I had a lovely time last night, talking trains via Zoom with members of the South Bank Short Lines – an association of like-minded modellers in Calgary, Alberta.
I delivered a PowerPoint presentation about how I approached prototype modelling (the CNR in Port Rowan, Ontario in the 1950s) in a niche scale (S, or 1:64). I framed the presentation (I hope) in terms of how one makes such a decision. I discussed what attracted me to the subject and the scale as well as how I determined whether I could, in fact, model the prototype to my satisfaction given what’s available from S scale manufacturers.
After providing a virtual tour of my Port Rowan layout, I wrapped up my presentation by addressing my move from Southern Ontario to Saskatchewan, and provided some thoughts about what I’ll model next in my larger (and much nicer) layout space.
I had a great time, and the 20 or so members of the audience seemed to enjoy my presentation. We had a terrific discussion afterwards.
My understanding is that the SBSL is always on the hunt for guest speakers, so if you have a topic you think might interest them, you can contact the group via their website.
(Thanks again to the members of the SBSL for indulging me! And a special thanks to fellow Saskatchewan resident and modeller Cal Sexsmith, who recently presented to the group and suggested me as a guest speaker.)
The Model Railway Show 