Cool. really cool, impressive! I especially like the US Army ROB. Though I didn't belong to the ROB at Ft. Eustus, Va,, I did serve in Germany with the Transportation Corps in the 49th Transport Group, with HQ in Mannheim. I was assigned to the Bundeswehr Verkehrskommandantur Ansbach. We were involved with US Army /German Army convoy clearance. We "moved millions" of GIs to and from the military training areas, mostly to take part in the spring and autumn war game exercises. Despite the fact I was a pencil pusher, I did have to take periodic rifle practice with the M14 assigned me. I'd be interested in purchasing a cloth patch for the 796 ROB if you do decide to produce any!
The late Lee Riley, a prominent employee of Bachmann, was instrumental in convincing the well known manufacturer to begin production of On30 model trains at affordable prices. It worked too! I really do miss visiting with Lee when he'd be present at the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg, Germany, each year. He'd give me lots of insider information that hadn't been released to the public, knowing I'd keep my big Texas trap shut! I did too!
In the 80s on leave from my then employer, Deutsche Bundesbahn, I went with my mother and step-dad on a trip to North Carolina, where they had a trailer house in Johnson City that had been purchased from a co-worker of my step-dad. I talked them into a day trip so I could visit the East Tennessee Railroad where they were operating with some Alco RS32 Diesel road switchers. The employees were very accomodating and your typically friendly Carolina folks. I got the grand tour of the office and shop building.
Though I'm a onetime Colorado railfan from Dallas, TX, I must agree with you, in that the Rocky Mountain narrow gauge has been blown out of proportion. OK, no complaints from this long time member of the Peanut Gallery. It sells, and remember, all the manufacturers and their employees like to enjoy three hots and a cot, just like most human beings do. However, I have developed an interest in the East Broad Top, as well as the Strasburg Rail Road, and remain a big fan of the Pennsylvania Railroad too. I'm a fall guy for the GG1! I do remain loyal to my home base having switch the huck finn out of box cars for Cotton Belt as well as Santa Fe in the D/FW area in the 60s and 70s.
About me: visit www.railhopeamerica.com The Railroad Evangelistic Assn. prints All Aboard, a magazine not just for railroaders, but for anyone interested in the Holy Bible and trains as well. The REA was founded in the 1930s by an Atlantic Coast Line locomotive engineer. I'm also big on the ACL and SAL too, but that's another story altogether! Anyway, the REA links will enable anyone to read All Aboard for free and in the Summer 2015 issue, on page eight and nine, editior Joe Spooner (a former Burlington Northern employee) printed an artical about yours truly.
Item: All Aboard is seeking short articals from model railroaders as it now has expanded to include a model railroad page or tow in each issue.
I look forward to your updates and thanks for sharing your layout with OGR railroaders.
73
Joe
