A Brief History of Monty & LEGO® Trains:

My mother took me to my first model train show when I was 14 months old, and the whole thing spiraled out of control from there. Around the age of two I was very sick for several weeks, and when I was well enough to attend train shows again, various model train club members commented that they hadn't seen me in a while! I am told that at one point of my childhood, I had as many as 17 different "train sets," different scales, brands, and so on. My personal favorites included my wooden trains (seen below,) an HO scale 4x8 layout I built with my dad, and my Duplo trains which paved the way for what was to come.

I wasn't one to put random things in my mouth when I was little, so my parents moved me on to actual LEGO® bricks from Duplo bricks by the age of 5. While visiting family a couple of years later, my cousin had a collection of LEGO® 9-volt train sets encircling his living room. Of course, being a lover of trains and LEGO® bricks, I *had* to have some LEGO® trains of my own! The following Christmas a full complement of LEGO® train sets appeared under the tree; a steam engine with a mixed freight train, extra track, and of course a motor and controller. The convenience of already having a sizeable LEGO® collection meant that I was able to build a fully detailed layout entirely from bricks. The circle of track (with switches!) was enough to fill a conventional 30"x72" folding table; a standard I would encounter for future public exhibitions.

My first model train show was at the Fairfax Station Railroad Museum, on the first weekend of December 2001. The annual Holiday train show was already so packed with layouts, the only spot left to put me was in the caboose. With only enough space for one table, I fit a loop of track with sidings, a LEGO® Harry Potter castle borrowed from a friend, several American flags in the wake of 9/11, and a smattering of Christmas knick knacks borrowed from my mother's holiday decor collection. Kids barely younger than me were amazed at what I could pull off, and the adults were all so supportive and kind, I repeated the show the following year! 

At the end of the 2002 show, I was asked to participate in a couple of other train shows at the museum throughout the year, and since then I've maintained a fairly solid schedule of 2-3 displays each year at Fairfax Station. I also displayed for a couple of years at a toy train collectors meeting, as well as public shows at the Lyceum in Alexandria. I even signed up for Greenberg shows, where I could use every bit of track I owned, but unfortunately schoolwork began to get in the way of having time for such larger shows. Thankfully I had learned from the mistakes of my forefathers; too many hobby magazine articles about great layouts included heartbreaking stories about well-meaning parents giving away train collections, selling them, or worse, simply throwing out what would now be valuable collectors items! I made a promise to myself that no matter how busy my life got, I would always hold onto my trains. This vow is well-evidenced in my massive LEGO® train collection today.

At the peak, I owned 700+ pieces of track, 14 motors, 10 speed regulators, and over 100 pieces of rolling stock in my show collection. However, in 2019, after nearly two decades of building LEGO® trains, I made a drastic change. I sold most of my 9 Volt motors and track, dismantled every single train in my collection, and started building an entirely new fleet in what LEGO® train enthusiasts refer to as “8-wide.” A LEGO® train with a body width of 8 studs works out to a more realistic proportion of train to the LEGO® track gauge than the traditional 6 stud wide trains that can be found in official LEGO® sets, the increased size allowing for more detail. In addition, changing to battery-operated trains (The LEGO® 9-volt train system ran on track power and metal rails, like a conventional model train) means more custom track options are available to me, as well as a wider variety of motors to power my locomotives. Also, the change afforded me the opportunity to apply roller bearings to all of my axles, making it possible to run MUCH longer trains. For a more in-depth explanation about my change to 8 wide, visit my workshop blog.

I consider myself a model railroader in L gauge, in that I am doing my best to build a working model railroad entirely out of LEGO® bricks, balancing realism with the limitations of a 3D-pixel medium, as well as incorporating a sense of whimsy and fun that accompanies most LEGO® sets. I am working on increasing my show count per year, as my work schedule permits (can't play trains if I haven't got money to buy trains with!) and maintaining an online presence to share my art with fellow creators and enthusiasts.