Greetings from Dave

Hello. My name is Dave Queener and welcome to the Cumberland Model Engineering website. Cumberland Model Engineering (CME) is my effort to develop and encourage standard gauge modeling in 1:20.3 scale, or as the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) designates it, F scale. In real life, I am a Presbyterian minister residing in Knoxville, Tennessee; husband to a wonderfully sympathetic wife; and father to three dear little girls.

Model trains have been for me a life-long passion. Several years ago I migrated from the smaller scales into the world of garden railways--or "large scale" as it is popularly known in the States. It did not take long for me to realize that the world of large scale trains is, at least in North America, a frustrating potpourri of mismatched scales whose models share but one thing in common: Nearly all of them trundle down one model track gauge (usually Gauge 1, or 45mm between the rails). For the person who is more scale conscious and who wants to model both narrow gauge prototypes (typically 3' in North America) as well as standard gauge ones (4'-8.5" between the rails) in the same scale, the only option is to create another track gauge and then do a great deal of scratch building and/or kitbashing. The creation of F Gauge (2.781" or 70.64mm between the rails) has been the result.

About the Site (best viewed at 1024 x 768)

My initial foray into standard gauge modeling in "large scale" was to stick with an old established track gauge, albeit one that has fallen out of favor in North America: Gauge 3 or as it is known on the continent, Spur II. Gauge 3 measures 2.5" between the rails (63.5mm) and has been around since the earliest days of model trains, having been one of the four original track gauges established by German toy train maker Märklin sometime in the 1880s. To document my own efforts in Gauge 3, its history, as well as the vibrant European renaissance in Gauge 3 trains, I have set up the Gauge 3 Galleries. Here you will find several galleries of scratch builders and even a few pint-sized manufacturers.

Since roughly 2001 I and a handful of other North American modelers have been at the forefront of establishing accurate standard gauge modeling in F scale (1:20.32 --or-- 15mm=1 foot). To catalogue our progress--and hopefully to inspire a few others to join us in developing this new, and accurate, scale and gauge combination--I have created the F Gauge Galleries. This is where you will find several galleries devoted to the best standard gauge modeling being done in large scale today.

Having learned the frustrations of fabricating one-of-a-kind parts without adequate tools, since 1998 I have been accumulating several varieties of machine tool in my workshop, attended technical college part-time, and become literate in 2D CAD and CAM (still working on 3D). The end result is Cumberland Model Engineering: My effort (1) to develop some of the basic components necessary for modeling in 1:20.3 standard gauge, (2) help a few other scratch builders or kitbashers with the occasional custom machined part, and (3) build the sort of locomotives and freight cars that I like. More on my projects and a smattering of Products can be found in the CME Pages.

Generally speaking, the CME site is non-commercial in nature (though I do sell a few 1:20.3 bits and pieces in order to further the hobby and defray the cost of my tools--though I have never made a profit off of any of this).

Recent Updates

The CME site only gets updated as I have spare time, and as I am sent useful photos by my fellow modelers. And for me, it often comes down to a choice between working on the website or building trains (I vote for building trains, and I hope you do to). Nevertheless, here are some of the more recent updates: