Stories are swirling in Maple Valley. This isn't new to anyone who lives here. News in Maple Valley means people are talking about things that other people wouldn't consider to be news at all. But because Maple Valley is such an important tourist destination for thousands every year, we tend to think things that happen …
Continue reading Scandal At Maple Valley – Episode 16: Miss Wonderment
Through over fifty years in HO scale model railroading, I have wide and varied experience building structures for my layouts. My first balsa and cardboard kit was the Purina Feeds Mill I was very proud of. I no longer have it and wish I did. Another was a scratch-built cabin my uncle and I made …
I am thrilled, excited, relieved, exhausted, and happy to report track on the entire Maple Valley Short Line Railroad is finished! Well, the track is all in place. Installing ballast is yet to come. This model railroad is the largest layout I have ever built. I started with a blank canvas three years ago and …
Continue reading Model Railroad Progress on the Maple Valley Short Line
A real miracle happened in Maple Valley! A miracle to the folks who live here at least. Do you remember Randy Herbdahl? Of course not. Probably no one outside of Maple Valley knows who Randy Herbdahl is, but everyone here knows him. Six weeks ago, Randy Herbahl was the least favorite person in town. He …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – Episode 14: Founder’s Day Celebration
It was really only a matter of time before the search for Sylvia Meisner became more serious. Oh, not that folks haven't been serious already, they are. They're serious about a lot of things like taking care of all the visitors to Maple Valley that arrive, literally, by the trainload every day. They're serious about …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – Episode 13: Sylvia Meisner’s House
In case you haven’t been following the news in Maple Valley on a regular basis, I will fill you in. Sylvia Meisner disappeared nearly a month ago. Several people saw and spoke to her one day, she was gone the next. In fact, figuring out who the last person to speak to Sylvia actually was …
I can't stress enough that you can do this. Believe me, if I can paint backdrops and have them turn out half-way decent, you can do it too. In Part 1, I included a list of the paint colors most often used for painting backdrops. All of the paint is acrylic, which cleans up easily …
Continue reading How I Painted Backdrops for My Model Railroad – Part 2
First, let's get this straight. I am not an artist (and maybe you'll agree when you look carefully at the photos of my backdrops.) The only time I have ever taken an art class was in the 7th grade. Mr. Nagle gave me good grades for my drawings but my interest in art didn't grow. …
Continue reading How I Painted Backdrops for My Model Railroad – Part 1
Quintin O'Dillmotte's alarm clock screams at 4:30 a.m. He wants to be the first one up, the first one on the streets, making sure everything is ready for the Maple Valley Independence Day Celebration. He is very proud to be the chairperson of the planning committee for this great event. Overcoming the crape paper disaster …
The last train out of Maple Valley left the center of town at 9:00 p.m. Many visitors stayed all day to help us celebrate the start of tourist season. We expect all of the trains to be full today and all available tickets tomorrow are gone. Two big celebrations within three days means a tremendous …
A Coffee State of Mind 