- like many others, my fascination with electric trains began in childhood, but it had its roots in real railroads, principally the UP. My mother would take me, and later my sister and me, from Union Station in Portland, Oregon to Miami, Florida to spend time with her parents in Coral Gables. We traveled the UP City of Portland to

I can still recall arriving at the station in Portland with the head of this beautiful streamliner poised at the very edge of the street waiting cross the Willamette River via the Steel Bridge. The start would be so smooth that you would not notice it unless you were looking outside and see the platform begin to edge backwards. My dad would walk along beside our window until he reached the end of the platform. I was always eager to see the yards after we crossed the bridge.

That first night was also special. My mom and sister would share the lower berth in the Pullman. I would have the upper. Long after I was supposed to be asleep, I would slide open the door covering the small window and watch the Wyoming desert slide by in the moonlight.

One Christmas I received a Lionel set. O27 2020 steam engine/tender, transformer car, operating log car, crane car and work caboose. A simple oval of track. I loved it. When we moved from 54th street to Failing street in Portland, my dad built the first layout; a single oval with a couple of switches. We still had the log car (dumping into the plastic tray) and had added the milk car and cattle car. For years, these would be the only operating accessories we had. He had also added the 2023 AA Alcos in yellow/grey/red UP livery...lovely.

When we moved to Lake Oswego, as I entered the fourth grade, a portion of the basement was turned over to a new layout; a U-shaped scheme. Silver passenger cars were added to the rolling stock as was a custom painted (UP of course) diesel switcher. A ZW replaced the 1033 to provide power. There were two ovals, each with reversing loops and optional routes, including a mountain climb. A trolley traversed the town (Plasticville) street. We never finished the scenery.

There is no photographic record of these layouts.

When we moved east in 1960, the trains were boxed and remained boxed from Oregon to New Jersey to North Carolina to Florida.