Author: Charles M. O’Herin Photo by: Cuauhtemoc Beltran / Imperial Valley Press

Charles O’Herin, although not a hobby modeler himself, is a garden railroad hobbyist, railroad enthusiast, and member of the following organizations involved with model railroading or preserving history and artifacts of railroads in general:

Pacific Southwest Railroad Museum Association, Inc. (PSRMA); www.PSRM.org

Puget Sound Garden Railway Society (PSGRS); www.PSGRS.org

San Diego Garden Railway Society (SDGRS); www.SDGRS.com

Washington State Railroad Historical Society (WSRHS); www.WSRHS.org

I grew up in Pasco, Washington, a railroad town with five Class-1 railroads operating nearby: the Northern Pacific, Great Northern, Spokane Portland & Seattle, Union Pacific, and Milwaukee Road. I remember as a kid being awake at night and hearing a train whistle. I learned what type locomotive it was by its sound – the NP, GN, and SP&S Mallets were always very recognizable with deep, guttural tones.

My grandfather, a conductor for the NP, came west with the building of the railroad to the Pacific Ocean, but decided to settle down in Pasco instead of somewhere else west towards the ocean. And my father worked for the railroad for a short time as switchman and as a yardman at the ice house loading reefers. My early years were a sound-scape of trains and especially rich living at the time of transition from steam to diesel, and my how the sounds changed. Now, I find myself again drawn to railroading by playing with model trains, being a rail-fan, and writing about railroads. I hope you enjoy my books as much as I did bringing each to you. Life is big!