The M.A.T. Maberly and Tayside or Mole and Toad got its name from a nickname both my dad and I have had at times and it was Mat from my surname which is Matthysen. Seems that drill sergeants always called me Mat during boot camp days and it stuck so had to come up with a way to use it in my railroad. The M.A.T. is a "what if" in Canadian Railroading. Most everyone has heard about the Canadian Pacific and the Canadian National and their historical beginings. I am so impressed by how railroads found there way through the various mountain ranges that make up the western barrier to the pacific that I decided to find a pass of my own and that is how the Pass of the Seven Sisters came into being. The M.A.T. runs from central Canada (Ontario) to the pacific coast in British Columbia. To get there, it has to pass through the Canadian prairies. It was fun developing a fictional history for this railroad. Freelance gives us so much freedom to do what we like to do but can still involve the prototypes through interchange. In the case of the M.A.T. the interchanges are with the CP, CN and BC rail. Now lets get on with the fun. ------------------ Robin Maberly and Tayside
I've "taken a ride" on the Mole and Toad a few times. Nice site, looks like you have a lot of fun with the M.A.T. Does the Mole and Toad names have anything to do with "The Wind and the Willows"? Just wondering... ------------------ BNSF RAILFAN-TO-THE-MAX! Brent Tidaback, Member #234 and a N-Scaler to boot!
The Wind in the Willows was a favourite of mine. It was a set book back in school and one I really enjoyed. Kenneth Grahame was the author and I have given him credit on the history page of my web site. Thanks for visiting. ------------------ Robin Maberly and Tayside
