Welcome to my web site! The purpose of this site is twofold: to be an information repository for myself and to share hard to find information with others. The goal is not to copy what is out there, but to provide supplemental or corrected or missing information, and to share things I have learned on how to use / fix / improve things. My personal opinions are here, but supported with facts.

Most of the site is on Large Scale trains, but I'm also a gadget nut, computer nut, car nut and a cigar aficionado, so look under the "Computers & Misc" menu. You'll find things on Ragdoll cats too!

Comments, corrections, and suggestions are always encouraged. (complaints accepted too!) Email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Beginners: Start with the FAQ's (10 individual pages of what is asked the most): Beginners FAQs

Read this: This site goes through constant updates and changes to organization and format. If you try to bookmark specific pages, those bookmark "links" will probably go "stale" in the future. Just bookmark this home page, the only link guaranteed to never go "stale". Also, you will find that you cannot just right click and copy pages to print out. This is INTENTIONAL. The restriction on copying pages is on purpose so that you come back to get the latest information. Years ago a person came unglued at me in an email because my "instructions" were wrong. I could not figure out or correlate what he was claiming. But after repeated questioning I determined this person had made a copy of a page 9 years ago, and that page (like many) has had extensive revisions/correction since. So, if you somehow successfully copy pages, you are on your own. I retain all rights to all text and pictures except as noted.

Navigation: If you read anything on this site, read this

• Use the menus at the top of the page to "drill down" to what you want. NOTE: EVERY part of the menus is a "page" so don't "jump out" to an expansion of the menu item if you have never been to the "root" page.
• Use the search function, at the top right and bottom of EVERY page.
• Alternatively, click the small menu icon at the upper left (the 3 horizontal lines) to see the full list of all pages.
• Note: There are some "restricted" pages on this site, personal / family only, and they use logins to see this information, i.e. don't ask for a login.

3 Aristo-Craft E8s (custom B unit) pulling a consist of all USA Trains full length streamliners (all except the RPO and Baggage are 80' length)