My name is Joe Aquino and I build homes in Southern California. I also designed and built the Dragon. I always wanted a 1/32 scale layout to recapture some of my best memories of racing in the garage with my Dad and little brother, but where the heck would I put it?

My garage is a part-time wood shop and I need all the floor space when I'm working in the garage. Well, I've always toyed with the idea of hooking up a winch system to raise the layout up in the rafters. The problem was the weight of the layout, Dad's was made out of 2X4's and 3/4" plywood (a good sturdy table.)

I didn't have the room for 1/32, so I ended up building an 8'X5' HO layout from some 5/8" sign board and 2X2 framework. It was a lot lighter than Dad's, but still very heavy. I did manage to raise it up, but I always worried whether it was going to be on the roof of my Blazer the next time I went out.

Question: How do I fit a train and a slotcar set on a 12'X8' table?
Answer: I don't.

The Dragon is an ever evolving project and I am just now starting to get the full vision of what I want to create. It's definitely got a gothic theme and that was not in the original plan, but it works for me.

I have hand-carved and scratch-built all of the scenery and structures, it's all original. I made the scenery flowing and unusual (it almost forces people to touch it), it's a very pleasing track to feel and look at. I designed the scenery to keep the cars off the floor and not obstruct the view. I didn't plan on it taking so long to finish, but it's a refreshing break for a guy who has to meet building schedules on a daily basis.

I was planning on collecting around thirty cars, I have over three hundred now. That's another plan that evolved, do you see a pattern here? So far this experimental project has turned out much better than I expected. I love this hobby and find it very satisfying.

Stop by my web page and check things out, I hope it inspires you.

Joe Aquino