IBLS Journal 1931
August
The following story appeared in the employee bulletin, "The Western Electric News", for August-1931.
Railroading at Home
The Shattocks of San Francisco Derive Dividends of Pleasure and Enjoyment from Building and Operating Their Own Railroad
A glow of red from the engine cab, and string of lighted windows, the long blasts of a whistle -- and a train whirs on through the night. What boy has not been thrilled by such a sight! Fascination for the trains that move ceaselessly on the great steel arteries of our country does not lessen as the boy grows into manhood. Its appeal seems ever new and to some it is so strong that they build railroads of their own.
Such a builder is Ronald J. Shattock of the San Francisco House, and his railroad is in his own back yard. The building of models is virtually a hereditary avocation for Ronald. His father began constructing miniature trains and boats as a boy and when he grew to manhood, his two sons, Ronald and Jim, fell heir to the mechanical toys that boys dream about. At an early age both boys began to assist their dad carry on his hobby of making models.
About seven or eight years ago dad and the boys decided to make a complete railroad system. At school Ronald and Jim had become proficient in wood working and it was agreed that the boys should make the car bodies while the father made the wheels and understructure. At first the boys had built many more bodies than there were completed wheels but at this stage of work they learned the value of good workmanship and after visits to local freight yards with a two foot rule, many details were added and some of the bodies were consigned to the scrap heap.
In doing this work Ronald developed the ability to draw accurately to scale which aided considerably. A sufficient amount of rolling stock had been built, five box cars, two flats, one tank car, one gondola and a caboose, and as they had two locomotives on hand, they decided to tackle the rails and roadbed next. it was a long time before they were ready to build a type 2422 passenger locomotive.
Adjacent to the Shattock home at the time the road was being built was a large fenced-in lot on the rear of which was an unoccupied barn about 40 by 16 feet. Using second-hand one inch by eight feet boards, a platform four feet wide and three feet high was constructed the length of the barn. many plans for the road were drawn up and many were discarded. The final one provided for a continuous main line which led into a terminal by the moving of switches, storage tracks, passing tracks, water tank and stand pipe, roundhouse and freight platform.
