Thursday, February 11, 2010

A Tribute to Stafford Swain


A scene on Stafford Swain's CNR Whiteshell
Subdivision.

If you are a Canadian model railroader, or if you appreciate accurate and prototypical models of rolling stock or locomotives, one person you need to thank is Stafford Swain.

Swain, a Master Model Railroader from my hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, was foremost among those who set the bar high when it came to fidelity in model railroading. His attention to detail was not limited to trains, however; he brought the same high standards to buildings, trackwork and scenery on his transistion-era HO scale CNR Whiteshell Subdivision.

Best of all, Stafford loved to share what he discovered; over the past 35 years or so he published over 80 articles in every major model railroad magazine.

Due to ill health, Stafford will move this summer into a condo. This means that his legendary layout will also be taken down. I was privileged to be able to visit him in January for an article in an upcoming issue of Canadian Railway Modeller. The issue should be out sometime in March; look for it in your local hobby shop, or subscribe today.

Stafford's layout will be on display one final time May 28-30 at Steam On The Prairies, the NMRA Thousand Lakes Region convention here in Winnipeg. If you want a chance to see a legendary layout, and meet a living legend, register today!

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