MOON ON THE SNOW

 

LOS ANGELES UNION STATION TRAIN FESTIVAL : MODEL RAILROADING GROUPS : ZOCAL SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Z SCALE MODEL RAILROADING GROUP

I was able to attend the "annual" train event recently for the first time. I went with a friend whose father road the rails during the Great Depression, hoping the coal fed steam engine trains to follow construction work. We got to see a black iron locomotive up close, hear the whistle, and see the smoke.

Although I've seen some model train displays over the years that featured some interesting scale set ups, I was unfamiliar with Z SCALE.  We loved the set up so at this time I want to give a little free advertising to the group.

ZO CAL SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Z-SCALE RAILROADING GROUP

FACEBOOK ZOCAL Z-SCALE GROUP

This isn't from the Union Station Show but is a display from the same group.

Link to some phots from the last show.  Maybe you'll want to go to the next. This link has a list of other model railroading groups...

UNION STATION LOS ANGELES TRAIN FESTIVAL 2025

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA "S" GAUGERS ORG : MODEL RAILROADING GROUP : UNION STATION TRAIN FESTIVAL LOS ANGELES

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA S GAUGERS ORG  

Model train layouts always evoke the Christmas holiday season for me.  However,I also have he memory of being in the car and stopping because a train was coming through, and counting the cars. If one was lucky, you might get a wave from someone riding in the caboose!

Back in the day the model train layouts I saw tended to portray quaint villages but as this video shows, these days city buildings and factories show another reality.

SLAVERY IN PENNSYLVANIA : RESOURCES? : QUESTIONS FROM READERS of ANCESTRY WORSHIP - GENEALOGY

Question :

Growing up back east, I didn't realize there was ever slavery in Pennsylvania. But now I think one of my ancestors might have been involved in that. Can you give me some input on how to proceed?

Walter G.

Philadelphia area

Answer : Every few months I look at what's new on the popular Ancestry TM *** genealogy databases, as well as some others, and I ran a search for you.  At the top of the site there is an option for New Collections.  Actually this is where you find the entire "card catalogue." Run a search for Pennsylvania and run down the list.

Pennsylvania, U.S., County Records of Enslaved and Free People, 1780-1834 

Here are some things to consider:

1) The issue of slavery connects to Civil War records. Some slaves did fight. Some were forced to fight for the Confederacy. Some fought for the Union. And some escaped from slavery during this period - and signed up to fight for the Union.

2) Pennsylvania did not have the sharp Western and Southern boundaries it has today. Some of that territory belonged to Virginia where slavery was legal. (And Virginia included what is now mapped as West Virginia.) The Underground Railroad ran through Pennsylvania. 

3) This doesn't mean that the slave catchers stopped trying to capture escaped slaves just because they were in free territory. In Pennsylvania newspapers ads appeared offering rewards for captures. As well, you may find reportage, opinion pieces, and other information that shows what the arguments were, and who was who. Consider the Quakers and the Abolitionists. See if your ancestors shows up in any biographies and check the newspapers too.

4) If your ancestor did hold slaves in Pennsylvania, you may want to see if there are any wills or court records that mention the transfer or sale of slaves.

Actually, I've been planning some posts in January-February 2026 regarding Pennsylvania so do check back!

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*** This blog is not associated with the Ancestry TM genealogy database company.

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