Richard Chapple Sr

The WJ RR is my portable G gauge Layout currently set up for a couple months in a hardware store in our little town. The railroad is 13.5′ by 26′ and has two main lines, one crossover, one passing siding and three sidings for an approximate total of 200 running feet of track. Right now early period trains such as the Bachmann ten wheelers and a long circus train are running, as well as a little Mack with several field cars in tow. Weekly, the trains are being changed out with newer era trains until toward the last weeks of being set up at the store we will have Dash nines pulling either a long string of Evans box cars, or 100 Ton hoppers, or stack trains or special extra long center depressed articulated flat cars with their heavy loads.
The display includes a running 1947 American Flyer train, and static displays of O gauge, HO gauge, and N gauge trains for visual size comparisons.
Amazing how many people after watching this display are anxious to go home and dig out their old train set and get it set up and running.

The first words out of my mouth to Dad when he came home from World war II was “did you buy me a train?". and it’s been trains ever since.
Now , Dad is planecrazychapple. When we were born and God was passing out brains, Dad thought He said planes and I thought He said trains.
Active interest waxed and waned over the years as family priorities took away lots of hobby time and $$$$ but I had continued to buy the magazines since 1947.
Well today, being retired and empty nesters, the trains have found a way to multiply on their own . Everywhere we look around here there’s trains.
The backyard has a 1.5″ scale railroad running on 7.5″ gauge track. It is the Montana Eastern Railroad.
The basement contains the 45mm gauge Garden trains so far, more room is badly needed for expansion.
The rural Montana Branch Lines has approximately 410 feet of track which includes four mainlines, an interchange track, and some industry sidings.
I am now in the process of naming everything on the railroad, towns, industries, junctions, sidings, etc.
So far I am in a brain freeze having named very few things that sound good and not too hokey.

Finally this is the start of my blog. More will come including picture.
Thanks for looking.
Dick Traincrazychapple