A Visit to Jefferson

Jefferson, Texas, is a beautiful, historic community in Northeast Texas, between Marshall and Texarkana. I had the chance this past weekend to go over there, to indulge a totally frivolous hobby of mine – model railroading.

You see, I still play with trains.

Like many little boys who grew up in the 40s, 50s, and 60s, one of the earliest toys I can remember playing with was an electric train. Unlike many others, I never outgrew the fascination. Other kids might have received a train by Lionel or American Flyer; in my case, it was made by Marx. I don’t remember much about the actual train, other than playing with it until it absolutely fell apart. Marx Toys was the same company who would later make the “Rock ’Em, Sock ’Em Robots” and the “Big Wheel” tricycles, but to me, they will always be a maker of trains.

So, back to Jefferson – it’s a very picturesque small town that celebrates its heritage of historic homes, railroads, old-fashioned steamships, lumber and oil industries, and more. Over fifty buildings are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and there are numerous good places to stay, from beautiful and historic hotels to quaint and comfortable bed-and-breakfasts, along with good restaurants and interesting little museums and antique shops.

And every year, they host a big model RR show where hobbyists from across Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas come together to watch and run trains and visit with their fellow enthusiasts. A model train club from Orange, of which I was an active member when we lived down there, goes to Jefferson every year with their portable layout, so I went last weekend to see my old friends from that club, and enjoy some time running and playing with the trains.

Hundreds of hobbyists and spectators, drawn together by their shared passion of model railroading, gathered this past weekend in Jefferson for that city’s annual train show.

Like many hobbies, model trains have their own jargon. One of the first things you learn is about scale – how large or how small are the models? The classic Lionel trains (and my original Marx trains) are known as “O” scale – pronounced, “oh scale.” O scale operates on the ratio of 1 to 48; that is, one inch on a model equals 48 inches in real life. A man six feet tall in the real world would be a model an inch and a half tall. O scale models are big and impressive to watch as they go by, but they can also be expensive, and they can take up a LOT of room for a layout.

The most popular size is known as HO – you pronounce the letters separately: “aitch – oh.” The name comes from the fact that it is roughly half of the size of O scale models, or H-O. These models have a proportion of 1:87 – one foot of track equals 87 feet in real life. You can build a decent layout on a 4′ x 8′ sheet of plywood, which is how a lot of hobbyists start out.

There are many other scales, each with their own devotees and specialties – Z (1:220), N (1:160), HO (1:87), S (1:64), O (1:48), and G (1:29). Each has different advantages – you can build a nice Z scale layout in a suitcase, whereas G scale is often the choice for running outdoors on garden railroads. It all depends on what you like.

One of the most revolutionary developments in the last few years has been something called “Digital Command Control,” or DCC; this enables you to control each locomotive separately, independent of any others, utilizing a miniature computer chip installed in each model. You can even install miniature speakers on the trains, enabling engines to operate with realistic sound effects. All this allows for a level of realism previously unimaginable.

One thing people always want to know: isn’t it expensive? Well, it can be (especially when you’re just getting started), but it doesn’t have to be. One of the great things about being in a modeling club is the ability to pool resources, share knowledge and expertise, and run on a club layout. (And, just in case you’re interested, there’s a great model train club based in Abilene.)

I had a great time seeing my friends and enjoying our shared love of the hobby with them again. And I’m more determined than ever to finish setting my home layout back up, to once again enjoy my own little empire in miniature. All aboard!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

I went to my first professional baseball game back in about 1968, when our family went to see the Astros take on the Pittsburgh Pirates at the unofficial “Eighth Wonder of the World,” the Houston Astrodome. (The Astros lost.) Since then, I’ve been able to go to a lot of ballparks, see some amazing baseball venues, and witness some terrific baseball players in action.

Now, I can add “Attend a playoff baseball game at a brand-new stadium” to that list.

Last week, my son Drew got us tickets to the new Globe Life Field in Arlington, to see a National League Championship Game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves. (If you don’t keep up with baseball, all of these playoff games are being held at neutral sites – baseball’s version of a corona “bubble.”) This new stadium is next door to the Texas Rangers’ home for the last 25 years, originally known as “The Ballpark in Arlington,” but now known as Globe Life Park. (Yes, the names are confusingly similar.) It’s in the same general area with Six Flags over Texas and the Cowboys’ AT&T stadium, so it will be even more of a major entertainment destination.

Drew & I in front of the new Globe Life Field in Arlington.

Of course, there were no fans allowed to attend any of the pandemic-shortened regular season this year, nor any of the opening rounds of the playoffs, but MLB has chosen to allow the Championship Series and World Series games to be played before 25% capacity crowds. So, wearing masks and observing proper social distancing, we sat above third base and enjoyed the game. The Braves won the game, but the Dodgers went on the win the series and face Tampa in the World Series.

This new stadium has a retractable roof and seats just over 40,000 fans at full capacity. And while it’s not especially pretty to look at on the outside, once you go in, you’re overwhelmed with its size and grandeur. And if you’re a longtime fan of the Rangers and baseball (as I am), you will really appreciate all the little touches that salute great Rangers players and moments.

For example, when you first walk into the main entrance and go across the spacious hallway, immediately in front of you is left center field. All along the concourse to your left and right are beautiful brick archways that remind you of the gorgeous retro-brick at the old ballpark, still standing across the street. And along that brick promenade is a true “Hall of Fame,” with each column honoring a different player who has had his number retired by the team. On one column is #34, Nolan Ryan, with a jersey and his story; over there is another column, honoring #7, Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez. And here’s a column for #10, Michael Young. It’s a great way of connecting generations.

The salutes don’t stop there. Above one of the concession stands is a giant clock saved from old Arlington Stadium – originally known as Turnpike Stadium – that was the Rangers’ first home when they moved here from Washington, D.C., in 1972.  The big clock has the Rangers’ logo from the 1970s, a baseball wearing a cowboy hat, and the motto, “It’s baseball time in Texas.”

Each of the dimensions to the outfield has a meaning. For example, from home plate down the left field line is 329 feet, honoring Adrian Beltré, the Rangers’ great third baseman who wore #29.  The deepest part of the outfield is 410 feet, saluting Michael Young’s #10; to straightway center is 407’, for Pudge’s #7.

It’s 326’ down the right field line – a tip of the hat to former Rangers manager Johnny Oates, #26, who was their first skipper to take them to the playoffs. And from home plate to the backstop is 42 feet, remembering Jackie Robinson, whose number has been retired from all of baseball.

One of the last times we took our entire family to a Rangers game, it was late July on a Sunday afternoon, and the temperature at game time was 108°. Obviously, when you play in that kind of heat over the course of a season, it wears you down, and the hope is that future Texas teams will not wilt from the scorching summers in Arlington. We’ll see. But for the fans it will certainly be a more enjoyable experience, whether the roof is closed and the A/C running, or if it’s open, to enjoy a pleasant evening under the stars.

I’m looking forward to next spring, to go back to Arlington and once again hear those words, “It’s Baseball Time in Texas!”