Hi Mark, here it goes...
Married for ten years, two sons, full time railroader (18+ years), full time railroad geek. Don't tell my co-workers...
I've recently developed an interest in the Monon due to our earshot-distance from NICTD's Monon Corridor project. When we became new Hoosier residents in 2014 I began to research the area's railroad history; what once was is truly impressive! Too much has been lost to the wrecking ball and I always tell my children to take photographs because no matter how mundane things may seem now, because someone will find them fascinating in 50 years.
I've been a model railroader from a very early age, currently working in HO scale, and I always thought Lance Mindheim's Monon layout was very well done. We actually have a piece of furniture that was built by the Metz Company of Hammond and I just told my wife that, ironically, they were a Monon customer! I'm drawing up plans for a double-deck layout featuring the Monon, but I'll post about that on the HO board.
Professionally, I've been an Amtrak Locomotive engineer for over 15 years, 18+ total years that began in 2007 at the Wisconsin & Southern, where I first earned my engineer's license. I've held a regular assignment since 2017 between Chicago and St. Louis, but I have not worked anything between CHI and IND on the former Monon. When Iowa Pacific had the Hoosier State, I did consider getting qualified over there just to run old school EMDs...
Other interests include finance, trading (equities and options, not great at futures), history, woodworking, etc.
