Am I on a different planet?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
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My wife and I just returned from a trip to Cumberland Maryland where we spent the day riding the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, a great train ride and wonderful fall mountain scenery.

As I read through some of what has been posted in my absence, I start to wonder when I left the model railroading planet I was on before. Actually, this is not a new condition, just one made more obvious to me by being away a few days.

I mean no disrespect or criticism to those with different views but I am amazed by:

People who consider Proto2000 diesels (or Bachmann Spectrum steam), especially older ones, “low quality”, with that nose in the air “Atlas and Kato are much better”. Maybe they are, but they don’t make the prototypes I want and they are like Ford’s vs BMW’s. The BMW is 10% better but costs 40% more.

Posts about Athearn and what they will or will not make, when fact is you could likely get the plans to our next defense project easier than finding out what Athearn is REALLY going to do next.

Endless criticism of Atlas track, really just because it does not have a snob price, or because the last time the critic looked at a piece was 1968.

People who “assume” facts not in evidence, like how big home layout curves are, or how long my mainline run is, how many freight cars/locos one needs/has, what kind of control system one uses, what some likes or dislikes, etc. Others may have interests, wants, situations and resources completely different from yours, don’t assume.

And this one takes the cake - I understand people of all ages and skills like model trains, and the increase in quality RTR models has fueled interest and activity among people who otherwise might have avoided a hobby of building, requiring mechanical/electrical skills - but when those people, who can’t or won’t learn the basic skills of this hobby, post the

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Can’t help but agree here.

My Athearn locomotives run great as do my Athearn BB, Roundhouse, Accurail freight cars

Gordon

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It may very well be thaty there is a sort of divide----I’ve been wondering about this myself—when you consider that there is a lot of blather about whether ‘X’ company is going out of kit based rolling stock----oh well —some of us will just go and do the mfg and base it on what was done before—build the market[:-^]I use whatever mfg that has a model of any RS# around—some get detailed a little more–oh the horror! He builds them up!! ohno ohno[:P]

BTW–you’d think that if something has worked for 40+years that there is no issue but some people find issueing issues with issues

As it is was and ever shall be —enjoy the hobby in all its forms[swg]

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[bow][bow][bow]

Maybe we´re both from planet Zog? I consider this a hobby and as such it have to be fun.

I don´t build a prototype layout based on a specific day in history, neither do I run all expensive locos.

I do what satisfies my needs for fun and recreation, and if that means doing it my way? Oh yes!

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Prototype railroads have to satisfy many customers. Some are happy, some are not.

My railroad only has one real customer - me. And it does very well at that indeed.

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Atlantic Central; very well put. I agree 100%. Sometimes it takes a little work to have everything you’ve ever wanted.

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That is it—I like learning about how to do things and doing them—[^]

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Here Here

I just found out that according to some, I’m not a “serious model railroader” because I use a Bachmann EZ Command, and I have no need to advance to a “better” system. My Shays don’t have ditch lights, I have no need for “advanced programming” the cv’s. Lights on, Lights off, forward , reverse, my speeds are great with the factory settings, slow, slower, more slower, about stopped, almost stopped, stopped. I’m trying to figure out where to send in my “serious” patch in exchange for “just dabbling”. [;)]

My Bachmann HO Shays work great, yes I replaced the gears for NWSL, but tweaking is part of the hobby right? Or is this just for the “serious” guys with the Digitrax Super Mountain Command 400 (with power windows) DCC Systems? I had a heck of a time finding an HO Atlas or Kato Shay, my emails go unanswered. They just want to sell me powered boxcars.[:D]

My “fragile” Atlas code 83 just keeps working, the switches required a tweak, but again, isn’t that expected in MRR?

I have a 4x8, that according to many is a because I’m scared to saw wood, (LOL) and I’m suppose to build a HOG with a duck under. It must be good cuz its got a Yahoo Group dedicated to it! I spend hours operating my evil 4x8 knowing I shouldn’t be enjoying myself, that is is against all laws of the Serious Model Railroading Gods, and sooner or later, the thugs will kick me door down and confiscate my NMRA Gauge, NWSL Chopper II, Xacto knife, HO scale rule and all of my MRR, RMC’s and videos.

In the end, the experts don’t know as much as they think about what I want; and as long as they know this; they won’t be bothered by what I’m doing “wrong” [(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D]

It’s a hobby…

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Maybe it’s a span of attention thing…

Back in the dark ages before the first Kadee couplers, I learned to hand-lay track because I couldn’t afford anything pre-assembled (on fiber ties with staples.) I also learned to assemble kits, because the only RTR locomotives were produced by custom builders, at prices that would buy you a pretty good motor vehicle. At that time, you went to the movies and sat through the whole three hour film, not to mention the cartoon, the serial and the coming attractions. Nobody tried to sell anything on the silver screen.

Today it’s possible to buy a shake-the-box layout and equip it with motive power and rolling stock that, theoretically, can be moved from the box to the layout with no intermediate steps. The present level of popular eyeball-filler takes an hour to tell 20 minutes worth of story, with six interludes during which folks try to sell a dozen products and services totally unrelated to the drama they interrupt.

So, maybe those of us who learned to do things the ‘old-fashioned’ way are anachronisms in an ‘instant-gratification’ world. Being a lone wolf by nature, I can live with that.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

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Pics Pics! Lets some Pics of your layout. I too chose to build small. Something I could complete in less than 4 or 5 years.

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BRAVO SIR!

