The
Beginning.
It
all started in the Summer of 2001.
I
had not done any model railroading for over 15 years..
I
used to have an HO scale layout when I was in highschool.
I
would still visit train shops once in awhile..just to "look around".. ;)
Well
one day I went to this HUGE shop that had tons of G gauge trains!
they
were BIG! :) and REALLY COOL! :)
My
Dad had also noticed them in supermarkets and resturants and such..
hmmmmm...
My
Dad has been building models for a long time..
he
has built amazing scratch-built ship models.
An
incredible scratch-built model of the USS Constitution and a HO scale model
of
the Ship he was on in the Navy! 5 feet long!
and
he used to scratch-build buildings for my HO railroad when I was a kid..
Well
my Mom and Dad have a cool Garden, with Rock walls and Ponds and fish..
My
Dad loves building the rock work..
My
Mom jokingly named the garden "StoneHedge" one day a few years ago..
(as
opposed to "StoneHenge" in England)
and
the name stuck!
So
my Dad casually mentions one day that those "Garden trains are pretty cool"
hmmmm..he
has a Garden, loves building walls and ponds and waterfalls in it,
already
loves model building, thinks G trains are cool..where else could this lead?!
;)
So
I decieded that for Christmas my Dad needed G trains!
and
that was the beginning..
In
October 2001 I bought a Bachman "Annie"
(10th
Anniversary 4-6-0) from Gary Lantz at
Lantz
train shop in Horseheads. Here is the engine in
November.
I
also got a USA trains caboose and an Aristocraft
LVRR
gondola. I converted all 3 over to kadee couplers.
Here
is the engine in its new home on Christmas Day! in the stonehedge
garden
itself. I re-lettered the tender for the LSHRR.
The
decals were custom made by Ricky
Rupp.
