Hi from the UK and a Happy New Year
My name is Tony Birks and I am new to this list. I started modelling
US Railroads scene back in 1996 after 20 years of modelling the UK
scene. I was drawn towards the US scene by the quality of the Locos
and rolling stock on offer. In the UK at that time if you wanted fly
wheel drive and all wheel pickup you had to scratch build.
After six months of buying anything that caught my eye I settled on
the BN, but as I read more the BN forerunner's started creeping in.
By the spring of 1998 myself and a friend Eric Cains had built a
20x14ft exhibition layout based in Montana called Canyon Ferry east
of Helena. In the June of that year minus families we both set off
for Montana armed with cameras,video cameras, maps and a copy of
Model Railroader. we must have visited ever Model shop on our route
from Seattle to Billings and Back. We ended up have to ship some of
our purchases back to the UK by UPS as we would have exceeded our
luggage allowance. We visited Canyon Ferry and found that we had got
everything wrong so a rebuild on our return was required. During our
stay in Billings we visited Jims Junction and got to know the owner
John Olson. This chance meeting has lead to a much more accurate
model railroad exhibition layout to which we are greatful for his
support.
In 1998 we stayed in the Best Western in downtown Billings and spent
the evenings around the railroad. June this year we visited
Billings again to visit John and his family. It was druing this visit
that the birth of a new exhibition layout was born. Although
construction is not expected to start until the summer of 2001 it is
never to early to collect information, this is where I hope the
members of this list can help me.
I would be greatful if you can point me in the direction of where I
can obtain information on track layout,and buildings assocatiated
with railroads passing through Billings from 1965 to 1975.
Thanking you inadvance
Tony
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