Rock Island Trains in Faribault, 1940's, Lionel Model Railroading Family Basement Creation 1951, 1952 three Weaver brothers at home.

 These Black and White photos are from the P  P, Paul ("Pete" and Peg Weaver Album 1943-52, photos scanned 2014 by Tom Weaver and the colored ones are from Weaver family slides 1959-1978 photos by PH Weaver and cataloged by MG Weaver scanned in 2015.

Here in the mid 1940's, likely 1945 or 46, the Rock Island Rocket passenger train, is facing south, to go to Iowa, Cedar Rapids, when my Weaver grandparents came to visit their only child, Paul Henry Weaver MD, who set up medical practice as a GP, in Faribault in 1939.  Paul Henry and his wife of 3 years, the former Margaret Mary Glessner of Findlay Ohio, moved to Minneapolis from Columbus Ohio in the summer of 1938 where he interned at Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis.   Rail travel was big in the 40's and 50's, with both sets of grandparents, the Glessner's from Findlay and the Weaver's from West Carrollton near Dayton, would take the train. Sometimes the grandparents would take each of the grandsons back to Ohio for part of the summer.

Another view of the Rock Island Rocket at the Faribault station, ca 1945-6. Photo by Paul H Weaver .

  
In 1951, the three Weaver boys, Jack, age 8, Tom age 4 and Jim, age 11 are working together on a model train table, Jack is painting, Tom supervising, and Jim putting up a tall structure it looks like. I remember we made paper mache' covering for a hill with tunnels and had Lionel trains, one time even a Santa Fe engine, like the Chief that took the Glessners from Chicago to the West Coast and Arizona

 
Jack and Jim working on the train table project hooking up the switches and tracks in the home basement in 1951, Photo by PH Weaver

 Tom, Jack and Jim at the family Weber mini grand piano in the living room at 426 SW 3rd St, Faribault 1952.

 Jim and Tom Weaver, 1952, trying our hand with the latest reel to reel tape recording technology in the living rooom

 Acting out some script, with Tom the nosy clown, Jack the Canadian Mountie, and Jim looking rather erudite and snooty in 1952.

Tom, Jack and Jim on the living room rug, with the old floor radio in the back, 1952, likely in Sunday best outfits getting ready for Sunday School at the Cathedral Guild House.

1959 Jack Weaver dismantling the train table in the Faribault home basement.  Note the Hilex bleach box Colored slide by Paul H Weaver Dec 1959.

 
Christmas 1959, Weaver brothers Tom (12), Jack (16) and Jim (19) wearing Carleton sweat shirts, as Jim was a student at nearby Carleton College in Northfield.  

 
1959 Tom and Jack Weaver - dressed up for church?  Slide photo by PHWeaver Faribault Living room. Ages 12 and 16.