Many changes occurred in my self-imposed absence. Chief among them was Bruce Chubb's development of his Computer Model Railroad Interface (CMRI) or as we fondly nick-name it, the "Chubb-O-Matic." Bruce's system would finally allow me to make functional use of a prototype CTC machine I salvaged from the Santa Fe in Ama rillo back in 1986. Other advancements in DCC control systems and sound appealed to by electronic background (not to mention the fact that I was one of Keith Gutierrez's guina pigs way back in the late 1970s when he developed CTC-16). Finally, due to the work of many talented prototype modelers and new manufacturers, the quality and fidelity of available cars and locomotives was a quantum leap from my old days as editor of the "Santa Fe Modeler" magazine.

I was born and raised in Amarillo, Texas-- the Headquarters of Santa Fe's Plains Division. Many members of my extended family worked for the railroad. My dad and his father were both model railroders and I got started at an early age. I moved my modeling period ahead from 1942 to 1955 since I have a lot of prototype pictures and materials Dad collected. Plus, the sight of A-B-B-A units stretched out on a long run was what I wanted!

The first trains were running in April. The CMRI/CTC system was fully cut-in during the Summer of 2005.