Mike writes: "I have always had an interest in railroading and in railway signal systems since I was about eight years old. I always enjoyed wiring my Lionel layout and in later years my HO scale layout. It was this interest that led me to learn as much about railway signal systems as I could. Today I put this information to good uses in my job as a Signal Maintainer for the Canadian National Railway in Pontiac, Michigan.
Model railroading is still my hobby. I have recently completed the Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) system on my friend Chuck Liford's layout, who models Conrail's Indianapolis Line from Berea Ohio to Indianapolis, Indiana circa 1998.
I now turn my efforts to working on my own "Dream Layout." I am currently in the very early stages of building my first large 1,400 square foot double deck layout. My HO scale railroad will model the Chesapeake and Ohio's (C&O) line as accurately as possible between Clifton Forge and Gladstone, Virginia in August of 1965.
The historical aspect as well as the operational aspect is my main focus in the construction of this layout. Making the operator walk away with the feeling that he has spent a day back in time working for the C&O is the objective to this effort."
You can see more of the progress on Michael Bugrett's layout at http://www.ctcparts.com.