Im courious as to how many of you have model RRs,take photos of work, or collect railrodaina? Or do some of you feel that the prototype is much more then enough for you. I have not heard to much on this and my self and Im sure many railfans are also courious.
My fiance’s grandfather used to work on the Milwaukee Road and I noticed he had/has a nice Lionel empire that he built up over the years. I also was fortunate enough to copy all of his photos from work. I know for a fact that he had a fond feeling for his job. Even though he passed away well before I ever meet my fiance, we will have the keepsakes of his colections.
So how about you??
Keep warm!!
Icemanmike-Milwaukee
Hi again, Iceman,
have been and always will be a fan. Ever since childhood. Dad had a scratchbuilt lionel layout, in of all places the attic. I got involved in building models for others around 1995, then got a chance to go railroadins in 98. Left a state job to do so, never looked back. Most of us are closet fans. We all collect the stickpins, hats, so forth, it just isnt brought up at work, part of the culture to not express you real intrest. I like to built HO scale locomotives and railcars from scratch, using the engineering elevations if I can find them, real life measurements if not. No layout yet, no space, lots of designes, learning more all the time.
Wife says I went railroading to do reasearch for model railroading. Dont think I will tell her shes right, in part. Do get a rush making all that weight and all those cars go where I want them to.
Stay Frosty
Ed
Ok there seems to be a trend about some one in the family bringing us in this love affair of trains…Im kinda jelous that I may never have the same access that you 2 have/had. But who knows there is so much here in Wis. & Ill with many historical socitys and museaums, that this limited access could be instant hands on!
Icemanmike-Milwaukee
Heck Ed the biggest share of us railroaders some times just a bunch of over grown kids. Rodney
Shhhh, I dont think we’re suppost to tell anybody that…
ED
The biggest kid I know works at a hobby shop and is in his upper 50’s Mow that I think about it every person i delt with in this hobby is jut an older kid!!
Icemanmike-Milwaukee
I was a railfan before I was a railroader; after 30+ years I’m still both. Guess there’s no hope for a cure…
Funny you should ask that Mike. The only reason I started to look at this and other sites was to gain a vast knowledge of how a real rr works so that I could apply it to my garden layout as accuratly as possible, who else better to ask than real rr’s.
I worked for a company out of Texas for about 7 years that manufactured about everything from sill to sill minus the engine (we only made support parts for those, brakes shoes, pivot bearings etc.) I know how to build a train car, a train, get it on the rail and onto the siding after they are on their own. Although I did get a chance to talk to some of the engieers that carried the cars off to far and distant lands, most of them were local guys I could talk to anytime I wanted to but only a couple had any real over the rail experience.
I fell in love with trains very early in life, around age 2-3. My grandpa was an engineer and we lived about 75 meters from a rail that still ran steamers (for tourists) up until about 1977. Eventully the steamers stopped then the diesels and then track was gone and now even the roadbed is gone. I dreamed of having my own railroad someday, not realizing the millions upon millions of dollards involved let alone the impracticality of it.
I remember that first X-mas tree with a train around it. I couldn’t tell you what kind it was, but it was big. It only had 3 cars and they were decorated with X-mas stuff. I was hooked. I started exploring the world of model rr in my pre-teen years and found that on my budget it was way too expesive. Then girls and cars and booze took precedence. After having about 15 years to mature, get mostly through with college and start acting like an adult (only at work, I am a spoiled brat at home according to my wife)I finally have the means to start buying and building the worlds greatest outdoor G scale rr, complete with conrete and brass bridges and real canadian conifers. I don’t have a clue about what engines names are except the ones on a computer g
I grew up along the Maryland District of the Maryland & Pennsylvania; I can still remember them in steam, but only because they ran steam as late as 1956. I went railroading in 1970, and am still at it. And yes, Ed, it’s the same up here; model at home but keep it to yourself. I used to take a camera to work, and have some pretty interesting photos that you can’t take anymore. But I stopped with the camera some years ago; I just don’t have any interest in the AC’s and wide bodies and such. (you younguns don’t holler at me now!) And I never could work on stuff at work and go home to model it too. I have a big HO/HOn3 layout that I probably will never finish, but you won’t see any wide bodies or Megaroad equipment on it. The Lord has been so good to me; a hobby where I’ve met so many nice folks, and a career where I’ve worked with so many nice (mostly) folks.
