Everybody has a hobby!

Rogier is no exception. While Ellen is out hunting and fishing, Rogier is the builder of his Rail Road Empire, the Elliana and Heritage Rail Road. HO scale, the railroad occupies half of an extra garage on the Donker Studio grounds. Having built many a plastic building kit and having done his share of kit bashing/ mingling, Rogier decided to try his hand at building models from scratch…as in miniature 2x4’s etc. Tedious time and a half! But oh what a joy to see the progress of the project! Twenty-three hours later “Wicked Wanda’s” by Barr Mills Models became a beautiful addition to the mine area of the E&H. Complete with electric lights!

Recent acquisition of a High Speed passenger train required some drastic remodeling on the E&H RR. The polder had to give way to a new viaduct and bridge across the Ijssel River to accommodate increased High Speed passenger service between  "Elliana” and "Holland Corner”. Under protest of the miller and his family the windmill and residence were transported to the North side of the river where both structures will be resurrected just as soon as the new foundations are laid. Under the terms of agreement between tenants of the Elliana & Heritage Rail Road Property and the Railroad it will be a while before the miller can move back in and the mill can start milling again as the area North of the Ijssel is also undergoing a major reconstruction. The mill and miller's house will eventually occupy the area formerly occupied by the brick factory. A new location for the brick factory has as yet to be determined. Notwithstanding a lawsuit from the miller, construction of the viaduct proceeded at a normal pace:  slowly...

Meanwhile the newest acquisition to the E&H RR, an HO scale model of the Japanese Nozomi 500 Shinkansen High Speed Passenger Train underwent some surgery on the work bench: the belly of both front and rear coaches were loaded down with massive amounts of lead in order to insure that the train would not derail as it sped along the high and oh so lousily laid iron of the E&H. What a joy to see it come around that sweeping bend at Elliana and go down on top of that new viaduct! Are we having fun yet?

Click here for the Cochemer Bahn Story!

Click here for the Ultimate Control Box!

Click here for the history of the E&H RR