Open House 6-7-17

Started by Dave K., June 24, 2017, 07:23:54 AM

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Dave K.

Finally got a chance to visit the Mecca of model railroading last week and it's taken me the five days since returning home to get my pix properly oriented and labeled.

Why more F&SM pix?  "Why not?" I consider the threads by John and supplemented by Tom and others to be the authoritative go-to sources of information on George's layout. In fact, if it hadn't been for those threads and a couple of contacts with John I would not have been able to accurately organize my pix. Responses from Forumites suggested you can never have too many pictures of the F&SM.

It's interesting to see others' pictures of the layout sometimes even minute differences in angle or perspective reveal previously unnoticed details.

So, with an invitation from John to add mine to the mix, here is a walk-through from Franklin to Fillmore Yard as I experienced it last Saturday.

I did not take any of Muddville and the rest of the "new" section in the entry hall. I don't know why...I think I was so overwhelmed by finally being there that Thom Driggers' warm welcome drew me directly in, passing the shadowbox scenes. Ah, well.

Dave K.

This, my first visit to New England, was planned specifically around this open house. Or original travel plans for June were to take a driving trip from San Francisco up the coast to Vancouver. While planning that expedition last winter I got to thinking (maybe it's a middle-age thing), "What if some tragedy like a fire strikes Peabody before I ever got there?" With my wife's support we switched our plans to a driving trip from Bangor southbound, culminating in George's June 17th open house in Peabody. With overnights in Bar Harbor, Rockland Kennebunkport, Rockport MA, and Salem, the last stop was the open house.

If you're planning a visit, a few blocks down from George's and around the corner is a great Italian restaurant called Petrillo's. We did a drive-by of George's on the way to dinner the night before the visit, just to be sure I knew where we were going. It was in the middle of a downpour, but when I saw yellow boxes in an upstairs window I knew we'd found it.


Dave K.

Also nearby is the delightful Little Depot Diner, which was our breakfast stop the next morning. The proprietor is a hard-core blues aficionado so the place is decked out in blues memorabilia and also has a train running loops around the space. Jaime also recommends the LDD.

Dave K.

Then it was on to 49 Main St. It's a pretty nondescript structure but it would be fun to build one (right, Jeff?) and include it in a town scene as a tribute to George's contributions to the hobby. Maybe a visitor or two in the know would recognize its significance?

Dave K.

We were there early and the door was unlocked at 8:45, but the open house starts at 9 and I didn't want to push George and Thom's hospitality. So my wife wandered up the street to get her nails done (after being instructed that she MUST come upstairs to see this after she was done) and I bided (bode?) my time 'til the appointed hour.

Dave K.

Where it all happens?

Dave K.

George's casting space is at the other end of the front of the space, by Fillmore Yard. Thom says George has been negotiating for the sale of this equipment now that his retirement decision is final.

Dave K.

After a warm greeting by Thom and George, it's 'round the bend and Franklin hits you in all its super-detailed glory. It was a treat to meet Dan ("Raymo"), taking in the scene. While there Dan presented George with another completed vehicle. It was immediately placed on the overpass into Franklin.

Dave K.

We'll wander through Franklin and Rocky Point without needless narration...

Dave K.

By the way, if any pix are placed in the wrong location please feel free to chime in and I'll correct my files.

Dave K.

I've used place names as they appear in the MRH layout plan posted in John's thread.