About Dirk

Dirk Carmichael is a retired machinist living in Dragoon, Arizona.  He has an awesome amount of talent and patience for creating impressive model railroad projects.


The History of Dirk  (as recalled by Dirk)

At 12:09 PM -0700 6/15/14, Dirk Carmichael wrote:
( I hope this gives you the added info you were hoping for...

I was born in California...
Lived in S. CA till I entered the Navy..in 1969
After some training, I was stationed at Moffett Air Base, near San Jose CA.

Following my service time I continued to live in Campbell and San Jose..till I moved to North Nevada in 1980..

I lived in Lovelock, Nevada for 21 years..

Then moved to AZ during the summer of 2001...

 ~~~~~~~~

 " I can still remember sitting at the kitchen table with My Dad..working on my first HO reefer kit...like a Varney car..orange PFE reefer...still have it packed away.
....@ age 6....
I Ran HO or as a teenager added some HOn3 also...learned to lay track ...make turnouts. .well before I learned to drive a car. .in both mediums....

I grew to focus on logging and mining.. 1880's - 1910 or so...

As an adult I never had much room with homes and family..so I switched to shelf building..in sections. This lasted till our move to AZ...moved outdoors!!! Still have a single shelf piece with engine house..scenery..about 5' long ...stored also...

Before my first divorce. .I bought a christmas train set, in G scale..a 4-6-0 and freight cars...BM 'course... Really wanted the "Blue Comet" set then ... $100.00     Santa never delievered. ...

I designed a 1200' run up a hill side here...old steam....Still have ROW laid out ...????? But, it became lost in a new dream............

In 2008 I volunteered with a  group for "WLMT", and got inspired to ...also....run modern trains...which I never paid attention to...which has become the primary focus here now! Ha...

Some focus. ..kinda like it grew n grew...spread out is more like it..got real carried away....the layout has taken on a life of it's own...just as well!!

Since 2008 I've learned about modern trains..locos ..how to identify them.  Build them and freight cars.

Professionally I have always worked as a repair mechanic.  But that has a very broad meaning.. I have worked on cars, large trucks, mining equipment, & farm equipment.
In my 20's I did a great deal of custom painting. Usually on street cars, hot rods, show cars, boats & choppers. Also doing custom body work and building fender flares.

I have spent much of my life fabricating in metal or wood...
I have even stretched an older Piper aircraft, making it 30" longer, welding on very thin walled chromemoly tubing.

I have custom built a lot of one off mining equipment.
Built Armored trucks..!

I have been a machinist for a number of years..which helps in hobby work today!

I can operate and use most large heavy equipment, and do on our property as needed.

Other hobbies include photography.

I have built model cars, military models; ships, tanks, & aircraft.
I have spent 20 years building and flying R/C model aircraft.

Learning about railroads and model trains when I was young, I recall reading books on design. I have been heavily influenced and learned a great deal about electricity,  architecture,  scenery, laying track. One book was about bridge and trestle design..I recall reading it over and over..I may still have it...

All this is brought into play and use in the design and construction of what has and is becoming a very challenging and enjoyable, exciting and growing layout here at home for me..I also find it becoming a rather nice enhancement to our property also.."

Dirk