Back from a long overdue family vacation to the Golden State where we spent a week being the best tourists we could be. All the usual stops were on our list, but we found some time to do some scale-modeling visits, specifically the San Diego Model Railroad Museum and the La Mesa Model Railroad Club.
La Mesa’s Tehachapi layout is one of those mythical model railroads that I’ve read about for years but never thought I’d get the chance to see in person. I don’t need to add to their mystique above and beyond what has already been written. However I’ll say that it lives up to the hype. The overall look of the layout is so consistent that no matter where you are, it feels like one person built everything. A testament to the vision and perseverance of the club.
But my favorite moment was in the 3-Rail room with my son. Underneath the layout was a small circuit that allowed youngsters to run a Thomas train around a short loop. Instructions were clearly posted for kids. Next to it, however, was an even more appropriate instruction for the kids at heart.
The Hills Line 