How to tell us Model Railroaders from the Apes

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I found this in my old sent email. Thought I might repost it here.

The other day I picked up my dog eared copy of Will Cuppy’s “How
To Tell Your Friends From The Apes” because sometimes I need a quick
refresher course so I can sort out my neighbors. Then I got to
thinking about us as Model Railroaders and that for some folks it
might be hard to tell the difference.
To the uninitiated observer watching a bunch of Model Railroaders
in a hobby shop full of trains is just like watching a bunch of
monkeys going ballistic in a cage full of fruit. Seeing a large group
of Model Railroaders at a train show is like watching an enormous
frenzied concentration of chimps in the wild. A Model Railroader will
snatch up and purchase a coveted item then go off buy himself and
look at it quizzically exactly like a baboon will do when he finds a
pretty rock. If one did not notice the money exchange hands how could
he tell the Model Railroader from the baboon? So from my own
experience and observations here are some ways people can tell us
from the apes.

  1. When a Model Railroader is dangling from the ceiling just like an
    ape from his cage it is not because he is an ape, it is because his
    step ladder fell over while he was installing his valance.

  2. When something hits a monkey on the head from above the monkey is
    frightened and confused. The Model Railroader knows that it was the
    light fixture he thought was secure on both ends.

  3. When he smells something burning an ape will screech and run away.
    When a Model Railroader smells something burning he will screech but
    knows he just fried his favorite locomotive.

  4. While taking a break for a beverage and a snack an ape will sit
    down and indulge himself blissfully with a stupid look on his face.
    The Model Railroader does exactly the same thing but he usually has
    his pan

2

Well, I thought this was going to be another ____ thread but it was entertaining… Thanks…

[(-D]

3

I still like bananas.
ennout

4

Bruce that is too much. If you thought all that up you are a great student of the behavior of us lower life forms. By the way my wife uses a cattle prod as she has broken all the fly swatters and a couple of fence posts.

5

that’s to funny…I never knew you were supposed read the destructions first, I’m more like the monkey I just look at the pictures.

6

It’s only funny 'caus it’s true!

7

But you still didn’t explain the calouses on my knuckles!

8

I’m hanging from the rafters too often to have been on a ladder every time, that leaves me wondering…

9

I hate to admit it, but I resemble that!

As for the callused knuckles, that comes from creeping around under the lowest part of the benchwork chasing electrical glitches.

10

[(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D]
What are these “instructions” you reffer to, I certainely have never heard of them[:-^]

11

or from searching for that incredibly tiny but neccesary part that just went bouncing across the floor !

12

Instructions? There are instructions?

13

[(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D]

14

Instructions? You silly people. Those aren’t instructions - they’re only the manufacturer’s suggestions.

15

I don’t appreciate you posting my baby picture dragenrider… I can’t help it if I wasn’t as cute as other babies ([V]).

Tracklayer

16

I wish my wife would use a fly swatter. Her weapon of choice is a cast iron skillet.

Bob

17

Haha,

My wife sends our kids down to get me. If I don’t respond to them immediatly, they start rearranging things on my layout and bumping into me while I am painting.

18

Actually the apes switched from horn hooks to Kadees a lot earlier than model railroaders did. That is one sure way to tell them apart.
Dave Nelson

19

The flyswatter was resorted to after showing up in the train room clad in nothing but high heels didn’t work. The female of the species adapts more quickly than the male!!

Will

20

That would have worked for me[:p]