General Topics > General Discussion
Who Am I? or, Let's Introduce Ourselves
Mike the Choochoo Nix:
It's about time I did this so here goes.
I grew up and live in central Minnesota near St. Cloud.
I've loved trains as long as I can remember. When I was six I would climb up on the corn crib to get a look over the trees at the Great Northern trains and put-put cars going by a half a mile away. I had a few train sets as a kid, and through reading Model Railroad Craftsman and Model Railroader I got hooked on narrow gauge.
I knew about the Maine two footers, and the Gilpin Tram but really got into two foot gauge when I started helping with the 600-mm gauge Decauville locomotive at Dalton MN. I was introduced to the museum through the Two Foot Gage Owners Association newsletter (no longer published). When I finally made it out to Maine and saw first hand what the Museum was doing I decided to join.
I hope to build something that Fairmont (a Minnesota company) never built, a two foot gauge M-9 speeder. I have the parts, I have to get the engine running and rebuild the rest from a basket case speeder I picked up cheap. I can run it at Dalton and maybe sometime bring it out to Maine.
Mike Nix
Bill Piche:
Well, I may not be a WW&F member (yet), but I might as well put my story in here...
My name is Bill Piche. I am currently a fireman, trainman, hammer swinger, armstrong tamper, etc at the MNGRR, where I have been volunteering since October, 2006. I grew up and still live in Stoughton, Mass, just 45 minutes from Edaville.
Maine and Railroads have been in my blood since before I was born in Sept of 1984. My rooms are quite literally covered from wall to wall with railroad pictures, posters, etchings, etc. My grandfather and great uncle on my father's side worked for the New Haven (I still have my uncle's shovel). My grandfather on my mother's side is from up in "the county" (Stockholm, Maine), and my grandmother on the same side is from Denver, Colorado (out there in "broad gauge" country). My parents would take me and my big brother to Edaville pretty much every year for railfans and Christmas since I was born until they closed. I was always sitting as close to the engine as I could, even in those young days.
I've been to Conway, Essex, Strasburg, Steamtown, Edaville (but not since 2001), the WW&F, and the Illinois Railway Museum in addition to a few small places and museums here and there. I hope to get to the New Hope & Ivyland, Mt. Wash, EBT, D&SRR, and the C&TSRR sometime in the next year or two.
It was always one of my dreams to get into steam, and at 24, I'm currently the 3rd youngest regular volunteer in the MNG steam program (and 2nd youngest of the personel qualified at fireman or higher). I plan on going for my high pressure boiler operators license this summer. I'll probably start coming up to the WW&F this summer to make some new friends and work on my 150 hours.
I'll admit that I was in the dark about the history of Maine 2' railroads. Getting involved in the MNG museum has opened me up to the world of railroading, one that I never imagined when I was a little boy riding in the seat at the front of the combine going around the bogs, listening to #8 scream back at #7 from across the resivoir...
Bruce Mowbray:
Hi,
My name is Bruce Mowbray. I live in northeastern PA and have been interested in trains since I was conceived. (Yes. On the "Broadway Limited" between NY and Chicago). I am a machinist by trade and my hobby is building riding size live steam models in my home machine shop. My current (dream) job is locomotive shop machinist/mechanic at Steamtown NHS. I also am a qualified trainman, conductor, fireman and very soon to be locomotive engineer (just waiting for my card). I got interested in 2 footers thru my friend Ed G. An active member in the WWFRY museum. I am helping him build his 0-4-4t 2 1/2" scale live steamer through phone conversations and exchange of machine shop practice and ideas. I will making a trip up to Maine this summer sometime to see the area first hand. I enjoy seeing what other museums are doing.
Bruce Mowbray
Springville, PA
http://www.geocities.com/trainhead391/
Nyle Buxton:
Hi,
My name is Nyle Buxton, I'm 42 and I'm from Long Island, New York. I've had a love for trains from the first time I watched them go around the Christmas tree about age 3. I spent years modeling in Nscale then switched over to HO when more room became available. Growing up I always had my hands in anything that was mechanical or had an engine attached to it and frequently wound up in Dad's shop on the lathe making something. Naturally I wound up working as a car and truck out of school until 1996 when I then decided to change course and open a machine and metal fabrication shop. After several years in the business a light bulb went on one day, I realized that I now had the facilities to build a live steam locomotive so out I went and purchased a 1-1/2" Mikado kit from Railroad supply. I then joined the local live steamers club, LILS, but after a while my enthusiasm fizzled out. Don't get me wrong, I still love trains but the clubs layout is a double loop in the woods in a county park. The parks department doesn't want to know anything about expansion, and I don't care to go in circles. I also determined that I 'd rather sit IN rather than ON the train I'm riding. That led me to wanting to build in a larger scale, say 15 or 16" but then the question was where would I run it once I built it???
Recently I joined RMLI in Riverhead, LI and will help in the restoration of some Larger equipment, but again the issue is running the trains, the museum and the LIRR haven't got that worked out. It was then a few months ago that I stumbled upon the WW&F in another discussion forum and I am hooked. The restoration of an old steam locomotive and cars, laying the rails down the old ROW, the future building of steam loco #11, what could be more fun!!! And the equipment is just the right size!!!
Now if I can just get a little free time to come to Maine....
In the mean time where do I start??? What can I help with from down here on the Island??
Robin Hillyard:
I'm Robin Hillyard, a Brit whose been on this side of the pond for pretty much exactly 30 years now. I live in Carlisle, MA (close to the Bedford and Billerica line). My professional passion has always been software development. But since my earliest memories, I've been interested in maps, railways, bus routes and geography in general. As I've gotten older (getting close to the big 6-0 now) I've found more of an interest in history in general and in recent years three of these interests have coalesced into historical railroad maps. I'm working on a project to map (via Google Maps) all of the New England Railroads. My recent visit to the WW&F was what got me to this web site and forum in particular.
Other interests (sorry, but these come ahead of railroads) include my wife and kids (and dogs), playing bridge, playing music (bassoon), bird-watching and drinking beer.
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