Harley Watts, 73, of Glenburn, Maine has been interested in trains from a young age. With his father working for the Santa Fe Railroad in Iowa, Watts and his brother spent many hours at the train station with their dad, hoping to spot the smoke of the steam engines as they arrived. His fascination with trains and even his perspective of those trains from when he was younger became a hobby he still enjoys today. After joining the Peace Corps in the 1960s to assist agriculture in India for a couple years, Watts then joined the Army before moving to Maine. The layouts, which fill his basement, are built so that you can walk through them at eye level. This perspective is reminiscent of how he saw trains as a kid, and allows others to share that perspective. His collection, including roughly 800 feet of track, 20 diesel engines, 10 steam engines and at least 240 cars snakes through the various towns he's created—with Watts' sense of humor sprinkled throughout the designs as visual jokes. If you know Harley Watts well, there's a good chance something in one of his towns will bare your name. Watts has visited 16 countries, earned a degree in Political Science from the University of Maine, retired from a 20-year career with GE, been married for nearly 50 years and shares his passions with four children and six grandchildren.
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