Thanks for admitting me to WAYWO.
I thought I’d use my first blog to tell you what my job entails. Among my other interests growing up was model railroading. I always had a garage or a spare bedroom to create something uniquely mine. About ten years ago, I met a friend who wanted me to help him build a large museum quality model railroad. Five years ago he started paying me to do something I never dreamed I could make a living at.
Like most model railroaders, my boss wants to recreate his childhood. So we are recreating his hometown of Cheyenne, Wyoming. We model the Union Pacific Railroad from there to Ogden, Utah in 1957.
Half of my job is research into what the area looked like back then. This has led to field trips to the area to collect soil and rocks for our model, research at the UofW in Laramie, and numerous hours reading. Fun!
Half of my job is to learn how to turn what’s in my minds eye into reality. This includes inventing new techniques for making miniature sagebrush, Juniper and Pine trees. With more than enough false turns, mistakes and grinding halts; I now have the patience of a monk. Actually, as most who work with their hands know, it is rather monastical. There are days spent not uttering a word and in complete focus of the present. Very zen.
One of the things I love about this is that there are so many disciplines one must have to do a good job. Construction, electronics, painting and sculpture comprise a few of the skills I need. If I get tired or feel uninspired, I move to different task that still moves the project forward, like building bridges or structures.
Half of my job is to teach. I get volunteers that want to come in and help. That includes everyone from millionaires to teenagers. One of my favorites is a guy with special needs that I’ve known since he was a kid. Back then, he had a hard time talking. These days, he gives tours to visitors. He can still stutter when he’s nervous, but his fact retention and people skills are growing by the month.
Another thing I love about the hobby, is the things one must learn to do it right. In order to create something believable, I have to know geography, physics, economics, history, geology, botany, architecture and my favorite, labor history.
For the history of railroading in America is, for a large part, a history of America itself. the more you know about railroading, the more you know about safety laws, the beginning of the middle class, workers rights, women’s rights, post reconstruction black history and unions. All in a good light. because if a rising tide failed to lift all boats, the train at least got them farther down the line.
Plus we have rainbows.
And half of my job is to figure out how many halves are in a whole. Next time, I’ll show you the furniture I make.