A New Era for e*Train: A Message from Your Editor

By Michael S. Oher, TCA #18-73531 Fall 2024 e*Train

All Aboard The e*Train, fellow train enthusiasts!

I’m Michael S. Oher, your new conductor of the e*Train. I’m thrilled to be taking on this role and I thank Carol for her years of hard work and dedication. I wish her only the best moving forward. I am proud to be a member of the vibrant community of train lovers that this publication serves and even prouder to take on the role of editor.

My passion for trains is a direct result of the influence of my late father. From a very young age, he instilled in me a love of model trains by introducing me to the world of Thomas and Friends. As I grew older, this initial spark evolved into a fascination with model trains.

By the time the sixth grade rolled around, my father and I had begun constructing a 9-foot by 12-foot N Scale Layout in my family’s basement.

My father had been collecting N Scale trains since childhood, and we planned to build the layout to triumph all layouts in the basement of our home. Unfortunately, we were never able to complete the project. However, the memories we created during that time will always hold a special place in my heart.

In honor of my late father, I’m currently working on a similarly inspired layout in my own home using his N Scale collection, which he gifted to me shortly before he suddenly and unexpectedly passed away in March of 2023. It’s a project that has brought me immense joy and one which I have now been working on for months, in what used to be my dining room.

Building my own layout, a loosely inspired interpretation of what my father and I envisioned for our family basement all those years ago, has allowed me to continue the legacy of our shared passion, albeit on a smaller scale, at 8 feet by 8 feet, and with the people who matter most to me in my own life today.

In addition to collecting N Scale, my father was also a lifelong collector of Gilbert American Flyer Trains. The difference between his N Scale collection and his American Flyer collection was that from a very young age, I was encouraged to get my hands dirty when it came to N Scale. 

His American Flyer collection, however, was another story altogether; he made extraordinarily clear from day one that I was not to touch, look at, breathe on, or think about his American Flyer collection. 

Now that he is no longer with us, I have taken to starting my own Flyer collection and upon seeing what some American Flyer items can cost and how fragile other items can be, I now understand his reasoning for his attitude regarding his Flyer collection.

My father was a dedicated member of the Train Collectors Association, and I made many trips to York with him since he introduced me to the organization during my high school years. I’ve been a proud member of the TCA ever since.

As editor of e*Train, I aim to foster a publication that is both informative and inspiring. The goal is to share YOUR stories. e*Train is YOUR publication, and I’m just here to help get it to “print” as they say in the newspaper business.

In the coming editions, you can expect to see e*Train evolve into a more dynamic and engaging publication. I’m excited to embark on this journey with all of you. Thank you for your continued support of e*Train. I look forward to hearing from you and working together to make this publication the best it can be.

Ever Upward,

Michael S. Oher TCA # 18-73531

Editor, TCA e*Train