Rich Chrysler
Dylan Harris
Keefer Hood
Dave Higgott	David got his interest in trains watching from the walk over near his grandmother’s house in Sussex England. His earliest memory of trains in Canada was walking one short block to the yard in Allandale Ontario to climb on the steam engines occupying the dead lines located closest to the street. While operating at a friends one evening many years later a mixed train with two “Pacemaker” boxcars in the consist came drifting by and from that moment modeling would never be the same. It didn’t take too long to discover that the owner of this paint scheme, the New York Central, ran right across southern Ontario so there wouldn’t be any shame in modeling this company. By this time a switch to “O” scale had happened and the first attempt at modeling the CASO was in this grand size but the scope of such an undertaking soon put an end to that. At the annual Barrie train show while chatting with Terry Link I learned of the free-mo project and asked if I could come on board. My first desire was to model Shedden but that location was already taken so I started searching the photos on Terry’s web site and came upon a lovely stone bridge located at Forks Creek that I thought would be perfect and so I indicated that this would be my choice. Well, I soon learned that this was one of the CASO’s locations for its famous “track pans” and if I really wanted to model such a location why not Waterford and connect with Mark Hills sections depicting the Town of Waterford. This, it turns out, was a great opportunity and the adventure has been very fulfilling.
Mark Hill
Terry Link	I guess riding behind CN 6167 in excursion service "before" I was born would make one predestined to become a railfan and modeler right from the start. Riding and chasing most of the 6167/6218/6060/136/1057 excursions in Southern Ontario. Summer vacations traveling to NYC/PRR/PC territory resulted in my interest in the NYC. Model trains followed very early on with a Lionel set - but quickly switched to HO scale. One of my first models was a NYC Rivarossi hudson - purchased in Detroit for $19 - which is still in the collection today. During the 70's up to the mid 80's - modeling interest was in CN/CP of the day, but I was getting bored. I soon found doing research and digging up old information was much more interesting and settled on the NYC and eventually the CASO. Today - I model the NYC in general - so the CASO is only a part of my overall interest in the NYC. I also operate TMR Distributing - a small business selling model trains at Southern Ontario train shows as well as online ( www.tmrdistributing.com ). Officially, I started in business after going to my first train show in Toronto at Harbourfront in the mid 1970's. Initially, I was into making basic kits. Some of my first projects included WP&Y tank cars and an N scale CN boxcar in resin ( long before the current crop of resin manufacturers ). I worked for a short period in North Carolina as sales manager of a hobby distributor before returning to expand my own business into what it is today. Back in the early days on the internet - I started a small photo website of CASO/NYC equipment. This has grown into a rather large photo/information site. www.canadasouthern.com
Trevor Marshall	I grew up in Toronto, where I took an early liking to subway trains and streetcars. A clockwork trainset at an impressionable age helped the railway bug get a good grip on me and I've been interested in trains ever since. That set was followed by Tri-ang Big Big Trains. I blame them for my continuing interest in O scale - and for layout design: The sectional track was perfect for experimenting and I built many layouts on the floor of our home. Pierre Oliver and I were intrigued by the potential for Free-mo and a few years ago we decided to build a large, Free-mo compliant, multi-section module to take to shows. The result was the Peterboro Project - based on an industrial park in Peterborough, Ontario. Information and photos can be found here: http://stinksandbangs.fotopic.net/c1221609.html We showed this at some local shows and even took it to a Free-mo event in Rochester NY, but Peterboro was a large undertaking and since Pierre and I live two hours down the highway from each other and therefore couldn't get together regularly to work on it we decided after a couple of years to sell Peterboro and build smaller, one-person modules. I know very little about the CASO but wanted to take part in this group to continue to work with Pierre and the other members on an exhibition project. At home, I model a Maine two-footer in On2 (O scale, 24" gauge - http://maineon2-spcrr.fotopic.net/). I also build models and modules of various prototypes in HO, Proto: 48 (O scale), S scale, On3, and 16mm live steam.
Pierre Oliver	I've been modeling since I was 5 years old. In my teens I built model cars, planes, armour and trains. I always kept coming back to model trains and craftsman style kits. About 15 years ago I met the fellows of the former Ontario and Eastern modular layout and my interest in prototype modeling was cemented. I began building a layout based upon Canadian National's operations in Palmerston Ont. I was introduced to Free-mo by Trevor Marshall and we built the "Peterboro Project". A Free-mo compliant module set depicting the modern industrial park of Peterborough, Ont. We since sold that layout and through the instigation of Jim Yaworsky the CASO Free-mo project was born. I live in St. Thomas so modeling the CASO is a natural. Most of my modeling time is occupied with custom building resin freight cars for my clients. http://www.elgincarshops.com/ Very recently I've decided to tear down the Palmerston layout and will now focus on modeling the Buffalo Division of the Wabash, between St. Thomas and Welland. Also known as the Cayuga Sub of the Canadian National.
John Spring	I was born the son of a railway locomotive engineer and as a result I have been interested in trains my whole life. Serious modeling began in the late 1960's when I became a member of the H O Model Engineers Society (HOMES) club in Hamilton. Although I dabbled in N, O and live steam my main interest has always been in the HO scale. Growing up in Hamilton I became interested in studying and modeling the Toronto Hamilton and Buffalo Railway. I have written 2 books and several articles on the TH&B railway and I was the first chairman of the TH&B Historical Society. I am a member of the Ontario and Eastern model railway group which had a well done display layout that was seen for many years at train shows around southern Ont. This layout was even featured in the Feb.1998 Model Railroad Craftsman magazine. At home my wife Laura and I and friends have since 2001 been building a large 1950's era TH&B layout that fills most the the basement of our house in Beeton Ont.. As a kid my father and I would go from time to time south of Hamilton to spend a day watching trains on the CASO. As a young man in the HOMES club many different members and I would go to Canfield Junction and other spots on the CASO in the 60's and 70's to watch the NYC trains. Modeling the TH&B which was partly owned by the NYC I had an interest in the NYC / CASO layout project from the start. Pierre Oliver who started the CASO layout project had got other O&E members like John Mellow and Richard Chrysler involved in the CASO layout so I joined in too. The modules have been a joint effort with my wife Laura doing most of the scenery on both my modules and Dylan's too. The CASO scene I chose to model is the crossing and interchange of the TH&B and CASO near Dunville Ont. called E & O junction. This kept my TH&B and CASO interests both satisfied. One of my interest is recreating the CASO consists in a prototype manner. With the help of my friend Kevin Leddy down in Texas several cars that were typical on the CASO trains like the Mail and Express rider car have been modeled to give the CASO trains the right look and feel.
Eric Roth
Tim Warris
Jim Yaworsky	Jim Yaworsky is married and is a lawyer living in Windsor in an old house that seems to constantly be falling in to disrepair. He is also an active War of 1812 re-enactor. As a result, all too often he faces annoying demands on his time that can even interrupt progress on the "dream layout" based on the CASO in the 1960's that he has started in his basement. For the CASO Free-mo, he is working on modules showing the area around Windsor's MC passenger station.