I grew up with a love of trains from an early age, watching BN SD40s run by with the striped green noses and orange beacons as we drove by the tracks. As a kid our family rode excursion trains like Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad (MRSR) and the Blue Goose in Cottage Grove. I even built an HO gauge model train set that grew through several iterations, ultimately taking up nearly my entire room. However, this blissful 11-year old’s world was interrupted by two thoughts. I discovered the drum set and started noticing that female attention was not a bad thing. Years later a producer pointed out that drummers were always stuck putting away their the gear while the lead singer simply walked off stage to get all the attention. Although the HO trains went in a box, the railroad interest remained.

Playing drums earned a music scholarship to help cover expenses for my biology degree. My girlfriend at the time bought me a cab ride at MRSR on the Porter #5 and that sparked an interest that was to change the course of my life. After graduating, I began to take music gigs and worked at an analytical chemistry lab to save up for graduate school. I also began volunteering for MRSR. I was fortunate to spend time with the early founders: Jack Anderson, Fred Mosier, and Harold Borovec, and several other younger people who were key in training me. Five years later in 2006 I ran my engineer’s qualifying trip out of Morton on the Heisler #91 that I rode behind as a kid.

That same year I completed my masters thesis project in which I discovered an explanation and provided recommendations to mitigate a disease outbreak on high value commercial red alder plantations for Weyerheuser. As luck would have it, they needed someone with a background in biological sciences, plant physiology, analytical chemistry, and mechanical aptitude, and hired me straight away. I worked in a team that interfaced biology with mechanical engineering to develop, troubleshoot, and test prototype manufacturing equipment and production methods. Our experiments provided the thrill of discovery in advancing the state of the art and even earned several U. S. patents (8739463, 8181389, 8893429, and 9320209). I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and diversity of that career right up until the company shut down the whole project in 2017.

That break presented a unique opportunity to reinvent my career. I continued to play music, worked part time at MRSR restoring and operating the equipment, and continuted restoring the ‘38 MG Supercharged Special race car. Soon an opportunity arose that required skills from my and Katie’s backgrounds that would set the course for our business (see history tab above).

I love this business because it combines many interests and allows me to make a meaningful contribution to historic railroad preservation while bringing back a lost craft. In addition I get to hear about all the cool projects from little red bobber cabooses to mainline steam locomotives. It also enables me to see steam shops and experience memorable events like mainline steam test runs on CP 2816.

I keep busier than ever running the journal pad business, playing music (drums) professionally, volunteering at MRSR and occasionally other excursion railroads, restoring vintage sports cars, and building/running my 7.5” gauge trains. When time allows, Katie and I enjoy taking road trips to visit customers and ride their trains. Meeting customers and seeing people enjoy (unknowlingly) the benefit of our products at excursion railroads and amusement parks are really the key benefits of the business!