A buddy of mine was good friends with Jim Vail and Dave Adams, and that is how I met your dad when we came up for O Scale West. After that, his layout was a must for us to see every year. I think your dad has one of the top two layouts I've ever seen, as far as being complete and stunning in presentation. He was a master at scenery and he showed us all that you don't need a giant room to build a gorgeous layout. I could literally spend hours in there taking it all in. I model in Sn3 also, and 4-5 years ago your dad sold me a locomotive that I now treasure even more. I enjoyed just talking to him, going to dinner with him etc. and he is sorely missed. I doubt I will ever get to the point he was as a modeler, but he has set the bar very high as something to strive for.
I enjoyed visiting Mike's layout. He was a superb modeler and always willing to share his knowledge. Jeff did such a good job telling us about his dad.
Thanks Jeff for sharing the layout and stories about your dad and your time as a kid with him. I’m sure he’d be proud of you and this tribute. His layout was a real inspiration to me and your tribute just adds to that.Thanks again. God bless you and your family.
This is a beautiful testimony of who your father was as a person, a father and a model railroader; well done Jeff! The legacy of his passion for the hobby will live on in through this video. Thank you for sharing.
Wonderful tribute! Please post more photos and videos of this layout, so people can get a good overview of the whole thing. This is a marvelous work of art.
Great layout,incredible scenery,Great Son so Awesome your Dad is very proud to see he raised great son! God bless and thanks for keeping Dads Artistry and passion Perfect before Fathers Day😊
The layout has already been dismantled and Mike's models ended up being sold and/or given to his friends. In the end, everything that could be saved found a good home!
