Thanks; it is always nice to hear everyone is enjoying the photographs.

We started off the day by going to a model train show in San Jose and stopping by the Train Shop in Santa Clara on the way home. It was a very pleasant late afternoon fall day when we got back to Santa Cruz.

In the past, at this time of year, we would head up to Pleasanton for a model train show, then ride the Niles Canyon Railway Train of Lights and finish up at Cici’s Italian Ristorante in Niles. [cicisitalianristorante.com] We always order the Veal Saltimbocca and bring a nice bottle of wine. Hope we have time to get up to ride the Niles Canyon Railway Train of Lights this year.

I love that restored GMC bus at Niles used to shuttle train passengers from the parking lot in Niles to the train station. First time I rode on it I was reminded of being a child in Pittsburgh, PA in the late 1950’s riding from my home in Squirrel Hill to Bill & Walt’s Hobby shop in downtown Pittsburgh. I had set my eyes on a Tenshodo HO brass Great Northern F3 A-B-A set and would go down every Saturday with my entire allowance and make a payment on my layaway card. I think it took me almost 6 months before I could finally take home that gorgeous brass locomotive set. I still remember the smile on Walt’s face when I made the last payment and I got to take my treasure home.