Iceman,I went railroading on the PRR due to the fact it was at that time a family tradition.You see my whole family was railroaders,my dad,both Grandfathers,all my Uncles,My mother ( a clerk/typist) and one Aunt(a typist).When I went to work on the C&O under the Chessie name a few years later I did so because I loved the work and knew I could provide a good living for my family.Note,If I was young again I would return to the railroads.I have not railroaded since 1984 and miss the work.
Did I railfan? Yes,some,but not like most railroader/railfan…I always tried to stay focus on the job for safety reasons.You see being a brakeman one must stay alert at all times around moving trains or working a yard.
Dad also had a fairly well stocked woodshop, and took the time to pass his love for making things on to me. Due in no small part to his paitence, I can built you a rolltop desk, turn you plate, frame your house, even custom make a fountain pen. His fascination with how things went together grew on me. But the seeds of wanting to know for myself kept it going. Isnt Kalmbach based in Ill? I read trains, and it seems that the uppermidwest has a surplus of clubs and historical socities. From the limited exposure I have had to model clubs and historical socities here in Texas, you will be made more than welcome. And I assure you, I will be happy to help in any way I can.
Stay Frosty,
Ed
Sneak some shots in myself. Still dont let on after 6 years, although some of the people here know anyway. And I agree, the wide cabs are no where as good looking as the early diesels. I like the form follows function you see with the older GPs, Alcos, and the big FM Trainmaster just looks like it wants to pull up the rail.
And does anyone ever really “finish” their layout?
Stay Frosty
Ed
These are some realy cool storys! I kinda get a sense of “part of the family” while I go out to observe trains. Its even more so with the hobbiest. I had the guys ask me “Where should I stop the train on the layout for a pic?”. WOW!! That makes ya want to get even more into this hobby! As for finnishing a layout…Its like finishing a custom car. If you ever finish it…ya start a new one…lol.
Icemanmike-Milwaukee
PS… (ED) Kalmbach is in Waukesha, Wis…A city 15 min. from Milwaukee.
Funny that this is the question some of us that work for the railroad do but we keep it under wraps I like to take my camra along when I am out on the road. I was taking a coal train to Chicago and got a real good pic of the sears tower at night my wife loved the pic. It is hard to belive that I get a pay check to do what I dreamed about doing all my life. Rodney
Ed,
I don’t beleive a real serious model railroader ever “finishes” a layout. Get tired of it? Maybe. Sick of working on it? Could be. What happens then? Pretty soon there he/she is starting another one. Go figure.
It is my own thought that the only way to be “finished with” a layout is to die. Probably what will happen with me.
Lowell
Pacific & Southwest Railroad Co. HO
I have finish 2 layouts over the years… I then enjoyed the fruits of my labor my operating on it.After all that is way I built it in the frist place.
The club I go to the layout has been finish for 6 years,we now operate 2 days aweek.
Why tear a good layout out just to start over?
I think your right. Lucky me, i work for a terminal road, and oddly enough, if viewed from the air, our 400 plus miles would look like a fairly large layout. And I think most people model what they know, or what they love, so I plan to do just that, model a terminal road. Allows me to have “new” power on the inbounds from the class 1s, “old” power in the industrys around here, and still have enough operational interest to keep two or three people busy for a couple of hours. And just like with my woodworking, every time I finish a table, or cut a new pen, I often find a better way I could have done some small part to make the end product better. So it goes with my models, each one seems to get a little better than the last. Its a learning curve I enjoy, and if I never get the layouy built, well, I have a heck of a good collection of locomotives and cars I had a great time building. Besides, learning, for me at least, is half the fun anyway. And, if there was a concrete end in sight, I dont think most people would even bother. I have noticed even the “big” names always seem to say they have a “few” more details to add, so it seems to me you could carry it as far as you wished, or stop at some point and call it done. Whatever floats your boat seems to be the message I get, and thats fine with me.
Stay Frosty
Ed
Almost makes you feel sorry for those who dont get to do this. Almost.
Stay frosty
Ed
Ok, Iceman, so what are you trying to say?
I allready know what I want to be when I grow up!
Stay Frosty
Ed
Do we ever really “Grow up”? If so I guess Im in denial!! lol
Icemanmike-Milwaukee