Hi all, I live in the Prestonsburg, Ky area along the big Sandy subdivision with my wife Denise of 21 years, and two cats, Sylvester & Tweetie. In addition my mother age 81 lives with us as well. I grew up just outside of Pikeville, KY at Wagner on the time tables ( but commonly known as Mossey Bottom), less than 50 yards from the tracks of the C&O. My primary railroad intersts lie in The history of the Chesapeake & Ohio Modeling and detailing HO locomotives & rolling stock Collecting HO cabooses Collecting C&O passenger timetables During the day I am the Director of the Morehead State University Space Science Center's Star Theater (Planetarium). I also assist there with the Space Sceince Program by assembling circuit boards and solar panels for the "Nano-Satellites" built in the program. If all goes well in August, our first in house built satellite "CXBN - Cosmic X-ray Background Nanosat" will launch with solar panels and several circut boards I built (just built, not designed). I also manage our High Altitude Balloon Program where we send student payloads up to the edge of space on weather balloons (117,000 ft. is our record so far). My other interests are in Nature & Astrophotography, Weather, Civil War History, good Science Fiction (books and movies), local history, and Space Exploration. I am a member of both the C&O Historical Society, the Chessie System Historical Society, and the Appalachian Model Railroad Society. I also am the list owner for the Big Sandy Subdivision - Yahoo Group. I hope through this forum to be able to make new friends who enjoy railroads as much as I do, and to meet up with with other fans of the C&O and other Eastern Ky. model railroaders. Sincerly, Eric Thomas
Eric- Welcome to TrainBoard! Be sure to check our C&O Fallen Flag Forum. You'll find some folks there who will be happy to chat about your favorite railroad.
Greetings, and welcome to Trainboard Eric! You certainly have a diverse list of interests ... some of which I share. Again, we are happy to have you here.
Hi Eric, Welcome to the TrainBoard. You certainly have a fascinating professional life. I'm concerned that it leaves you hardly enough time for your "real" interests, the C&O, etc.
You are definatley correct about havig "little time", but the C&O and my HO collecting get the lion's share. Eric
Thanks, I found the C&O forum in the Fallen Flag section last night and started reading the past threads! Eric
Thanks, I have been to Fort Campbell a couple of times. ONce for a football game while I was in high school. The second trip was an Army familizarization program for high school teachers in the mid-90's. both enjoyable experiences even though we lost the football game if I remember correctly. Eric
Hello, I'm in Prestonsburg. I've been to Bell Co. before. I have some great sunrise photos from Chained Rock in Pine Mtn. State Park. I also had a article published in Modern Mountian Magazine a few years ago about the impact crater the city of Middlesboro sits in. Are you in/near Middlesboro or Pineville? Eric
Middlesboro, across the street from the NS Bell County Branch. I have a picure in my albums of Bell County Coal's ex-C&O switcher up, since your a C&O fan.
Welcome aboard, Eric. I have some great memories of other parts of your region. Three times around at Ft Knox, and a week spent closer to your area along the Appalachian Trail. And I have to say, some of your professional life sounds just fascinating!
Welcome. Always nice to see another C&O fan join up. As previously stated, check out the Fallen Flag Forum and feel free to chime in.
Hello from West Virginia! Glad to have you here at Trainboard. I'll traveling through KY to Somerset in a couple weeks for a wedding.
Thanks Eagle 2 If you get bact to the AT, you should check out the "Virginia Creeper Trail". They made a rail trail out off thirty-three miles of R-o-W from White top through Damacus to Abbingdon. The AT crosses the trail at Damacus. I hate to see tracks taken up, but this was one of the best bike ides I ever took. My wife and I stayed over night in Damacus at an old mill on the river that had ben converted into a hotel. The bike ride downhill from White Top to Damacus in late October was fantastic. I just whish I would have had a chance to ride thoes rails once before they were pulled. Eric
Hey Eric: Glad to see another Kentuckian on board. I was born and raised in Kentucky, around Harrodsburg. Then I got married and moved to Nicholasville. Now 5 yrs later I am now in Cedar Rapids, IA. But from growing up in a railroad town, trains are still in my blood.
