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SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | JUNE 2019 21 Wayne Whitaker, former resident of our 49th state, created his village to the theme of Railroad in Alaska at the turn of the 1800's to early 1900's, just prior to the end of the Gold rush. He originally told his wife, Carolyn, he would only build out a quarter of their back yard for his hobby, but as time went on, his creative mind called out for more. His G-scale train now weaves in and out of her beautifully manicured flower beds for a distance of 1,100 feet, taking an average of 19 minutes to go end to end. Surely his knowledge as an electrical engineer was crucial in the planning and operation of his mini Alaskan town. Along the route, the train passes cabins, mercantile buildings, and three mountains sculpted with 750 lbs of concrete. A 55 gallon drum supplies water to the river, the water for the mill is supplied by pumps in the lake. Some of the tracks are supported by 250 hand- made train trestles. His store fronts at The Narrow Pass are a tribute to some of his good friends here at Solera: Jim Bogerty's Hotel, Saloon and Brothel, Jerry Holden's Toys and Fishing Stuff, Leal's Leather Goods, and Al Boucher's Pool Hall. Finding more room at the side of his house, he recently built a replica Logging and Lumber Company with make believe men cutting the lumber into boards and Clydesdale horses. According to Wayne, one of his biggest challenges with having his model train outdoors is dealing with the weather. Buildings he once made out of plywood did not hold up to the rains and extreme temperatures so he now uses pine as the foundation for his buildings, taking time to cut each log individually and stacking them as you would see in Alaskan architecture. This spring, while we were all in awe of our "super bloom", Wayne was pulling out his super bloom of dandelions which threatened to derail his trains. When he is not operating his trains they're stored away securely in additional sheds and stations he built to protect them. For both of these gentlemen, model railroading is not just a passion for trains but a way to tell the story of a place in time. For the rest of us, they are a marvel to watch.