Aside from everything said by and about Marty, he's one helluva repair technician. He resuscitated my dead RK SF Dash-8 in record time, and at a very reasonable expense. Thanx, Marty, you're a mover and a shaker in the world of O Gauge; happy anniversary, and many more.
Happy Anniversary Marty! For those of you who haven't seen his layout at all, there's a picture of his yellowbelly on the turntable in the latest issue. But that's only a very small part of it.
Jim, you really only touched the tip of the iceberg in terms of what a great ambassador Marty is for the hobby. The real story here is Marty, not the layout. While the layout is spectacular, the person behind the layout is even more spectacular. He is tireless in sharing his knowledge, offering suggestions and if you're really lucky (as I am) in providing help. He has taught me so much over the years that "thank you" only scratches the surface.
If you bother to really read his posts on the Forum, he is always positive about everything he writes. I don't remember him having a bad word to say about anyone. He is always encouraging. He exemplifies what an ambassador of goodwill should be in any endeavor.
For those of you who don't attend the DCS dinner at York (thank you SO MUCH Barry), Marty is always there helping people upgrade to the latest version of DCS and answering questions.
So happy anniversary Marty. I hope you, Dotty and Ralph really enjoyed it. I look forward to seeing you in the near future, hopefully with Locolawyer in tow.
Best,
Gerry
Congrats to you and the layout Marty .. another 30 years for both of you !
Congrats Marty. I've been on the forum for about 6 years (with much of it under a different username) and reading for the same or more and have always admired your layout. Hope to take you up on your offer to visit someday.
Happy anniversary Marty, I wish my layout is done, no yet, I have a long way to go, one day I will post some pictures.
Way to go man.Heres hoping you and your layout have another 30 more years.I to have a cat named chessie.Who seems to like watching the trains some times.And other times he takes a nap.Once he jumped over the train don,t worry he cleared it.Maded me think of the fallguy.
What a wonderful celebration! Going boldly where no model train has gone before... 
This was by no means a five year mission:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHhePr0TKfc
Prairie
Congratulations Marty. Here's to 30 more! Joe
I met Marty years ago through a friend at work. When I entered his train room I was totally blown away. What a beautiful setting and a fantastic layout. Back then the only sounds emitting were from a Roanke Sound system that played horns and whistles. Times have surely changed and Marty's layout has as well. Always on the cutting edge and everything runs perfect. My own layout always seems cluttered with things being worked on. In all my visits over the years this layout always looks finished. Even with the many changes. Marty is a careful planner and gets it done. Happy 30th. You are a true credit to the train hobby.
Congratulations Marty! This is the greatest hobby ever, and seeing pictures of your layout is a big part of it. The passenger terminal is something I want to do on my layout.
Someday I hope to be able to see it in person. Maybe next time I do a Phillies or Flyers road trip!
Happy layout day Marty. When you first started to build your framing did you ever think you would play such a part in the development of this hobby?
Brian, I could understand a road trip for a Phillies-Sox series last year. This year, not so much (to put it kindly).
Gerry
WOW, 30 years. That's quite a milestone, and still going strong it sounds like.
Since I'm in the Phila area, I may have to see this some time, looks like it's an impressive layout.
Good for you Marty.
Happy 30th.
Lou N
(two train companies later!)
Hi Marty,
Happy, happy layout birthday and thanks for your kind words. We did a decade of OGR reviews on your layout and had the privilege of helping introduce both TMCC and DCS -- both big game-changers in the hobby. And I'll never forget the night we were testing the Lionel Commodore Vanderbilt and ran it off an open bridge and onto the floor below -- and it emerged without a scratch! (Boy, was I holding my breath on that one!)
One more thing: I've never met someone so open and hospitable to other modelers, and so willing to share his knowledge. Kudos to you, my friend!
Have a great day,
Barry
Originally Posted by gmorlitz:
Brian, I could understand a road trip for a Phillies-Sox series last year. This year, not so much (to put it kindly).
Gerry
You're right Gerry, not much of a pennant chase this year. But it's still fun being at the ballpark, especially if it's nearby Marty's layout!
Brian, as a long time Phillies fan, I sympathize with you. BTW, my layout is on the way to Marty's, and you're invited.
Gerry
Gerry, your layout is going to Marty's??
Thank you for the invitation.
Congratulations and happy 30th Marty. I started mine 36 years ago. Not the greatest but it still operates daily almost.
Ray
