Introduction
The MA&G (better known as "The Magnolia Route") is a fictional Class 1 railroad which runs from Chattanooga, TN to Houston, TX with branches to Mobile, AL and New Orleans, LA. The modeled section represents the mainline run south of Hattiesburg, MS to New Orleans. The MA&G meets the Southern Railway and the GM&O at Slidell, LA and uses their shared trackage across Lake Pontchartrain into New Orleans. In exchange, these two railroads have running rights on MA&G track between Slidell and Mobile, AL.
Introduction
An earlier 12 by 13 foot version of the MA&G was featured in the April 2005 Model Railroader. The current layout was featured in Great Model Railroads 2007 and has twice graced the homepage of the NMRA as "Webmaster’s Choice" (still listed in archives). Seven photos I took of the MA&G have also appeared in the Walthers 75th Anniversary catalog, one of which won second place in the "Magic of Model Railroading" contest. The MA&G is also the subject of Volume 56 in Allen Keller's "Great Model Railroads" DVD series! You can click on the image to the right for the link. As a member of the South Eastern Region (SER) of the NMRA, I presented my first clinics on the design and construction of the MA&G at the 2006 SER Convention in Memphis . I also walked away with seven awards - Best in Show Structures and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places for both black/white and color model photographs.
I have been a model railroader for over 30 years. I received my first HO train set from Santa at the age of 10. I have built 5 serious adult layouts, 2 of which were in N-scale. My wife Jennifer and I have been married for 16 years and have three children - Brianne (9), Caleb (6) and Cole (4). They all three love "choo-choo's" and the boys have nearly as much Thomas the Tank stuff as Daddy does in HO-scale! I built a G-scale layout around the top of the walls in their room. My other interests are playing the piano and anything related to Walt Disney World which we visit annually (May 2008 marked my 14th visit).
Other projects include references to the MA&G in Tony Koester's Scenery Design book (now available) and an upcoming article on my use of the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal as a Layout Design Element in Model Railroad Planning.
