When I was 3 years old, my dad bought me a 1952 Lionel No. 119 Scout 3 Car Freight set for Christmas. He had fastened the track to a small board covered with Life-Like Mountain Paper. Each Christmas he would set it up on the living room floor of our tiny apartment. In 3rd grade, I received a brand-new set headed by a 2065 steamer. It even had an operating brakeman car! I still have those sets.
Today, however, I prefer Command Control engines heading up 1:48 scale size rolling stock. I classify myself as a hi-railer.
Since CTT’s first issue, I have authored many how-to articles. In 2007, I built the Sandy Harbor Terminal Railroad, a project layout featured in four consecutive issues (December 2007-March 2008—Ed.). Subsequently, I wrote a book called Realistic Modeling for Toy Trains: A Hi-Rail Guide.
In 1997, as I was writing an article about ballast, Sandy said, “Instead of writing about it, why not sell it?” Well, Brennan’s Model Railroading www.brennansmodelrr.com was born and today, Brennan’s Better Ballast is the most popular brand on the market. Other products include Natural Ground Cover materials as well as craftsman kits that anyone can build. The well received Frank Ellison Tribute Series is the latest addition to my kit line.
I graduated from Rutgers with a degree in art with an emphasis on photography and film. One job led to another, and I eventually ended up in Kansas City as a freelance producer of television shows, industrial films and local, regional, and national commercials. I retired when I was 50.
So today, I’m enjoying playing with trains, making models, designing kits, authoring articles, and doing photography. This isn’t work. It’s living the dream!
