Retired mechanical and structural engineer with much hands on experience in design and construction of real undertrack and trackside structures related to the cement, brick, aggregate, and mining industries. Took early retirement in 1990 from a Fortune 500 company to build and start up the Fort Worth and Western shortline railroad. Designed, surveyed, and supervised installation of trackage, four span plate girder bridge, and turntable serving the Fort Worth Historical Stockyards District. Also rehabbed old trackage and timber trestles. When road crew on the GP-7 ran out of time, switched local trackside industries as part of three man road crew made up of management. Began as VP Engineering and left as interim President of FWWR. While at FWWR, supervised restoration of ex-S.P. #2248, a Rogers 10 wheeler of 1896 vintage, and the original four passenger coaches obtained from the Strasburg RR. This passenger lashup is currently operated by the City of Grapevine, Texas as The Tarantula Train and hauls tourists between Grapevine and the Fort Worth Stockyards Historical District. Perhaps my most interesting RR experience was unloading ex-SP #1744, an oil fired 2-6-0 obtained from the Heber Creeper RR, from a steel decked flatcar in our Ft Worth yard. We saw cut the rails behind the flat, and cribbed it up with ties and timbers to deck height of the car. Allowing a flat cribbed section just longer than the loco, we completed the transition to yard track elevation with a 4% grade. Two heavy duty oil field winch trucks, one at the blind end of the flat and the other backed up against the side of the flat with its cable turned 90 degrees by a snatch block, were used to restrain #1744 as it rolled down the 4% ramp. Only two pinch bars were required to start her rolling. Although we ran her at reduced boiler pressure in the yard for evaluation, #1744 was never restored for revenue service by FWWR. She was sold to a shortline in New Orleans and restored by a friend in the FWWR yard after I had again retired. I had the privilage of riding her cab across Ft Worth to the Stockyards and back a couple of times during break in before she left town. Never heard from her again. I was involved in HO from 1957 through 1962, but dropped out of the hobby when I returned to college in 1963. I still have my Virginia and Truckee #26 PFM 10 wheeler from those years and a few Central Valley cars I had built. My oldest son gave me a Bachmann 2-8-0 for Christmas a couple of years ago and, though I fought the urge, I am itching to get started again now that I finally have time. My primary interests are scratch building structures, overall artistic realism, and realistic operation. I am currently planning a shortline set in the 1930 - mid 1950 period that will simulate the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas where we have retired. Mostly a shelf layout of about 14 x 18, it will include light steam and perhaps a couple of Bachmann 44 ton, 45 ton, or 70 ton switchers. Connection will be to the KCS whose main line runs through our nearest town. Guess you could call me an old newbie.