1: Goodyear Tire Company loading dock, Eaton, Oregon
.
1
Gustav:
Many of us become model railroaders because of an early
experience with either model trains, real trains or both. What
experiences eventually culminated in this magnificent layout?
Jim:
I got into model railroading when I was 12, with a Lionel set.
The track was on an old dining room table in the basement of our
farmhouse in Indiana. It was about 5' x 9'. I got pretty good at dec-
orating it and making it look like a real railroad. When I joined the
Navy I had to leave it behind, and my two younger brothers, alas,
they weren't interested in working on or maintaining the layout
and they eventually destroyed it.
Gustav:
Did you find space and time for a layout during your
career in the Navy?
Jim:
Obviously, there's hardly an opportunity in the Navy to have
a model railroad. I managed the catapults and arresting gear on a
number of aircraft carriers. On board the ship, my personal space
