Austin Jacox turns love for trains into art

Thomas the Train, model railroad cars and 200-ton locomotives have held the attention of 14-year-old Austin Jacox in different stages of his life.

Jacox's fascination with trains will culminate in a photography exhibit and open house April 19 at DonTerra Artworks.

The exhibit is remarkable for several reasons: the artist is 14; he specializes in trains; - and he has Autism Spectrum Disorder.

"It's hugely known that people with autism gravitate towards transportation," his mother Jenny Jacox explained.

The love of trains runs in the Jacox family. Dad Rob Jacox and grandpa Ray Jacox have each had their own love affair with the lumbering locomotives that have traversed our country since the mid-1800s.

The Jacox garage is dedicated to model trains. The family recently acquired a 4.5-by-12-foot layout, complete with varied terrain, a switchboard and lots of track from a generous member of the Eastern Cascades Model Railroad Club.

On shelving that lines one wall of the garage, there are over 3,000 train magazines and numerous railroad cars in their boxes, all neatly lined up just waiting to roll around the track that they are modifying to their specifications, complete with scenery by the end of summer.

Since starting to take photos at the young age of eight, Jacox has kept a camera by his side. Recently he moved up to a digital camera, a Canon S3. He's enjoying the fact that his images are coming out crisper and that he can enlarge his photos while still maintaining their sharpness. He even likes the larger feel of his new device.

When asked what he loves most about trains, Jacox quickly said: "Color!" Indeed, color is prominent in his bedroom. A 24-inch-tall orange stripe runs parallel with the floor at chair rail height - Western Pacific orange to be exact - along with the accompanying gray that was part of that railroad line of the past.

Yes, Jacox has a favorite railroad. Even though the Western Pacific merged with the Union Pacific in 1982, it did not deter young Jacox from making that one his favorite. Along with the "HO," "N" and "G" scale replicas he has in his room, his first ever model was a gift from his dad, and it's called the Austin Pacific.

Jacox has turned his love of trains and photography into a photo exhibit that will be on display through April at DonTerra. Already two photographs have been spoken for, even before the open house this Saturday, from 2 to 6 p.m.

Framed and unframed photographs will be for sale. Jacox has big plans for the money he hopes to bring in: "To take a trip to Tennessee to spend time with my uncle who used to work at a railroad yard," he said.

Living just a few blocks from Sisters Elementary School and nowhere near a train track leaves Jacox lacking for fulfillment of his love of watching full-scale trains. Undaunted by that he will soon be traveling with his dad and a friend from the model club to the Columbia Gorge just to take a look... and a few hundred photos of those roaring behemoths that only a few generations ago changed American commerce and travel.

Anxious to view the Empire Builder, the Union Pacific and the BNSF, Jacox exclaimed: "They're going to pull our trailer so we get to sleep right next to the train tracks!"

DonTerra Artworks is located at 222 W. Hood Ave. For more information call 549-1299.