Well, I will tell my story first. There once was a shortline that ran in my back yard which got my dad into railroading at an early age which, well, got me into the whole “railroading world”. I have loved it every since.
BTW, if this topic has already been posted, please lead me in the right direction.
I got a Life Like HO train set for Christmas this past year, I had never as much as even thought of model RR befor then. I built my first layout in my shop and fell in love with it. I built a 12’ x 20’ building to put it in and now am working on expanding it .As of now I am not running any of the train set I got for Christmas.
Mike
It was a Lionel double diesel set that I got for christmas in '64. Been railroading ever since.
Got a Life-Like set for not biting my fingernails.[:D]
I was at a party late one night, took a hit, and the rest is history. Now I come to this forum to talk about my problems, so you all can tell me that “Everything will be alright”
My Grandfather brainwashed me.
Seems he did a good job.
Watch the screen closely, you are getting sleepy. Darn, hypnosis doesn’t work over a computer. [(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D]
Growing up a friend of mine and his father had a layout in the basement. I never participated in the building or operation, but I was fascinated by it the few times I saw it. Fast forward to the Xmas before last. I was in the grocery store with my wife and the store had a small assortment of toys for sale --I guess for “last minute” buyers. One item was an HO train set with the store’s logo on the engine and each of the rolling stock plastered with some corporate logo. It was probably the first time I had seen model railroad equipment in person since my youth. I didn’t buy it (the logos made it pretty ugly), but I sure stared at it a long time remembering my old interest. A couple of days later I poked my head into a Toys R Us just a short walk from work. I don’t think I was planning on buying anything, but I had a strong urge to see more model trains. When I asked a clerk he said they didn’t have any but told me there were two LHS nearby. It turned out that those LHSs were just a block from where I worked! Soon after visiting one I was back to make my first purchase. That was over a year ago and I’m every bit as excited about the hobby as I was then.
My grandpa loved trains, and had a whole HO layout in his basement. I don’t remember him or the trainroom (I do remember the duck-under for some reason), but I did inherit some of his trains, and I inherited his love of trains.[:D] My first purchased engine was a Life-Like N scale F40PH, because I liked N scale then. When we found the box containing the old HO trains, I got into HO.[:D] I then got a Life-Like HO train set at a garage sale for $5. Been in HO ever since.[:D]
Watching the Burbank Local run daily past our home. Now I model it.
Grew up watching the New Haven in Danbury, CT.
Received an Athearn freight train set for Christmas when in the 7th grade (1957)
And the rest is history
Good ole Dad and a 4x8 HO setup he built in the basement when I was 10.
I used to play wargames when I was younger at a LHS, and was always aww struck by MRR. I used to stare at the pictures in the library in Middle School. So when I bought my first house last year at the age of 25 I decided it was time to be a kid again. 
I received a Marx Big Rail Work Train set for Christmas, way back when my age was still single digit. A nice set with a siding, telephone poles, a station and lots of accessories. My grandpa helped set it all up on a sheet of plywood. I literally ran it until the loco gave out.
A few years later I received a Tyco HO set. That coupled with having a basement to build my own little empire got me going again. I sure wish I had that big basement now!
Started working at GE, in 1971 , building the real thing. That got me started.
In late 1948 I wondered into a Sherwin Williams Paint store and registered for a model train that they had displayed in the window. This was just before Xmas and I won the train. I have been hooked every since.
I know model in both G-Scale and HO- Scale. I goy into GRR back in the early 80’s. At that time you didn’t hear about garden railroading. I was working on a job in the Lake Charles area and found myself in a Discount store. I bought a Bachmann battery powered 10 wheeler with plastic track and it was rc. You may have heard of it. ATSF #7.
I also have the #9. Ran them both in the front yard this year. But I need to replace the traction tires on both engines. Doesn’t track to good anymore.
Just about the same time I started with the GRR we went on vacation up to Arkensas. Stopped in a small town at a roadside flea market and bought a very large box of HO engines, rolling stock track and I dont know what else. The price was $10.00 and my wife groaned. Some of the engines and rolling stock you will see in my layout is from that stock. By the way some of the track is also.
Well thats my story for what it’s worth.
Oh by the way we [#welcome] you aboard.
You might want to visit the coffee shop some times. A lot of excellent knowledge meets there on a regular base and dwell out a lot of information.
Later
Neal
I was exposed to model trains (American Flyer) while visiting my cousins out in Texas when I was in my teens. Later, when in my 20’s, I was very active in building plastic model airplanes and ships which placed my in the local hobby shop most every weekend where I saw a HO layout under construction. After a while I found out there was a local club that met upstairs at the local train station and joined. The rest is history.
I saw a Tyco set in the local Mongomery Ward’s and wanted it. Christmas came along and it was under the tree. Then I picked up a RMC magazine. The rest is history.
Well it started way back in I think 1984. IF you guys can inagine the times way back then. I was about 4 years old and it was christmas. We always had a huge family gathering on christmas eve with the whole family. I have a pretty big family and usually there were about 30-40 people. Well us younger folk got to open on epresent that night. We all tore open our gifts and there was this train sitting there. The Mighty Casey. It was a 4’ circle with an old steamer and two open top box cars. I was in heaven. This beauty ran on 4 D batteries if you can remember what those were. I went through all the batteries in the house in about two hours. After that I was hooked. I wish my parents would have put it up when I wasn’t looking. I later then found a box full of trains in my grandparents basement that my uncle had well that just rekindled the fire. I came home one day after school and my grandpa hollered at me and said hey come over here. So I went over there and he had built me my first 4x8 layout table in the basement. I was going nuts. He had a double loop with a figure 8 in the middle with a makeshift mountain. I was probably 6 at the time. I was then destined to like trains. I would be down there for hours. I remember one weekend my mom came down and was yelling at me for not being in bed yet, it was like 3AM.
this is a great thread sorry for dragging it out…
My Grandfather worked for Biritsh Railways, my father got his interest, and I somehow inherited it as well! Always said Iif I have a children and the boy is not interested in railways - the misses has been sleeping around!
Regards,
Stephen.
Here’s a photo of me sometime after Christmas of 1948. I was 18-20 months old.
The photo was take in my grandparents basement. They lived about 100 yards from the RF&P’s giant Potomac Yards in Alexandria, Virginia. I’ve been model railroading ever since.
