition to model trains, I have several other hobbies. I've been known to make beer, and I still race my bicycle on occasion. The photo shows my bike, up to the hanger in Southern Ontario mud near Ancaster. I've ridden the Paris to Ancaster (P2A) in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, and I'm training to be there is 2014.