Lorraine my lovely wife and I live in Victoria, BC, Canada. We are very lucky to live out here with mountains all around our home and a wonderful canyon at the end of the street. Best of all the beach is just a couple of minutes away and a walk by the ocean has a way of putting everything in perspective.




I have two fine sons from a previous marriage of whom I am very proud. Both have great educations and nice jobs. Matt, my oldest, is married to a great girl. How lucky can you get. A lot of people thought that I had children too young but they are all grow up now and I'm still only fifty one.

The climate here is the best in Canada with warm long dry sunny summers with no bugs and very little winter to speak of. Just a little rain in December - March and I find that it is quite easy to clear that stuff off the driveway. A little weird to mow the lawn at Christmas after having spent so much of my life in center of the continent with snow and car plug ins etc.

I did my time on the flat lands where you can stand on a newspaper and see the next town. That is not for me anymore. The novelty of slapping yourself silly with the bugs when it is not 40 below soon wears off.

Ever since I was a little boy and our family came out here for vacations I felt that Vancouver Island should have been my home. I know that may seem like a strange thing to feel at 8 years old but that is how I have always felt.

Ten years after I left the nest I moved out here and have never looked back. One has to live where the heart is.

I can retire in just over three years - hmmmmmmm time to get the parts for that 2-6-0 ng engine I want to build.



When I am not here. -------------------------I try to be here.


Let me know just what you think of the site and if you have found any great sites to put on the link page. I would be happy to add other clubs to that section of the site. I think it is very important that ALL the clubs and private tracks keep in touch as this is such a far flung hobby with members all over the planet. Ron Stewarts page in the links section is just great and covers many topics. My page however will be limited to just our club and a links section to other clubs and private tracks.




I am building a 2.5 inch scale model of DRGS #50 BEFORE they bought it used from Oregon. The engine has turned out to be quite a monster when scaled out to just under quarter scale. It weighs in at slightly under 500 lbs with a tank of gas and the battery for the radio and lights.

I am not happy with the mechanical drive so I want to change it over to Hydraulic drive if and when the funds are available. In the meantime I have repaired the old Spicer transmission which has the weakest mounting lugs they could possibly design. I mean really, quarter inch thick cast aluminum tabs?? Anyway the entire contraption is now welded to a two piece, half inch thick aluminum angle with three braces to the output section. I could probably now use it now on a car. Enough, it works and was back on the rails for the summer meet.

For a 3½ hp engine it pulls quite well. I had a two car train and had to rescue a six car train on the lower section of the track so I managed (with great effort) to get an eight car train with thirty passengers up the 2 percent grade back to the station. I now know just what the limit is for the little beast is. (twenty nine passengers!!)

At our 1996 fall meet I ran Don Giffin's fine Cow and Calf engine from Birch Bay Washington.

Just the perfect drive setup for any non-steam engine so I hope to install it in my engine in the future. Very smooth and quiet with no over heating problems.

By the way if you get to the Seattle, Wa / Vancouver. BC area then it is worth dropping in on Don's beautiful track at Birch Bay, WA. (Just south of the USA/Can. border.) Don is a very nice guy and I hear his track is very well done and quite scenic.



Perpetually Under Construction.
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