I am and will always consider myself a newbe and am intrested in all opinions and trials. But sometime I feel very intimidated and do not ask questions for fear of the replys I have seen. Not that I would stop asking if I really need help or an opinion but sometimes we forget this is a HOBBY FOR FUN. Then take it to the next level but leave each to thier own if they don’t follow.

Just my thoughts,

Gary

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Well Sheldon I couldn’t have said it better. I agree with you 100% and give a stamp of approval to your observations. However, I stopped listening to critics long ago, I"m not into the hobby to please anybody but myself and I couldn’t give a rat’s butt what others think. I do things my way, I like my way, I’ve been doing it my way for almost 30 years now and no, I won’t change my ways unless I want to.

Ya know the truth in life is that there is just no pleasing some people.

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Great post, I to get wierd looks as i shun DCC, sound, and profess my love to build craftsman kits on cold winter nights. RTR is nice and it has its place, as does the sound and DCC. But like many of you guys, I can live without it. Atlas track is great and I prefer it, I tend to use Peco turnouts since they power route but the rest is Atlas snap track. I have several Athearn engines, most live at the club layout as I prefer steam. My steam consist of an nice old Penn-Line PRR L1 Mikado, a PFM Berkshire and 2 PFM SRR PS4 Pacifics. While I went up a few steps for what I paid for my steam locomotives. I prefered to have a few really nice ones. I haunt shows for old kits, diecast steam engines and other old oddities. I have a nice collection of model railroaders from the 60’s and would like to find more. There are great articles on actual modeling in there and not a ton of adds. There are the great old ads from PFM and other brass sellers that we nolonger see, Articles on how to superdetail a steam engine and track plans for small homes and rooms. Heck my layout room is 115" by 111" and I am still trying to figure out a track plan to fit in the room and leave space for my desk and a china cabnet in there. And keeping a 22" min radius curve to boot. Like someone else said, its a hobby. Keep it fun, keep it real and lets run some trains!!!

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I have a DCC layout that has a bunch of things that look like kind of out of place( herein after called OOPS) locomotives—I developed a character name of Fred “howdhedodat?!” Thompson who is the proprietor of the Williston Hysterical Society’s Train museum and collectors emporium. He’s the perfect excuse----er----reason–(that’s it!!)[:-^] for the curiosa that end up there----

I also tend to build up a lot of elevators and feedmills—and still end up with a “Blue Circle” Audio semi plant on my layout----they do get their supplies by train—at least here–

I’ll just keep doing my own stuff—[swg]

Have a good one—

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The beauty of this hobby is that we can be as zealous or as carefree as suits our whims and desires, and we need not please anyone else but ourselves (unless strutting your stuff for others is what we want out of the hobby. There’s an irony!)

I love my layout. DC, code 100 track, #4 turnouts, Blue Boxes, and all! It’s not suitable to all tastes, but it fits my desires and fills my need to escape into the Man Cave. What a great hobby we have!

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On a different planet? Possibly! Ever seen Planet of the Apes? They return to the same planet, just in a completely different time. Has anyone ever thought that perhaps the hobby has progressed, past them by and left them standing at the station?

As technology advances and gets applied to this hobby, what was once considered very good might now be consider below par. As mentioned, take power/control systems and layout design. It used to be considered the norm and standard practice to have train operators remain stationary. On large layouts they ran their trains (using DC of course) from an operating balcony that over looked the entire layout. As kids, or maybe even as adults, we used to think that those little gold box throttles from Tyco were good enough to control our trains and power our accessories. Then you discovered MRC power packs with things like momentum and finer speed control. So we swapped out our gold boxed for shiny coppoer colored MRC power packs like the 501 sitting in a box. Then operating concepts changed to walk around control. Technology kept changing and soone that 501 power pack got replaced with a solid state one, then we wanted walk around control. So we did some looking around and found out that there were even better power systems out there. One’s that featured walk around control with memory so our trains didn’t stop when we went from one town to another was we walked along with our train. I remember the club I was in had a throttle with multiple brake and momentum settings so you could simulate the respons of a heavy freight train or a short local.

Then we got tired of having a cable tying us down and discovered wireless control systems. But, still with all of this we faced the limitations of block control and need to control the flow of electricity to sections of track to be able to run our trains. Next someone came ou

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Didn’t really read what I wrote, did you. I said nothing about Spectrum diesels, only Spectrum steam. Yes there are differences between products, and you are welcome to only buy the “BMW’s”, but, as I stated, those companies don’t make the locos for my period/interest. My loco fleet contains Spectrum steam, BLI, Genesis, Proto2000 steam and diesel, Intermountain and others. But Atlas and Kato are not really interested in my money based on the models they choose to make. And that’s fine, I’m very happy with what I have.

As for real cars, I worked in the BMW dealership and drove lots of them, great cars, but I will keep my money and spend it on trains, thank you. My Fords have gotten me everywhere I need to go and been economical and reliable to own. That is all I want from a car. I built hot rods in my youth and got over all that.

I’m open to new ideas, I have imbraced a lot of them over 40 years. But the “group” you refer generally rejects anyone who does not imbrace “every” new idea. Not r

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I think you meant to say Toyota or Honda.

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I’ve never been to Cumberland, Maryland, however there must be something in the water there that makes people speak the truth. You make heap big sense, Kemosabe!

Jimmy

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They too make great cars, but I prefer and need larger and roomy vehicles generally outside their product choices. My pickups need 8’ beds and, I considered an Avalon, but the new Taurus was a better value and has all wheel drive. Read the reviews its getting.

Sheldon