UP DATED PHOTOS

MY DAD

Here is a photo of my dad LJ Madere Jr at age 18 in Memphis TN. 1946 with his fellow class mates becoming Locomotive Engineers. He is in the 3rd row from the bottom and the 4th from the left with the bill of his cap up. I know very little of his school days but the story he told of working the extra board out of Baton Rouge La. was the one he like to tell the most.

NO MORE PINK !!!!!!!!

Well we will start 2009 off with NO MORE PINK !!!!!!!! On the Layout.
I have now come to a point with the layout were we have finished the bulk
Of the work and we will now work on the detailing and adding some scenes of people
Working and living about the layout. Hope you Like the latest Photos!!!!

Hi All and Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Southern Pacific Dash-9 rounding the bend along the Mississippi river in Reserve La. with a Louisiana Cajun tradition in the back ground.
The Christmas bonfires light the banks of the Mississippi River to guide Papa Nöel’s (the Cajun version of Santa Claus) on Christmas eve.
To prepare for the bonfire events, families in the communities gather on weekends in November and December to construct the mammoth
structures. The bonfire festivities have been a tradition in St. John Parish since the 1880’s. Although the origin is debated, the most popular
story is that the fires lit the way for Papa Nöel, the Cajun version of Santa Claus, as he paddled his pirogue and delivering gifts to children.




From the top of the levees you can see a Southern Pacific RS-11 is Hard at work along the Mississippi River at Cargill in Reserve La.




A Southern Pacific T&NO SW8 Phase 2 is Hard at work along the Mississippi River at Cargill in Reserve La.

CTT Magazine November Issues

Be sure to check out page 19 of CTT's November issue which will be out soon. Also,Thanks to CTT.be sure to grab a copy.

Atlas O Golden Spike Club Grand Prize Engin

GREAT NEWS!!! Well, I received my Atlas O Golden Spike Club Grand Prize Engine the CN C-630 and let me say, that this is one great engine. Atlas really did a jam up job with this one. "WAY TO GO ATLAS O!!!"

KEEP MOVING FORWARD

Well I have been working on the layout with the summer here it has been a little hot but as Walt Disney always says keep moving forward so here are some new photos I hope you like.

Some Great News From The Hobby World

Well as most of you know by now my layout was the Grand Prize winner in the Atlas O Golden Spike Club layout Contest. Let me just say when I got the e-mail from Atlas O VP Jim Weaver I shouted at the top of my voice that my wife thought something bad happened and I said NO! Something great happened. Well I keep working on the layout on the day’s I can and getting more done see for yourself.

Layout Overvew

Some new photos of the Layout